NOTES. 



287 



obviating the greater part of the heat by 

 first engaging the glycerine in a combination 

 with sulphuric acid, which forms a sulpho- 

 glyceric acid, and then destroying this com- 

 pound slowly by means of nitric acid. Two 

 liquors are prepared in advance a sulpho- 

 glyceric and a sulpho-nitric liquor (the lat- 

 ter with equal weights of sulphuric and ni- 

 tric acids). These disengage a considerable 

 amount of heat ; they are allowed to cool, 

 and are then combined in such proportions 

 that the reaction takes place slowly. In the 

 old method the nitro-glycerine is separated 

 almost instantaneously, and rises in part to 

 the surface, rendering washing difficult ; in 

 the new method it forms in about twenty 

 hours, with a regularity which prevents dan- 

 ger, and goes to the bottom of the vessel, so 

 that it can be washed rapidly. In the works 

 of Messrs. Boutmy and Toucher at Vouges, 

 where the new process has been employed, 

 no life has been lost for six vears, and the 

 general health has been excellent. 



NOTES. 



The annual meeting of theXational Acad- 

 emy of .Sciences was held in Washington, 

 D. C, beginning April 19th, under the presi- 

 dency of Professor W. B. Rogers, of Boston, 

 The sessions continued through four days, 

 and were marked by the reading of a large 

 number of papers, of general as well as 

 special interest. None of the papers re- 

 ceived more attention than that of Professor 

 Bell concerning his later experiments in the 

 production of sound by radiant energy, which 

 we publish. Professor Barker, in his paper 

 on " Incandescent Lighting," also touched 

 a subject which engages general interest. 

 The papers of Professor Pumpelly, on the 

 relation of soils to health, of Professor 

 Morse, on the utilization of the sun's rays in 

 heating and ventilating, and others, show 

 that the Academy does not neglect practical 

 subjects. Mr. W. H. Ball gave an account 

 of the " Land Ice in Kotzebue Sound," of 

 which mention has already been made in 

 the " Monthly " ; and Professor T. Sterry 

 Hunt described the " Auriferous Gravels ot 

 California." President Garfield visited the 

 Academy, and was warmly welcomed. The 

 meeting was more than ordinarily inter- 

 esting. 



The Boston Society of Natural Hi.-5tory 

 announces that a seaside laboratory, capa- 

 ble of accommodating only a limited number 

 of students, will be open under the direction 

 of its curator, Alpheus Hyatt, at Annisquam, 



near Gloucester, Massachusetts, from June 

 5th to September 15th. As the purpose is 

 simply to afford opportunities for the study 

 and observation of common types of ma- 

 rine animals under suitable direction and 

 advice, no attempt will be made to give any 

 stated course of instruction or lectures. 

 The work will be adapted to meet the wants 

 of those who have already made a begin- 

 ning in the study of natural history. The 

 apparatus will consist of the simplest labo- 

 ratory furniture, collecting instruments, and 

 row-boats, and a yacht for dredging excjur- 

 sions after the latter part of July. 



AcHiLLE Delesse, an eminent French 

 geologist, died March 24th. He was en- 

 gaged through most of his life as a mining 

 engineer, and was at one time Professor of 

 Geology and Mineralogy at Besan9on, and at 

 another Professor of A^rriculture, Drainaire, 

 and Irrigation in the Ecole des Mines. He 

 was author of works on some of the min- 

 eralogical features of the Vosges, of " Re- 

 searches on the Origin of the Rocks," geo- 

 logical and hydrological maps of the city of 

 Paris, and the rainfall of Paris, and, in con- 

 junction with MM. Langel and De Lappa- 

 rent, issued for twenty years the annual 

 "Revue de Geologic." He was for two 

 years President of the Geological Society of 

 France. 



"Nature" doubts whether our Fish 

 Commissioners will be able greatly to in- 

 crease the yield of sea-fish, like shad, her- 

 ring, and cod. The arguments of Malthus 

 respecting the relations between food-supply 

 and the increase of population are thought 

 in England to be applicable to fish. " Sea- 

 fish, like all other animals," it says, " are 

 undoubtedly increasing in greater propor- 

 tion than their food ; and it is obvious, 

 therefore, that, unless man can increase 

 their food, it is only lost labor to increase 

 their number." 



Fanny, a very aged carp in the ponds at 

 Fontainebleau, well known to the people of 

 Paris, has just died. She is said to have 

 been hatched during the reim of King 

 Francis I, and had become very gray. 



The sixth session of the Summer School 

 of Biology of the Peabody Academy of Sci- 

 ence, Salem, Massachusetts, will commence 

 July 12th, and continue for four weeks. 

 Instruction designed especially for teachers. 

 Further information may be obtained from 

 Professor Edward S. Morse, of Salem. 



Mr. William Pearce, of the Clyde ship- 

 building firm of John Elder & Co., has stated, 

 in a lecture on recent improvements in ma- 

 rine navigation, that the first steamers of 

 the Cunard Company, in 1840, were under 

 contract to go 8| knots an hour ; were of 

 V40 horse-power ; and consumed 4-j^j pounds 



