JuLyY 14, 1899. ] 
Newcomb’s catalogue of 1,596 stars reduced to 
an absolute system by the methods explained to 
the Paris Conference in 1896. The Conference 
authorized the preparation of the catalogue asa 
provisional fundamental catalogue, and the Brit- 
ish and French Almanac Offices assisted in the 
calculations. The star places are given for 1875 
and 1900. The revised catalogue of 383 stars 
included in the American Ephemeris for 1900 is 
taken from this fundamental catalogue. 
PARALLAX OF THE ANDROMEDA NEBULA. 
BULLETIN No. 6 of the Yerkes Observatory 
records an attempt by Professor Barnard to ob- 
tain an appreciable parallax of this nebula from 
micrometric measurements with the 40-inch 
refractor. Two smal] stars were employed and 
a series was obtained in July and August, 1898, 
followed by a second series in November and 
December, 1898. The differences between the 
two series are no greater than would be ex- 
pected in such measures, and are contrary in 
sign to what would be required if the nebula is 
nearer than the stars. 
' A HYPERBOLIC COMET ORBIT. 
THE numberof hyperbolic comet orbits is so 
small, and their character, generally regarded, 
as so uncertain, that a genuine addition to the 
list is heartily welcomed. Mr. Aitken, of the 
Lick Observatory, has published in the Astro- 
nomische Nachrichten a definitive determination 
of the orbit of Comet 1896 III, discovered by 
Swift. A large number of observations were 
made at many observatories, which are dis- 
cussed with great care and impartiality. The 
weak point in the investigation is that the ob- 
servations extend over a period of but two 
months and four days, but the normal places 
are represented in a highly satisfactory manner 
by the hyperbolic elements. The residuals are 
very small in both right ascension and declina- 
tion and cannot be reduced by any variation in 
the computed eccentricity. 
WINSLOW Upton. 
PROVIDENCE, R. I., July 7, 1899. 
RECENT PROGRESS IN THE EXAMINATION 
OF FOODS AND DRUGS. 
In the modern investigations of foods and 
drugs it is beginning to be recognized, to some 
_ SCIENCE. 
Hy) 59 
extent at least, that it is the results of the la- 
bors of the scientific botanist and chemist which 
are being utilized, not only by the analyst, but 
also by the manufacturers of foods and drugs. 
New medicinal plants are being added from 
time to time to the materia medica ; new food- 
producing plants are being discovered; the 
various active and otherwise valuable consti- 
tuents of foods and drugs are being isolated 
and investigations made upon them ; in short, 
the plants and their manufactured products are 
being so extensively investigated that it is quite 
possible in many cases to distinguish the pure 
from the spurious, and it would appear that the 
time is at hand for the framing of national food 
and drug laws. In the following an attempt is 
made to indicate some of the recent develop- 
ments in the examination of foods and drugs. 
MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
AMONG the new economical plants from East 
Africa * may be mentioned Mascarenhasia elas- 
tica K. Schum. (N. O. Apocynaceze), a tree 
which yields caoutchouc; Canarium Liebertia- 
num Engl. (N. O. Burseracez ), the bark of 
which yields a resin that much resembles olib- 
anum; Lrythrophleum guineense Don. (N. O. 
Leguminosz ), the bark of which contains Ery- 
thropleein ; and Cordyla africana Lour. (N. O. 
Leguminose), which yields an edible fruit. 
R. T. Baker describes + two new species of 
Eucalyptus: (1) E. dextropinea, the volatile oil 
(0.85 % ) of which consists largely of dextro- 
rotatory pinene, eucalyptol being absent: (2) 
E. levopinea, the volatile oil (0.85 %) being 
made up largely of levo-rotary pinene, but con- 
taining neither eudesmol nor eucalyptol. 
The Strychnos species of Africa have been ex- 
amined by EH. Gilg,{ who divides them into two 
groups: (1) those with edible fruits: Strychnos 
unguacha A. Rich. (S. innosa Del.), S. Quagua 
Gilg, S. cerasifera Gilg, S. Tonga Gilg, also 
two species related to the latter whose fruits 
are no doubt eaten, S. Welwitschii Gilg and S. 
cocculoides Baker. (2) Those with poisonous 
fruits: S. Icaja Baill., S. Kipapa Gilg, S. pun- 
gens Solered., possibly also S. spinosa Lam. and 
*Notizbl. d. Berl. Bot. Gart., 1899. 
Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. W., 1898. 
t Notizlb.. d. Berl. Gart., 1899, No. 177. 
