SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. II. No. 27.. 



visual magnitudes of all stars recorded as 

 fainter than 7.5 magnitude in Argelander's 

 Durclimusterung, lying in the zones be- 

 tween north declination 0° to 20°. In a 

 few years they hope to complete the inves- 

 tigation to the N'orth Pole. 



This research is the most accurate and 

 complete of modern researches in the direc- 

 tion of photometric study of stellar mag- 

 nitudes. 



ASTEOPHOTOGBAPHIC CHART. 



Seven of the associated observatories 

 have taken more than one-half the re- 

 quired catalogue plates. All these plates 

 will be taken in two or three years. 



The measurement of the catalogue plates 

 was begun at the Paris Observatory. 



The chart plates will not be completed 

 probably until 1900. 



ASTEONOMICAL PHOTOGRAPHY. 



In volume III. of the Lick Observatory 

 publications are reproduced several fine en- 

 largements of lunar photographs taken 

 with the 36-incli refractor cut down 

 to eight inches. These enlargements were 

 made by Dr. L. "Weinek, of the Prague Ob- 

 servatory. In addition Dr. Weinek has 

 published some excellent enlargements of 

 moon photographs taken by M. M. Loewy 

 and Puiseux at Paris. 



In February, 1895, the Royal Astronom- 

 ical Society presented its Gold Medal to 

 Dr. Isaac Roberts for his photograplis of 

 star clusters and nebulte published in 1894. 

 These superb photographs were taken with 

 silver-oh-glass reflector of 20-iuch aperture 

 and about 100 inches focal length. Profes- 

 sor Barnard, of the Lick Observatory, ex- 

 hibited, at the R. A. S., an exquisite set of 

 sixty positives, on glass, of stars and comets. 

 The publication of these photographs is un- 

 der consideration by the Society. The 

 Council of the R. A. S. is also at work on a 

 method for reproducing the fine photo- 



graphs recently made and for making the 

 reproductions permanent. 



VARIATION OF LATITUDE. 



Dr. Chandler showed that there are twO' 

 terms in the variation of latitude. One 

 term with a period of a year, the other with 

 a period of 428.6 days. He suggested that 

 the pole rotates, not in a circle, but in an 

 ellipse with revolving line of apsides. 



During the year there was published the 

 results of observations made in various 

 parts of the world, including Prof. Doolit- 

 tle's work at Bethlehem, Pa., and Prof. 

 Davidson's observations at San Francisco. 



NEW OBSERVATORY. 



Mr. Percival Lowell, of Boston, estab- 

 lished an observatory at Flagstaff, Arizona,, 

 at an elevation of 7,300 feet above sea level. 

 His principal instrument was formed by a 

 combination of two telescopes with aper- 

 tures of 18 and 12 inches. These telescopes 

 were mounted like a twin instrument. 



Mr. Lowell, Professor "W. H. Pickering 

 and Mr. Douglass have given most of their 

 time to the studj' of Mars. Extensive re- 

 ports have been made in Astronomy and- 

 Astrophysics. J. K. Rees. 



Columbia College. 



CUEEENT NOTES ON ANTHROPOLOGY (X). 

 IS CRANIOLOGY A SCIENCE? 



Two years ago (June, 1893) I pointed out 

 in these notes how completelj^ craniology, 

 as it has been pursued, has failed of the 

 promises which Broca and Retzius and its 

 other founders made for it. 



A lar more forcible and detailed indict- 

 ment of its inefficiency has just appeared 

 from the pen of Professor Burel von Torok, 

 Dii'ector of the Anthopological Museum at 

 Budapest, himself an eminent craniologist, 

 in the ' Archiv fiir Anthropologic,' Band 

 XXIII. He says of the science : " All the 

 great possibilities which were attributed to 



