The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-08 00:00:00

The Prince and Princess of Wales.

The Prince of Wales hunted yesterday with her
Majesty's staghounds at Bracknell, attended by
Major Grey.

The Princess of Wales took a carriage drive, at-
tended by the Hon. Mrs. Stonor.

The Prince of Wales visited Mr. Brierly's studio
in Lidlington-place on Thursday.
The Prince of Wales, attended by Lord Alfred
Hervey, Major Grey, and Mr. Holzmann, was pre-
sent at Dr. Hofmann's Lecture at the Royal Insti-
tution, Albemarle-street, last evening.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge
and the Princess Mary have been the guests of the Duke
of Rutland at Belvoir Castle since Tuesday last. Colonel
Purees and Lady Caroline Oust were inattendance on their
royal highnesses during their visit at the ducal seat. The
Earl and Countess of Scarborough, Sir R. and Lady Pigot,
Lord and Lady John Manners, Mr. Cochrane, M.P., and
Mrs. and Miss Cochrane, the Marchioness of Exeter and
Lady Victoria Cecil, the Rev. Mr. and Lady A. Norman,
and a distinguished party have had the honour to meet
their royal highnesses.

The Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe have left
the Clarendon Hotel for Floors Castle, N.B.
The Duke of Newcastle left town yesterday for a
fishing excursion in Wales. The duchess and her youthful
family remain ila town till the duke's return.
The Duchess (Eleanor) of Northumberland has
arrived at Northumberland House from Alnwiek Castlo,
Northumberland.

The Marquis of Salisbury has left town to visit
his estates in Lancashire. The marchioness and familY
leave town on Monday for Buckhurst Park, Sussex, on
visit to the Earl and Countess Delawarr.

The Marquis Conyngham, after visiting Lord
and Lady Londesborough at Griniston Park, Yorkshire,
returned to - Slano Castle, Ireland. The noble marquis
removes to Dublin this week.

The Earl and Countess of Mount Charles go to
Windsor on the 20th inst., in order that the Earl mei
attend to his duties as colonel of the Ist Life Guards. The
earl and countess have taken a residence at Egham for
twelve months.

The Earl and Countess of Yaiborough intend to
remain at Brocklesby until after the Easter recess.

The Earl and Countess of Zetland have had their
town residence prepared for their reception:. They aro
expected to arrive in London the week after Easter.
The Earl of Sefton has returned to town frail
visiting the Earl and Countess Spencer at their seat iu
Northamptonshire.

Lord and Lady Abereromby entertained at
dinner last evening, at their residence in Upper Bolgrave-
street, the Earl and Countess Amherst and Lady. Constance
Amherst, the Right Hon. Sir Charles and Lady Marl
Wood, the Right Hon. Frederick and Mrs. Peel, Lady
Howard, Lady Molesworth, Earl Granville, the Countess
of Caithness, the Earl of Jersey, Baron Bentinck,
Henry Cotterell, Mr.. Butler Johnstone, and Major Scott.
Lord and Lady Rokeby and Lady William
Osborne have been placed in mourning by the death of the
Hon. Catherine Goulburn, which took place on Thursdal
last. Mrs. Goulburn was second daughter of Matthew,
fourth Lord Rokeby, and she married Mr. Sergeant Goul-
burn in 1831. .

Lord and Lady Belhaven have left Brown's hotel
for Scotland.

Lord and Lady Otho Fitzgerald are expected to
arrive at their residence on Carlton-house-terrace on
Thursday next from Ireland.

The Right lion. B. Disraeli and Mrs. Disraeli
entertained at dinner yesterday evening, at Grosvenor Gat°
the Ambassador of Austria, the Earl and Countess Percy,
the Earl of Malmesbury, Earl Beauchamp, the Countess of
Gifford, Lord Stanley, Lord Naas, Lord and Lady Robert
Cecil, General and the Hon. Mrs. Forester, the Hon. Mrs'
Duncombe, Baron Meyer de Rothschild, and Colonel and
the Hon. Mrs. Dudley Carleton. Later in the evening Ws-
Disraeli had a reception.

LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS FOR TO
ENSUING WEEK.—Monday—Geographical, at 8i
" Climate of North Pole," Mr. Hickson ; "Best Route for
North .Polar Exploration," Mr. Markham. Tuesday--
Actuaries, at 4-1 : Council ; Syro-Egyptian, at 7 :
versary ; "Dr. Lee's Syriac MSS.," Mr. Cowper ; EDO-
neers, at 8 : " Pestiniog Railway for Passengers, as a 2ft
Gauge, Sm.," Capt. H. W. Tyler ; Ethnological, at 8 :
" Characteristics of African Negro," Mr. Crawfurd ; " Be:
mains from Drinton, Argyleshire," "Human Cranium a'
Pu Bodach, Bute," Professor Busk ; Zoological, at
"Anatomy of Bats of Genus Desmodus," Prof. Huxley
" Deformity in Lower Jaw of Physalus," Dr. Murie ; "Eye
in Vertebrates," Mr. Crisp. Wednesday—Graphic ; Liter-
ature, at 81 : Prehistoric Kings of Britain," Dr. Latham;
Archaeological Association, at 81: " Supposed Sculptured
Effigy of Agnes de Aura," Mr. Pettigrew ; " Ms. cellec"
tions of the late Earl of Gosford," Mr. Rix.—Athenteurn.
METEOROLOGY.—In a paper addressed to tlio
French Academy of Science, M. Ch. Sainte-Claire
Devine examines " the influence which the appearance of,
asteroids may exercise over the temperature of the air."
By asteroids are here meant the swarms of falling stars
which are principally perceived at two distinct periods of
the year, viz., about the 10th of August and the lath of
November. In 1840 Professor Erman, of Berlin,
in a letter
to Arago, said "that the two swarms or currents of aste-
roids observable on the ecliptic at those periods, annually
interpose themselves between the earth and the sun ; the
first between the sth and the 11th of February, and the
second between the 10th and 13th of May ; and that each
of

these conjunctions annually causes at the later periods ai';
markable extinction of the calorific rays of the sun, and
consequently a diminution of temperature all over do
globe." M. Petit, of Toulouse, some years later, showed
that moreover two well-defined maxima of temperature
were observable in the first days of August and November'
On the other hand, M. Plantamour, of Geneva, and 31:
Quetelet, of Brussels, deny this influence of asteroids over
the temperature of the atmosphere. To ascertain which
of these conflicting opinions ought to be adopted,
•""
Deville first examines whether the months of FobruarY'
May, August, and November really offer perturbations lu
their temperaturo; and from the average variations up:
served at Paris from 1806 to 1863, he concludes tl°''
they do. He next examines the nature of these perturlffi-
tions, and finds that they not only occur during tli°
months above alluded to, but that every month 81100
successive tendencies to a rise and fall in the temperature'
The third question he examines is whether these anornalie
are really connected with the periodical returns of asteroid?
—and he finds that from the 10th to the 15th of Febrlosi
and May the general influence of a diminution of temPert'-
tire is manifest. For November the matter is not so cer'
tain—while August certainly shows an increase. But 14..
Coulvier Gravier having shown that the fall of asteroidso
November has had two maximums, one in 1833 and the
other in 1848. M. Deville takes this circumstance into AC;
count, and finds that in February and May, the 12th alwalti,
offers a minimum, which he therefore attributes, like ,
Erman, to the passage of the earth through the region
the asteroids. He promises to continue his ‘investigatioo
in a subsequent paper.
The Cologne Gazette finding its news frequen"
taken without acknowledgment by a GeriO
contemporary, determined recently to punish the offender
in a somewhat original manner. Having received tele"
graphic information of Mr. Cobden's death, and of 111:i
Bright having been present when the event took place'
announced in the " exchange " copy intended for its
temporary, and of course in that copy alone, that Air.
Bright had succumbed, and that Mr. Cobden had received
last adieux of his friend. Tho bait was swallows
whole. Not only did the newspaper thus hoaxed AI;
flounce the death of the member for Birmingham, but
of
added a sketch of his career. The Cologne Gazette la,
course, in ecstasies.

ACCIDENT ON THE METROPOLITAN RAILIYA1(•":.
The traffic on the Metropolitan Railway wag,f°,-b
some time suspended- entirely yesterday afternoon, and :
the cost of an amount of inconvenience to the public Ivillej
may serve to exemplify how many arrangements dePeZ,
upon the punctuality of these trains. A pilot-engine' "14
spatched from the Farringdon terminus at about 1 o'cleedt,
on reaching a point near the Gower-street Station suit
denly left the metals, and falling over, blocked the line' 0
was proceeding slowly at the time, and the steam was eilll.o
off. There was no injury to life. The trains both Ncft'd
were stopped during two hours, and great nunJi
of
people assembled at the several stations. At the Ord
that time the down line was cleared, and trains ran ,°ll-0
Farringdon ; but it was not till past five o'clock that 10
traffic could be resumed on the other metals, The ca
of the mishap has not been ascertained,