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acquainted descriptively and to a useful extent with a large body of astronomical learning, without the need of knowing anything more than the commonest rules of arithmetic. Mr. Denison treats the subject in 5 chapters, respectively headed the Earth; the Sun and Moon; the Laws of Planetary Motion; the Stars and Telescopes, the last named having appended to it some miscellaneous matter. His style is clear and comprehensive, and inasmuch as the subjects he deals with are mainly physical, as distinguished from descriptive, his book will be found a useful companion to Hind's Introduction, which treats very subordinately of physical departments of the science. On p. 56 we notice an observation which we must say we wholly dissent from, viz., that the modern and, as Mr. D. calls it, vulgar" habit of per-centing everything is a system very inferior to the older one of vulgar fractions. We regard this from a practical point of view as an entire fallacy: by decimalising quantities to be compared, is it alone possible to grasp conveniently and quickly their respective mutual relationships. The new value of the solar parallax is adopted throughout the work, which is well got up and cheap in price.

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NOTES AND GLEANINGS.

"POPULAR SCIENCE."-Many of our readers may have noticed that a discussion has been going on in some of the papers relative to the merits of the new edition of Brande's Dictionary. They will probably be amused to learn that the phenomenon popularly spoken of as “the new moon in the old moon's arms," is in this learned work described as an effect of irradiation!! We trust that its general deficiencies are not on a par with its astronomical deficiencies, one out of many being the above, or it must indeed be a worthless book.

THE NEW PLANET.-The following elements of the New Planet, No, 85, are by Dr. C. H. Peters:

Epoch 1865, Jan. o. Berlin Mean Time.

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ELEMENTS OF CLIO.-The following elements are by M. Valentiner, of

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334 48

320 52

203 50

II 55

II

Berlin :

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The planet's place on January 1, 1866, will be

h. m. S.

339 24 59
327 20 12

O

9 22 28 13 44 36 974-0564" 0'374282

R.A. 23 25 I. : Decl. + 4 33'5.

FRENCH ASTRONOMICAL LITERATURE.—We observe announced Le journal de Ciel Astronomie pour tous.-This is a quarterly periodical, published at Paris, at a cost of 1 franc per number. It appears to be a magazine something of the character of our own. The editor is Professor J. Vinot, and the office 26 rue Servandoni, Paris. We mention these particulars as possibly some of our readers may like to make its acquaintance.

LEYTON ASTRONOMICAL OBSERVATIONS.-A quarto volume of about 120 pages has been published by the firm of Williams and Norgate, containing the observations made at Mr. Joseph Gurney Barclay's private observatory at Leyton, in Essex, during the years 1862, 1863, and 1864. The introduction gives a description of the telescope in use by Mr. Barclay and his assistant, and the remainder of the book is occupied with tables of observations on certain double stars in Struve's Catalogue, and on 30 minor planets, as well as the right ascension and declinations of stars used in the latter case and a list of the comparison stars. The comet observations during the three years are not the least valuable part of the volume, which has been brought out in a spirited way, and which will be welcomed by Mr. Barclay's brother Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society.-Standard.

ASTRONOMICAL TELEGRAPH MESSAGES.-With the view of simplifying and cheapening the cost of transmission for the above, M. Karlinski, of Cracow, proposes the following form for recognition by astronomers :

Cracow Observatory to Altona Observatory.

Planet 85 [Comet] November 22 Cracow 0604597 apparent 00430620 North 0247240

which expanded becomes :

Apparent

Cracow Mean Time.

R.A.

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We think it would be very desirable that this form should come into general use; we should certainly, however, suggest the omission of decimal quantities as a refinement of exactness wholly unnecessary.

WATER BAROMETER.-In the Philosophical Magazine for November will be found an account of an instrument of this kind, constructed by Mr. A. Bird, of Birmingham, and which has been in perfect action for six years. Although the space occupied by this barometer is large in comparison with that required by the ordinary mercurial instrument, the results given appear to be more distinct. A water barometer was erected by Mr. Daniell, in 1832, which was in action two years. Mr. Daniell noticed that the oscillations of the water were continual, and resembled the slow action of respiration. Mr. Bird confirms this, and states that the times of the oscillations are about every 4 minutes and 20 seconds, and that they vary from the 20th to the 30th part of an inch. During a heavy thunderstorm which passed over Birmingham, July 20, 1859, while the water column rose and fell in a most surprising manner, the mercurial column scarcely moved at all.

VARIABLE STAR.—Mr. Baxendell read a communication on the variable star S Delphini, at the meeting of the Literary and Philosophical Society of Manchester, on the 9th of November. A maximum occurred on the 9th of August 1865, magnitude 8.9, the mean period being 332 days, and the minimum equalling the 133 magnitude. Mr. Baxendell's results were confirmed in a great measure by Mr. G. Knott, of Cuckfield. The colour of the star is reddish, and is more intense at the minimum.

8 CYGNI. A careful investigation of the orbit of this binary has just been completed by M. Behrmann, of Göttingen. He finds that the next periastron will take place about 1875'05, when the minimum distance of the 2 components will be 14508". The period of revolution he fixes at 415°11486 years.

THE METEOR OF THE 21ST NOVEMBER, seen by Mr. De la Rue, and noticed in the last number of the Register, p. 288, was also observed by Mr. James Reddie, at Hammersmith, who describes it at full length in the Correspondent of Dec. 16. Mr. Reddie was not conscious of seeing any tail, but in most points agrees with the President's account of this object. Mr. A. S. Herschel has promised us a detailed account of this interesting body.

THE RETURNS OF PRIVATE OBSERVATORIES.-"Such a census," writes a correspondent, "G. J. W.," "as has now been made of the appliances in the hands of amateur astronomers, if repeated ten years hence, would be an interesting evidence of progress!" We hope to be able, in our next number, to lay before our readers some details connected with this subject.

THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF APRIL 15, 1865.-In a letter addressed to the Academy of Sciences, M. Secchi, of Rome, gives a description of certain observations made by M. Cappelletti, at La Conception, Chili, during the total eclipse which was visible there on the 15th of April, 1865. La Conception lies in 36 deg. 43 min. S. lat. and 73 deg. 8 min. W. long. M. Cappelletti was unable to obtain photographs of the protuberances on account of the state of the weather, but he could observe the eclipse during the complete obscuration, which lasted 2 min. 20 sec. The first thing he saw during that short period was an immense mountain of fire, in the shape of a horn, at 57 deg. NW. from the zenith. Nearly opposite there was another, which was smaller. Both were rosecoloured, but the second was the paler of the two, and 2 min. in height; while the first was 2 min. 40 sec. After the lapse of 38 secs. a series of coloured flames appeared, so that the sun seemed to be on fire, and gave one the idea of a train of powder igniting successively and with great rapidity. The extent of these rose-coloured flames was 90 deg. along the limb. It bore some analogy to a chaplet of beads, but some of the latter were oblong, two ended in a point, and others were undulated. Above these protuberances there was a solitary rose-coloured point. There were no protuberances on the eastern side. At the moment the sun disappeared, three pencils of light became visible in a direction perpendicular to the moon's limb. The most luminous of the three, which was so bright as almost to dazzle the eyes, was in the same position as the great protuberance. Its western side coincided with the direction of the lunar radius, but its opposite side was inclined. The second pencil was almost diametrically opposite to the former, making an angle of about 15 deg. with the second protuberance; it was less luminous than the other, and its borders were rounded off. The third pencil was at equal distances between the other two. The Government Commissioners only saw two of these pencils, but at Rio Janeiro they saw five of them. The darkness might be compared to that of an hour after sunset, owing to the weather being slightly foggy. The country around had assumed an ugly greenish tint. An arc, presenting the colours of the rainbow, appeared at a distance of 30 degrees from the sun, and disappeared as soon as the eclipse ceased to be total. It was in the form of a crescent, its ends resting, so to say, on a line tangent to the inferior limb of the moon. The inhabitants of La Conception clearly saw the delineation of the shadow in the fog, and were much frightened at it. Several stars of the 1st and 2nd magnitude became visible. Nothing particular occurred among animals, except

that cocks crowed at the beginning of the totality and again when the sun reappeared. Poultry went to their roosting places, and returned as soon as the light reappeared. M. Cappelletti remarked that at the first reappearance of light the sun's limb was undulated, looking like the ocean at Cape Horn with its immense waves. The protuberances disappeared; but the arc remained visible for 38 seconds longer. During the totality the moon was surrounded with a ring of silvery light, after which came the crown of rays. Her border was rather indented, and this caused also the irregularities of the sun's crescent when it reappeared.

COMETARY INTELLIGENCE.

COMETARY ORBITS.-Some observations on the calculation of cometary orbits, with tables for facilitating the same, will be found in Ast. Nach. 1556 et seq. Nov. 25, 1865. The author is Mr. A. Marth.

BIELA'S COMET.-The following ephemeris is by M. Michez, of Padua :For Greenwich Mean Noon.

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that Biela's comet has been found by Secchi has merely re-observed Faye's

NEW COMET.

As we are going to press, we learn that a new telescopic comet was found by Tempel near 8 Ursa Majoris on December 19, at 8 P.M. Further particulars in our next.

BRIEF CORRESPONDENCE.

Can anyone oblige me with a synoptical account of Mädler's Populare Astronomie? As to what sort of a book it is, both in design and execution. G. F. C.

Are there any recent observations of 8 Ursa Majoris, as regards its variability? The certainty of this (I believe some are sceptical) has been very obvious to me during the last year or two: at least, such is my impression. C.

When is the English translation of Guillemin's Le Ciel likely to be published? X. Y. Z. The position of Hind's scarlet star in Lepus is, for 1870, R.A. 4h. 53m. 41s.; Decl.-15° 0′·2. G. F. C. The title of Riccioli's Treatise on the Moon is, I think, Almagestum Novum. F.R.A.S.

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