1870.] Astronomy. 251 



In a paper coinniimicated to the Koyal Society, Mr. Proctor 

 describes a peculiar motion of the stars, which he terms star-drift. 

 According to the accepted theory of stellar distribution, it would 

 follow that among the stars visible in any given region of the 

 heavens there should be proper motions in all possible directions, 

 and ranging through all orders of magnitude from zero to a certain 

 definite maximum. In place of this, Mr. Proctor finds that in many 

 regions of the heavens the stars exhibit a certain community of 

 motion, which seems to indicate that they form a set or system 

 travelling bodily in a definite direction. 



During the next quarter Jupiter will not be favourably visible, 

 as he will be in conjunction with the sun on May 24th. Saturn, 

 however, coming to opposition on June 16th, will for several months 

 be a fine object for the telescopist. The rings are now at their full 

 opening, and though the planet will be low down, yet in favourable 

 weather it may be studied with advantage. Venus will reach her 

 greatest westerly elongation on May 4th, but her apparent diameter 

 is rapidly diminishing. 



The solar spots are now very numerous, and for the coming 

 months the sun should be very carefully studied. 



Proceedings of the Astronomical Society. 



Mr. Paine supplies an account of the total eclipse of August 7, 

 1869, which he observed in Boonesboro, Iowa. He noticed that 

 the corona was not as striking as the one seen during the eclipse 

 of November 30, 1834, nor was the darkness so great. He also 

 remarks that the prominences were much more distinct last August 

 than in 1834. He quotes the opinion of one who saw the total 

 eclipse of 1806, that then also the flames were inconspicuous, and 

 the darkness greater. 



Commander Ashe describes the eclipse as seen in Canada ; and 

 Mr. Webb communicates an account of the work done by Professor 

 Mayer in photographing the same eclipse. It is needless to enter 

 into particulars respecting this communication, since, in a paper by 

 Mr. Crookes in the last number of this Journal, a full account has 

 been given, not only of Professor Mayer's work, but of that done 

 by other photographers. 



Mr. Alexander Herschel discusses certain irregularities pre- 

 sented during recent appearances of the November meteors. Ob- 

 servations seem to indicate the existence of two meteoric currents 

 bordering upon the main-stream, but separated from it by blank 

 spaces almost entirely devoid of meteors, and forming lateral out- 

 liers of the stream, near to which they appear to move in parallel 

 and closely-adjacent orbits. " The passage of the earth through the 



