the sole purpose of associating it with that of "Zadkiel," and insinuating, in an underhand and sneaking manner, that I hold the opinion, attributed by you to Mr. Adolph, of the minds of my late friend A. von Humboldt, of Arago, and others, having been affected by cometary influence. I, therefore, ordered Mr. Adolph's book up from town, to ascertain whether so bare an untruth had actually been stated by that gentleman; or whether it had simply been invented by you. Finding the latter to be the case, I leave you the option to insert this, literally, in the next number of "The Astronomical Register," or (accompanied by some critical remarks upon that "scientific" serial) to have a wider circulation given to it by Sir, your obedient servant, Guernsey, Old Government House: JOH. V. GUMPACH. [With regard to the influence of Comets: Chap. IX. of Mr Adolph's work commences with Influence of Comets and Planets on the Earth and on Man," and in the Index, p. 365, it is thus given :-"Comets: their effect on the Earth and man, pp. 190-222." Page 193: "Thus Arago, the illustrious astronomer, the intelligent (!) propagator of this fable, in his popular "Notices sur les Cometes" published in 1832. As far as I am aware, he does not state whence he got his valuable information, but in the year 1835 he again made the best use of the "ingenious device" against the Church; and as in each of these years a Comet appeared, they cannot but have affected his mind in the way I have indicated," &c. Page 196: "Madler, the director of the observatory at Dorpat, seems to have laboured under the effects of the comet of 1858;" &c. Sir John Herschel, page 199, Sir D. Brewster, page 205, Humboldt, page 209, are included in the same chapter. Mr Adolph quotes largely from a work entitled "Baby Worlds," by Von Gumpach :--Page 155. "The objections against the old theory are very clearly set forth by Von Gumpach. In Baby Worlds," &c. Page 263. Von Gumpach, in his Baby Worlds, is overwhelming in his evidence on these points." Page 279. That the discovery of Neptune, instead of another planet described and predicted, was a pure accident, lying in wait for the king and catching a tartar, shooting at an eagle and hitting a sparrow, as MOST CLEARLY AND STRIKINGLY exposed and developed in Baby Worlds of Von Gumpach," &c. And other quotations, pages 157, 194, 203, 205, 238, 240, 272, 277. And also refers to the works of Lieut. Morrison (Zadkiel) as confirmatory of his views:Page 251. "It is only by a rigorous analysis of every word, line, and sentence, as done by Lieut. J. R. Morrison, in his Solar System as it is, that the absurdity of the old theory and its explanation can be duly appreciated." Page 261. "On this head, listen to Lieut. Morrison, R. N., although an astrologer," &c.] INSTRUMENTS, &c., WANTED. Wanted, a Transit Instrument, 18 or 24 in. focus, 2 in. aperture. Apply to John Stead, Stanwix, near Carlisle. [71] Equatorial Stand, Wanted-adapted for a 5 ft. Refractor, with graduated circles; second hand, at a moderate price. [35] Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.-The third Volume wanted: a good price will be given. [70] [26] Celestial Globe wanted, not less than 18 in. in diameter, with the necessary circles, for a small observatory. Address, Mr Cuming, Workhouse, Williton, Somerset. Astronomical Clock, wanted immediately; not necessary to be a very first class one, therefore the price must be low. [65] Map of the Moon-a copy of the German edition of Beer and Madler's large map wanted. [69] The Bedford Catalogue.-Wanted, a copy, complete and in good condition, of Smyth's Cycle of Celestial Objects. [75] INSTRUMENTS, &c., FOR SALE. These Notices, which are restricted to three lines each, are inserted free of charge to subscribers: applications respecting prices and other particulars to be made to the Editor, with a stamped envelope for reply, without which no answer can be sent.-For Advertisements with prices and more complete details, a small charge will be made. [68] N. B.-It is particularly requested that we may be informed when instruments are disposed of, in order that the notice may be withdrawn, and fruitless applications prevented. Achromatic Refractor, 7in. aperture, 9ft. focus, by Troughton & Simms; 5 celestial and I terrestrial eye-pieces; on large garden Equatorial stand, with patent steadying rods, &c. [54] Achromatic Refractor, 6 4/10 in. aperture, 8 ft. focal length, by Merz, with complete Equatorial mounting, driven by clockwork, by Troughton & Simms. [73] Achromatic Refractor, 5 ft. 3 in. focus, 4 in. aperture, by Cooke & Sons; finder, 2 in. aperture, 3 eye-pieces, illuminating apparatus, &c., but no stand; price low. Achromatic Refractor, 3 in. aperture, 42. in. focus, 4 eye-pieces, finder, &c. Equatorially mounted. Achromatic Refractor, 4 ft. focus, 2 in. aperture, 3 pancratic eye-pieces, powers 60 to 200, with pillar and claw, and garden tripod stand. [61] Achromatic Refractor, 2 in. aperture, 42 in. focus, on tall tripod, finder, 5 astronomical and I terrestrial eye-pieces, sun shades, and illuminating mirror for transit wires, in mahogany case. [62] Achromatic Refractor, 28 in. clear aperture, 42 in. focus, one day and one night eye-pieces, on tall tripod stand. Of first rate defining power. [72] Gregorian Reflector, 4in. aperture, 2ft. focal length, by Dollond, 4 powers, 50 to 200, finder, &c., complete; on massive brass table stand. [67] [66] [63] Silvered Glass Speculum, 12 in.; ditto, 8 in.; and metal speculum, 8 in. ; the two latter, 6 ft. 6 in. focal length, are fitted with tubes, &c. Transit Instrument, 5 ft. focus, 3 in. aperture, Ys fitted with agates, for mounting on stone piers. [29] Equatorial Stand, adapted for a 5 or 6ft. telescope: 13in. circles divided on silver, reading to 10" of space and 4s. of time.-Has never been used. [55] Improved Varley Stand, with rackwork movements, adapted for a telescope of 5 or 6 ft. focus: fixed upon a circular turn-table, so as to be easily pointed in any direction. [16] Polar Axis of mahogany, 7ft. long, adapted for a 4ft. telescope, with 12in. circles, reading to minutes. [56] Speculum Grinding Apparatus, capable of working a 7ft. speculum: with tube and fittings for a 9in. Newtonian. [57] Brass Orrery and Tellurium, (one or both) designed by and formerly the property of the late Dr Pearson, and purchased by the present owner at his sale of instruments in 1853. [59] Recreative Science: complete in numbers, half-price. [30] A CHROMATIC REFRACTOR, 3 in. aperture, 42 in. focus, four eye-pieces, transit eye-piece, sun-glasses, finder, dew-cap. Equatorially mounted, with circles reading by microscopes to 2 seconds of time and 10 seconds of arc; level, rack, and clamps in R. A. and Dec., &c. Price £34. 0[67] 10 BE SOLD, the owner being about to mount a much larger an 8 in. Metal ditto. The two latter are fitted with tubes and finders, and are 6 ft. 6 in. in focal length; the 12 in. is unmounted, and its focal length is 10 ft. 4 in. These Specula are all of them guaranteed to be of the finest quality, and will be disposed of at a very moderate price. N[66] OR SALE-an EQUATORIAL LADDER STAND. Price £3. -Price £15. Both in good condition. Apply to F.R.A.S., Ockbrook, Derby. [74] ASTRONOMICAL REGISTER. LIST OF SUBSCRIBERS-Names received since our last number. Aslin, R. Esq., Market Place, Ripon, Yorkshire. Barkas, T. P. Esq., Newcastle on Tyne. Bowman, E. Esq., Victoria Park, Manchester. Ellis, W. M. Esq., Wellington Lodge, Portobello, near Edinburgh. ASTRONOMICAL REGISTER-Subscriptions received by the Editor. To December, 65. To April, 66. To December, 66. Vallack, Rev. B.W. Frost, W Kincaid, S.B Reside, To June, 66. Baldelli Mdme Collingwood, E.J Vernon, G.V To December, 67. Roberson, C Thomson, Prof. D Jan. 25, 1866. In order to save the expense of Postage, Subscriptions, as a rule, are acknowledged in the number of the Register for the month following that in which they are received, if not sent later than the 20th, after which they will be acknowledged in the next following number. то CORRESPONDENTS. Communications from S. B. K-Senex-T. P. B,, and some others, postponed for want of space. When Mr Herschel's paper arrived the Register had been made up for press; it will appear in our next; also diagram of the Trapezium of Orion, by Mr Huggins. Received-Journal du Ciel, No. 5-Ephemeris of Biela's Comet, from Mr BishopPhotograph of Mr Green's observatory at West Bromwich-and Lunar photograph by Mr Brothers of Manchester. ERRATA.-In our last Number, page 6, last line but one, for air read our.-Page 10 line 1, for Mars read Stars; line 5, for rays read rings; line 32, add the words, in double stars, at the end of the line; line 33, for observation read obscuration; line 38, insert comma after is, and for aperture read atmosphere.-Page 11, line 13, for A read On; line 20, for G.Latitude read Co-latitude; line 36, for practical read practised.-Page 13, line 12, for abundant read accordant; line 45, for taken read later. The Astronomical Register is intended to appear at the commencement of each month: the Subscription, (including Postage) is fixed at Three Shillings per Quarter, payable in advance, by postage stamps or otherwise. The pages of the Astronomical Register are open to all suitable communications: Letters, Articles for insertion, &c., must be sent to the Editor, MRS.GORTON, Stamford Villa, Downs Road, Clapton, N.E., not later than the 15th of the month. A REMARKABLE discovery has grown out of Schwabe's-namely, that the diurnal variation in the amount of the declination of the magnetic needle is characterised by a 10-yearly period, and (this is the singular circumstance) that the epoch of maximum variation corresponds to the epoch of the maximum prevalence of spots on the Sun, and vice versa, minimum with minimum. Lamont of Munich announced the former (the period) about 1850, and General Sabine the latter (the coincidence) in March 1852,* Gautier and Wolf making the same deduction independently of Sabine and of each other. The results from 1826-31 are from Arago; those from 1835-40 from the Göttingen observations; and the remainder are by Lamont himself, as obtained at Munich. He adds that the observations of Colonel Beaufoy, 1813-20, and the still earlier ones of Gilpin and Cassini, indicate a similar cycle. Two more curious discoveries have arisen in close connexion with the foregoing, and it is now accepted that aurora and magnetic earth-currents (currents of electricity which frequently traverse the surface of our globe, and interfere with telegraphic operations) likewise have a 10-yearly period, whose maxima and minima are contemporaneous with those of the two phenomena dealt with above; so that," in the words of Balfour Stewart, a bond of union exists between these four phenomena. The question next arises, What is the nature of this bond? Now, with respect to that which connects sun-spots with magnetic disturbances, we can as yet form no conjecture; but we may, perhaps, venture an opinion regarding the nature of that which connects together magnetic disturbances, aurora, and earth-currents." + 66 *Phil. Trans. † Pop. Ast. vol. i. p. 46, Eng. Ed. Proceedings of the Roy. Inst. vol. iv. p. 58. 1863. 66 The further elucidation of this, however, is foreign to the province of astronomy; but Stewart refers to, and is inclined to adopt, the hypothesis that the "red flames" seen in total eclipses of the Sun are merely manifestations of what may be termed solar aurora. I may here take occasion to advert to a very remarkable phenomenon seen on September 1, 1859, by two English observers whilst engaged in scrutinising the Sun. A very fine group of spots was visible at the time, and suddenly, at 11h. 18m., two patches of intensely bright white light were seen to break out in front of the spots. It was at first thought to be due to a fracture of the screen attached to the object-glass of the telescope, but such was not the case. The patches of light were evidently connected with the Sun itself; they remained visible for about five minutes, during which time they traversed a space of about 33,700 miles. The brilliancy of the light was dazzling in the extreme; but the most noteworthy circumstance was the marked disturbance which (as was afterwards found) took place in the magnetic instruments at the Kew Observatory, simultaneously with the appearance in question, followed about 16 hours afterwards by a great magnetic storm.* Before dismissing the subject of the periodicity of the solar spots, it should be mentioned that Wolf of Berne has tabulated all the observations he has been able to collect. They began in 1611, but do not assume reasonable regularity till 1749 The deductions are in accord with Schwabe's, except that Wolf prefers a period of 11'11 years, and he considers himself warranted in asserting this law: "Greater activity in the Sun goes with shorter periods, and less with longer periods;" and further, that there is foundation for the opinion that solar spots and variable stars arise from similar agencies.† Generally speaking, there appears a tendency with maxima to anticipate the middle time between the consecutive minima, the interval 1111 being divided into two unequal sub-intervals of 4'77 and 6:34. Besides the 11.1 period, Wolf finds another period five times as long; in other words, that the activity of the Sun goes through a further series of changes every 56 years, and likewise that in adjacent or nearly adjacent 11-year periods of unequal length, a greater activity during the shorter tends to compensate, in the total number of spots produced, for a less energy in the longer. The earlier observations are necessarily very imperfect.‡ * Carrington and Hodgson, Month. Not. R.A.S. vol. xx. pp. 13-16. See also an account of a similar phenomenon seen by Brodie, in vol. xxv. p. 21. † In Month. Not. R.A.S. vol. xix. p. 85, is a memorandum by Wolf about a conjecture of his, that variations of spot-frequency depend on the influences of the planets Venus, Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn. Mem. Soc. Phil. de Berne. 18,2. The Table for 1749-1860 is given in Month. Not. R.A.S. vol. xvi. p. 77. |