April -:,, 1879] 



NATURE 



517 



J. H. Gladstone, A. W. Hofmann, W.'Odling, Lyon Playfair, 

 A. W. Williamson, F. Field, J, H. Gilbert, N. S. Maskelyne, 

 H. E. Roscoe, R. Angus Smith, J. Young. Secretaries — 

 W. H, Perkin and H. E. Armstrong. Foreign Secretary — 

 Hugo Mliller. Treasurer — W. J. Russell. Other Members of 

 Council— M. Carteighe, A. H. Church, W. H. Bartley, C. W. 

 Heaton, E. Riley, W. C. Roberts, W. A. Tilden, W. Thorp, 

 T. E. Thorpe, J. L. W, Thudichum, R. V. Tuson, R. 

 Warington. 



The eminent algologist Dr. Rabenhorst has been compelled, 

 in consequence of continued ill-health, to resigfn the editorship 

 of the monthly cryptogamic journal Hedwigia ; and it has now 

 passed into the hands of Dr. G. Winter of ZUrich, well known 

 for his contributions to various departments of cryptogamic 

 literature. 



The Library Bulletin of Harvard University is a publication 

 much more interesting and valuable than its title would seem to 

 imply. It is edited by the librarian, Mr. Justin Winsor, one of 

 the greatest living authorities in all matters connected with 

 libraries. We have before us No. 10 of the Bulletin, containing 

 first of all a list of the more important accessions to the library be- 

 tween October 1878 and January 1879. This is a model list, and 

 several of the entries are really elaborate essays, as that under 

 the heading Maps, on Early Globes. The supplement to this 

 list is devoted to articles, some of them of great scientific value. 

 For example, under the title of "References in Analytic 

 Geometryj" ve are furnished with a minute analysis of Descartes' 

 Geometiy. Prof. Goodall, under the title of "Floras of Difier- 

 ent Countries " gives bibliographies of the Floras of Afinca and 

 America. In the supplement there is much other bibliographical 

 material of literary and artistic value, each subject being con- 

 tinued in the supplements of successive Bulleii»s, until completed. 

 Mr. WinsDr intimates that he is preparing a list of all editions of 

 Ptolemy's Geography, and desires detailed information of any 

 editions that may be in foreign libraries. Altogether this Bulletin 

 is one of the most valuable bibliographical publications we 

 know of. 



The death is announced of Prof. Karmarsch, the well-known 

 technologist. He was born in 1803. In 1823, when he was 

 twenty years of age, appeared his first work, and his labours 

 ended in 1872 with the publication of his greatly -valued " History 

 of Technology." He was long director of the Hanover Poly- 

 technic School, which was founded under his superintendence. 

 He retired from active life in 1875. 



The French Minister of Public Works has given the required 

 authorisation to M. Gaston Tissandier to establish GiSard's bal- 

 loon in the Cours des Tuileries, and the works are progressing 

 with great activity. The ascents are to begin on the first days of 

 May, the price is to be reduced to 10 francs, and the admission 

 fee for spectators to 50 centimes. 



The Daily News New York correspondent telegraphs that 

 Mr. Edison has exhibited the wsrking of his incandescent light 

 in the illumination of his laboratory and factorj-, with excellent 

 results, furnishing fourteen of the new lamps each from 18 to 20 

 candle power, on one circuit, giving a steady white light, much 

 superior to the carbon, and equal to double the number of o-as- 

 jets. The generator was an ordinary Gramme machine of 2\. 

 horse power. Mr. Edison states that he can now supply light 

 for practical domestic use at less than half the cost of gas, but 

 is experimenting for further improvements in the lamp and 

 economy m the generator. He has discovered a new alloy, pla- 

 tinum and iridium, by the use of which he increases the number 

 of lamps per horse power at least 50 per cent. 



The April number of Mind contains a paper of much interest 

 by Mr. G. Stanley Hall on Laura Bridgman, the much-written- 



aboat American girl, who at an early age was deprived of nearly 

 all her senses but that of touch ; the paper is the result of a 

 recent visit to Laura. Prof. Bain commences a series of papers 

 on the life and character of John Stuart Mill. 



There is a short and interesting article in the Sanitary Record 

 of March 28 on the Registrar-General's method of estimating 

 populations. It shows that the true method is not to take the 

 average rate of increase during any decade to ascertain the 

 increment of the following decade. The true rate of increase is 

 obtained by the difference between the logarithms of any two 

 decades. 



The number of lights for electric light-houses in France is to he 

 increased by two important constructions, one on Planier Isle, 

 off Marseilles, and the other at the mouth of the Gironde. 

 There are at present in existence in France only three, one at 

 Cape Grisnez and two at Cape La Heve, off Havre. These 

 lighthouses are supplied with Alliance electro-magnetic engines. 



The session ofjthe delegates of the Societes Savantes will be 

 begun as usual at the Sorbonne after Easter, and M. Ferry will 

 deliver an address on the occasion of the distribution of prizes. 



A STRIKING and highly promising line of research has been 

 recently adopted by Mr. Muybridge, of San Francisco, at the 

 instance of Governor Stanford, viz., the instantaneous photo- 

 graphy of animals in motion. Some of his earlier photographs 

 of a fast-trotting horse presented attitudes wholly unexpected, 

 and they were even thought absurd. The method latterly 

 adopted seems to have been making the horse trot or gallop past 

 twelve cameras, arranged in series, and by breaking threads 

 stretched across its path, release an electric current, which 

 effected exposure of the plates. Thus the flying steed was ob- 

 tained in every position, Mr. Muybridge gave public exhibi- 

 tions of what had been done. The small negatives were magnified 

 into life size, and projected on a screen, so that every motion 

 was visible. These exhibitions do not seem to have been appre- 

 ciated by the San Franciscans. The Scientific American, how- 

 ever, and afterwards La Nature, have published cuts taken from 

 the photographs, and much general interest has been awakened 

 in these researches. Among those specially interested is Prof. 

 Marey, who desired to be put in communication with Mr. Muy- 

 bridge, as he wanted to ask his aid in solving certain physiological 

 problems, so difficult to solve otherwise ; e.g. , questions connected 

 vnih. the flight of birds. He had been dreaming of a kind of 

 photographic gun, to seize the bird in an attitude or series of 

 attitudes of flight. What beautiful zootropes, too, might be 

 had ! Mr. Muybridge's cartoons representing the fast gallop 

 give a key to the breaking do\vn of so many horses. It appears 

 as though one fore leg had to sustain the whole of the weight 

 of horse and rider while the body is moved along five feet. 

 And just before the foot is raised, a perpendicular from it 

 would strike the back of the saddle ; so that there is immense 

 leverage, the centre of gra\'ity being thrown so far forward of its 

 support, and the tendons must have a terrible tension. These 

 inquiries are being further developed by the liberality of 

 Governor Stanford and the skill of Mr. Muybridge, and valuable 

 results may doubtless be looked for. 



Among recent lectures delivered at the Sorbonne was one by 

 Prof. Marey, who has so admirably applied the graphic method 

 in physiology. His subject was the circulation of the blood, and 

 though (the auditory containing ladies) experiments involving the 

 presentation of blood were naturally proscribed, he was able to 

 give several striking demonstrations. One of these consisted in 

 showing on an illuminated surface the phases of the heart beats 

 of his assistant's and his own pulse, the beats being transmitted 

 across the hall, by a thin tube, the pulsations actuating a small 

 inscribing style placed before the electric lamp. He also exhi- 



