Miscellaneous Intelligence. 75 



IT. Miscellaneous Scientific Intelligence. 



1. Comet of 18 1^3 I. — Here Krkittz of Kiel has been engaged 

 in the investigation of the path of the great comet 1843 I, which 

 has seemed to bear close relations to, if not identity with, the 

 comets of 1668, 1880 I, and 1882 II. In the Astronomische 

 Nachrichten, No. 3320, he gives in advance of full publication 

 the principal results of his computations. The most probable 

 period of revolution is 512*39 ± 70*75 years. The period of 36 

 years, necessary if there is identity with comet 1880 I, as well as 

 that of 175 years if there is identity with comet 1668, are found 

 to be inconsistent with the observations of comet 1843 I. He 

 finds, however, that while a parabolic orbit is inadmissible, a 

 period of 800 years, equal to that of the great comet 1882 II, is 

 admissible. Moreover, he finds a remarkable relation, viz : that 

 the line of intersection of the planes of the two orbits is for 

 each of them along the major axis of the orbit. Hence he con- 

 cludes with considerable probability, 1st, that the two comets are 

 parts of one original comet, and 2d, that the separation took 

 place in some past epoch at or near the perihelion passage of the 

 original body. Why it may not have separated near aphelion is 

 apparently not considered. 



2. Harvard College Observatory. — The Director of the Obser- 

 vatory of Harvard College, Professor E. C. Pickering, has 

 recently commenced the publication of a series of Circulars, 

 designed to furnish a prompter announcement than has hitherto 

 been possible of the results of the Observatory work. Numbers 

 1, 2 and 3 have already appeared. The first describes a new star 

 which appeared in the spring of 1895 in the constellation Carina, 

 discovered from an examination of the Draper Memorial photo- 

 graphs taken at the Arequipa Station. The spectrum of the 

 star resembles closely those of Nova Aurigse and Nova Normse. 

 Circular No. 2 describes certain variable star clusters. 



Circular No. 3 (Dec. 13) gives observations of a new variable 

 star of the Algol type. This is the star B. D. +17° 4367, magn. 

 9*1, whose approximate position for 1900 is in R. A. 20 h 33 m . 1, 

 Deck + 17° 56'. The change of brightness appears to be rapid 

 and the range of variation to be large, exceeding two magnitudes. 



3. Distribution of the Magnetic Declination in Alaska and 

 adjacent waters for the year 1895, with a chart, by C. A. Schott. 

 (U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, Bulletin No. 34.) — This brief 

 pamphlet, in addition to the new and excellent declination chart 

 for Alaska, discusses briefly the observations available and the 

 methods by which they have been reduced for use in laying down 

 the isogonic lines. 



4. Geodesy, Determinations of Latitude, gravity and magnetic 

 elements at stations in the Hawaiian Islands, including a result 

 Tor the mean density of the earth. 1891, 1892, by E. D. Preston. 



(U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, W. W. Duffield, Supt. Appen- 



