Dec. 1 6, 1875] 



NATURE 



137 



The salts of Ga which M. Lecoq de Boisbaudran has used in 

 his researches, have been from the blend of Pierrefitte ; he has, 

 however, found the new metal in other ores of zinc, and notably 

 in a transparent blend from Santander. He believes Ga will be 

 met with in all blends. The Ga he extracted from the blends 

 comes really from these minerals, and not from metallic zinc. 



The author's last researches have confirmed the rarity of 

 gallium in blend. The extreme sensibility of the spectral re- 

 action led him even to over-estimate the quantities obtained. " I 

 do not think I exaggerate," he remarks, "in saying that in my 

 first observation I possessed at the most ^\-^ of a milligramme of 

 the new substance dissolved in a very small drop of liquid. The 

 spectral analysis of so small a quantity of matter would have been 

 impracticable before the considerable reduction I made in the 

 dimensions of the apparatus for obtaining electric spectra, and 

 without using very small sparks. 



" If, as I suppose, there is no error as to the nature of my 

 alum of Ga, the existence of this salt fixes the atomicity of the 

 new element, and attributes to its oxide the same chemical 

 function as that of alumina. The oxide of gallium, then, will 

 be written Gaj03." 



The author, in conclusion, refrains, for the present, from dis- 

 cussing the theoretical considerations raised in a recent note by 

 M. Mendeleeff. Questions of the kind have long interested 

 him ; but he thinks it very probable that without the particular 

 method followed in the present research, neither M. MendeleeflPs 

 theories nor his own would soon have led to the discovery of 

 gallium. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



American Jotirnal of Science and Art, November. — The 

 original articles in this number are : — On the variation in the 

 strength of a muscle, by F. E. Nipher. — Studies on magnetic 

 distribution, by H. A. Rowland. This, Part I., is on linear 

 distribution, and the scope is indicated by the titles of the sec- 

 tions : I. Preliminary Remarks ; 2. Mathematical Theory ; 3. 

 Experimental Methods for Linear Distribution ; 4. Iron Rods 

 magnetised by induction ; 5. Straight Electro-magnets and per- 

 manent Steel Magnets ; 6. Miscellaneous Applications. — CEsti- 

 vation and its terminology, by Asa Gray. — A note in relation to 

 the mass of meteoric iron that fell in Dickson County, Tenn., 

 1S35, by J. L. Smith. — Specific gravity balance, by Roswell 

 Parish. Ttie object of this is to determine the specific gravities of 

 minerals, and other solids heavier ihan water, without the use of 

 exact weights and without mathematical computation. — A paper 

 on Southern New England, by Prof. Dana. — Iowa county meteor 

 and its meteorites, by N. R. Leonard. — On the post-Phocene 

 fossils of Sankoty Head, Nantuck Island, by A. E. Verrili, This 

 article, referring to the paper by Desor and Cabot (Geol. Soc. 

 Lond., 1849), purports to correct some matters of detail in that 

 paper, and raises the number of known species from seventeen 

 to sixty, of which a list is given.— In the short articles under 

 " Scientific Intelligence " are : — Arithmetical relations between 

 the atomic weights ; Evidence of glacial action on the summit 

 of Mount Washington ; Discovery of the horns of an extinct 

 species of ox in Ohio. — The two following reports are noticed : 

 On the geology and resources of the region in the vicinity of the 

 49lh parallel Irom the Lake of the Woods to the Rocky Moun- 

 tains ; A reconnaissance of the Black Hills of Dakota made in 

 the summer of 1874. — In an appendix Prof. O. C. Marsh contri- 

 butes a paper on the Odontornithes, or birds with teeth. Alter 

 recapitulating facts he has already contributed, he gives this 

 classification : — Sub-cla.«s, Odontornithes : A. Teeth in 

 sockets ; vertebrre biconcave ; sternum with keel ; wings well 

 developed ; order, Ichthyorntthes. B. Teeth in grooves ; ver- 

 tebrae as in recent birds ; sternum without keel ; wings rudimen- 

 tary ; order, Odontolca. There are two plates in illustration of 

 this paper. 



ZeUichfift der Oesterreichischen Gesellschaft fiir Meteor ologie, 

 Oct. 15. — In the concluding part of his article on the higher 

 atmospheric strata. Dr. Hellmaim gives the following results : — 

 (2) Moisture : time of maximum, upper station, 4.30 p.m.; lower 

 station, 5.43 p.m. ; time of minimum : upper station, 7*3 a.M ; 

 lower station, 7.30 a.m. The daily variation at the upper sta- 

 tion is only half that at the lower station. From a table of 

 rektive humidity we learn that the air is much moister at the 

 upper station and removed by an almost constant quantity from 

 saturation. In the morning and evening the lower air is the 

 moister, at midday the upper. (3) Wind. Easterly winds were 



less prevalent at the summit than at the foot of Mount Washing- 

 ton, in the proportion of i : 2. It is now well ascertained that 

 the wind at ordinary heights increases in strength daily from 

 early morning till about 2 P.M., and then decreases until about 

 9 P.M. Herr Hellmann was surprised to discover a variation exactly 

 contrary to this to hold on the summit. In fact, the least 

 velocity occurs about i p.m., the greatest after 12 at night ; 

 while at the foot the usual variations were followed. Dove 

 explains the generally observed increasing velocity in the morn- 

 ing in our climate by the combined action of a large mass of 

 heated air ascending in the east, and the prevalence of westerly 

 winds. In the evening the heated area would lie westward, the 

 two influences would oppose each other and the wind would 

 decrease in velocity. Similarly the diminution of velocity from 

 early morning to mid-day at great heights may be caused by the 

 overflow westward of the air heated in an area east of the station 

 opposing the prevailing west wind, and the acceleration in the 

 afternoon by the overflow eastward from the heated area 

 now in the west adding itself to the west wind. In agree- 

 ment with this view is the fact, shown by observations 

 on the Rigi, that velocity in summer is least about mid-day, 

 much greater in the early morning and late evening, and in 

 winter on the contrary, in harmony with the variations at low 

 levels. The greatest observed velocity was ninety-six miles an 

 hour. While this storm blew aloft a calm reigned below. But 

 is it not likely that a current was drawn upwards by it ? We 

 have no instruments to register vertical currents. With respect 

 to the relation of temperature to height, c learly it cannot be 

 simply formulated, and will diflier according to the altitude at 

 which the daily ascending current flows off" laterally. (4) 

 Clouds. There was more cloud and fog at the summit about 

 midday than at other times, and, roughly speaking, the amount 

 of cloud varied inversely as that below during the dajrtime. 



Mtmorie della Societa degli Spettroscopisii Italiani, March, con- 

 tains a table by Father Secchi, showing the number of protube- 

 rances and spots viewed, and the number of days on which 

 observations were made during each revolution of the sun from 

 April 1 87 1 to March 1875, in all forty -two revolutions. The 

 number of protuberances or spots seen during each revolution, 

 divided by the number of days, gives an average for each day ; 

 this in 1871 W.1S about 26 for protuberances and 100 for spots, 

 and decreases gradually dovvTi to 5'45 for protuberances and i8'S 

 for spots, in March last Drawings of the chromosphere for 

 January, February, and March, by Secchi and Tacchini, also 

 accompany this number. 



May. — A paper by Prof. Bredichin, on spectroscopic obser- 

 vations of the sun, referring to the relation between spots and 

 prominences, or the latter being the cause of the foimer. A 

 long series of obser\'ations by Prof. Tacchini, from February to 

 June 1873, showing the poiitions on the sun in which promi- 

 nences containing magnesium or giving the 1474 line wer seen. 

 The maximum number of positions in which magnesium was 

 observed for any one day was sixty, and the same number for the 

 1874 line. — Prof. Pisati contributes a prper on the theories of 

 electro-static induction. 



June. — Prof. Tacchini writes on a method of determining the 

 angles of position of spots and faculas. In this case the image 

 of the sun is thrown by the e}e-piece of the telescope on to a 

 screen on which is a divided circle, with which the image of the 

 sun coincides. — Father Secchi contributes a paper on the solar 

 prominences observed from April 1871 to June 1875. -^.ccom- 

 panying this paper are tables showing the number of promi- 

 nences in each ten degrees of solar latitude, together with their 

 heights and sizes. 



July. — A note on the presentation of a medal to Prof. H. 

 Draper by the United States Government for his assistance in 

 preparing for the Transit of Venus. — Observations of the positions 

 in which prominences containing magnesium occurred during 

 July 1873, by Prof. Tacchini. — Drawings of chromosphere 

 during March and April 1874, by Secchi and Tacchini. 



August. — A continuation of table by Tacchini, showing posi- 

 tions on sun where prominences containing magnesium <x;curred 

 during August and September 1873. — Prof. Tacchini writes on 

 observation of the Perseids of last August, in which he gives 

 the mean radiant point as 2h. 50m. and -t- 53^ S'6. 



Verhandlungen der k. k. gtclogischen Reichsansialt. Vienna, 

 Sept. 30. — In this number Dr. Schimper describes the geo- 

 logical conditions of the district of Arrho, in Abyssinia, and a 

 curious apparently volcanic phenomenon met with there. The 

 district is a cleft-crossed plain near (and below the level of) the 



