SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
245 
rocky motion in his chair. It does not appear to have permanently 
affected the position of any astronomical instrument, or to have had any 
effect upon the time-keepers, although such displacements could he 
detected with the greatest accuracy. It seems that the earthquake was 
felt at Antigua at the same moment of time as in the British Islands. 
Venus at Inferior Conjunction.*— -At the time of inferior conjunction of 
Venus on September 28, numerous observers perceived not only the faint 
crescent of the planet, but likewise the whole of the disc. This curious 
appearance, resembling that of the new moon when illumined by the 
earth-light, appears to have been most favourably seen by Mr. Prince, at 
Uckfield, between September 23 and 28. On September 30 “a phos- 
phorescent flitting of light around the edge of the disc” was remarked. 
Capt. Noble, however, appears to have seen it as late as October 9, and 
Mr. Barber and the editor of the Astronomical Register , respectively, on 
October 22 and October 25. Both these observations were confirmed 
at the time by independent witnesses, who immediately perceived the 
phenomenon, without having been previously told of it. On October 6 
Mr. Banks likewise observed it. It has doubtless been seen by other 
observers. It is very difficult to account for this phenomenon, which 
seems to be particular to this planet (not having been noticed in Mercury), 
and would tend to show that either its surface or atmosphere was self- 
luminous. The usual irregularities in the cusps of the planet were likewise 
seen on this occasion. 
Small Stars in the Nebula of Orion. — Dr. Winnecke thinks it probable 
that some of the small stars in the immediate neighbourhood of the 
trapezium are variable ; as he recently detected five stars which are not 
given in Struve’s Catalogue. It has since been found that they had 
previously been seen by Lassell, and are marked in his map. 
Eta Argus. — This remarkable variable star, which in 1843 was nearly 
equal to Sirius in brightness, is at the present time seen with difficulty 
without a telescope. Mr. Abbott, of Hobart Town, has carefully observed 
it since 1856, when it was still a star of the first magnitude, to the present 
time. In April last, on a fine clear night, with the star in the zenith, it 
was scarcely recognized with the naked eye. It does not appear to be at 
all regular in its changes. Not only is the star itself subject to change, 
but also, according to Mr. Abbott’s observations, all the objects surrounding 
it. In Sir John Herschel’s drawing (1838) of the nebula, in his Cape 
observations, the star is situated in the most dense part of the nebula. At 
the present time it is completely out of the nebula. Mr. Abbott likewise 
speaks of a great number of isolated stars, which he can see with a five- 
feet achromatic telescope, but which are not given in Sir J. Herschel’s 
map. Various changes in the shape of the nebula appear likewise to have 
taken place. 
Change of Colour in Stars. — It is suspected by Admiral Smyth, that a 
case of sidereal colour-changing is now going on in the star 95 Herculis. 
Mr. Higgins has observed the same variability, which, he says, is suffi- 
ciently palpable after intervals so short as three or four nights. In the 
autumn of 1862 he records their colours as apple-green and cherry-red. 
In April last they were respectively greenish white and pinkish white ; 
