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POPULAR SCIENCE REVIEW. 
doubt by Mr. Hewlett, who noticed the spots on the same occasion, and who 
states that the appearance was due to their imusually mottled and patchy 
aspect, “ exhibiting a disposition to run into wavy bands of different degrees 
of luminosity, or the contrary.” The wavy bands affected the whole of the 
penumbrae, and not merely such parts as might overlap. 
Nebulous Star. — The changes of position of a star in respect to the nebu- * 
lous star 45 IV. Geminorum, would seem to show, according to MM. Webb 
and Knott, that either is in motion. According to Sir J. Herschel and 
Admiral Smyth, the companion star was formerly north-preceding, whilst at 
the present time it is in the north-following quadrant. The positions given 
by Dr. Argelander agree with those given by MM. Webb and Knott. 
Appearance of Mars. — Mr. Joynson has narrowly observed the aspect of 
Mars during the opposition of 1864, taking care that his observations were 
entirely original, and avoiding to look at or compare his drawings with any 
previous delineations. He found, however, that very little change had taken 
place since the previous opposition, only that the southern snow-point has 
not been visible, and that more of the northern hemisphere has been observ- 
able, though he has not perceived any snow at the northern edge of the 
disc, but only a dark expansion of a channel from the band observed during 
the last opposition. He notices, as before reported by him, that the band, 
with the exception of one break in it, is continuous round the planet, 
and has branches that passed apparently to each pole, and that it is 
permanent. 
New Variable Star . — M. Schonfield has detected a star in Leo Minor ^ 
whose position is RA. 9h. 37m., and north declination 35° 6', which he finds 
to be variable between the 7th and 1 1th magnitudes, but the period of which 
is still uncertain. In relation to this subject, Mr. Chambers suggests that 
the old system of marking those objects (as E. Leonis, T. Virginis, &c.) should 
be rejected, and the old black letter capitals and small type made use of, 
which would give a range of forty-eight letters for each constellation. 
Encke^s Comet. — This celebrated periodic comet wiU come into view during 
this spring and summer. Mr. Farley has calculated an approximate ephe- 
meris of it for this opposition. 
Comet I. of 1864. — Mr. Tebbutt, of New South Wales, has calculated an 
orbit of this comet, which was independently discovered by him on the 10th 
of August, having been previously observed in Europe. It was remarkable 
for its proximity to the earth during the first week of August, for its small 
inclination to the ecliptic, and its near approach to the earth’s orbit at the 
descending node. There is no other comet which resembles it in the cata- 
logues. In respect to the spectrum of this comet. Professor Donati states 
that “ it resembles the spectra of the metals ; in fact the dark portions are 
broader than those which are more luminous, and we may say these spectra 
are composed of three bright lines, showing the existence of some close 
relation between nebulous and cometary matter.” 
Accuracy of Star Catalogues. — Mr. Stone concludes from a method devised 
by him for separating the errors arising from systematic instrumental errors 
(whether due to the rate of the clock or the position of the transit' instrument), 
and those of the assumed right ascensions of the standard stars used at 
Greenwich, that the catalogue of stars, known as the Six-year Catalogue, is 
