144 Chronicles of Science. [Jan., 



" It will be obvious, from a comparison of these results, that the 

 reaction with the nitrate of soda has removed a large proportion of 

 the carbon, silicon, and jihosphorus, as well as most of the sulphur. 

 The quantity of phosphorus (0'298 per cent.) retained by the 

 sample of crude steel from the converter which I analyzed is 

 obviously not such as to injure the quality. The steel iron was 

 subjected to many severe tests. It was bent and hammered sharply 

 round, without cracking. It was forged and subjected to a similar 

 trial, both at a cherry-red heat and at a clear yellow heat, without 

 cracking; it also welded satisfactorily." The Professor concludes 

 his report by stating that Beaton's process is based upon correct 

 chemical principles, and that the mode of attaining the result is 

 both simple and rapid. 



I\Ir. Kobert Mallet and Mr. David Kirkaldy have both made 

 reports of the most favourable character upon this process and its • 

 results. 



11. PHYSICS. 



Light. — All the researches on this subject which have been pub- 

 lished for some time past, have been thrown in the shade by some 

 researches on a new series of chemical reactions produced by hght, 

 which have just been communicated to the Eoyal Society by Dr. 

 Tyndall. He has investigated the action of a concentrated beam of 

 light on vapours of volatile liquids, and has obtained some very 

 striking phenomena of decomposition. A glass tube 2 • 8 feet long 

 and of 2 • 5 inches internal diameter was supported horizontally. At 

 one end of it was placed an electric lamj), the height and position of 

 both being so arranged that the axis of the glass tube and of the 

 parallel beam issuing from the lamp were coincident. The tube 

 was closed by plates of glass ; it was connected with an air-pump 

 and also with a series of drying and other tubes used for the purifi- 

 cation of the air. The experimental tube being exhausted and the 

 cock which cuts off the supply of purified air being cautiously 

 turned on, the air entered the tube bubbling through a liquid whose 

 vapour was to be examined. The ]iower of the electric beam to 

 reveal the existence of anything within the experimental tube, or 

 the impurities of the tube itself, is extraordinary. AVhcn the expe- 

 riment is made in a darkened room, a tube which in ordinary daylight 

 appears absolutely clean is often shown by the present mode of 

 examination to be exceedingly filthy. The first experiment was 

 tried with nitrite of amyl. The tube being exhausted, a mixtiire 

 of air and vapour of nitrite were allowed to enter it in the dark, the 

 slightly convergent beam of the electric light was then sent through 



