streamers that shot upwards were faint and few. I saw none of the rosy tint. At 11h. 30m. the sky became overcast with haze; when this cleared off, about 11h. 50m., the phenomenon appeared to be nearly gone. On the 27th of April I saw another bright display, between 11h. and 12h. The sky was not so clear as on the former night. In some parts of the north, where there were large breaks in the clouds, the phenomenon was very conspicuous. There was a strong tinge of it again the following night, especially in the N.W." Meteors. The Rev. S. J. Johnson observed several bright meteors on the 18th and 20th of April. At 11h. 15m. on the 18th he "saw a very bright meteor below Ursa Major. It started from near 6 Leonis, and disappeared a few degrees S. of a Leonis. Its colour, so far as I could judge, was peculiar-a kind of reddish white, and the time of its duration was very short. It left a momentary train. A minute or two afterwards, I noticed a moderately bright meteor, which nearly passed over Pollux. I saw no meteors on the 19th; two on the 20th, in the north of Virgo, almost simultaneously." Mr. Albert P. Holden says:-"A bright meteor was well seen about midnight on May 2nd. The course was from e Cygni towards 8 Herculis, passing about 5° below 8 and y Lyræ. It was without train of any kind, and remained in view about 4 seconds." Solar Spots. Mr. T. W. Backhouse reports:-"That the large group of spots in the N. hemisphere of the sun, which was visible from about April 4th to the 16th, was due on this side of the disc on April 30, but only a small spot with a large group of faculæ appeared then, so that if it was the same group it had diminished remarkably during the fortnight it was out of sight, for its penumbra was but 4,000 miles in diameter on May 2 at 4h. On May 2 there appeared a larger group of spots in the same solar latitude as the large group referred to had, but as it was two days after it was due, it seems hardly possible that this can be the same. On May 4, at 3h. 30m., its largest penumbra was 18,000 miles in diameter, and umbra 7,000 miles in a direction parallel with the limb. It has not altered greatly in size since." The Planet Uranus. Mr. H. Michell Whitley observed this object on April 5. The disc of the planet was of a pale light blue colour, with no markings on it. Epsilon Bootis. Mr. Albert P. Holden writes:-"Two comites to this exquisite pair do not appear to have been remarked till lately. I roughly estimated them as follows: b. Pos. 40° Dist. 35" Mag. 10. c. Pos. 120° Dist. 60" Mag. 10. These particulars being taken without a micrometer are, of course, only approximate." Lunar Observations. Observations of lunar objects by Messrs. H. M. Whitley and H. Ormesher have been forwarded to Mr. W. R. Birt. MR. PROCTOR'S NEW WORK. OTHER WORLDS THAN OURS.-By R. A. PROCTOR, B.A., F.R.A.S., London, Longmans.—As a new serial by Dickens or a new novel by Disraeli is welcome to the general public, so a new work from Mr. Proctor's pen is hailed by all interested in our favourite science. Mr. Proctor's subject is most interesting, and he has produced a very readable book, which will prove attractive to scientific and non-scientific readers alike. Speculations as to what would be the conditions under which beings like ourselves would exist if inhabiting the planets have often been brought forward, and Mr. Proctor has treated the matter in the same careful and exhaustive manner which characterised his admirable work "Saturn and its System." In the small space at our command we must be satisfied with a cursory glance at the contents of the work, to which we may recur at a future period. The author discusses the probable conditions under which life, such as we find on the earth, could exist on the other bodies composing the solar system; he assumes that the sun is not the abode of life, while Venus and Mars, the latter especially, may be inhabited by beings like ourselves. Mercury could only be peopled by the like under some special arrangements suitable to its condition of close proximity to the sun. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, Mr. Proctor does not consider habitable, but, on the contrary, arrives at the conclusion that it is more likely that their satellites are the abode of life, the primary planet in each case acting as a sun, and to some degree supplying both light and heat to the satellites. Although the author's views will be of great service in directing attention to these subjects, it cannot be denied that some of them will not be received without hesitation. Mr. Proctor is undoubtedly a theorist to a great extent, and many practical astronomers would prefer to leave certain questionable phenomena unsettled than to accept the explanations given by our author. The theory that the sun is uninhabitable may be questioned; we are scarcely yet sufficiently acquainted with the nature of the solar atmosphere, or its distance from the true surface of the sun, to give a decisive opinion on the subject. That the sun also is a variable star of about 11 years period, as seen from other systems, though a theory often brought forward, is, we scarcely think, well established. It is only occasionally that we can see a solar spot on the disc of the sun with the naked eye, while that disc subtends half a degree. Of what portion of light would any spots that we are acquainted with deprive an infinite bright point, such as the sun would appear at the distance of a fixed star? supposing that the sun appeared as a star of the sixth or seventh magnitude, to reduce it to the seventh or eighth, would not an eighth part of its surface have to be obscured? Mr. Proctor gives credit to the square-shouldered appearance of the planet Saturn, as noticed by Sir W. Herschel, and considers that a real alteration in the shape of the planet is admissible; concluding also that it may be owing to a similar change in the shape of Jupiter that one of the satellites, as recorded by Smyth, reappeared a considerable time after having entered on the planet's disc. We can only say that any explanation making Jupiter assume the attributes of a collapsing and expanding body is, in Mr. Proctor's own words, surprising. Surely, the micrometrical measurements of the planet are sufficiently numerous and trustworthy to prevent the suspicion of such a peculiar condition of circumstances. Is it not the case that the squareness of Saturn, the satellite of Venus, and the supposed planet. Vulcan, are treated as astronomical myths, and not accepted by practical observers of the present day, with the powerful means both as to light, and more particularly as to definition, which now exist? These objections, however, will only show that Mr. Proctor's work is one demanding attention; and our space forbidding us to say more, we heartily recommend its perusal to every lover of the science. Unlike many scientific works, a tone of reverence towards the Creator of all things runs through the book, which is greatly to be commended. SALES OF ASTRONOMICAL INSTRUMENTS. A correspondent has asked us to communicate to our readers information beforehand of sales of astronomical instruments. He states that at the recent sale of the Hartwell instruments, many friends would have willingly come up to London, and have given more for certain of the instruments than the absurdly low prices which they fetched. We should be glad to give this information; but the fact is, the auctioneers do not seem to think it worth their while to inform us when they are about to sell; and if we obtain any knowledge previously, it is by a chance sight of the notice in the newspaper advertisements. We were not aware of the day upon which the Hartwell instruments were to be sold, and of the following sale we knew the particulars too late for insertion in the last Register. Our readers may be interested in seeing what the instruments fetched, and we therefore append the prices of the principal lots. SALE AT STEVENS'S SALE ROOMS, COVENT GARDEN, MAY 20. £ s. d O 2 O 46 a Transit instrument, by Trough- 21 O 12 O O 7 O 7-in, object glass, in brass cell Astronomical telescope, mounted, by Wray, 5-in. aper- 906 The Astronomical Register is intended to appear at the commencement of each month; the Subscription (including Postage) is fixed at Three Shillings per Quarter, payable in advance, by postage stamps or otherwise. The pages of the Astronomical Register are open to all suitable communications. Letters, Articles for insertion, &c., must be sent to the Editor, Mr. S. GORTON, Parnham House, Pembury Road, Clapton, N.E., not later than the 15th of the month. Session 1869-70. Eighth Meeting, June 10, 1870. W. Lassell, Esq., F.R.S., President, in the chair. Secretaries-Dr. Huggins, F.R.S., and Professor Pritchard, F.R.S. (pro tem.) Professor Pritchard explained, that he occupied the position of Secretary in consequence of the resignation of Mr. Stone, who had been appointed Astronomer-Royal at the Cape of Good Hope, in the place of Sir Thomas Maclear. The Minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Forty-seven presents were announced, including the observations made at Mr. Barclay's private observatory, between 1865 and 1869, and Mr. Proctor's New Star Atlas. The thanks of the Society were voted to the respective donors. Captain D. Smith and J. Dickinson, Esq., were balloted for and duly elected Fellows of the Society. The following communications were announced, and partly read: Extract of a Letter to Mr. Hind, announcing a New Comet: by Dr. Winnecke. The comet was discovered at Carlsruhe on the night of May 29-30, in the constellation Pisces. Its place, as ascertained by comparison with known stars, was, R.A. oh. 50m. 9s., N.D. 28° 52′ 18′′. The weather had been unfavourable for observations since, but it appeared as a round, pretty bright nebula, about 2 minutes of arc in diameter. Observations of the same Comet at Stonyhurst: by Mr. Perry. The comet was seen on June 6, with the 12-foot equatorial. Its brilliancy was greater than that of the comet discovered last year by Dr. Winnecke, as it was readily picked up, notwithstanding the light of both sun and moon. The corrected place, at 17h. 48m. 383., G.M.T., was, R.A. oh. 57m. 3·6s., N.P.D. 62° 49′ 31′′; clouds on the 7th and 8th prevented further observations. Mr. Perry had swept in vain for D'Arrest's comet. Mr. Chambers had made a careful search with a 4-inch telescope for Winnecke's comet, but failed to find it. Mr. Carrington saw it last Sunday evening. On the alteration in Colour of the Belts of Jupiter: by Mr. Browning. In the report of the Astronomer-Royal to the Board of Visitors there is the following remark:—“There has been little opportunity of employing the instrument on other objects, except in a drawing of Jupiter by Mr. Carpenter. The comparison of this with drawings made eight or nine years ago appears to negative the idea of any change in the colour of Jupiter's Belts." With all possible deference to the Astronomer-Royal and to Mr. Carpenter, the author points out that a comparison of drawings made either this year or last year, with others made eight or nine years ago, might not throw any light on this question. There is some reason to believe that the change in colour in the equatorial belt of Jupiter is periodical. This belt of the planet at the time mentioned may have been of the same colour that it has been during the last presentation; that it was not the same colour during the last presentation that it was on the previous presentation is a fact attested by some six or seven at least wellknown and skilful observers. It is true that, in nearly every case, these observers were using reflectors, of apertures varying between 6 and 12 inches; but other observers, who have used achromatics, varying between 4 and 8 inches, have informed Mr. Browning that they have distinctly remarked the change in colour, although they do not seem to have seen it so plainly as |