Bristol Museum. With characteristic energy he at once set to work, re-tableting, re-arranging, and naming the geological collection, taking care to have gaps in the series filled up, and making the museum really serviceable for purposes of instruction. Six years later, in the early part of 1878, he received the appointment of Assistant Curator of the Woodwardian Museum, Cambridge. He soon made his mark there, as was acknowledged in the following year by the bestowal upon him of the honorary M.A. degree. His indefatigable industry and wide range of acquirements so peculiarly fitted him for this position, that his death must for some time to come be an almost irreparable loss to the University.

Looking over his published papers one cannot but be struck with his versatility. At one time we find him discussing the Rhoetic beds of South Wales, at another dealing with that vexed question of Alpine geology-the position of Terebratula diphya. From Devonian fossils he passes to the description of new species of Oolitic gasteropods, or to the Cretaceous Aporrhaidæ, or to Palæozoic star-fishes. He could enter minutely into the stratigraphy of the Isle of Wight Tertiary strata, and with not less energy and clearness of insight described the microscopic structure of the crystalline rocks of Wales. Well versed in the Continental languages, he kept himself abreast of the foreign progress of his favourite science. Nor were his tastes wholly scientific. He delighted in Piers Ploughman and the Niebelungenlied. What he might have done who may guess? That with his feebleness of constitution he should have been able to accomplish so much, shows how ardent was his love of nature and how indomitable his spirit of inquiry. His devotion to truth and abhorrence of everything savouring of insincerity or sham led him to speak out freely and uncompromisingly. But no one could mistake the honesty of his purpose.

A. G.

REMARKS ON AND OBSERVATIONS OF THE METEORIC AURORAL PHENOMENON OF NOVEMBER 17, 1882

THE

HE interesting meteoric phenomer on seen in England during the aurora of November 17 last, has induced me to endeavour to find the true path of that object. Though I have spent much time in applying the method given by Prof. E. Heis in his "Periodischen Sternschnuppen," I have got no farther than the point to which Mr. H. D. Taylor has brought us, the observations being in no way capable of combinating. In fact, when seeking the lines of intersection, formed by the different planes of the great circles, wherein the apparent path was seen, with the mean horizon (say the plane of a common map), these lines have but little tendency to converge to the same point. Therefore the method of Mr. Taylor seems to me the most convenient. When the object has followed a straight line, all the places where it was seen fassing just before the moon, must lie in a plane containing the true path and the moon. This plane must cut the plane of the map in a straight line. Now the four places where observers saw the meteor before the moon's disc are:- Woodbridge, near Ipswich, Lincoln's Irn Fields (London), Windsor, and Ramsbury, near Hungerford, fulfilling, by no means, the above-mentioned condition. Nevertheless the most probable direction of this line seems to be that accepted by Mr. Taylor, N.E. by E.-S. W. by W. (astronomical), because this is the general direction of the lines of section, given by the great circles, mentioned above. Here it is to be remarked that when the meteor was seen from S.E. to S. W. (as in the case at York), but at some height (here 10) above the horizon, the intersections of the apparent path with the horizon may lie near E. and W. (here, according to the cbservation of the meteor passing 6 below the moon, at 12° south of E.). We give here

Now we can add to these English observations1 two others made in the Netherlands.

1. Prof T. A. C. Oudemans gives in the Utrecht Newspaper (No. 318) the following (translated) description :"At 6h. 23m. (6h. 24m. Greenw. T.) a feather-like appearance, resembling in the beginning a brilliant comet, formed suddenly in the eastern part of the heavens, the end being just before Aldebaran. Within two minutes this feather had prolonged itself above Saturn, through the Pegasus quadrate, and south of the three Eaglestars, the east or following end shortening, while the other or preceding end advanced. . . . When this arch had obtained the length of 90° (which lasted but a few seconds) a separation was made in the middle of its length, where the arch had a breadth of about 3°. This separation had a length of about 10° and a breadth of 10, and was pointed at the ends. At 6h. 25m. this arch disappeared wholly in the west." Prof. Cudemans says further that the great circle of the apparent path intersected the equator at 110° and 290° of right ascension. This gives me, combined with the position of Aldebaran, a direction in the horizon of E. 20° N.-W. 20° S.

2. Mr. P. Zeeman observed the same phenomenon at at Zonnemaire, near Zierikzee (51° 42′ lat. and 57' W. Amsterdam). He wrote me the following on November 19 and 24- About 6h. 20m. (I saw) a magnificent, splendid white arch, beginning a little north of east, and prolonging itself to south-west, but in the meantime shortening at the east end and disappearing in a very short time." Mr. Zeeman declares in his second letter that this arch went through Aldebaran, and through a Pegasi. This gives me a horizontal bearing of E. 20° N.-W. 20° S., as the observations of Prof. Cudemans gives also.

Thus we find these two Dutch observations (unhappily the sky in Groningen had just, at 6h. Im. Greenw. T., got cloudy, the aurora being very splendid before) supplement and confirm the greater part of the English observations. Only the phenomenon seems to have been of greater apparent size, and therefore nearer to the observer. The separation by an obscure streak seems not to have been relative position. visible in England, perhaps from the change of its

The conclusion to which we come after all, regretting earnestly the want of French observations, is that we have here probably a meteoric object, moving, according to the calculations of Mr. H. D. Taylor (vol. xxvii. p. 140), with great velocity through the upper strata of the atmosphere observation of Mr. Rand Capron (vol. xxvii. p. 84), makes and at the same time of auroral character, as the spectrum out beyond any doubt. The separation and the featherlike forms, observed at Utrecht, make it probable that it sphere like an accumulation of little shooting stars. In was a mass of meteoric dust, passing through our atmothis way the phenomenon of November 17 brings a confirmation of my own theory of auroræ, proposed by me in copisti Italiani," 1878, vol. ii., and received with sympathy the "Appendice alle Mémorie della Società degli Spettro

1 Will Mr. W. M. Flinders Petrie be so kind as to tell us where we can find the Swedish observation mentioned by him, vol. xxvii. p. 140?

by many of the German and Dutch astronomers; but as it seems little known in England, though referred to by Mr. Rand Capron on p. 64 of his beautiful work, Aurora." In this theory most of the properties of auroræ are deduced from cosmic dust entering into the atmosphere of the earth. I take the liberty to direct attention to the unexpected argument, that the brilliant object of November 17, 1882, has brought forth in favour of my "Théorie Cosmique," to which I had already the opportunity to refer in this Journal in my article "Cn Dust, Fogs, and Clouds" (vol. xxiii. p. 195).

Furthermore, I think that this object is not the only example of such a phenomenon. On November 2, 1871, there was seen in Groningen and several places of Germany a strange, brilliant arch, striped parallel to its well defined sides and changing its curve during its two hours of existence. The beginning of the phenomenon

(of which I gave a description in the Dutch journal Isis) was seen by a student, Mr. Gratama, like an elliptic patch of light round the Pleiades. Dr. Vogel, who observed the same arch at Bothkamp, determined its auroral character by the spectrum. Otherwise it resembled very much the bright spur of a gigantic meteor or fireball. Also it disappeared slowly, beginning at the east end, as the illustration shows. A faint aurora, with dark segment, was visible in the north. The height of this arch was calculated by me approximately at 127 kilometres or 79 miles. I think that the only difference between these two feather-like phenomena of November 2, 1871, and of November 17, 1882, consisted in the different apparent velocity and in the greater mass of meteoric dust, forming in the case of November 17, 1882, but a short, and in that of November 2, 1871, a very long train of incandescent matter. It must be remembered here

that the tails of great fireballs remain visible for half an hour or more (see eg. the article of Mr. Branfill, vol. xxvii. p. 149). In NATURE, vol. xii. p. 330, is to be found a description of similar arches, seen at Fremantle in Australia by Mr. Lefroy, in presence of the mcon, which was obscured by one of them.

This leads us to a question, touched by Mr. Backhc use, NATURE, vol. xxvii. p. 198, that of the halos seen in Siberia (by Von Wrangel, I believe), when an auroral beam was in front of the moon. I watched in vain if such an event should perhaps occur November 17 last, but Mr. Zeeman, whom I have cited above, seems to have been so happy as to have seen a white and bright auroral cloud floating over the moon's disc at 5h. 47 (local time), giving the common interference phenomena. It is unnecessary to remark, that these phenomena can be formed by all kinds of dust, formed of nearly equal

particles, and that they in no way require ice-particles. On my inquiry why the observer could decide that it was not a common cloud, he brought forward the following arguments :-(1) Its great brightness; (2) its transparency to the starlight; (3) its very great velocity, unusual in common clouds.

Returning to the meteoric phenomena, visible simultaneously with aurore, it seems that such phenomena were seen during the marvellous aurora of January 7, 1831, described in Poggendorff's Annalen of the same year. We read (p. 440) that Bergrath Senff, in Colberg, at 6.30 o'clock, saw above the west horizon a bright yellow streak, rising upward with a common cloudvelocity, passing at 30 N. Zen. D., and forming an arch from W. to E, Leginning to disappear from the west end, almost at the same mcment that it reached the east horizon. At p. 458 we see that Prof. Rudberg, at Upsala,

D. Pidgeon, Recent Improvements in Agricultural Machinery; Wilfred Cripps, F.S.A., English and Foreign Silver Work, with some Remarks on Hall-marking. In the Foreign and Colonial Section-Edmond O'Donovan, Life among the Turkoman Nomads; Rev. J. Peill, "Social Conditions and Prospects in Madagascar ; Robert W. Felkin, Egypt: Present and to Come; W. Delisle Hay, Social and Commercial Aspects of New Zealand. In the Applied Chemistry and Physics SectionC. F. Cross, F.C.S., Technical Aspects of Lignification; Walter G. McMillan, F.C.S., Chemical Means for Preventing or Extinguishing Fires; W. N. Hartley, F. R.S.E., Self-purification of River Waters; R. W. Atkinson, B.Sc., The Formation of Diastase from Grain by Moulds; James J. Dobbie, D.Sc., and John Hutchinson, On the Application of Electrolysis to Bleaching and Printing. In the Indian Section-Charles H. Lepper, Overland Commercial Communication between India and China, via Assam; W. S. Seton-Karr, Agriculture in Lower Bengal, with some Notice of Tenant Right, &c.; J. M. Maclean, Private Enterprise in India; C. Purdon Clarke, Some Notes on the Domestic Architecture of India.

WE bave received from Egypt a publication of some interest in the shape of the Bulletin of the Chemical Laboratory at Cairo, directed by M. All ert Ismalun. The laboratory is under the Department of Public Works, and judging from the report in the Bulletin is doing a fair amount of useful work. laboratory has been recently much improved, and attached is a museum of 'specimens in geology, paleontology, and zoology.

The

A CONSIDERABLE number of names has been added to the list of those who are unfavourable to the meeting of the British Association in Canada in 1884. The request of the protesters to the Council seems to us quite reasonable," that it is highly desirable that you should take some further steps in order to ascertain the general feeling of the members of the Association upon the subject, before allowing our kind and liberal friends in Canada to incur any further trouble or expense." There are 141 names appended to the circular, and while some of them are well known, still we note the absence of some of the leading representatives of English science.

THE proceedings at the meeting of the Association for the Improvement of Geometrical Teaching were not carried out quite on the lines laid down in a recent number of NATURE (vol. xxvii. p. 247). In consequence of a delay in the delivery of the copies of "the Elements of Plane Geometry,” the President was obliged to defer the moving of his resolution till the next meeting, which, it is hoped, will be held about Easter next. The members were also informed that Mr. Levett had, in answer to an appeal made to him, consented to retain office as Hon. Secretary for the present year. Mr. E. B. Sargant, Trinity College, Cambridge, was elected to act as joint secretary with Mr. Levett. The following members were elected: Miss Burstall, Professors G. C. Foster, F.R.S., W. H. H. Hudson, H. Lamb, and G. M. Minchin, Rev. A. Jamson Smith, and Messrs. G. Griffith, E. B. Sargant, Charles Smith, F. Turner,

and H. H. Turner.

Dr. Peverati, director of the Meteorological Observatory of Cassine, states that an earthquake shock was felt there on January 16, at 7.42 a.m. (Roman time). The shock was undulating, preceded by a rumbling noise in the direction W. E., and lasted three-quarters of a second. The accompanying noise is compared to that of a very heavy body in motion in contact with another body at rest. The shock is classified as No. 3 in the scale of intensity proposed by Dr. Forel. A similar shock was felt the same day at Demonte (Cuneo) at 5.25 a.m., moving in a west-south direction. On the night of the 14-15th, several shocks were felt at Terranova and Pollino in Basilicata.

Twenty-two shocks of earthquake were felt on January 16, at Centi, in the province of Murcia, Spain. Several houses were destroyed, but the inmates escaped unhurt. There was no loss of life.

IT is announced from Mexico, January 23, that a new comet near Jupiter has been discovered at the Puebla Observatory.

A NEW electrical paper Electricity, has issued its first number at Buda-Pesth. It is written in the Magyar language. The first paper of this description ever published was called Les Archives de l'Electricité, and was published by M. de la Rive at Geneva in 1840, and the first issued in England was edited by the late Mr. Walker in 1843, under the title, Electrical Magazine. None of these papers lasted for more than three or four

years.

THE Algerian Government is preparing an expedition for next spring, in order to protect effectually the southern part of the province of Oran against incursions of the surrounding independent tribes. The results of this expedition are not without interest for English journals, many of which are printed on paper made from alfa, a plant cultivated in those remote regions, and manufactured in England. A curious fact is, that no French paper-maker ever attempts to manufacture alfa for inland consumption.

THE Oases of the Beni-mzab Confederacy to the south of Algeria, have been annexed to the French Algerian possessions, and a military expedition has established a regular administration in the country. The Algerian section of the French Alpine Club is organising a scientific expedition which will leave shor.ly in order to take advantage of a favourable season for travelling. Any one wishing to take part in this excursion should communicate with M. Durando, president of the Algerian section. The newly-annexed oases are seven in number, with a population estimated at 40,000, with about 200,000 palm-trees under cultivation. The ruins of several large towns have been covered by sand.

Two of the most important scientific expeditions which attempted to get into the Siberian seas last year were those in the Dijmphna, with Lieut. Hovgaard bent on reaching the North Pole, and the Dutch Meteorological Expedition in the Varna, bound for Port Dickson. These two vessels succeeded in forcing the ice in the Waigatz Straits in September last, and perhaps the Dijmphna would then have got through the Kara Sea, had she not, by mistaking certain signals, been led to leave the open "lead" in which she was, and gone to the assistance of the steamer Louise, beset by the ice. She was caught in the pack, as the Varna had previously been, and was frozen in on September 17. The last report which we possess from these vessels, is dated September 22, and was brought to Europe by Capt.

Dallmann of the Louise. Since that date no news whatever has come to hand from the vessels, and the statements which have appeared in the Rus-ian press relating to the discovery by Dijmphna, south of Waigatz Island, have been proved to refer Samoyedes of a wreck, supposed to have been that of the

to an old Russian whaler, stranded there some years ago. Although the expedition, if it had met with any mishap, would undoubtedly have found its way to the mouth of the Petchora, of which we should have had information before now, it has been decided by the Danish Government to send out a search expedition, under Capt. Norman, from Siberia, in case the Dijmphna should be in want of anything. On the other hand the Swedish-Norwegian Consul at Arkangelsk reports under date of December 13, that fishermen who had visited Waigatz Island in November last, had not seen any vessel near that island. In the last message received from Lieut. Hovgaard he expressed the opinion that the ice in the Kira Sea would