V Argus and surrounding Nebula, 1 1 



" ing rooms,, furnitui-e, and chimneys, together with the 

 " damage thus created, we shall find no great reason for con- 

 " eluding that the general use of gas as a heating agent, is 

 '•either an impossible or an improbable event in the pro- 

 " sressive march of real civilization." 



Mr. Thompson's remarks are made for, and applied to, a 

 climate much colder than that of these colonies, and where 

 heat at most seasons of the year is enjoyable rather than 

 otherwise ; but a cheap supply of good gas for heating and 

 cooking purposes is a matter of more importance here than 

 in the British Isles, inasmuch as in this climate, where the 

 temperature ranges in summer from 70"^ to 100*^ Fah., the 

 principal desideratum is to avoid as much as possible the 

 use of fire for cooking purposes. In the country districts 

 fixes can be, and are, generally made out of doors ; and thus 

 the heating of dwelling-house apartments is avoided. How- 

 ever, in the city, this can rarely be done, on account of the 

 danger and inconvenience of open-air fires. It only requires 

 a little time to prove beyond all doubt that ordinary culinary 

 operations can be performed at less cost with gas, in con- 

 junction with the use of Norwegian heat-retaining stoves, 

 than by any other means ; that is if freedom from dust, a 

 longer duration of heat, a greater economy of time, and a 

 less necessity of unremitting attention, be considered of any 

 monetary value. 



Aet. III. — r} Arg'As and surrounding Nebula. By 

 A. Le Sueur, Esq. 



[Read 14tli February, 1870.] 



At the request of your president I have drawn up the 

 following account of some observations which I have lately 

 made with the great Melbourne telescope. 



One important fact elicited may be stated in few words ; 

 the spectrum of the star rj Argus is crossed by bright lines. 



The abnormal variations in magnitude to which this star 

 is subject gave reason to expect that some peculiarity in its 

 light would be revealed by the spectroscope ; as soon, there- 

 fore, as the instrumental and atmospheric conditions were 

 sufficiently favourable, a careful examination was made. 



The first night employed was fortunately a good one, so 

 that the bright line character, which might otherwise have 

 easily escaped notice, was at once suspected. 



