I AM afraid I cannot regard the letter of your anonymous correspondent "Inquirer" as written in altogether good faith. He first misrepresents what I stated in my letter of Nov. 20, which he professes to quote, and then proceeds to ask me a question which, if he had even glanced at my letter, he would have seen was already answered.

If I beg your indulgence for some further remarks suggested by "Inquirer's" letter, I hope that they will be the last it will be necessary to make.

The number of NATURE for Nov. 19 gave what purported to be an account of the "Report of the Potato Disease Committee of the Royal Agricultural Society." It contained the following passage :-"Prof. de Bary has worked out the scientific questions that occur as to the origin of the disease. It is owing to a fungus (Peronospora infestans), which attacks the leaves first, and after absorbing the nutriment of them, utilises the petiole, and thus reaches the tubes" (sic). It appeared to me, as it did to others, that the only meaning which could be attributed to this was that we owed to Prof. de Bary all the knowledge we at present possess with regard to the disease.

I therefore thought it fair to point out in the following number "that all this and a good deal more was ascertained by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley in this country, and by Montagne in France, and published by the former in a paper contributed to the first volume of the Journal of the Horticultural Society in 1846." It is almost incredible that anyone with my letter before him should say that I had asserted "the discovery by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley of the fact that the potato disease was due to the attacks of a parasitic fungus," and should proceed to ask me for "a more exact reference to the records."

The potato disease appeared on the Continent a few years before it worked such ravages in the British Isles. The mould had been detected upon the foliage in France and Belgium, but opinion was divided as to the part it really played. And we have Mr. Berkeley's authority for asserting that even Montagne, to whom " Inquirer" attributes the discovery that the potato disease was due to the attacks of a parasitic fungus, did not support the "fungal theory."

In this country Mr. Berkeley maintained it almost singlehanded against men of such weight as Lindley and Playfair. His paper, which appeared in the Horticultural Society's Journal in November 1845 (the whole volume is dated 1846), really, however, settled the matter.

It is perfectly easy to trace what Mr. Berkeley did by referring to the horticultural papers of the time. Thus, he wrote to the Gardener's Chronicle, August 30, 1845 (p. 593): The malady by which potatoes are so generally affected this year, both in this country and on the Continent, does not appear to prevail in this neighbourhood. I have this morning received from Dr. Montagne, of Paris, some leaves affected with the mildew. The parasite of the potato does not appear to have been observed before by systematists." On Sept. 6 (p. 608): "You will be interested to learn that the mould upon the potatoes which you sent me is identical with that upon the leaves, and the same with what I have received from Paris. It appears, then, that the decay of the tubers is produced by the same cause which affects the leaves, viz., by the growth of a mould whose develop ment has been promoted by excessive wet. On Sept. 20 (p. 640): "In every case I find the Botrytis infestans [now called Peronospora infestans] preceding the work of destruction."

""

All this is given with very full details by Mr. Berkeley in his later paper. What I wish, however, particularly to point out is that the admirable observation (contained in the words I have italicised) of the identity of the fungus which attacks the foliage with that which destroys the potatoes was made absolutely independently by Mr. Berkeley. Morren appears to have made it about the same time. It is a sufficient proof of the estimation in which his investigations were held at the time, that Montagne relinquished the intention of writing upon the subject, and transmitted his materials to Mr. Berkeley, by whom the use of them is duly acknowledged. W. T. THISELTON DYER

Mr. Cuttell and Section Cutting

IN your number of NATURE just issued you have given an extract from the annual address of the President of the Royal

Society, in which reference is made to my labour of section cutting. It is perfectly true that I have prepared more than a thousand sections of coal plants, but it would be unfair to a very efficient auxiliary not to mention the help he has afforded me in this work. I require many sections of a much larger size than my machinery is capable of cutting, and these have been prepared for me by the skilled hands of Mr. Cuttell, of New Compton Street, London.

perienced lapidary for obtaining three sections out of small but In each of two instances, also, I am indebted to the same exprecious fragments, not more than from three-sixteenths to a quarter of an inch in thickness. I am anxious to recognise these services, and not to monopolise Mr. Cuttell's share of the credit for the labours to which Dr. Hooker's report refers so kindly. W. C. WILLIAMSON

Fallowfield, Manchester, Dec. 24

Snakes and Frogs

IN reading the letter of your correspondent, Mr. Mott, on the cry of the frog, it struck me as curious that there should be resemblances which people in countries wide apart should pitch on the same phrase to indicate. Now, there could not be a better way of conveying a sound which frequently greets one's ears in the country in Bengal during the rains, than that which your correspondent makes use of, "the cry of a new-born infant." Few residents in the country here, we take it, who have lived anywhere near jungle, will have failed to hear, and that tolerab'y frequent, the unspeakably plaintive wail which indicates that the remorseless ophidian has seized his prey, and that deglutition has commenced. If one be tolerably quick he may, as I have frequently done, guide himself to the very spot by the sound of the frog, and the snake will then, in his alarm and anxiety to escape, frequently let the frog go, though he as often slides off with it protruding from his mouth. We have the batrachians in great force here, and of all sizes and noises, from the great swamp frog which, as soon as the lands are drenched in the heavy rainstorms of May, commences its nocturnal bellowing, down to the bronze tree frog with gilt eyebrows that keeps up its metallic tink.

The frog is connected with some of the religious ceremonies of the country; and one may see here, as well as in Assam, the curious custom of "bathing the frogs" in a cage. This is done in time of drought to propitiate the rain god. Grain is sometimes put out on a mat to sun, and to prevent the crows from making away with it, a frog is tied by the leg to a stake; his constant hopping about acts as a deterrent to the crow. Hence the native proverb denoting vicarious and unmerited suffering, "The crow steals the grain, and the string is round the 1 g of the frog. C. B. Budderpore, Eastern Bengal

THE ANDERSON SCHOOL OF NATURAL
HISTORY

MOST of our readers, no doubt, have heard of the School of Natural History established by the late Prof. Agassiz, in conjunction with some of his American friends, shortly before his lamented decease. The first report of the trustees of this institution, which has lately been received in this country, gives a fuller account of its foundation and subsequent progress than has yet reached us.

The plan of the school was first put forward by its originator in a circular issued in December 1872, from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, U.S.A. It was proposed that courses of instructive lectures in various branches of natural history should be delivered by the sea-side, at Nantucket-an American bathingplace during the summer months, by Agassiz himself, and by other naturalists belonging either to the same institution, or to other scientific establishments in the United States, who had combined together to assist him. The object of these courses was chiefly for the benefit of teachers proposing to introduce the study of natural history into their schools, and for such students as were preparing to become teachers. Besides the lectures it

was proposed to provide a number of aquariums, as also the necessary apparatus for dredging in deep water, so that the pupils might be practically as well as theoretically instructed.

Whilst Prof. Agassiz was appealing to the public to support his beneficent scheme, the attention of Mr. John Anderson, a wealthy merchant of New York, was attracte 1 to it. Mr. Anderson," although not possessing himself any intimate acquaintance with natural history," sympathised warmly" in the professor's project for making that department of science a branch of education, and in aid thereof offered to hand over to trustees for the benefit of the scheme a whole island situated in Buzzard's Bay, in Massachusetts.

We need hardly say that the munificent offer was gladly accepted, and Penikese Island, containing 100 acres of great fertility, several springs of fine fresh water, and a mansion house, constituting altogether a "most attractive location for a summer residence," became, instead of Nantucket, the seat of the proposed institution, which was appropriately named after the donor, the Anderson School of Natural History."

66

A few days after the acceptance of this noble gift by Prof. Agassiz, Mr. Anderson gave a further proof of his liberality by presenting the sum of $50,000 for the equip. ment and current expenses of the institution, which was thus enabled to make a start under very favourable cir

cumstances.

When matters had progressed thus far, it was hardly in accordance with the national characteristics that much delay should take place in commencing work. So, although the island of Penikese was only presented to Prof. Agassiz on the 22nd April, 1873, a site was selected for the school, the plans were arranged, and the contract actually signed for the necessary works on the 16th May, and the 8th July was appointed for the building to be ready. In vain the architect and builder declared that it was impossible, and urged the postponement of the opening until the following year. Prof. Agassiz, perhaps with a presentiment of the future, was inflexible, and a commencement was actually made on the appointed day. During the summer a second building, containing another numerous set of working rooms and dormitories and a lecture room connecting it with the former edifice, was nearly completed, together with the interior arrangements of the whole school.

During the first session, 1873, the pupils were from forty to fifty in number, consisting chiefly of teachers (both male and female) in colleges and schools and other public institutions. Prof. Agassiz lectured nearly every day. Mr. Galloup, a citizen of Boston, sent his yacht to Penikese, and handed it over to Count Pourtales, who took charge of the dredging parties during the whole session. Ten or twelve of the pupils went out every day, thus obtaining instruction in the use of the implements, and at the same time obtaining many specimens for the lectures which could not have been collected from the shore.

Other efficient workers were Dr. A. S. Packard, jun., Prof. Jordan, Dr. Brewer, Prof. Wilder, and Prof. Guyot. Full instruction was thus given in various branches of natural history, in geology, in physical geography, and especially in zoology.

So successfully was this scheme carried out, that for the succeeding session a much larger number of applications than accommodation could be provided for was received, when the untimely death of the founder occurred and somewhat imperilled the continuance of his noble plans. Fortunately, a worthy son succeeded to a worthy father, and under the direction of Mr. Alexander Agassiz, the Anderson School of Natural History has, we believe, continued in its career of prosperity, although details of its second year's working have not yet reached us.

When we consider what has thus been done in the

United States, it is no slight reproach to us that nothing of the sort has been attempted in England. The great aquariums which have recently been built in several places offer unusual facilities for such an institution. But, alas! Brighton, Sydenham, and Southport are, we fear, wholly given up to ten per cent. The only counterpart of Prof. Agassiz in Europe is Anton Dohrn, whose "Zoological Station" at Naples is a worthy rival of the Anderson School of Natural History-perhaps even more complete in its organisation. We trust, however, that before long a similar scheme may be started in this country.

THE LAST TYPHOON AT HONG KONG

THE typhoon at Hong Kong of September 1874 is the greatest calamity that has visited the crown colony since its establishment in 1841. In each of the years 1859 and 1865 one of these desolating storms occasioned a great deal of damage to shipping in the harbour and vicinity; in 1867 two occurred, the second of which raged with great violence during the day, and was consequently observed with considerable interest; on Sept. 2, 1871, a still more striking instance is recorded; * but the whole of these phenomena sink into utter insignificance when compared with the furious typhoon which swept over the island during the night of the 22nd and the morning of the 23rd of September last. Without speaking of the dire effects produced by the latter, tenfold more terrible than any hitherto experienced, one far more crucial test may be adduced as evidence of the truth of our assertion. It is an admitted fact that the force of the wind during a cyclone or typhoon is always in direct proportion to the height of the mercury in the barometer. Now, the lowest reading of the barometer previously recorded at Hong Kong was during the typhoon of 1871, viz., 29′15; whilst at Macao, on the same occasion, the mercury fell to 28'39. But during the recent event, the reading at Hong Kong at 2.15 on the morning of the 23rd was 28'75 according to one barometer, and 28'73 according to another; whilst at Macao the mercury actually fell to 28!-a fall we believe to have been altogether unprecedented in the history of atmospheric reading in China. Hence we conceive this to have been one of the most severe instances, if not the severest, of a typhoon on record. The fact that the readings at Macao were lower in 1871 than at Hong Kong in 1874 does not affect the question, for, as we shall see presently, the first-mentioned place always suffers more severely than the latter, owing to the greater concentration of the power of the wind at its turning point.

Many points of interest are connected with the late typhoon. It was observed that the clock upon the clock tower at Peddar's Wharf in Hong Kong stopped shortly after two, and it has been stated upon good authority. that five or six other pendulum clocks stopped at the same hour. Now, this was exactly the time when the most violent throe of wind that was experienced throughout the entire night took place; hence we are justified in assuming that, at the precise moment when the typhoon was at its height, a shock of earthquake probably occurred, pointing to the conclusion that the atmospheric disturbance induced physical disturbances in the crust of the earth. The possibility of the existence of such a condition has been argued at length by Prof. Lyell in his "Principles," where he states that the inhabitants of Stromboli are said to make use of the island" as a weather-glass," its volcanic disturbances "increasing during tempestuous weather," so that "the island seems to shake from its foundations." He considers that extreme changes in the atmospheric pressure exerted upon a vast superficial area might well be deemed to influence the confined gases and liquids interposed between the

*See NATURE, vol. v. p. 166.

successive layers of strata.

result of movement amongst these gases and liquids there seems little reason to doubt.

We gather, from the various accounts to hand, that the characteristics of the recent typhoon were very similar to those of the event of 1871, viz., that it came from an easterly quarter, and, after sweeping over Hong Kong, reached Macao somewhat later, there culminating; and, describing a portion of a circle so as to present all the appearances of a whirlwind, eventually dissipated itself along the coast upon contact with the high land. This typhoon, as might have been expected, crossed the estuary of the Pearl River from Hong Kong to Macao in less than half the time occupied by the typhoon of 1871. The distance is almost forty-five miles, and the lowest readings of the barometer were as follows-In Hong Kong at 2.15 A.M. and at Macao at 3.15 A.M. during 1874, against II P.M. and 1.30 A.M. during 1871. The rate of progression in the late instance was moreover twice as great as that of the West Indian hurricanes, which has been computed at twenty to twentyfive miles per hour.

Before we dismiss the subject it may not be out of place to dwell for a few moments upon the probable causes which give rise to these "freaks of nature." At Hong Kong the S.W. monsoon blows from April to September, and the N.E. monsoon from September to April. It is during the change from S.W. to N.E. that typhoons usually occur. The theory is this. When the cold N.E. monsoon sets in suddenly it strikes upon a vast tract of land in Southern China, and on a portion of the China Sea warmed by the mild breezes of the opposite monsoon, occasioning rapid precipitation or condensation of vapours, and, as a necessary consequence, an extensive vacuum where the rarefied air formerly was. Other air then rushes violently in to fill the vacuum, and strong breezes, sometimes developing into typhoons, are the result. The mingling and collision of the various currents at their point of contact also assists the disturbance of the atmosphere. The reason of the gale as a rule blowing from the east is apparent. Inland of the coast line is a towering range of mountains, extending down to Cochin China, and effectually arresting the rush of air from that quarter. The open sea, therefore, is the only free point of access. The prevailing direction of typhoons at Hong Kong is, in point of fact, very nearly that of the N.E. monsoon just commencing, but possibly slightly diverted by the remaining influence of the opposite monsoon. Hong Kong, Amoy, and Macao being just opposite to the opening between Formosa and Luzon, the full sweep of the wind rushes in unhindered towards them from the Pacific Ocean. Macao, however, fares worst, for it is situated precisely where the typhoon is arrested by the high land of the coast. The lowest readings of the barometer are invariably therefore recorded at Macao.

I

ENCKE'S COMET

HAVE received this morning, from the Observatory of Pulkowa, copies of Dr. von Asten's ephemeris of this comet, in which the accurate effect of planetary perturbation to the approaching perihelion passage (about April 130 Greenwich time) is included. His positions differ less than five minutes of arc from those I have already communicated. The comet arrives at its least distance from the earth on the night of May 3, about which time it may be a bright object for the observatories of the southern hemisphere. In these latitudes it will probably be observed, as in 1842, to the end of the first week in April. If not detected during the next period of absence of moonlight, as I believe to be probable, there can be no doubt of its visibility before the February moon interferes. J. R. HIND Mr. Bishop's Observatory, Twickenham, Dec. 22

IX.

Alpine Orchids adapted to Cross-fertilisation by Butterflies

Νο

8

10

4

O family of plants, as far as is known, offers more various adaptations of flowers to insects of different orders than the Orchids, which have called general attention to the relation between flowers and insects since the admirable description by Mr. Darwin.' Of thirty-four species of Orchids found up to the present time in Westphalia, five3 have been observed to be fertilised by humble-bees, and partly also by other Apida; two by humble-bees and Diptera; one by species of Andrena; one by Vespa; one? by Apidæ, Diptera, and Sphegidæ ; one principally by Ichneumonidæ; one exclusively by Diptera; two by minute insects of different orders; and four" by Lepidoptera. Although the fertilisers of the sixteen remaining species 19 have not yet been observed, still it may fairly be deduced from the structure of their flowers that none of them, except, perhaps, Habenaria viridis, is fertilised by butterflies. Of thirtyfour species, then, growing in the plain and lower mountain region, four, or at the most five, that is to say 12 to 15 per cent., are fertilised by Lepidoptera; whereas of five species of Orchids growing in the higher Alpine region near the Ortler, three,13 or perhaps four,14 that is to say 60 to 80 per cent., are adapted to cross-fertilisation by butterflies, a proportion which strongly corroborates in the Alpine region must have influenced the adaptations my view that the predominant frequency of butterflies of Alpine flowers. As two of these five species of Alpine Orchids are not mentioned in Mr. Darwin's classical work, nor have yet been described with regard to their contrivances for fertilisation, I will give here a brief account of them.

Gymnadenia odoratissima (Figs. 58, 59) produces its honey in a nectary only 35 mm. in length, but the narrowness of its entrance (n' Fig. 59) proves it to be accessible only to butterflies. These, when inserting their proboscis into the nectary, cannot fail to attach to its upper side the two viscid discs (d, d) which lie close together immediately above the mouth of the nectary, and to which the pollinia are fixed by their caudicles. Hence a butterfly, when flying away from the flower first visited, bears a pair of pollinia upright on the upper side of its proboscis. When these are exposed to the air, the membranous discs to which their caudicles adhere contract (just as described and drawn by Mr. Darwin at p. 80 of his work), which causes the pollinia to move downwards and outwards in such a degree as exactly to strike the stigmatic surface when the butterfly inserts its proboscis into the nectary of a second flower.

Near the cataracts of the Adda, between the second and third Cantoniera, 2,200 to 2,400 metres above the sealevel, I found (July 14) plenty of these flowers, which, in accordance with their name, struck me by their highly attractive sweet smell; but although many butterflies were visiting a large number of the surrounding flowers, some of which were scentless, others but slightly scented, I Continued from p. 112.

2 "On the various contrivances by which British and Foreign Orchids are fertilised by insects." London, 1862.

3 Orchis Morio, O. mascula, Epipogum Gmelini, Goodyera repens, Spiranthes autumnalis.

4 Orchis maculata, O. latifolia.

6 Epipactis latifolia.

8 Listera ovata.

5 Cypripedium calceolus.

7 Epipactis palustris. 9 Neottia nidus-avis.

10 Gymnadenia albida, Herminium monorchis. 11 Orchis pyramidalis, Gymnadenia conopsea, Platanthera bifolia, P.

chlorantha.

12 Orchis laxiflora, coriophora, militaris, fusca, and variegata; Habe naria viridis, Ophrys muscifera and apifera; Cephalanthera pallens, ensifolia, and rubra; Epipactis atrorubens, viridiflora, and microphylla ; Malaxis paludosa, Liparis Loeselii.

13 Nigritella angustifolia, Gymnadenia odoratissima, _conopsea, and albida; Habenaria viridis.

14 Nigritella angustifolia, Gymnadenia odoratissima and conopsea, and perhaps Habenaria viridis.

herited the peculiar position of its flowers from the ancestors of the family of Orchids, which undoubtedly, like the most nearly allied families, possessed an untwisted ovary, and the imperfectly twisted condition of the ovaries of some individuals of G. odoratissima may be looked at as an effect of atavism.

Nigritella differs from Gymnadenia odoratissima in the position of its flowers, and in being fertilised in the daytime. Whilst the latter seems to be fertilised especially by crepuscular and nocturnal Lepidoptera, the former, on the contrary, is easily seen to be fertilised by diurnal butterflies. In contrast to the pale flowers of G. odoratissima, those of Nigritella are of a dark purple red colour, shining magnificently in the sunlight, whilst at the same time they exhale so remarkable a vanilla-like odour that I have more than once recognised this species sooner by smell than by sight. I have never met with any other flower which attracts diurnal Lepidoptera more efficaciously than this. When descending from the pass of Fluela, towards Zernetz (July 9), during about an hour I collected in a small locality the following species, having observed them all fertilising the flowers of Nigritellas. (a) Rhopalocera: (1) Lycana semiargus Rott., frequently; (2) Melitaa Athalia Rott.; (3) Argynnis Euphrosyne L. (4) Hesperia serratula Ramb. var.? (6) Sphingidæ : (5) Ino statices L., Alpine varieties, in great number. (c) Noctuæ: (6) Agrotis ocellina W. V., several specimens; (7) Prothymia ænea W. V. (d) Crambina (8) Botys aërealis Hb., var. opacalis H.; (9) Diasemia litterata Scop., in great number; (10) Crambus dumetellus H. var., very frequently. (e) Tineina: (11) Butalis species.* In the subnival region round "Quarta Cantoniera," besides Nos. 3 and 5, I observed (12) Melitaa Parthenie Bkh., var. varia; (13) Zygana exulans Reiner, both not only perseveringly seeking for the honey of Nigritella in the sunshine, but also lodging after sunset in the heads of their favourite flower, from which in the evening and morning numerous individuals could easily be taken off which had been killed or benumbed by the cold.

HERMANN MÜLLER

THE TRANSIT OF VENUS

some statements which might have applied either to Owhyhee solely or to the whole attempt. From the last telegram we learn that the photographs failed at Honolulu, where in the telegram to the Astronomer Royal it was stated that the Transit had been well observed. There is, therefore, a distinct strengthening of the idea that the remarks "Janssen failed," "internal contact uncertain several seconds," apply to all the stations. We sincerely trust this may not be so, for the whole value, to the English plans, of the occupation of Kerguelen's Land is that observations of ingress may be made there to correspond with those made in the Sandwich Islands,—the ingress being accelerated in these latter and retarded at Kerguelen. A long experience with transits of Mercury and solar eclipses has now convinced astronomers that corresponding observations mean observations made by similar instruments under similar conditions. For instance, it will be useless to compare an eye observation of a contact made at the Sandwich Islands with photographs of the contact made by Janssen's beautiful contrivance at Kerguelen, whence we are not afraid of hearing that "Janssen failed," for Father Perry, in whose charge the revolving apparatus is, is one of the very few men long practised with astronomical instruments who form part of the English staff.

Lord Lindsay telegraphs to Lady Lindsay from the Mauritius:"Transit observed; last half satisfactory. Good photographs, measures, and time determination. Altogether well satisfied."

The private expedition of Lord Lindsay to the Mauritius deserved to succeed. We regret that the degree of success obtained is not so high as that which Lord Lindsay's energy, skill, and care had merited. Had observations been secured here and at Réunion at the commencement of the Transit, both Mauritius and Réunion would have been Delislean stations for observations of ingressalmost, indeed, as good as Kerguelen's Land, where it is to be hoped the official astronomers have obtained observations to pair with those made at the Sandwich Islands. But, as Lord Lindsay saw nothing of the beginning (ingress), and as the sky was cloudy at Réunion, the parties at Kerguelen's Land are now the only hope of the Delisleans, and this makes one regret all the more that

have appeared in the Times; these, with the Times' notes upon them, in a condensed form, we give here.

From the Hague we learn that the Government has received advices from the Dutch expedition_sent to Réunion for observing the Transit of Venus. The sky being cloudy, the expedition was only partially successful. The Astronomer Royal has received the following telegram from the Sandwich Islands :

"Transit of Venus well observed at Honolulu and Atooi; cloudy at Owhyhee. Sixty photographs; Janssen failed; internal contact uncertain several seconds; complete disc of Venus seen twelve minutes before; 120 micrometer measures."

From New York intelligence has been received that the observation of the Transit of Venus made by the British astronomical party at Honolulu has been successful, except as regards the photographs, which failed.

It will be seen that the bad news for the English plans from New Zealand is fortunately not followed up from the Sandwich Islands. There the ingress, at one end of a base line stretching to Kerguelen's Land, has been secured, and if the observations have been successful at the latter place, Delisle's method can be applied for the ingress.

The telegram from New York is enough to give rise to some uneasiness. The first telegram stated that the Transit was well observed at Honolulu and Atooi, while there were clouds at Owhyhee; and then followed

* For all the names I am indebted to Dr. Speyer, of Rhoden.

Crozets. But Lord Lindsay's hopeful telegram evidently means that he has obtained enough photographs and measures to employ with advantage the direct and heliometric methods of determining the least distance of centres; these methods being precisely those which the German parties, also in the Mauritius, were to employ, obtaining corresponding observations at Chefoo, in the north of China.

The Times Malta correspondent writes under date Valetta, Dec. 15:- 'The Transit of Venus was distinctly witnessed at Malta on the 9th inst. The external egress of the planet from the sun occurred precisely at 7.26 A.M. local mean time."

66

Melbourne, Dec. 29.-Intelligence from New Zealand announces that the American astronomer, Prof. Peters, was successful in his observation of the Transit of Venus. The German expedition to the Auckland Isles also achieved satisfactory results."

THE SPECTROSCOPE AND THE TRANSIT OF VENUS

A RECENT article in the Times (Dec. 24) speaks of

the application of the spectroscope to the observations of transits; it is so much to the point that we reproduce a portion of it here :

The news from Malta which we gave yesterday of the unhoped-for observation of external egress there under