Sept. 21, 1876] 



NATURE 



467 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Pog^endorff^s Attnalen der Phvsik und Chemie, No. 6, 1876. — 

 From experiments it is here inferred by Dr. Buff, of Giessen, 

 that the heat conductivity of hydrogen and other gases is too 

 small to be demonstrable by the method proposed by Magnu*. 

 Hence the supposition of a conductivity similar to that of metals (if 

 aught more is meant, than that hydrogen can, like solid and liquid 

 bodies, transfer heat from molecule to molecule), is unwarranted. 

 On the other hand, hydrogen has a penetrability for heat rays 

 which comes very near that of vacuum. Dry air absorbs 50 to 

 60 per cent of heat rays from a source heated to the boiling 

 point of water. The absorptive power of moist air exceeds that 

 of dry air by several percentages, but not nearly so much as 

 has been supposed by some physicists. Rock salt is not perfectly 

 diathermanous to so-called obscure heat rays. Its '* heat colour" 

 is rather like that of dry air. — Dr. H. C. Vogel describes some 

 interesting experiments on change in pitch of tone of a moving 

 body ; they consisted in observation of the whistle of a locomo- 

 tive, and the results closely agree with Doppler's theory and 

 calculations. — M. Wiedemann's paper on the laws of passage of 

 electricity through gases is here concluded. The experiments 

 relate to difference of effect according as positive or negative 

 electrode (in the discharge apparatus) is connected to earth, 

 effect of varying length and width of tube between the elec- 

 trodes, also of varying pressure and gas, the rise of temperature 

 produced by the discharge, effect of heating electrodes, &c. 

 The view M. Wiedemann adopts is, that in discharge, the gas 

 molecules on the electrodes carry off electricity with them, and 

 impart it to others against which they are driven, and these in 

 their turn are impelled against a third set, and so on ; the case 

 being similar to that of a row of freely suspended elastic balls, 

 one of the end ones of which is driven against its neighbour. 

 The author further studies the unequal expansion of the positive 

 and negative discharge, the place where the vis viva of the 

 moved gas masses is finally transformed into heat, the dark space 

 at the negative electrode and the stratification of the light, and 

 points out the relation in which his results stand to those ob- 

 tained by Hittorf. — The constants of dielectricity of oil of tur- 

 pentine, benzol, and two varieties of petroleum, are determined 

 by M. Silow, by the condenser method, and their square roots are 

 shown to correspond closely to the refractive indices of the 

 liquids, with A, = co (according to Maxwell's law). — Some ano- 

 malous phenomena of the gold-leaf electroscope are pointed out 

 by M. IJeetz (they indicate a streaming out of electricity from 

 the leaves over the glass). — We note, lastly, a paper of contri- 

 butions from the Mineralogical Institute of Strasburg University, 

 referring to glaucophane, datolith, safrol, crystalline form and 

 optical properties of isomerous dinitro benzol, &c. 



yournal of the Chemical Society, June. — This number con- 

 tains an extensive and exceedingly interesting paper on some 

 points in the analysis of potable waters, by Prof. Frankland, 

 D.C.L., F.R.S. Some eight years since. Dr. Frankland, in 

 conjunction v/ith Dr. Armstrong, laid before the Fellows of the 

 Chemical Society an account of the observations and experiments 

 made by them during two years on the methods then employed 

 in the analysis of potable waters. During the time which has 

 elapsed since that occasion Dr. Frankland has adopted the com- 

 bustion and collateral processes then recommended, and nearly 

 nine years' further experience in water analysis induce him to 

 claim for this process the following recommendations :— i. It 

 is the only process which affords trustworthy information re- 

 specting the organic matters present in potable water. 2. It 

 alone professes to determine organic carbon in such waters. 3. 

 Its method of determining organic carbon and nitrogen gives 

 fairly accurate results, even in the hands of a comparatively inex- 

 perienced analyst. 4. It alone discloses the proportion of 

 nitrogen to carbon in the organic matter of waters. 5. The pro- 

 cess can now be conducted in any laboratory with little difficulty, 

 owing to the modifications in the method of evaporation which 

 have been made. — Mr. W. H. Perkin, F.R.S., contributes 

 a paper upon the formation of anthrapurpurin. — Dr. Thorpe, 

 F. R.S., communicates some notes from the laboratory of the 

 Yorkshire College of Science, Leeds, comprising a shore paper 

 by Herbert Eccles on the action of the copper-zinc couple on 

 potassium chlorate and perchlorate, one by John Muir on 

 thaUiam chlorate, and a third by Dr. Thorpe himself, on the 

 isometric relations of thallium. As usual the remainder of this 

 volume contains numerous abstracts of chemical papers pub- 

 lished in British and foreign journals. 



The Jahresbericht, 1874-5, of the Swiss Naturforschende 

 Gesellschajt, contains a lengthy account of this Society's last 

 annual meeting, held at Andermatt in September 1875. The 

 opening speech was delivered by Prof. Kaufmanu, the president, 

 and mainly of geological interest. Amongst a number of smaller 

 papers that were read we note the following more important 

 ones : On the observations of temperature made in the St. 

 Gotthard tunnel ; the temperatures of air, water, and of the soil 

 were registered at a great number of different places in the 

 tunnel, as far as it is constructed, both on the nor:h and south 

 sides, by Dr. Stapff. — On the so-called "seiches," oscillation 

 waves observed in Swiss lakes, principally Lake Leman, by 

 Dr. Forel. — On the recent appearance and the damage done by 

 locusts in the east Swiss Rhine districts, and on the banks of 

 the Bieler Lake, by Prof C. G. Briigger and Alb, Miiller.— The 

 other papers are of minor interest. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



New South Wales 



Royal Society, May 17.— Rev. W. B. Clarke, M.A., 

 F.G.S., in the chair. — The officers for the ensuing year were 

 balloted for :— President (ex-officio), the Governor, Sir Her- 

 cules Robinson, K.C.M.G., &c. ; Vice-presidents, the Rev. 

 W. B. Clarke, M.A., F.G.S., Mr. H. C. Russell, F.R.AS., 

 Government Astronomer; Hon. Secretaries, Prof. Liversidge, 

 Dr. Leibius. The treasurer presented his annual statement, 

 which showed that although the Society had expended a con- 

 siderable sum during the past year upon furniture and fittings 

 for the new rooms, there was still a very satisfactory cash 

 balance. The Rev. W. B. Clarke then delivered his annual 

 address. The Society was informed that sections were about 

 to be established by the coimcil in order that members who 

 devoted themselves to particular branches of scientific study 

 might have afforded to them more frequent opportunities for 

 meeting and working together than was possible at the more 

 formal general meetings of the Society. 



June 7.— The Rev. W. B. Clarke, F.R.S., in the chair. -The 

 chairman stated that the deputation appointed for the purpose 

 at a former meeting, had waited on the Minister for Justice and 

 Public Instruction and had submitted a request to be communi- 

 cated to the Government for the sum of 3,500/. for the erection 

 of a suitable building and 300/. annuity for the ordinary purposes 

 of the Society. They were courteously received, and the Minister 

 cordially promised to lay the matter before his colleagues. — Prof. 

 Liversidge, hon. secretary, announced that a large number of 

 members had entered their names for the sections, and gave 

 notice that arrangements had been made for the preliminary 

 meetings of the lollowing sections, viz. : — Section A. Astrono- 

 mical and Physical Science. B, Chemistry and Mineralogy, 

 C. Geology and Palaeontology. D. Biology, E, Microscopical 

 Science, F. Geography and Ethnology. G. Literature and 

 Fine Arts. H. Medical Science. I. Sanitary and Social Science 

 and Statistics. It was mentioned that a large number of gentle- 

 men interested in scientific matters were desirous to be elected 

 into the Society as soon as the above sections were established. — 

 Mr. H. C. Russell, F.R.A.S., Government Astronomer, then 

 read a paper entitled, " Notes upon some Remarkable Errors in 

 Thermometers, " which had been exhibited by standard instru- 

 ments at the observatory. He also exhibited an improved form 

 of heliostat suitable for signalling purposes. 



GoTTINGEN 



Royal Academy of Sciences, March 4. — The following, 

 among other papers, were read : — Some important improve- 

 ments in simple and compound influence-machines, by M. Holtz. 

 - -On the constitution of steel and its connection with magnetis- 

 ability, by M. Fromme. He credits M. Ruths with the true 

 settlement of this question. With small magnetising forces an 

 annealed bar always takes more magnetism than a similar 

 hardened bar. But as the magnetism in the hardened bars 

 increases in greater ratio than in annealed bars, a value of mag- 

 netising force is reached, at which the magnetism of the har- 

 dened bar reaches that of the annealed, thereafter exceeding it. 

 This indifferent force is smaller the thicker the bar in compari- 

 son to its length. With a certain ratio of length and thickness it 

 becomes infinitely great. The contradictions of previous ob- 

 servers are explained when dimensions are taken into account. 

 M. Fromme, using more adequate means, confirmed M. Ruths' 

 results. M. Gaugain has recently got results that fully agree 

 with those of Ruths ; but M. Fromme explains them somewhat 

 differently from the French physicist. 



