764 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



How this is accounted for by Secchi was 

 stated iu the September number. 



Prof. Mayer, of the Stevens Technologi- 

 cal Institute, adopts a different method of 

 observation, and his results differ consider- 

 ably from those both of Langley and of Sec- 

 chi. He causes the image of the sun to fall 

 on the smoked surface of a thin sheet of 

 paper, while the other side of the paper is 

 coated with a film of Meusel's double iodide 

 of copper and mercury. He begins with 

 an aperture of object-glass, which does not 

 give sufficient heat in any part of the solar 

 image to blacken the iodide, gradually in- 

 creasing the aperture till he gets a well-de- 

 fined blackened area. This is the area of 

 maximum temperature. The aperture being 

 further increased, the blackened surface ex- 

 tends, and a new area is formed bounded by 

 a well-defined isothermal line. This pro- 

 cess is continued till the isothermals of the 

 entire image are mapped out. 



Prof. Mayer finds that 1. There exists 

 in the solar image an area of sensibly uni- 

 form temperature and of maximum inten- 

 sity. 2. That this area is of variable size. 



3. That it has a motion on the solar image. 



4. That it is surrounded by well-defined 

 isothermals. 5. That the general motions 

 of translation and of rotation of these iso- 

 thermals appear to follow the motions of 

 the area of maximum temperature, but that 

 both central area and isothermals have in- \ 

 dependent tactions of tlieir own. 



One-sisled Development. In an article 

 entitled "Lop-sided Generations," published 

 in the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, 

 Dr. HoUis points out the existence of the 

 habit of using the right hand in preference 

 to the left among those peoples whose monu- 

 ments date from the remotest antiquity. 

 What is the reason of this almost universal 

 fact ? The author turns to the anatomical 

 mechanism of the human body for an answer. 

 It is known that the right lung, liver-lobe, 

 and limbs, exceed in size those of the left 

 side, involving, of course, a greater amount 

 of tissue-structure, and a larger supply of 

 nerves and blood-vessels for their nutrition. 

 A person walking in a dense fog figures 

 with his feet the segment of a circle ; and, 

 if he is right-handed, he takes a direction to 

 the left, because the right leg naturally takes i 



a longer stride. The left side of the brain 

 is larger than the right ; it has been shown 

 that the power of verbal articulation in the 

 right-handed is confined to a certain convo- 

 lution on the left side ; and hence we arrive 

 at the fact that in speaking and thinking 

 we use the left side of our brain, this being 

 the result of dextral education. Amnesia 

 and aphasia in right-handed men indicate 

 disease of the left brain. Hammer-palsy 

 and writer's cramp show the results of ex- 

 cessive working of the left brain. Dr. Hollis 

 insists on the necessity of adopting a system 

 of education which will give an equal promi- 

 nence to both sides of the brain in all intel- 

 lectual operations. 



The Tribes of Western Aastrali.a. Mr. 



John Forrest, of the British Anthropolo- 

 gical Institute, in giving an account of the 

 natives of Western Australia, states that 

 they are divided into two great tribes, 

 Jornderuss and Ballavook, which are again 

 divided into innumerable sub-tribes. These 

 great tribes are exogamous : a Jornderuss 

 may not marry a Jornderuss, but must take 

 a Ballavook. Wife-stealing is a constant 

 source of quarreling among them, and the 

 women are frequently speared or killed. 

 The children belong to the mother's tribe. 

 Tattooing and marking on the shoulder and 

 breast are almost universal among these 

 tribes. The rite of circumcision is pi-actised 

 by all the tribes that Mr. Forrest met with, 

 except those of the southwest corner of 

 Australia. It is a rehgious ceremony, and 

 the men and women part for a fortnight 

 upon the occasion of it. The natives of the 

 interior are entirely without clothing, and 

 suffer much from the cold. They sleep in 

 the open air, except in wet weather, when 

 they build small huts. Cannibalism is com- 

 mon in the interior. 



Science allaying National Antipatliies. 



The Mlinhurgh Review expresses the opinion 

 that the study of two sciences, namely, 

 comparative philology and ancient law, 

 has already done much, and is destined to 

 do still more, to bring about an understand- 

 ing between the people of Ireland and of 

 England. Comparative philology proves, 

 beyond doubt, the connection of the Saxon 

 and Celtic people ; and indicates, in a gen- 



