and the state of civilisation, we obtain the following than the dark lines, and are only seen when the star is equation and thus moral philosophy is brought within the reach of the mathematician. But there is another test which is, I think, even safer than soap, that is, the current literature of the nation, and more especially its periodical literature. The readers of Reynolds's Weekly Newspaper and the Sporting Life diverge so widely from the subscribers to NATURE, that their differences almost come within the reach of ethnological specification, and I believe that the direction of the growth of Young Italy may best be determined by watching the progress of its periodical and general literature. It is a very interesting and promising fact that during * the last two years the proportion of purely scientific works to those of light literature has been greater in Italy than a in either England, France, or Germany. This refers only to original Italian works, and does not include translations. The periodicals named at the head of this article are good examples of the progress of the highest kind of intellectual culture in Italy. The first is published at Rome, the second and third at Milan. "The Transactions of the Pontifical Academy of the New Lynxes" does not belong to Young Italy, as the fasciculi before me are for the twenty-second year of the Academy, and the new Lynceans claim Pontifical patronage, and announce it in their name, which of course is derived from the old classical society of the Lynx-eyed Philosophers of the middle ages; a title which, in spite of its fanciful character, presented one of the earliest formal recognitions of the paramount importance of laborious observation, as opposed to the speculative and disputatious spirit of contemporary philosophy.* The papers of Father Secchi and Prof. Respighi, on their spectroscopic and telescopic observations on the sun and stars, occupy a considerable portion of these Transactions. Father Secchi's observations are tolerably well known to English readers, but I doubt whether such is the case with Respighi's spectroscopic researches on "Stellar scintillation," the results of which were stated in papers read at the Lyncean meetings of May 10, 1868, and February 14, 1869. The second paper supplemented the first and embraces 720 observations, extending from October 4 to February 12. The primary results obtained by Prof. Respighi were that in the spectrum of a star near the horizon, dark lines and bright bands travel along the spectrum, most frequently from the red to the violet, but sometimes in the contrary direction, and occasionally oscillate from one colour to the other. The nearer to the horizon, the more distinct and definite are these moving lines and bands, and the more slow and regular their movements. The bright moving bands are more rare and less regular The original Academia Lincea was founded in Rome by Federigo Cesi, the Marchese di Monticelli, in 1603. Cesi was the first president, and Baptista Porta the Neapolitan vice-president. Galileo became a member in 1611. It preceded our Royal Society and the French Academy by about half a century, and combined the functions of these societies with a scheme of philosophical brotherhood and affiliated lodges, somewhat resembling the masonic organisation. Its members were required to be "philosophers eager for real knowledge, who will give themselves to the study of nature, and especially to mathematics." They were to waste no time in recitations and declamatory assemblies," and to pass over in silence all political controversies and quarrels of every kind, and wordy disputes, especially gratuitous ones They are commended to "Let the first fruits of wisdom be love; and so let the Lynceans love each other as if united by the strictest ties, nor suffer any interruption of this sincere band of love and faith, emanating from the source of virtue and philosophy." very near the horizon. Further observations brought out the law that in the normal condition of the atmosphere their motion is from the red to the violet in the spectrum of all stars on the west, and from the violet to the red when the star is in the east; while near the meridian, whether on the north or south horizon, the motion is generally an oscillation from one colour to the other; and sometimes the lines appear stationary, or traverse only a portion of the spectrum. In abnormal states of the atmosphere the moving lines are weaker and more irregular in form and motion; this is especially the case during strong winds, which sometimes reduce the movements on the spectrum to mere variations of brilliancy, even in stars very near to the horizon. Prof. Respighi observes that these appearances are not due to an oscillation of the characteristic spectrum of the star, and that there is no superposition of its colours due to any sensible movement of the image of the star in the normal states of the atmosphere, though he does not deny that there may be such sensible oscillation and superposition, under conditions of abnormal atmospheric disturbance. He has observed that when the moving lines are regular in form and motion, there is usually a continuance of fine weather, and that the phenomena of scintillation are most marked and decided on those nights when there is much humidity in the atmosphere. believes that by careful study of these phenomena the spectroscope may become an important meteorological instrument. He It would occupy too much space to follow Prof. Respighi through his theoretical reflections on these phenomena, which he attributes to irregularities in the temperature, and distribution of aqueous vapour, &c., in the earth's atmosphere, and the effects of its rotatory movement with the earth, which carries it across the direction of the radiation of the light from the stars. Besides the above-named, there are some very interesting papers on electro-static induction, and electrical induction or influence in rarefied gases, by Prof. Volpicelli. The four first numbers of the present year of the Reports of the Royal Institution of Lombardy are remarkably rich in interesting papers, extending over a wide range of subjects. Buccellati on Military Punishment, Lambrosi on the Italian Races, and Ciavarini on the Laws of Human Progress, are the chief essays in the Department of the Moral and Political Sciences. In the Department of the " Mathematical and Natural Sciences" the subjects of the papers are more varied, including, Rovida on the Pulse of the Veins, Barbieri on the Utility of Statistics of Hernia in Italy, Experimental Researches on the Origin of Fibrin, and a new Theory of the Cause of the Coagulation of the Blood, by Mantegazza, and Serpieri on the Probable Relation between the Luminous Cones (pennacchi) of the Solar Corona, and the Positions of the Planets. The author of this paper supposes that the corona is an electrical phenomenon identical with that of our terrestrial aurora borealis, that the sun and all the planets mutually act and react upon each other inductively; that the cones of rays which stretch out from the corona are electrical streamers pointing towards one of the planets; that the curved lines and rays which have been observed are other streamers, pointing obliquely to planets or comets; that the zodiacal light is the general stream of electrical influence emanating from the sun and embracing all his planetary children; and that the sun-spots and the hydrogen prominences are due to electrical outbursts. We have had similar hypotheses put forth in England, but not so well argued as by Prof. Serpieri. Like the rest, he fails, however, to supply us with any explanation of the source of such tremendous electric energy. We may have the cylinder, the prime conductors, the insulators, the Leyden jars, and all the apparatus of a fine electrical machine; but we shall get no sparks unless somebody turns the handle. We obtain no electrical force without an expenditure of equivalent mechanical power. In the battery we must oxidise an equivalent of zinc for each equivalent of electricity produced. We know something about the laws of electrical excitation; and those who assume the existence of such huge electrical forces without indicating their origin in accordance with these known laws, only carry the problem of the source of solar energy one stage further back without advancing a single step towards its solution. Among the other papers are Lannetti on Etruscan Crania, and some on Pathology and pure Mathematics. The Annals of Chemistry, compiled by Dr. Polli, is a carefully collected and valuable record of the progress of Chemistry, in which the subjects are classified under the heads of Pharmacy, Hygiene, Dietetics, Physiology, Toxicology, Pathology, Therapeutics, and Miscellaneous. It is published monthly in octavo fasciculi of sixty-four pages, each containing abstracts of papers from native and foreign journals. It sells at rather less than one shilling As our Philosophical Magazine, with eighty pages of the same size, scarcely pays expenses at 2s. 6d., we may infer that the Annali di Chimica, of Milan, has a better circulation than its old-established scientific contemporary of "London, Edinburgh, and Dublin." W. MATTIEU WILLIAMS SEELEY ON THE ORNITHOSAURIA Index to the Fossil Remains of Ornithosauria, Aves, and Reptilia from the Secondary Strata, arranged in the Woodwardian Museum, Cambridge. By Harry Govier Seeley. 8vo. pp. 144. (1869. Cambridge: Deighton.) The Ornithosauria, an Elementary Study of the Bones of Pterodactyles. By Harry Govier Seeley. With 12 plates. 8vo. pp. 136. (1870. Cambridge: Deighton.) THA HANKS to the activity of the "Coprolite" workings in the Upper Greensand around Cambridge, the Woodwardian Museum possesses particularly rich series of interesting reptilian remains, especially those belonging to the Ornithosauria or Pterodactyles (Flying Lizards) of the Secondary rocks; to which the second work with its twelve plates is entirely devoted, as is also a large part of the Catalogue first published. The "Index to the Fossil Remains" is introduced to the attention of the student and anatomist by a prefatory notice from the Rev. Adam Sedgwick, Woodwardian Professor, who, although in his eighty-fifth year, evinces still considerable remains of his wonted fire, when taking up his pen to write of the treasures contained in the Museum of his Alma Mater. The cost of preparing these works has been borne by Prof. Sedgwick, but the printing of both books has been defrayed out of the funds of the Syndics of the University Press. 1. The first book is intended to serve as a guide to the student in the examination of the remains of the extinct birds and reptiles preserved in the Woodwardian Museum, each case, shelf, and bone being numbered so as to correspond with the catalogue in which it is described. The list of specimens from the Cambridge coprolite bed occupies about half the book. Many new forms are here announced by the author for the first time, as Enaliornis (a new bird) several new Ichthyos.uri, a new Crocodile, 3 species of Stereosaurus, 2 new Chelonians; so that we have altogether 70 species from the Cambridge Greensand. There are also Chalk (8 sp.), Gault (2), Wealden (12), Purbeck (7), Potton beds (18), Portland (1), Kimmeridgian (10), Coral rag (3), Oxford clay (8), Oolites (4), Lias (20), foreign reptiles (24), making a total of 187 species. 2. In the second work, that on the Ornithosauria, the author enumerates the materials at his disposal, namely, 500 bones in one collection, and 400 in another, probably representing not fewer than 150 individuals, which well displays the richness of the area. The bones from the coprolite diggings are much broken, but they retain sufficient character to be readily deter mined by the comparative anatomist. Probably, no group of animals have caused more contention between Naturalists than the Ornithosaurians. They have been regarded as bats (Sömmering), as intermediate between birds and reptiles (Goldfuss), amphibians (Wagner), and so on. Herman von Meyer, who has paid more attention to them than any other anatomist, concludes them to be reptiles, though with strong avian affinities. Prof. Owen maintains that they are Saurians. Mr. Seeley combats these views, and contends that the Pterodactyles were more nearly allied to birds than reptiles, and he refers them all to a new genus, Ornithocheirus. He contends against the cold-blooded view taken of them by Prof. Owen, and asserts that they were warmblooded, chiefly founding his opinion on the form of the brain. There is a very strong objection to be made against the retention of the terms "cold-blooded," and "warmblooded," for it seems to us that the heat developed by the animal's body is in direct proportion to the work to be performed. Thus, in aërial locomotion, the efforts of the pectoral muscles to sustain the body in the air, necessi tate also a correspondingly more rapid action of the heart and lungs, producing, therefore, more rapid circulation, and an increased bodily temperature. We are therefore inclined to agree with Mr. Seeley on the grounds that, in proportion to the rapidity and the sustained action of the great motor muscles of the body (whether of legs or wing) so will be the rapidity of the action of the heart and lungs, and consequently the acceleration of the temperature of the whole body. The bones from the Cambridgeshire Greensand are very often so fragmentary that their determination requires the most exact anatomical skill, and we think the plates would have been more useful if in a few instances (perhaps in all) the missing parts and processes had been indicated in outline, so as to help to the better understanding thereof by the student. H. WOODWARD OUR BOOK SHELF Handbuch der Systematischen Anatomie des Menschen. Von Dr. J. Henle, 1 Band, 1 Abtheilung, Knochenlehre, 3 Auflage, pp. 310. (Braunschweig, 1871. London Williams & Norgate.) IT is unnecessary to commend the work of Prof. Henle, which is on the whole the most full and exact yet published. It shares the richness and accuracy of its illustrations with the last edition (the fourth) of Cruveilhier's great work, and shares with it the serious disadvantage of being incomplete. Indeed, while in the latter the part relating to "Angéiologie" which includes the description of the heart, blood-vessels and absorbents, was published in 1867, preceding the completion of the second volume on visceral anatomy in the following year, the third volume of the German work, with the whole of the nervous system, has not yet appeared. In this respect the only English work on descriptive anatomy which can rival Henle's has a great advantage; each edition of what was originally Dr. Quain's Anatomy has been published complete, and on this ground, as well as that of conciseness, the last edition of this work may, with the help of Prof. Sharpey's masterly introduction on general anatomy, take rank with those of France and Germany. The department of osteology is not that which Prof. Henle has done best. In minute accuracy of detail it is decidedly inferior to Mr. Ward's treatise, which at least equals the best efforts of the French School of Anatomy. And there is a want of attention to broad views of morphology almost as conspicuous as in M. Cruveilhier's work. Thus the comparison between the upper and lower extremities (pp. 226-229) is very insufficient, giving no account of the important and opposing views which have been maintained on this subject, and admitting the demonstrably false position that the radius answers to the fibula, and the ulna with the olecranon to the tibia with the patella. The difficult subject of the homologies of the cranial and facial bones is also entirely omitted, an omission rendered necessary by the absence of any account of their fatal development. The rigid specialisation of human osteology so as to exclude all reference to embryology and comparative anatomy on the one hand, and on the other to the mechanism of the skeleton, makes what ought to be the most interesting part of anatomy the most arid and forbidding. In the last edition of "Quain's Anatomy" we have within a shorter compass a good account of the antecedent development, as well as the mere ossification of the several bones, with illustrative diagrams, and a sufficient account of its homologies to awaken interest in this attractive study. On the other hand, there is nowhere to be found so complete an account of Abnormalities as in Prof. Henle's work, a subject of which the importance is only beginning to be recognised in England. references to observations in this branch of the subject are very full, and include many only lately published. On this, as on other points, the author has added many fresh facts in the present edition. On the whole, however, it differs but little from the first issue in 1855, and the number of woodcuts remains the same. Among the more important additions may be mentioned one on the differences in the skull of the two sexes (p. 216). No mention is made of the little tympano-hyal bone described by Prof. Flower, and even the ordinary variations of the styloid process, which throw so much light on its homology, are scarcely alluded to. The In conclusion, every anatomist will acknowledge the industry and care with which even small advances in knowledge are added in this edition, but will also hope that nothing may delay the appearance of the volume which is to complete the whole treatise, and no doubt complete it worthily of its distinguished author, and of what he has already published. H. P. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR [The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his Correspondents. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.] Science Lectures for the People OF the justice of your remarks on "Science Lectures for the It is precisely owing to this want of early training, and consequently to an utter ignorance of the subject, that the lectures on divinity, science, &c., in our universities are of such little real value, and of such little interest to the students. They attend them, it is true, not from any genuine love, but simply because they must attend some for certificates or otherwise. No fault whatever attaches to the lectures themselves; on the contrary, they are of the greatest possible value, and had the students themselves been trained properly and gradatim when at school, the attendance would be vastly increased, a genuine love for the lectures would be engendered, and incalculable results would be the consequence. Or take another instance-our farmers' clubs. With laudable zeal these have been formed all over the kingdom. Lectures on scientific subjects connected with agriculture are delivered from time to time. All very admirable no doubt in its way. The attendance generally is good, but from the vacant stare, the nodding head, and subsequent remarks, nothing can be clearer than that nine-tenths of the lecturer's address on the abstruse niceties of chemical analysis, &c., have been utterly thrown away. What subjects can be more valuable to a farmer than a knowledge of the constituents of the air, the origin of soils, the inner life of plants, the wonderful dependence of animals and plants upon each other, the means of judging artificial manures, &c.; and yet, except among the upper favoured few, utter ignorance of these matters almost universally prevails. the former case, from a want of early training in this particular It is not from indifference to the subject, far from it, but, as in line of thought. The farmer acts just as his father acted before him. He is of all people the most backward in leaving the old routine, and considers such subjects as geology and botany altogether beside the purpose, and a waste of time for his children to learn, though he will praise them in the same breath. There is nothing more trying for a master's patience and I speak from experience-than this .persistent and short-sighted adherence to what has gone before, just as if the world (the agricultural world particularly) had to jog on to the end of time in the self-same fashion. Whatever united action, therefore, may be taken by our leaders in science for bringing about a more healthy feeling on this subject, for scattering science and a love for it in every household, depend upon it the readiest and surest way will be to urge on Government to introduce, nay, force, the subject freely and universally into all schools, so that it may grow up with the rising generation, and become a part of their very existence. The task is Herculean, no doubt. An enormous amount of prejudice will have to be overcome, but Sedit, qui timuit ne non succederet; esto: Lectures on science will thus be not merely listened to as now, consequence. Blencowe School THOMAS FAWCETT on the earth's rotation, this goes very far to prove that they have no motive power except the sun's heat. But how is the motion of the upper strata of the atmosphere from west to east to be accounted for? The answer to this will involve the entire theory of the great currents of atmospheric circulation. There is always a current of air towards a heated place along the earth's surface, like the draft towards a fire, and a compensating current of air away from it in the upper regions of the atmosphere. The equatorial latitudes being the hottest, there are currents to them from the higher latitudes, which bring with them the smaller velocity due to the rotation of the higher latitudes, and thus move less rapidly than the earth in those lower latitudes to which they flow. Moving with a less velocity than the earth is the same as moving from the east, and thus are the trade-winds constituted; they are from north-east in the northern hemisphere and from south-east in the southern. This is generally understood and believed; what follows is less generally understood, though I claim no originality for it. The air rises up over the equatorial regions like a column of smoke over a fire, and flows off towards the poles. Coming from the latitudes where the velocity of the earth's rotation is greatest, it carries that greater velocity with it, and spends the energy of its motion in the form of the west winds of the higher latitudes. The reason, then, that the upper strata of the atmosphere (in all latitudes except on the equator) have a motion round the earth from west to east, is simply that they are at the same time moving I HOPE you will publish this reply to Mr. Laughton's letter in from latitudes where the velocity of the earth's rotation is greater NATURE of May 4, on the Prevalence of West Winds. to latitudes where it is less. Preponderance of West Winds He maintains from statistical evidence that west winds occupy a greater portion of the earth's surface than east winds; that their force is greater; and that in the upper regions of the atmosphere the preponderance of west winds is still more decided than at the earth's surface; so that on the whole the atmosphere moves round the earth from west to east. It is in my opinion certain that this is on the whole proved. I do not question Mr. Laughton's facts but his inferences from them. He thinks this rotation points to some force acting from without-some cosmical cause of a nature quite unlike the sun's heat. I maintain, on the contrary, that all the phenomena of the great atmospheric currents, of which the trade-winds are a part, are to be accounted for by the heat of the sun as the motive power, combined with the rotation of the earth as a modifying influence. In discussing the question of whether the phenomena point to such a cause as that suggested by Mr. Laughton, the motion of the upper strata of the atmosphere is quite unimportant. It is only the currents at the surface of the earth that can in however infinitesimal a degree increase or diminish the velocity of the earth's rotation; and if the circulation of the atmosphere is due to the sun's heat as its motive power, it cannot have the slightest effect on the earth's rotation; while if it is due to any mechanical force acting from without, as Mr. Laughton thinks-if the Carte. sian theory is true, and the circulation of our atmosphere is part of a cosmical vortex-the earth's rotation must be accelerated by its friction. This follows from the simplest dynamical principles. It is true that the acceleration which could be produced in such a way would at the greatest be far too small for us to detect; but it is quite possible for us to ascertain whether or not the currents of air that sweep over the surface of the earth are by their united action capable of affecting its rotation; or, to state the problem more definitely, whether or not the effect of west winds in accelerating the rotation is balanced by the effect of east winds in retarding it. I maintain that such evidence as we have tends to the conclusion that the effects of the two are so balanced. The separate effect of any wind covering a given area on the earth's rotation = the east and west component of its force x the radius of the parallel of latitude. The latter factor gives leverage. An east wind near the equator has more effect in retarding the rotation of the earth than a west wind of equal extent and force at a higher latitude has in accelerating it, just as a weight at the end of the long arm of a lever outweighs an equal weight at the end of the short arm. Now, the east winds, under the name of trade-winds, are chiefly to be found in the lower latitudes, and for the reason just given they are able to balance the west winds, which are certainly more forcible, and according to Mr. Laughton, occupy a greater area, but being at higher latitudes act at a disadvantage. If it can be shown-and the facts certainly point to it-that the total mechanical effect of the winds is not such as to produce any effect JOSEPH JOHN MURPHY Remarkable Sun-spots THE accompanying sketch shows in a rough way the umbre and a small portion of the penumbra of a sun spot that I observed on the 6th and 7th of this month, and which was made remarkable by the presence of a reddish-brown object like a cloud, that seemed to hang over the nucleus of the principal umbra, apparently dividing it in two. Could this object be seen without the intervention of the dark glass, it would doubtless its fog-like aspect, though it was well defined in outline and show a bright red instead of a reddish-brown colour; and from acuminated at both ends, the impression was inevitable that it hung at a certain altitude above the spot. However, it evi dently had no motion distinct from the latter, as on the 7th it Millbrook, Tuam, May 18 ANNUAL VISITATION OF THE ROYAL ΟΝ OBSERVATORY N Saturday last the Board of Visitors of the Royal Observatory made their annual visitation to our National Observatory to examine into the work done, and to receive the Report of the Astronomer Royal. We have not space for the report in full, but this is not to be regretted, for it contains a quantity of minute detail about trivial matters which the ordinary run of mankind would not think worth the printing. There are, however, several points of great scientific interest in the Report, the new Water Telescope and the instruments for use in the approaching observations of the Transit of Venus having been the lions at Greenwich. The correction for level-error in the transit instrument having become inconveniently large, owing apparently to a gradual subsidence of the eastern support since the erection of the instrument, about a ton weight of stone was placed on the western pier. Not the slightest change, however, could be traced as due to this; the level error maintaining its usual value. This plan having failed, the stones were removed, and a sheet of very thin paper, inch in thickness, was placed under the eastern Y, which was raised from its bed for the purpose. The collimators having been observed just before this operation, no difficulty was experienced in adjusting the instrument so as to have very nearly the same error of Azimuth as before. The mean annual value of the level-error appears to be now sensibly zero. This will give some idea of the delicate arrangements necessary for this ponderous instru ment. The usual course of Astronomical observations now carried out for so many years has been adhered to. The list of fundamental stars used for determination of clockerror has been increased to 210. Besides these, Nautical Almanac, circumpolar, and moon-culminating stars have been observed; also refraction stars, stars with large proper-motion, and stars which are required for any special investigation. A few of Bradley's stars which had been inadvertently omitted have been observed in the past year. The Sun, Moon, and large planets have been observed as usual. As the siege and war operations in Paris seriously interfered with the observations of small planets made at the Paris Observatory, observations of them were continued at Greenwich throughout each entire lunation during the investment of the city. The observations of y Draconis, the star which passes very near the Zenith of Greenwich, with the Water Telescope, made in the spring of the present year, are completely reduced, with the exception of a small correction for the positions of the micrometer-wires, to be determined shortly. As the astronomical latitude of the place of observation is not known (it is not many yards from the transit circle), the bearing of these observations on the question of aberration cannot be certainly pronounced until the autumn observations shall have been made; but, supposing the geodetic latitude to be accordant with the astronomical latitude, the result for aberration appears to be sensibly the same as with ordinary telescopes. With regard to the Magnetic instruments, the Astronomer Royal states that a plan was arranged last year for photographic impression of hour-lines upon the photographic sheets carrying the records of the three Magnetometers and of the Earth-current Galvanometers: an arrangement already for some time carried out in the new instruments by Dr. Balfour Stewart. The beam of light, constantly directed through a cylindrical lens to fall upon the sheet, emanates from one of the existing lamps, or (in one instrument), from a flame specially mounted for it; it is, however, obstructed by a shade till 2 minutes before each hour, and acts till 24 minutes after each hour. The connections of the shades were so arranged that all could be opened and closed by a single wire. The following numerical results of the magnetic elements for 1870 may be interesting: Mean westerly declination Mean horizontal force. Mean dip.. 19° 54' nearly. (3.865 (in English units). 1782 (in Metrical units). 67 519 (by 9-inch needles). 67 52 25 (by 6-inch needles). 67 53 41 (by 3-inch needles). The observations of dip at different hours appear to show a diminution from 9h. A.M. to 3h. P.M. A small Appendix of great interest is attached to the report. Those who have given attention to the history of Terrestrial Magnetism are aware that Halley's Magnetic Chart is very frequently cited; but the Astronomer Royal could not learn that any person, at least in modern times, had ever seen it. Inquiries were made of nearly all the principal scientific bodies in Europe, and in several of the best continental libraries in vain. At last, by the assistance of Mr. Winter Jones, Principal Librarian of the British Museum, a copy was discovered in the library of the Museum. 600 copies have been taken in a reduced size, for insertion, as an Appendix, in the Magnetical and Meteorological volume for 1869. On the subject of Chronometers it is remarked, "The performance of chronometers, as depending on their mechanical construction, is very admirable; I have remarked but one point on which I could desire change, namely, that the balance should be struck more lightly, at a greater distance from its axis; the late Mr. Charles Frodsham, at my suggestion, had made experiments on this point, which promised to be successful. The principal errors of even moderately good chronometers are, however, produced by defective compensation, which the most skilful makers cannot perfectly manage. I have long been of opinion that the final adjustment for compensation ought to be made by some more delicate operation than that which suffices for approximate compensation; but the able chronometer-makers whom I have consulted have not yet devised a satisfactory plan." With reference to Time Signals, we read that a proposal has been made to have a time-ball dropped at Queenstown, and that the report of the Westminster Clock shows that 55 per cent. of its errors are under 15, and 94 per cent. under 35. In December two attempts were made to determine the longitude of Gibraltar, at the request of Professor Newcomb, but without success, the cable connecting Falmouth and Gibraltar being out of order. During the year the time of the Astronomer Royal has been partly occupied in preparations for the Transit of Venus, 1874. Measures have been taken for equipping each of five stations with a Transit, an Altazimuth, and an Equatoreal. Some other instruments mounted in temporary observatories were inspected by the visitors. Of Transits there are five new, all mounted on stone piers. Of clocks to accompany them, there are two from the Royal Observatory, three new. Of Altazimuths, one from the Royal Observatory, four new. Of Equatoreals, 6 inches in aperture, and carried by clock-work, there are five, purchased or new. Of clocks of an inferior class, to accompany the two last classes of instruments, one can be supplied, nine must be procured. Fifteen portable observatories must be prepared, of which specimens were exhibited to the visitors. The Royal Observatory can supply three 4-inch detached telescopes, and two more will be desirable. The report goes on to say "My preparations have respect only to eye-observation of contact of limbs. With all the liabilities and defects to which it is subject, this method possesses the inestimable advantage of placing no reliance on instrumental |