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 Lidliugton-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
Purves and Lady Caroline Cust were in attendance 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. B. 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 in town till the duke's return.

The Duchess (Eleanor) of Northumberland has
arrived at Northumberland House from Aluwick Castle,
Northumberland.

Tht 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 a
visit to the Earl and Countess Delawarr.

The Marquis Conyngham, after visiting Lord
and Lady Londesborough at Grimston Park, Yorkshire,
returned to Slane 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 may
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 are
expected to arrive in London the week after Easter.

The. Earl of. Sefton has returned to town from
visiting the Earl and Countess Spencer at their seat in
Northamptonshire.

Lord and Lady Abercromby entertained at
dinner last evening, at their residence in Upper Belgrave-
street, the Earl and Countess Amherst and Lady Constance
Amherst, the Right Hon. Sir Charles and Lady Mary
Wood, the Right Hon. Frederick and Mrs. Peel, Lady
Howard, Lady Molesworth, Earl Granville, the Countess
of Caithness, the Earl of Jersey, Baron Bentinck, Sir
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 Thursday
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 Hon. B. Disraeli and Mrs. Disraeli
entertained at dinner yesterday evening at Grosvenor Gate
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 Mrs.
Dibraeli had a reception.

LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS FOR THE
ENSUING WEEK.—Monday—Geographical, at 81 :
" Climate of North Pole," Mr. Hickson ; " Best Route for
North Polar Exploration," Mr. Markham. Tuesday;
Actuaries, at 41: Council ; Syro-Egyptian, at 7 : Anni-
versary ; "Dr. Lee's Syriac MSS.," Mr. Cowper ; Engi-
neers, at 8 : " Festiniog Railway for Passengers, as a 2ft
Gauge, &c.," Capt. H. W. Tyler ; Ethnological, at 8 :
" Characteristics of African Negro," Mr. Crawfurd ; "Re-
mains from Drinton, Argyleshire," "Human Cranium at
Pu Bodach, Bute," Professor Busk ; Zoological, at 81:
" 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 Aula," Mr. Pettigrew ; " MS. Collec-
tions of the late Earl of Gosford," Mr. Rix.—Athenmum.

METEOROLOGY.—In a paper addressed to the
French Academy of Science, M. Ch. Sainte-Claire
Deville examines " the influence which the appearance of
asteroids may exercise over the temperature of the air."
By asteroids aro 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 13th 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 are
markable extinction of the calorific rays of the sun, and
consequently a diminution of temperature all over the
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 M.
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, M.
Devine first examines whether the months of February,
May, August, and November really offer perturbations in
their temperature ; and from the average variations ob-
served at Paris from 1806 to 1863, he concludes that
they do. He next examines the nature of these perturba-
tions, and finds that they not only occur during the
months above alluded to, but that every month slams
successive tendencies to a rise and fall in the temperature.
The third question he examines is whether these anomalies
are really connected with the periodical returns of asteroids
—and he finds that from the 10th to the 15th of February
and May the general influence of a diminution of tempera-
ture is manifest. For November the matter is not so cer-
tain—while August certainly shows an increase. But M.
Coulvier Gravier having shown that the fall of asteroids in
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 always
offers a minimum, which he therefore attributes, like M.
Erman, to the passage of the earth through the region of
the asteroids. He promises to continue his investigations
in a subsequent paper.

The Cologne Gazette finding its news frequently
taken without acknowledgment by a German
contemporary, determined recently to punish the offender
in a somewhat original manner: Having received tele-
graphic information of Mr. Cobden's death, and of Mr.
Bright having been present when the event took place, it
announced in the " exchange " copy intended for its con-
temporary, and of course in that copy alone, that Mr.
Bright had succumbed, and that Mr. Cobden had received
the last adieux of his friend. The bait was swallowed
whole. Not only did the newspaper thus hoaxed an-
nounce the death of the member for Birmingham, but it
added a sketch of his career. The Cologne Gazette is, of
course, in ecstasies.

ACCIDENT ON THE METROPOLITAN RAILWAY.--
The traffic on the Metropolitan Railway was for
somo time suspended entirely yesterday afternoon, and at
the cost of an amount of inconvenience to the public which
may serve to exemplify how many arrangements depend
upon the punctuality of these trains. A pilot-engine, de-
spatched from the Farringdon terminus at about 1 o'clock,
on reaching a point near the Gower-street Station sud-'
denly left the metals, and falling over, blocked tho line. It
was proceeding.slowly at the time, and the steam was shut
off. Thero was no injury to life. The trains both ways
were stopped during two hours, and great numbers of
people assembled at the several stations. At the end of
that time the down line was cleared, and trains ran from
Farringdon ; but it was not till past five o'clock that the
traffic could be resumed on the other metals. The C 41,10
of the mishap has not been ascertained.