72 



NATURE 



\_May 25, 1876 



New Red Star. — Mr. Birmingham, Millbrook, Tuam, 

 mentions {A. N., 2,092) his having remarked an intensely 

 red star, 8*5 magnitude, which is not in Schjellerup's 

 catalogue {Vierteljahrschrift der Asiron. Gesellschaft, 

 ix. Jahrgang, Heft 4). From the approximate position 

 given the star appears to be No. 3,168, + 36° in Durch- 

 tmisterun^, where it is also estimated 8"5, and its position 

 1855-0 is R.A. i8h. 27m. 19s., N.P.D. 53° 7'. It has not 

 been found in any other catalogue. 



The Double Star 2 3,121.— This object well merits 

 the attention of observers who are in the possession of 

 large telescopes. Baron Dembowski seems to have given 

 it up for the present as beyond his instrumental means. 

 It is evidently a binary of no long period. For com- 

 parison we have — 



Struve ... 1832 "31 Position 20'0 Distance 0-85 

 Dembowski.. 1866 22 ,, 1897 ,, 068 



„ 1872-23 „ 2105 „ a wedge 



,, i875'3i .. 2520 ,, oval. 



The place of this star for 18760 is in R.A. 9h. lom. 32s., 

 N.P.D. 60^ 53'-8. 



THE LOAN COLLECTION CONFERENCES. 



'T^HE work in connection with the South Kensington 

 -*• Conferences has been carried on heartily and suc- 

 cessfully during the past week. The number of visitors 

 to the collection has been, all things considered, satisfac- 

 tory, and the conference-room is always well filled. 



Of the papers in the Section of Mechanics read on the 

 17th inst., M. Tresca's, on the "Flow of Solids," possessed 

 some novelty and interest. From his experiments he 

 drew inferences as to the proper form and mode of appli- 

 cation of tools, explained the theory of many of the ad- 

 justments which workmen have found out by rule of thumb, 

 and indicated extensions of the use of the principles no>v 

 reduced into formula. He added that, in his belief, these 

 mechanical laws ought to be pursued into physiology, and 

 that the accretion of cell to cell was a mechanical pheno- 

 menon. 



The conversazione given by the Physical Society the 

 same evening was brilliant and successful. 



At the meeting of the Chemical Section last Thursday, 

 Dr. Frankland gave a long and highly important address, 

 mainly on eudiometric apparatus. This address we give 

 this week in extenso. Dr. J.' H. Gilbert, F.R.S., then 

 gave an interesting lecture on " Some Points connected 

 with Vegetation." Mr. W. F. Donkin, M, A., then gave 

 a description of the ozone apparatus of Sir B. Brodie, 

 Bart., F.R.S., after which Prof. Andrews, F.R.S., concluded 

 the meeting with an account of some experimental in- 

 vestigations in connection with the physical constitution 

 of gases. 



On Friday was held the second Conference in connec- 

 tion with the Physical Section. The conference-room 

 throughout the day was unusually well filled. The first 

 communication was from Prof. Tyndall, F.R.S., on 

 the "Reflection of Sound." With the help of Mr. 

 Cotterell, his assistant, he reproduced some of the experi- 

 ments with sensitive flames with which he has made 

 scientific audiences so familiar. 



Dr. Stone spoke on the subject of " Just Intonation and 

 the Limits of Audible Sound." Mr. R. H. M. Bosanquet, 

 M.A., spoke on " Instruments of Just Intonation," and 

 explained the construction of the enharmonic harmonium 

 contributed by him to the collection. 



Mr. F. Galton, F.R.S., in his remarks "On the Limits 

 of Audible Sound," spoke of experiments which he had 

 been trying for some time past on the susceptibility of 

 various animals to the highest notes, such as those of ex- 

 tremely small whistles. He had arrived at the conclusion 

 that no animals were so sensitive to sounds of the char- 

 acter in question as cats, which, of course, were the ani- 



mals produced by natural selection to prey upon those 

 other animals which in nature produced such sounds — 

 namely, mice. 



Prof. W. G. Adams, F.R.S., spoke on the late Sir C. 

 Wheatstone's acoustical discoveries, and Mr. W. Chappell 

 followed with a discourse " On Ancient Musical Science." 



Mr. J. Baillie Hamilton spoke on ^olian instruments. 

 He gave a history of the attempts in Europe to combine 

 wind and string, and coming down to the present time he 

 spoke of his own experiments. He has found that a 

 metallic ring of suitable elasticity well supplies the place 

 of a string's constraint on a vibrator. Variations in the 

 shape of the ring produce differences of tone. Thus, 

 passing from the circle to almond-shaped rings, all quali- 

 ties from the flute to the horn are created. 



M. Tresca referred to the still existing monuments of 

 the history of science. For various reasons, want of ap- 

 preciation, want of care, &c., many instruments of his- 

 torical interest are lost. France is relatively well ofif in 

 its historical instruments, and it is well represented in this 

 exhibition. M. Tresca then referred to the instruments 

 in the collection France has sent over, giving a graphic 

 sketch of their history and the history of the progress of 

 the sciences they have helped forward. The Earl of Rosse, 

 F.R.S., made a brief communication on the thermopiles 

 which he is now using in connection with the telescopes 

 belonging to the late Earl, after which Mr. De la Rue 

 described his electric batteries of a novel construction. 

 The Cavaliere Prof. De Eccher made a communication 

 on the instruments sent over from Italy. 1 



The conversazione given by the Geographical Society 

 on Saturday evening was in all respects a successful one ; 

 more than 2,000 persons accepted the invitations sent out. 



In the second meeting of the Mechanical Section on 

 Monday, the first paper was by Prof. Kennedy, on. 

 " Reuleaux's Collection of Kinematic Models." Prof. 

 Kennedy explained the general principles and some of 

 the details of these educational models designed by their 

 constructor for the illustration of the theory of machines. 

 Mr. W. Barnaby, C.B., then read a paper on "Naval 

 Architecture," which we hope to publish in our next 

 number. Mr. W. Froude, F.R.S. then gave a short lec- 

 ture on " Fluid Resistance," detailing many of his experi- 

 ments. The other papers read were by Mr. Thomas 

 Stevenson, on " Lighthouses," M. le Gendral Morin on 

 " Ventilation," Messrs. Dent on " Time-measurers," and 

 Mr. J. N. Douglass, C.E., on " Instruments contributed 

 by the Trinity House." 



The Chemical Section met again on Tuesday. The 

 President, Dr. Frankland, F.R.S., read a communi- 

 cation from M. le Professtur Fr^my, the French 

 Chemist, on the Diminution of Scientific Research. M. 

 Fremy has founded and carried on during the last twelve 

 years a laboratory for the prosecution of original investi- 

 gations by students who have completed their scientific 

 studies. The experience which he has gained is such as 

 to lead him to the conclusion that it is necessary to invoke 

 state aid in order to restore research to that position 

 which it should occupy. As the State chooses its officers 

 and engineers after a severe course of study, and then 

 ensures their regular advancement in its service, M. 

 Frdmy claims a similar boon on behalf of pure science, 

 which renders such invaluable services to the community. 

 He proposes that the scientific service should consist of 

 five grades, with salaries rising from a minimum of 120/. 

 to 8co/. per annum, and that the fitness of candidates for 

 entrance to it should be decided by a jury of men of 

 acknowledged scientific reputation, independence, and 

 integrity. This jury should make known in official 

 reports the claims of the various candidates to advance- 

 ment, thus securing public criticism, and removing all 

 opportunities of intrigue or favour. Prof. Roscoe, F.K.S., 

 then gave a lecture on Vanadium and its Compounds, 

 exhibiting on the table the collection of these substances 



