1918.] The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. 235 
Variable Stars. 
The following lists are selected from the lists in the Companion to the 
Observatory :— n , 
borne Long-period Variable stars. 
This list gives the dates of all maxima reaching 7*5 in. in 1918. 
Star. 
It. A. 
1915-0. 
Dec. 
1915-0. 
Mag 
Max. 
nitude. 
Min. 
Dates of Maximum, 
1918. 
Period 
in 
Days. 
h. m. s. 
o / 
m. 
m. 
T Ceti 
0 17 28 
-20 32-2 
5-4 
6-9 
June 4, Nov. 13 
162 
S Ceti 
0 19 44 
- 9 48-1 
7-3 
13-6 
June 15 
321 
o Ceti 
2 15 3 
- 3 21-5 
2-0 
9-6 
Sept. 11 
331 
R Ceti 
2 21 42 
- 0 33-9 
7-0 
< 12-9 
April 28, Oct, 12 
167 
U Ceti 
2 29 39 
-13 31-1 
6-6 
12-7 
May 19 
235 
R Leporis . . 
4 55 44 
-14 56-3 
6-0 
10-4 
Mar. 13 
436 
Z Puppis . . 
7 28 58 
-20 28-3 
7-5 
14-0 
April 26 
516 
T Hydrae . . 
8 51 32 
- 8 48-6 
7-4 
13*1 
April 20 
289 
R Corvi 
12 15 13 
-18 46-7 
5-9 
12*5 
Oct. 31 
318 
R Hydrae . . 
13 25 4 
—22 50-4 
3-5 
10-1 
Oct. 16 
415 
S Virgin is 
13 28 34 
- 6 45-4 
6-2 
12-5 
Feb. 9 
377 
RS Librae 
15 19 22 
-22 36-6 
7-1 
13-0 
Mar. 15, Oct. 18 
217 
V Ophiucki 
16 22 0 
-12 13-9 
6-9 
10-8 
Oct. 9 
302 
R Ophiuchi 
17 2 53 
-15 59-1 
6-0 
13-6 
Oct, 14 
302 
T Sagittarii 
19 11 20 
-17 7-2 
7-2 
< 13 
(1919, Jan. 17) 
390 
R Sagittarii 
19 11 42 
-19 27-5 
7-0 
<13 
Jan. 25, Oct, 21 
269 
T Aquarii 
20 45 27 
- 5 27-7 
6-8 
13-4 
July 7 
203 
R Aquarii 
23 39 26 
-15 45-5 
6-0 
10-8 
Nov. 5 
387 
Some Short-period Variable Stars. 
Star. 
R.A. 
1915-0. 
Dec. 
19150. 
Magnitude. 
Period in Days. 
Max. 
Min. 
h. m. 
O / 
in. 
in. 
T Velorum .. 
8 35*6 
- 47 8 
7*7 
8-5 
4*6392 
1 Carinae 
9 42-7 
- 62 7 
3-6 
5-0 
35*523 
R Crucis 
12 20-0 
- 61 16 
6-8 
7-9 
5*82485 
R Muscae 
12 38-1 
- 69 2 
6-7 
7-6 
0*88247 
R Trianguli Australis . . 
15 13-9 
- 66 15 
6-7 
7*4 
3*38922 
X Sagittarii . . 
17 43-5 
- 27 49 
4-4 
5-0 
7*01188 
Y Ophiuchi .. 
17 48-1 
- 6 7 
6-2 
7-0 
17*121 
W Sagittarii .. 
18 0-9 
- 29 35 
4-3 
5-1 
7*5946 
Y Sagittarii .. 
18 16-4 
- 18 54 
5-8 
6*6 
5*7734 
K Pavonis 
18 50*3 
- 67 19 
3-8 
5-2 
9-092 
A Common-sense Calendar. 
In Science, 19th April, 1918, Professor Howard C. Warren describes a 
common-sense calendar in which he proposes that the quarters should be 
91 days, each consisting of two months of 30 days, followed by one month of 
31 days. The first day of January, April, July, and October is always a 
Monday; the first day of February, May, August, and November is always a 
Wednesday ; and the first day of March, June, September, and December is 
always a Friday. This accounts for 364 days. He proposes that an extra 
day—the year day—is to precede January 1 every year. This day is to be 
a holiday and is to run through a week of its own. Thus in 1918 year day 
is Year Saturday ; 1919, Year Sunday ; 1920, Year Monday ; 1921, Year 
Tuesday; &c. The leap day is to precede July 1, and this day is also 
a holiday and is to run througfi a week of its own, thus—1920, Leap 
Wednesday ; 1924, Leap Thursday; 1928, Leap Friday ; &c. b 
Although year day and leap day run through weeks of their own, the 
adjacent days do not change: thus December 31 is always Sunday, 
January 1 is always Monday, June 31 is always Sunday, and July 1 is 
always Monday. 
The proposal is certainly an ingenious one, and gives another solution 
to the problem of the simplification of the calendar. C. E. A. 
