TRANSACTIONS OF THE Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto, FOR THE YEAR 1897 INCLUDING EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT. PRICE ONE DOLLAR. TORONTO: ROWSELL & HUTCHISON, Printers to the Society. 1898. JOHN A. PATERSON, M.A., (Tor.) TRANSACTIONS OF THE Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto, FOR THE YEAR 1897 INCLUDING EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT. PRICE ON E DOLLAR. TORONTO: ROWSELL & HUTCHISON, Printers to the Society. 1898. ERRATA ET CORRIGENDA. Transactions, 1896.—To the list of Honourary Members, add A. M. W. Downing,. LL.D., F.R.S., etc. “ “ To the list of Active Members, add Prof. A. C. MacKay, B.A. (Tor.). “ “ Page 98. To list of periodical literature (Librarian’s Report), add Popular Astronomy. Transactions, 1897.—Page 70, third paragraph from bottom, for “ Algal,” read “ Algol.” “ “ Page 100, second paragraph, for “ Sweedish,” read “ Swedish.”' “ “ Page 71, third paragraph, sixth line, for “ Sun,” read “ Earth,” TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE. Frontispiece ................................................... Officers .............................................................. ................................ v •Council....................................................... ................................ v Life Members.................................................... ................................ v Honourary Members....... ............................ ................................ vi Corresponding Members................................ ................................ vi Active Members and their Addresses ......... ................................ vii Associate Members ......................................... ................................ x Affiliated Societies ...................................... ...................................... x Unification of T im e........................................ .................................... 1 Memorial of the Royal Colonial Institute .. .................................... 2 Rotation of Mercury....................................... Miss Gray and others. 4 Interference of Sound .......... ....................... ....................... Loudon. 5 Black Aurora . ................................................ ......................Lumsden. 7 Foci of Solar Activity ................................ .. .......................Harvey. 8 Lantern Slide Exhibition .............................. ....................... Howell. 9 The November Meteors of 1832 and 1833 ... ....................Meredith. 10 Measurement of Absolute Wave-length ...., ......................... Miller. 20 Lunar Photographs, Paris Observatory .... .................................... 21 The Air-Barometer........................................ ......................Denison. 23 Necessity for Individual E ffort..................... ........... Lumsden. 31 Hr. Zeeman’s Discoveries........................ ......................... Chant. 38 .Planetary Rotation ........................................ .........................Elvins. 40 Solar Observations, Faculae .......................... ........... ..........Pursey. 43 The Planet Mars............... ............................. ........... Mrs. Savigny. 43 The Total Solar Eclipse of May, 1900 ......... ..................... Lindsay. 45 The Solar Eclipse of July 29th, Observations .................................... 48 Open Meeting at Toronto Observatory........ .................................... 50 Meeting of the British Association............... .................................... 51 Resolutions in re Unification of Time .......... .................................... 53 Lunar Observations......................................... .........................Elvins. 58 The Planet Mars........................................... ...........Mrs. Savigny. 59 The Nautical Day............................ .............. ....................Lumsden. 60 Periodicity of Magnetic Disturbances .......... .......................Harvey. 71 Lecture by Dr. M. A. Veeder ...................... .................................... 84 Retrograde Motion of the Moons of Uranus. ....................... Collins. 85 Report from Orillia ........................................ ......................Wallace. 91 IV The Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto. PAGE. Historical Sketch of the Greenwich Nautical Almanac.....................Lindsay. 93 Fac-simile of Dr. Maskelyne’s Signature.............................................................. 107 The Death of Mr. D. K. W inder..............................................................Elvins. 107 Work at Simcoe .................................................................................Wadsworth. 109 The Variable Star Algol ......................................................................... Musson. 109 Annual Meeting..................................................................................................... 118 Popularizing Astronomy................................................................... Mrs. Craig. 120 Work at Woodstock and Galt..............................................................Shearmen. 121 Lunar Sketches............................................. .......................................... Elvins, 121 The Schaeberle Aberration......................................................................Collins. 124 The Astronomy of 1897 .................................................... .........Paterson, Appendix. The Meaford Astronomical Society.............................................................Appendix. [Authors are alone responsible for views expressed in papers or abstracts of papers published in the Transactions. ] The Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto. Officers, 1898. Honourary President,—The HON. G. W. ROSS, LL. D., F.R.S.C., Minister of Education of the Province of Ontario. President,—ARTHUR HARVEY, F.R.S.C., Etc. {E. A. MEREDITH, LL.D., Ex-President, McGill University. Vice-Presidents,— R. R. STUPART, Director Toronto Magnetic Observatory and { Superintendent of the Dominion Meteorological Service. Treasurer,—CHARLES P. SPARLING, 74 King Street East. Corresponding Secretary,—G. E. LUMSDEN, F.R.A.S., 57 Elm Avenue, Rosedale. Recording Secretary and Editor,—THOS. LINDSAY, Technical School. Librarian,—W. B. MUSSON, 145 Howland Avenue. Director of Photography,—D. J. HOWELL, 316 Wellesley Street. Other Members of Council. Ex officio: Elected: LARRATT W. SMITH, D.C.L., Q.C., J. R, COLLINS. Ex-President. C. A. CHANT, B.A. ANDREW ELVINS, Ex-President. A. F. MILLER. JOHN A. PATERSON, M.A., Ex-President. G. G. PURSEY. REV. C. H. SHORTT, M.A. Life Members. ANDREW ELVINS, Esq., 12 College Street, Toronto. LARRATT W. SMITH, Esq., D.C.L., Q.C., 96 Summerhill Avenue, Toronto. Ex-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Toronto. LADY WILSON, Spadina Crescent, Toronto. VI The Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto. H onourary Members. SIR ROBERT STAWELL BALL, Kt., M.A., F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Lowndean Professor o f Astronomy, King’s College, Cambridge, England. WM. HENRY MAHONEY CHRISTIE, C.B., M.A., F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Astronomer Royal, Greenwich, England. GEORGE HOWARD DARWIN, M.A., LL.D. (Glasgow), D.Sc. (Dublin), Dr. Phil. Nat. (Padua), F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, England. SIR SANDFORD FLEMING, G.C.M.G., LL.D., Etc., Etc., Chancellor of Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario. PROFESSOR EDWARD S. HOLDEN, LL.D., For. Asso. R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Washington, D.C. SIR WILLIAM HUGGINS, K.C.B., D.C.L. (Oxon.), LL.D. (Cantab. Edin. et Dubl.), Ph.D. (Lugd. Bat.), F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Hon. F.R.S.E., Etc., Etc., Cor. L ’Institut de France, 90 Upper Tulse Hill, London, S. W., England. JAMES EDWARD KEELER, D.Sc., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Professor of Astronomy in the University of Pennsylvania, and Director of the Allegheny Observatory, Allegheny, Pa., U.S.A. SAMUEL PIER POINT LANGLEY, LL.D., For. Asso., R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Secretary of The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. JOSEPH MORRISON, M.A., M.D., Ph.D., Etc., Etc., 116 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, D.C. PROFESSOR SIMON NEWCOMB, LL.D., For. Asso. R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Cor. L ’Institut de France, Etc., Etc., Washington, D.C. PROFESSOR EDWARD CHARLES PICKERING, LL.D., For. Asso., R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Director Harvard College Observatory, Cambridge, Mass., U.S.A. M. OTTO STRUVE, For. Asso., R.A.S., Late Director of the Imperial Observatory, Pulkowa, Russia. PROFESSOR DOCTOR HERMANN CARL VOGEL, For. Asso., R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Director of the Astrophysical Observatory, Potsdam, Germany. A. M. W. DOWNING, LL.D., F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Superintendent of the Nautical Almanac, Verulam Buildings, London. Corresponding Members. JOHN A. BRASHEAR, D.Sc., F.R.A.S., Allegheny, Penn. S. W. BURNHAM, M.A., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Yerkes Observatory, William’s Bay, Wisconsin, U.S.A. MISS AGNES M. CLERKE, 68 Redcliffe Sq., London, S.W., England. W. F. DENNING, F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Bishopston, Bristol, England. THE REVEREND T. H. E. C. ESPIN, M.A., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Director of the Wolsingham Observatory, Tow Law, Darlington, England. J. ELLARD GORE, F.R.A.S., M.R.I.A., Etc., Etc., Ballysodare, Ireland. The Astronomical and Physical Society of Toronto. VII PROFESSOR G. E. HALE, D.Sc., F.R.A.S., Etc., Etc., Director of the Yerkes Observatory, William’s Bay, Wisconsin, and of the Kenwood Physical Observatory, University of Chicago, Ill., U. S. A. M. PAUL HENRY, For. Asso., R.A.S., The Observatory, Paris, France. J. H. KEDZIE, Chicago,