Astronomy. 501 
teachers of zoology, for they may rest Te that the distin- 
guished editors will give them nothing w has th stoud the 
test of time, and we most cordially Secunia the se 
“AL AG. 
TV. ASTRONOMY. 
1. The Sun’s Distance. (Abstract of the Report of the Astro- 
tee pilach on the Telescopic Observations of the recent Transit 
of Venus, from Nature of Nov. 1).—A most interesting state 
paper has just been issued ; we refer to the Report by the Astro- 
sc 
observations made in the expeditions organized by other goveru- 
ments. 
t will be seen from the ‘ieee; report that the plan of opera- 
ine actually pursued has been very nearly that proposed by the 
Astronomer-Royal in his communication to the oyal Astronomi- 
cal Society on Dousutvie 11, 1868, when for the third time direct- 
ing attention to the arrangements ‘which it would be necessary to 
make tor the efficient observation of the transits of 1874 and: 1882. 
The method of absolute longitudes was to be applied for observa- 
tions both of ingress and egress; it being therefore essential that 
x 
ritain were Alexandria, stations in New Zealand and i “oA 
Sandwich Islands, sok dn aes s oe and Mauritius or the tw 
oe of Rodri uez and Bov 
expedition * entirely by consideration of th 
influence | — pesmi would have in determining with 
accura tion of parallax.” 
y t rati allax. They were: 
Egypt, the roller aad the lia 1d of Rodriguez, New Zea- 
land, and Kerguelen’s Land. It was iuionded to adopt in each of 
these districts one fundamental station, the longitude of which 
was to be independently determined, for conversion of local times 
into Greenwich times, and itbordinate to this primary station, 
other stations were proposed to be selected at such distances that 
oo. pe taken of different states of weather that 
mi me 
tro ng Rae 8 ighness the Khedive rendered every possible 
ass ssistence, “8 being supplied with military guards for the pr 
tection of the observers and their i instruments, and telegraph wires 
erected. edeacromeiertb Eas acknowledges the obligations of 
the expedition to the liberality of the Eastern sea a Company, 
in affording the means of determining with extreme accuracy an 
great facility the longitude of the principal station Mokattam. 
