388 



SCIENCE. 



semi-incandescent mass ; that the belts, the great red 

 spot and other dark markings, are composed of matter 

 of lower temperature. The egg-shaped, polar white 

 spots are openings in the semi-fluid crust. This hypo- 

 thesis would account for the slow and gradual changes 

 occurring on the surface, which does not seem reason- 

 able on the simple atmospheric theory. 



Over the liquid surface is an atmosphere in which is 

 formed the equatorial white spots which are of the nature 

 of cloud. 



In conclusion the director expresses what we can well 

 believe to be his sincere regrets at the loss of the valuable 

 services of Mr. S. W. Burnham, who has accepted a 

 position in the Washburne Observatory, at Madison, Wis. 

 During the past year Mr. Burnham, as heretofore, had|the 

 use of the great equatorial for double-star observations, 

 and reported the discovery since May, 1880, of about 

 fifty new double-stars, all of which were measured at 

 least three times. About one-half of the number are 

 close double, not exceeding i".5 in distance. Among the 

 more prominent stars are 9 persei, 5 persei, k pegasi, y 

 foracis and 60 arietis. He alsD made about 6oo measures 

 on previously-known double-stars. 



Dr. CopeLand and Mr. Dreyer have been compelled to 

 change the title of Urania, as it appears that name was 

 appropriated by some astrological serial. In future, then, 

 Urania, the astronomical serial, will bear the title Coper- 

 nicus. 



It is rumored that Prof. Huxley will be asked to allow 

 his name to be entered for the Linacre professor of physi- 

 ology vacant by the death of Prof. Rolleston. 



COMET (b) 1881. 



The following observations of the Great Comet of 1881, 

 made at Australian Observatories, have been kindly 

 furnished for publication by Professor Wm. Harkness, 

 U. S. N., to whom they were communicated by Mr. 

 Todd, Superintendent of the Adelaide Observatory. , 



Date. 



R. A. 



May 22, — 



June 



26, 

 27. 

 28, 

 28, 

 29. 

 ■•>, 

 3°. 

 3°* 

 3«* 

 3«. 



m. h. m. 



— 4 58 



— 4 59 

 59 



17 5 

 10 5 



° 5 



o 5 

 39 5 

 20 5 



33 S 



85 

 23 5 

 25 5 

 48 5 



4 5 

 10 — 



46. 



16.62 

 3°7 

 25- 

 3567 

 48.52 

 5'-7 

 21.8 

 26.12 



54-6 



12.38 



26.26 



32.8 



37.6 



38.4 

 134 



Dec. South. Station. 



30 — 

 14 — 

 13 3°- 

 40 44-9 



31 2. 

 22 7. 



3 48. 



42 42. 



39 39- 

 5' 2. 



Windsor... 

 Melbourne. 



Sydney 



Melbourne. 

 Windsor. . . 

 Adelaide .. 

 Melbourne. 



Adelaide . 



* Of Comparison. 



B. A. C. 1573 

 Lacaille 1685 



34 '4- 



6 40. 



2 58. 



5i 3 6 - 



5 — 



11 39. 



26 21. 



Melbourne. 



Adelaide .. 

 Melbourne. 

 Adelaide . 



Lacaille 1785 



Columbae 



E. A. C. 1564 



" 1615 

 1564 



" 1615 



Washington 2173 



Rigel 



r. Orionis 



Windsor 



Sydney 



Melbourne . 

 Adelaide... 



Lat. 33 36 29 S., 



" 33 5' 4' " 



" 37 49 53 - 



34 55 3t ' 



Long. 



h. m. s. 



21.8 E. of Greenwich. 



50.8 



39 54-8 

 14 21.3 



Washington, Aug. 9, 1 881 . 



w. c. w. 



METEOROLOGICAL REPORT FOR NEW YORK CITY FOR THE WEEK ENDING AUG. 6, 1881. 



Latitude 40 45' 58 " N.; Longitude 73 57' 58 " W.; height of instruments above the ground, 53 feet ; above the sea, 97 



feet ; by self-recording instruments. 



BAROMETER. 



THERMOMETERS. 



JULY 





MEAN FOR 

 THE DA V, 



MAXIMUM. 



MINIMUM. 



MEAN. 





MAXIMUM. 







MINIMUM. 





maxi'm 



AND 



AUGUST. 



Reduced 

 to 



Freezing, 



Reduced 

 to 



Freezing. 



Time. 



Reduced 

 to 



Freezing. 



Time. 



Dry 

 Bulb. 



Wet 

 Bulb. 



Dry 

 Bulb. 



Time. 



Wet 

 Bulb. 



1 Mil'.'. 



Dry 

 Bulb. 



Time. 



Wet 

 Bulb. 



Time. 



In Sun. 



Sunday, 



Monday, 



Tuesday, 



Wednesday, 



Thursday, 



Friday, 



Saturday, 



31.. 

 1 . . 



2-- 



3 - 



4- - 



5- - 

 6.. 



30.094 

 30.060 

 30.014 

 29-975 

 29.970 

 29.930 

 29.864 



30 164 



30.096 

 30.058 

 30.006 

 29.996 

 29.976 

 29.914 



9 a. m. 

 9 a. m. 

 9 a. m. 

 7 a. m. 

 9 a. m. 

 9 a. m. 

 7 a. m. 



30044 

 30.036 

 29.966 

 29.942 

 29.940 

 29.898 

 29.804 



9 p. m 

 9 p. m. 

 6 p. m. 

 4 P- m. 

 6 p. m. 



6 p. m. 



7 P- m- 



67.6 



74- 3 



75- o 

 76.6 

 81.7 

 82.3 

 83.0 



;66. 3 



7°-3 

 71.0 

 71.0 

 74.0 

 75-6 

 76.3 



73 

 80 

 81 

 85 

 9 1 

 91 

 91 



4 ?• m. 



3 P- m - 



4 P- m. 

 4 P- m. 

 4 p. m. 

 3 P- m. 

 2 p. m. 



69 

 73 

 74 

 75 

 79 

 79 

 80 



12 p. m. 



3 P- m. 

 5 P m. 

 7 P m. 



4 P- m. 

 2 p. m. 

 2 p. m. 







63 

 68 

 70 

 67 

 70 

 75 

 78 



1 a. m. 



5 a. m. 



2 a. m. 



6 a. in. 

 5 a. m. 

 5 a. m. 



12 p. m. 



63 

 67 

 69 

 67 

 69 



73 

 73 



1 a. m. 



5 a. m. 



2 a. m. 



6 a. m. 

 5 a. m. 

 5 a. m. 



12 p. m. 



123. 

 140. 

 141. 

 X<». 

 i 4 2. 

 141. 

 139- 



Mean for the week '— 20.986 inches. 



Maximum for the week at 9 am., July 31st 3°- lC 4 " 



Minimum " at 7 pm., Aug. 6ih 29.804 " 



Range ^60 " 



Dry'. Wet. 



Mean for the week. 77.3 degrees 72.0 degrees. 



Maximum for the week, at 7 pm. 6th 91. at 2 pm 6th, 80. " 

 Minimum " " 1 am. 31st 63. " at 1 am 31st, 63. " 

 Range " *' 28. 17. " 



WIND. 



JULY 



AND 



AUGUST. 



DIRECTION. 



VELOCITY 

 IN MILES. 



FORCE IN 

 LBS. PER 

 SCjR. FEET. 



7 a. m. 2 p. 



9 p. m 



Sunday, 31- n. e. 

 Monday, 1. w. s. w. 



Tuesday, 2. s. s. t. 

 Wednesday, 3. n. w. 



Thursday, 4. n.n.w. n. w. 



Friday, 5. w. n.w. s. s. e. 



Saturday, 6. s. s. w.s. s. w. 



>. s. w. 

 s. w. 



Distance 

 for the 

 Day. S 



Time. 



132 i}4 4.00am .596 .635 



119 2 4.00 pm .644 .717 



118 2% 3.30pm .706 .717 



61 }{ 2.00pm .648 ! .663 



57 Yi 5-Oopm .641 I .765 



82 K 340pm .757 .855 



HYGROMETER. 



FORCE OF VAPOR. 



RELATIVE 

 HUMIDITY. 



.658 IOD I 90 



.706 85 70 



.693 I 93 70 



•744 : 95 57 



.816 , 76 56 

 787 82 



176 sVt \ 2.2opml .772 .874 , .814 78 



CLOUDS. 



CLEAR, O 

 OVFKCAST, IO 



a 



B 



B 



ti 



d 



d 









10 



9 CU. 



10 



10 



2cir.cu.s 



3 cu. 



10 



3 cir. cu. 



8 cu. 



3cir. cu. 



1 cir. 











3 cir. cu. 







2 cir. 











2 cir.cu. 



1 c. s. 



6 cu. 



RAIN AND SNOW. 



DEI'TH OF RAIN AND SNOW 

 IN INCHES. 



Time 

 of 



ing. 

 1.30pm 



9.15pm 



Time 



of 

 End- 

 ing. 



Dura- c 

 tion. 

 h. m. 



< o 



4 pm. 2.30 



Total amount of water for the week 10 inch. 



Distance traveled during the week 745 miles. 



Maximum force 5/i ' os - I 



DANIEL DRAPER, Ph. D. 

 Director Meteorological Observatory of the Department of Public Parks, New York. 



