220 



NATURE 



\7an. 9, 1879 



I think that the authors have expanded their idea in one 

 d:rection only, and I have not seen any reviews of their books 

 applying this idea in the other direction. If, however, this 

 application has been made, I shall be glad to be referred to the 

 passages containing it. W. A. T. Hallowes 



, New University Club, St. James's Street, S.W. January 4 



Atmospheric Electricity 



The traces afforded by the self-registering electrometer at this 

 observatory show that the conditions of the atmospheric elec- 

 tricity at Kew were very similar during the recent frosts to those 

 observed at Montsouris by M. Descroix. We have, however, in 

 the automatic instrument the great advantage of continuous regis- 

 tration, and therefore our information is not limited to the results 

 afforded by seven observations daily. 



The whole period of the frost was characterised by extremely 

 high tension which with us averaged and frequently exceeded the 

 amount ^^■hich sufficed to derange the French instrument. 



The absolute maximum tension recorded equalled 600 volts, 

 and occurred about 4 p.m. on December 16, 



The most noticeable feature in the curves of electrical disturb- 

 ance during the period is that of the daily range of the instru- 

 ment having attained a maximum usually between 8 to 10 p.m., 

 the tension reaching over 400 volts at the time on the 17th, i8th, 

 and 2 1st, and over 500 on the 22nd ult. 



The fall in tension on the 25th was irregular and the value 

 became almost zero at 6 A.M. on the 26th, for the whole of which 

 day it continued low. Negative electricity was recorded for the 

 first time from i to 3 A.M. on the 29th, 



Undoubtedly the value of the tension of the 'atmosiiheric 

 electricity, as measured by the Thomson electrometer is, as M. 

 Descroix states, only a relative one. We have determined 

 experimentally that with the same instrument the indicated ten- 

 sion is largely influenced by the distance of the nozzle of the 

 water-dropping collector from the wall of the building in which 

 the instrument is placed, and in accordance with a suggestion of 

 Sir W. Thomson, we replace during the passage of thunder- 

 storms our ordinaiy discharge-tube by a very short one, so as to 

 get the scale of tensions within the range of the electrometer. 



Kew Observatory, January 6 G. M. Whipple 



ElectricaFiPhenomenon 



I HAVE just read in Nature (vol. xix. p. 182) an account of 

 a strange electrical phenomenon observed at Teignmouth. In 

 connection with it the following incident may be of some in- 

 terest : — When in Switzerland, not long since, I made with 

 some friends the ascent of Monte Rosa. The weather was 

 un ettled, and on gaining the summit we saw a thunderstorm 

 advancing in our direction from the Italian valleys, and not 

 wishing to turn ourselves into lightning-conductors we deemed 

 it wise to retire from the summit. We had retreated a very 

 short distance along the arete when the storm-clouds swept up 

 upon us ; the fine snow fell so thick that we could hardly see 

 one another, and we were all suddenly attracted by a peculiar 

 ticking or fizzing from our hair ; when I held up my axe the 

 ticking was most distinctly heard from the top of it. The 

 thunder ceased, and we felt that we were acting as points, 

 through which the ground electricity was flowing off into the 

 cloud ; if it had been dark, the bluish light observed at Teign- 

 mouth might have been visible. 



As at Teignmouth, so on Monte Rosa ; it was freezing hard 

 when the phenomenon was observed. W. S. Green 



Alta Terrace, Monkstown, Cork 



Time and Longitude 



As the questions I propounded under this head in Nature, 

 vol. xviii. p. 40, have been again alluded to by Mr. E. L. 

 Layard, I may remark that they receive a complete answer in 

 the "Geographical Reader," by C. B. Chrke, M.A. (Macmillan 

 and Co., 1876). At p. 19 he says : "At the town of Sitka, in 

 Alaska, half the population are Russians who have arrived from 

 Russia across Asia ; half the population are Americans who 

 have arrived via the United States. Hence, when it is Sunday 

 with the Russians it is Saturday with the Americans ; the 

 Russians are busy on Monday while the Americans are in church 

 on Sunday to the great interruption of business." 



It is evident, then, that our new year first commenced in 



Alaska at 9 A.M. Greenwich time on December 31. Each of 

 our days commences at the same hour and lasts forty -eight hours; 

 the year exists for 366 days. Latimer Clark 



January 4 



Magnetic Storm of May 14, 15 



The magnetic storm of May 14, 15, which was observed 

 simultaneously in England, China, and Australia, and which 

 made itself felt in the telegraph wires of Persia and India, was 

 also perfectly observed in America. Mr. G. F. Kingston, 

 director of the government observatory at Toronto, Canada, ha; 

 kindly forwarded to me a tracing of his magnetograms, and I 

 find that all the principal inflexions of the declination, as well as 

 of the components of the intensity, bear a striking resemblance 

 to those recorded at the Stonykurst observatory. The corre- 

 spondence between the two vertical force curves on May 14 is 

 very remai-kable for such distant stations. Comparing the times 

 of the principal minimas in the V.F. trace, and of the chief 

 maximum of the declination, we have the following results in 

 Toronto mean time : — 



Principal Secondary Deal. 



V.F. min. V.F. min. Max. 



P.M. P.M. P.M. 



Toronto Observatory ... 6 17 ... 4 o ... 6 39 

 Stony hurst Observatory 6 42 ... 4 20 ... 6 54 



25 



15 



The disturbing force would thus appear to have been felt some- 

 what earlier in Canada than in Europe. 



The extent of the extreme oscillation of the V.F. magnets 

 cannot be compared, as that at Stonyhurst was too sensitive, and 

 was consequently thrown off its balance ; but the rapid move- 

 ment of the declination needle immediately preceding the 

 maximum was almost identical in England and in Canada, the 

 Stonyhurst curves showing a rise of 28' 39" in less than twenty 

 minutes, and that of Toronto an increase of 26' 53" in the same 

 time. 



It is important to note that I have used the terms maximum 

 and minimum in reference to increase and decrease of ordinate, 

 but it so happens that an increase of ordinate signifies a decrease 

 of H.F. and V.F., and also of W. declination in the Toronto 

 curves, whilst it shows an increase of all these elements in the 

 magnetograms of Stonyhurst. S. J. Perry 



Stonyhurst Observatory, December 28, 1878 



Blowpipe Experiment 



I beg to inform you of the following curious results which 

 may be considered of sufficient interest to lead to further inves- 

 tigation of the subject. 



Having received a quantity of blowpipe charcoal from 

 Freiberg, about two months ago, I placed two sticks in a 

 "stoneware" jar full of pure water in order to saturate them 

 therewith, so that small squares cut with a saw and placed on 

 aluminium plate as a support, might stand the blowpipe heat 

 longer. I also found that thus treated there is Uttle or no black 

 sawdust, which dirties the hands, «S:c., more than anything else 

 in blowpipe operations. 



Having also placed in the same jar of water two " aluminium 

 spoons " {thick rods about five inches long), I was surprised to 

 find that after the charcoal had sunk to the bottom on satu- 

 ration, the aluminium rods were covered with semi-opaque 

 roundish crystals (part being perfectly transparent) near the 

 surface of the water, and also at the very bottom where the 

 spoons rested on the jar. 



Thinking the crystals might be due (although I could not tell 

 how with such a deliquescent substance) to some phosphoric acid 

 I had previously fused upon the aluminium spoons, I cleaned 

 them thoroughly and placed them in fresh pure water with the 

 charcoal about a fortnight ago, and they are again covered 

 with the same kind of crystals. I now carefully scraped the 

 crystals off the aluminium rods with a penknife and placed them 

 on an agate slab, where, when dry, they had a perfectly white, 

 sugary appearance, with some minute transparent fragments. 

 Taking up some of these opaque white fragments upon a hot 

 bead of boric acid, I submitted them to the action of the blow- 

 pipe, and found — 



(a) That they at first emitted a slight yellow pyrochrome, so 

 that they could not be due to potash. 



