i6, 1876] 



NATURE 



61 



s admis, dans les limites des vitesses de 510"" k 

 (i673-ii8of.s.) la resistance de I'air proportionelle 

 rre de la vitesse ; dans les limites des vitesses de 

 ^ c\ 280"-^ (11 80-920 f.s.) nous I'avons admise propor- 

 ionelle k la sixihne puissance de la vitesse, et nousavons 

 xprimd, a partir de la vitesse de 280"" (920 f.s.) jusqu'- 

 ux petites vitesses, la resistance de I'air par un binome 

 lont le premier terme est proportionel k la deuxi^me 

 missance de la vitesse et le second k la quatri^me puis- 

 ance de la vitesse," &c, (pp. vi., vii.). So that Mr. Bash- 

 orth employs one single law, the cubic, and makes his 

 oefficient vary to suit the velocity, while General 

 dayevski varies his law of resistance according to the 

 elocity. But in neither case does the law of resistance 

 .dmit of direct integration. Mr. Bashforth supplies this 

 lefect by extensive tables calculated by quadratures, and 

 :ranting the cubic law, the results are exact. General 

 riayevski's integrations are approximations, and requite 

 xtensive tables also. But there is no dispute as to the 

 mount of resistance encountered by elongated shot in 

 noving through the air. For General Mayevski observes : 

 Aussi pour completer les donndes se rapportant aux 

 trojectiles de forts calibres, nous avons profit^ des 

 ableaux des vitesses decroissantes deduites par M. Bash- 

 Drth de ses experiences faites en 1868 au moyen de son 

 hronographe ; ces tableaux comprennent les vitesses de 

 18™^ ii 283""^ (1700-930 f.s.), qui correspondent aux trajets 

 ie 305 en 305 metres des projectiles oblongs de 178""", 

 03""", et 229""" (7, 8, and 9 inches), et qui sont obtenues 

 lOur le cas oil le mouvement des projectiles peut etre 

 onsiddre comme rectiligne. Nous avons calculd d'aprfes 

 ss rdsultats inserds dans ces tableaux les valeurs de la 

 dsistance correspondantes k differentes vitesses " (p. 38). 



Projectiles Oblongs. 



Bouches k feu. 



de 4' 



203™" 



, de 4I 



. de 12I 



de 24! 



de 203™" ... 



de 203'""> angl. 

 , de 229"'"' angl 



de 203"^ angl. 



de I78""'- angl. 

 , de 12! 



de 4I 



de 229'""' angl 



de 4I 



, de 203""" ... 

 . de 203""" angl. 

 , de 24' 



de 178'°'" angl. 



Vitesses 



ms. 

 172 

 207 

 239 

 247 

 266 

 282 

 287 

 291 

 300 

 302 

 304 

 307 

 316 

 3«7 

 319 

 320 

 320 

 322 



Valeurs 

 de p'. 



00151 

 00137 

 o'oi48 

 0*0170 

 o'oi6o 

 o'oi63 

 o°oi84 

 o'o247 

 00230 



0'02l8 

 0'022I 



o'oisS 

 0030s 

 o"0259 

 o'oi74 

 o 0277 

 o'o299 

 00270 



Valeurs 

 de a'. 



©•0338 

 0*0327 

 00332 

 o'034i 

 00334 

 00354 

 00364 

 o'0382 

 0*0384 

 00393 

 0*0450 

 004 30 

 °0433 

 00427 

 0*0449 

 0*0440 

 0*0443 



It ought to be stated that Hutton's results for spherical 

 hot are very good indeed for velocities above i2oofs., 

 vhile Didion's results, intended to correct Hutton's, were 

 lot quite so good. They both failed for lower velocities. 

 ;t would be interesting to have the resistance of the air to 

 )rojectiles determined for velocities below 900 f.s. But 

 rery considerable difficulties would be met with if the 

 xperiments were conducted in the usual manner, for the 

 bhronograph is most effective when there is a rapid varia- 

 ion of velocity. In the middle of the range the screens 

 would have to be raised to a considerable height. It 

 would be found difficult to fire shots through them all. 

 [f the shot were fired at low initial velocities from the 

 Drdinary rifled gun, there might be considerable doubts 

 respecting the steadiness of the shot. 



Reference must be made to the collection of scientific 

 tnemoirs on ballistics by the Comte de St. Robert pub- 

 lished in 1872,* although they do not supply any new 

 jexperimental data. 



» Turin : Vincent Bora. 



As it is found impossible to integrate the equations of 

 motion of shot for the simple laws of resistance, of square 

 cube, &c., it appears almost hopeless to search for an 

 expression of the complicated law now known to hold 

 good through a considerable range of velocities. These 

 results would serve as tests of any theory of the resistance 

 of the air ; and if any theoretical investigations did 

 satisfy these conditions, then we should have an expres- 

 sion for the resistance of the air to the shot, but it is 

 almost certain that it would be too complicated to be of 

 practical use. B. 



A LOCAL MUSEUM 



HTHE population of the parish of Morton, 1871, was 

 -^ 2,099 — the chief village, Thornhill, containing 

 about one half of the population of the parish. The 

 parish is situated on both banks of the Nith in the North 

 of Dumfriesshire, Scotland. Yet sparse as is the popula- 

 tion, and remote from the great commercial centres as is 

 the district, it is supplied with a museum which well 

 might grace a place of far more wealth and consequence. 

 The building was erected by Thomas B. Grierson, and 

 the collections in the museum were formed by him. The 

 Duke of Buccleuch granted the land on which to build, 

 together with stone. The memorial stone was laid with 

 masonic honours in June 1869. The building, which was 

 from the design of a local architect, is an oblong, consisting 

 of a ground floor and gallery. The gallery is very appro- 

 priately supported by six oaks, as brought from the forest, 

 being among the last of the natural woods of Nithsdale. 



The debris excavated for the foundation has been well 

 utilised by forming a large mound in the surrounding 

 garden, which is faced on all sides by an excellent col- 

 lection of the minerals and curious stones of the district, 

 and forms a suitable habitat for hardy plants. The 

 garden contains a great variety of flowering plants, of 

 shrubs, trees, and cryptogamous vegetation, and is laid 

 out with considerable art. Large objects, which do not 

 suffer waste by atmospheric causes, such as stone crosses 

 and querns, are placed at intervals in the walks. Great 

 prominence has been given in the collections inside the 

 building to objects which illustrate the history of the 

 country. These include some valuable relics belonging 

 to the Covenanters of the seventeenth century, and to the 

 poet Burns. The collections illustrative of the unpolished 

 and polished stone-period are very valuable. Some 

 beautifully wrought cells and stone-hammers have been 

 yielded by this part of Nithsdale. The bronze and iron 

 collections are very fair. Among the quadrupeds is a 

 skull of the ancient ox which roamed wild less than a 

 century ago in Drumlanrig Parks, and which belong to 

 the same variety as those at Chillingham and Hamilton 

 Palace, which are supposed to be the sole survivors of 

 the ancient Caledonian Urus. Among fish there is an 

 interesting collection, which was the gift of the late Mr. 

 Shaw, illustrative of the natural history of the salmon, 

 and which shows that animal in its various different 

 stages. The late Mr. Shaw threw great light on the 

 development of the salmon, and destroyed some popular 

 delusions concerning it. He was a keeper in the district 

 under the Duke of Buccleuch. The abnormal form of 

 animals are very various, many opportunities having 

 occurred to fill the cases devoted to these from the 

 pastoral and agricultural district around. In the collec- 

 tion of fossils due prominence is given to those belonging 

 to the strata of the south of Scotland, and the industrial 

 departments contain specimens of the manufactures of the 

 country. The museum is free to the public on Saturday, 

 and open for a small sum during the week. School 

 children are admitted along with their teachers gratui- 

 tously on application. The proprietor. Dr. Grierson, is 

 most indefatigable in his attentions and explanations to 

 all willing to learn from his collection of objects. The 



