Oct. lo, 1878] 



KA TURE 



631 



few days ago. By means of Edison's carbon telephone, which 

 promises to be the telephone of the future, the lecture was 

 electrically transmitted to the Arts Club in an adjoining street, 

 though the transmitting instrument was several feet from the 

 speaker; conversely, an assistant, speaking near to the distant 

 carbon transmitter, was heard in a dozen different receiving 

 magneto -telephones distributed through the lecture Hall. 

 Further, by employing a single * ' Phelps " telephone as 

 receiver, and using a paper cone as the mouth-piece of the 

 telephone, 300 or 400 people in the neighbourhood of the 

 instrument were able to hear distinctly sentences and songs 

 given to the distant carbon telephone. And finally, by the same 

 means, the entire audience of some 1,500 people heard single 

 words, such as Bravo ! Halloa ! &c., spoken to the far 

 telephone. Other experiments, of a more crucial character, 

 demonstrated that this new telephone of Edison's will probably 

 place electric-telephony on an entirely new and more practical 

 basis. Prof, Barrett also showed Mr, Edison's tasimeter, an 

 adaptation of the principle of the carbon telephone, the instru- 

 ment having been kindly sent over by Mr. Edison for.this lecture. 

 The extraordinary delicacy of the tasimeter to heat radiation 

 was shown to the audience by the heat radiated from the face 

 throwing the beam of light reflected from a galvanometer 

 completely off a ten-foot scale. The megaphone and several 

 other of Mr. Edison's recent inventions were also successfully 

 shown in this lecture. 



News of Prof, Nordenskjold's North-East Passage Expedi- 

 tion has reached Stockholm. It left the north coast of Norway 

 on July 25, reached Jugor Straits on the 30th; steamed on 

 August I, and arrived at the mouth of the Ycnissei on the 6th. 

 It was intended to start afresh on August 10. The Kara Sea 

 was nearly free of ice, A little scattered drift ice near White 

 Island was the only ice met with during the whole voyage. The 

 expedition has thus a good prospect of success. 



The Times correspondent writes from Naples, September 29, 

 that for the past two or three days, according to Prof, 

 Palmieri's report, the activity of the mountain had much 

 diminished, and the seismic instruments had been quieter. At 

 the time of the new moon there was an increase of activity, as is 

 always the case, and it will be witnessed, no doubt, at the time of 

 full moon ; but the mountain pursues its regular course, except 

 &X. these seasons, and some little time must elapse before what 

 the world calls an eruption will occur. Of what character it 

 will be it is impossible to say precisely, but appearances 

 indicate that it will be a lava eruption — presenting, indeed, 

 a most brilliant spectacle, but unaccompanied by those 

 horrors which marked the eruptions of 1854, 1861, and 

 1872 ; but, as Prof. Palmieri observes, it is impossible to say 

 how it will terminate. A Daily Nrws correspondent sends 

 an interesting account of a visit he has paid to the crater of 

 Vesuvius, into which he descended, and tells what he saw :— 

 The actual crater is placed almost in an amphitheatre, three- 

 fourths of which are inclosed, while one-fourth is open. The 

 Inclosing walls rise above the bed of the crater from 250 or 

 more feet in some parts, apparently composed of sulphur. The 

 diameter, judging by the eye, from one side to the other, is 

 about 300 yards, and the whole of this area is filled with lava on 

 fire, but crusted on the surface with a skin some inches deep of 

 lava that has been chilled. " Looking between the cracks or down 

 the 'crevasses,' the glowing fires a few inches below our feet 

 and in the blocks whereon we were standing, were seen. The 

 ten months' activity has enabled the volcano to raise a cone 

 almost in the centre of the crater at least a hundred feet in 

 height, very wide at the base, converging to the summit like a 

 sugar-loaf, but with the summit of the loaf removed. With 

 & pulsation as regular and as marked as that of the piston 



of a steam-engine in full motion, did the huge mountain carry 

 on its work, so that now we were able clearly to understand 

 what was meant by * every pulsation of the volcano being duly 

 registered at the observatory.' Clouds of smoke and fumes were 

 issuing from the summit of the cone — now densely dark, as if a 

 fresh supply of coal had been heaped on the fire ; then intensely 

 light, as if the engine were blowing off its steam ; then most 

 beautifully and delicately tinted with the tenderest rose-pink, as 

 if an artist were testing how best to combine the loveliest tints 

 of his art ; then a pale salmon, a little while, and then as if five 

 thousand torpedoes were simultaneously exploded. The huge 

 mountain seemed to heave, and forth from its mouth issued 

 immense quantities of molten lava, shot scores of feet high up 

 into the air — apparently at the mouth all in one body, but there 

 separating into milhons of pieces, great and small, all glowing 

 with the most intense red heat that can possibly be seen. Each 

 piece as it ascended into the air was separate ; no piece 

 was partly red and partly black, but was on fire and at 

 red -heat throughout ; mostly the lava emitted fell back again 

 into the bosom of the heaving mass, but with every emission 

 quantities, large or small, fell on the outside of the mouth, 

 and thus we saw readily how the cone had gradually but 

 continuously increased in size and height. Every now and 

 then a huge mass would drop outside, and then would be 

 heard an immense crash, followed by vast quantities of lava 

 rolling down the sides of the cone. As we stood watching, 

 at intervals there seemed to be the firing of 10,000 guns of 

 mightier calibre than Krupp's, and we soon found that this was 

 the precursor of a grand display. Up rose, possibly 100 feet 

 above the cone, an immense mass spreading in the shape of a 

 lady's fan, and presenting one of the most magnificent sights 

 the eye of man can ever see. And this upheaval was not a 

 thing for which we had to wait till our patience was exhausted, 

 and to wonder if it would be repeated or not, but was continuous 

 and incessant, and almost seemed as if every renewed expulsion 

 were grander than its precursor, or as indicating a trial of actual 

 strength prior to the great event proposed to be completed." 



The foundation-stone of the proposed railway bridge across 

 the Firth of Forth was laid last week. 



Last March a microscopical society was formed in Highbmy 

 under the presidency of Dr, Alabone, The numbers have 

 steadily increased, and the society appears to have all the ele- 

 ments for a career of great prosperity. The opening soiree for 

 the winter session will be held at Harecourt Hall, St, Paul's 

 Road, commencing at 7.30 p.m. to-night. 



Many valuable papers were read at the meeting of the Sani- 

 tary Institute at Stafford last week, and if Government and the 

 public are ignorant of the laws of public health and the best 

 methods of carrying these into practice, it is from no want of 

 enlightenment. The great want at present seems to be organisa- 

 tion and an efficient central authority, and we trust the practical 

 and vigorous address of Sir Henry Cole on Sanitary Co-opera- 

 tion will meet with attention in the proper quarters, and lead to 

 more systematic and efficient action than has hitlierto existed. 

 In an able paper Dr, Richardson advocated the appointment of 

 a Minister of Health. 



Messrs, Hardwicke and Bogue announce the following 

 works for publication : — "A Manual of the Infusoria, comprising 

 a Descriptive Account of all known Flagellate, Ciliate, and 

 Pentaculiferous Protozoa," by W. Saville Kent, F.L.S, ; "The 

 Herefordshire Pomona," containing Coloured Figures and 

 Descriptions of the most esteemed kinds of Apples and Pears, 

 edited by Robert Hogg, LL.D., F.L.S., Part I,, illustrated 

 with coloured figures and woodcuts; "Clavis Synoptica Hy- 

 menomycetum Europceorum, conjunctis studiis scripserunt M. C. 

 Cooke, A,L,S., et L. Quelet, M.D., O.A., Inst, et Sorb, laur. ; 



