P. 267.—On May 2, 1890, a brilliant fireball, leaving a long train of fire and smoke, and exploding with a noise like thunder, was seen at many places in Northern Iowa, Minnesota, U.S.A. Some fragments of the meteor fell on a farm a few miles from the south line of Minnesota. The largest piece was sold by auction for $100, but it soon transpired that the person who sold it was only the lessee and not the owner of the ground on which the meteor fell. The aerial visitor and its purchase-money were therefore peremptorily seized by legal authorities, pending the decision of a Court of Justice as to the rightful ownership. P. 267.—On December 14, 1890, at 9^h 42^m a large fireball of dazzling lustre, and giving a report like thunder, was widely observed in the southern parts of England. At the end-point the fireball appears to have been only 8 miles in height, and over a point near Brentwood, in Essex. THE STARS. P. 309.—Prof. Chandler, of Cambridge, Mass., estimates that the total number of variable stars visible with a common field-glass is about 2000, but with a large telescope there are probably hundreds of thousands within reach. He further states that quite five sixths of the variable stars are reddish in colour, and that the redness is usually a function of the length of the period of variation. The redder the star the longer its period. P. 312.—In a recent communication to the Academy of Sciences, M. Lescarbault (the alleged discoverer of Vulcan in 1859) announced that on the night of January 11, 1891, he discovered a bright body in Leo which he could not identify in any star-map, and hence concluded it to be a new star, or one suddenly increased in brilliancy. The “new star,” however, subsequently turned out to be the planet Saturn! This ridiculous mistake (so easily avoidable with a little care) will naturally divest the supposed discovery of Vulcan of the importance attached to it by some writers, for M. Lescarbault obviously lacks the experience and caution necessary to command credit. NEBULÆ AND CLUSTERS OF STARS. P. 327.—Mr. Roberts, from a comparison of his photographs, has found distinct evidence of variability in the nucleus of the great nebula in Andromeda. In some of the photographs the nucleus is shown to be stellar, while in others there is no trace of this. Mr. Roberts remarks:—“We may reasonably infer that the nucleus of the nebula is variable, and that it will be practicable to study the character of the variability without the necessity of giving long exposures of the plates.” The period of the variation has now to be determined, and it is advisable that telescopic observations of the nucleus should be made with the view of confirming the photographic results. It would be premature to regard the changes as demonstrated before they have been submitted to thorough investigation.