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Fw >». >> => oy ee > > > EP» > > SS >} D> > > > >> SS Se Oe Se SS > Se > Si Ls Ss bs > ee > ee DP a? ae aes >> —tee> AAAAS (VA f eta, A ONO aA A inate Sutton ante ae ance Anat atin saonneat nnn carn A AMAA a Naess Dany AAARRA Henioen Aran tenn AR ARIN: niewnen 3 SS >> >» D> Sy? > >» os: Bie: p> >> Ee < =a a ee Py Meet ACTON AN Va a lala seu | ALAA A - ial ! | BAAR AAAAAAAAAV NA Nav WAWAAA RN GONE ane annR lina AAG ranaaans E INN AA RARER AG AA AMAR AD aan AA Als ~ AAR Aa, Ant \N\ Ananan nnn A \ ay ADAM wen ALAN AAA Me nah PAN YAN \o a 5 ay a AA iA Sermons mene een ARAN nan woos AAn AAA MAARR AANA ‘ Aan hiWRAR A aa ANAAR Ns ABRAARBAASAAR A sn n2 8a =, BAAN Naan, ARMAS A RAIA AU caaiaaean WABRG Qa mittee aaah co Rae AAA AGS » | NAA IARALA BAA AAA NAY-VAALA iain AARAARE naa NoAA PY AA) Misa na Mrntannalttannnnneenaan A AMA A, Aan, Mineg tcc Pauley AY AV oN AVA eV awn ARAL fa} IA TAt al ad A\n al y= Ace Waa AR VAI NaN AS a eal A hy AVA ONAN AR AR An Naa sanananan ANN ANAAAAAR RAS AR AC e Sain ARAN AA aa : Naaaayn A A aA AR Ana a AA AA AAAAAAANAAIA AANA A AVay Ann AGIA Val \aleVY- Aaaln\ A salaat AA VAAN A ADA AN ANAY SPS SAIN Rin AMALIA ca SAAARINS hal Rann AANA NADIA \a\ ; A A A Wns AAA INIA ARMA nan A AAAAAAAAAA AR ora Annan Soh an anc th, ANARNAANNAAAA WAAAY A NAMA MANNA BAD toe AAAARAAR. iARAA07 Sanaana RAA@a zARANAARAAAANAANARAAMARAA NASANAMA Parana WANA 12S AAAAAARARAAA ama nAMAAMAAA AAA AMA AWAAAAARAANRAEYTai CARROLL Al Ag bata a : NA Wen SIMs Ann a5 AZARAARARAAA Anant NAA AREA AAA Aan nV \AAAAAAAAAAR AN ANN AARARARIAR AAR ERAN AA Anan. NAANAAMONAR MARA AG. parry \unacy Ans AAs ARs T LY, Wala naniela VARA AAA WaaiahanNalaWANAAA lalalalalaaaly VV tUNAU IAAL lala} TTT Vireo allan AAA ATU Vine ALI VNW AG AAADAAN AAA AIA WAN NAL Hina Anan AR ANCL WA AAIAAl in i: Lhe eer) OAD tie A , : ih Be NAS TA) ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, SHOWING THE OPERATIONS, EXPENDITURES, AND CONDITION OF THE INSTITUTION AE OY Ta ALE di SS Oi, WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFIOE. 1884. [FORTY-SEVENTH CONGRESS, SECOND SESSION. ] CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, February 20, 1883. Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That fifteen thousand five hundred and sixty copies of the Report of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1882 be printed; two thousand five hundred copies of which shall be for the use of the Senate, six thousand and sixty copies for the use of the House of Representa- tives, and seven thousand copies for the use of the Smithsonian Institution. Attest: Epw. McPHERSON, Clerk. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES, March 2, 1883. Resolved, That the Senate agree to the foregoing resolution of the House of Repre- sentatives. Attest: F. E. SHOBER, Acting Secretary. LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, ACCOMPANYING The annual report of the Board of Regents of that Institution for the year 1882. JANUARY 22, 1883.—Ordered to be printed. SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, Washington, D. C., January 19, 1883. Sir: In accordance with section 5593 of the Revised Statutes of the United States, I have the honor in behalf of the Board of Regents to submit to Congress the annual report of the operations, expenditures, and condition of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1882. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, SPENCER F. BAIRD, Secretary Smithsonian Institution. Hon. J. W. KEIFER, Speaker of the House of Representatives. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION FOR THE YEAR 1882. SUBJECTS. 1. Proceedings of the Board of Regents for the session of January, 1883. 2. Report of the Executive Committee, exhibiting the financial affairs of the Institution, including a statement of the Smithson fund, the re- ceipts and expenditures for the year 1882, and the estimates for 1883. 3. Annual report of the Secretary, giving an account of the operations and condition of the Institution for the year 1882, with the statistics of collections, exchanges, &c. 4, General appendix, comprising a record of recent progress in the principal departments of science, and special memoirs, original and selected, of interest to collaborators and correspondents of the institu- tion, teachers, and others engaged in the promotion of knowledge. IV CONTENTS. Page. Resolution of Congress to print extra copies of the report-...---. .----------- ii Letter from the Secretary, submitting the Annual Report of the Regents to BORER Re ott te ee ate aeolian = aici endian tina ecinms emma siman nin eas nie lii General subjects of the Annual Report..--......--..----------- --------------- iv CHGITE Ob 1G) LNG Page Re ame noae poe ae sienes er sooite Seen coeee Seceronpeceaae Vv Tere iRG Eel MS EAbTONS ee cea seine seca ace sae te = vesiees see se sew sme soe a= viii Regents of the Smithsonian Institution......-.--.-.---.------------------ Se aE JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS...-------------------- xi REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE for the year 1882 ...----..---------- xiv Condition of the fands January 1, 1883...........-...------------------- xiv ISCEINDS MOF GO YORE. -— ijn aco 0's See viens nade ene = ap ecm es ae'nm nn xiv PPenondibures 10F bhe YeaE -22 <=. 52 <4 24 po- =H 5 = Hone sae cene ses ions = 2c = XV Pepimaes for the year 1883 -->-- 4 .---.- -.220- +22 -5- wens so 25-22 === 2-3 - == XV National Musuem appropriations by Congress ....-. ---.------------------ xvi Appropriations for Ethnology...--....--.-------------------+++--++++---- xvi Appropriations for Exchanges -.....-...-----+----+ +--+ -----+ 2-2-2 02--2- xvii Members ex officio of the “‘ Establishment,” and Regents of the Institution... xix Officers and assistants of the Institution, and of the National Museum .-....... xx REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION..---------- ---20+ ------ ee 2-22 eee ene eens cee 1 OM TICLODV Seer ts ole ee ce sare aortas See claiaia Sia share ha eine aha) arate al afaticlain isa 1 Rho oenty Statue... s-c6 est 5-0 acces ctw che hee ene so tee esa woe = 1 New Regents of the Tnbiitution See ene ae eee te a CAA eee rc 2 Meetings of the Board of Regents .....-----------------------++---+----- 2 [STROVE ee Ie Cs ne ME oe ee reset ore Pe eee rae 3 Condition of the fund, January, 1883....-...---..----- ---------- ---- 3 PUN EBs ooo oat Sos saeco nie ere dm aew annie dahil sates oe neh suey ence eens = 3 Shramtisteentehe nied Gbbeye Bes ba ee oe aos Nee oon or CEOS aear SEO See serrc 3 * Steps taken toward having the east wing remodelled and fire-proofed. 4 National Museum building .........-...--------------- ----2++----0-- 5 Asmory buliding 222-62 2. lo- cas see ahem enee- wire siscieen seesaw es =~ 8 == 6 Laboratory of. Natural History ..+--. ..--0. s-0220---2--225 -<--<- 45-6 7 Need of an additional Museum building ..-.-..-.-.------------------- 7 Meetings of Scientific Bodies .........--.-------- Nae Meet oat. ol vocdc ass 10 foutine work of the Institution -<-.. 0-22... .. 2-66-2250 cone 22 =0- ---- = 2-2 11 / MinTTTT A TO eae eG et eo oc aOse San codeine ete 60 UnCc Cok Se peeeooeeene 11 SP ORTESPGHOUNCON S32 one aten ale amet soe means Oae emelam'si ain == = Caines 11 Researches and Explorations ...--...---. -----. ---22- «2-25 soe nee eon sone 11 (Ghenanilnra i) De ee ee ea See Seat re ea a eee ae 13 eae ODP Ay tee A es AS eee ON ee ae give ces esse se ee aa owas 13 PPaap eT Ov CR ERS Seyret ne tek SEER PAS SO cdcp ea secdlvacceneseeeee 14 PAN re cca ee tte a SNe eee eee noma abacee cesses ceascsce 14 Sippired i Tes ea cy ve) Ee Rar ee ae te ee 15 VI CONTENTS. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY.—THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION—Continued. steal Researches and Explorations: NBA Ale eee oo sik cl cee ce ee eieiin tno ievle ainicinelalecin) oletelatane ameter 16 Leib) UA ene ener ee Sh as Bees BAA AS CRAM ee Oar, SocoIoaesh 5 16 Commanderislandsearay- cele se oe nclot es seyatele mielotate te ae et aoe ae ae ee 16 Gregon and. Washington Territory ..-- -22-3.- 1s-= = --enlemceeeie ameter 17 (Oby bite Ae toe a SaaS 6 Ss eos dadoeoddogesuodeds docadonsscos sone cone 18 Mower California’ -.)5<- 2s seco bel ace emacs s eeice ce inciseweianeaieeee cere 17 New Mexico, and Arizona <-.-26:5-<... coe cmeniw es tone aaa eee eee 18 Interior of the United! States zes2o-. REPORT OF PROFESSOR BAIRD, SECRETARY OF THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, FOR 1882, To the Board of Regents: GENTLEMEN: I have the honor to present herewith a report of the operations and condition of the Smithsonian Institution for the year 1882. As in previous years, I propose to include in the present report, in addition to matters pertaining strictly to the Institution, a brief account of the operations of the National Museum and the Bureau of Ethnol- ogy, which may be considered as part of the Smithsonian Institution, as well as of the work of the United States Fish Commission, which is under my charge. THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION. INTRODUCTORY. There are no specially distinctive or prominent facts to be mentioned in connection with the work of the Institution and its collateral depart- ments during the year 1882; although it may be said that, at no time, has the establishment been in better condition, whether we take into account the character of the work accomplished, the economy of expendi- ture, or the satisfactory condition of its funds at the end of the year. The publications of the Smithsonian Institution, or those made under its direction, have been of average amount; the international exchanges have been more than ever extensive and important; the scientific re- searches of the Institution have been extremely productive, while the Museum has been enriched by a greater quantity of valuable material than ever before. THE HENRY STATUE. I am happy to announce that the memorial statue of Professor Henry, _ the construction of which, by Mr. W. W. Story, was authorized by Congress on the ist June, 1880, is finished, and in Washington. It was hoped that it might be delivered in time to be in position by the end of the year 1881. Owing, however, to certain imperfections found in the statue after being cast in bronze, it became necessary to reproduce it; and it was not until the month of November, {1882,] that it was actually completed and shipped. H. Mis. 26——1 2 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. The pedestal of the statue, which was made in the United States, was delivered in the early part of the year, but the statue itself did not arrive from Rome until the end of December. Itis hoped that the next report to the Board will contain a notice of the successful erection of this memorial. THE BOARD OF REGENTS. The original law organizing the Smithsonian Institution provides for vacancies of three members of the House and one member of the Sen- ate at the end of each Congress, the successors to be appointed by the Speaker of the House and the President of the Senate, respectively, in the ensuing December. Although no special provision is made for res- ignations, it would of course naturally be inferred that an appointment to a vacancy oi this kind should be for the period of the remainder of the term of service of the former incumbent, as is the case in the United States Senate. In fact, however, with some previous vacancies occur- ring by death, or resignation of Senatorial position, the service was continued for six years, and with a result that all the Senate regencies became vacant at the same time. By the appointment, however, of Senator Hoar, on the 21st February, 1881, and of Senators Hill of (Colo- rado) and Maxey (of Texas) on the 19th May, of the same year, the nor- mal term of service was re-established, with vacancies occurring at inter- vals of two years—the term of Senator Hoar expiring with his Senatorial term, in March, 1883; of Senator Hill, in March, 1885; and of Senator Maxey, in March, 1887. ) The existing vacancies of the House members were filled by the ap- . pointment of Hon. N. C. Deering, of lowa; Hon. HE. B. Taylor, of Ohio; and Hon. S. 8. Cox, of New York. The annual meeting of the Board was held on the 18th of January, 1882, and was attended by all the new regents. The Chief Justice, Mr. Waite, referred to the loss the Institution and the whole country had sustained in the untimely death of President Garfield, who had been connected with the Board of Regents with but little interruption since 1863. . The committee having in charge the erection of the new building au- thorized by Congress for the reception and exhibition of the collections of the Government, made a report that the work had been completed in a satisfactory manner and within the amount of the appropriation. The thanks of the Board were voted to the committee for the able and sat- isfactory manner in which it had discharged its duties. The thanks of the Board were also tendered to General Montgomery C. Meigs for his highly valued services as consulting engineer of the National Museum Building Commission, in connection with the con- struction of the fire-proof building for the Museum. Authority was given to the Secretary and the executive committee to apply to Congress for an appropriation to render the east range and REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 3 wing of the Smithsonian Institution fire-proof, in continuation of pre- vious appropriations for the same purpose made and applied to the main portion of the building. FINANCES. The report of the executive committee, which has just been presented to you, presents the details of the financial condition of the Institution proper, and a report upon the expenditure of items placed by Congress under its direction. The sale of the Virginia bonds mentioned in the last report is still believed to have been wise, and has removed all source of anxiety as to the stability or amount of the funds permanently invested from which a regular income could be depended on. With an aggregate fund of $703,000 in the United States Treasury, the income of the Smithsonian Institution amounts to $42,180. This, with a bal- ance on hand at the beginning of the year, has furnished the fund from which the expenses proper are paid. These are classified under the several heads of building, general expenses, publications and researches, and literary and scientific exchanges. What has heretofore been a very great item of expense—from $9, 000 to $11,000—connected with the international exchanges, has been greatly reduced by the appropriation of Congress made specifically for that purpose. This expenditure is either directly in the interest of the country at large, or that of the Government bureaus and of the Library of Congress, and it is, therefore, eminently proper that the whole amount should be refunded. The Secretary of State has ac- cordingly asked for an appropriation of $10,000 for the coming fiscal year, instead of the $5,000, which is at present available. This saving will enable the Institution to extend its labors liberally in the direction of researches and publications, as well as be available for the unusually heavy repairs required in connection with the Smithsonian building. After successive additions to the appropriation for a fire-proof building of the National Museum the account has been finally closed by returning $13.27 to the Treasury. The available balance of the Smithsonian Institution for the expendi- tures of the first half of the year 1882, according to the report of the executive committee, amounts to $29,637.45. BUILDINGS OF THE INSTITUTION. Smithsonian Building.—No unusual expenditure has been required to keep this edifice in good order, although a certain amount of wear and tear has of course been necessarily provided for. Some important changes have, however, been made, adding greatly to the facilities for work. The entire basement has been putin thorough order; the floors, walls, and ceilings covered with a thick coat of whitewash, answering the double purpose of a sanitary protection and of increasing the ' amount of light; the improvement in the latter respect being very 4 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. marked. The west basement, which has heretofore been occupied indis- criminately for the preservation and elaboration of the collection of birds and fishes, has been subdivided, and each subject confined strictly to its own section, much to the improvement of the service. An open- ing has been made from the northwestern tower of the main building into the second story of the adjacent corridor; and a stairway placed in the tower, ascending from the basement to the level of the gallery of the main hall, permits ready access between the three floors. The spe- cial object of this was to give to the curators of fishes and marine inver- tebrates an opportunity of using the galleries of the main hall in their work of arrangement and cataloguing. The hall or corridor between the main central room and the western or “pottery” room has been oc- eupied by the collection of fishes, for which it was specially arranged. At the last meeting of the Board the Secretary called attention to the combustible and insecure condition of the eastern portion of the Smith- sonian building, and presented plans, prepared at his request by the architects, Messrs. Cluss & Schulze, which, without materially changing the architecture of the building, would provide largely increased accom- modations for offices and work-rooms, the storage of publications, the exchange system, &c. The Board unanimously adopted a resolution instructing the Secretary and executive committee to present the subject to Congress and request an appropriation for the purpose. The Secretary, in accordance with this instruction, sent the following letter on the 13th of March to the Speaker of the House of Representatives : “By instruction of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, I have the honor to transmit “to Congress the following resolution adopted at the last meeting of the Board, January 11, 1882; and, in doing so, beg that it be referred to the appropriate committee of the House of Representatives and receive that attention which the urgency of the case requires: “6 Resolved, That the Secretary and executive committee present 4 memorial to Congress showing the importance and necessity of render- ing the east wing of the Smithsonian building fire-proof, requesting an appropriation therefor, and, if the means are furnished, to proceed with the work’ “Tt will be remembered that in January, 1865, a fire occurred in the Smithsonian building, which destroyed a large portion of the main edifice, with its adjacent towers, and a very large amount of valuable public and private property. ‘‘The main building was restored with fire-proof materials; but the east wing, composed entirely of wood and plaster, and which had es- caped injury, remains in its previous dangerous condition. Originally a lecture room, it was fitted up many years ago with apartments for the residence of the late Secretary and his family. This application of the wing, however, was discontinued after Professor Henry’s death; but the rooms thus set apart are entirely unsuited to the operations of the establishment, and, while in every way objectionable, the timbers have decayed, and no arrangements are provided for proper lighting, heating, and ventilation. REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 5 “The main building and western extension are occupied by the col- lections of the Government; the east wing embraces the offices of the Secretary, chief clerk, corrresponding clerk, and registrar, and also ac- commodations for the extensive operations of the department of in- ternational exchanges, the benefits of which accrue not only principally to the Library of Congress but to all the public libraries and scientific societies throughout the United States. The rooms are filled with the archives, files of correspondence, original scientific manuscripts, vouch- ers, the stock of Government and Smithsonian publications for distri- bution at home and abroad, &c.; and their destruction by fire, to which they are constantly exposed, would be greatly detrimental to the in- terests of the Government and the general public. ‘Tn addition to this, an extensive fire in the east wing would endanger and possibly destroy the main portion of the Smithsonian building, the upper and lower halls of which contain rare specimens belonging to the Government, and most of which could not be replaced. ‘Congress has recognized the importance and propriety of gradually reconstructing the interior of the Smithsonian building, in fire-proof materials, by making appropriations for the purpose at various times between 1870 and 1875; and the last Congress, in 1879, appropriated $3,000 ‘for providing additional security against fire in the Smithsonian building,’ ‘Tt is now proposed to remodel the interior of the east wing so that, without disturbing its present architectural style, the internal capacity will be doubled by a new arrangement of floors, partitions, and roofs, and all the rooms be adapted to the efficient prosecution of the work of the Institution and the various interests intrusted to its management by Congress. ‘“‘Inclosed I beg to send a copy of the report of the Board of Fire In- spectors (appointed by the District Commissioners) upon the condition of the Smithsonian building.* — “‘T have the honor to ask, in the name and on behalf of the Board of Regents, that the following appropriation be made at the present session of Congress, viz: “For continuing and completing the fire-proofing of the Smithsonian Institution, $50, 000.” National Museum Building.—The Museum building was received from the hands of the architects in so complete a state that but little re- mained to be done beyond the tinting of a portion of the walls and the filling up of some of the alcoves with canvas frames, &c. There is yet much to be done, however, in the construction of the necessary cases for the accommodation of collections. 4™ 59.7° Cracow mean time. Minor planet No. 85. Apparent right ascension 0° 43™ 6.208, Apparent declination 42° 47, 24.0.” And this would be entirely expressed in twelve words. Thus, there would remain still eight words for other items, such as the daily motion, brightness, &c., if the whole dispatch is to be kept within twenty words. However, I leave the perfecting of this form entirely to your views, without desiring to push any project of my own. Notification by the Imperial Academy of Vienna, December 6, 1869. (Published in the Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 1785, col. 142.) The telegrams by which the Imperial Academy announces the dis- coyery of anew comet to the various observatories will hereafter be written in an abbreviated form and in general according to the proposi- tion of Professor Karlinski. The dispatch will contain: first, the word comet then the name of the discoverer ; next the date will be given and then the local mean time of the position in four consecutive figures, of which the first two indicate the hour and the last two the minute, so that the missing tens for the hour as well as for the minutes will be indicated by zeros. Then the place of the discovery will be given, followed by the right ascension in arc, ex- pressed by means of five figures, of which three indicate the degrees and the next two the minutes, while the missing tens and hundreds will be, as before, shown by the zeros. Then follows an interval, and, after it, the polar distance represented in five figures, of which three indicate the degrees and the last two the minutes, and in which again all the missing figures have their places filled by zeros. The motion, to be finally given, is always understood to be daily motion in minutes of are, first the motion in right ascension and next that in declination, each to be preceded by the sign or word plus or minus. The conclusion of the dispatch is to be formed of some words that refer to the external appearance of the celestial body. If, still, an addi- tional figure follows them, this will describe the diameter of the comet in minutes of are. The dispatch will be signed “ Akademie.” For example, the following telegram from the Academy : Comet Tempel three November nought nine nought nine nought nought Marseilles three four one nought five. Nought seven five four four bewegung plus six minus twenty four helle kern five Akademie” would be translated as follows: ‘‘Comet discovered by Tempel. On the 3d November, at 98 0™ Mar- seilles meantime, the position is right ascension 341° 5’ and north polar distance 75° 44’. The daily motion is +6/ in right ascension and —24/ in polar distance. Bright nucleus. Diameter of the comet, 5’. (Signed) IMPERIAL ACADEMY of VIENNA.” CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 59 Letter from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, October 15, 1879, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Sir: In the telegrams announcing the discovery of comets and minor planets, for which we have to thank you, the Astronomer Royal has frequently found a difficulty as to the date of discovery and the date to which the position given refers. The former is of less importance, but the uncertainty as to the latter has frequently caused much delay in picking up a quick moving body such as a comet. The Astronomer Royal would therefore suggest that the day of the month, and Washington mean time, to which the position givén refers, should be in every case inserted just before the R. A. and Dec. (the magnitude being put at the end of the telegram to avoid confusion). Thus the telegram just received would run (supposing the position of the planet to be given for Oct. 13, 142 Washington mean time): ‘‘ Planet Peters Clinton thirteenth fourteen hours one nought north one twenty motion five south eleventh.” The Astronomer Royal trusts that you will not find any difficulty in making this small addition, which will greatly increase the value of the announcements. I am, sir, &c., W. H. M. CHRISTIE. Letter from the Smithsonian Institution to Dr. C. H. F. Peters (Clinton, N. Y.), November 4, 1879. DEAR Sir: The Astronomer Royal of England asks that hereafter, jn astronomical announcements, the hour of discovery in Washington time be given. The Naval Observatory here requests that local time of discovery be stated, and that seconds of right ascension be always given. What would you advise us to instruct observatories in these particu- lars? Very truly, yours, S. F. BArrp. Letter from the Litchfield Observatory of Hamilton College (Clinton, N Y.), November 8, 1879, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. DEAR Sir: In reply to yours of 4th inst., regarding the demands of observatories for certain changes in the dispatches of planet discoveries, I take the liberty to make the following remarks. These remarks are, in substance, the same I wrote a short time ago to Prof. Tietjen, of the Berlin Observatory, who proposed as a desideratum similar alterations. First, as to that the hour of discovery be stated, by which I suppose the time for the position communicated is meant, the answer is that such is done and has been done always in our dispatches. It is included in the way prescribed (but overlooked or forgotten) in the programme that was issued at the time by the Smithsonian Institution (Smith. Miscel. 60 CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. Coll’ns, 263). There Art. IV states distinctly: ‘The right ascension and declination in the dispatch will be understood to give the position (by proper motion approximately reduced) for the midnight following the date of the dispatch, Washington time for American discoveries, Green- wich time for European.” If this be borne in mind, it seems unnecessary to burden the dispatch by additional figures, indicating a local time. | Still further, it seems unnecessary to add the daily motion in right ascension. This, for the minor planets between Mars and Jupiter in opposition, we know is always negative—the planets are retrograde— and the numerical value of it will be in the neighborhood of 45° or 50°. Taking into account the distance from the equator, the position of the ecliptic, and the motion in declination, a little reflection will easily decide whether to assume a smaller or a larger value sufficiently near for knowing the run in a day or two. The request of giving with the right ascension also the second of time assumes that the discoverer himself knows it, that he has followed up the planet for at least 24 hours, and hence the motion has become known to him with accuracy. But this is usually not the case, as on the other hand it is desirable that the discoverer make the announcement im- mediately after the first night. The daily motion, consequently, is con- cluded from single comparisons extending perhaps over an hour, whereby the unavoidable errors are multiplied by a factor greater than 24. The seconds added to the right ascension, therefore, would be only illusory. When the nearest full minute is given, so that the uncertainty is 4 minute, this seems indeed also sufficient for recognizing the planet. It will be among the stars that are in a field of 15’, and by studying with a little patience the configuration of these stars, the one searched for will soon betray itself by its change of place. The apparent motion in right ascension, in most cases, is far surpassing that in declination, so that the inconsistency in giving the declination to a minute of arc and the right ascension to a minute of time only is not so great as might seem. Nevertheless, if found desirable, it is possible to narrow the limits of uncertainty in the right ascension to one-sixth by the addition of only one word more in the dispatch, giving the nearest round tenth number of seconds. And this is the only alteration I should be willing to rec- ommend in the form of the dispatch. To resume, I suggest, then: 1. The local time (or its equivalent) is to be presented and looked for as before, in conformity with Art. IV of the Smithsonian programme. 2. To give the daily motion in right ascension seems superfluous. 3. After the minute of right ascension to be inserted one of the words, “ten,” “twenty,” “thirty,” “forty,” or “fifty,” indicating the round tenth of seconds (if no word follows, the second is understood to be zero). CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 61 Thus, taking the example in the Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections referred to, it might read: ‘«‘ Planet twenty three thirty five ten north, &c.,” 7. e., in 23" 35™ 10° of right ascension, &c.” Besides the convenience to observers, also consideration ought to be had to the telegraph companies that convey messages free of charge. The first application to the Atlantic Cable Company and which was granted, was made, I remember, for about 10 words in each dispatch and for 12 dispatches as a maximum in the year. When, of late, both of these figures usually have been transgressed we owe the more thanks to the liberality of the company silently acquiescing. But this should be the more reason to use the privilege granted with modesty ; (Professor Tietjen proposed even that a second dispatch after 3 or 4 days follow the first;) and I believe the form stated in the Smithsonian programme (with the slight modification now suggested above) as precise and as complete as can be desired. Permit me, dear sir, to take this occasion for reiterating the assurance of the gratitude the astronomical world bears towards the Smithsonian Institution for the acceleration of intercourse —and believe me, &c., &c., OHS EO PETERS: Letter from the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, November 26, 1879, to Mr. W. H. M. CHRISTIE of the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. DeEAR Sir: In answer to your esteemed favor of October 15 we beg to say that by the original programme adopted by telegraphic announce- ments of astronomical discoveries, the position given in the dispatch is understood to be that for the midnight following the date, Washington time for American and Greenwich for European discoveries. This seemed to us to render it unnecessary to state local time of discovery. We however referred the matter to Professor Peters, who takes the same view as ourselves. Very respectfully, S. F. Barrp. Letter from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, December 22, 1879, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Str: With reference to your letter of November 26 respecting tele- graphic announcements of discoveries the Astronomer Royal requests me to say that there seems to have been a little misapprehension as to what he desired. Our difficulty has arisen from the frequent absence of any data what- ever on the telegram, and even where this is given from an ambiguity as to whether civil or astronomical reckoning is intended. (This am- biguity occurred in the last two telegrams respecting comets discovered by Lewis Swift—in the last the position given appears to have referred 62 CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. to the date of discovery instead of to the midnight following the date of the dispatch five days later.) If you could kindly give the date of the dispatch our difficulty would be entirely removed, it being understood that the convention that the position given should refer to the following Washington midnight will be carried out in the case of comets as well as of minor planets. As mentioned in my former letter, the date Hs discovery is of less im- portance and may well be omitted. Wo MY CHRISTIE. Letter from the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, December 3, 1879, to Lord LINDSAY, Dun Echt Observatory, Aberdeen, Scotland. DEAR Sir: I am in receipt of your circular of the Ist of November, asking for the transmission of information respecting the occurrence of comets and other astronomical phenomena; and I beg to inquire whether the present arrangements, established some years ago by my predecessor, Professor Henry, do not answer your purpose. These consisted in an arrangement with the inland and ocean telegraph companies, by which all discoveries of this kind made in America were transmitted by the Smithsonian Institution to certain observatories in Europe, from which it was supposed they would be forwarded to the more important ob- servatories within their respective districts. In return, these same observatories transmit similar information to Washington, which is then sent to a specified list of establishments here and. also published in the telegraphic dispatches of all the daily papers in the country. As you will observe, the observatory at Greenwich receives these dis- patches from Washington for Great Britain, and I would suggest that arrangements be made with the Astronomer Royal for immediate trans- mission of all such information to your observatory. Everything noteworthy in the line of astronomical discovery is at once sent to him. If you prefer to have a dispatch direct to Aberdeen, I will see what can be done in regard to it, although the telegraph companies, which perform this service gratuitously, only allow us one station in each country. Very respectfully, SPENCER F. BAIRD. Letter from the Observatory, Dun Echt, Aberdeen, December, 1879, to. the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. DEAR SiR: I am instructed by Lord Lindsay to thank you for your letter and inclosure of December 3, in reply to the Dun Echt cireular of November 1, asking for information respecting the occurrence of comets, &c. CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 63 Referring to your letter his lordship wishes me to explain that the scheme which he is endeavoring to carry out is the collection of notices of discoveries of the character indicated from the whole world, in order to distribute them directly amongst observers in the British Islands. In doing so it is intended to supply information to every owner of a telescope in these islands‘who communicates an address for the purpose, more especially to all those amateurs who may not be in communication with a government observatory. I may add that, in this special en- deavor to aid the owners of small observatories, Lord Lindsay pub- lished and distributed the summary of Struve’s Mensur Micrometrice, a work which has already greatly facilitated the observation of double stars, nor has it been found useless in observatories of the first rank. In proof of this, it may be mentioned that it served as a working list for the admirable labors of Professor Pickering and his adjuncts at Harvard College in sidereal photometry. From the papers you inclose it is evident that the arrangements of the Smithsonian Institution guarantee the certain intercommunication of astronomical discoveries between the United States and five European government observatories. This still leaves a large field unoccupied, nor does it seem to provide at all (at least in Europe) for the distribu- tion of information from the transmitting end. I would point out, for / example, that the news of Schmidt’s new star in the Swan was but very imperfectly distributed in Europe. Although Dr. Schmidt telegraphed to Herr v. Littrow, at Vienna, within three hours of the discovery on November 24, 1876 (see Astronomische Nachrichten No. 2113), we first learned of the star’s existence from a daily paper at the close of Decem- ber. The Astronomische Nachrichten published the first account on De- cember 23, and, in fact, the earliest observation possible at Dun Keht was on January 2,1877. In Astronomische Nachrichten No. 2115 Dr. Vogel says that the first news reached him at Berlin on December 3. From this it would seem that the European part of the Smithsonian scheme is not at present adapted for the distribution of news on this side of the Atlantic, and hence it arose that Lord Lindsay was not aware that the telegrams of the Smithsonian Institution embraced more than the discoveries of minor planets, with a partial recognition of other and possibly more generally interesting phenomena, or that they were in- tended for general distribution. Apart from this, the information reaches the bulk of observers in these islands through occasional notes in the public journals, but very rarely in their telegraphic summaries. Nor are such notes always accepted; é. g., itis well known that the “Times” declined all the earlier com- munications respecting the new star in the Crown. These reasons led Lord Lindsay to devise a plan for distributing intel- ligence directly amongst British observers by posted circular, leaving it to corporations or individuals to do the same in other countries if the plan was found worthy of extension. Already the plan has been prom- 64 CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. ised the aid of astronomers in many countries, and a similar and co- operating scheme is starting in France. Stress is laid on the distribution of information by special circular (or telegram, if particularly desired), as it is found impossible to rely on the daily papers. Trusting that these explanations will show that the Dun Echt scheme is in no way calculated to take up ground already occupied by the Smithsonian Institution. I am, Very respectfully, RALPH COPELAND, Astronomer at Dun Echt. Letter from the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, January 14, 1880, to Prof. C. H. F. PETERs, Clinton, N. Y. DEAR Sir: In consequence of the difficulty experienced by many astronomers in interpreting telegraphic announcements of astronomical discoveries, we desire to publish in the forthcoming report of this Insti- tution a circular on this subject, which shall prevent ambiguity aud misunderstanding in the future. We therefore inclose a copy of the original circular, as prepared by yourself, and request that you will insert therein such additions, cor- rections, and explanations as experience has shown to be necessary. We also send a letter in the same connection, from the Royal Obser- vatory, Greenwich, which we beg you will return with suggestions for its proper answer. Yours very truly, S. F. BARD. Letter from the Litchfield Observatory of Hamil:on College, Clinton, N. Y., January 21, 1880, /o the Smithsonian Institution. DEAR Sir: I have, as you requested, considered the different points of the programme for telegraphic dispatches, and, in the suggestions which I submit onthe annexed pages as a substitute for pp. 7 and following, I be- lieve that the wishes expressed by various astronomers, especially those of Greenwich, are fully embodied. The closing sentence I added in re- membering the inaccuracy of Mr. Swift, by which both assistant Paul of the Washington Observatory and myself lost a whole night in fruitless searches for that comet. However, I beg you to strike out or correct 2s you please. If, in your answer to Mr. Christie, you refer to your forthcoming circular, which will meet the demands of the Greenwich Observatory, I think they will be satisfied. With reference to the query about astro- nomical and civil reckoning, I think the expedient I suggested of using simply the name of the week-day (e. g., ‘‘ Wednesday”) will prove satis- factory, while it adds only one word to the dispatch. C. H. F. PETERS. [Accompanying this are the additions to the Smithsonian circular, which have been incorporated in the revised edition. ] CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 65 Acknowledgment from the Smithsonian Institution, January 27, 1880, to Prof. C. H. F. PETERS, Clinton, N. Y. DEAR SiR: Please accept our thanks for yours of January 21 rela- tive to changes in circular of announcement of astronomical dispatches. Very truly yours, S. F. BAIRD. Letter from the Sinithsonian Institution, February 16, 1880, to Prof. C. H. F. PETERS, Clinton, N. Y. DEAR SiR: The dispatch from the Astronomer Royal of England appears not to follow the convention for telegraphic announcements affording another instance of the ambiguity to which we have before alluded and which we wish to correct. As received by us, it reads: “Gill telegraphs from Cape Town, comet, twelfth February, 0858 cape 12311, motion plus 235, minus 20. Astronomer Royal.” The 0858 cape we think refers to time of discovery and the 12311 to be a mistake of the operators. Yours very truly, SPENCER F. BAIRD. Letter from the Litchfield Observatory of Hamilton College, Clinton, N. Y., February 19, 1880, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. DEAR SiR: You are right; there is certainly a mistake in the dispatch from Cape Town about Gill’s comet, five figures having been omitted, but it is impossible to say which—either those indicating the R. A. or those of the North Polar Distance. The telegram, as communicated in your letter received this morning, and which is in the cipher-system proposed years ago by Littrow (but hardly applicable in this country, where by law every figure must be written out in words), can be inter- preted in the two following ways: Comet 12th February 8, 58,, mean time Cape, R. A. 123°.11, N. P. D. [5 figures omitted], motion + 235/ =3°55’ in R. A. — 20/ in N. P. D. Comet [etc.] R. A. [5 figures omitted], N. P. D. = 123° 11’ (i. e., Decl. — 33° 11’) motion, ete. Probably some telegrapher between Cape Town and Greenwich or Greenwich and Washington got tired of sending ten consecutive fig- ures; and indeed this system of dispatches has been a source of contin- ual blunders, so that Lord Lindsay (whose assistant Mr. Gill was, before he went to take charge of the Cape Observatory) did wrong in reviving it. The system adopted by the Smithsonian Institution was discussed . with the late Professor Littrow, Professor Bruhns, of Leipzic, and others, and has worked to satisfaction so far. It will be still more acceptable to all when the additions lately discussed are introduced, and I would recommend (which, perhaps, also, is your intention) to issue the amended H. Mis. 26——5 66 CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. scheme in the form of a circular to the principal observatories interested in it (perhaps sending a number of copies for distribution to Greenwich, Paris, Berlin, and Vienna). C. H. F. PETERS. Letter from Dr. B. A. GOULD, at sea, steamship “ City of Montreal,” August 27, 1880, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. My DrEAr PROFESSOR: I have been about six weeks in Germany, France, and England, and have everywhere found the astronomers greatly perturbed in the matter of astronomical telegrams regarding comets, planets, &c., which, they tell me, almost unfailingly go wrong, no matter how great the care with which they are sent. Finally, the Germans have agreed upon a system to which they have secured the assent of Admiral Mouchez at Paris, and of the Astron- omer Rcyal. And they have asked me to communicate with you on the subject and obtain your assent, which I told them you would surely give, since the European astronomers are all of accord. It consists of three principal points: First. That instead of several transatlantic telegrams to different observatories, the Smithsonian should send only one, viz, to Professor Krueger, the new director of the observatory at Kiel and editor of the Astronom. Nachrichten. He undertakes to communicate the same tele- gram instantly to all the European astronomical centers, at the expense of the Astronomische Gesellschaft, if necessary. Secondly. That a second similar telegram should be forwarded next day, or as soon as a second observation of the body has been obtained, thus making only two trans-atlantic telegrams in all. Thirdly. That for these telegrams a special code should bé used, which they have sent me, and which they all recommend. - - - B. A.-GOuLD, Proposed mode of transmitting notices of the discovery of comets, as- teroids, de., across the Atlantic. 1. Only one dispatch to be sent at a time. This, if for Europe, to be addressed to Professor Krueger at the observatory in Kiel; if for Amer- ica, to Professor Baird, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. A second telegram, however, to be sent as soon as a second observa- tion has been obtained. Thus only two dispatches in all. 2. All numerical data to be expressed by a word for each figure, with out regard to its value as dependent upon its position. Thus “58” to be telegraphed as “ five eight,” 12” as “ one two,” “30” as “ three nought,” &e. 3. All places which would ordinarily be ieft vacant when the num- ber is written in figures must be filled up by the word “nought.” Thus for the right ascension 1" 5™.3 would be written “ nought one nought five three” or for R. A. 198 3™ the dispatch would be sent “ one nine nought CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 67 three nought” (the tenths of minutes being given for right ascensions, but not for other data, as per section 5). 4, Time of observation to be given in round hours of Greenwich mean time, preceded by day and month, and never in any other way. Thus an observation on October 12, at 13" Gr. M. T., would be announced “ one two October one three ;” or November 3, 72 Gr. M. T. as “‘ three No- vember nought seven.’ In this way the time of observation which is to be given first of all will be expressed by the name of the month pre- ceded by one or two numbers, and followed always by two. 5. Right ascension to follow the date and be given by five figures ex- pressing hours, minutes, and tenths of minutes, in time, preceded by the word ‘ ascension.” 6. Declinations to be given by four words expressing degrees and minutes, preceded by the word “north” or “ south.” 7. Daily motion in R. A. to be givenin minutes and tenths of minutes of time, preceded by the word “ plus” or ‘ minus.” 8. Daily motion in Decl. to be given in minutes of arc, preceded by the word “north” or “ south.” 9. Magnitude, if given, to be preceded by the word “ mag.” Thus, in ordinary cases, the essential numerical data will be con- tained in twenty-four words. EXAMPLE. “Comet discovered by Swift, Oct. 12.° Place, R. A. = 2" 23™.7 and Decl. = + 35° 2/ at 7 Greenw. M.T. Motion—1™.2 in R. A. and + 8! in Decl. 12th magnitude.” DISPATCH. “Comet Swift one two October nought seven ascension nought two two three seven north three five nought two minus one two north eight mag one two.” Professor Krueger (editor of the Astronom. Nachrichten) undertakes to repeat the dispatch throughout Europe at cost of the Kiel observatory or of the Astronomische Gesellschaft. ‘The Paris and Greenwich ob- servatories, aS well as all the German ones, accept the arrangement. Acknowledgment from the Smithsonian Institution, October 30, 1880, to Dr. BENJAMIN A. GOULD, 18 Pemberton Square, Boston. DEAR DR. GOULD: Your letter, headed “At Sea, City of Montreal, August 27, 1880,” reached me this afternoon, the 30th of October, at apparently a long interval, if the date is correct. J write very hurriedly to express my gratification at the prospect of seeing you again in Washington, and to say that I of course desire to follow the wishes of astronomers at home and abroad in the matter of 68 CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. the telegrams. I would, however, like to have Dr. Peters, of Clinton, and the astronomers of the observatory here concur in the change; but when you visit Washington all this can be arranged. Very truly, yours, SPENCER F. BAIRD. Letter from the Smithsonian Institution, November 11, 1880, to Prof. C. H. F. PETERS, Hamilton College, Clinton, N. Y. DEAR Sir: Linclose herewith a proposition for the modification of the present plan of the exchange of telegraphic announcements between the United States and Europe. Will you kindly give me your views at the earliest possible moment? We have in type a new circular on this subject, and of course wish to correct it, should it be desirable. The proposition submitted, which Dr. Gould has just sent us, is the result of a conference with the leading astronomers of Europe. Truly yours, SPENCER F. BAIRD. Letter from the Smithsonian Institution, November 24, 1880, to Prof. C. H. F. PETERS, Hamilton College, Clinton, N. Y., with inclosure. DEAR PROFESSOR PETERS: Will you kindly send me at your early convenience that promised criticism and memorandum in regard to the accompanying proof of the circular, and all the suggestions of change brought up by Professor Gould? I wish to close this business as soon as possible, with your kind assistance. Yours, truly, SPENCER F. BAIRD. Letter from the Litchfield Observatory of Hamilton College, Clinton, N. Y., November 25, 1880, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. DEAR Sir: I hasten to answer yours of 11th instant in regard to the telegraphic exchange system of astronomical discoveries. I found it here after my return from New York (delayed by a few days’ visit at West Point), and, in order to be brief, I can touch only upon the more essential points. Of the three points made in the letter (written by Dr. B. A. Gould) of which you send me a copy, the first gives, as the reason, economy in the number of trans-atlantic dispatches. I must wonder, after I had explained twice before during the last year to the astronomers at Berlin that as far as I know only one message passes the Atlantic and is dis- tributed then in Europe to the five central stations, that, without evi- dence to the contrary, this again is used as an argument for having the dispatches from the Smithsonian Institution sent to only one European central station, and this to be (as if of course) in Germany. When Dr. Gould’s letter asserts that ‘“‘the European astronomers are all of accord” he says too much for, from a letter of Professor Foerster on the subject (found here likewise at my return) it appears that Vienna does not consent; that Pulkowa seems to have been not even asked, and it is CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 69 not quite clear besides under what aspect the matter has been presented at Paris and Greenwich, and how far these agree with the proposed change of programme. But after all, what is there objectionable to sending the communications from the Smithsonian Institution not to Germany only, but also, as heretofore, to Greenwich, Paris, Vienna, and Pulkowa? I remember when, on a visit to Washington, I laid the first proposition before your illustrious predecessor, I had named only Greenwich, because the nearest place, to send the dispatches to, and it was Professor Henry who suggested to insert besides, Berlin, Paris, and Vienna, to which later was added Pulkowa. Fortunately, from our stand-point on this side of the ocean, we have a broader and more equi- table view of scientific life in Europe, free from national jealousies. As to the second point suggested in Dr. Gould’s letter, I cannot deny that sometimes a second communication about the same object of dis- covery (not the next day, but rather after the lapse of three or five days) would be very welcome, though in most cases such a repetition would not be of very great utility. Professor Foerster puts it on the ground to make sure against a mistake in the first dispatch. But then, if the two should not agree? Would he then desire even three dispatches (as bank accountants take the sum three times when the first two give it differ- ent). While the cable company with great liberality did concede a lim- ited (and later frequently surpassed) number of words and of dispatches per year, it seems hardly proper to ask a duplication of the favor, as long as it has not been clearly shown that such duplication is of abso- lute desirability. Thirdly, as to the code to be used, I do not see in the slightest what objection can be made to that adopted by the Smithsonian Institution. It was the result of a consultation with the late Professor Littrow at Vienna, was in the main set up by Professor Bruhns and myself at Leip- zic, and approved at the time by the astronomers at Berlin. The new edition of your circular of instructions embraces the modifications and suggestions which you had received from various sides, and Professor Airy, as you will remember, expressed himself satisfied. Professor Pickering, as well as myself, has carefully compared the scheme with the one now presented by Dr. Gould. I cannot find that it is an im- provement in precision to say for example ‘one two” for “twelve,” ‘‘two nought” for “twenty,” or always ‘nought three” for simply “three,” &c. Looking at the economy of words, Dr. Gould’s scheme requires twenty-four, the Smithsonian (even with the additions now introduced) at the utmost only sixteen—a difference of considerable and (for the cable) essential importance. Dr. Gould says of his code, ‘which they all recommend,” I am sure that what all desire and recommend is only a uniformity of the code in use. The Smithsonian code, being far superior in precision, also more economical and now perfected by the suggestions of experience, will readily be accepted. The difficulty has been that some astronomers 70 CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. either have not carefully enough read the articles of the programme, or had forgotten them. The complaints that have come to my knowledge from abroad have all been in regard to certain comet announcements telegraphed from this side, and not worded in accordance with the rules of the programme. On the other hand I had to remind the Berlin astron- omers (and also those at the Washington observatory) that the time for the position is the “following midnight,” while they mistook for it the hour and minute of sending from Washington, added by the teleg- rapher. The circular which you have prepared will prevent for the future these and similar mistakes. C. H. F. PETERS. Letter from the Litchfield Observatory, Hamilton College, Clinton, N. Y. December 21, 1880, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. DEAR SiR: I have sent to the “ Astronom. Nachrichten,” as you per- mitted me to do, an article in explanation and elucidation of the form of dispatches we have used, and of the additions that have been made in the new edition. As you have still under consideration the publication of this revised programme (I infer suv from your last letter), I inclose here a@ compari- son, which shows that our form requires only 16 words, while that pre- sented by Dr. Gould requires 26 |or, more correctly, 27]; and it is to be remarked besides that the latter never can have less, because the “noughts ” always must be inserted, while ours has usually less than 16 words. : Yours, very truly, C. H. F. PETERS. EXAMPLE. Comet discovered by Swift Oct. 12. Place R. A. = 2 hours 23 min- utes 7 and decl = + 35° 2/ at 7 hours Green. m. t. Motion — 1 minute .2 in right ascension and + 8/ in decl. — 12th mag.” DISPATCH. “Comet Swift [one two october nought seven ascension nought] two twenty [two] three forty [seven] north [three] thirty five [nought] two [minus one two] north (*) eight [mag.| [one two] twelfth Tuesday.” The dispatch as here proposed has 26 words—27 if written by the rules—while in our form it requires only 16 in all. Letter from the Smithsonian Institution, November 30, 1880, to Sir GEORGE B. Airy, director of the Observatory, Greenwich, England. Str: Herewith we send you a proof copy of a revised cireular in re- gard to the telegraphic announcement of astronomical discoveries, which a *Nought, by rule. CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 71 gives—with a few slight modifications—the system of condensed mes- sages which has been in practical use for seven years. We also inclose a draft of a modified plan proposed to us for the same object, and beg that you will carefully examine both documents and advise us, aS soon as may be convenient, in regard to the propriety or expediency of exchanging the one for the other. Very respectfully, &c., SPENCER F. BAIRD. Letter from the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, London, December 22, 1880, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. DEAR Sir: I have waited a few days before answering your letter of November 30 for better consideration of the proposed plan for tele- graphic announcements of observations. It appears to me, and I am entirely supported in this opinion by Mr. Christie, that it will be a great improvement of the former plan, and we heartily recommend it for adoption. Yours, faithfully, G. B. ATRY. Letter from the Smithsonian Institution, November 29, 1880, to the Hart of CRAWFORD AND BALCARRES, Dun Echt, Scotland. Srr: Inclosed please find a circular we have just prepared in regard to the telegraphic announcement of astronomical discoveries which gives—with a few slight modifications—the system of condensed mes- sages which has been in use for seven years. We also inclose a draft of another plan proposed for the same object, and beg that you will carefully examine the same, and give us your views, as early as may be convenient, regarding the advisability of its substitution for the former plan. Very truly yours, &c., SPENCER F. BAIRD. Letter from the Observatory Dun Echt, Aberdeen, January 7, 1881, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Sir: Referring to your letter of November 29, 1880, I may say that our experience at Dun Echt shows that telegraphic announcements of astro- nomical discoveries should represent the actual known facts of the case in a way to which the majority of the senders and receivers of the mes- sages are accustomed. Thus the message should take the form of an observation as usually published, the name, date, and place being given. Any reduction of the time to a meridian other than that of the observa- tion or any prediction of a future place of the object are ue. to be deprecated as likely to introduce errors.* *The possibility of making a blunder in the simple operation of referring the time to another meridian or of failing to recognize the somewhat improbable nature of a 72 CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. Besides, by giving the R. A. to the nearest tenth of a minute of time and the declination to the nearest minute the observation is available, in the case of a comet for combination to find an appr@ximate orbit. This form, too, gives the dispatches a permanent value. I give the following partly in confirmation of what I think the best features of the proposed systems and partly as suggestions that may probably be of use. The greatest clearness seems to be obtained by giving numbers as spoken thus: “12” should be “ twelve” and not ‘one two” I would suggest that the day of the month counted astronomically be absolutely distinguished from the rest of the message by giving it the ordinal form. Thus “October 12” would be “twelfth October.” For a like reason the motion in declination might be given as “north- ward” or “southward.” If the length of a telegram is estimated by the number of words in it and not by their length, it would seem desirable to express “magnitude” in full and not by “ mag,” which a telegraph clerk would probably confound with “may “or May.” Again, if “nought” is objected to why not use “cypher” as being in more frequent use than ‘‘zero.” If the daily motion in R. A. and Decl. is not given, would it not be better to use the words “ preceding” and “following” or their symbols “p” and “f,” in place of ‘ west” and “ east,” which latter in practice refer to the horizon and not to the equa- tor. Thus “nf” would represent “northeast.” But the daily motions in Rk. A. and Decl. admit of greater precision. A complete message would thus contain the word “comet” or “ planet,” the discoverer’s name, the day (expressed as above) and month, the hour in local mean time and the place. The right-ascension to the nearest tenth of a minute of time, the declination to the nearest minute preceded by the word “north” or “south.” Next, the daily motion in &. A. also to the tenth of a minute of time with the sign ‘‘plus” or “minus” then the daily motion in minutes of are “ northward” or “south- ward,” and lastly, the magnitude or any other particulars likely to aid the search. Thus: “Comet Swift twenty-fifth October seventeen Rochester twenty-one fifty-nine cypher north fifty-one twenty-five minus twenty-one two northward fifty-seven magnitude ten.” Would mean— ‘‘ Comet discovered by Swift on October 25th at 17" Rochester mean time in right ascension 21" 59™.0 and declination + 51° 25’. Daily motion— 21™.2 and + 57’. As bright as a star of the tenth magnitude.” This form of message, although slightly longer than others that have dispatch when so transformed, is shown in the example given in the ‘‘ Proposed Mode of Transmitting, &c.,” where the comet Swift (presumably discovered at Rochester) must either have been found at 2p. m. or the longitude have been applied with the wrong sign. CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 73 been proposed, has the advantage of giving a complete approximate observation. In conclusion, whatever form the dispatches may take, it seems an admirable proposal that for transmission across the Atlantic they shall all pass between two responsible persons; in this way only does it seem possible to prevent the useless distribution of messages which are obviously unintelligible. CRAWFORD & BALCARRES. Letter from the editor of the “ Science Observer” (and Corresponding See- retary of the Boston Scientific Society, Boston), February 4, 1881, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. DEAR Sm: The announcement in Monthly Notices Vol. XLI, No. 2, that a letter concerning a somewhat new method for the transmission of comet discoveries to your Institution across the cable, has caused quite a discussion among the members of the Boston Scientific Society, who are now discussing the matter in all its lights. Lack of informa- tion on one or two points have been difficulties in the way, and if you can inform us on these subjects you will greatly favor us. These points relate to the transmission over the cable. It is customary for Govern- ment messages to be composed of letters and figures, which, by keys at both ends, may be translated into the vernacular. Knowing this to be the case, we would respectfully inquire whether comet announcements in the past have been sent in words or in figures, thus: Comet Swift twelfth Oct. seven twenty-three seven &c &c, or Comet Swift 12 Oct 7 4 3 7 &e & And furthermore, we would like to know whether the new arrange- ment contemplates the transmission of the words or the figure charac- ters. Sincerely yours, JOHN RITCHIE, Jr. Letter from the Smithsonian Institution, February 16, 1881, to JoHN RITCHIE, Jr., corresponding secretary of the Boston Scientific Society. DEAR Sir: In reply to your letter of February 4, relative to the sys- tem of telegraphic announcement of astronomical discoveries, I beg to say that the present Smithsonian system and the proposed substitute contemplate the use of words only. One dispatch has been received by us expressed according to Karlinski’s code; but in all the other an- nouncements, the data communicated have been given in words. Inclosed we send you copies of the circulars referred to. Very truly yours, SPENCER F. BAIRD. 74 CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. Letter from the editor of the “* Science Observer,” Boston, May 13, 1881, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. DEAR Sir: It is with pleasure that I am able to call your attention to the success of a scheme devised by Mr. 8. C. Chandler, jr., and my- self for the transmission by cable of astronomical intelligence. It has just been successfully tested by transmission both ways, of the elements and ephemeris of Swift’s comet, and I append a scheme showing how an announcement would look according to both codes, Yours, &c., J. RITCHIE, Jr. Announcement of Swift’s comet per “Science Observer” code: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 comet Swift conge ratify torsim smart-money tolerate According to present (European) code: Comet Swift may zero one zero two zero five ascension zero zero zero zero north three seven two five plus zero three south one* two. [ Translation. ] Comet Swift, May 1, 2" 5"; R. A. 05 0™; declination N. 37° 25’; daily motion + 3" R. A.;—1° 2’ declination. Should words 4, or 4 and 5, inthe “Science Observer” code, or words 5, or 5 and 6, or words 4, or 4 and 7, be made unintelligible in trans- mission, the message would still be as intelligible and the comet as easy to find as was the case before the present European code was adopted, while the loss of word 2 would be of no consequence, being merely the name of the discoverer, and word 3 the time of discovery is as a rule so well determined by the date of message that its loss would not be of detriment to the general sense. By loss I mean the mutila- tion of a word so as to render it unrecognizable as is sometimes the case in ocean telegraphy. J. RITCHIE, Jr. Letter from the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, May 16, 1881, to Mr. J. RITCHIE, Jr., editor of the “ Scvence Observer,” Boston. Sir: This Institution hails with satisfaction every attempt at en- larging the channels, and at increasing the fullness and accuracy of scientific information. Itis possible that for the purpose of cable trans- mission of the details of an astronomical ephemeris, an arbitrary signal code (as suggested by you) may have some advantages; though it must not be concealed that it also presents some disadvantages; the complica- tion both of preparation and of translation increasing with the number of elements to be communicated. With the spread of astronomical knowledge and interest, and the *T am in some doubt about this figure as I have nct the code by me. CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. 715 growth of desires and needs for more minute information respecting sudden or transitional phenomena, improved methods and formulas wilk doubtless be correspondingly developed. For the present purposes of this Institution the system it has adopted will (with probably some slight improvement) prove sufficient. Yours, very respectfully, SPENCER F. BAIRD. Letter from the Litchfield Observatory of Hamilton College, Clinton, Oneida County, New York, April 28, 1882, to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. DEAR Sir: At the meeting of the International Astronomical Society at Strasburg in September last, the matter of telegraphic communica- tions of astronomical discoveries was considered. In the committee ap- pointed upon this subject, after some discussion about the “ Phrase-Code” of the (Boston) ‘‘Science Observer,” it was agreed that the code of the Smithsonian Institution (Mise. Coll., 263), be recommended for general use—at least for the present. A resolution to that effect was adopted by the Society (S. Report in Viertelgahrschrift, vol. 16, page 285 and 351). But there was a strong feeling expressed against the manner in which most of the telegrams of comet discoveries, sent through the Smithsonian Institution, lately had come to hand in Europe. They were worded without the slightest regard to the Smithsonian programme, therefore unintelligible, and worse than no information at all, by reason of causing fruitless painstaking to astronomers searching for the object. Unwilling that astronomers abroad should be led to throw the blame thereof upon the Smithsonian Institution, LI take the liberty to suggest that you would refuse to forward dispatches of the kind, if they are not made out in conformity with the Smithsonian programme. This pro, gramme has been distributed so largely throughout the United States (in the Smithsonian Annual Reports and as a circular), that any amateur dis- coverer who desires to avail himself of the channel of communication so liberally offered by the Smithsonian Institution can hardly be ig- norant of it. Any delay, therefore, will be his own fault, if he neglects following the prescribed form. Yours, very respectfully, O.-H. F. PETERS. Letter from the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, May 10, 1882, to Prof. C. H. F. PETERS, of the Litchfield Observatory, Clinton, N. Y. DEAR SiR: In reply to your favor of April 28, I am gratified that the astronomical convention at Strasburg has approved of the Smithson- ian code for telegraphic announcements. With regard to the irregulari- ties noticed, it may be said that very few of the dispatches received by this Institution comply fully and literally with the published programme. f 76 CORRESPONDENCE ON ASTRONOMICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS. Thus, notwithstanding that Article IV, section 6, specifies the very con- cise and explicit statement of the day of the week for the date, a majority of notices received substitute the day of the month. It is difficult, therefore, to carry out your suggestion that we should refuse to forward dispatches not in exact form. Before going to press with our long-delayed astronomical telegraph circular, I will trouble you with extracts from a single additional re- sponse to our request for suggestions, asking from you the favor of your consideration and judgment on it. Copy of extract from a communication received from the Observatory at Dun Echt, Scotland, and dated January 7, 1881. [Inclosure.—The principal portion of the latter from Lord Lindsay- Earl Crawford. | On the foregoing extract, I venture to make the following queries: 1. Is there not some force in the suggestion to employ date of obser- vation rather than prospective date and predicted place? 2. Is there any advantage in designating FR. A. in hours, minutes, and tenths, over the present form in hours, minutes, and sixths (or seconds in tens)? 3. Might it not be well to write the motion in declination, as north- ward or southward, in fall? 4, To avoid any risk of misapplication, might it not be well to write in full “tenth magnitude”? 5. Is not the word “zero” really preferable to either “nought” or “cipher”? Your frank opinion and decision on these points will be very accepta- ble, and I may say will be finally adopted. Yours, very respectfully, SPENCER F'. BAIRD. The publication of the revised edition of the Astronomical Telegraph Circular was delayed by various circumstances; among which was a contemplated plan for telegraphing American discoveries to our own observatories as well as to those abroad. This had been urged by a large number of American astronomers; the correspondence on which subject it is unnecessary here to publish. Prof. E. C. Pickering (of the Harvard Observatory), under date of January 13, 1882, strongly recom- mended, in addition to this, the adoption by the Institution of the cipher code of Messrs. S. C. Chandler and John Ritchie, of the Science Observer. This whole matter still remains under advisement. REPORT ON SMITHSONIAN EXCHANGES FOR 1882. By GEORGE H. BOEHMER. The growth of the business of receiving and transmitting the scien- tific and literary exchanges of the Institution has necessitated a change in the method of recording and managing the same; the plans of opera- tion, satisfactory some half a dozen years ago, being no longer available without entailing increased trouble and considerable confusion in trac: ing the history of transactions. With increase of duties has arisen the need of more complete organi- zation; and during the past year a system of double entry, or of debit and credit accounts, has been adopted. These accounts are arranged in the form of card-catalogues, representing the societies in correspond- ence with the Institution; and upon these cards each society is debited for the books forwarded to it, and is credited for the receipts as commu- nicated in return by formal announcement. This experiment has of course greatly increased for the time the amount of work required from the limited assistance allotted to this de- partment, but in return it gives an increased command over the results, and a much greater facility and economy of time in making references and comparisons. By this plan, on the arrival of an invoice of parcels or boxes from any establishment in the United States, for foreign distribution, ac- companied (as required by the established rules) with a list of the inten- ded recipients, to each of these is prefixed the number assigned to it in our printed list of foreign correspondents, and the same are entered on the proper cards, giving the date of reception, the name of the sender, and the number taken from the entry in the invoice book (representing the whole transmission considered as a single transaction), in which book all receptions are first daily entered in their consecutive order. The books or parcels receive the same numbers and are then laid away in bins, each of which represents a certain city or cities or part of them, in any given country. A sufficient number of books having ac- cumulated to justify a sending to any country, the card-catalogue serves as a basis from which the invoices for the respective societies are made up. This is done in advance, and while the books are being removed from the bins and made up in bundles. In this manner sendings which required a week, on the old plan of making up the invoices from the parcels on hand, while being assorted and packed, may now be com- pleted in two days. This system has been introduced in the exchanges with Great Britain 77 q8 REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF EXCHANGES. and Ireland and with Germany and Austria-Hungary, and is found to work so well that its adoption for all other countries is deemed advis- able. Such a course, however, will require the detail of two assistants exclusively for this purpose; but, considering that the receipts during the past year averaged 90 parcels per working day—exclusive of 31,568 parcels for the Government—the work required will be such as to keep them both well employed. The duty of the assistant in charge of the card-catalogues does not cease here, but includes the entry to the credit of the respective socie- ties, of any acknowledgments of the receipt of parcels sent them through this office, while the duties of the receiving clerk include the verifying and distributing of all incoming exchanges. Another feature introduced during the year is a form of duplicate in- voice which is to be mailed to every recipient within the United States and British America, of exchange parcels from abroad, to be returned to the Institution and transmitted as occasion offers to the sender of the respective parcels. During the past year over eight thousand parcels were sent out un- der the system of domestic exchanges, requiring this number of entries in the book of transmission. Each parcel had to be addressed and prop- erly wrapped. This domestic branch of the service required the writ- ing of nearly 13,000 letters of advice and invoices, and the directing of the parcels and envelopes. All this work has been performed by the entire force at intervals between foreign transmissions. Great punctu- ality, of course, cannot possibly, be expected in each case, and at is respectfully recommended that one assistant be appointed exclusively for these duties. The arranging and sending off of the foreign exchange, and the duties pertaining to the transmission of Government document exchange should be intrusted to one assistant, to the exclusion of any other duty. One of the most important works begun during the past year is that of completing the sets of Smithsonian publications furnished to foreign societies. Several attempts have been made at different times to supply such deficiencies, and circulars have been sent out on different occasions requesting the foreign establishments to report the number of Smith- sonian volumes in their respective libraries. In connection with this work, a thorough examination of the number of publications in the Smithsonian library, of the societies applying for completion of our sets of publications, is required, for an equitable ap- portionment. The preliminary steps to this have been taken, but the magnitude and importance of the work, and the pressure of other busi- ness, have made it impossible to complete the undertaking. It has been the aim of the assistants of this Department not to allow any accumulation whatever in the current work, and although with the limited force it required great exertion, still the close of the year finds , the service unincumbered by any work of the previous year. REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF EXCHANGES, (3, List of correspondents. Mention was made in the report for 1881 of the sending of a circular to all scientific establishments in correspondence with the Institution, asking for corrections and additions of any addresses of public libraries, learned societies or scientific bureaus of Governments. The Institution also requested secretaries of societies to furnish a list of the names and addresses of persons actively engaged in scientific or literary investiga- tions, together with the particular branch of learning to which each was devoted, with a view of facilitating communications and exchanges with specialists in all parts of the world. Another item of information desired related to the literary productions and the libraries of the re- spective establishments. Prompt responses having been very generally made to this circular, anew list of foreign correspondents was prepared and issued in the early part of the year, showing an increase of almost 600 new societies over the list published in'1878. Copies of this new list were sent to all corresponding establishments, and, as a result of further corrections since the date of publication, an “addition sheet” for the year 1882 is herewith presented : AFRICA: EUROPE: POET AES on Ses acm es 2 Austria-Hungary ...-......- 45 anG CGlONI€s 22... .<25c0 2 RSTn oioe se ee ee is ee 11 INDUC oo -eu eas 3ehot'saes 1 Wenmaric. 02 sas 2205. .02% 3 Re, i Erancel see asseeaee Gees - 50 AMEQICA: Germany osteo saueereeee 172 BnibigheAmenical..- 22 -. ic! sa9 Great Britain: Central America: ‘np tan e se ees ee ers 395 Guatemala ..-L2 77254227 2 Scotland. 2 se sea. ease 20 MaxtCOtcersncrces- sre tease + areas see see sees 9 Wiestrimdies i. .3 34 es 2 Wises scp ke Seo eee 9 South America: GrE6C6. cee oot ee ies eee 1 Argentine Confederation 4 sia any alae era pi cab 17 Brazil tere LSS 6 Wetherlands)-2- toc. 2 S222 == 5 Chili... 2 SEES ORGIES 1 Worwayild 20 2220 sop RB 1 SU OG ee ee ene 6 Ponbugal 22225 soscc.c.22 2 ae 4 Brenid or esse if Roumaniaws.s2eece% «222 3 1 a 6) ee 2 LOSI tSIt ee pene eae mare Rag 4 WieneZU6lai cor ois tra - bie Spang ne ee ciaeaseceec cee 2 aria: a ee SWeEGOM ys. ss and Sciences. American Medical Associa- 59 pO es ere et ec emacs A aeR |e 2 See tion. American Philological Asso- 35 O91 eet e cole oaaltas omen ise| Mactare 5 ai ciation. mdonenm Emilosophical So-. | 132720) 1562: | oases c22|Lasacuss [sce ecewe|eces~ cee ciety. American Statistical Asso- 23 BON ehereps Saute pane tae ee ee Sista fererofofa Sins ciation. Augustana College, Rock il LOG es ae ee MSE a eee ae belle arc aa Island, Ill. Board of Public Charities, 25 SUI PES Be Tn asl I era ee Wega ant Philadelphia. Boston Academy of Arts and (Se Na La tstey pl |e eee to ar Cees |feaesya sre pal Meee ee ym Sciences. Boston Atheneum. ......... 5 Peel aaa ie aM Seep [Rene ae bane B= Boston Society of Natural 286 BSOU tect ae ee ear einem we et SS one aie History. 84 REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF EXCHANGES. RECEIPTS—continued. 1. For foreign transmission. 1882. 1881. * Whence received. 2 : B : é = ey ay, ey i op oO Q oO o a = a = cy = ec. From scientific societies: Buffalo Society of Natural 232 7d [esas beliesss Sst |S al eeeeees Sciences. Cincinnati Observatory .. --- 83 BA coceeonlsees ccus leet cece | ese ere Essex Institute, Salem, Mass. 170 DBG ilies cerecee lence ae oe aan e ne ellen eee Geological Survey, Wisconsin 264 BO0i| se 2s solos eee he ee ae eeeoet Historical Society, Philadel- 81 BO sss ee soos sews lose eee | Meneses phia. Johns Hopkins University, 5 (ai8 A (eae As ek Is elem em Re Poel eh 2 a Baltimore. Michigan Horticultural So- if SE Se SRP SIR Os a es ee ciety. Museum of Comp. Zoology, 47 WAG We ae ARS OR tr aor ee Cambridge. Peabody Museum,Cambridge 3 AA ia ae ok AIP BOE hl cake et ea Public Library, Boston -..... 1 5 7 a DNA Ue hr tts ee Aa yok ge Secretary of State, Illinois... 1 Sire ea et | ae aa et a Secretary of State, Michigan- 1 (Ty dl Pas g| A Sears eel SRN LUV AE Ces Geological Survey, Michigan. 2 rte tal Pee eaeee tn MORAL a s| NBceeragr a ze LIES iy Os Washburn Observatory, 264 SG Oi | Soe | BS eR Ue ANSE rine eee Wisconsin. ————|—_—_ 5,119 8,101] 3,631] 6,816 d. From individuals: Barclay, James: s22.cas. 22.5 51 QB ccook ete ae eaten ets aul aetaee Bean ne Th nHe sees eee 1 Oe tel eel Aa oe | 2 eee ee | ee Bernhardt, Dre Peis. ncse ee 1 7a MR Ge aU stR UN UCL aie MEER La Nan ’ BesselsiBimile ote esse 3 MAD sh a ae i ae Ba ee a Brown, Martin J.......-.... 1 Pi iy Nae Rar cea Bergen = SILA URS eset oa Collings Captaimyza 25. Jesse 1 P. UWE Teme NUE aT US a RTI SRS oes Sea Cougs ress eer. 5 (oh Re Re are WA Pe Marsico) She Ps Curnleys lamest so Sess ob oe. 1 2 Wa Mee heen a He tenon feeagsa ee ea Rh ET) Sih (Oro misth Ade lS Oss ae Seer 1 SOE 5 co fous | ks Ok ee ee Ce area DaWiC esse sea cisepe cre coe 2 1 PA a ae ie pan MRR I Fe Ae at Wenrenhy jae Ree eee eiciam = ee if Goes IS es She | pe ae ee eens DOW mE Se Meera ts oteterneretole 1 A 0/0) roel ae Ps a Neh A eS rk Det eye kee OF eee eee ae ar a 97 Bh oS oh PR ER ieee SIN | are | Rae ae Batons pOan Cee see cols = 1 QA. ess oe Sees os ee lay a ae HEROOSORy lenceria 1 > Aa EMMI on S| ese Rees En At yet (bc Gd ee AG PAIN tyes Steere bie 1 Nee TE 20) ay ae ce ae Goode, /G:sBrowD 2356-2 c)5- 3 BA [Sec SI Sa pe gel a Gray, Prot. -Asas ste. cee. 1 Ps Ptah oe ee) na UAL S| i Hames: Mary Bi osesis ole s-< 1 YG PA Seen pra a Ee A CES ee ey te Fassel Quist PArs~ ceea se 3 1 17O 0) so joes Saline steel aes Rem ea ee eeeters ; Vern GNC anes cyscleenish tacts 1 LOQOS| Re aes ee ee eee eee IEVeW SOD, eA ee ee 2 Bi ee |G Le SUE Sich ee eae ae eee HoldenteR So ose eer 2 ilk cas USNS Stee UR ISP SR er ¥ Holden} Mrs: MiG ys. 222. =: 1 Gil Saat ete ae ers LIS Ae an reer i Ronny Geo oe ec ee 1 7 NG einen oe at Seep ee Ne eee Nhs) Ob i ouch yh Biss sees esas ccs 3 >|) I ae NTS) Pees | 1S 8 starr f 1 og nifeat al 2 avaeel Sees Rake pe a il Sl en Rie ony) WE Rm CPR ee Ae rere i Foward wl Ay Eee ace Sete) < 2 FES Ae Get | WO ape eM ce NS ALC Ce ee Ingersoll, Krnest----- 5552. 3 Lo eae Ses arene eRe AIRE es Ban Kuhlman Mreeoen.sea-er- 1 Ube] Sep eal eo erie al eee ee Mesqmencuma yee ok Pe oe 2 NZ eh haere a) eh 2 ee eae ee ee Masons Dri vohn ess 22 5205 4 59 AGB a arc Se she Skis ti | eens ls lanes te Miallsy Er enny. Sih a atret a. Se i TGR Vena A aay eR ee A he REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF FXCHANGES. RECEIPTS— continued. 1. For foreign transmission. 85 Whence received. Packages. d. From individuals: Mohri Chast so sseecscsces Wieholson, W. Tv.2jcc5 2-5 Phillips, Henry, jr Rickman sss len tease ais Poore. BD. bP Orleyire sss e see Ran, Prof. Charles i R Schott, Chas. A Stevenson, J. J Worthen, A. H Walley, Henry... 5. oscscs. 4: Winchell, N. H for) 1882. a 3 =p a Ps] op 4 3 3 5 Ay By ee eee Pa | nea ANGI Dg ieeteey, Pape Nes eee HEOR eee cs See ae Ais | sere 51S pa ee es Aa ae ts Se ae AOA eee SON oe soa Oise Sa dsl oe —_— 647 19, 292 1881. = = Ep = ay fe "=D a) S ‘O S Ay S "9,054 | 768 | 2,937 83,720 | 14,161 | 50, 155 2. For domestic transmission. The receipt of exchanges for domestic transmission during the year was 8,676 parcels, of which 1,471 were contributed by home institutions and 7,205 by establishments abroad, as follows: Country. 1882, No. of | No. of boxes. | parcels. From Argentine Confederation .. HTOMeAUStT alias cos. c cine Os cosas 1 Darn dV) B4e) Foca h 6c eae ea eg From Central America... ........ From Denmark PBEOMGN AN CO ns eoliodos tan ascce se TOMAGCLMANYs2\-. 250s oc accccce From Great Britain .<..........- } From Holland POM Stal y: CM oe aoe ce seca ce From Mexico From Norway From Russia 7,205 Weight. 33, 654 1881. No. of | No. of boxes. | parcels. Weight. Pounds. See ee ee ee ee ee ee i wee eee eel eee wee eel ee eee eee wees wee el eee eee we lee eee eee ee ee ecw eee wel ewes eww ele er eee eee Se eee er) ee ee Tai Saltese eo A | *This number includes two boxes lost at sea, the first accident known to occur to any cases of exchanges between Germany and the United States. 86 REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF EXCHANGES. 3. For Government transmission. 1882. 1881. Whence received. No. of | Pack- ; No. of | Pack- : boxes. | ages. Weight! poxes, ages. Weight. 1 From England, for Library of COMENGES) Gan kee es ooa4e ses S sce 16 16 | 2,420 From Germany, for Library of Waneresss: 2-6 Pees eee ne Sita 1 1 130 From France, for Library of Con- (RESIS Ase ae eae Meee e he 4 an se 1 i} 200 From Public Printer, 631 parcels of official documents, each con- TAM Oy ORC OPES cpereiemia sess tell epee SL ODOM ZO OOO arenes 15: SSO ieee cee = Wopalicer Cheer eames en 18:31, 568 15 28).750"|. 2224s 15 (550) |eeeereee In the report for 1881 special attention was called to the large in- crease in the reception of exchange parcels, which in that year reached 22,051,exclusive of 15,550 copies of Government documents for distribu- tion by the Smithsonian Institution to foreign Governments. This number, although very large in comparison with previous years, has been exceeded during the present year (1882) by about twenty per cent.; the number amounting to 26,479, exclusive of 31,568 copies of Govern- ment publications. They were received from the following sources: Pack- ages. Pounds. 1. For foreign transmission: (a.) From Government Departments...--.....-...---------. 6,470 | 60,118 (Gs Erom-Smithsonian Imstitmbionee soon -ceiesoe eine 7,056 | 13, 447 (Ce) throm scien titic|societies/ Paes an) asasmme seine eeeiosc ate ete Salo 8, 101 C2 Ee rommindivi dials jis dee ie eee ae rapes ese eater 647 2, 054 AU oben) ue ia ah ox Me SS ie alee Siac Sara ichate mise eese te senses 19,292 | 83,720 2 HOL MOMestLG Gran SMMISSION. 4. <5 sf Sessa ees hoes ceelo eee ee eee 7,187 | 30,904 Wo) 2 1 pS ne Beene eR rae eet yO aN A he ae ee ary eee cn aie OW AAS) IL TEL Coy | BmboMGovernmenhexchanges) 225 osc emote mace aiseee cee cee eae 31,568 | 28, 750 TO Gall Ferree epee hin tercinohe ia sicevees Sue era meeeee meee eee arse 58, 047 | 143, 374 TRANSMISSIONS. 1. Foreign transmissions. The year 1882 began and ended without any accumulation of ex- changes in this office, and all the transmissions made during the same represent the actual receipts. The total number of boxes sent during the year is 422, which is an excess of 15 boxes over the year 1881, and is the highest on record. Of these 422 boxes, 298 contain books, and 2 boxes specimens sent by REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF EXCHANGES. 87 the National Museum. In the year 1881, with 407 boxes, only 264 con- tained books, while 45 entire boxes of specimens were sent by the National Museum and Fish Commission. The transmissions of 1882 compare with former years as follows: 1875. 1876. 1877. 1878. 1879. 1880. 1881. 1882. BORER Leas os - 208 323 397 309 311 268 407 422 Bulk,inecubic | 1,503 | 2,261 | 2,779) 2,160 | 2,177) 1,976 2, 800 2, 950 feet. Weight, in Ibs.| 45, 350 | 80,750 | 99,250 | 69,220 | 69,975 | 60,300 | 100,750 | 105,500 In all cases the number of boxes given in this report includes the boxes sent under the system of Government document exchange to the various Governments specified in the special report appended, and the transmissions to Canada, which will be found specified in the detailed report on domestic exchanges. The 422 boxes sent during the year 1882 were distributed as follows: Country. Government boxes Smithsonian boxes AFRICA: Be UD oe seed) Sentara Tetris le sieeia nenare iciciacwaal mec wine oe at eae AONE OLOMLE Re a cete tarde arte eter ices eral Me Shar etm oy nen SLI (DP Vat DRS OTs eee era siate, Sica b oc Sale Selalatctaiois cr Maelo alle Seb bees AMERICA: —————— | —___ VESTA STIST vip sNy Cee) 64ers ete ed A ey a a 4 TO OSreTIEX OS ae ph DRE Sa i a ee PD 2 Central America: COStarRiCalwetee eed a Sas ce heioee sacs ete sic Bcc Se rae Guatemala aece ens am a eer pen ae Ste Ne ee a aile Nae INIGRTARU Dooce ceo nia 3b Seas Se DOE bh oo Saori anal soonGeae West Indies: ESET: ASG OCS gerete es neh eran es i SR Ne cy le im es ale I ee (CHU ST SaaS id Seas oe eR A NER a A REP oN) Red aa See pwOrwW wel] ~ We co a PTET Cs clpe eet ee Sere ee ok ee An Mee RP Rh Vi ZO AL eer South America: Argentine Confederation . 2. dsabos ca scktcccees 4 Bers Oliva cirereneaee ete trun oe Aare eee peo e ae Shr Tl ole 2 wed —_ We eee OW REO FRO pwwW Dinas instars ss oe eer at aie Se Sersck Sob ei sc Meas Sel 3eb-a da \UGLICEUA TT) CP Ail 2 Re Be Rng a gn EN 2 88 REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF EXCHANGES. * | 8 & ag 62 Country. BY 2 iA : oe? qa fo} rea o mM i= ASIA Gun a see ao eee IS Se ee ere ete oie aisineie me alate | Sito eraerte 3 8 ANT CLL Se ele eh ctr aie aia (ae ee eet eter Ge etait ae patofar ay, 3 20 PAPA ooo 25 ooo wee seen sbecussemwes science cnescesen= 2 2 4 19 8 27 AUSTRALASIA: ING wasouuhy Wiles ements mae ceeecteteeemlsleine stele sie sierelatatas< 2 iy) 4 ING Wr Zealand sce ete eee eee eee ele oionciciessn ece= 2 2 4 Queensland eee eesacise meets Ne Sete ah erayenie Lice pe aiclelots alae 2 1 3 SombhivAtrstrealtays ete ee er eee eee ee eee aie ei eaielsiei= eial= 2 if 3 PASIAN TAS eiciace athe Me clwee oe claic cbc caine aia mee cise eaisets 2 1 3 Wi CTOLID Serco eee ee ae Sate oe ere rein etal ae Siniate iarete 2 3 5 12 10 22 EUROPE: TIS tre= EVA EAU estan yale eats ee aleiclatels farrier 17 9 26 Beloit 2c Uae ee aoe ert rates oae Sees cetramicniesS 2 9 11 HY ey ath 00 F 21) ol Cee ene Sg Se ea ee ene ee) 3 5 high 00% eee RE ee EN SEA er Lp la SE 4 3 43 46 Gena ts os eee cine oie tate tes ergele mnie a ata eel al tate 10 68 78 Great Britain sees Sect ict ne cal creer en soem ee eiseeeer 2 57 59 Gres Cor ee ee ae ons orece a aioe eae Beles eee ES 2 3 5 Iceland (with Denmark).......-.----- ---- ------ e-2-2-|-2- 7 e220] oo 22 eee e| eons oe 1 2 gee Ra ey ta es eR eR a alae 2 14 16 Hey aVeye 9 010 ke pee eae eae eek are eS MR ee soa cr cued 2 5 7 NOT WOY se ecens soeee oon ee meee eee seen ana ste ee eee 2 3 5 Porpdeal 2. ooo on wcaeoeeeeecielree enim an = am mememicinais 2 4 6 TRUWSSLA = cocci beet eee Saas ie eee asiee Ste tae ote o oan ete cuemiate 2 6 8 Sp alae oie en ieee bee ne ie Sete er eee euea tae sae 2 5 7 Sweden 25 reece eae ereone cmitenrs se tyeenincias 2 6 8 Switzerland: 2.2 5 eee ey ee rete e estecmten aie 2 9 11 PROUKOY) 222 os 1 ene cee see eh semis aeeeie eee eats aera 2 3 5 6 | 247 303 POLYNESIA: ai Seaidwich Jclands:s.) so fsceset ee wouotes foes RA Pere hala | 1 1 RECAPITULATION. INST OP hee aes cat eee mea ee ER Doe ganesh me LN ER ar 7 7 PALO DUG ae soa ee eres oateral ds RIS soe nie etens cleyate etcetera oro 35 Q7 62 TAH y eae Ee Se aU Ree eae SO ee pe pen Mera Uneana ec et ok Sh 19 8 aye ANTON TE el ee ee pee EE ana ee 12 10 22 MTOR O Meek sei ss 2 aisicinn owes sa toe ) Ottoman Legation, Washington, D.C. UP, Gee ee re | Wilson & Asmus, New York. 7 eee ) Consul W. H. T. Hughes, New York. :. ee eee ia Boulton & Co., New ia I eo Fae in oe als ) Commission Francaise des Echanges Internationaux, | Paris, France. “Ape ee Museo Publico, Buenos Ayres. pe eer | Dr. Felix Fliigel, Leipzig. Ns aes ee ee | Commission Belge des Echanges Internationanx, Brus- | sels. - ee Brazilian Commission of International Exchanges, Rio ) J aneiro. ee ee oe | | Observatory, (ae DS ees William Wesley, London, England. eee eee | Universidad, Santiago. ee | United States consul-general, Shanghai. mbia, United States of-.| National Library (Commission of Exchanges), Bogota. LD == | Universidad, San José. ee se 8 ee | R. Universidad, Habana. '- ee eae ao K. D. Videnskabernes Selskab, Copenhagen. Cae ee Fe ) Koloniaale Bibliotheek, Surinam. _ > See esas William Wesley, London, England. + ieee eee Observatorio, Quito. * eee ea a Institut Ezgyptien, Cairo. = Jee ese eee F. A. Brockhaus, Leipzig, Germany. LL = eee Commission Frangaise des Echanges Internationaux, Paris. eee sas seceaee .-| Dr. Felix Fligel, Leipzig. I oo etd William Weslev, London. i p ~ eeeee Bibliothéaue Nationale, Athens. 7 ae ee ee Sociedad Economica de Amigos del Pais, Guatemala. Mo ag a oa | Seerétaire dEtat des Rélations Extérieures, Port-aa- ; | Prince. —— = eee sae Islands Stiptisbokasafn, Reykjavik. 221 eS . Biblioteca Nazionale Vittorio Emanuele, Rome. ~.- lh eee | Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tokio. #....-----...-----=---| Liberia College, Monrovia. fe ee eee | William Wesley, London, England. i See Sa | William Wesley, London, England. 2 Se Oe | William Wesley, London, England. ee Se ee | William Wesley, London, England. 225s ee eee ) El Museo Nacional, Mexico. a. et ee | Burean Scientifique Central Néerlandais, Harlem. Lise Se eeeas Batavia#sche Genootschap van Kunsten en Weten- schappen, Batavia. Site a ES eee Gordon & Gotch, London, England. =. eee Royal Society of New South Wales, Sydney. es ee Colonial Museum, Wellington. peers eee. Lee | K. N. Fredericks Universitetet, Christiania. 92 REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF EXCHANGES Country. Shipping agent. Philippine: islands 2-2 -—-— Royal Economical Society, Manila. IROLymeslay siese eres woneicece Royal Hawaiian Agricultural Society, Honolulu. IPOrbn Cal ees pacts saneces Escola Polyteenica, Lisbon. Gueensland eae oe See ee Governinent Meteorological Observatory, Brisbane. IRMISSID) Sacer eeuceoaseacet ase Commission Russe des “Eichanges Internationaux (im. | perial Public Library), St. Petersburg. \ Si. prelena <2 vic22e swncee coos William Wesley, London, England. South Australia... ......-...| Astronomical Observatory, Adelaide. Pal ers: oak eae a eeoees Real Academia de Ciencias, Madrid. Strait Settlements ..... -.--.| William Wesley, London, England. POON as Sloss Joan Seeee ee K. 8. Vetenskaps Akademien, Stockholm, Switzerland) 2255-2 -ssoances Hidgen. Bundes Canzlei, Bern. PaAsSMaAN a Js c2 sssesee a oseme Royal Society of Tasmania, Hobartton. Trinidad. 222 asec c lee see Scientific Association, Port of Spain. urksilsland) 22 seks Public Library, Grand Turk. Venezuela 2)... 22< se see ae University, Caracas. VACLOTIA osclesee te wee Public Library, Melbourne. 2. Domestic transmissions. List of packages received by the Smithsonian Institution from Europe and diswributed to the following named institutions and individuals in the United States and British America. eet tic Governor of the State .........-.-. Ps Tuscaloosa: Health Department. ..2--)-/255222: 3a Geological Survey of Alabama... .. 1 | Lick Astronomical Department Uni- Moutgomery: Versiby o1 Calitormianesssesceeess 3 State Dibrary.2s2s.- 2222. aeeee 1 | Mercantile Library Association .... 4 4 Microscopical Society ...---..-.--- 1 inet Office of the Lick Trust .......-.-. a Little Rock: BtabteWabraryccsogeee ss. ce een etee 4 COLORADO. CALIFORNIA. Denver: Mount Hamilton : Governor of the State....-.....-.- 1 Lick Observatory ..........-...-.- 3 | Territorial Library- 222225 --22ee-c 25 eet CONNECTICUT. University of California. .......... 1 Sacramento: Hartford : Agassiz Institute ........-..---..- 2 | American Philological Association - 2 Agricultural and Horticultural So- Connecticut Society of Natural COGS i pects SRC ree ag En Se ar 3 History 223 h2c2s52 eon sdecese ees i irrigation SuLvey 55-265 anne. 1 | Hartford Medical Library......... 1 Medical Society .........--. See ats 1 | Historical Society of Connecticut. - 1 State Agricultural Society ......-- 1 | Library Young Men’s Institute-.... 1 Stacesivibranye ees oes ae a 5 Middletown: San Francisco: Wesleyan University ....--.....-- a Alta Cakitormlay-o-sseene sees cate oes 1 New Haven: Bancroft Pacific Library .........- 1 | American Journal of Arts and California Academy of Sciences.... 112 Sclences::.2 Ja.,2- se ae eee eee 57 California Historical Society ..-.-. 3 | American Oriental Society -.-..-.-.. 29 Corporation of the city of San Fran- Connecticut Academy of Arts and CISCO seo ae kee ween ee earineloes 2 SGienCes. 2 22h scene -m sees 136 Geographical Society of the Pacific 2 | New Haven Colony Historical Soci- Geographical Survey of California. 2 GY ses e oa cis ston no seeiooaienie 14 bP, a Observatory of Yale College "Sheffield Scientific School.....---- State Board of Agriculture........ ' "Winchester Observatory ...--..-.- ; Male College...--.....-. .--------- Newington: : Private Observatory .----.-------- rik Y >. 4 rio Agricultural Department _ Anthropological Society Botanic Garden DELAWARE, Wilmington: Delaware Historical Society \ DISTRICF OF COLUMBIA, Georgetown: - Georgetown College - Observatory of Georgetown College. Washington: _ Army Medical Museum...-....--.. _ Belgian BRED AUTOM foe Socios chelsea Board of Health i, Census LN TREG eee sa aes nae Seeninese Legation...-... .......--. - Chief Signal Office, U. S. Army.... , Coast and Geodetic Survey.--.----- ~- Cosmos Club Education, Bureau of ~ Columbian WiniVersitivias= <0 wowic eis aces wersice MEPMORIOtU LIC CILY |: 122 ./sn-= ssciene Medical Jonrnal and Library..-.-.-. Ment nMReCOrder. 2. -----------=- Mercantile Library Association.... Metropolitan Museum of Arts..-.-.- Museum of Natural History ....--. New York Academy of Sciences..-.. New York Handels Zeitung ....-.. MowavolkotHerald’ 2552.52.25 on. New York Historical Society ..---. New York Literary and Philosoph- Bemausoticty ... 22502 .225h62 2. New York Medical Journal... ...-.. Observatory, Central Park ........ Popular Science Monthly -.-.-.-.-.. mresbyterian Review ....-...-.--- Private Observatory of L. M. Ruth- CORDIC! SSE SED, ES a ye pe United States Sanitary Commission. University of New York........... Phelps: Red House Observatory........... Poughkeepsie: Society of Natural Sciences ....... H. Mis. 26——7 — ime) _ 2 DOnwnwnurrFwnwnwnnreVNde De WWW VYWW ES WwW! wm 0 Wassan@ olleg@eses saeco vcccas scale Vassar College Observatory ..-..--- Riverdale: Private Observatory of W. Meikle- Nam) season Sue stays Rochester: Warner Observatory ...-..-..-.--.. Schenectady: Wien Colleas .2-ces eens eens Tarrytown: Private Observatory of Chas H. Rockwell. c2.5 sts sesnes sees Troy: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute .. Scientifie Society. -25-5-.---5 242s William Proudfit Observatory -.-.--. Utica: State Lunatic Asylum ...-..-..--. West Point: United States Military Academy - West Point Observatory ..-.-- .--- Willets Point: Field Obserwatonyss2s2-2<55---,.5- OuIo. Ashtabula: Anthropological Society .---...--- Cincinnati: Academy of Fine Arts ....-. eces Astronomical Society -.....-.----- @Cincinnaty Ee nguirersses4-- sss. Cincinnati University <5... -----= Corporation of the city ..-. .-.-.-2: Historical and Philosoph’l Society. Mechanics’ Institute-...-....--2.. Mercantileiutbrarys---s2-- eee ee Observatory -so4 seers sess e JEAUANIO KO UDI ei Sep er eee Society of Natural History....--.-. Cleveland: Academy of Natural Sciences...... Board'ot Healthwesceesesss oo seeeee Kirtland Society, 2222-2. ---.- sis Columbus: Geological Survey of Ohio ....-... Iorticultural’Society=.2-----2---< Private’ Observatory. --2-5.)----- State Board of Agriculture.-.-..... Statewbibraryic. eo cco ssiecisee ae Gambier: Kenyon Collegem assess sae e Hudson: Hudson Observatory ...-.....----- Linwood: Private Observatory..........---- m= %~ Co @ PeENNRF Wee iw) no wo 98 REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF EXCHANGES. Oberlin: Operlin: College sass 42 sas cea tes Urbana: Central Ohio Scientific Association - Yellow Springs: Antioch Collegercso 2s. ca-sseeee ee PENNSYLVANIA. Allegheny : Allegheny Observatory ....------- Bethlehem: ehich Wniversibysso.-: 2-2-2. Carlisle: Carlisle Society of Literature.----. Easton: Institute of Mining Engineers..--- Watayette College 22-55-2552 -552 = Pardee Science School ....-- wolceiee é Germantown : Friends Free Library and Reading WOON 2s APU oe See RS Ps Harrisburg: Medical Society of Pennsylvania... - Second Geological Survey of Penn- SIVAN a see ee ose sae anete State Agricultural Society .-..--.-- MUEIKE il ENA T So cope ocsao Rese dee Haverford : Haverford College Observatory -.-- Media: Delaware County Institute of Sci- Philadelphia: Academy of Pine Arts--2----2.---- Academy of Natural Sciences...... American Entomological Society-. American Naturalist .2.--.)02--. 222 American Pharmaceutical Associa- American Philosophical Society - -. BOardvomilealthe ce ceee ean sess Board of Public Education......-- Board of State Charities .........- BoOargrotrades. soci eel Be aoe 5,2 Centralebioh Schools222 242222222 Central High School Observatory - . Corporation of the city.--.-..----. iran linens bibube researc secs Geological Survey of Pennsylvania. Cimanda@ ollece pe eemetea= ape Historical Society of Pennsylvania. LAT ye © OMP AN yee see lene eee Library of Pennsylvania Hospital. Medical Slimessse. Seen occcerts Mercantile Library ---.-......-.-.- Museum ss see tee ae se eeemeieee caie = 10 WwW eww — en Of, = HD WD = 0 Numismatic and Antiquarian So- C1ELY: 525 Hie soe er saeeeee eee Observatory 2-4 -4ee eee se eee Observatory of Girard College---..- Penn Monthly ass eee ee eee Philadelphia House of Refuge.-..- Philadel phiartPressl==- yeas eee Philomathean Society -..---..-..- Polytechnic’ Bulletim=-se. senses ee State Medical Society .--2....-:-.- University of Pennsylvania ..--...- Wagner Free Institute.......2-..- Zoolocical: Societygs-==-ceeeeeeleee Pittsburgh: Mercantile Eibrany ese s-eoeeeeeee Wilkes Barre: Wyoming Historical and Geolog- 1Cal SOCIOUY ee ene = eee RHODE ISLAND. Providence : American Naturalist...........-.. Atheneum: sos: aes mee cos eee eee Brown Universitverses= asses eee City, Revistrar’s Office = sss sss. Rhode Island Historical Society -. - Seagrave Observatory --...----.-- State Registrar of Births, Marriages, and: Deaths: 23.254. 235 ee eee see SOUTH CAROLINA. Charleston : Literary and Philosophical Society Of South C@arolinases: ep eee South Carolina Historical Society - TENNESSEE. Knoxville: Philomathesian Society .-.-..-.--- Lebanon: Cumberland University ----.------ Nashville: Private ODSeRVaAloLy joe esse aoe Tennessee Historical Society .-.---- TEXAS. Chapel Hill: Soule University -2-- 2-43 sss eee VERMONT. Barnet: Vermont Historical and Antiqua- MATE SOC tviensee ss ee eens Burlington : Bletcher MreewLibrarye--ees sass UMW CNSitiy: <2 eos ese eee eet Castleton : Orleans County Society of Natural Sctenicesin 25222. cess eee DOH eH 0 tm an =) ww a! Boe & Ww Ww REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF EXCHANGES. Montpelier: BRERNOTATY <2.) oSaccs ao ks, see = VIRGINIA. P. O. University of Virginia: University of, Virginia ..-.-......- Hampton: mompton College ....':-.--.-.--2.- Lexington: Virginia Military Institute.-.....-. Richmond : Musiorical Society ......----.--+-<- McdicalsCollege - 525.3222 2-sce se Metical Society :-....-.-..----+-- SGD LUT es ee es Virginia Historical and Philosoph- IE MESOCIOLY - 5-22 5-) a) ~~ S ne _ He Or Oot PW 2% — @ 2) So _ ~) © 548 7, 192 399 1, 167 947 | 8, 359 REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF EXCHANGES. 101 The decrease as compared with 1881 in the parcels sent under do- mestic exchanges is due to the fact that the statistics of that year in- clude a large number of parcels left over from 1880. At the close of the year 1881, however, all accumulations had been worked off, and not one packagé remained on hand, so that the figures in the present re- port represent the actual receipts and transmissions for this year only. . The receipt of packages for 1881 was 7,890, and for the present year 8,359, thus showing an actual increase of 460 parcels, that is, a little above the average increase (400 per year) for the past ten years. The total number of packages transmitted compares with former years as follows: 1873. | 1874. | 1875. | 1876. | 1877. | 1878. | 1879. | 1880. | 1881. | 1882. Total addresses of institutions ......- 463} 462) 329} 316) 392) 292) 444) 385) 600) 548 Total addresses of individuals.....-.-. 266} 288} 281) 328) 374) 370! 341 560) 454) 399 Total numberof parcels toinstitutions | 3, §76) 3, 221) 3, 619} 3, 705] 3, 868) 4, 059} 5, 786) 4, 021] 7, 086) 7, 192 Total number of parcels to individuals 906} 1,105) 1, 042) 1,148 1, 094) 1, 233) 1, 185) 1, 566) 1, 347] 1, 167 Total number of parcels.......- 4, 782) 4, Pal 4, G61) 4, 853) 4, 962) 5, 292) 6, 971) 5, 587) 8, 433) 8, 359 Recapitulation. Beret CULessesvotiiNSbi bi blOnsic ose ) Country. rm SE a ee ge | 4 | 4 yi 2) CHIN koi | nue ae, iS) 3 ° ° Slee ute ea set |, es. call SP seme tne | | Argentine Confederation......-.--.-.--.---- 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1877 | 1877 | 1877 cnn, ol ee a ee ees 1878 | 1878 | 1875 | 1878 | 1878 | 1878 | 1878 | 1878 | 1878 le bll, Sit 458 4b SE ies ee aie iene ee 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1877 EE Seer eae ae | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1877 PEPMHOR EAC ER ene eae scicee cedeietctee =. | 1876 | 1876 , 1876 | 1876 | 1876 | 1876 | 1876 | 1877 1877 Pett Chto =e ae eS eceseeen = ; 1874 | 1874 | 1874 | 1874 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 1877 Canada TPROSTOTGO lasses ee ee ay tarnalarer sete el | 1874 | 1874 | 1874 | 1874 | 1875 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 1877 nd. Lo Se ee ae erasers 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 1877 Colombia, MWmited States) Ofe—- conse st seas | 1882 | 1882 | 18-2 | 1882 ; 1882 | 1882 | 1882 | 1882 1882 | LET ee See ee ee ee ote 1879 | 1879 | 1879 | 1879 | 1879 | 1879 | 1879 | 1879 1879 (DS Sh LING Se ae aoe eee eee ee es 1882 | 1882 | 1882 | 1882 1882 1€82 | 1882 | 1882 1882 inh betes Veseiese ace oeesemes 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1875 | 1877 |; 1877 1877 PSC Prv41 CT 1879 | 1875 | 1879 | 1879 | 1879 | 1879 | 1879 | 1879 | 1879 Germany (exclusive of kingdoms specifically | | “Ei PELCELE 2 See eee a Ce pe CR 1874 | 1874 | 1874 | 1876 | 1876 ; 1876 | 1877 1877 SRSA s MCA Ne. pochacenbecibo Soa beds “S45qn0s ESS SSSR BSE SASH 7. 82165 11. 08690 4. 17535 DEI Ls Se co Seern cue conn noe ne Gaescosereenase ss 21.875 years. 36. 91 years. 8. 532 years. A comparision of the orbit with whatever observations were avail- able seemed to Mr. Chandler to confirm the periodical nature of the comet, although further observations will be necessary to fix the period with precision. The physical appearance of the comet which, like that of 1843, and unlike that of 1880, showed at first a decided nucleus, together with the above intimation of a period very considerably greater than that of the internal from 1830, January 27, the date of perihelion of the 1880 comet, suggest that perhaps the 18435 comet suffered disintegration when at its nearest approach, and that the 1880 comet was a portion of its less condensed material, whilst the body of the comet, with the prin- cipal nucleus, suffering less retardation than the separated part, has taken two and a half years longer to perform a revolution. The re- markable discovery made by Professor Schmidt, of Athens, on October 8, of a second comet only 4° S. W. of the great comet, and having the Same motion, would seem rather to confirm this view. The spectroscopic observations of the comet have only been less in- teresting than the questions of its orbit and identity. M. Thollon, who examined its spectrum on September 18, with a Steinheil spectroscope, having one prism of 60° of dense flint, in conjunction with a horizontal telescope of 9 inches aperture, into which the light of the comet was reflected by means of a siderostat, gives the following description of it: ‘Although working in full daylight, the spectrum of the comet was very bright; its leading characteristic was the presence of the bright lines of sodium. We at once saw in the field of the instrument a tolera- bly distinct spectrum, due to the scattered light of our atmosphere, in which the dark Fraunhofer lines could be distinguished. Upon the background of this spectrum a narrow and much more brilliant contin- uous spectrum, given by the nucleus of the comet, was seen clearly de- tached. From the height of the spectrum we estimated the apparent 300 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. diameter of the nucleus as about 15’. This spectrum stretched very far into the violet. The bright lines of sodium D, and D, were given at the same time both by the nucleus and by the neighboring regions: From their length we estimated the apparent diameter of the part of the comet which displayed them at 1./5.. They were neither diffused nor broadened, but narrow and perfectly separated, and exceedingly bright, especially in the spectrum of the nucleus. They were nearly of the same brilliancy, however, the most refrangible seemed a little the brighter, and they were, in short, exactly like the lines given by a flame moderately charged with sodium, both in brightness and in their essen- tial characteristics. Of their identity there can be doubt, for besides the characteristics which we have just pointed out, we compared their positions with those of the Fraunhofer lines D; and Ds, given by the spee- trum of the diffused daylight. We ascertained that the bright lines of the comet were not exactly superposed on the Fraunhofer lines, but were both displaced towards the red by a very small amount, the same in each case, equal perhaps to 4 or + of the interval between D, and D,. We therefore concluded that the comet was traveling away from the earth at that moment. We intended to measure this displacement the next day, and prepared a more powerful spectroscope for this purpose; but the state of the sky did not give us the opportunity. No part of the comet showed us the bands of carbon, nor any band or line other than those of sodium, perhaps on account of the diffused light, which would be able to mask bands of small brilliancy. “The singular analogy between the spectrum of this comet and that of comet Wells, observed some months ago, will doubtless appear the more remarkable, as preceding comets have never shown the lines of sodium.” But as the comet has receded from the sun, the ordinary cometary hydrocarbon bands have made their appearance, and the ordinary yel- low, green, and blue bands had become very conspicuous on October 1, whilst the sodium lines were very much fainter. M. Ricco, at Palermo, observing up to October 11, found the spectrum of the tail perfectly con- tinuous, and could trace it right to the end. The three hydrocarbon bands were only given by the nucleus and a region of some 5/ radius nound it. These changes in the spectrum, as the comet recedes from perihelion, combined with the reverse changes witnessed in that of comet Wells as it approached it, seem to render it not unlikely that sodium would appear in the spectrum of any comet which should approach the sun sufficiently nearly; that it is, in fact, an indication of excessively high temperature, as the hydrocarbon bands are of one not quite so great. An intermediate spectrum of which no definite details have yet been sup- plied seems to have been observed at Dun-Echt and elsewhere. M. Ricco speaks of having seen many lines up to September 27, a band in the red, a line in the yellow near and after D,, two others in the green, ASTRONOMY. 301 and an enlargement of the continuous spectrum in the green and blue, but was able to make no measures. Had determinations of the posi- tions of these lines been possible, we might have had much very inter- esting information. The tail of the comet has throughout resembled that of the 1843 comet, it being nearly straight and very brilliant. M. Cruls represents it as being about 30° long about ten days after perihelion. M. Ricco gives its breadth as varying on different days from 1° 48’ to 2° 28/. The southern edge has appeared stronger and brighter than the north- ern, sometimes remarkably so, and, though nearly straight, if is slightly convex towards the south. The nucleus, circular at first, has shown a strong tendency to lengthen, and M. Ricco has observed it as double. Astronomers will continue to seize on every possible opportunity of watching this most remarkable and interesting object as long as it re- mains within our view, even without the stimulus afforded by the ex- pectation of seeing it plunge into the sun, as it has been confidently prophesied it will shortly do. Ifit should turn out. as here suggested, that the present is but its second return, in modern times at least, we may have to wait longer for the final catastrophe than is perhaps generally expected; and the present behavior of the comet would perhaps seem to indicate that its fate will be accomplished rather by a gradual disinte- gration than by a sudden headlong plunge into the solar orb.—Observa- tory, 1882, November. The comet of May 17, 1882.—M. Trépied, in an account of his observa- tions made in Egypt during the total solar eclipse of May 17, which was communicated to the Academy of Sciences on the 19th instant, has the following interesting note: “Towards the middle of totality, I perceived to the right of the sun, a streak of light, slightly curved at the lower part, having a singular appearance and in evident discordance with the rest of the corona. I did not for an instant suppose that it could be a comet, and only recog- nized its nature an hour after the eclipse on comparing my sketch with one of the photographs obtained by Dr. Schuster. That photograph plainly showed the nucleus at a distance from the edge of the sun a little greater than the diameter of that body; the direction of the tail agreed well with what I had drawn, but I had stopped the streak at much too short a distance from the edge. I did not, however, believe that it would be allowable for me to change anything in my drawing.” The sketch referred to is copied in the Comptes rendus of the above Sitting of the Academy. M. Trépied further remarks: “The brightness of the comet appeared to me the same as that of the external parts of the corona.” The position of the observing station, as provisionally determined by M. Trépied, is in longitude 1" 57™ 40° east of Paris, and latitude 26° 33’ 21”, where the middle of totality occurred at 88 31™ 53% a. m. local neantime. M.Trépied saysin the week following the eclipse he searched 302 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. for the comet many times before sunrise and after sunset, but without detecting it. The comet has been sought for elsewhere, though unfortunately with- out success. The refractive power of comets—The great comet 1881, III, passed near to faint stars on several occasions, so near that the stars were certainly shining through the cometic substance. During three such opportunities, Dr. Meyer, at the Geneva Observatory, made a series of micrometer measures on the relative positions of the star and the comet’s nucleus. This last was sharp and well defined like a star. The preliminary reduction of these measures showed that the light of the star suffered a refraction in its passage through the comet’s head. The whole question of such a refraction was examined by M. Cellerier (Archives des Sciences, etc., de Genéve, October, 1882) under the sup- position of a variable density to the cometic matter, which was further supposed to act like a true gas. The theoretical solution of the prob- lem is given ina simple form. Dr. Meyer has applied the theory to the cases in hand, and obtains from the three stars the following values of é, Which is the refractive power of the cometic matter (supposed gaseous): 29 June, 1882, e = 0.00000916; 14.3 = d. 13 July, 1882, e = 0.00000299; 257.3 = dp. 1 August, 1882, e = 0.00000317; 24/.6 = dy. The numbers dj, d, d3, are the shortest distances of the stars from the comet’s nucleus, reduced to what they would have been if seen all ' from a distance 1. Supposing the density of the gas to be proportional to the square of the distance, and the refractive power of the gas to be directly proportional to the density, the three values of e above can be reduced to the following three numbers which express (on this hypoth- esis) three different determinations of the refractive power of the gas at a distance of 14’.3 = 102,000 kilometers. 29 June, & =0.00000916. 13 July, = 0.00000936. 1 August, = 0.00000938. Dr. Meyer epitomizes his results as follows: ‘The substance which composed the head of comet 1881, III, behaved optically like a gas, and its refractive power ata distance of 102,000 kilometers from the head was 0.0000093. This refractive power, and hence the density of the gas itself, varied as the square of the distance from the comet’s nucleus.” Professor Bredichin has issued the first part of Vol. vim of Annales de V Observatoire de Moscou, which, in addition to meridian observations, contains a continuation of his researches upon the tails of comets, the present publication including the comets 1881 b and ¢, and the fourth or great comet of 1825. Professor Bredichin has reprinted the long series of physical observations on the latter body made by Dunlop at ASTRONOMY. 303 Paramatta, N.S. W., which originally appeared in Brewster’s Edinburgh Journal of Science, 1827, and which have been a good deal overlooked, that periodical, on the Continent at least, not being easy of access, Dunlop’s drawings are reproduced, and there are several figures of the two bright comets of 1881. With regard to his investigations generally, Professor Bredichin concludes: ‘“My researches on all the comets of which I have been able to find observations in astronomical literature (36 comets), place me now in a condition to calculate in advance, for each great comet that appears, the positions and the figure of its tails of all three types. It is evident that the relative amount of matter in tails of different types cannot be determined in advance, and, consequently, observation alone can show us the relative brightness of the types and the possible absence of one or another of them. But, in every case, the positions and the general form of such of the tails as become visible will be in accord with the positions and figure calculated beforehand.” PLANETS. Vulean.—In the report of the director of the Washburn Observatory for 1882, is given an account of experiments with the Watson Solar Observatory. This we give in full, as it probably will not be published elsewhere, and on account of the general interest in the success of this experiment. The solar observatory was devised for the purpose of seeing a planet: or stars in the daytime. : It consists essentially of a covered cellar large enough to contain an observer and a six-inch telescope. From the north wall of this cellar a tube 12 inches in diameter and 55 feet long is directed to the north pole. At the upper. (north) end of this tube a heliostat, or mirror driven by clock-work, is to be placed. The idea is that the images of stars will be reflected down the tube by the mirror and seen by an ob- server in the cellar through the telescope. When I took charge of this observatory the building was entirely incomplete, and no instruments were available for trying the experiment. Ihave borrowed from Profes- sor Langley, director of the Allegheny Observatory, a heliostat suitable for the purpose, and the regents of the university have bought from Mr. Burnham, of Chicago, his six-inch Clark telescope; and the build- ing has been completed. Six weeks have been spent in thoroughly try- ing the experiment. The trial is now concluded, and the result is that the solar observatory is not suitable for showing stars as faint as the third magnitude in the daytime, even when they are distant from the sun. Therefore there is no use in proceeding further with this means in the search for Vulcan, which was estimated by Professor Watson to be of the four-and-a-half magnitude, and which, from the nature of the case, must always be near the sun. The details of the experiment are given in the following extract from the annual report: 304 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. “The solar observatory was destined by Professor Watson for two pur- poses: First, spectroscopic and photographic observations of the sun itself; and, second, for observations of the immediate neighborhood of the sun for the detection of a planet (Vulcan) interior to Mercury. ‘“Themagnitudeof Vulcan was estimated by Professor Watson atfour and one half, that is, it has a light about one-twentieth as brilliant as that of an average first-magnitude star—Alpha Lyre, for example. If seen at all, it must be seen in the daytime, and close to the sun. ‘‘ During the months of June and July experiments were made to de- termine the fitness of the observatory for the detection of Vulcan. In these experiments the six-inch telescope bought by your Board from Mr. Burnham was mounted in the cellar of the solar observatory on June 8— its objective and eyepiece having been carefully adjusted previously. To get an idea of the advantage gained by the inclined tube of the solar observatory I reduced the aperture of the fifteen-inch telescope in the dome to six inches, and put on an eyepiece similar to that used on the small refractor. Both telescopes were then pointed to the north pole. Two observers, one at each telescope, noted times of the first appear- ance of the small stars about the north pole as evening twilight dis- appeared. A map had been prepared previously giving these stars. If the fifty-five-foot dewcap gave a material advantage, then these stars should have been first seen with the solar observatory telescope. In fact, they were first seen by this, but only by about two minutes on the average. This experiment was tried on June 8, 11, and 12. ‘The excellent heliostat lent by Dr. S. P. Langley, director of the Allegheny Observatory, was placed on its pier June 12, and adjusted. This instrument was exactly fitted for the purpose, and was in perfect order. ‘* Observations were made to find stars in the daytime every clear day between June 15 and July 12, without result. The place in the sky to which the heliostat mirror was pointed was fixed by setting on the sun at a given hour; and the fact that this setting was not changed by ac- cident was established by observing the position of a small pointer which was added to the heliostat. ‘The latter trials weré made with a heliostat mirror, set for the place of the brightest star in the. Pleiades, and on three days this group was looked for about the time of its passing the meridian. Forty or fifty minutes were thus spent daily. ‘« There must have been in the field of the telescope (30 degrees) the fol- lowing stars: ‘‘ Eta Tauri—3.4 mag. (twice as bright as Vulcan). “b Pleiadum—4.5 mag. (as bright as Vulcan). “d Pleiadum—5 mag. (fainter than Vulcan). “Ff Pleiadum—4.5 mag. (as bright as Vulcan). “h Pleiadum—).6 mag. (fainter than Vulcan). ‘*‘ At this time the sun was some 50 degrees east of the Pleiades. No stars were seen at any time. The position of the mirror for the Pleiades was verified by finding a group of stars at night-time in the predicted place. The original setting was made through the sun. ‘“‘T am satisfied, therefore, that there is no use in prosecuting this par- ticular experiment further. The instruments employed were as perfect as possible. Every conceivable precaution was taken, and it was shown that this apparatus was not suitable for seeing stars of the magnitude of Vulcan, even distant from the sun. It would, therefore, be a waste of time to look for such stars close to the sun. “It is to be noticed that no evidence has been collected in regard to FI ee ee ae tr 5 > “2— +See ede as gh op Sled te Eee a ASTRONOMY. 305 the existence or non-existence of Vulcan. It has simply been shown that this device is not suitable for detecting such a planet. ‘‘T may mention that, during the summer of 1881, this same experi- ment was tried by Dr. Langley, with far more satisfactory arrangements than those of the solar observatory, and that it was a failure with him -also, and that Professor Harrington, of Ann Arbor Observatory, also failed to find any material advantage with a (horizontal) tube 150 feet long.” hy The Earth—We extract from the Academy the following review (by G. F. Rodwell) of an important book entitled The Physics of the Earth’s Crust, by the Rev. Osmond Fisher: “The author in twenty-one chapters discusses the principal facts con- nected with the interior heat of the earth, the elevations and depres- sious of its surface, and the causes and effects of volcanic action. He shows that the rate of increase of temperature, as the distance beneath the earth’s surface is augmented, is, on the whole, an equable one, and may be taken to average about 1° F. for every fifty-one feet (misprinted degrees, p. 267) ot descent. And thus at a depth of about thirty miles all known rocks would be in a state of fusion: As to the condition of the interior of the earth, we are first led to a discussion of the density. The surface density is between 2.56 and 2.75, while the mean density of the whole earth is 5.5. Thus the density considerably increases as we approach the center of the earth. Everything points to the conclu- sion that the earth has once been in a molten condition; the main ques- tion for consideration is whether it is still molten within, or whether this condition has passed away, anditisnowsolid. It has been thought, by some, however, that the interior of the earth may be ‘ potentially hot? —that is to say, really solid, on account of the enormous pressure to which it is subjected, but ready to become fluid at any moment when the pressure is diminished or removed. Having discussed the argu- ments of Hopkins and of Sir William Thomson, the author asserts that the requisite great rigidity which the earth must possess in order to en- able it to resist the deforming influence of the attraction of the sun and moon does not require that the earth should be absolutely solid from the center to the circumference. A _ rigid nucleus nearly approaching the size of the whole globe, covered by a fluid substratum of no great thick- ness in comparison with the radius, with an outer crust of less density floating upon it, would meet the difficulty. ‘This is the supposition,’ Says the author, ‘as to the condition of the earth, which appears, on the whole, to satisfy best the requirements both of geology and of phys- ics’ Thus the solid nucleus would owe its solidity to the great super- incumbent pressure, while the outer crust would owe its solidity to hav- ing become cool through radiation, while the fluid substratum would re- main in that condition because it would not be submitted to sufficient pressure to render it solid, while it would retain sufficient heat to render it molten. As to the density, von Waltershausen has calculated that H. Mis. 26——20 * 306 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. the density at the center of the earth is 9.59 under a pressure of 2,500,000 atmospheres, and he thinks it probable that the magma beneath the outer crust consists of felspathic materials, passing lower down into au- gitic, and finally, at the center, into a magnetic magma. “The next problem to be discussed relates to the manner in which the heat and the gravitation of the earth have produced the elevations and depressions and pttckerings of the surface. To explain this it is generally thought that, as the cooling of the earth proceeded, the interior retreated from the solidified crust, and that the latter became crumpled and contorted by the lateral] pressure. The author has cal-. culated that the pressure available for this purpose would be equal to that of a- column of rock of the surface density, having the same section as the stratum, and 2,000 miles in length—a pressure equal to 830,200 tons on the square foot, and more than sufficient to perform the opera- tions assigned to it. ks ‘¢ Voleanic eruptions probably arise from liquid masses of the substra- tum gaining access to the surface, and we must conceive that the water which accompanies all voleanic phenomena must be present in the mag- ma of the substratum. ‘We may look upon the state of igneoaqueous solution,’ observes the author, ‘as one in which the water-substance is in a gaseous state, and the combination between the water-substance and the rock is probably of that kind which has been termed ‘“ occlusion” of gas by a liquid. An examination of the amount of contraction which would have produced the existing inequalities of the earth’s surface shows that the ocean basins are not the result solely of depressions in the upper surface only of a crust of uniform density, but that they are — due to the greater density and general depression of the suboceani¢ crust.’ “¢ According to the author, volcanic energy is the cause of the compres- sion of the earth’s crust. Thus he reverses the theory of Mallet, which makes volcanic energy the result rather than the cause of compression, and he shows that the utmost conceivable amount of heat capable of being obtained by his theory is inadequate to the purpose assigned to — it. He considers, moreover, that the geographical distribution of vol- canoes is better explained on the supposition of a thin crust and fluid substratum than upon any other. «<¢Their linear arrangement points to their being situated along great systems of fissures; and such systems of fissures are indicative of a thin crust. Fissures which run for long distances in nearly straight courses point either toa movement perpendicular to the fissured surface or else — to a rending pressure within the fissure itself; while on the other hand — fissures which are eaused by contraction in a direction parallel to the earth’s surface would divide up an area into polygonal fissures. The former arrangement of the fissures accords best with the distribution- of volcanic ranges and suggests a thin crust.’ ’ ‘‘ Voleanic regions are either oceanic or appertaining to the se and » ASTRONOMY. 307 it is probable that the latter are closely connected with elevations of the continents which they skirt, while the oceanic volcanoes are not concerned with true elevatory action. The great volcanic chain of the Pacific approximately divides the earth into two parts, one of which contains the chief proportion of land, while the other contains Australia and nearly all the ocean. And perhaps the area of Australia has beem elevated within the ocean hemisphere on account of the deflection of the great Pacific line of action by the northwest line, which passes through Sumatra and the Malay Archipelago, and which meets it at the southeast corner of Asia. ‘¢ Although many of the subjects discussed by Mr. Fisher must remain open questions until we are far better acquainted with the conditions of voleanic action, we think that he has cleverly argued his points, and, by the frequent application of a rigid mathematical treatment, has re- moved his opinions from the domain of those pure speculations which are too often applied to the explanation of obscure phenomena connected with the physics of the earth.” Geodesy of Hurope.—Two very interesting charts have just been dis- tributed as supplements to the proceedings of the sixth general con- ference of the European Geodetic Survey (held at Munich, in 1880), One of these gives all the telegraphic determinations of differences of longitude, and the other gives all the determinations of latitude and azimuth (separately). Such charts for the United States would be most valuable. Atmospheric refraction.—An important memoir on refraction has been lately published by M. Radan, who, after a discussion and comparison of previous theories, gives formule and tables for refraction, in which allowance may be made for difference in the rate of decrease of tempera- ture with the height above the earth’s surface at different seasons of the ‘year. M. Radan also discusses the case in which the surfaces of equal temperature in the atmosphere are inclined to the earth’s surface. The Moon.—Selenography has lately received a valuable contribu- tion by the publication of the sketches of portions of the moon’s disk which were made by Tobias Mayer, at Gottingen, in the middle of the last century. Mayer was the first observer who constructed a general map of the moon in which the positions of the chief lunar spots were laid down from actual measurements, and not from mere eye-drafts. The intended publication of his lunar sketches at the end of the last century was frustrated by the death of Lichtenberg, who had under- taken it, and Mayer’s smaller general map remained the only accessible Tesult of his selenographical labors. ‘To the discussion of any questions _ referring to physical changes on the moon’s surface, the evidence which _ Inay be derived from trustworthy sketches made at an early period is obviously of considerable importance, and the publication of Mayer’s old sketches is therefore a welcome addition to the available sources of information. There are forty sketches made between June, 1748, and 308 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. June, 1750, and these are reproduced by photoheliography, so that the copies are faithful representations of the originals. They are accompa- nied by a copy of Mayer’s large general map, of nearly fourteen inches diameter; and thus the results of his old selenographical observations, obtained with humble means, have at last become available, and a debt Jong due to him has been paid by the Gottingen observatory. Mr. Henry Harrison, of New York, has published a colored lithograph representing the moon as the “ three-days-old crescent,” or as it appears three days after the time of new moon. As the ordinary lunar maps are constructed with the object of exhibiting the general topography of the whole visible surface, they do not represent, and are not intended to represent, the real aspect of the moon at any time; and it is necessary to have special maps for special phases of illumination if they are to show the shadows and other variable features which are so strikingly characteristic of the moon’s appearance at different hours of the lunar day. Mr. Harrison’s lithograph is such a special representation, and, as regards general resemblance and artistic effect, may be called a suc- cess. Though it does not show more than a small! portion of the in- numerable details which the telescope reveals, it gives a good notion of the telescopic appearance of the young moon as seen with a com- paratively low power. The moon’s image is eighteen inches in diameter, the phase represented corresponding to the time when the crater Messier has emerged into the light of the rising sun. The plate is accompanied by a little descriptive hand-book and an outline map. Its publication will be followed by that of five more plates — containing similar representations of five of the most interesting phases. Experiments have repeatedly been made with the object of produe- ing natural imitations of the craters and inequalities visible on the moon’s surface, and it has been found that the figures of the lunar in- equalities can be closely imitated by throwing pebbles upon the surface of a smooth, plastic mass such as mud or mortar. Mr. Meydenbauer, of Marburg, uses a basis of dextrine for the purpose and drops small quantities of the same material from a moderate height upon that basis. A photograph of various figures which are thus produced show a re- markable resemblance to the various inequalities visible on the moon’s surface. (A. Marth, in the London Academy.) The topography of the planet Mars.—Professor Schiaparelli has pub- lished a second important memoir, entitled “Osservazioni Astronomiche e Fisiche sull’ Asse di Rotazione e sulla Topografia del Pianeta Marte - - -” » (Reale Accademia dei Lincei, anno cclxxviii, 1880~81.) By combining his observations at the oppdsition 1879~80 with these made at the favorable opposition of 1877, he finds the position of the equa- tor of Mars referred to the earth’s equator as follows: Ascending node (1880), in 48° 7’.8 inclination 36° 22’ .9—figures differing little from those provisionally adopted by Mr. Marth. ASTRONOMY. 309 Schroeter’s observations.—The University of Leyden having acquired in 1876 the manuscripts and copper plates of Schroeter’s great unpub- lished work on Mars, ‘“‘Areographische Beitrage zur genauern Kennt- niss und Beurtheilung des Planeten Mars,” Professor Bakhuysen is about to bring it out. Schroeter had all but completed it at the time of his death, and had, indeed, it would appear, thoroughly revised the greater portion of it. Professor Bakhuysen states that having reduced. Schroeter’s observations for the position of the axis of Mars, he finds its longitude 352° 59’ and the latitude 60° 32’. Asteroids.—The following is a list of the Asteroids discovered in 1882: Discovered. No. By— | Discover: Sem sae am ass taciadiae cine sit cmlsmanas ceed cndeeda Uaeee ae PPA URI EEC eS ee eee Sore 30 Fe O eeietteiee sn sane wea leaeascdsuelseaaivasnciowss sokeacae 222 Ose a aee te eceen se 31 Mibetietel Ofer itte eae se soc cls aceence scans ace sae seacmscaees SOR eae dpueed.. Uae Ms 32 MTOR et een ease cee one skates octcces sasecceies QUA Ee OO eee see emes ess ne 33 (TE TL SE ES Se pee Te an Sa Sere A 295 |... do Cro Pa MCR ee 34 TFG TA aR Pa eM aS ee oe a a LR Ep DIG Cebu out es user nse: 35 ERT, UO 2s ooo eee SS oe et OR One ee ee eran 227 Prosper Henry-..--.-- & op) I ee eer eaiaee pees we O08. Palipac 2. iccoae. AEN Meret MMR SM DS tetera Se AP liars ojolebia Saicid ations s oes Bheeu lecemet 200s | iidow.22 Jaseccceea ron 3F SULT E, PURE ESSE Se aS Sete Oe ee es ee ee ee 230 | L de Ballisi 22h onc ae thE TIDIG SBE 6 leans ie eae eC ae Eile lee ye a i EoD in 2st) \SPaligaenoscceaacweee =' 38 The mass of Jupiter.—Dr. Schur has made a new determination of the mass of Jupiter from heliometer measures of the satellites, an equal number of observations being made on each satellite. His results are: | From satellite I, m=1~(1050.918 + 1.667.) From satellite Il, m=1~+(1046.026 + 1.425.) From satellite ILI, m = 1~+(1047.665 + 0.646.) From satellite IV, m= 1—(1046.818 + 0.484.) so that having regard to the weights, the mass of Jupiter is 1+ (1047.232 -- 0.365), the sun being taken as unity. Bessel’s published result by the same method was 1~(1047.879), but Dr. Schur has reduced Bessel’s work anew, having regard to the corrections proposed by Auwers to the constants of the heliometer (periodic error of screw, temperature coeffi- cient, etc.), and finds, in the mean for Bessel, 1048.629 + 0.198, and com- bining by weights, the final mass of Jupiter from observations of the satellites by Bessel and Schur is, 1+(1048.311 + 0.174). Dr. Schur brings up some interesting questions in regard to the per- sonal errors of observations of the satellites, for an account of which reference must be made to the original paper. Various other series of measures of the satellites are oo but no changes are made in the concluded mass of Jupiter. The mean motions and the periods of the satellites require only ex- tremely small changes. 310 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. The disk of Jupiter.—Prof. G. W. Hough’s annual report as director of the Dearborn Observatory at Chicago, for the year 1882, is mainly de- voted to the reduction and discussion of the numerous series of observa- tions on the spots upon the disk of the planet Jupiter, made with the 184 inch refractor, including measures for position of the great red spot, of equatorial white spots and other markings, and angles of position of the equatorial belt. The observations extend over the period from September, 1879, to March, 1882. Those made in 1879 and 1880 showed that the red spot was retrograding with accelerated velocity, and this drifting has continued with such uniformity that Professor Hough con- siders ‘‘the position of the spot at any future period can be very accu- rately computed.” It was found that all the observations could be fairly represented by a period of rotation, varying directly with the time, and the discussion leads to the following formula: (1879, September 25 + t x 0.00209s.,) which gives 98 55™ 358.9 for the mean period between September 25, 1879, and March 29, 1882, comprising 916 days, or 2,214 rotations of the planet. Hence, it is inferred that the apparent rotation-period has increased about four seconds since the opposition of 1879, showing a total drift of the red spot in longitude of 40,000 miles; and Professor Hough regards his observations as evidence that the great red spot is not the solid portion of the planet. ‘Animmense floating island,” nearly 30,000 miles in length, and more than 8,000 in breadth, has ‘‘maintained its shape and size, without material change, during more than three years.” He has failed to recognize any fading of the color of the spot, which, on February 2 in the present year, he judged to be a light pink, as formerly. Although the dimensions of the spot may not be said to have materially changed, the micrometrical measures do indicate a diminution in length to the extent of 0/.95 between the oppositions of 1879 and 1881, at which latter epoch it was 11/’.30 (reduced to Jupiter’s mean distance). The direction of the south edge of the equatorial belt was nearly | parallel with the planet’s equator, as given in Marth’s ephemeris; the north edge of this belt was found to be slightly concave. The elliptical white spots were more numerous in 1882 than previ- ously, but, with the exception of two situated south of the red spot, they were seen with difficulty, and were only measurable under the best vision. The two spots named were observed systematically during the three months from November 21, 1881, to February 23, 1882. The fol- lowing of the two appeared to be at rest relatively to the red spot from November 22 to December 6, and subsequently to drift in the direction of rotation to the extent of about 41°; the average drift during the last two months was at the rate of fifteen miles per hour. The preced- ing spot also did not retain the same relative position in longitude with respect to the great red spot. Professor Hough adds: ‘The observa- tions of the small white spots during 1880 and 1881 prove that the ASTRONOMY. 311 whole surface of the planet outside the margin of the equatorial belt rotates with nearly the same rate.” The approximate rotation-period for the principal white spot between the edges of the great equatorial belt was 9" 50™ 9°.8 from observations over more than eight months, which is the same as for the second spot observed during 1880. Hence, these equatorial white spots drift in the direction of the planet’s rota- tion, at about 260 miles per hour, or through a complete revolution in about 45 days. Twelve tinted drawings of the appearance of the dise of Jupiter accompany the report. The first of two made on July 3, 1880, shows the second satellite just entering on the great red spot at 15" 43™.5, and the other, made nine minutes later, shows it nearly over its center. A notch was formed so soon as the satellite touched the end of the red spot, and when completely entered it appeared as white as when outside the planet’s disk. . OBSERVATORIES. Observatories of the United States.—It will be remembered that at the accession of Professor Pickering to the directorship of the Harvard College Observatory he obtained by the subscription of some 70 persons in Boston the sum of $25,000 ($5,000 a year for five years). A pamphlet report on the scientific work accomplished has just been published, which shall be summarized here. The work is spoken of under the head- ings of the various instruments employed. Large equatorial: This has been chiefly devoted to photometry and many new (successful) forms of photometers have been devised. The brightness of the satellites of Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus (two only) and Neptune has been determined. Some 200 double stars and about 100 bright stars with faint companions have been measured in the same way. All the planetary nebule have been similarly measured and sev- eral new ones have been discovered by their spectrum only. Many variable stars have had their light curves determined photo- metrically, and several new ones have been discovered. Fifty points on the moon have also been determined. Bond’s zones of faint stars near the equator are shortly to be revised. Meridian circle: The zone (50° to 55° N.) has been finished. It con- tains 8,300 stars from 1 to 10th mag., each of which has been observed twice. Two hundred and fifty-eight stars have been observed, each 6 _ times, for the Coast Survey. One hundred standard stars are regu- larly observed with the sun. This work has continued for 3 years, and will require 2 more. The graduation errors of one circle have been determined. Meridian photometer: Every star visfble to the naked eye has had its light determined photometrically on at least three nights, many on more; over 100,000 observations were made in 3 years, and this work is now completed. Other similar work is planned. Other miscellaneous 312 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. work of importance has been done, but is not mentioned here. This brief summary will be sufficient to show the extraordinary amount of the work which has been accomplished during the 5 years by the aid of the additional endowment. The reasons for this Professor Pickering summarizes as follows, and they deserve careful attention : ‘‘Tt will be noticed that the increased work is quite out of proportion to the increase of income. This is to be expected, since a large part of the expense is the same in either case, and the increase is directly available for the attainmert of scientific results. The formation of a corps of skilled assistants also requires time, and a delay in securing a continuation of our present income would seriously reduce our capacity for attaining results with the greatest economy both of time and money. ‘¢ As an increased expenditure was undertaken before the completion of the subscription, it is deemed best not to limit the present report to a period of exactly five years, but to include all the work undertaken since my first connection.with the observatory in February, 1877. “The effect of the subscription may be summarized in a few words. Without it only one instrument, the meridian circle, was kept actively at work, the large telescope being comparatively idle. The reductions even of this one instrument could not be kept up, but every year fell more and more behindhand. With the subscription, the large telescope, the meridian circle, and the meridian photometer are in constant use. A large number of the old observations have been published, while the remainder have been reduced, and before long will be ready for publica- tion. One volume of the recent observations with the large telescope has already been published; another volume of meridian photometer observations is now passing through the press. The unfinished volumes of Annals were completed, so that, as is shown below, our work is now known through twelve quarto volumes, while in 1876 but four had been given to the public. Eight more volumes of Annals will be needed to complete the publication of the observations already made. The in- creased rate of work ensues simply because the corps of assistants has — been more than doubled.” Willets Point.—A very interesting report is published by General H. M. Abbot, of the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, on the astronomical work which has been done during 1881 at the engineer post of Willets Point, New York Harbor. It¢ is to this school of application that young officers of engineers are sent to learn the practical application of their studies at West Point. They are taught the practice of military sur- veying, mining, torpedo service, etc., and also the application of astron- omy to military and boundary surveys. Each year a general order is issued, giving the results of the past year’s work. The order for 1882 may be summarized as below: ° For local time, each officer makes a long series of determinations with various instruments, and in various ways. Using the portable transit,: the time of transit is at first recorded by an assistant, at the word given ASTRONOMY. 313 by the observer; next, the observer records his own time by the relay beat of a chronometer every 1 second; next by the chronographic method, and lastly by the beat of the chronometer itself (every 0.5 second). Be- ginners use these methods in succession in the order named. Personal equation is studied by means of Eastman’s machine (see Wash. Ast. Obs., 1875), and an interesting table of results by the second method of marking time (the relay beat) is given. The time determinations are given for each day of observations, with the probable errors. Time determinations by sextant observations are also given, and by means of the (known) correction of the standard chronometer the error of each observation and observer is determined. We quote below the errors of the sextant Delta t’s so determined. (Usually 10 altitudes of an east star and 10 of a west were employed.) eee Ore Oe 138s O25 24sts 1875 O45 1885 O87: S83 25.85 BGs 5°.0. These are the observations of students. The latitude is determined, first by zenith telescope, and the first process is the evaluation of the level division. This is done by each student, and of the set for 1881 the largest probable error is +0/’.008. The observations for latitude are given in detail. From 326 observa- tions of 84 pairs in 1880, the latitude was found to be + 40° 47’ 21/7.59 + 0.082. From 591 observations of 104 pairs in 1881, it was found to be + 40° 47’ 21.47, a difference of about 12 feet only. Sextant observa- tions for latitude were also made. The errors of the several determina- tions were 1.1; 30.5; 14.8; 7/.4; 0.9; 0.5, respectively. The longitude is determined— 1st. By lunar culminations. The errors were found to be (of one night’s observations), 7°.01; 6°.99; 3°14; 15°.97; 3°.74; 21°.06; 148.29; 248.84; 208.58; 258.04; 4°.06; 2°.28; 15.81. The errors of each limb of the moon are separately shown. | 2d. By Jupiter’s satellites. Errors: 218.02; 29%.48; 258.95. 3d. By lunar distances (sextant). Errors: 48.0; 258.0; 40°.6; 138.7; 348.7; 68.4; 58.7, The value of a revolution of the micrometer screw of the small (five- inch) equatorial was twice determined, as follows: R = 19/.362 + 0.018 Polaris. =e ah t=) OO) farce The displays of the aurora have been regularly noted since 1870, Feb- ruary 1. The number for each year is as below: 2870; 995 771, 1045 772, 945 73, 923 774, 3B; 975, 273 976, 17; 777, 133 "78, 4; "79, 16; ’80, °23 ’81, 44. What has been given as an abstract of one year’s work in one depart- ment only of this school of application for young engineer officers is sufficient to show that we have at present no better school of practical astronomy in America. 314 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. Halstead Observatory.—The new telescope at Princeton is now at last in position and nearly ready for work. It was made by A. Clark & Sons, of Cambridge, the glass disks being furnished by Feil, of Paris. The diameter of the object-glass is 23 inches, and the focal length within an inch or two of 30 feet. At present its only superiors in the United States are the 26-inch telescopes of the Naval Observatory, at Washington, and of the University of Virginia. In Europe the 27-inch refractor of the Vienna Observatory and the 25-inch telescope of Mr. Newall surpass it. Five other instruments of larger dimensions are in- deed now constructing, two in Paris, and three in Cambridge; but it will be some time before any of them are finished. In the Princeton telescope the lenses which compose the object-glass are separated by a space of nearly seven inches, allowing a free circu- lation of air between them, and securing a rapid equalization of temper- ature. This construction also prevents the “ghosts” (formed by re- flections between the lenses), which are very troublesome in some large instruments. The spherical and color corrections are very fine in the Piinceton telescope, and the performance of the object-glass, so far as can be judged from a few nights’ use, is entirely satisfactory. It is intended to devote the instrument for the present mainly to spectroscopic obser- vations of the stars. The spectroscope is of Christie’s direct vision form, which has been successfully used at Greenwich for several years. Mr. Christie (Astronomer Royal) very kindly supervised its construction (by Hilger, of London), and there is every reason to hope that it will prove a magnificent instrument. It is much larger and more powerful than anything ever used before in stellar work; it is nearly six feet long, and admits through the prisms a beam 24 inches in diameter. A four horse-power gas-engine works the dome and shutters. It also drives one of Edison’s dynamo machines, which furnishes a powerful current for purposes of ‘illumination, and for producing the spectra of metals or gases to be compared with those of the stars. Yale College Observatory.—From a late report of Prof. H. A. New- ton, director of Yale College Observatory, we learn that the Board of Managers are to proceed at once to erect suitable buildings on the ob- servatory grounds for the new heliometer just received from Messrs. Repsold, of Hamburg, and the new equatorial telescope, purchased of Howard Grubb, of Dublin, last summer. The towers for these instru- ments are now being erected, and the heliometer is expected to be in | place by the first of August, that the observers may have ample time to prepare for the best use of the instrument at the transit of Venus in December, 1882. The new equatorial of eight inches aperture is ex- pected from the makers about the middle of August, and it will also be ready for use early in the autumn. The domes for these instruments were made by Mr. Grubb. The longitude of the transit house of this observatory was recently determined by exchanges of telegraphic sig- ASTRONOMY. 315 nals on four nights by Prof. W. A. Rogers, of Cambridge, and Dr. Waldo, an exchange of observers being made on two nights. The difference of longitude between the meridian circle of Harvard College Observatory and the transit of Yale College is 0® 7” 108.553 +. 08.0091. This report also contains the second annual statement of Dr. Waldo, astronomer in charge of the horological and thermometrical bureaus of the observatory. This kind of work has not been undertaken anywhere else in this country; and the manner in which it is done reflects credit on all concerned. Tick Observatory.—The Lick trustees have ordered from Messrs. Rep- sold, of Hamburg, a 6-inch meridian circle of the design of that of the Strasburg Observatory. The objectives of the instrument and of the © north and south collimators are of six inches aperture, and will be made by Alvan Clark & Sons. The objective and eye end of the circle are ‘interchangeable. There are two divided circles, A and B. A is fixed on the axis and divided to 2’. B is movable on the axis and is divided to 2’ at four points 90° from each other. Every degree of cach circle is numbered with an engraved figure. There are four microscopes to each circle, one revolution of their micrometers being 1’, and one part being 1”. The setting is done by a reflecting microscope with two eye-pieces, | one north, the other south. The axis of the circle is itself a telescope, and a collimator east or west is used to rectify its position. The hang- ing level is so arranged that it can be applied while the instrument is pointed to the nadir. The flint disk for the 36-inch objective to be made by Alvan Clark & Sons for the Lick Observatory has arrived in this country. Its diameter is 97°™ (38.19 inches), its thickness 55° (21.65 inches), and its weight 170 kilograms (375 pounds). A month was required in the cooling. A crown disk has also been cast by M. Feil (fils) who made the flint. A sidereal clock ordered by the Lick trustees, from A. Hohwu, of Amsterdam, has arrived in this country. It is in all respects similar to the normal clock of the Washburn Observatory, described in its publi- cations, Vol. I, 1881, p. 12; and to a clock just delivered to the Pulkova Observatory. Its cost is about $447. Similar clocks are mounted at the observatories of Upsala, Leyden, Strasburg, Brussels, and Tashkent. This clock bears the number 33. West Point Academy.—Alvan Clark & Sons are making a 12-inch equa- torial for the observatory of the United States Military Academy at West Point. The following list of dates may have some interest: The collimating eye-piece was first proposed (by Bohnenberger) in the Astronomiche Nachrichten, Vol. IV, p. 330 in.......----- 1825 Bear dd tac OUServalory 25.0 02 nee et . 1834 Be reopen at . .i ci V AME DE MM 1837 See hadinburash tornadir 2 oak ee Se: 1840 Serax Grd fOr WAGIE ooo cee ee ee ee ee a eke 1843 9 316 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. Used at. Cambridge... f25 see eee oe ee Soe ries eae 1845 Used at Washington ....... ie sae RE oe eae erie re 1815 Used at'Greenwich. £26. Prk Sess s ee ee cee 1847 McCormick Observatory.—Prof. Ormond Stone of the Cincinnati Ob- servatory, has been appointed director of the Leander McCormick Obser- vatory of the University of Virginia. The institution is already in pos- session of the great refracting telescope made by the Clarks a few years ago for Mr. McCormick, who generously presented it to the university in 1877. It cost nearly $50,000. The friends of the university have contributed $75,000 to endow the chair of astronomy. Warner & Swazey, of Cleveland, have completed arrangements with the director of this observatory (Prof. O. Stone) by which they are to build a 45-footiron and steel dome to contain the 264-inch Clark refractor. The dome is to turn on a live ring, on Grubb’s plan, but the rolls are to be mounted in an ingenious manner which does away with most of the friction, and allows of the most accurate placing of the ring on the track. It is guaranteed that the dome (45 feet) will revolve with a direct pressure of fifty pounds. Foreign observatories.—The last number of the Vierteljahrsschrift der Astronomischen Gesellschaft contains reports of the proceedings of some twenty of the observatories in Europe during the year 1881. At Berlin observations for the zone + 20° to 25°, were actively continued, upwards of 10,000 being made in the year. The 9-inch refractor was employed for comets and small planets, etc., the physical appearances of the comet 1881 ITI, receiving special attention. With the Declinograph 1,200 small stars were observed, making, up to the end of 1881, 12,329 stars, mostly from the eleventh to the thirteenth magnitudes, thus determined in con- nection with the identification and observation of the small planets. At Bonn the southern *‘ Durchmusterung” furnished observations of upwards of 14,000 stars, so that rapid progress is being made with this work under the direction of Professor Schoenfeld. At Brussels astro- nomical physics, as well as meridian observations, have been attended to; the meteors of the August period were extensively observed over Belgium; Christiania was mainly occupied, under Dr. Fearnley, with the zone 65° — 70°, and the curious circumstance of the existence of four variable stars in this zone within a radius of 1° is recorded; the first, in 205 59™ 20° + 66° 85, has been estimated by various observers from 5m. (Lalande) to 9m. (Argelander); the second is in 205 59™ 48s + 67° 35/.9; the third in 215 7™ 33s + 67° 54/.4, and the fourth in 21" 11™ 49° + 66° 0/.9, for 1855.0. Baron v. Engelhardt, at Dresden, has zealously observed the various comets of the year, and has made 111 observations of 19 minor planets. The principal instrument in the Baron’s observatory is an equatorial refractor by Howard Grubb, of Dublin; aperture 306™", A new physical observatory has been erected at Herény, Hungary, by Eugen and Alexander von Gothard, the posi- ASTRONOMY. | oly tion of which is 12™ 49.8° east. of Berlin, in latitude 47° 16’ 37”. The observatory is provided with a 104-inch equatorially-mounted re- flector by Browning, of London. Observations were commenced in the second week of November, and chiefly consisted of the examination of - star-spectra. At Keil an 8-inch refractor by Steinheil has been received. Meridian observations here were largely devoted to circumpolar stars + 79° to 82°, but according to the present plan the observations will be continued to the pole. Leipsic is now under the direction of Prof. H. Bruns. At Lund the zone undertaken by the observatory was con- tinued, more than 5,200 stars being determined. From the observatory of Brera, Milan, Professor Schiaparelli makes the welcome announce- ment that the late Baron Dembowski had confided to him all his astro- nomical manuscripts, with the condition that they were to be utilized to the best advantage for the science. His measures of double stars, upwards of 20,000 in number, will be published under the auspices of the Accademia Reale dei Lincei; they are to form four volumes, of which the first will contain the measures made by Dembowski at Naples with his Pléssl Dialytic in the years 185258 ; the second and third, the obser- vations made at Galarate on stars of the Dorpat Catalogue, and the fourth, the measures of stars in W. Struve’s appendix, the Pulkowa Catalogue, and double stars discovered by ¢ther astronomers, more especially by the eminent American observer, Mr. Burnham. The first volume is in course of preparation. At Plonsk Dr. Jedrzejewicz con- tinues, in his private observatory, measures of double stars as his prin- cipal work. The passages of the red spot on Jupiter, by the middle of the disk, were micrometrically determined from November 25, 1880, to ‘February 5, 1881, from 174 rotations. The period was found to be 9" 55" 34.418. + 0.138, and at the same time the jovicentric latitude of the center of the spot was found — 22°.8, and its length in degrees of the parallel 26°.4; the third and fourth comets of 1881 and Encke’s comet were also observed for position. The physical observatory at Potsdam was in full activity, and, in addition to the more special sub- jects of observation undertaken by this important establishment, an extensive series of observations of variable stars was secured in 1881. From Stockholm Dr. Hugo Gylden notifies his determination of the par- allax of the star Bradley 3077, or No. 240 in Argelander’s Calalogue of 250 stars, forming part of the seventh volume of the Bonn observations. The resulting value is 0.283 + 0/.0468. This star has considerable proper motion. Prof. R. Wolf communicates from Zurich the monthly number of days with and without sun spots, and the relative numbers. In the whole year’s observing days the sun was free from spots on five days and exhibited spots on 297. From the report of the director of the Paris Observatory, we extract the following: The asteroids, which have been observed at Paris and at Greenwich for the past fifteen years, are now to be observed at Paris only. It has been found’at Greenwich that the bad weather seriously 318 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. interferes with the progress of the work; and Admiral Mouchez has therefore undertaken the whole of this labor at Paris. The observation of the stars of Lalande has been going on at Paris for some years, as is well known. During the past three years this task has been made the chief work of the meridian service, and it is hoped that the whole of these observations will be finished in 1882. The catalogue will be published in Paris, and it is expected that part 1, comprising 23,640 stars, will be sent to the printer during the year. This will be the most important contribution to stellar astronomy that could be rendered. The eighteen observers of the meridian service have made 28,747 ob- servations during the year. The observations of the sun, moon, planets and comets amount to 1,018. These are reduced by the Bureau des Caleuls. The equatorials are employed as before in observations of planets, comets, and asteroids. The large reflector will be resilvered and devoted to photographie and spectroscopic work. The meteorological observations, the time-services, and the astronom- ical school of Montsouris continue as formerly. Visitors are admitted (by the written permission of the director) once a month. Four hundred persons come on the average, and the uses of the various instruments are explained to them by four of the astrono- mers, in regular turn. The observatory is about to undertake an investigation of the varia- tions of the vertical, which have been remarked by Messrs. D’Abbadie and Darwin. From the terms in which this research is spoken of in the report, it is evident that it is not considered to be one which promises to be very fruitful in results. The large refractor is still in process of construction. It will be clear, from the brief résumé here given, that the observatory of Paris is engaged in work fully worthy of its great name and of its past services to astronomy. The commission appointed by M. Ferry to report on the construction of the rotating dome for the large refractor of the Paris Observatory has held numerous meetings at the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers, Colonel Laussedat, director of the establishment, being in the chair Only two projects have been reserved for final choice. M. Eiffel pro- poses to use a saline solution in a horizontal circular channel placed on ~ the wall to diminish the weight of the rotary roof. Owing to the exertions of Admiral Mouchez, magnetical observations will soon be resumed at the Paris Observatory, in subterranean cham-_ bers which have been excavated in the newly annexed grounds. These observations will be self-registering by photography, in conformity with the instruments established by M. Mascart at the College de France. Direct observations will also be conducted with the old instruments which were used by Arago, which were famous for his prognostications of aurore, at a period when, the electric telegraph not having been 2 ee eS ae ASTRONOMY. 319 invented, many days must elapse before the arrival in Paris of news from the northern parts of Europe. A credit of 96,000 francs ($19,200) has been granted by the Chambers of Belgium to found an observatory at the University of Liége. It will be chiefly devoted to the instruction of students in geodesy and geo- graphical surveying. A new observatory has been founded at Tashkent, under the direc- tion of Lieutenant Pomerantzeff. The principal instruments are— 1. A Repsold meridian circle of 4.82-inch aperture and 55.27 foeus, with a cirele divided to 2’ and read by 4 microscopes. 2. A Merz equatorial of 6.34 inches aperture. 3. A sidereal clock by Hohwu. The geographical position is: Latitude, 40° 18’ 32//.2. Longitude, 2% 35™ 52.15, east of Pulkova. From two letters, printed in L/Astronomie, we learn that Don José Gonzales has built and equipped and also endowed a small observatory in Bogota, Colombia. Its principal instruments are a 4-inch equatorial, _asmall meridian circle, spectroscopes, &c. The facade bears the inscrip- ‘tion: “ Observatoire Flammarion.—A la France.—A Flammarion.—” ASTRONOMICAL BIBLIOGRAPHY. The fourth and last fascicule of the second volume of Bibliographie de VAstronomie, by J. C. Houzeau, director of the Royal Observatory of Brussels, and A. Lancaster, librarian of the same, has lately ap- peared. Theauthors have tabulated the number of astronomical papers by the dates of publication, from 1600 to 1880, and have plotted the re- sults in a curve of astronomical works, which illustrates with striking _ effect the rapidity with which the number of these articles is increasing with time. Political revolutions have but slightly affected this pro- gressive activity—excepting only the great wars of the first French empire, which occasioned a remarkable decrease in the number of pa- pers, the epoch of greatest depression being the year 1815. Important astronomical discoveries and events have had the most marked effect in stimulating the production of astronomical works; for example, the last transit of Venus, 1874, and the discovery of Neptune, 1846. Of some 1,800 articles indexed in this volume of the Bibliographie, 6,000 are written in the French language, 5,800 in English, 4,400 in German, 800 in Italian, and 600 in Latin, the remaining 400 being divided un- evenly among nine other languages. The four most prolific names are those of Secchi, Lalande, Zach, and Bessel, while those who have aver- aged the greatest number of papers per annum during the period of their activity are Flammarion, Secchi, and Proctor. The sections of this volume are nine in number, and relate to the History of Astronomy, _ Astronomical Biography, Spherical Astronomy, Theoretical Astronomy, Celestial Mechanics, Astronomical Physics, Practical Astronomy, Mon- 320 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. ographs on the principal bodies of the Solar System, and Stellar As- tronomy. The first and third volumes, being thought of less pressing importance than the second, will be published subsequently, and will relate, the first to works (or separate publications), and the third to observatories and the observations made at them. This work has been epitomized in the Vade-mecum de V Astronomie, 8vo, 1 vol., 1882. The Greenwich Observatory, always prompt in its publications, is this year even more prompt than usual. The volume of 1879 has been distributed ; parts of the volume for 1880 have also been sent out, and the whole volume is nearly printed ; and at the date of writing, the vol- ume for 1881 is nearly ready for the printer. Professor Folie, director of the new observatory at Luttich, has published new tables for computation of the precession, nutation, ete. These are more complete than Coffin’s and Hubbard’s tables in the Washington observations for 1847, and according to the account of them in V. J. S. der Ast. Gesell., 1881, p. 291, they are also more con- ' venient, as the argument (R. A.) does not vary uniformly, as in the Washington tables, but is varied so as to make the interpolation easy. The German Astronomical Society is about to issue another volume of its publications (the quarto series). It has for title, Syzygien- Tafeln fiir den Mond, nebst ausfiihrlicher Anweisung thres Gebrauchs, von Th. von Oppolzer. The publication (by Scribners) of Trouvelot’s ‘Astronomical draw- . ings of the sun, planets, comets, and nebule” gives us a work never at- tempted before on such a scale, and only recently made possible. The plates represent to the general student and the public, with accuracy and beauty, the chief celestial objects and phenomena, almost exactly as the power of modern instruments now presents them to the trained eye of the astronomer. Not only are the general appearance and relative positions of the different objects accurately given, but their peculiar and delicate colorings are reproduced with excellent effect—a result which photography is wholly inadequate to secure. The fifteen years’ study of which this is the fruit has involved the preparation of about seven thousand larger and smaller drawings, in which telescopes of all powers have been used, from the great 26-inch equatorial in Washington to instruments of 6$ inches aperture. The whole series consists of 15 large plates. New astronomical journal.—M. Flammarion has recently founded a new popular astronomical journal, having for title: D’)Astronomie, revue mensuelle d Astronomie populaire, de Météorologie et de Physique du Globe. No. Lis dated March, 1882, and contains a good account of the observ- atory of Paris, with wood-cuts of its appearance in 1672 and at present. A list of the instruments now in use is given, which we copy: ASTRONOMY. 321 Aperture inches. SE PTDVGCERE 8 Bae RS» ORS ie hk 2 aI ea OE gC 5. 91 Bera ARLER IG CIECIG (aioe Bo net a) ic wlof ordi gb cyn nis Rie ue ateosl DH Sinibss 4,74 eee HOTA METIOAT CALCIO? chs oie <\cisein oa wlan a aa pialele 2) ae wia’e alae) = 9. 48 Seat e Ss NOTICIA CIECLE a ajc cial on ona So aos ma deed easel casas 7. 48 IS TSTTERS MS TLE 9 OS A eee ei OOO er Sne 14, 96 Secretan equatorial ............ Cea eR OA Pt I 5 EE VN SIN 12. 20 Se PeLAMGCO TOTAL? ie scious 21k ate ee 2y oils N. 73° 00’ KE. 122° 00/ B®. Orlekminsk ........ aE eae Pee ht aries etsy N. 60° 30’ E. 121° 00/ MMCEDIE RIC ete nics ee Le Pa NG Sa N. 59° 25’ KB. 112° 30! me iirensk. ....-. : Ream Repti cigs Manat hues Uy 8 hI 2 Sic N. 57° 00’ BE. 108° 30/ SS CENELNIT ICIS ipa ie ORE ie ie Oe le eh N. 60° 00’ E. 117° 00/ SWEDEN. Polar stations. BOM MOR ION eo. axe hk e's) Yes cee pis eee eae N. 79° 53’ E. 16° 00/ ARGENTINE REPUBLIC. Auxiliary stations. 1. Steps have been taken to establish a mag- netic observatory at Cordoba-............ S. 31° 30’ W. 64° 30’ Gt Pe Gob be MISCELLANEOUS. Special simultaneous observations will be made by the local phys- ical observatories at— (LES Sg CRG Seo eee eee pe ssuiater tune NN. 41° 43’ BE. 44° 47 (EE Sie lo dala a ae ee ROE N, 23° 08’ W. 82° 28/ MMMM TEE Serre Me ee aN ell N. 51° 30’ °E. 100° 00/ MPO ON Ve ie a Ss be eis ous N. 38° 42) W. 9° 08/ PScOnyhrst....-. 0... ep apie d lhe SUR AGN, Stihe seh N. 53° 51 W. 2° 28/ H. Mis. 26 24 : 370 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. Lat. Long. GosPES Ata ee Ge el eh cous ene oe he Sena N. 51° 07’ E. 179 02% 7. Zi-ka-wei (Shanghai)...-.....- Pe ikea siete N. 31° 10" B. 121° 7a Sey Maniaee. <2 he | Slaldat ee ais SRN Hrapalee c Siero t cepa NI eens a Je cpm elma LLIB BE Hg Te Ha ig Ro LA a ED S. 6°10’ EK. 1069 50° Signal Office memorandum. The International Polar Commission held its third annual meeting at St. Petersburg September (August) 1, 1881. The instructions that had been issued to the United States parties (which were now already in the field) were presented to the members. The first subject discussed was the time at which observations should be taken, and their frequency. Observations will begin for all the expe- ditions in the polar regions, as also for observations in the temperate zones, as soon as possible after August 1, 1882, and will finish as close as possible to September 1, 1883. All the meteorological and magnetic phenomena will be observed hourly during all this time; and besides there will be taken on the Ist and 15th-of each month magnetic obser- vations every five minutes for twenty-four hours, and every twenty seconds during some one hour of the day fixed on in advance, and every- where according to the mean time of Gottingen. These latter observa- tions have for their especial end to obtain a perfect knowledge of per- turbations or magnetic storms, and their connection with the aurora borealis. The assembly approved three proposals by Count Wilezek: (1) To found, if possible, a special publication to convey more quickly to the knowledge of the scientific world, as well as to the leaders of the expeditions, the proyosals and reports concerning the expeditions, as also their first results. (2) To leave, if possible, on the spot, the build- ings and other arrangements likely to be useful to future expeditions of the same kind, and to recommend them, in each country, to the care of navigators, or to the inhabitants. (3) To ask steamboat and railway companies to grant a reduction in the fares for the staff and effects of various international polar expeditions. The stations proposed are, two on the north coast of Siberia, one in Nova Zembla, one in Spitzbergen, one on Jan Mayen Island, one on the west coast of Greenland, one in Lady Franklin Bay, one in Behring Strait region; and the participating countries are, Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Austria, and the United States. (Nature, September, 1881, VOL. XxIv, p. 479.) Loewy states that the International Polar Scientific Expedition sent by France to Cape Horn will carry out a programme of observations as arranged by Angot; direct observations will be made every four hours, self-recording appaiatus will also be kept in operation. Special attention will be given to the austral auroras. (Nature, XXVI, p. 192.) According to General Hazen’s Annual Report for 1881, the United States Arctic stations at Lady Franklin Bay and Point Barrow are es- | 4 », a Ha iP ’ Va METEOROLOGY. orl tablished for the purposes of meteorological researches and not polar geographic explorations. In regard to the subject of polar researches, the English journal, _. Nature, November 18,1880, says: ‘To squander £30,000 in one huge at- tempt to reach the pole would be as mad as for a merchant to embark all his capital in one hazardous undertaking. Polar research and polar expeditions are not incompatible, but as Dr. Neumayer showed, in an ad- mirable address at the Dantzic meeting of the German Association, the former must be subordinated to and guided by the results of the latter. The days of Arctic campaigns are past. We have reached the precincts of the citadel itself, and now the sappers and miners begin their slow but sure work, to be capped at the proper time by a grand assauit. Ger- many, Austria, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the United States, and, we believe, Canada are allto take part in this great work by estab- lishing observing stations at suitable points all around the polar area, while Italy is to send out next year a scientifically equipped expedition to the Antarctic regions, our knowledge of which is meager and uncer- tain. This last will be an observing as well as an exploring expedition, preparatory to the establishment of an Antarctic station. “As Dr. Neumayer said, in the address alluded to, men of science do not demand practical or so-called utilitarian reasons before giving their ad- hesion to any new work ; it is enough if it can be shown that such work will conduce to the advancement of knowledge. And that Weyprecht’s scheme of polar observatories, of which so many Governments approve, will lead to vast additions being made to scientific knowledge, no man of science needs be told. In meteorology, terrestrial magnetism, biology, geology, and glacial physics the gains would be immense, and the his- tory of science has taught us over and over again that the surest path - to practical and beneficent results is through the gate of pure scientific research. Every day is the science of meteorology becoming more and more important.” (Nature, November, 1880, xx111, p. 50.) In connection with the Panama Canal, De Lesseps Has established a meteorological station at Colon. Stations on both sides of the isthmus have long been desirable, and it is to be hoped that such will be well maintained. The Scottish Meteorological Society has, since the spring of 1881, main- tained a series of daily observations on the summit and sides of Ben Nevis. The summit is 4,406 feet above sea-level and is the highest spot in the British Isles. The importance of building a residence for the observer, and maintaining at the summit more frequent if not more continuous observations, is strongly urged. The society accepted a handsome offer by Mr. C. L. Wragge, who has had experience of such work, to climb to the top of Ben Nevis every morning in time to make _ observations there at 9 a.m. degree. The divided scale is fixed on the tube; one sees it by reflec- tion on a gilt surface, which sends the virtual image into the axis of the tube, and the mercury is seen through the gold layer. Thus one can see, with a single microscope, the mercury-level and the corresponding division of the scale. (Nature, XXVI, p. 312.) 406 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. IV.—PHYSICAL QUESTIONS. B. J. Hopkins suggests that specimens of the atmospheric dust that are to be examined with reference to the question of the presence of meteor dust should be collected regularly by apparatus attached to properly constructed captive balloons, so as to avoid the presence of a mass of dust of terrestrial origin. (Nature, xxv, p. 339.) Professor Schuster, in the report of the committee on meteoric dust, says that the occurrence of magnetic particles in dust, especially that: discovered by Tissandier in the snows of Mont Blane, is explicable only on one of three hypotheses: First, the particles may be of volcanic origin; second, they may come from the smoke of our own chimneys; third, they may have a cosmic origin. The latter hypothesis is strongly fa- vored by the consideration that the iron particles issuing from our chim- neys contain neither nickel nor cobalt, while these metals do exist in the microscopic magnetic particles of atmospheric dust. Schuster finds that the sand near the great pyramids and the desert of Rajpootana, and also from the Nile mud near the canal, all contain these rare metals. As regards their origin, he concludes that at high elevations the pro- portion of oxygen in the atmosphere is very small, and that inasmuch as there is still a line in the aurora spectrum that has not been recog- nized as belonging to any known substance, he is convinced that it is due to some unknown gas of very small density. It is the contact of the meteors with this gas that fills the upper regions with meteoric dust which first makes it possible for the aurora to exist at those elevations, and afterwards, settling towards the earth, is brought down by the snow and rain to the surface. (Nature, XXVI, p. 488.) Prof. F. A. Abel, in a lecture before the Royal Institution on atmos- pheric dust, shows the various dangers to which the human race are thereby subjected. Passing by the microscopic germs of disease float- ing in the air, he confined his attention to the larger dust particles, for instance, those of coal dust in mines, the sulphur dust in powder mills, finely divided cotton fibers in cotton mills, and the dustin flour and rice mills; all these and many other forms of dust, when sufficiently abundant in the air, make a dangerously explosive mixture, and there can be no doubt many explosions in coal mines have been due to dust- Jaden air rather than fire-damp. Thelecturer paid special attention to the suggestion of methods for the avoidance of danger from these sources. (Nature, XXVI, p. 20.) Miintz and Aubin have observed the relative proportion of carbonic acid in the upper and lower regions of the atmosphere they observed on the Pie du Midi and the plain around—the difference seems inap- preciable. (Comptes Rendus, Paris, November 14, 1881.) Dumas communicates to the Paris Academy some observations on the amount of carbonic acid in the atmosphere. After noticing the defects of several methods of measurement, he commends the exactness METEOROLOGY. 407 of M. Rerset’s and accepts his results, that about 5 volumes in 10,000 rep- resent the general ratio of CO, in air. The variations through great movements of the atmosphere now require study, by observers placed at many different and distant stations, and the transit expeditions should keep this in view. MM. Miintz and Aubin’s inethods are most suitable for this. (Nature, XXv, p. 476.) Berthelot has communicated to the Paris Academy of Sciences an important memoir on the propagation of the waves of explosion as dis- tinguished from waves of sound. An explosion starting in a mixture of oxygen and hydrogen propagates itself at arate of 28.14™ per second, but the velocity of sound is 514; he therefore concludes that the explosion wave is not an acoustic wave, but a wave of chemical action, and he attempts to explain its nature on principles suggested by the kinetic theory of gases. (Nature, xxv, p. 44.) Sir William Thomson read before the Royal Society of Edinburgh a paper on the thermo-dynamie acceleration of the earth’s rotation. He shows that there must be tides in the atmosphere, and that the line of crests, namely, the maximum of atmospheric pressure, so lies with respect to the line joining the earth’s center and the sun’s that the couple due to the sun’s attraction upon the ellipsoidal mass of air always acts in the direction of the earth’s rotation, and therefore accelerates it slightly. (Nature, XXV, p. 380.) Stanley has published a volume on experimental researches into the properties and motion of fluids. The author, in writing section second, seems not to have taken advantage of the works of the best modern students on meteorology and the motions of the atmosphere. ~ Maj. John Herschel has completed the pendulum experiments recom- mended by the Royal Society, and, having swung one of the original Kater pendulums in India and Europe, and finally in New York and Washington, has deposited it with the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. The latter has, we understand, immediately started it again on its travels in connection with its own most elaborate pendulum work under the direction of Prof. C. 8S. Peirce. Joly, at Munich,.has attempted to determine the force of gravitation by means of a delicate balance, from each of whose scale-pans was hung by a wire, at adepth of about 60 feet, another pair of pans. A heavy lead ball is brought under one of the lower scale-pans, while a small body can be placed in either an upper or lower pan at will, and thus have its weight determined under the influence of the lead ball and again when beyond its influence. The result of his experiments has given him for the mean density of the earth, 5.692 plus or minus 0.068, agreeing closely with the results of the torsion balance. (Nature, Xxv, p. 137.) Tyndall has in a series of brilliant experiments introduced Bell’s radiophone as a means of easily deciding the question as to the absorp- tion of radiant heat in its passage through gases and vapors. He finds every observation to completely justify the position he has so long main- 408 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. tained, enforcing the diathermancy of gases and the opaqueness of vapors. He also further claims that his views are independently con- firmed by observations of Professor Langley on Mount Whitney. Tyn- dall states that in November, 1880, he resumed investigations in ref- erence to radiant heat, and it is to be hoped that his recent work will ere long be published in full. (Nature, xxv, p. 233.) Captain Abney in a lecture on solar physics has given a general view of the theory in practice of the photography of the ultra-violet and especially the ultra-red portion of the spectrum. It is to be hoped that the study of this subject and the application of Rowland’s perfect cylindrical gratings will enable us to fix for future study those bands due to the absorption of solar radiation by our atmosphere that have been so laboriously studied by Langley with the help of his bolometer. (Nature, XXv, p. 162.) i In Nature, xxvul, p. 15, will be found all necessary details as to his method of photographing the infra-red portion of the spectrum. He states that in photographs taken at an elevation of 1,000 feet the general absorption due to water almost vanishes, but the presence of other ab- sorbents, especially alcohol vapor, still higher up, becomes demonstrable. Fuller details of Professor Langley’s results were communicated by him in immediate connection with the address of Captain Abney to the British Association at Southampton, and are published in Nature, XXVI, p. 526. Langley also communicated his results to the Paris Academy of Sci- ences, and he estimates that the solar heat on a square centimeterat the outer surface of the atmosphere would raise one gram of water in one minute about 8° C. Of all this solar energy one-fourth is to be found in the visible spectrum and ultra-violet portion; the other three-quar- ters exist in the infra-red. In general, absorption increases as the wave length diminishes. (Nature, XxvI, p. 520.) Professor Langley communicates to Nature, and also to the Paris Academy, &@ short account of some results derived from the spectro- scopic and bolometric observations on Mount Whitney, in Southern California, at elevations from 4,000 to 15,000 feet. .The expedition was largely at the expense of the Signal Service and a private citizen of Pittsburgh. His observations were directed first to the amount of heat that the sun sends to the earth, and he concludes that the true solar constant is at least one-half greater than that given by Pouillet, and again that the so-called temperature of space must be lower than that assigned by Pouillet, and finally the bolometer observations show a dif- ferent distribution of solar energy at the upper station from that of the lower, so that without our atmosphere the sun will appear with a strong bluish tint. [The full report of Professor Langley’s observations will soon be published by the Army Signal Office.] (Nature, XXv1, 316.) Desains communicates to the Paris Academy of Sciences a memoir on the distribution of heat in the dark regions of solar spectra with glass METEOROLOGY. 409 prisms. The spectrum is prolonged much further on the side of the rays of great wave length. Atthe same meeting Egoroff communicated his researches on the absorption spectrum of the terrestrial atmos phere; he observed the electric and other lights as seen at the Paris Observatory. (Nature, XXVI, p. 520.) Egoroff, as the result of some observations made at the Paris Observ- atory on the absorption spectrum of our atmosphere, finds that dry air and aqueous vapor are the only elements producing sensible effects. His experiments included observations of the absorption of an electric light by the layer of air between the observatory and Mount Valerian. (Comptes Rendus, Paris, November 14, 1881.) C. P. Smyth, in an appeal to physicists not to neglect spectroscopic observations of his so-called rain-band, says: ‘*While in Scotland a rain-band of intensity marked 2 usually produces a little rain and 3 produces much, yet in Lisbon during the same months the so-called rain-band marked 4 and yet no rainfall, but with 5 or 6, the tempera- ture remaining the same, rain will come down even in that dry coun- try. - - - Mr. T.G. Rylands has accumulated much experience as to the advantage of supplementing spectroscopic observations with a polariscope. - - - I rather prefer the spectroscope alone, but greatly increased in size and power.” Professor Smyth recommends as that the daily notation of the strength of the rain-band be made at afixed hour, say 9 a. m., and be recorded, not in absolute measures but differentially in terms of some other band which is not connected with aqueous vapor; for such comparison he recommends a low sun-band which is on the yellow side of the D line. (Nature, xxv, p. 553.) Ralph Abercromby says there is one case in which the rain-band may give valuable information, namely, when we have a vapor-laden over- current with a dry surface wind. This often occurs in winter, and with a@ warm southwest current over an area of frost and east wind. In prac- tice this almost invariably makes itself visible by the long converging line of cirrus which so often precedes a rain or thaw; but, still, cases may occur where no cirrus is formed or where itis otherwise visible or where it is otherwise invisible. Abercromby further says: ‘There are strong grounds for believing that an air spectrum may vary not only with the amount of pure vapor quantity, but it seems probable that its em- ployment may be still further extended. There are strong grounds for believing that an air spectrum may vary, not only with the amount of pure vapor, but also with the size, aggregation, and physical condi- tion of the condensed vapor suspended in it. For instance, take the so-called rain lines. These may appear either alone or with a rain- band of any intensity; so that if the band is due to pure vapor only, the lines must depend on some other condition. Again, in sunset tints we have a natural spectroscope whose colors certainly are the product of both the quantity and quality of the total moisture suspended in the air. I have made a large number of observations on the lurid, coppery, 410 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. yellow, green, and red skies, which form such a large portion of all weather lore, but without decisive results, for sunset spectra are too complicated and too fleeting to be unraveled by a small instrument. They certainly seem to differ, but their spectra are not so marked as their appearance to the naked eye. But even supposing that this idea is completely verified, and that the spectroscope can be used as a new weapon of research to discover the still unknown nature of clouds, and that we should be able to say that such and such an absorption spectrum belongs to such and such a kind of sky, there are no grounds for believ- ing that we can ever regard these spectra otherwise than as a new set of sky prognostics, or that as such they will be of more use in forecast- ing than those already known. What the use of any prognostics is in forecasting, and how they are related to synoptic charts, and how iso- barie lines map out the shape of rain areas, are other sides of the great problem of weather forecasting which cannot be discussed here.” (Na- ture, XXV,:p. 573.) Messrs. Lecher and Pernter have studied the absorption of radiant heat in gases and vapors. They consider ‘vapor-hesion” to have been an important source of error in Tyndall’s experiments. In their own method the thermopile and the heat source were brought into the same vessel. Air-currents were avoided by causing the surface of radiation to be heated in each case suddenly from without, by means of a steam jet, to 100° C. Among other results the absorption of water vapor is found, in opposition to Tyndall, immeasurably small. Violle found on Mont Blane that a meter of the air absorbed only 0.007 per cent. of the whole radiation ; according to this a layer of 300™ length would be necessary to produce, with water vapor saturated at 12°, that absorp- tion which Tyndall obtains in 1.22™,. This and the author’s own experi- mental results are considered to prove beyond dispute the very small absorption of aqueous vapor. The results for gases agree pretty well with Tyndall’s. No simple counection between absorption and pressure of the substance was discoverable. The absorption, even for radiation of a heat source of 100° C., is selective. The authors found the absorp- tion of certain substances of the fat series examined to increase rapidly with increasing proportion of carbon. It seems to be otherwise, how- ever, with bodies from other groups; thus, e. g., benzole, notwithstanding its six carbon-atoms, has a fairly small absorptive power. (Nature, XXII, p. 543.) Dr. Lecher has made new observations, espécially as to absorption ot solar radiation by the carbonic acid in the atmosphere. Experiments with a gas lamp and a glass cylinder first showed that carbonic acid in a length of 214™" gave passage to 94.8 per cent. of the radiation; 536™™, 93.8 per cent; 917™, 89.0 per cent. At Greifenstein, outside of Vienna (chosen for pure air), the sun’s rays were also proved to undergo con- siderable weakening in passages through carbonic-acid gas. a ee PHYSICS. ATT centimeters long, passing just through the cork and narrowed above. The subterranean canals bringing water to the bottom of the geyser are represented by the other tube, narrower than the first, which descends into the globe where it is a little recurved upward. The upper end of _ this tube passes from the bottom of a lateral jar half filled with water, which is about on a level with the top of the vertical tube. The whole being filled with water to a level a little below the narrowed point of the large tube, it is only necessary to heat the globe with a Bunsen burner to obtain projections of boiling water to a height of 2 or 3 meters. (Wied. Ann., V, xv, p. 173; J. Phys., June, II, 1, p. 290.) Violle has measured with great care the boiling point of zine. De- ville and Troost some years ago gave it at 1048°, while Becquerel’s de- termination makes it 932°. In the course of other experiments, Violle observed that silver, which melts at 954°, did not fuse in zine vapor. He then undertook to determine the boiling point of zinc by means of a special apparatus, and has found it to be 9299.6, or practically 930°. (Comptes Rendus, March, xcrv, p. 720.) In a note, Troost says that this value was redetermined by Deville and himself, and fixed at 942° as a mean of 27 experiments. (Comptes Rendus, March, xctv, p. 788.) Troost has determined the boiling point of selenium with a view to use this substance for determining vapor densities by the method pro- posed by Deville and himself in 1880. The temperature was measured by air thermometers, with both porcelain and glass bulbs, and was found to be 664° to 666°, or 665° as a mean. The author proposes se- lenium vapor, therefore, because glass bulbs can be used in it without softening. (Comptes Rendus, June, xCtv, p. 1508.) 3. Conduction and Radiation. Thoulet has determined the thermic conductibility of rocks, defining the coefficient of conduction to be the quantity of heat which enters or leaves a homogeneous wall of indefinite extent during a unit of time, traversing a unit of surface, when the thickness is unity, and the differ- ence of temperature on the facesis 1° C. He has given the preliminary results obtained with his apparatus, which show the coefficient for glass to be 2.66, for wrought iron 10.26, and for Viziile anhydrite 4.56. (Ann. Chim. Phys., June, V, XXVI, p. 261.) Gritz has investigated the conductivity for heat of gases and its re- lations to temperature. He concludes: (1) that heat conduction in the gases—air, hydrogen, and (atlow temperatures) carbon dioxide,—consists in the transference of progressive energy only, intramolecular energy contributing immeasurably little; (2) that the relation of heat condue- tion to temperature is found by experiment to be such as Clausius’s theory requires ; (3) that all results for gases and vapors showing di- vergences from the values calculated from theory are without. eviden- tialforce since they give only the apparent heat-conducting .power in consequence of the absorption of radiant heat ; (4) that the divergence 478 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. of the temperature coefficient of friction from that calculated from theory cannot have for its cause (at least not alone) the decrease of the molecular diameter with rising temperature. (Wied. Ann. XIv, 252; Nature, January, XXv, p. 290.) Dahlander has ascertained that the velocity with which a body cools in a liquid is: (1) nearly independent of its depth below the surface ; (2) is independent of the nature of its surface; (3) is dependent on its excess of temperature; and (4) for the same body in the same liquid with the same excess of temperature it increases rapidly with the tem- perature of the liquid. (J. Phys., September, LI, 1, p, 435.) Hill has caleulated from data obtained by actinometric observations in India, that the true absorbent of solar heat in our atmosphere is aqueous vapor, the absorbing power being identical with that obtained by Violle from measurements taken by bimself in the Alps. (Proc. Roy. Soc., XXXI1, p. 216; J. Phys., June, IT, 1, p. 290.) Heine has measured the absorption of radiant heat by gases by means of the expansion produced. The gas is contained in a brass vessel, whose sides carry plates of rock salt, through which pass the radiations of a Bunsen burner. A very delicate manometer registers automatically the variations of interior pressure. If air be used purified from water vapor and carbon dioxide no change of pressure takes place, but if car- bon dioxide be employed there is an increase of pressure resulting from the absorption of heat by the gas. On mixing definite quantities of carbon dioxide with air, definite curves were obtained, which were suffi- ciently well marked to permit of the solution of the inverse problem; i. e., the determination of the carbon dioxide in the air from the absorp- tion curves. The results agree well with those of chemical methods. (J. Phys., August, II, I, p. 380.) Ferrini has experimented with the Crookes phenomenon, using two similar tubes, one of which was exhausted only moderately, the spark passing direct from one electrode to the other, while the other contained air at the extreme of rarefaction. A Hoitz machine furnished the elec- tricity, tubes of rubber filled with mercury being the conductors. One of these was directly attached to the machine. The other was adjus- table near the surface of mercury in circuit with the machine, so that when it was immersed a continuous current was sent to the bulbs, and when out of the mercury a longer or shorter spark could be obtained. When these discharges passed through the low vacuum tube, the phe- nomena varied like those observed by Hittorf, who used a constant cur- rent, but varied the rarefaction; being due to the increase of tbe resist- ance in the vicinity of the negative electrode as the potential rises. The resistance of the second globe was very much greater; but the phenomena from one globe to the other, vary in the same direction in which they vary for the first globe when the difference of potential is increased. The author rejects, consequently, the hypothesis of a fourth state of matter. (Il Nuovo Cimento, ILI, 1x, p. 179; J. Phys., November, II, 1, p. 521.) “a PHYSICS. 479 Tyndall has delivered a lecture at the Royal Institution on the action of free molecules on radiant heat, and its conversion thereby into sound, in which he gave a résumé of the discussion on the question of the ab- sorptive action of aqueous vapor and then showed the apparently in- _ controvertible proot by means of the photophone of the correctness of his early experiments. (Nature, January, XXxv, p. 252; Ann. Chim. Phys., April, V,Xxv, p. 177.) - Dufonr has confirmed the hypothesis that in the radiophone the radiant energy acts on the layer of air in contact with the solid body without expanding sensibly this body. A wire of blackened brass, stretched on the mounting of a lens, pressed against the lens a thin glass, which gave Newton’srings; and it was observed that nochange took place in the rings when the wire was subjected to an intermittent beam of light. A very thin spiral of blackened zine terminated in a small carbon cone connected with the positive pole of a battery and rested on a plate of earbon connected with the negative pole, a telephone being in circuit. No sound was perceived when an intermittent beam was thrown upon the spiral. The increased effect with increased absorption in @ gas was well shown by putting carbon dust in dry air; a strong sound was heard when the tube was shaken. That short waves also produce the result was shown by using a bulb as a receiver in which hydrogen and chlorine were set free by electrolysis. (J. Phys., April, II, 1, p. 196.) Kalischer has observed that by using simply a selenium cell in the circuit of a telephone, and without battery, a sound is produced when- ever intermittent light falls on the selenium whose pitch corresponds t > the rate of intermittence. The result appears to be due to light, since it is not modified by alum or by water, and it is destroyed by colored glass, except yellow. The cell should have a low resistance. (Carl. Rep., p. 563; J. Phys., April, U1, 1, p. 197.) 4, Specific Heat. Strecker has determined the ratio of the specific heat at constant press- ure to the specific heat at constant volume, of chlorine, bromine, and iodine, all in the condition of gas, by comparing by Kundt’s method the wave lengths produced by the same sound in air and in the gas, at tem- peratures between 20° and 590°. The constants do not vary sensibly with the temperature, and approach closely the theoretic values, 1.525 for chlorine, 1.290 for bromine, and 1.300 for iodine. The experimental values are: Sp. heat. Sp. heat const. Velocity. Ratio. const. press. vol. ref. to air, Mihlorme . 2... #.. 205. 3™ 1. 323 0. 1135 0. 2139 ppromine .......- 135. 0 1. 293 0. 0550 e 0. 2358 LOCH aie eae eee 107.7 1, 294 0. 03489 0. 2350 (Wied. Ann., V, X111, p. 20; J. Phys., April, I, 1,-p. 187.) Thoulet and Lagarde, desiring to obtain the specific heat of small frag- 480 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. ments of minerals weighing from one to five decigrams, have devised a simple apparatus for the purpose, the minute rise of temperature, when the body, previously heated, is placed in a liquid, being determined by means of a thermo-electric couple. (Comptes Rendus, June, Xcrv, p. 1512.) Louguinine has described a new and improved form of calorimeter, the results of which appear to be very satisfactory. (Ann. Chim. Phys., November, V, XXII, p. 398.) Violle has proposed an apparatus for applying the cooling method to — the determination of the specific heat of bodies when the initial temper- ature of the body is between 100° and 500°. It consists of a small bot- tle of thin glass, with double walls and a straight neck, a good vacuum being made in the annularspace. An agitator is introduced through the neck by the side of the thermometer. (Comptes Rendus, June, XcIv, p. 1570.) Schuller has redetermined the heat of combination of water, in con- sequence of certain criticisms of Von der Than. The oxygen and hydro- gen meet in a combustion chamber formed of two parts; they unite in the upper part, which is at 225°, evolving (1) M, calories employed to heat them, (2) their heat of combination EK, and (3) M, calories corre- sponding to the condensation of three volumes to two. The vapor of water formed passes into the lower part at 0°, where it gives up M, calories. Hence E,=—M, + E + M,+ M3. In this way the author finds EK=28810. (Wied. Ann., V, XIV, p. 226; J: Phys., April, II, 1, p. 192.) Louguinine has published an extended memoir on the measurement of the heat of combustion of organic bodies, giving a description of the apparatus employed, the mode of using it, and some of the results which have been obtained with it. (Ann. Chim. Phys., November, V, XXVU, p. 347.) LIGHT. 1. Production and Velocity. Kruss has called attention to the fact that if the screen of a Bunsen photometer be moved between two fixed sources of light, there are two positions of this screen in which the fatty spot disappears. Both theory and experiment show that the true ratio of the intensities from the two sources is the geometric mean of the ratios calculated from both meas- urements. (J. Phys., April, I, 1, p. 201.) A new photometer has been constructed by Sabine, in which a wedge of neutral tint glass is used to measure the intensity of a given light © by equalizing it with a standard paraffin flame. To secure greater range a set of diaphragms is used to regulate the amount of light com- ing from the standard. (Nature, December, XxvU, p. 201.) Crova and Lagarde have made an improvement in the spectropho- tometer whereby the illuminating power of simple radiations may be compared. The illuminating power of a simple light they regard as the PHYSICS. 481 property which it possesses of rendering distinguishable upon a white screen illuminated with it minute details, as lines, ete. If, now, the light be weakened till they vanish, the ratio of the initial intensity to this limit of intensity will be sensibly constant and is a function only of the wave-length used. The light to be tested is therefore received normally on the slit of aspectrophotometer covered with a strip of glass, on which is photographed a series of fine and close dividing lines, their direction being perpendicular to the direction of the slit. A pure spectrum is seen furrowed by fine longitudinal strie. If, now, the eye-piece slit be made to include any particular region, and the nico! prism be rotated till the striz cease to be perceptible, a method is secured for compar- ing intensities. (Comptes Rendus, Xcru, p. 959; J. Phys., April, II, 1, p. 162; Phil. Mag., January, V, XII, p. 72.) Briicke, finding that objects cease to be visible at a greater visual angle the more they differ in color but not in brightness from the background on which they are seen, has made use of this principle in photometry. of heat, of light, of chemical action, of mechanical power; as a means of the transmission of intelligence, or of the treatment of disease. Competition is open until June 30, 1887, to scientific men of all nations, and the award will be decided in December, 1887. The German Chemical Society isin a very flourishing condition. At the close of 1882 it numbered 2,527 members, of whom 16 are honorary - and 263 associate members. The Berichte, published annually by the society, forms one of the most important of chemical journals; the two _ volumes issued in 1881 comprise over 3,000 pages, and the volumes for 1882 attain about the same size. The total income of the society for 1882 amounted to 56,247 marks, and the expenses for the same period were 44,697 marks. Necrology.—During the year 1882 the deaths of many eminent chem- ists were recorded. Among them may be mentioned: Dr. John W. Draper, of New York; Dr. Henry Draper, of New York; Prof. Will- iam B. Rogers, of Boston; Dr. John Stenhouse, of Manchester; Prof. Rudolph Bottger, of Frankfort; Dr. Ludwig Feder, of Munich; Prof. _ A. Popoff, of Warsaw; Prof. Friedrich Wéhler, of Géttingen. MINERALOGY. By EDWARD S. DANA, Professor in Yale College, New Haven, Conn. The following pages contain a summary of the progress of Mineralogy during the years of 1881 and 1882. The attempt has been made to give as complete a statement as possible, in the allotted space, of the recent advances made in the different departments of the science. Especial attention is devoted to the mineralogical discoveries in America. In presenting the subject, the recent contributions to general mineralogi- cal bibliography are first mentioned ; then follows a general statement of work done in crystallography and physical mineralogy; following this is given an account of recent investigations on the chemical side of the subject; next comes a somewhat particular statement of dis- coveries of new localities of minerals; and finally descriptions are given of the new species added to the science. 1. GENERAL WORKS ON MINERALOGY. The most important of the recent additions to the works on general mineralogy is the eleventh edition of the Hlemente der Mineralogie of Naumann, edited by Zirkel. Since the publication of the first edition in 1846, Naumann’s Mineralogy has been the standard work in Ger- many; and the later editions have more thoroughly established its position. Since the death of the author in 1873, the work has been continued by Zirkel, and two editions have been published under his editorship; the tenth in 1877, and the eleventh in 1881. The funda- mental changes introduced by him in the classification of species and other respects have brought the work more into harmony with modern views. Of the large number of other mineralogical books recently pub- lished in the German tongue, the majority are of an elementary char- acter. The Lehrbuch der Mineralogie, by Tschermak, however, deserves especial mention, because of the clear and satisfactory manner in which the physical portion of the subject is treated; the descriptive part is, however, rather meager and inadequate. It is stated that an English translation is soon to appear; and if so, it will doubtless meet with a good reception. An addition to the list of English mineralogical text-books has been made by Bauerman in his Text Book of Systematic Mineralogy. The 533 534 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. first volume, the only one thus far published, is devoted to the theoret- ical portion of the subject, leaving the description of species for another volume. The work has many excellent features, and it is worthy of note that it is the first important contribution to mineralogical treatises pub- lished in England since the Mineralogy of Greg and Lettsom in 1858. The second edition of Groth’s Tabellarische Uebersicht der Mineralien, d&c., published in 1882, is a work of more importance than might appear at a first glance. It professes to be only a system of tables giving a statement of the crystalline system and chemical composition of each species, designed especially for the use of the student in the lecture- room; but in the discussion of the chemical formulas of the species, many new points are brought out, and in their classification, the rela- tion of the species, especially on the chemical side, has been developed with an unusual clearness. The book is consequently a real contribu- tion to the development of the science. A third appendix to the fifth edition of Dana’s System of Mineralogy has been recently published (April, 1882), covering the period from 1875 to 1882. Itis comprehensive in its scope, and gives full descriptions of the species announced as new, and also references to all mineralogical memoirs and articles, large and small, which have appeared during the seven years mentioned, with a brief mention of the contents of the more important. Someideamay be formed of the amount of mineralogical work done in recent times from the fact that this appendix covers 134 large octavo pages in small type; and also of the zeal for naming “new species” from the fact that 300 new names are here included. Among mineralogical works of amore local characteris tobe mentioned first, the continuation of the Materialien zur Mineralogie Russlands by Kokscharof, of which great work the eighth volume is now completed. The monographs of the crystalline form of the species contained in these volumes are models of accurate, careful work. The third edition of the Mineralogia, by Domeyko, is also an important work. It was published in 1879, and a first appendix to it appeared in 1881. This work givesa complete account of the present state of the mineralogy of Chili and the neighboring countries of South America. Although far removed from the great centers of science, Professor Domeyko has carried on his work tor many years with great zeal, and his labors have done much to make known the remarkable mineral riches of the countries in which he is interested. Another important work is that on the minerals of New South Wales, by A. Liversidge, which covers 140 pages. Among works of a more special character is to be mentioned the Sammlung von Mikrophotographieen, &c., by Cohen, which gives on a series of quarto plates excellent photographs of the various points of interest involved in the microscopical study of minerals and rocks; some of these are the inclusions in crystallized minerals, the phenomena of abnormal double refraction, figures produced by etching, the kinds of cleavage and structure, and soon. The execution of these plates leaves MINERALOGY. 535 nothing to be desired, and they will be of great assistance to those who are either studying or teaching this branch of mineralogy. Thus far four numbers of this work have appeared. : This seems to be the proper place to mention the Sketch of the Prog- ress of American Mineralogy by Prof. G.J. Brush, delivered as the presi- dential address before the Montreal meeting of the American Associa- tion for the Advancement of Science, in August, 1882. This address gives an interesting and valuable account of the development of the science of mineralogy in America, commencing from its earliest begin- ning with the formation of the ‘American Mineralogical Society,” in 1798. The great ignorance of the science which characterized the early years of this century is shown, and then the successive steps are pointed out which have gradually led up to the advanced position of mineralogy in this country at the present time. As typical of the work done and the workers engaged in it, sketches are given of four leading mineral- ogists: Dr. Archibald Bruce, who founded the American Mineralogical Journal; Col. George Gibbs, whose collections made abroad afforded a great stimulus to the development of the science at home; Prof. Parker Cleaveland, author of the most valuable work for the time, an Elemen- tary Treatise on Mineralogy and Geology; and Prof. Benjamin Silliman, of Yale College, who established the American Journal of Science. 2. CRYSTALLOGRAPHY AND PHYSICAL MINERALOGY. Among the recent general treatises devoted to crystallography and physical mineralogy, those of Tschermak and Bauerman have already been alluded to. In addition to these the Geometrische Krystallographie by Lie- bisch is to be mentioned. It devotes nearly 500 octavo pages to the devel- opment of the subject, and accomplishes this with system and thorough- ness. Rammelsberg has published the first volume (615 pp.) of a new edition of his Handbuch der krystallographisch-physikalischen Chemie, a work which is a valuable auxiliary to the study of minerals, although discussing the crystalline form of artificial compounds. The Stereogra- phische Projection of Reusch will be a help to those studying the system of mineralogy based upon it. A noteworthy advance in the methods of research in physical miner- alogy has been made through the introduction of a solution of mer- curic iodide in potassium iodide as a means of determining the specific gravity of minerals, and also of separating different minerals when mixed together in the form of small fragments. The solution, called the Son- stadt solution, because proposed by E. Sonstadt in 1873, has a high Specific gravity, attaining at a maximum about 3.2, so that a fragment of fluorite floats in it. This specific gravity can be varied almost in- definitely by the gradual addition of water, so that it may be used to determine the specific gravity of any mineral not heavier than the limit mentioned; all that is necessary being to obtain the weight of a known volume of the liquid in which the mineral in question just floats. The 536 SCIENTIFIC RECORD FOR 1882. solution is even more useful for the separation of two or more minerals when mixed together in the form of small fragments, the solution being graded by successive diljution so that in succession one constituent after another of the mixture sinks and is removed while the others float. This method of procedure is much used in connection with the study of the minerals in rocks, and for the development of it science is especially indebted to Thoulet and Goldschmidt. Another solution of similar properties has been proposed by D. Klein; this is best made, as he states, from the boro-tungstate of cadmium, and may be obtained with a specifie gravity up to 3.6. Breon has obtained remarkable results from a liquid obtained by fusing lead chloride and zine chloride together at about. 400° C. i d TOWNSIUPS Yo show the GHRRAN MOUND (53 T54 PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. 155 G TO ANTHROPOLOGY. ERS RELATIN PAP ~ eg if $ vA bs ) kK Uf. — A , J f ‘g ff ee ! Ve F Ve 756 PAPERS RELATING TO ANTHROPOLOGY. line of embankment is carried down the slope. The entrance-ways are at the east and west sides, the inclosure at these points being covered by a double line of embankment more formidable than at other points. The circles have no gateways. A short distance east by south are the ASS » eae Wy NY (01 ee | Ee y 7 . of. - ~ (ed \ Lie es