OCTOBEK 16, 1885.] 



SCIENCE, 



333 



ASTRONOMICAL NOTES. 



An important series of observations upon terres- 

 trial refraction is reviewed in the Bulletin astro- 

 nomique for August. They were made at Pul- 

 kowa upon three signals in the plain below, whose 

 distances were about 12, 5, and 2 km., with zenith- 

 distances of about 90° 17', 90° 36', and 91° 5'. 

 Thev are very completely discussed as regards 

 temj)erature, steadiness of images, clear and cloudy 

 sky, hour-angle of sun, etc. ; but the most re- 

 markable feature is the persistent negative refrac- 

 tion for the nearest station, under aU. circum- 

 stances, the same for the middle station at 

 temperatures much above the freezing point, and 

 the wide departure of all the observed refractions 

 from those given by standard formulae. The cer- 

 tain indication of a maximum density of the au* at 

 some distance above the gTOund (due probably to 

 rapid fall of temperature in rising from the latter) 

 deserves further investigation at the hands of 

 geodesists, and astronomers as well, for the latter 

 cannot be assured that their observations, espe- 

 cially at considerable zenith-distances, may not 

 be affected by such abnormal density of strata 

 immediately overhead. 



The observation of the spectrum of the new star 

 in the nebula in Andromeda — a matter of the 

 greatest importance — seems to present considerable 

 difficulties. By many observers the spectrum has 

 been pronounced continuous. Dr. Hugguis, how- 

 ever, observing on September 9, feels confident of 

 from three to five bright lines between D and b. 

 Dr. Vogel notes that the intensity of the colors is 

 somewhat different from ordinary star spectra, and 

 he suspects a dark band on the border of the yel- 

 low and green, and a second in the blue between 

 F and G. Dr. von Konkoly of the O'Gyalla obser- 

 vatory, considers the spectrum as belonging to 

 Tj-pe III. 6. He found in the red, yellow, green 

 and blue what seemed to be bright bands on a 

 dark ground. If this suspicion is confirmed, 

 these broad, bright bands would correspond to the 

 hydrogen fines C and F, and to the line Ds^ and 

 they would also indicate a very great pressure. 



A telegram from the Harvard college obser- 

 vatory announces the discovery by Palisa of a 

 13th mag. asteroid, which may perhaps be Eudora, 

 which has not been observed since its discovery- 

 opposition in 1880. If it turns out to be a new 

 one its number wfil be 251. It seems that Palisa 

 discovered 250 whfie hunting for Rhodope 166, 

 which has only been observed at two oppositions, 

 though the present is the sixth since its discovery. 

 If the Vienna 27-inch refractor is to be given up 

 to asteroid discovery, it is to be hoped that it 

 will be the search for old missing numbers rather 



than new and faint bodies, which, though easy 

 objects in a 27-inch, would be beyond the reach 

 of any but a few of the largest instruments, and 

 they are generaUy devoted to more important 

 work. 



The late discussion as to the identity of Biela's 

 and Dennin^'s comets {Observatory, 1885, pp. 257 

 and 306), in which it is supposed that violent per- 

 turbation by the earth threw Biela into the orbit 

 of Denning at the time of the great meteor- 

 shower of 1872, November 27, would seem to be 

 disposed of in the American journal of science 

 (xxx., 322), where it is shown that, in such case, 

 the radiant-point of Biela must have been swung 

 round about 125° or 130°, which would caU for an 

 approach to the earth's centre nearer than 4,000 

 mfies. On the hypothesis of identity, then, the 

 comet must have gone through the earth some- 

 where. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 

 The third international geological congTess 

 held in Berlui at the close of last month had an 

 attendance of 239 members, of which three-fiftlis 

 came from Germany. The next largest number (18) 

 came from Italy, and the United States came, with 

 Belgium, sixth on the list — Canada was not repre- 

 sented. Among those present from the United 

 States were Professors James Hall, Newberry, 

 Brush, H. S. Wfiliams and Dr. Persifer Frazer. 



— The superintendent of the geological survey 

 of India gives an account of two meteorites, 

 which are the first that have been examined under 

 the recent order of government for the coUecticn 

 and examination of these objects. One fell on 

 Feb. 9, 1884, at Pirthallee, in the Punjab ; the 

 stone was received in three pieces, weiglfing in aU 

 1160.5 grammes, the specific gravity being 3.40 ; 

 the shape was roughly cuboidal with roimded 

 edges and indented sides. The other stone fefi at 

 Chandpoor last April, it weighed 1201.3 grammes, 

 its specific gravity being 3.25, its shape being 

 roughly cuboidal with rounded edges. 



— We learn from the London Engineering 

 that a short time ago a citizen of Boston, while on 

 a visit to England, examined the map which ac- 

 companied the charter of the original Massachu- 

 setts Bay company, wMch formed the patent 

 under which English settlements were origin- 

 ally made, and was surprised to see that the 

 eastern boundary was defined by a fine di-awn 

 from Hull at the southern exti'emity of Boston 

 harbor to Nahant, a peninsula on the north. Now 

 a rocky island of small dimensions, known as 

 Middle Brewster; lies to the east of this fine, and 

 as the colony of Massachusetts never claimed it or 



