162 



HA RD WICKE 'S S CIE NCE - G OSS IF. 



It is proposed to present a testimonial to Dr. 

 Henry Woodward, to celebrate the "majority" of 

 the "Geological Magazine," of which he has been 

 concerned in the editing during its whole existence 

 of twenty-one years. 



From an abstract given in the Journal of the 

 Chemical Society it appears, as a result of various 

 analyses, that the fallen leaves of maple contain four 

 per cent, of valuable matter (soda, potash, lime, 

 magnesia, phosphorus and sulphur compounds), and 

 poplar and willow five per cent, or more, while various 

 other leaves examined contained 2-2 '3 per cent, and 

 that consequently the three above-named constantly 

 manure the surface soil beneath their branches. 



From another abstract in the same journal, it 

 appears that some supposed pentanitrodimethylani- 

 line has been shown to be trinitromethylnitraniline. 

 The substance in question had been obtained from 

 naphthyldimethamidophenylsulphone and diphenyl- 

 dimethamidosulphone. 



An account has been lately furnished by Mr. G. 

 E. Walker, F.R.C.S., to a medical contemporary 

 which brings to mind Cheselden's well-known opera- 

 tion. In Mr. Walker's case a girl nineteen years 

 old was operated on in one eye, the other being 

 hopelessly blind. She had been able to perceive 

 light, but could not count fingers with either eye. 

 Several operations were performed at intervals, and 

 Mr. Walker says, " One would have expected that 

 the great benefit which accrued most markedly after 

 each operation would have made her eager to submit, 

 but the contrary was the case. Her first sensation 

 after the admission of light into her eye was one of 

 profound horror. She says now that when she first 

 became conscious of sight, and therefore to some 

 degree of space, her feeling was like that of one who 

 looks over a precipice and feels that he will be 

 impelled to throw himself down, and she at the time 

 bitterly repented her consent to be taken out of the 

 darkness which all her life thus far had enshrouded 

 her . . . The wearing of this [a glass for correction of 

 myopia] speedily caused a change in her state of 

 mind, and she soon ceased to regret her loss of 

 blindness. Under the affectionate tuition of a fellow 

 patient she learned her letters in a day, and to read 

 in a week. Of course this was all the easier from 

 her ability to read with her fingers by Moon's types." 



Another practical result of scientific investigation 

 is thus reported by the "English Mechanic." (Mr. 

 Walker (Walker, Parker, & Co., Bagillt), having 

 read the lecture on "Dust," delivered by Professor 

 Oliver J. Lodge, at the Montreal meeting of the 

 British Association, was struck with the results of 

 the experimental passage of electric sparks through 

 dust- and smoke-laden atmospheres, and conceived 

 the idea of applying the principle to the condensation 

 of lead " fume " at the smelting works. Experimental 



trials gave results so satisfactory that two large 

 Wimshurst machines, with discs five feet in diameter, 

 are to be employed for dealing with the " fume" at 

 the Bagillt works. 



A new kerosine lamp has recently been introduced 

 by Messrs. Defries, which claims to be greatly in 

 advance of those in ordinary use. The objectionable 

 features of the diminution of the flame after a lamp 

 has been alight for a short time, the danger of 

 explosion, and the disagreeable smell emitted, are 

 said to be overcome by the Defries Safety Lamp. 

 The light given by the larger size is equal to 6i'3 

 standard candles, and is remarkably white. It is 

 produced by a single wick, and was found to show a 

 diminution from this maximum illumination of only 

 6*7 per cent, after burning for six hours. The oil 

 consumed per hour is 2450 grains, or 41*6 grains per 

 candle-light per hour. A smaller size is also made, 

 which has a maximum illuminating power of 42*4 

 standard candles. These figures are given upon the 

 authority of Mr. Boverton Redwood, F.C.S., F.I.C., 

 by whom the lamps have been tested, while Sir 

 Frederick Abel considers that the Defries Lamp 

 embodies all the features which exhaustive scientific 

 enquiry have proved to be necessary for the perfectly 

 safe use of mineral oils. 



MICROSCOPY. 



The "Journal of the Quekett Club" for 

 June contains a good deal of interesting matter. 

 The first paper is an account by Mr. F. A. Parsons, 

 F.R.M.S., of a New Hydroid Polyp, found by him in 

 a tank at the gardens of the Royal Botanic Society 

 of London. He at one time thought it was the 

 same as was found last autumn by Mr. A. G. 

 Bourne, in the Victoria regia tank there, and sup- 

 posed to be the polyp stage of the Medusa 

 Limnocodium Sowerbii, but whether it is so or not 

 does not seem to be at present clear. The paper 

 is illustrated by a plate shewing different conditions 

 and stages of development of the polyp. Papers 

 follow by Mr. F. H. Buffham on Newly-Observed 

 Phenomena in the conjugation of Rhabdoucma 

 arcuatum, a diatom which grows in filaments 

 attached to marine algre, and by Dr. M. C Cooke 

 on Some Remarkable Moulds, one of which was 

 found in the meatus auditorius of the human ear. 

 Among the Proceedings may be found some remarks 

 by the president, Dr. W. B. Carpenter, on the 

 Binocular Microscope. He said there was a very 

 curious thing about the Binocular Microscope, that 

 it increased very greatly the focal depth. This was 

 to be explained partly, Dut not wholly, by the binocu- 

 lar prism halving the aperture of the objective. He 

 had talked the matter over with Sir Charles Wheat- 



