would have been fidgeting and out of harmony with the even tenor of the text, which is about as different as it can possibly be from the productions of German authors.

I do not myself think it a good plan to incorporate formulæ in the text, so that there is nothing for the eye to catch. Such a proceeding may be convenient to the printer, but it is only permissible when the expressions are very simple and easy ones. However, all those in this book are simple and easy ones, so possibly no student need feel any inconvenience.

So far as I have observed, the statements made are usually clear and correct. There are some few exceptions; for instance, the definition of self-induction on pp. 814, 815 is not satisfactory. On p. 858 the distance apart of points, between which unit difference of magnetic potential exists, is unnecessarily specified in the definition of Verdet's constant; but this is a slip made also in Everett's" Units," and is an easy one both to make and to correct.

The account of a volume-air-thermometer given on p. 295 can hardly pass muster; and indeed this and other meagre references to the work of Regnault may be taken as typical of the absence of even the outlines of those experimental details which one is accustomed to find in the writings of French authors.

But, as I said at the beginning, the attempt to compress all physics into one volume of reasonable size and good print can only be made if one is content to omit about 90 per cent. of what might be included. As a convenient summary of a course of lectures of a particular grade the book is probably about as good as can be expected, and it may be found useful for revisionwork by students in this country.

OLIVER LODGE.

BABYLONIAN COSMOLOGY. Die Kosmologie der Babylonier. Studien und Materialen von P. Jensen. (Strassburg.)

THE

HE thick volume of five hundred and fifty pages of closely printed matter lying before us represents what was originally intended by its author to be the first part of an exhaustive treatise upon the mythology of the Babylonians in the widest sense of the term, but he was obliged to abandon the scheme after investigating the spiritual and religious views of the Babylonians which the cuneiform texts make known to us, because he was driven by facts to admit that any such attempt would, with our present information, be premature. Prof. Jensen has then contented himself with placing in the hands of his readers a series of facts and a collection of materials for making researches into the astronomical system of the Babylonians, together with the results which he deduces from them. He is fain to admit that the present state of the study of this subject is lamentable in the extreme; for those who have worked at it in times past, and even those who still profess themselves to be devoted to the science, link idea to idea without regard to natural sequence, and draw conclusions, and invent systems, and give themselves over to traditions rather than to the serious discussion of the facts and statements of the cuneiform texts. Other writers being naturally

incapable of distinguishing what is certain from that which is not, and possessing neither the knowledge necessary to control the work of Assyriologists, nor the power to work independently, reproduce the statements given doubtfully by scholars, and send them among nonexperts as incontrovertible facts, and thus it comes that the greater part of the work which is current under the name of “Babylonian Mythology" must be considered base coin only.

The earliest worker in the field of Babylonian Astronomy was the famous Dr. Hincks, who published the result of his investigations of some cuneiform texts in the British Museum in the Transactions of the Irish Academy in 1856. In 1862 Sir Henry Rawlinson, the "Father of Assyriology," discovered that most import. ant document now universally known as the "Eponym Canon," in which an eclipse of the sun was mentioned. As Dr. Hincks overlooked the fact that the greater number of the texts which he regarded as astronomical were purely astrological, this discovery by Sir Henry Rawlinson of the notice of an astronomical event recorded by the Babylonians, the accuracy of which could be demonstrated by modern mathematical calculations, must be considered as the first step towards a scientific elucidation of Babylonian astronomy, and a proof that pure astronomical science already existed in the Euphrates Valley as early as B.C. 700. In 1871 the veteran Assyriologist, Jules Oppert, published in the Journal Asiatique the results of his study of some syllabaries, and other texts in which the Babylonian names of the planets and other stars were given, and three years later Prof. Sayce published a lengthy paper entitled “The Astronomy and the Astrology of the Babylonians," in the Transactions of the Society of Biblical Archæology, in which he reprinted, without making a new collation, most of the astrological texts published by Rawlinson in "Cuneiform Inscriptions of Western Asia," vol. iii., to which he added English translations. On the work of these two last-mentioned Assyriologists Prof. Jensen makes some strong comments.

Passing over smaller works by Schrader and Lotz we next strike firm ground in the excellent work by Drs. Epping and Strassmaier. The former is an astronomer of no mean skill and ability, and the latter is one of the greatest experts in modern cuneiform decipherment and is thoroughly skilled in working at the tablets at first hand. In the work entitled "Astronomisches aus Babylon," Freiburg i. B. 1889, these scholars published the texts from three tablets of lunar ephemerides for the years 188, 189, and 201 of the era of Seleucus, which began B.C. 312, together with a long astronomical commentary upon them and remarks upon Babylonian ephemerides of planets in general. From these texts it was evident that the Babylonians were accustomed to tabulate the heliacal rising and setting of the planets and of Sirius, and the opposition of the planets to the sun, and it was discovered that they had in the ecliptic a number of groups of stars, twelve of which correspond roughly in nomenclature and in position with the signs of the Zodiac. When this important publication appeared Prof. Jensen had for some years been independently working at the history of the origin of the Zodiac, and a large portion of his work now before us was already in type. A careful study of the

new matter and of the theories based upon it by Drs. Epping and Strassmaier convinced him of the general correctness of the results of his own investigations, at which he had arrived by a method peculiarly his own, and by many new readings of the cuneiform names of planets and stars which he was enabled to explain satisfactorily he confirmed several identifications of stars which had been pointed out by Dr. Epping by the light of mathematical astronomy. It is but fair to say that at the outset some differences of opinion existed between these distinguished scholars, but already many of them have been adjusted, and the proof of the general accuracy of the work is therefore much stronger.

Prof. Jensen divides his book into two sections. In the first he treats of the "Universe and its Parts," and in the second of the "Creation and of the Formation of the World." Under the first heading, in a series of chapters, he discusses the sky and the heavenly bodies in it, special attention being paid to the consideration of the Zodiac, the earth, the Mountain of sunrise, the abodes

the blessed dead and of the damned, and of the Okeanos; and under the second he translates and explains the Babylonian texts referring to the Creation and to the Deluge. Many of Prof. Jensen's ideas are new, and will therefore fail to be accepted by those who prefer to follow traditions and their own views in preference to results obtained directly from the cuneiform texts which are, after all, our only trustworthy authority on Babylonian cosmology. He argues his propositions in a sober manner, and he arranges his facts with clearness; he gives proof or authority for every statement, and he assumes or takes for granted little or nothing. Prof. Jensen's book is a careful statement of all the important views of the Babylonians concerning the system of the heavens and the earth as recorded by the officia astronomers and astrologers attached to the library of Assurbanipal at Nineveh about B.C. 660. His work will command the respect and earn the gratitude of all true scholars, even of those who may disagree with him, and by reason of it the scientific astronomer of to-day with his telescope and spectroscope and instruments for stellar photography will respect his predecessors on the plains of Mesopotamia, who differ from him in their calculation of the length of the average period between new-moon and new-moon by two-fifths of a second only!

OUR BOOK SHELF.

Elements of Physiography. By Hugh Dickie, LL.D. Collins Science Series. (London: Collins.) THIS is a small manual designedly written as a text-book for the elementary stage of physiography, according to the syllabus of the Science and Art Department. All that is necessary for this stage is treated of within its pages in as concise and brief a manner as possible.

Interspersed amongst the text are upwards of 100 excellent illustrations and four coloured maps, and very good sets of questions for exercise are inserted at the end of each chapter.

The author would do well to be a little more precise and accurate in some of his statements. In Article 150, p. 138, he says: "The position of a star in the sky is fixed as follows:-(1) Its angular distance E. or W. of the line passing through the poles." Which particular

one of the infinite number of lines passing through the poles is meant is not very clear. He should have "fixed" the line by adding "and the zenith." At the end of Article 154 he states that "comets and nebulæ are bodies less dense in their composition than stars, and more erratic in their movements." Surely the author should know that nebulæ do not appear to wander about amongst the stars, but keep the same relative position with respect to the latter.

Upon the whole, however, the book, which is moderate in price, can be recommended to pupils preparing for the examination in elementary physiography.

Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-86. By J. W. Powell, Director. (Washington: Government Printing Office.)

THE Report which occupies the first part of this handsome volume is too old to be read with much interest. Happily it is accompanied by papers which are of more than passing value. One of these-on Indian linguistic families of America north of Mexico-is by Prof. J. W. Powell, who, in the course of an elaborate discussion and exposition, throws much light on an intricate and most difficult subject. A paper by Mr. W. J. Hoffman on the Mide'wiwin or "grand medicine society" of the Ojibwa, will be read with pleasure by students of anthropology; and Mr. James Mooney devotes a very careful and interesting paper to the consideration of the sacred formulas of the Cherokees.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts intended for this or any other part of NATURE. No notice is taken of anonymous communications.]

A Remarkable Rainfall.

I SEND a few particulars of the recent remarkable rainfall at Croha mhurst, situated on the western slope of Mont Blanc, a peak on a spur of the D'Aguilar Range, an offset from the Blackall Ranges, South Eastern Queensland. The whole of this district is watered by the Stanley River, a tributary of the Brisbane River, and hence the values given below were prominent factors in producing the terrible floods from which we have suffered. may mention that the observer at Crohamhurst is Mr. Inigo Owen Jones, one of my specially trained assistants, and that implicit reliance can be placed on his figures.

The following are the more remarkable falls of the flood period inches; ditto February 2, 20056 inches; ditto February 3, at Crohamhurst:-For 24 hours ending 9 a.m. February 1, 10 775 35.714 inches; ditto February 4, 10 760 inches. The gauge is a standard of the "eight-inch" pattern, standing one foot above the ground at an altitude of about 1400 feet above mean sea level. The approximate latitude and longitude of Crohamhurst are 26° 50' S. 152° 55′ E. The gauge was emptied every three hours, night and day, on the occasion of the greatest fall. I think meteorologists will agree that for a 24 hours' fall we have beaten the world's record. CLEMENT L. WRAGGE, Government Meteorologist of Queensland (late of Ben Nevis).

Brisbane, March 22.

The Cold Wave at Hongkong, January 1893.-Its After Effects.

Now that the cold wave has completely passed away and warm weather is setting in (March 17, 1893), one can write more certainly respecting the effects upon animal and vegetable life.

With regard to the plants the effect has been disastrous, especially on the higher levels, and were it not that our rarest plants descend the hillsides, and often occur in sheltered nooks, this year's frost would have caused the extinction of several of them. Combined with the dry weather we have been enduring the frost has turned our fairly green island into a brown, desertlooking land, much of the undergrowth being dead. Most of the leaves have fallen, even new leaves that were unfolding have

The

been shed, and only now is a fresh crop coming on. common Lantana Camara, instead of being a blaze of bloom, is a ragged, almost leafless shrub, with here and there a flowerhead; Mimosa pudica is in many cases killed outright, but some are putting out fresh leaves from the root stocks. Rhodomyrtus tomentosa, perhaps our commonest shrub, is quite killed on the hills, and the exquisite Enkyanthus quinqueflorus, with its pink bells and opal glands, that is so cherished by the Chinese at their New Year Festival (February 17) was hardly up to date. On February 28, with a party of naval officers, I ascended Lanto (3000 feet), a peak on an island near Hongkong, that is famous for Tiu Chung-fa, to give it the native name, and though I found numbers of the shrubs putting forth new red terminal leaves, only one was in flower, and the supply has been very scanty. Cocoa-nuts and bananas have suffered greatly.

There the

At Canton Dr. Henry reports the banana plantations are ruined, and bamboos have suffered. "Aleurites triloba (the candle-nut) looks shrivelled up, while begonias, euphorbias, crotons, and scores of others look shrivelled up." plants suffered more than at Hongkong, for Mr. C. Ford, superintendent of the Botanic Gardens, reports Aleurites uninjured below an altitude of 300 feet. In his Government report he gives a list of over eighty species of exotics that have suffered, and the following effects upon indigenous plants :

Leaves killed.

39.

Killed.

0000040

с r A few, 1893r A few, 1893

r

...

One only, 1893

41.

sp....

r

Fronds killed.

42. Hebomoia glaucippe, Linn.

C

r

One only, 1893

One only, 1893

A few, 1893.

polites, Godt.

V.C

Rhodomyrtus tomentosus, Hassk

Killed.

46.

dissimilis, Linn....

V.C

Sponia velutina, Planch

Tetracera sarmentosa, Vahl

sarpedon, Linn.

V.C

Zanthoxylon nitidus, A. de C.

telephus, Feld.

с

50.

agamemnon, Linn.

"Those which were killed were above 800 feet above sealevel."

51.

paris, Linn.

A few, 1893

A few, 1893

Nephrolepis exaltata, Schott biserrata, Schott

Psychotria elliptica, Ker

The effect upon insect life has been disastrous. A few straggling butterflies and hymenoptera lasted a few days, and then came a blank of weeks when not an insect of any kind was seen, and the place seemed painfully still from the absence of cicadas by day and crickets by night. My friend Mr. H. E. Denson found a glow-worm at the Peak on February 6, but saw nothing else in the way of insects.

Towards the end of February the weather began to be mild, though it is still below normal, and insects began to appear, some lepidoptera emerging crippled, Butterflies are still quite rare, and generally only single specimens seen. The only species as plentiful as usual is the little pale blue Lycana argea. Last year butterflies absolutely swarmed. Thus Mr. J. J. Walker, R. N., has in his diary the following notes:-February 3. "Euplaas in greater numbers than I had ever seen." And again, March 4: "The profusion of butterflies was quite bewildering.'

I cannot show the difference between the two seasons better than by comparing the list of species on the wing :

The paucity of species this year does not nearly represent the difference, for whereas butterflies swarmed at this time last year. they are very rare now. Mr. Walker and I make it a rule toge out every day and note the species, and I do not think we have missed one. It is not the lack of flowers, for the gardens are aglow, and rhododendrons are superb. I may mention that our unique Rhodoleia Championi flowered magnificently in February. producing two crops of flowers one after the other; the first wer damaged and snapped off short at the base of the peduncle. carpeting the ground with carmine blossoms; the second blooms were not shed.

Bees are now active, cicadas and grasshoppers beginning 1: sing, but in diminished numbers. Hemiptera are waking up from their torpor, and coleoptera becoming numerous. I imagine there is not a great destruction of pupa and eggs, but that they are delayed in emerging. To-day we have the first real soaking rain for months, and as the south-west monsoon has begun t make itself felt, I anticipate quite a burst of life during the nex few weeks, and will report.

Another interesting phenomenon has occurred since I wrote my first account of the cold wave. The sea-water flowing from the north has cooled below the normal, and at the end of February

was as low as 57° F., but has since recovered. Thousands of fish died, or floated about torpid, the critical temperature having just been reached. This state of things lasted about three days. The Chinese fishermen said the fish had cholera, and called attention to some alteration in a joss-house on an island in the harbour, any tampering with which causes sickness to man or beast, by interfering with the Fung Sui! They gave up fishing for a week, but the fish were not diseased so far as I could

see.

I may note that since the Sanguir eruption in July last we have had perfect Krakatão sunsets, which are only just waning. They were in greatest force in the middle of December, and the fine after-glow was visible at the zenith an hour and a half after sunset. It was strong enough to overpower the zodiacal light. SYDNEY B. J. SKERTCHLY. Kowloon, Hongkong, March 17.

P.S.-Mr. J. J. Walker, R.N., has just visited the Happy Valley after the ram. He finds the butterflies much more plentiful. C. cumaus, and H. glaucippe have appeared within the last two days.-March 23.

The April Meteors.

Of the periodical meteor showers I believe that, from an observational point of view, the April Lyrids may be regarded as one of the least interesting. The display frequently disappoints expectation, and even on the night of April 20, which usually supplies the maximum, the observer often finds his patience taxed in watching a sky which gives not more than seven or eight meteors per hour from all radiants, and not more than one-third of these from the special shower of Lyrids. This is not, however, the invariable experience. Occasionally, as, for example, in 1863 and 1884, the display is a conspicuous one, and rivals other prominent showers, such as the Perseids, Orionids, and Gemmids.

This year the circumstances were not altogether favourable for observation, the crescented moon being visible on April 19 and 20 during the first half of the night, and on April 21 her setting did not take place until 14h. The sky was however clear on April 18, 20, and 21, and the period was a remarkable one on account of its exceptional heat. The maximum shade temperature on four consecutive days was registered here as follow: April 19, 75°, April 20, 77°, April 21, 81°, April 22, 78. The height attained on April 21 is entitled to be regarded rare meteorological event. With an atmosphere so salubrious the work of recording meteors was rendered very pleasant, and reminded the observer of night-watches in July and August rather than with experiences comparatively early in the spring.

as a

On April 18 I noted 9 shooting stars in the 1 hour between 11h. 30m. and 13h., and of these 2 or 3 were Lyrids. The shower was so meagre that it was not thought advisable to watch its progress through the night.

I saw

On April 19 the sky was not sufficiently clear for observations. On April 20, between 11h. 15m. and 14h. 25m., I looked towards the eastern quarter of the sky and counted 18 meteors, of which 7 were Lyrids with a sharply defined radiant at 272 +33°. Several meteors were also observed from a contemporary shower at 218° 33° between and y Boötis. this shower in 1887 from the same point on April 18-25. On April 21 the sky was beautifully clear, and I recorded 29 meteors during the 4 hours between 11h. 20m, and 15h. 25m. There were 8 Lyrids which showed very exact radiation from the point 273 +34 and close to the position determined on the preceding night. Several of the Lyrids were fine meteors leaving oright streaks and moving with moderate speed. A minor shower was detected from slow meteors seen on this and the previous night, at 200+ 9° between Virgo and Bootes. I do not appear to have noticed this radiant during my observations of the Lyrids in former years.

On April 22 clouds unfortunately prevailed, and the further progress of the display could not be watched.

Taking my observations collectively, I saw 56 meteors in watches extending over 8 hours on the nights of April 18, 20, and 21. Of these about 18, or one-third of the whole, belonged to the Lyrid shower. The apparent paths of the brighter meteors recorded were as follows:

The Lyrid seen on April 21 at 12h. 24m. was very brilliant, and it left a long streak between a and B coronæ and slightly above Arcturus. As the meteor traversed its course of 30 degrees it exhibited three outbursts of light, and the places where these occurred were indicated by bright knots in the streak.

One of the most important questions in connection with this cometary meteor shower is as to whether the radiant shows a displacement in its position as observed on successive nights. I wrote in NATURE for May 7, 1885, to the effect that my observations on April 18, 19, and 20 of the year mentioned proved a rapid shifting to the eastwards, and even greater than that recognised in the radiant of the July and August Perseids. My later results confirm the supposed displacement, but show that it is far less extensive than that based on the figures obtained in 1885. I append a summary of all my radiants for this shower with the exception of those obtained in the years 1873 and 1874, which were certainly not very accurate owing to my inexperience in the work at that time. In comparing the various positions included in the list, it must be remembered that too much weight should not be given to any one individually, but that the general result deducible from them all will ensure the most trustworthy conclusions. The first position in the list, viz. that for April 18, 1885, is undoubtedly too far west to be consistent with the others, while that for April 19, 1877, is equally too far north. From the distribution of the radiants in right ascension there is striking evidence of displacement. Further observations will be very valuable, especially if made at the beginning and ending of the shower on say April 16, 17, and 22 and 23. But on these nights it is scarcely visible at all, so that it will be advisable to watch for it during the whole night, and perhaps to amalgamate the results for a similar date in several years.

Radiants of Lyrids observed at Bristol.

The consistency of the positions on April 20 sufficiently shows that the radiant is sharply defined and that its place may be determined with considerable precision.

In looking over the observations I found two trifling clerical errors in my catalogue of radiants printed in the Monthly Notices for May, 1890. Radiant number 102 was seen on April 19, not April 20, 1884, and number 104 on April 21, not April 20, 1878.

I believe this shower lasts from April 16 to 23. On the former date in 1877 I recorded three of its meteors, and the radiant was indicated at 263° +33°, but not with certainty.

The very fine meteor of April 15 last, 9h. 52m., seen in many parts of the country, was not an early Lyrid, but appears to have be

longed to a radiant in Cassiopeia, and possibly to the same system which furnished the fireballs of April 10, 1874, and April 9, 1876, with radiants at 19°+57° and 17° +57° respectively, according to Von Niessl. A fireball seen on May 30, 1877, had a radiant at 20°+58°, which is virtually the same position as the others. I would be glad to hear of any additional observations of the large meteor of April 15, 1893, or of any of the meteors seen at Bristol on the nights of April 18, 20, and 21 last, and referred to in the first of the foregoing tables.

W. F. DENNING.

Smithsonian Institution Documents.

I Do not know whether your numerous readers realise that many of the public documents published by the United States Government and the Smithsonian Institution can be obtained by direct personal application to the author, at least as long as copies remain undistributed.

The volume entitled "Mechanics of the Atmosphere," recently published by the Smithsonian Institution, was compiled in the confident hope of stimulating the study of this difficult subject by English-speaking scholars throughout the world; further volumes will follow if it becomes evident that this hope is being realised. This collection of translations appeals especially to the mathematical physicist, and I should be pleased to hear from any one who desires to study or teach this subject. CLEVELAND Abbe.

Weather Bureau, Washington, April 15.

THE GENESIS OF NOVA AURIGE.

IT T is a common belief that everything is created for a beneficial purpose, and a commoner one that the chief purpose is the delectation of mankind. Without occupying the stilted position involved in the acceptation of such an idea, it can be said that all things that are made are useful for the extension of knowledge. Viewed from this standpoint, the universe is a field containing an infinite number of facts which have to be reaped and garnered before they can be threshed. In the case of the new star that appeared in Auriga last year, a rich harvest of facts has been gathered in. Astronomers from their watch-towers have scanned the celestial visitor through optic-glasses; estimated its glory; measured its place; photographed it, and caused it to weave its pattern in the spectroscope. But it is not enough to make observations and store them up in musty libraries without the proper understanding of their import. At all events, the greatest possible good should be wrung from the facts, and an attempt should be made to discriminate the theory that best explains them. For this reason the subject of Nova Auriga is here resuscitated. Theories galore have been propounded to account for that star's genesis, and the most important are described in this note, so that every one can judge for himself the explanation which sufficiently satisfies the phenomena.

Before the advent of the new star of 1866 the general opinion was that such objects represented new creations. Spectroscopic observations then caused a revulsion of that idea, and we find Dr. Huggins suggesting in an italicised expression, that “the star became suddenly enrapt in burning hydrogen" ("Spectrum Analysis," p. 28, Huggins, 1866).

To quote

more fully," In consequence it may be of some great convulsion, of the precise nature of which it would be idle to speculate, enormous quantities of gas were set free. A large part of this gas consisted of hydrogen, which was burning about the star in combination with some other element. This flaming gas emitted the light represented by the spectrum of bright lines. The greatly increased brightness of the spectrum of the other part of the star's light may show that this fierce gaseous con

flagration had heated to a more vivid incandescence the matter of the photosphere. As the free hydrogen became exhausted the flames gradually abated, the photosphere became less vivid, and the star waned down to its former brightness." More or less modified forms of this theory of a fiery cataclysm were afterwards put forward, to account for the formation of Nova Cygni in 1876. Mr. Lockyer, however, advanced the idea that the outburst was due to cosmical collisions (NATURE, vol. xvi. p. 413). In his words, "We are driven from the idea that these phenomena are produced by the incandescence of large masses of matter because, if they were so produced, the running down of brilliancy would be exceedingly slow. Let us consider the case, then, on the supposition of small masses of matter. Where are we to find them? The answer is easy: in those small meteoric masses which an ever-increasing mass of evidence tends to show occupy all the realms of space." Practically all the theories with regard to the origin of new stars are modifications of one or the other of these; either an internal convulsion, or an external collision, is hypotheticated. Let us see how each will stand the test put upon it by Nova Auriga.

The discovery by Mr. Lockyer that the bright lines in the spectrum of the new star were accompanied by dark lines on their more refrangible sides seemed at once to be a striking confirmation of his views. The interpretation naturally put upon such a composite appearance was that two discrete masses were engaged in producing the body's light; one, having a spectrum of dark lines, was rushing towards the earth, while the bright-line star or nebula was running away. As Mr. Lockyer remarked in a paper communicated to the Royal Society on February 7, 1892, "the spectrum of Nova Aurige would suggest that a moderately dense swarm [of meteorites] is now moving towards the earth with a great velocity, and is disturbed by a sparser one which is receding. The great agitations set up in the dense swarm would produce the dark-line spectrum, while the sparser swarm would give the bright lines." In spite of its simplicity, however, and its ability to account for the observed facts, the meteoritic theory did not commend itself to the minds of some astronomers. Dr. Huggins clung to the idea that the outburst was the result of eruptions similar in kind to those upon the sun, but the acquisition of knowledge of the light changes of stars forced him to withdraw the original suggestion that the luminosity of a Nova is produced by chemical combustion (Fortnightly Review, June 1892, p. 827), in fact, to relinquish entirely the crude conception of a burning world propounded in 1866. In its place Dr. Huggins put the view that Nova Auriga owed its birth to the near approach of two gaseous bodies. "But," he admits (Ibid. p. 825), “a casual near approach of two bodies of great size would be a greatly less improbable event than an actual collision. The phenomena of the new star scarcely permit us to suppose even a partial collision, though if the bodies were diffused enough, or the approach close enough, there may have been possibly some mutual interpenetration and mingling of the rare gases near their boundaries."

"An explanation which would better accord with what we know of the behaviour of the Nova may, perhaps, be found in a view put forward many years ago by Klinkerfues, and recently developed by Wilsing, that under such circumstances of near approach enormous tidal disturbances would be set up, amounting, it may be, to partial deformation in the case of a gaseous body, and producing sufficiently great changes of pressure in the interior of the bodies to give rise to enormous eruptions of the hotter matter from within, immensely greater but similar in kind to solar eruptions." Serious objections to the Klinkerfues-Wilsing hypothesis are pointed out by Herr Seelinger (Astr. Nach., No. 3118, and NATURE,