Jan. 2, 1879] 



NATURE 



207 



these, however, are not aware of the importance of such collec- 

 tions, and those who ire would be greatly encouraged in the 

 task of making them, if a channel for their speedy publication 

 existed. In the hope of contributing towards the collection of 

 South African traditionary literature, a Folk-Lore Society is in 

 course of formation at Cape Town, which already includes 

 members in distant parts of South Africa. The publication of 

 a small periodical ever}- second month is also proposed by the 

 Society. The annual subscription to this periodical will be four 

 shillings, exclusive of postage. Folk-lore intended for publica- 

 tion in it should be acciurately wTitten down in the language and 

 words of the narrator, and a translation into English, or some 

 other well-known European language, added. Further informa- 

 tion regarding facts illustrative of native life or native literature 

 will also, whenever practicable, be published. Intending sub- 

 scribers to the projected periodical are requested kindly to send 

 in their names and addresses, stating the number of copies re- 

 quired by them, to the secretary of the South African Folk-Lore 

 Society, care of Miss L. C. Lloyd, Cape Town." 



According to a report made by Prof, Palmieri an interesting 

 application of the microphone to volcanic phenomena has just 

 been made by Prof. Michele Stefano de Rossi, who during a 

 series of experiments extending over several months and made 

 at his seismic observatory at Rocca di Papa in the Albanese 

 Mountains, has found that the present eruption activity of Mount 

 Vesuvius could be perceived through the microphone even at 

 that enormous distance. Prof, de Rossi, in order to continue 

 his experiments, has recently stayed with Prof. Palmieri at the 

 Vesuvius Obser%atory, and they have together visited the crater 

 of the Solfatara near Pozzuoli, where the subterraneous work of 

 the volcanic forces became so very evident to the sense of hear- 

 ing, that a considerable amount of fear was caused amongst 

 those present at the experiments. Prof, de Rossi will publish 

 an account of his researches in his serial // Vulcanismo. 



Earthquakes are reported from Seefeld (Tyrol) on Decem- 

 ber 14 at night, where the shock came in the direction from 

 north to south, and from Luxemburg on December 15 at II A.M. 

 where iix or seven distinct oscillations were noticed. 



News from the American Republic of San Salvador states 

 that the volcanoes of Santa Ana and of Izalco are in eruption. 

 The eruption of the former had been anticipated for some time 

 past (see Nature, vol. xix. p. 86), and seems to be of particular 

 violence. 



" An English Manufacturer " makes a strong appeal in 

 yesterday's Titiies on behalf of the introduction into this country 

 of the decimal system in weights, measures, and coinage. It is 

 long since we showed the absurdity of our present systems, and 

 the necessity for the introduction of something more scientific. 

 But the " Manufacturer" shows that by our want of any iater- 

 nalional system, such as prevails among other nations, the trade 

 of this countrj' seriously suffers. We hope this aspect of the 

 question wiU be urged upon the Government by all interested, 

 and that a much more radical reform will be instituted than 

 what has been attempted in the recent most unsatisfactory 

 Weights and Measures Act. 



The director of the Vienna Geological Institution, Counsellor 

 Franz von Hauer, has been nominated " Officierde ITnstruction 

 puUique " by the French Minister of Public Instruction. 



M. W. DE FoxviELLE sends us the following details con- 

 cerning the recent electrical obser\'ations at Montsouris Observa- 

 tory : — Electrical observations are registered regularly at Mont 

 souris seven times a day, according to a proper scale of 

 variations, and with a Thomson electrometer. These observa- 

 tions are made by M. Descroix, under the general direction of 



M, Marie Davy, the director of the*obser\-atory, and the results 

 are recorded daily in the Paris Tenths. The series from the 

 beginning of the month of December offers some notable pecu- 

 liarities. The frost in Paris set in on December 7, and from 

 that date to the 22nd there were fifteen days of continued cold. 

 Only once, on the 1 8th, a thaw was for a few hours imminent, 

 but the snow was not melted in the obser\'atory grounds. 

 During the whole of that period not less than 105 careful 

 readings were taken and registered, but not a single one of these 

 readings exhibited the least negative tendency. The variations were 

 very few, and the sign + was always recorded. This high positive 

 state of tension was observed in spite of a number of variations in 

 the pressure of the air, which was almost always under 760 mm., 

 and sometimes so low that the forecast published by the Bureau 

 Central announced "approaching rainfall." The maximum 

 was on the 19th, during a heavy cold fog ; it was so large that 

 the instrument was thrust out of balance, and the record of the 

 number is wanting. The tension then exceeded 2co Daniell 

 cells. From that time the scale of comparison was altered, so 

 that the range of the instrument was enlarged. In consequence 

 of this observation it was suggested that the real thaw, or change 

 of weather would not set in without the previous appearance of 

 negative tension. Instructions were given by M. Marie Da\-y to 

 test this suggestion by a careful examination of the electrical 

 circumstances attending this lengthened period of unprecedented 

 cold and the future thaw which would put an end to it. The 

 thaw set in in France on the night of December 25-26, at an hour 

 varj'ing according to the circumstances of the several localities. 

 The electrical readings at Montsouris were found positive on Jthe 

 25th dmring the whole of the day, but the mean value was greatly 

 diminished, and the readings very unequal. On December 26 at 

 six in the morning, negative readings were taken and roistered 

 for the first time since December 7. It must be added that 

 under the circumstances the Thomson electrometer kept at 

 Montsouris is not considered by M. Descroix as exhibiting the 

 exact numerical value of the tension of the air, but merely its 

 kind and the general progress of the phenomenon. This reser- 

 vation has been made in a correspondence with Signor Palmieri, 

 the director of the Mount Vesuvius Observatory, on the occa- 

 sion of_some strictures passed on the location, of the Thomson 

 electrometer used in these observations. 



No general meeting of the Association for the Improvement 

 of Geometrical Teaching will be held in January, 1879. Con- 

 siderable progress has been made by the sub-committees ap- 

 pointed in January, 1878, and draft syllabuses will soon be 

 submitted to members of the Association. 



M. Valentin has been snowed up during more than four- 

 teen days in the observatory on the top of the Puy-de-Dome, 

 where he takes the meteorological readings. The telegraph 

 connecting Puy-de-Dome with Clermont laboratories being out 

 of order no telegram has been received from him for a length- 

 ened period. No anxiety is felt for his safety, he having been 

 well furnished with provisions and fuel. A similar accident 

 has befallen General de Nansouty, the director of the Pic du 

 Midi Observatory. His telegraphist having descended to Bag- 

 neres was unable to ascend again and the General was left to 

 his fate. As he is rather old and of delicate health heroic 

 efforts were made by the peasantry to reach him, which they 

 did on December 24 ; the telegraphic line was repaired and 

 telegrams recorded as usual in the Bulletin International. 

 General de Nansouty refused to relinquish his post, and he is 

 spending his winter as usual on one of the highest peaks of 

 France. 



The Neue Wiener ZeiUing states that an electric light has been 

 tried on a locomotive on the Vienna Railway system. The 



