DECEMBER 31, 1897.] 
ganized association which is contributing its 
share to scientific advance. The Society of 
Naturalists and the affiliated associations are, 
perhaps, of especial interest because they repre- 
sent an attempt to keep a group of sciences in 
mutually helpful relations. Hach society has 
its own organization and special work, but men 
of science in different but related departments 
are brought into personal contact, so that each 
may learn to appreciate the work of the others. 
The programs of the different societies promise 
that the meetings this winter will be of special 
interest, and we are sure that this promise will 
be confirmed by the reports to be published in 
this JOURNAL. 
THE ECLIPSE EXPEDITIONS FROM GREAT 
BRITAIN. 
ACCORDING to the London Times a considera- 
ble rearrangement has been made of the stations 
proposed to be occupied by the various British 
parties setting out to observe the total eclipse 
of the sun on January 22d. Sir Norman Lock- 
yer will, as before arranged, occupy the most 
westerly of these stations—at Viziadrug, on 
the coast of India. The next station towards 
the east is where the Southern Mahratta Rail- 
way crosses the central line of totality near the 
station of Karad. Here Professor Michie 
Smith, the government astronomer at Madras, 
with his party, will take up his position. The 
Great Indian Peninsular Railway crosses the 
central line about 100 miles farther east at 
Jeur. Here Professor K. D. Naegamvala, the 
curator of the observatory of the Royal College 
of Science, Poona, with a large party of resi- 
dent observers, will be encamped. A wide 
interval separates this station from the next, 
which will be occupied by a party sent out by 
the British Astronomical Association. This will 
consist of Mr. John Evershed, Mr. and Mrs. 
E. W. Maunder, Captain P. B. Molesworth, 
R.E., and Mr. C. Thwaites. This party is travel- 
ling out by the P. and O. steamer Ballaarat. 
Their camp will in all likelihood be pitched 
at Talni, on the line between Amraoti and Nag- 
pur. Near them will be the second of the of- 
ficial parties sent out by the joint committee of 
the Royal Society and the Royal Astronomical 
Society, Sir N. Lockyer’s party forming the 
SCIENCE. 
989 
first, and consisting of Captains Hills, R.E., 
and Mr. Newall. Mr. Newall has already 
started, and Captain Hills will travel by the P. 
and O. steamer Oriental. Another 120 miles 
along the shadow track the third official station 
will be occupied by Dr. Copeland, Astronomer 
Royal for Scotland, on the high road between 
Nagpur and Seoni; whilst the fourth party, 
consisting of the Astronomer Royal (Mr. W. 
H. M. Christie) and Professor H. H. Turner, 
of Oxford, who also travel by the Ballaarat, is 
expected to be located at Sohagpur, on the line 
from Jubbulpore to Bilaspore, some 150 miles 
from Dr. Copeland. Finally, the second party 
of the British Astronomical Association, which 
will be under the leadership of the Rev. J. M. 
Bacon and will go out by the Egypt, is ex- 
pected to take up its quarters for the event- 
ful day at Buxar, on the Ganges, some 220 
miles farther on. With the favorable meteoro- 
logical conditions which prevail in India in 
January and this wide distribution of observing 
forces, it is to be hoped that no such severe 
disappointment as was felt in Norway and Japan 
during the eclipse of last year will be experi- 
enced on this occasion. 
GENERAL. 
As we go to press we receive intelligence of 
the important discovery announced by Professor 
J. C. Kapteyn, of Gronigen, that the Star Cor- 
doba Zone Catalogue 5". 243 has a proper motion 
of 8/7 on are of a great circle. The largest 
proper motion hitherto known is that of 1830 
Groombridge — 7/0 on arc of a great circle. 
AT the session of the Academie des Sciences 
held at Paris, December 13, 1897, the Cuvier 
prize of 1,500 francs was awarded to Professor 
O. C. Marsh, of Yale University. This prize 
‘is awarded every three years for the most re- 
markable work either on the Animal Kingdom 
or on Geology.’ 
THE post of Government Botanist of Victoria, 
vacant by the death of Baron yon Mueller, has 
been filled by the appointment of his former as- 
sistant, Mr. J. G. Luehman. 
A CABLEGRAM reports that the will of Dr. 
Thomas W. Evans, the opening of which has 
been awaited with much interest, leaves nearly 
