4 6 



NA TURE 



[May 10, 1888 



the relative proportions of the limb-bones, especially in the short- 

 ness of the humerus compared with the fore-arm, and in the form 

 of the pelvis, Negro affinities are most strongly indicated. 



In speaking of the culture of the Andamanese, of course I 

 only refer to their condition before the introduction of European 

 civilization into the islands. They live in small villages or en- 

 campments, in dwellings of simple and rude construction, built 

 only of branches and leaves of trees. They are entirely ignorant 

 of agriculture, and keep no poultry or domestic animals. They 

 make rude pots of clay, sun-dried, or partially baked in the fire, 

 but these are hand-made, as they are ignorant of the use of the 

 potter's wheel. Their clothing is of the scantiest description, 

 and what little they have chiefly serves for decorative or 

 ornamental purposes, and not for keeping the body warm. 

 They make no use of the skins of animals. They have 

 fairly well-made du^-out canoes and outriggers, but only fit 

 for navigating the numerous creeks and straits between the 

 islands, and not for voyages in the open sea. They are expert 

 swimmers and divers. Though constantly using fire, they are 

 quite ignorant of the art of producing it, and have to expend 

 much care and labour in keeping up a constant supply 

 of burning or smouldering wood. They are ignorant of all 

 metals ; but for domestic purposes make great use of shells, 

 especially a species of Cyrene found abundantly on the shores of 

 the islands, also quartz chips and flakes, and bamboo knives. 

 They have stone anvils and hammers, and they make good 

 string from vegetable fibres, as well as baskets, fishing-nets, 

 sleeping-mats, &c. Their principal weapons are the bow and 

 arrow, in the use of which they are particularly skilful. They 

 have harpoons for killing turtle and fish, but no kind of shield or 

 breastplate for defence when fighting. The natural fertility of 

 the island supplies them with abundance and a great variety of 

 food all the year round, the purveying of which affords occupa- 

 tion and amusement for the greater part of the male population. 

 This consists of pigs (Sus andamanensis), which are numerous 

 on the islands, paradoxurus, dugong, and occasionally porpoise, 

 iguanas, turtles, turtles' eggs, many kinds of fish, prawns, 

 mollusks, larvae of large wood-boring and burrowing beetles, 

 honey, and numerous roots (as yams), fruits, and seeds. The 

 food is invariably cooked before eating, and generally taken 

 when extremely hot. They were ignorant of all stimulants or 

 intoxicating drinks — in fact, water was their only beverage ; and 

 tobacco, or any substitute for it, was quite unknown till 

 introduced by Europeans. 



{To be continued?) 



THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL 

 ENGINEERS. 



''THE Institution of Mechanical Engineers held its annual 

 -*- meeting at the house of the Institution of Civil Engineers 

 in Great George Street, Westminster, on the 3rd and 4th inst., 

 under the presidency of Mr. E. H. Carbutt. 



The papers brought forward for reading and discussion were : 

 the Third Report of the Research Committee of the Institu- 

 tion on Friction ; "Description of the Emery Testing Machine," 

 by Mr. Henry R. Towne, of Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A. ; 

 and " Supplementary Paper on the Use of Petroleum Refuse as 

 Fuel in Locomotive Engines," by Mr. Thomas Urquhart, Loco- 

 motive Superintendent, Grazi and Tsaritsin Railway, South- 

 East Russia ; the third of which was deferred till the next 

 meeting of the Institute. 



The third report of the Friction Committee is on experiments 

 on the friction of a collar-bearing. The general conclusions of 

 the Committee are that this kind of bearing is inferior to a 

 cylindrical journal in weight-carrying power. The coefficient of 

 friction is also much higher than for a cylindrical bearing, and 

 the friction follows the law of the friction of solids more nearly 

 than that of liquids, due doubtless to the less perfect lubrication 

 applicable to this form of bearing compared with a cylindrical 

 one. The coefficient of friction appears to be independent of the 

 speed, but to diminish somewhat as the load- is increased, and 

 may be stated approximately at ^ at 15 lbs. per square inch, 

 diminishing to ^V at 75 lbs. per square inch. 



In the broad principles of construction on which the Emery 

 system of testing and weighing machinery rests are included two 

 radically new and highly important elements — namely, an 

 arrangement of hydraulic chambers and diaphragms capable of 

 receiving without injury pressures and shocks of great intensity, 

 and of transmitting them simultaneously, without loss from 



friction, to a convenient point for the purpose of measuring and 

 recording them, and capable also of reducing them to such lower 

 term of degree as may be desirable ; and a means for flexibly 

 uniting a vibrating scale-beam either to a fixed abutment or to 

 another beam of the same system, in such a manner as absolutely 

 to eliminate friction, and to preserve indefinitely the fulcrum 

 intervals or distances precisely as first adjusted, and to resist and 

 transmit all the pressures and shocks to which the fulcrums 

 are subjected, without in the slightest degree impairing their 

 sensitiveness or durability. 



The hydraulic construction is such that through it the strain 

 on the specimen is transmitted without loss to a hydraulic 

 chamber containing a thin film of liquid, which is again 

 transmitted through a small copper tube, without loss from 

 friction or otherwise, to a much smaller chamber containing 

 a similar thin film of liquid. The acting area of the 

 liquid in the smaller chamber is less than that in the larger 

 in the proportion in which the load on the specimen is desired to 

 be reduced before it is received upon the beams in the scale-case 

 where it is measured. In the scale-case containing the weighing 

 mechanism, the pressure transmitted from the smaller chamber 

 is received at one end of a system of levers, and measured by 

 means of devices which are shown in detail in the figures which 

 accompanied the paper. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCA TIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Oxford. — Among the courses of lectures announced for this 

 Term we may notice the following : — 



In Physics, Prof. Clifton is lecturing on Optical Properties of 

 Crystals, and Mr, Selby on Absolute Electrical Units, at the 

 Clarendon Laboratory. At Christ Church, Mr. Baynes lectures 

 on Thermo-dynamics, and on the Transfer of Energy in an 

 Electro-magnetic Field. 



The University has made a grant to Mr. Smith, in aid of the 

 Millard Engineering Laboratory, and practical work on the 

 physical basis of engineering is regularly carried on there. 



In Chemistry, besides the usual courses, Mr. Veley is lecturing 

 on Thermo-chemistry, and Mr. Marsh on Recent Organic 

 Research. 



The work of the Geological Chair is at present being done by 

 Mr. W. W. Watts (M.A. Camb.), who is lecturing for a term 

 in order that Prof. Green may complete his session at the 

 Yorkshire College. 



Owing to Prof. Moseley's continued illness, Dr. Hickson is 

 still acting as Deputy Linacre Professor, and is lecturing on the 

 Morphology of the Chordata. Mr. Bourne, who is to assume 

 his post as Superintendent of the Plymouth Marine Station in 

 a month, is lecturing on Embryology, and Prof. Westwood on 

 the Winged Arthropoda. 



Dr. Burdon-Sanderson lectures this Term on Nutrition, and 

 Dr. Gilbert on the Rotation of Crops. 



In the absence of any Professor of Botany, Mr. J. B. Farmer 

 is conducting the necessary elementary courses. 



Cambridge. — Prof. Adams is appointed one of the four 

 representatives of Cambridge at the 800th anniversary of the 

 foundation of the University of Bologna, in June next. 



An additional class-room for students of Mineralogy is to be 

 formed. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 London. 



Royal Society, April 19. — "The Radio-Micrometer." By 

 C. V. Boys. 



The author gave the result of a mathematical investigation 

 made with a view to arrive at the best possible construction 

 of the radio-micrometer already described by him. At the 

 conclusion of the meeting he showed in action an instrument 

 which he had made, having the best proportions, which was both 

 simpler in construction and far more sensitive than the one he 

 exhibited on a previous occasion. 



" On the Compounds, of Ammonia with Selenium Dioxide." 

 By Sir Charles A. Cameron, M.D., F.R.C.S.I., and John 

 Macallan, F.I.C. 



On passing dry ammonia into a solution of selenium dioxide 

 in absolute alcohol, a compound is formed to which the authors 

 have assigned the name ammonium selenosamate, and the 

 formula NH.,Se0 9 NH 9 . It is the ammonium salt of a new 



