July 12, 1888] 



NA TURE 



257 



but better in hot water, the crystals deposited from which con- 

 tain a molecule of water of crystallization. When heated above 

 100° C. it violently decomposes with detonation. In a similar 

 manner the phosphate and oxalate of the series were obtained 

 pure and analyzed. The former separates out in microscopic 

 crystals while the latter is deposited in beautiful stellar aggre- 

 gates of long needles. During the course of the work, two 

 interesting isomeric salts were obtained. When the base is 

 treated with excess of warm hydrochloric acid and the solution 

 allowed to cool, yellow needles of a chloride of the composition 

 PtCl 2 . 2NH s O fall out. If however potassium platinous 

 chloride be added to dilute solutions of the first chloride, 

 PtCl 2 . 4NH3O, beautiful violet needles of an isomeric salt, 

 PtCl 2 . 4NH 8 + PtCI 2 , separate out. The two substances are 

 quite distinct, though possessing the same empirical formula, 

 reminding one of the remarkable isomerism so frequently met 

 with among the compounds of carbon. 



Under the heading of " Psychology" the American Naturalist 

 for May has a curious- paragraph on " The Monkey as a Scien- 

 tific Investigator." In the interesting little "Zoo" connected 

 with the National Museum at Washington, there is a fine male 

 grivet monkey (Ceixopithecus erythraa), who shares a large cage 

 with four opossums. To human beings he shows himself any- 

 thing but amiable, but " he takes kindly to his strange com- 

 panions, and they have been the best friends from the first." 

 The attention of the attendant was lately drawn to the cage by 

 the excitement of a crowd in front of it, and on going to ascer- 

 tain the cause he was surprised to see the monkey seated in the 

 middle of the cage, with one of the opossums lying quietly on 

 her back on his lap, and her head under his arm. " The 

 monkey had just discovered the marsupial pouch of the 

 opossum, and was diligently investigating it. Had he not been 

 a close observer it certainly would have remained unseen, for it 

 was so tightly closed as to be perfectly invisible 'in its normal 

 condition. The monkey carefully lifted the outer wall of the 

 pouch, and peered into the cavity. Then he reached in with his 

 hand, felt about for a moment, and to the astonishment of every- 

 body took out a tiny young opossum, about 2 inches long, hair- 

 less, blind, and very helpless, but alive and kicking. Jock held 

 it up to the light, where he could get a good view of it, scrutin- 

 ized it with the air of a savant, and presently returned it to the 

 pouch, very carefully. After replacing it he looked into the 

 pouch again, and presently drew out another for examination, 

 which he looked at with solemn interest, smelt it, and then 

 carefully put it back. It was thus it became known to the 

 attendants that the old female opossum had the young ones, 

 which had previously been looked for in vain." 



Some time ago an English resident at Canton, Mr. Pitman, 

 bought a curious monstrosity — a sow with six legs. The front 

 part of the body is simple, that is, the animal has one head, one 

 thorax, and two front legs. Behind, all the organs are double. 

 M. Bezaure, the French Consul at Canton, persuaded Mr. 

 Pitman to let 'him have this strange creature for the Paris 

 Museum of Natural History, where it may now be seen. It is 

 white, with great black spots, and appears to be in perfect 

 health. An account of it, by M. Charles Brongniart, of the 

 Museum of Natural History, appears in the current number of 

 La Nature. The separation of the two trunks seems to begin 

 after the dorsal vertebra ; but the animal is so fat that this 

 cannot be precisely determined. 



Many women who are anxious to obtain a University train- 

 ing cannot afford to pay the fees required for residence at one of 

 the colleges or halls in connection with the old Universities. 

 For their benefit Aberdare Hall, Cardiff, was founded ; and we 

 are glad to learn that the institution has made steady progress 

 since it was opened in 1885. This year the number of students 

 has doubled. At University College, Cardiff, the students at 



Aberdare Hall are taught on the same footing as the men 

 students. They generally work for London University degrees, 

 but when they wish to prepare for other examinations the 

 necessary help is gladly given. 



The Irish Exhibition in London has published a useful 

 " Handy-book of Reference for Irishwomen." It is edited by 

 Miss Helen Blackburn, and Mrs. Power Lalor contributes a 

 preface. The volume presents full and accurate information as 

 to women's work in Ireland, and as to the schools and classes in 

 which they may obtain scientific and technical training. 



The annual report of the Geological and Natural History 

 Survey of Canada for 1886 (vol. ii. new series) has been issued. 

 It embodies the results of some of the work of preceding years, 

 and not all of the work of the year for which it is dated. The 

 volume consists of thirteen parts, separately paged and lettered, 

 and relating to various portions of the Dominion from Nova 

 Scotia to British Columbia, and northward to the Arctic Ocean. 

 The parts were issued separately with accompanying maps and 

 illustrations in pamphlet form, as they were received from the 

 printers. 



The new number of the Mineralogical Magazine contains, 

 besides abstracts and a full index to vol. vii., the following 

 papers : — On the development of a lamellar structure in quartz- 

 crystals by mechanical means, by Prof. John W. Judd, F. K. S. ; 

 on the polysynthetic structure of some porphyritic quartz-crystals 

 in a quartz-felsite, by Major-General C. A. McMahon ; on 

 kaolinite, by Alan Dick ; note on the occurrence of celestite 

 containing nearly 14 per cent, of free sulphur, by H. J. John- 

 ston- Lavis ; notes on hornblende as a rock-forming mineral, by 

 Alfred Harker. 



M. Vayniere has brought out the second of the four parts of 

 his Atlas of invertebrate animals. 



In a circular issued by Mr. Edward S. Holden, director of the 

 Lick Observatory, it is stated that the Observatory build- 

 ings will be open to visitors during office hours every day in the 

 year. An hour or so, he points out, can be profitably occupied 

 in viewing the various instruments, and the rest of the stay can 

 be well spent in walks to the various reservoirs, from which 

 magnificent views of the surrounding country can be had. With 

 regard to the admission of visitors at night, Mr. Holden says 

 that, for the present, visitors will be received at the Observatory 

 to look through the great telescope every Saturday night between 

 the hours of 7 and 10, and at these times only. Whenever the 

 work of the Observatory will allow, other telescopes will also be 

 put at the disposition of visitors on Saturdays between the same 

 hours. Mr. Holden hopes that, by setting apart these times for 

 visitors (which allow freer access to the Lick Observatory than 

 is allowed to any other Observatory in the world) all interested 

 may be able to arrange their visits in conformity to them ; and 

 that the remaining hours of the week will be kept entirely un- 

 interrupted, in order that the astronomers may do the work 

 upon which the reputation of the Observatory entirely depends. 



From a report signed by Mr. Edward S. Holden we learn 

 that the trustees of the Lick Observatory, acting on his advice, 

 have provided a photographic attachment to the 36-inch tele- 

 scope, which will enable this to be used as a gigantic camera for 

 photography. It cannot be used to make maps according to the 

 scheme of the Paris Congress, since that scheme requires a focal 

 length of 13 feet, while that at the Lick Observatory will be 47. 

 But a vast deal of work may be done in connection with appli- 

 cations to astronomy other than the construction of the chart. 

 In the photography of the moon, of the planets, of nebulae, and 

 comets the Lick telescope will have Rome important advantages. 

 " But," says Mr. Holden, " it is in the photography of stars— 

 of double and binary stars, of all the fainter stars, of all star 



