March 14, 1878] 



NATURE 



393 



valley, running north-west, and is rarely visited by thunder- 

 storms, which pass nearly always to the right or left. 



Some researches on the magnetic properties of nickel were 

 recently made by the well-known physicist M. H. Wild, and 

 are now published in the Bulletin of the Imperial Academy of 

 Sciences of St. Petersburg, M. Wild arrives at the following 

 conclusions : ( i ) Pure nickel can become permanently magnetic 

 to a considerable degree, thus differing materially from pure 

 (soft) iron. The maximum qnantity of permanent magnetism 

 which pure nickel can retain is, however, only between one half 

 and one-third of that quantity which hard steel can permanently 

 retain. (2) Magnetism is less permanent in nickel than in well- 

 hardened steel, after the magnetising force has ceased to act ; 

 the slow loss of magnetism in course of time, as well as by 

 heating and cooling, is comparatively greater in nickel than in 

 steel ; and this is the case even if the nickel has, like hard steel, 

 by repeated heating and cooling, been brought to a certain state 

 of permanent capacity. (3) The temperature coefficient of nickel 

 magnets in the latter state is a little larger than that of properly 

 hardened steel. (4) The temporary magnetism which pure nickel 

 can retain is about double its permanent quantity, or about one 

 half of the temporary magnetism which hard steel, and about 

 one quarte' of that which soft iron can retain. In its magnetic 

 properties nickel is, therefore, thoroughly inferior to iron and 

 steel. 



The question with regard to the existence of microscopic 

 organisms in media containing no oxygen has been a fruitful 

 subject of discussion for biologists of late, and some doubts have 

 been thrown on the entire absence of this gas in the experiments 

 cited by Pasteur and others. Prof, von Nageli, in his work on 

 " Die niederen Pilze," which has just appeared in Munich, pre- 

 sents some interesting figures in this connection. According to his 

 calculations the larger bacteria weigh TrsTnr^TTTTir nailligramme. 

 If we assume that they consume the same amount proportionally 

 of oxygen daily as a man, viz., i per cent, of his weight, then a 

 million bacteria would require in twenty-four hours TirJTir miUi" 

 gramme, or nearly mr^THr cubic centimetre of oxygen. These 

 calculations, taken in connection with the well-known difficulties 

 of entirely eliminating gases, will probably render a repetition of 

 the best experiments necessary. 



From recent experiments on the spread of gases through 

 bodies. Dr. Wroblewsky (Pogg. Ann.) arrives at the following 

 conclusion : — When a gas is absorbed it spreads in the 

 absorbent body according to the same laws as those ruling 

 the propagation of heat in a solid bar ; and that whether 

 the absorbent body be liquid or solid, or in a transition 

 state between these two extremes." The only exceptions 

 to this law are attributable to the action of gravity. It 

 is known that the excretion of carbonic acid by an animal is 

 increased by a violent muscular action, but it has been uncertain 

 whether the CO2 is a direct product of muscular action, i.e., 

 belongs to the substances which, through decomposition pro- 

 cesses, are formed in greater measure during contraction of the 

 muscles. To clear up this point, M. Sedgwick-Minot recently 

 forced through the vascular system of detached muscles of dogs 

 (the blood having been removed) a quantity of blood-serum 

 saturated with oxygen, and determined the proportion of CO2 in 

 the serum in a series of cases in which the muscles were at rest, 

 and in another series in which they were repeatedly stimulated 

 to contraction. If the contraction of the muscle caused a greater 

 formation of CO2, the serum, after passage, must contain more 

 CO2 than if the muscle remained at rest. The experiments, 

 however, gave equal quantities of COg in the two cases, and the 

 reason of the fact referred to at the outset is not determined. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Macaque Monkeys {Macocus cynomolgus) 



from India, presented respectively by Capt. Pole Carew, and 

 Mr. Henry Wright ; a Green Monkey {Ctrcopithecus callitrickus), 

 two Common Chameleons (Chamaleon vulgaris) frcm West 

 Africa, presented by Mr. G. H. Garrett ; a Herring Gull {Larus 

 argentatus), European, presented by Mr. Capstick ; two 

 Undulated Grass Parrakeets {Melopsittacus undulatus) from 

 Australia, presented by Mr. Hylton Jolliffe ; an American 

 Darter (Ploius anhingd) from South America, purchased ; two 

 Sambur Deer {Cervus aristotelis), an Isabelline Bear {Ursus 

 isabellinus) from India, a Javan Adjutant {Leptoptilua javanicus) 

 from Java, received in exchange. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



Oxford. — Mr. J. R. Terry, M.A., Fellow of Magdalen Col- 

 lege, who was Fifth Wrangler at Cambridge in 1873, has accepted 

 the senior mathematical mastership in Magdalen College School ; 

 and Mr. D. C. Robb, B.A., scholar of Worcester College, has 

 been appointed to a science mastership (in physics) at the same 

 time. 



Cambridge. — The report of the Council of the Senate recom- 

 mending the appointment of an assistant to Prof. Hughes has 

 been confirmed upon the understanding that the person to be 

 appointed be not permitted to take private pupils. 



Edinburgh. — A movement has originated in the University 

 of Edinburgh to procure a portrait of Prof. Balfour, in recogni- 

 tion of his services to the University in having for thirty years 

 acted as Dean of the Medical Faculty. This movement has 

 been joined in by the Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 

 in recognition on their part of the services he has for many years 

 rendered to the Society in the character of Secretary. 



Birkbeck Institution. — A course of six lectures on 

 Electric Telephony will be delivered by Mr. W. J. Wilson, 

 F.C.S., on Saturday evenings, at eight o'clock, commencing 

 March 23. The entire proceeds will be given to the fund now 

 being raised for the erection of a new building for the institution. 

 The lectures will be very fully illustrated by experiments, 

 diagrams, &c., and will lorm a complete exposition of the 

 subject. 



Paris. — M. Pierre Picard^is proposed as a successor to the 

 late Claude Bernard in the chair of physiology at the College de 

 France. He was for a long time assistant to the famous physio- 

 logist, and is himself the author of valuable researches on the 

 constitution of the blood corpuscles. At present he is a professor 

 in the Faculty of Medicine at Lyons. 



Algeria. — M. Bardoux proposes to establish in Algeria 

 three preparatory schools for medical and law students, one in 

 each of the three provinces. At present Algiers alone is pro- 

 vided with a preparatory school of medicine. The means for 

 obtaining superior instruction, which have been very limited up 

 to the present in the colony, will be greatly enlarged. 



Berlin. — On the night of the 8th instant the professors and 

 students of the Berlin University, assisted by civil and military 

 dignitaries, held a grand "Commers," or beer-drinking revelry, 

 in the time-honoured style of German academical life, in honour 

 of the sixtieth anniversary of the birthday of Prof. A. Hofmann, 

 the celebrated chemist. The proceedings began by the secretary 

 of the committee reading a letter from the Chamberlain of the 

 Crown Prince expressing the regret of his Imperial Highness at 

 being prevented from attending the festivity. After this Prof. 

 Helmholtz, the Rector of the Berlin University, formally con- 

 gratulated Dr. Hofmann, who replied in a speech to the felici- 

 tations addressed to him by his Berlin colleagues and friends. 

 Numerous other speakers, among them Privy-Councillor Jacob, 

 Chief of the Patent Office, and Prof. Reuleaux, Rector of the 

 Berlin Polytechnic Academy, then addressed the hero of the 

 day. The official part of the festivity closed at 2 o'clock, after 

 which came the singing of all the obligatory songs and the 

 delivery of student speeches. Not a {&^ congratulatory letters 

 and telegrams reached Prof. Hofmann on the auspicious day 

 from England, America, and France. 



Prussia. — The three agricultural institutes of Prussia are 

 attended at present by 270 students, of whom 215 are from 

 Prussia, 20 from other parts of Germany, and 35 from foreign 

 countries. 



