Astronomical Notes. 6i 



Galileo constructed telescopes in 1609, and discovered Jupiter's 

 satellites in 1610. 



A study of the asteroids by Prof. Arthur Searle, has shown 

 peculiarities in the belt of sky they traverse which correspond with 

 those of the zodiacal light, and suggests the hypothesis that the 

 light may be partly due to minute objects circulating in orbits like 

 those of the smaller planets. 



On June 22, 1885, there appeared on the sun's disc, one of the 

 largest spots ever detected there, which would hardly have been 

 perceived, however, if its occurrence had not been recorded by 

 photographic apparatus. 



A German astronomer has found reasons for believing that the 

 zodiacal light and the aurora borealis result from the reflection of 

 sunlight by water and ice. 



At the beginning of the year 163 asteroids were known, nine 

 having been discovered during 1885. Up to the close of 1884, the 

 number of comets observed for which orbits have been computed, 

 was 302, of which twelve have proven themselves to be periodic, 

 and have been re-observed more or less frequently. 



Besides Venus, Mercury and the suspected intra-Mercurial Vul- 

 can, Mons. J. C. Houzeau, of the Brussels Observatory, thinks 

 there may be another planet between the earth and the sun. A 

 telescopic object has seven times been observed near Venus, the 

 last time in 1764, and an examination of the data thus furnished, 

 makes it appear probable that this body is an unknown planet with 

 an orbit about equal to that of Venus or a little larger, the latter 

 case making it our nearest planetary neighbor. It must come in 

 conjunction with Venus at intervals, which are multiples of a little 

 less than three years. The hypothetical planet is called Neith, 

 and ambitious amateur astronomers are advised to search for it. 



NECROLOGY. 



Mrs. Thomas Say, the widow of the well-known naturalist, who 

 has been dead over fifty years, died at Lexington, Mass. , on 

 November 15th last. 



Dr. W. F. Tolmie, known to ethnologists for his contributions 

 to the history and linguistics of the native races of the West 

 Coast, died on the 8th of December, at Victoria, B. C. He was 

 born in Scotland, but has been a resident of this coast since 1833. 



The death of Paul Bert has recently been announced. 



Dr. Isaac Lea died at his home in Philadelphia on the 8th of 

 December. A sketch of the life of this eminent scientist was 

 given in the January issue of the West American Scientist. 



