158 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



German Chemical Association the results of laborious inves- 

 tigations on the presence of peroxide of hydrogen in the at- 

 mosphere. He finds that its percentage increases with the 

 height above the earth's surface at which the condensation 

 of the aqueous vapor takes place. 



Guttmaun publishes in Yirchow's Archiv some researches 

 on the physiological action of peroxide of hydrogen. May 

 not the excess of this gas at high altitudes partly explain 

 the dyspnoea and other effects of altitude upon the human 

 system ? 



Russell, at Sydney, has observed the atmospheric absorp- 

 tion lines between the D lines of the solar spectrum. He 

 finds only seven; while Huggins, in Kew, sees twelve; and 

 Campbell, in London, sees nineteen. He concludes that in 

 the atmosphere of Europe, and especially of London, some 

 gases must exist that are not present at Sydney. 



Mr. J. P. M'Clear communicates to Nature, vol. xvii., p. 1, 

 some observations of the spectrum of the aurora australis 

 made on board the Challenger, 1874, February 9, 21, March 3 

 and 6. He seems, in two cases, to have observed three lines 

 frequently seen in the northern hemisphere, and on March 3 

 also observed, in addition, a fourth line, but the red line was 

 not seen. 



Cornu has communicated to the Paris Academy some re- 

 marks upon photographs of the ultra-violet portion of the 

 solar spectrum which go far to supplement the views we 

 have often expressed on the importance of the spectroscope 

 as an instrument for ascertaining the quantity of aqueous 

 vapor present in the atmosphere. The purest sky of summer 

 cuts out much more of the ultra-violet rays than the purest 

 sky of winter does. The absorption at the violet end is gen- 

 eral, or in broad bands, while at the red end it is selective, 

 or in narrow bands; the absorption by vapor which is but 

 just beginning to condense affects the violet end, while the 

 red end is specially affected by vapor in a state approaching 

 that of fog or cloud ; the smaller the particles, the less do 

 they affect the red end of the spectrum. Such are some of 

 the principles deduced or suggested by recent investiga- 

 tions. 



Gully communicates to the Paris Academy a memoir on 

 the relation between the manifestations of ozone and the cy- 



