1885.] 
Variable. Stars. 
33 
5th. There is yet one other point deserving of notice. 
At the present time much of the analytical and other 
laboratory work is not performed by those to whom it is 
entrusted, but by their assistants ; sometimes by students, 
and even laboratory porters, it is said, sometimes take part 
in it : nay, more, when even the brain-work as well as the 
manipulative skill of some of the papers contributed to our 
learned scientific societies — as the Royal — is not the work 
of the one whose name it bears, but is the work of others who 
do not appear on the stage, it is necessary, in the interests 
of the accused and also in the interests of Justice, that the 
expert should not be allowed to hand over any of the analy- 
tical examination in poison cases to another party ; he ought 
to be examined on oath whether he had performed the 
entire examination himself. 
From some observations our present Secretary of State 
for the Home Department, the Rt. Hon. Sir Wm. Vernon 
Harcourt, made in the House of Commons some time ago, 
he appears to be opposed to any alteration in the present 
mode of conducting poison cases ; but if Sir William knew 
as much about Analytical Chemistry as he knows about 
Law, I think he would be inclined for at least some reform- 
ation in the present system. 
V. VARIABLE STARS. 
By J. R. Sutton. 
O - 
S N the constellation of Perseus is a star which is known 
to astronomers as /3 Persei, otherwise Algol. Ordina- 
rily this star is of the second magnitude ; but if it is 
attentively watched it will be observed to undergo some 
rather remarkable changes. There are times, which from 
the regularity of their frequent occurrence can be readily 
calculated beforehand, when its light undergoes a gradual 
diminution, passing from the second to the fourth magnitude 
in about 3^- hours, remaining at the fourth magnitude for 
about twenty minutes, and thence passing in another 3^- hours 
to its normal brilliancy, at which it remains for some 61 hours, 
VOL. VII. (third series). d 
