270 Scientific Intelligence. 



4. Publications of the Allegheny Observatory of the Uni- 

 versity of Pittsburgh. — The following have recently appeared : 



Vol. I, No. 6. The determination of the orbit of a spectro- 

 scopic binary by the method of least squares ; by Frank Schles- 

 inger. Pp. 33-44. 



No. 7. The orbit of Aquilse ; by Robert H. Baker. Pp. 

 45-66. 



No. 9. A partly graphical method for predicting solar eclipses; 

 by Frank Schlesinger. Pp. 57-64. 



5. Washburn Observatory of the University of Wisconsin, 

 George C. Comstock, Director. — The following volume has been 

 recently issued : 



Vol/ XII. Determinations of Proper Motion, 1902-1907. 

 Part I. Proper Motions of Faint Stars ; by George C. Comstock, 

 Director. Pp. 317. The observations here given have been 

 made with the 40 cm. equatorial of the Washburn Observatory; 

 to a considerable extent they repeat, after a period of more than 

 "fifty years, the measurements made by Struve at Pulkova, on stars 

 fainter than the ninth magnitude. 



6. A Treatise on Spherical Astronomy • by Sir Robert Ball. 

 Cambridge, 1908 (The University Press). — The present treatise 

 by Sir Robert Ball, the distinguished Lowndean Professor of 

 Astronomy at Cambridge University, covers quite an amount of 

 ground not included in the classical works of Brtinnow, Chauve- 

 net and later writers and thus seems a valuable addition to our 

 text-books. Thus it gives a glimpse into the theory of map 

 making and into the rudiments of theoretical astronomy besides 

 the usual applications of spherical trigonometry to celestial prob- 

 lems. An interesting feature are the numerous exercises, though 

 some of these seem more a test of algebraic ingenuity than of 

 astronomical insight. Among the novelties of the book may be 

 cited the nomenclature "nole" and " anti-nole " for the poles 

 of a great circle, corresponding to the North and South Poles ; 

 to us it hardly seems that there was a crying need for further 

 designations, also, perhaps, the similarity to " node " is unfor- 

 tunate. 



The presentation, as is usual with Sir Robert Ball, combines 

 great lucidity and directness and we may again add our best 

 wishes for the adoption of the work for class and private study. 



w. L. E. 



7. Bulletin of the Mount Weather Observatory, William J. 

 Humphkeys, Director. — Prepared under the direction of Willis 

 L. Moore, Chief U. S. Weather Bureau. Vol. I. Part 4, pp. 

 207-77 ; 3 charts, 3 figures. — This number contains the following 

 articles : Pyrheliometer and polarimeter observations, by H. H. 

 Kimball ; recent auroral displays and magnetic disturbances, by 

 W. R. Gregg ; magnetic declination, by E. R. Miller ; upper air 

 temperatures for April, May and June, with charts of upper air 

 isotherms, by W. R. Blair. 



