ee Scientific Intelligence. 
5. A new genus of spherical Rhizopods.—Mr. H. B. Brapy 
describes, in the Magazine of Natural History for September, a 
white porcellanous spherical foraminifer, obtained by the Chal- 
lenger expedition at a depth of 1,950 fathoms, in lat. 53° 55'S., 
long. 108° 35’ E., or roughly about 25 degrees south of the south- 
western corner of Australia. It is a tenth of an inch in diameter, 
series. The chamberlets of the same layer communicate by sho 
lateral stolons, those of successive layers by the pores which: 
formed the superficial apertures of the previous layer. The sur- 
face is areolated, owing to the arrangement and the small con- 
vexity of the chamberlets, The material brought up in the dredge 
was a white diatom-ooze, composed chiefly of diatoms, radiolari- 
ans, sponge spicules, and other siliceous organisms, with seventeen 
species of rhizopods of arctic habit. 
Ill. Astronomy. 
were secured one or more of the four contacts. Particulars 
these and of the physical appearances of Venus must, to have per- 
manent value, be given by the observers themselves, in their own 
observing the Transit. In its present perfected form it is thought 
by ny astronomers, especially i rmany, e the most 
powerful m now have of observing the Transit for 
the purpose of measuring the solar parallax. At New Haven the 
six-inch Repsold heliometer was used by Dr. Waldo and Professor 
Kershner continuously throughout the whole time of the Transit. 
The clouds interfered but little with this work, about 250 point- 
ings of the instrument with corresponding readings being secured. 
These constituted twenty-seven more or less complete single sets of 
measurements across the sun, each set when complete being com- 
posed of eight pointings. There were in addition 20 direct meas- 
ures of the diameter of Venus, 33 of the sun’s diameter before and 
after the Transit, and 14 position angles near the first and fourth 
contacts. 
Each of the four German parties had three-inch heliometers. At 
Hartford the clouds entirely prevented observations for the first 
hour, yet after that time five double sets of observations were 
secured by Drs. Miiller and Deichmiiller, together with various 
other valuable measurements, 
