420 



NATURE 



[March 8, 1877 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Royal Society, Februarys. — " On the Hindoo Division 

 of the Octave, with some Additions to the Theory of the Higher 

 Orders," by R. H, M. Bosanquet, Fellow of St. John's College, 

 Oxford. Communicated by Pi of. Henry J. S. Smith, Savilian 

 Professor of Geometry in the University of Oxford. 



Attention has been recently directed to the remarkable divi- 

 sion of the octave into 22 intervals, employed by the Hindoos. 

 The paper commences with a slight account of the Hindoo 

 scales as thus derived. It is then remarked that our best way 

 to a real analysis of this music would be to study the system of 

 22 and compare the results with those actually obtained by Hin- 

 doo musicians. The methods, which have been employed in 

 the writer's former paper on the subject, ^ are then extended to 

 the higher orders, which have not been before thoroughly dis- 

 cussed. The system of 22 is a system of the second order, and 

 the nature and peculiarities of such systems, and of the system 

 of 22 in particular, are discussed. 



A classification of systems of the higher orders according to 

 their mode of forming thirds is advanced. If the system be 

 arranged in successive series of fifths, differing by one unit in 

 pitch, then the system is said to be of class x, if the third of 

 any note is in the series x units below that which contains the 

 note itself. 



The system of 22 is shown to be of the second order and first 

 class. 



A system of 34, also of the second order and first class, is 

 pointed out as being of considerable excellence, even from a 

 modern practical point of view. 



It is shown that in systems of the second order and first class, 

 modulation through a third cannot be regarded as equivalent to 

 modulation through any number of fifths. 



The notation is extended to systems of the ^-th order. 



The subject of the transformations of the generalised key- 

 board is then entered upon. It is remarked, in the first instance, 

 that 0.ny form of arrangement whatever can be constructed by 

 rearranging a supply of keys of the ordinary patterns. 



The problem of inversion is then solved, and it is shown 

 under what circumstances, by simply inverting the succession 

 from end to end, a key-board can be obtained in which rise 

 corresponds to fall of pitch, and vice versd. 



The general transformation of the rth order 'is then investi- 

 gated, and a rule is given by which the key-board of the rih. 

 order can be arranged with the ordinary keys. 



This rule is then applied to the construction of the key-board 

 of the second order, and a diagram is given of a portion of a 

 key-board so arranged. Systems of the second order and first 

 class, such as the systems of 22 and 34 above-mentioned, can 

 be controlled with facility by means of this arrangement. 



February 15. — On Crookes's force, by G. Johnstone Stoney, 

 F.R.S., and Richard J. Moss, F.C.S. — This paper is a 

 preliminary report of an experimental investigation of the 

 theory of Crookes's radiometer proposed by Mr. Stoney in 

 the Philosophical Magazine for March and April, 1876. The 

 term " Crookes's force " is employed to designate the reaction 

 which comes into play between the blackened disks of a radio- 

 meter and the walls of the exhausted chamber when a difference 

 of temperature exists between them. The authors have sought 

 to determine quantitatively the relation of the force to the tension 

 of the residual gas, and the influence of variations in the distance 

 between the reacting surfaces. For this purpose they employ an 

 apparatus in which a blackened disk of pith can be placed at 

 any required distance within twelve centimetres from a delicately 

 suspended disk of thin microscope glass. The pith disk is 

 heated by projecting on it the image of a uniformly illuminated 

 aperture in a metallic screen. The relative magnitudes of the 

 force are estimated by determining the distance to which the 

 glass disk is repelled in a given time. It is sometimes difficult 

 to distinguish between the effects of convection currents and 

 those of Crookes's force. It is certain, however, that when the 

 tension of the residual gas is as much as five millimetres of mer- 

 cury there is a Crookes's reaction through a space of at least 

 ten millimetres. 



At distances of from twenty to eighty millimetres the very 

 feeble force acting on the glass disk seemed to vary about 

 inversely as the tension. It appeared to be nearly independent 

 of the distance when the distance exceeded twenty millimetres. 



^•£^°^' ^"^^ ^'"^■' ^°- ^^^' ^^^75. P- 390, and "An Elementary Treatise 

 on Musical Intervals and Temperament." (Macmillan, 1876.) 



At distances of five, ten, and twenty millimetres, the force on 

 the swinging disk made some approach to varying at each ten- 

 sion inversely as the distance. But so far as may be judged from 

 measures ot such exceedingly feeble forces, there is a sensible de- 

 viation from this law at most of the tensions. Moreover the 

 observations, taken as a whole, seem to suggest, in conformity 

 with the dynamical theory, that the law changes with variations 

 of density. 



Linnean Society, February 15. — Prof. AUman, F.R.S., pre- 

 sident, in the chair. — Messrs. W. Burns, E. 1,. Gardner, Pr(;f, 

 W. Harrington (of Michigan, University, U.S.), J. W. S. 

 Meiklejohn, the Rev. J. Stobbs, and vSir Charles W. Strickland, 

 Bart., were elected Fellows. — There was, exhibited under the 

 microscope by Mr. Arthur Lister the plasmodium of one of the 

 lowly organised Myxomycetse. This protoplasmic mass demon- 

 strated the peculiar amoeboid movements, and the occasion gave 

 rise to an animated discussion on its contested animal or vege- 

 table nature. — Two botanical papers were read, the first on the 

 rootstock of Marattia fraxinta, Sm., by Mr. John Buchanan ; 

 the second on the Algae collected at Rodriguez during the Venus 

 Transit Expedition, 1874, by Prof. Dickie. The Marattia is 

 chiefly found in the northern part of New Zealand. The Mao- 

 ries use it as food, but do not cultivate it systematically. They 

 say that when it is smashed, the pieces thrown on the ground 

 spring up freely and thus it has increased. At Wellington, where 

 transplanted, it grows luxuriantly when placed in rich damp soil. 

 Mr. Buchanan has now studied its mode of growth ; he con- 

 siders the rootstock as resembling a scaly bulb more than a fern 

 rhizome, and likens its propagr.tion to that of the potato, though 

 modified. Its growth is very slow, hence, probably, its scarcity. 

 The fresh-water Algse of Rodriguez point in an Asiatic direction, 

 none are African species, while some have rather a world-wide 

 distribution. — The Secretary read a note on a new example of 

 the Phyllodocidse {Anaitis rosea), by Dr. W. C. Mcintosh. This 

 rharine worm v/as obtained at St. Andrews. It is i^ inch long, 

 with relatively broadish body, blunt snout, and small eyes. On 

 head and body it is slashed and speckled with pink, which 

 merges into a yellow band behind. — A communication was read 

 on deep-sea anemones (Actinaria) dredged from on board the 

 Challenge)-, with a description of certain Pelagic surface swim- 

 ming species, by Mr. H. N. Moseley, late naturalist to the above 

 expedition. The occurrence at great depths of representatives 

 of ordinary shallow water forms of Actinia is of profound in- 

 terest. A species of Edwardsia, from 600 fathoms, has under- 

 gone but trifling modification from the littoral form. The 

 Cerianthus, from 2,750 fathoms, is dwarfed, but uncommonly 

 like its shore brethren. Thus it appears one kind is found in 

 shallow water at the Philippines under the full glare of the tro- 

 pical sun, while another species of the same genus exists at three 

 miles depth, where solar rays never penetrate, and the water 

 keeps at freezing point. The fact of the deep-sea- Anemones 

 retaining vivid colouring in their dark watery abode is a point of 

 special value as connected with certain other generalisations. 

 The new genus Corallinoinorphns likewise possesses interest both 

 on account of being a near ally to certain of the simple discoid 

 corals, and of its having the largest stinging cells (nematocysts) yet 

 recorded. — An extract of a letter on the marsupial pouch of the 

 Bandicoot, by Mr. R. D, Fitzgerald, was briefly adverted to by 

 the Secretary. 



_ Chemical Society, March i. — Prof. Abel, F.R.S., pre- 

 sident, in the chair. Prof. E. T. Thorpe delivered his lecture 

 on "The theory of the Bunsen lamp." The speaker, after some 

 preliminary remarks as to the great value of this instrument, 

 both to the scientific chemist and also in the arts, gave a short 

 description of the lamp and proceeded to show the principle on 

 which it acted. The gas issuing from the jet draws in air 

 through the holes in the side, and becomes mixed with it in the 

 tube, the amount of air being about 2 to z\ times the volume of 

 the gas, and as it burns on an average 80 litres of gas per hour, 

 as much as 250 litres of the mixed gases pass through the tube 

 of the lamp in that space of time. After having sketched the 

 progress of the mixture of gas and air up the tube, attention was 

 directed to the flame itself, which is hollow, and contains a large 

 internal space of the uninflamed gaseous mixture. As it has 

 been foimd that a mixture of gas with less than 34 times i's 

 volume of air will not burn, it is only, therefore, when it meets 

 with an additional supply of oxygen from the surrounding airtliat 

 combustion occurs. The composition of the gas in the tube and 

 in various parts of the flame was then studied, and the probable 

 causes of the want of luminosity in the flame stated these are due 



