It 325 MISCELLANEOUS INTELLIGENCE. Professor Wolf of Zurich has recently published his eighth chapter or tract (Mittheilung) on the subject of the solar spots. He states that whereas in the year 1852 he had only materials at his command for tracing back the history of solar action through 12 epochs of maximum or minimum energy, the kind communications of friends and his own continued private research have so far added to his stock of examined records that he now counts up 32 cases of established epochs. In the present tract Professor Wolf gives the results of his examination of the MSS. observations of C. Tevel, a silversmith of Middelburg, in the years 1816, 17, 18, 19, 24 and 25, which were brought under his notice by Dr. Buys-Ballot of Utrecht. appears that from the paucity of spots in the years '24 and '25 Tevel's interest in the subject was so far diminished that he discontinued his journal, and only resumed it again in the year 1828 with much less energy, from which time occur occasional notes as far as the year 1836. Another and smaller series of records here examined are those of an observer named De Hagen, brought under Prof. Wolf's notice by Herr Wagner of Pulkova. The observations were taken between the years 1739 and 1751. At the end of the tract Professor Wolf adds that in consequence of his perusal of Mr. Carrington's paper on the distribution in latitude of the solar spots during the years 1854 to 1858, he was led to specially arrange the results of Dr. Böhm of Vienna for the years 1833 to 1836, in order to see if any similar change of distribution occurred at or about the minimum of 1833. The result of his research is that such a change did occur at that time, and that the extremes of latitude for those years may be taken to have been as follows:: 1833. Latitude ± 10° 1834. ± 25° 1835. apparently offering a very precisely corresponding instance to that first pointed out by Mr. Carrington. Dr. Böhm's observations, it may be added, were treated with a degree of skill and knowledge of the subject which entitles them to full confidence. [R.C.C.] Professor Secchi, in a recent letter to one of the Secretaries, mentions that the observations of the solar disk made at Rome since the month of July 1858, so far as he has as yet examined, indicate that the limiting parallels for the faculæ correspond pretty closely to those for the dark spots. A clear climate, such as that of Rome, is necessary for this research, which it is to be hoped Prof. Secchi will be induced to pursue. Lieut. Gillis's account of his eclipse-expedition to Olmos in Peru, last autumn, has been delayed in its transmission from America, and one copy only has as yet come to hand. The remainder are however in London, and will be distributed shortly. Lieut. Gilliss (U.S.N.) experienced much inconvenience of travel, suffering prior to and on the day of the eclipse from severe ague, and on his return contracting Panama fever, which remained about him for some time. The account will be read with interest, but as the principal contents and results of observations lie in the well-executed plate which accompanies the account and which cannot here be reproduced, an effective précis cannot well be given. Lieut. Gillis is already anxious to learn the proposed plans of European observers on the occasion of the next total eclipse, visible in Spain and Algeria in July 1860. [R.C.C.] Professor Mitchell, of Cincinnati, has been appointed to the Directorship of the Dudley Observatory, Albany, U. S. Dr. Brünnow, late Director of the Ann-Arbor Observatory, Michigan, having accepted the position of Associate-Director of the Dudley Observatory, has removed to Albany. Dr. Brünnow purposes applying the Olcott Meridian Circle to a new determination of the stars in Bradley's Catalogue, and to the observation of some of the fainter asteroids. Respecting other operations intended to be prosecuted at the Dudley Observatory, in connexion with the observatory of Cincinnati, Professor Mitchell makes the following statement in a letter, dated May, 1859, which is published in No. 7 of Brünnow's Astronomical Notices :-"It is intended to mount two transits of equal size and power, the one in the Dudley, the other in the Cincinnati Observatory, to each of which the new declinometer and electro-magnetic machinery will be attached. With these two instruments in the hands of able observers, I hope to commence the execution of a long-cherished plan, involving the formation of a great Catalogue of Stars down to the tenth magnitude inclusive, by sweeping the heavens in zones. Should the new methods prove as rapid and delicate as experiment has thus far shown them to be, this work will advance with extraordinary rapidity under the combined action of the two observatories. It is intended to verify each by the other, as the same zones will be swept at the same time by the two instruments." Dr. Brünnow having removed from Ann-Arbor to Albany, the Astronomical Notices edited by him will henceforward be published at the latter place. We find in No. 7 of that Journal the first recorded observations made with the Olcott Meridian Circle, consisting of places of the asteroids, Flora, Europa, Fortuna, and Euterpe, determined by August Sonntag, acting Assistant. Professor Moesta, Director of the Observatory of Santiago, states in a letter to Dr. Peters of Altona, dated June 30, 1859, that his observations of the great comet of 1858 extend from the 30th of October, 1858, to the 1st of March, 1859. On the last-mentioned date the light of the comet was hardly the half, cæteris paribus, of the light which it exhibited on the day of its discovery. n Professor Moesta further states that in the course of last year the variable star ʼn Argus has very strikingly diminished in brightness. In the two previous years the star continued to shine by a pretty constant light and to be as bright as B Crucis. It now appears smaller than 2 Crucis. Discovery of a New Planet. On the evening of the 22nd September, Dr. R. Luther of Bilk discovered a new asteroid (the 57th). Its place was as under : It appears as a star of the 10th magnitude. A Supplement to this Number will shortly be issued, containing some additional matter, including the Index to Vol. XIX. of the Monthly Notices, ERRATUM. Page 291, lines 10 and 18 from top, for & Bootis read & Boötis. |