1867.] Astronomy. 231 



results of Mr. Stone's calculation of the variations which have 

 taken place in the figure and position of the earth's orhit during 

 one million of years. These results are well worth careful study. 

 They are sufficient to show how far from the truth is the statement 

 so often repeated in works on popular astronomy, that the eccen- 

 tricity of the orhit varies between definite limits with a definite 

 period of oscillation, the position of the perihelion travelling 

 (meanwhile) continually in one direction. On the contrary, the 

 successive maxima of eccentricity differ considerably inter se, and so 

 of the successive minima ; the period of oscillation is variable ; and 

 the perihelion not only travels with variable velocity, but some- 

 times retrogrades for twenty or thirty thousand years together. We 

 must pass over many maxima before we arrive at one approaching 

 Le Verrier's estimate of the absolute maximum ('0777). In the 

 whole range of years tabulated by Mr. Stone, the greatest eccen- 

 tricity is * 0747 ; — this was the case 850,000 years ago, and the 

 earth's orbit was then nearly as eccentric as Mars's present orbit. 

 The least eccentricity (within the period tabulated) occurred 

 900,000 years ago ; at this time the eccentricity was * 0102. The 

 present eccentricity is 0*0168. 



The late Dr. Hincks (shortly before his death) effected an elabo- 

 rate calculation respecting an eclipse recorded in the ' Cuneiform 

 Inscriptions of Western Asia.' The record runs : — " In the month 

 Tisri the moon was eclipsed, and the moon emerged from the shadow 

 while the sun was rising." Such an eclipse admits of identification. 

 Accordingly, Dr. Hincks was able to satisfy himself that it occurred 

 on September 13th, 701 B.C. (at the beginning of Sennacherib's 

 reign). He adds : — " According to Hansen's Tables the moon would 

 be very far — perhaps half a degree — beyond the place which would 

 allow the phenomenon to appear, as recorded, in the latitude of 

 Nineveh." But by adopting values given by Professor Adams, con- 

 joined with a correction ascribed to a retardation of the earth's 

 diurnal rotation, he considers that the circumstances of the eclipse 

 can be satisfactorily accounted for. 



Proceedings of the Koyal Astronomical Society. 



Our space will not permit us to notice separately (with what- 

 ever brevity) the papers (sixteen in number) which have reference 

 to the November star-shower. We have already summarized the 

 results presented in them. 



Messrs. De la Kue, Stewart, and Loewy present a note exhibiting 

 the results of their second series of " Researches on Solar Physics." 

 Their observations indicate an apparent connection between the 

 behaviour of sun-spots and the longitude of Venus. Jupiter's 

 influence seems also to have been detected. The planets which 



