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A FIELD LAID DOWN TO PERMANENT

GRASS.

A VALUABLE paper, by Sir J. B. Lawes, on the history of a field laid down to permanent grass, has been reprinted, by Messrs. Spottiswoode, from the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England. The field in question forms part of the Rothamsted estate, and was laid down to permanent grass nearly thirty years ago, by Dr. Gilbert, to whom it was let in 1856. It has been mown for hay every year from the commencement; and in the present pamphlet Sir J. B. Lawes gives full particulars as to the economical results, the constituents supplied in the manures and removed in the crops, the changes within the soil in the formation of the meadow, and the botany of the meadow. The following are his summary and general conclusions:

By the judicious employment of manures, both natural and artificial, arable land has been converted into permanent grass, not only without loss, but with some profit to the tenant.

2) The important constituents, nitrogen and phosphoric acid, were supplied in the manures in larger quantities than they were removed in the crops; but potash in only about the same quantity as it was removed.

3. The application of dung, not only compensates for mich of the exhaustion from the removal of hay, but it has a beneficial influence on the botanical character of the herbage.

4 Although the grass has been mown every year for nearly thirty years, there has been a considerable accumuation of fertility within the soil.

15 Analysis has shown that there has been an increase f nitrogen in the surface soil, beyond that which could be explained by excess supplied in manure over that removed in crops, and by the combined nitrogen coming down in rain, and the minor deposits from the atmosphere. Part, if not the whole, of this increase is probably derived from the subsoil by deeply-rooted plants, which afterwards leave a nitrogenous residue within the surface-soil. Or, possibly, some of it may have its source in the free n trogen of the atmosphere, brought into combination within the soil, under the influence of micro-organisms, ur other low forms.

(6 In laying down arable land to permanent grass, especially if hay is to be removed, it is essential to supply, not only nitrogenous, but an abundance of mineral manures, and especially of potash, a large quantity of which is removed in the crops, and must be returned. When the grass is not mown, but fed, the exhaustion is much less, but it is greater when consumed for the production of milk than when for that of store or fattening

increase.

THE TOTAL ECLIPSE OF DECEMBER 22.

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MISFORTUNE has attended the double expedition sent by the Royal Astronomical Society to observe the total eclipse of December 22. In Africa observations, were made impossible by bad weather. Observations were secured off the coast of French Guiana, but at a cost which is deeply to be deplored-the death of Father Jerry.

The telegram received from Demerara is as follows:*104 corona American Perry dead dysentery." With regard to the part of this telegram which needs explanation, the Times of January 6 says:-" 104 is resolvable into the factors 2, 4, and 13, of which the first number means that the weather was only moderately good; the second that successful exposures were made with the Abney 4-inch lens, but that the development was not carried out, owing either to unfavourable climatic conditions, or possibly to the illness of Father Perry; and the

third, that successful photographs were obtained with the 20-inch mirror, but again the development was not completed. The words corona American signify most probably that the corona was of the same form as that seen on January 1, 1889, when a total eclipse was successfully observed in California, and the form was then that now generally ascribed to a period of minimum sun-spots, elongated at the sun's equator and radial but short at the poles."

NOTES.

THE list of those who received New Year's honours and

appointments included Brigade-Surgeon George King, F.R.S., Bengal Medical Service, Superintendent of the Royal Botanical Gardens, Calcutta. He has been made Companion of the most eminent order of the Indian Empire.

THE seventy-second anniversary of the Institution of Civil Engineers occurred last Thursday, when a revised list of the members of all classes showed that the numbers on the books amounted to 5904, representing an increase of 3 per cent. in the past twelve months.

THE Institution of Electrical Engineers will hold the first meeting of the current term this evening, when the President, Dr. John Hopkinson, F.R.S., will deliver his inaugural address.

THE annual general meeting of the Royal Meteorological Society will be held at 25 Great George Street, Westminster, on Wednesday, the 15th inst., at 7.15 p.m., when the Report of the Council will be read, the election of Officers and Council for the ensuing year will take place, and the President (Dr. W. Marcet, F.R.S.) will deliver an address on "Atmospheric Dust," which will be illustrated by a number of lantern slides.

THE Mining Journal is to be congratulated on the very admirable portait of Dr. Archibald Geikie which appeared in its issue of December 28. The portrait was accompanied by a short but very good account of Dr. Geikie's life and labours.

DR. RAOUL GAUTIER has been appointed Professor of Astronomy at the University of Geneva, and has at the same time been made director of the Observatory. His father, Colonel E. Gautier, retains his connection with the latter establishment, with the title of honorary director.

THE Professorship of Agriculture and Rural Economy at the Royal Agricultural College, Cirencester, vacant by the resignation of Prof. McCracken, has been conferred upon an old student and gold medallist of the College, Mr. James Muir.

THE arrangements of the Royal Botanic Society for 1890 include exhibitions of spring flowers on March 26 and April 23; summer exhibitions of plants, flowers, and fruit, on May 14 and June 11; and an evening fête and exhibition on July 2. Botanical lectures will be given on May 9, 16, 23, and 30, and on June 6 and 13. These lectures will be free to all visitors in the Gardens.

ON Thursday, January 16, Prof. R. Meldola, F.R.S., will begin a course of twelve special evening lectures at the Finsbury Technical College, on coal-tar products. The object of the course is to describe the technology of the raw materials manu factured from the tar. The theoretical treatment will serve as a general introduction to the chemistry of the aromatic A syllabus can be had on application to the compounds. College.

IN May next, the six hundredth anniversary of the foundation of the University of Montpellier will be celebrated.

M. COSSON, member of the French Academy of Sciences, and the author of many memoirs on the flora of Algeria and Tunis, died a few days ago in Paris, and was buried on the 4th inst.

WE review to-day the volumes which conclude the series of Reports on the zoological results of the Challenger Expedition. In a prefatory note introducing Vol. II. of the Report on Physics and Chemistry, just issued, Dr. Murray explains that with the exception of a volume on deep-sea deposits, which will be issued in March next, and a summary volume, which, it is hoped, may be finished in about a year thereafter, the entire series of Reports is now completed. These Reports have been issued at intervals during the last nine years, whenever ready, and without any reference to systematic arrangement. They are bound up in forty-seven large quarto volumes, containing 27,650 pages of letterpress, 2662 lithographic and chromo-lithographic plates, 413 maps, charts, and diagrams, together with a great many woodcuts.

SOME time ago Mr. J. T. Cunningham, Naturalist at the Plymouth Marine Biological Laboratory, wrote to the Times about the occurrence of anchovies on the south coast of England. In another letter, printed in the Times on Wednesday, he has given some fresh information about the matter. From Mr. Whitehead, of Torquay, he learns that the sprat fishermen at that place were catching a number of anchovies in their sprat nets together with sprats; that about a fifth of their catches consisted of anchovies. Mr. Dunn has sent him specimens from Megavissey. These were caught, as it were, accidentally in pilchard nets. Mr. Cunningham has made inquiries among the pilchard and herring fishermen at Plymouth, and finds that almost every time they shoot their nets they catch a few anchovies-from one to a dozen. The mesh of a pilchard net is much too large to hold an anchovy, and these occasional specimens are caught only in parts of the nets that get entangled; they are not meshed in the ordinary way. Of the anchovies he has obtained from the pilchard fishermen, he says there is no doubt whatever as to their being of the same species (Engraulis encrasicholus) as those which we import from France and Italy.

A RATHER serious subsidence has occurred near Dane Bridge, Northwich. A large hole, nearly 10 feet deep and covering a space of 50 feet by 30 feet, has been formed near the roadway. The Bridge Inn is now 24 inches out of the perpendicular, or some 5 inches more than it was before the subsidence. The inn had been securely bolted and the walls secured some time since, otherwise it would probably have collapsed. Some wooden structures standing on the opposite side of the road have been rendered untenantable. The gas and water mains were dislocated, and had to be repaired by the local board.

THE General Report of the Survey of India Department for 1887-88, which has recently been published, indicates a gradual increase in the annual amount of work done. The triangulation along the Madras Coast has been extended 370 miles in length; and similar operations have been conducted in Baluchistan, one series along a parallel of 30° N., and another along the meridian of 67° E., both meeting at Quetta and having an aggregate length of 270 miles. The topographical surveys during the year covered an area of 15,673 square miles. It is gratifying to note that the system, started in the previous year, of employing the village fatwaris as cadastral surveyors has been continued, with very encouraging results, the aggregate area surveyed cadastrally being 5435 square miles. The special telegraphic longitude operations were resumed, and 7 arcs of longitude in Southern India measured, with the particularly interesting result

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of indicating an excess of gravitation toward the ocean surround ing India. Geographical surveys in Burmah have been made on a large scale, the Ruby Mine tract receiving special attention. A valuable addition to our knowledge of Afghanistan is furnishe by the report of Yusuf Sharif, who accompanied the Afgha Boundary Commission, and succeeded in surveying 4600 miles f new country on his return. The statistics of the output of mans and reproductions at the principal offices show a marked increase The value of the Dehra Dun station for purposes of solar photography is forcibly demonstrated by the fact that photographa of the sun were obtained on no less than 327 days, and forwarded to the Solar Physics Committee, to complete the Greenwich series. The Report is accompanied by the usual maps and narratives of the various expeditions.

We owe a new and interesting application of photography to M. Bertillon, the well-known director of the Identification Department at the Paris Prefecture of Police. M. Bertillon has been devoting himself for some months to the study of the physical peculiarities engendered by the pursuit of different occupations. The police have frequently to deal with portions of bodies, and it would greatly aid their investigations to be able to determine the calling of the murdered person in each parti cular case. The hand is as a rule the part naturally most affected by the occupation, and M. Bertillon has taken a very large series of photographs, each one showing on a large scale the hands, on a smaller scale the whole figure of the workma at his work, so that one may see at a glance the position of the body, and which are the parts that undergo friction from the tools in use. From the hands of the navvy all the secondary lines disappear, and a peculiar callosity is developed where the spade handle rubs against the hand; the hands of tin-plate workers are covered with little crevasses produced by the acids employed; the hands of lace-makers are smooth, but they have blisters full of serum on the back and callosities on the fron. part of the shoulder, due to the friction of the straps of the loom; the thumb and the first joints of the index of metaworkers show very large blisters, whilst the left hand has scars made by the sharp fragments of metal. Experts in forensic medicine (Vernois among others) have before drawn attention to the subject, but this is the first time that an investigation has been carried out on a large scale, and in M. Bertillon's hands it should lead to the best results.

SHOCKS of earthquakes continue to be felt in the province of Semiryetchensk, Russian Turkestan. After September 12, they were felt nearly every day, the most severe shocks having been experienced on September 17, at 11.45 a.m.; on the 22nd, at 1.15 p.m.; on the 23rd, at 4.55 a.m. On September 30, at 6.50 p.m., there was a particularly severe shock, preceded by a losi underground noise.

SEVERE shocks of earthquake were felt on the northern and November 19 to December 5. Many chimney-pots in several north-eastern shores of Lake Issyk-kul nearly every day from villages were destroyed by the shock of November 19.

THE latest information as to the earthquake which visited Lake Issyk-kul on July 12 is given in the Akmelinsk Gazette It lasted from 3.15 to 3.30 a. m., and destroyed, or rendered uninhabitable, all buildings in the villages Uital, Sazanova, Preobrajensk, and Teplyi Klutch, of the Issyk-kul distret. Eight persons were killed, and 43 injured, some of them severely. The greatest disasters, however, appear to have occurred among the Kirghizes, who camped in the Kunghei Alatau, on the northern shore of Lake Issyk-kul. They had no fewer than 25 killed and 15 injured. The numbers of cattle killed during the earthquake were: 283 horses, 15 horned cattle, and 379 sheep. Several villages of the district

of Vyernyi also suffered very much. At Przevalsk (formerly harakol, on the southern shore) and the surrounding villages many houses were destroyed; while amidst the Taranchis of the district of Vyernyi 21 persons were killed and 2 severely injured. At Vyernyi itself (50 miles north of the lake) the carthquake was relatively feeble; but at Jarkend all houses were rendered uninhabitable. In the west of Lake Issyk-kul the shocks were feeble, but in the north the wave of the earthquake spread as far as Kopal (180 miles from Issyk-kul, as the crow fles), and even as far as Sergiopol, which is 380 miles distant from the northern shore of the lake.

THE Council of the Italian Meteorological Society, publishes an Annuario Meteorologico, in which will be found much useful information for general readers. The volume for 1890 contains 276 mall octavo pages, and is divided into four parts:-(1) Ephemerides and astronomical tables. This part also contains a special appendix giving the concordance of the calendars and other particulars of the 17 eastern nations. (2) Tables for the reanction of meteorological observations, by Padre Denza, with useful examples of how the corrections are applied, and also meteorological and magnetical statistics. (3) Geographical and topographical elements, together with an instructive paper on recent electrical terms and measurements. (4) A series of short articles on various sciences, among which we may specially mention one by Padre Denza, on the mode of determining the ineridian line and time, for the use of observers who have only smple instruments. The most recent ideas upon the formation of hail, by Prof. L. Bombicci. On the types of isobars which favour frosts, by Prof. P. Busin, with suggestions for any obrvers willing to work at this subject. And, on the cause of carthquakes, in which the various theories are discussed, by Dr. C. De Giorgi.

THE Deutsche Seewarte has published, in a separate memoir, the results of the meteorological observations taken at its nine Last stations for the two lustra 1876-80 and 1881-85, together with summaries for the whole decade. The work contains very seful information relating to the climate of Northern Germany,

the hope is expressed that other institutions will publish -nular results for their respective systems. In Symons's Monthly Jer corological Magazine for November it is pointed out that the years begin with December, in opposition to the regulations of the Vienna Congress that the years should begin with January, and an explanation of this is asked for. The explanation is given in the introduction: by this method the Seewarte has been able to give seasonal means, as well as monthly means. The Decemver observations, which precede those for January, are for the same year as all the other months, not for the preceding year. The greatest annual range of temperature is 107°1 at NeufahrThe greatest daily rainfall occurred at Hamburg-viz. 3 37 inches. The annual percentage of rainy days varies from 416 to 59'7.

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THE Annual Report of the Chief Signal Officer of the United states, for the year 1889, sets forth the extended and important character of the meteorological work that is carried on. Apart from weather forecasts, and storm warnings, the duties include the gauging and reporting of rivers, the reporting of temperature nd rainfall conditions for the cotton interests, frost warnings in the interest of agriculture, and the notification of advancing cold waves for the benefit of the general public. The Chief Signal Officer estimates that the gratuitous distribution of meteorological data in the United States in a single week is greater than in all Europe in the entire year. The weather forecasts are issued twice daily, at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., for a period of twenty-four hours, and the percentage of success shows a general average of 31. The present system of flag signals gives clear and definite information as to whether a storm is to be light or severe,

whether its centre is approaching or has passed the station, and from what quarter high winds are expected. With regard to scientific researches, systematic observations of atmospheric electricity have been made, to determine whether these could be made use of in weather forecasting, the result being that negative electricity may be observed without being in any way related to precipitation, past, present, or future, and that such observations do not promise to be of practical use. Prof. C. Abbe has prepared a popular and non-mathematical exposition of the laws of storms, with a view to their better prediction. The Chief Signal Officer states that the Report brings together many new results, and that Prof. Abbe finds the source and maintaining power of a storm in the absorption by the cloud of solar heat, and in the liberation of heat in the cloud by those particles that subsequently fall to the ground as rain or snow, and endeavours to show that the movement of the storm centre is principally influenced by the location and amount of such precipitation.

REMARKABLE electrical phenomena are witnessed at the new observatory on the steep and isolated Säntis (821 5) in Northern Switzerland. Thunderstorms are extremely frequent; thus in June and July last year, only three days were without them. As a rule, thunder peals from midday till evening. The noise is short, partly owing to shortness of flashes and partly to the small amount of echo. The thunderstorms come on quite suddenly, in a clear sky. One of the surest indications of their approach is the bristling of the observer's hair. During hail, the iron rods of the house give a hissing sound, associated with luminous effects.

M. E. HOSPITALIER, the electrician, has begun the publication of a work in two volumes, entitled "Traité Elémentaire de l'Energie électrique." The first volume, comprising the definition, principles, and general laws, has been issued. Vol. II., on industrial applications, will be issued during the present year.

IN the current number of the American Naturalist Mr. Clement L. Webster gives an interesting account of various "mound-builder mounds" near Old Chickasaw, Iowa. Speaking of three human skeletons found in one of these mounds, the writer says that the crania show "an extremely low grade of mental development." They are smaller than the Neanderthal skull.

M. VAYSSIÈRE has published the second part of his monograph of the Opisthobranchiate Mollusca of the Gulf of Marseilles. It contains many fine plates.

THE origin of the very extensive pampas-formation in South America, a humus-covered loess of fine dust-like material, from 100 to 160 feet thick, with limestone concretions, and numerous fine passages, has attracted the attention of several geologists. From an important recent contribution to the subject by Roth (German Geological Society), it would appear that wind, river, lagoon, and coast deposits may all be distinguished in the pampas. The coast deposits are chiefly recognized by sand and marine shells. The lagoon formations are darker in colour and of small extent and thickness. The deposits from rivers are either from those rising in the mountains, or from those rising in the pampas themselves. The former contain, near the mountains, blocks of stone rolled down, and the granular nature of the deposit grows ever finer in the course of the rivers, which lose themselves in the pampas, in a region rich in lagoons, with a pretty abundant vegetation under recurrent rains. The deposits from the poor streams rising in the pampas have round, smooth, lime concretions, with smooth bone fragments of mammals. But most extensive are the æolic or air formntions, of which the vertical root-like tubes and irregularly-formed lime concretions are characteristic. Violent winds carry the fine water-deposited

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material in all directions over the plains till vegetation comes and retains it. The uniform character of the pampas loess arises, according to Roth, not from the material and mode of deposition, but chiefly from its transformation under the influence of vegetation. The roots taking up the matters they need, decompose the soil, and the humus arising from the decay of the plants acts on the new material spread over the surface by wind and rain, along with fresh plants, by way of decomposition. A further metamorphosis occurs by water carrying down matter through the porous layers, with the result of new combinations, and a harder, more compact loess in the lower parts. From observations of marine Tertiary beds of (probably) Miocene age in Entre Rios, over typical pampas loess, Roth infers that the formation of loess began some time in the Eocene period; in diluvial times it grew in intensity, and has gone on till now without interruption.

AN interesting study has been lately made by Herr Tarchenoff (Pflüger's Archiv) of electric currents in the skin from mental excitation. Unpolarizable clay-electrodes, connected with a delicate galvanometer, were applied to various parts-hands, fingers, feet, toes, nose, ear, and back; and, after compensation of any currents which occurred during rest, the effects of mental stimulation were noted. Light tickling with a brush causes, after a few seconds' period of latency, a gradually increasing strong deflection. Hot water has a like effect; cold, or the pain from a needle-prick, a less. Sound, light, taste, and smell stimuli act similarly. If the eyes have been closed some time, mere opening of them causes a considerable deflection from the skin of the hand. Different colours here acted unequally. It is remarkable that these skin-currents also arise when the sen

sations are merely imagined. One vividly imagines, e.g., he is suffering intense heat, and a strong current occurs, which goes down when the idea of cold is substituted. Mental effort produces currents varying with its amount. Thus, multiplication of small figures gives hardly any current; that of large, a strong one. If a person is in tense expectation, the galvanometer mirror makes irregular oscillations. When the electrodes are on hand or arm, a voluntary movement, such as contraction of a toe or convergence of the eyes, gives a strong current. In all the experiments it appeared that, with equal nerve excitation, the strength of the skin-currents depended on the degree to which the part of the skin bearing the electrodes was furnished with sweat-glands. Thus some parts of the back, and upper leg and arm, having few of these, gave hardly any current. Herr Tarchenoff considers that the course of nearly every kind of nerve-activity is accompanied by increased action of the skinglands. Every nerve-function, it is known, causes a rise of temperature, and accumulation of the products of exchange of material in the body. Increase of sweat-excretion favours cooling, and the getting rid of those products.

A METEORITE of special interest to chemists has been examined by M. Stanislas Meunier. It fell at Mighe, in Russia, on June 9, 1889, and it was evident, from a cursory inspection, that it was of a carbonaceous nature. In external appearance it exhibited a deep greenish-black colour, relieved by numerous small brilliant white crystals; the surface was considerably wrinkled, and blown out into swellings. The material was very friable, and readily soiled the fingers. A section under the microscope was observed to consist largely of opaque matter interspersed with crystals of a magnesian pyroxene and peridote. Fine particles of metallic iron and nickeliferous iron were readily collected by a magnet from the powdered rock, having all the characteristics of meteoric iron. The density of the meteorite was not very high, 2:495. About 85 per cent. of the rock was found to be attacked by acids, the portion so attacked being shown by analysis to consist mainly of a silicate of magnesium and iron having the composition of peridote. On the remaining 15 per

cent. being heated in a current of dry oxygen gas, it readily took and burnt brilliantly. The products of combustion, which wen allowed to pass through the usual absorption tubes containing pumice and sulphuric acid and potash, showed that the meteorite contained nearly 5 per cent of organic matter. In order t obtain some idea as to the nature of the carbonaceous substance present, a quantity of the rock was powdered and then digested with alcohol; on evaporation the alcoholic extract yielle: bright yellow resin, which was readily precipitated from the alcoholic solution by water, and much resembled the kalute Wöhler. The most curious chemical properties of the mete inte, however, are exhibited with a cold aqueous extract of the powdered rock. The filtered liquid is quite colourless, exhales a faint odour due to an organic salt which carbin on evaporation to dryness, and may be burnt upon platin foil. The aqueous extract further contains nearly 2 per n of mineral matter possessing properties of a novel charact. Barium chloride solution gives a heavy white precipitate, whi however, is not barium sulphate. Silver nitrate gives a volume. curdy reddish-violet precipitate, reminding one of silver chron ate, but of quite a distinct and peculiar tint, and which blacker in a very few minutes in daylight. The substance which exit.. these reactions is unchanged by evaporation to dryness and in tion to redness, readily dissolving in water again on cooling giving the above reactions. The silver nitrate precipitate, whe allowed to stand for some time undisturbed in the liquid, comes converted into colourless but brilliantly refractive crystal which polarize brightly between crossed Nicols under the micr scope, and which are insoluble in boiling water. The propertie of this new substance contained in the water extract appear to approximate most closely to those of certain metallic tellura but the new compound appears also to differ in certain res from those terrestrial salts.

THE additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during t past week include a Brown Capuchin (Cebus jatuellus 2 Guiana, presented by J. H. Bostock; a Common Gull (47. canus), a Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus), British, presented by Mr. E. Keilich; two Schlegel's Doves (Cha'cla puella) from West Africa, presented by Major C. M. MacDonal, a Common Barn Owl (Strix flammea), British, presence' by Mr. H. Craig; two Swainson's Lorikeets (Triche, nove-hollandie) from Australia, deposited.

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Jan. 9, 1890]

NATURE

The principal line in the photographic spectrum is near wavelength 373, and this seems to be special to certain parts of the nebula, according to Dr. Huggins's researches.

Although so much admirable work has already been done, there is still abundant scope for further investigations. One of the chief points requiring attention at present is the character Researches on the spectra of of the brightest line, near A 500. meteorites, coupled with previous records of the line as having a fringe on its more refrangible side, led Prof. Lockyer to sugal, in 1887, that it was the remnant of the fluting near A 500 Observations seen in the spectrum of burning magnesium. have since been made by Prof. Lockyer, Mr. Taylor, and myself, and all agree that the line is not sharp on the more reFurther observations are suggested. frangible side. persion is not necessary, or indeed desirable.

High dis

Drect comparisons of the chief nebula line with the magne sum fluting are also required, but this is an observation of It must also be great delicacy, requiring high dispersion. monstrated that under the same conditions of comparison the I line of hydrogen is coincident with the third nebula line.

It has been suggested that the line near 559 recorded by Mr. Taylor is the remnant of the brightest manganese fluting; this can only be decided by direct comparisons.

In my own observations I noted that the F line is not seen in all parts of the nebula, and in this respect it resembles the ulta-violet line. This localization of the lines opens up a new field of work.

2) This is one of the finest examples of stars of Group II. but there is no The bands 1 to 9 are perfectly well seen, record of the presence or absence of line absorptions. Observations of the carbon flutings are suggested, a spirit-lamp flame being convenient for comparisons. The two flutings to be examined, both for position and compound structure, are those car A 517 and 474. The latter is a group of five flutings, extending from about A 468 to λ 474, and under some conditions the point of maximum brightness of the group is shifted from Comparisons of bands 4 and 5 with the brightest 474 to 468. Getings of manganese and lead should also be made.

(3) This is a star with a spectrum of the solar type, of which the usual differential observations are required. The relative thicknesses of the hydrogen and other lines should also be noted.

(4) Gothard describes this star as belonging to Group IV. The usual observations are required.

15 This is a star of Group VI., in which band 9 is dark, and band 6 pale. Duner does not record any of the secondary tands. These and absorption lines should be looked for.

6) This variable has a period of 423 days, and ranges from 8 at maximum to 135 at minimum (Gore). The spectrum has not yet been recorded. Maximum on January 9.

(7) This is a variable with a spectrum of the Group II. type. The period is 324 days, and the magnitude varies from about a: maximum to 9 5 at minimum. The maximum will not occur until January 17, but observations for the bright lines of hyVariations of the drgen, &c., may be commenced at once. withs and intensities of the bands before and after maximum A. FOWLER. may also be looked for.

IDENTITY OF COMET VICO (1844) WITH BROOKS'S (1889).In a note on some comets of short period (Bulletin Astronomique, November 1889, M. L. Schulhof observes that a comparison of the elements of Vico's comet (1844) given by Le Verrier with thuse of Brooks's comet (1889 shows a striking similarity. According to Mr. Chandler (Astronomical Journal, No. 205, Brooks's comet in May 1886 was at a distance 0.064 from Jupiter, and in heliocentric longitude 185°, whilst Vico's come! to and itself about 1885-86, according to the elements of M. brunnow in heliocentric longitude 162°, and approximately 0.4 from Jupiter. M. Schulhof adds, however, that the only objection to the hypothesis is that the action of Jupiter at a distance 04 would hardly have been sufficient to change so considerably the perihelion distance and the time of revolution. It will be sufficient to calculate back the perturbations of Brooks's comet as far as 1885 to definitely settle this question.

An investigation of the elements of Comets Lexell and Finlay has led to the conclusion that they are not identical, but the results found are not to be taken as conclusive, a farther and more exact determination of the elements of Finlay's comet having been undertaken.

233

OBSERVATIONS OF SOME SUSPECTED VARIABLES.-Observa-
tions of Lalande 26980 = 14h. 42'7m. +6° 28'9 (1875), by
Rev. John G. Hagen, of Georgetown College, give the negative
result that there is no proof of variation between the years 1884-
89, and although an average of 15 observations a year have been
made, the extreme range of magnitude is less than o'2.

Three stars were found that showed rather a large difference
from the Bonn D. M. magnitudes, and were watched from 1886
to 1889. No variation, however, was noticed during these
three years.
The following are the three stars and the magni-
tudes found compared with Argelander's :-

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m.

m.

m.

8.8.

7801; D.M. 7601; D. M. = 7′0. 7'70'0; D.M. = 8'1.

SPECTRUM OF A METALLIC PROMINENCE.-Prof. Vogel in
a letter to Prof Tacchini (Mem. Società Spettroscopisti Italiani,
November 1889) observes that the positions of the lines
measured in a metallic prominence on June 28 were incorrectly
vol. xli. p. 115), and that the following should be substituted :-
given by Prof. Spoerer in the Memorie for October (see NATURE,
Wave-length.
Wave-length.
553 4.
5316

6676

Origin. Fe

C

H.

649'6

Ba.

526 9

646'2

Ca.

518-8

D1

Na.

D2

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D3

Helium.

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...

Origin. Ba, Fe, Sr. Ceronium. Ca, Fe. Ca, Fe. Mg.

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The above table only contains a small number of the bright lines seen in this eruption.

COMET SWIFT (f 1889, NOVEMBER 17).-The following corrected elements are given by Dr. Zelbr (Astr. Nachr., 2944):

T= 1889 November 29.66411 Berlin Mean Time.

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M. Schulhof notes (Bulletin Astronomique, November 1889) that, according to the elements of this comet, it is probably identical with Blanpain's comet (1819), which M. Clausen has shown to be identical with Grischow's comet (1743).

SOLAR SPOTS AND PROMINENCES.-In the November Memorie della Società degli Spettroscopisti Italiani, Prof. Tacchini contributes a note on spots and faculæ observed from July to September of this year. A comparison of these observations with those of the preceding quarter shows an augmentation of the phenomena described and a diminution of the frequency of days without spots.

Spectroscopic observations made by Prof. Tacchini during the same period as the above show the mean daily number of prominences to have been 2'93, with an average altitude of

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