96 Scientific Intelligence. 



Observations with the Meridian Photometer during the years 

 1899-1902 by Solon I. Bailey. Volume XLVIII, Part V, Dis- 

 tribution of Stars ; No. VI, Meridian Circle Observations of Eros 

 and Comparison Stars ; VII, Meridian Circle Observations of 

 Nova Persei No. 2 and Comparison Stars ; VIII, Intensity of 

 Atmospheric Lines in the Solar Spectrum. Volume LI, A Pho- 

 tographic Atlas of the Moon by William H. Pickering. Also 

 Circular No. 72, Intensity of Spectral Lines and No. 73, Opposi- 

 tion of Eros (433) in 1905. 



The Photographic Atlas of the Moon, by Professor W. H. 

 Pickering, is a notable work, giving, as it does, the first complete 

 representation of this kind. The work was carried on at the 

 Observatory at Mandeville, Jamaica, beginning in 1900. The 

 telescope employed, constructed especially for the purpose, had a 

 12-inch objective (30 cms ) and a photographic focus of 135 ft. 

 4 inches (4125 cms ) so that a scale of 5 seconds to l mm was obtained. 

 The length of focus required that the tube should be fixed and 

 the objective viewed in the movable mirror. The results are 

 given in a series of eighty beautiful plates, each of the sixteen 

 portions of the surface being represented for five periods between 

 sunrise and sunset, thus exhibiting the changes in appearance due 

 to differences in lighting. One point of interest brought out is 

 the variation observed at different times due to varying amounts 

 of snow and frost in certain of the craters. Variation attributed 

 to patches of vegetation was also observed within some of the 

 craters. For the discussion of this and other matters of interest 

 reference must be made to the original work. 



4. JBeitrdge zur chemischen Physiologies herausgegeben von 

 F. Hofmeister. IV Band, 1-8 Heft., 1903. Braunschweig 

 (Vieweg und Sohn). — The student of the chemistry of the pro- 

 teids will continue to find a large number of the contributions in 

 the JBeitrdge devoted to this department of physiological research. 

 Special reference maybe made here to papers by Gamgee and his 

 coworkers on the optical activity of various albuminous com- 

 pounds. Several of the latter are found to be markedly dextro- 

 rotatory, whereas the simple proteids are known to be lgevorota- 

 tory. Digestive processes and enzymes receive attention in 

 several papers ; and two sulphur compounds, taurin and cystin, 

 which possess considerable physiological interest, are made the 

 subject of investigations reported from Hofmeister's laboratory. 

 In addition to these there are papers on the precipitins; on crotin 

 and ricin; and several communications on the lymphatic tissues 

 by Bang, in addition to briefer notes on various experimental 

 topics. L. B. M. 



Obituary. 



Herbert Spencer, one of the deepest thinkers of his time, 

 whose philosophy has had a profound influence upon the intel- 

 lectual men of all nations, died on December 8 at the age of 

 eighty-three years. 



