90 



NATURE 



\_May 2 2, 1879 



There has been a slight eruption of Vesuvius for some days. 



A VERY distinct Fata Morgana was observed above the village 

 of Zhor, near Kozlau in Bohemia, on the 2nd inst, 



M. Jules Ferry, the French Minister for Public Instruction 

 publishes a report on the re-establishment of the Museum of 

 Pedao-ogy, which was created by M. Jules Simon at the 

 Ministry of Public Instruction, and described in NATURE at 

 the time. This report shows that the original idea of such 

 a collection must be attributed to M. Jullien of Paris, one 

 of the best pupils of the celebrated Pestalozzi, who established 

 it in 1817. The direction of the new museum will be given to a 

 general inspector of primary instruction specially appointed for 

 the purpose. This museum will be also a central library for 

 primary education in France. 



Wl have received two numbers (February and March) of the 

 C*llege Journal, issued in connection with the Georgetown 

 (R.C. ) College, U.S. The latter number contains an article 

 resuming some of the more recent conclusions with regard to 

 sun-spots. 



We have on our table the following books : — " Description of 

 Vertebrate Remains," Prof. Joseph Leidy (Collins, Phila- 

 delphia); "Characese Americanas," part I (Timothy Y. Allen, 

 New York; "Sport in British Burmah, Assam, and the 

 Cassyah and Jyntiah Hills," Lieut. -Col. PoUok (Chapman and 

 Hall); "Obituary Notices of Astronomers," Edwin Dunkin 

 (Williams and Norgate) ; " On the Nature of Life," Ralph 

 Richardson (H. K. Lewis); "The Gault," F. G. Hilton Price 

 (Taylor and Francis); " Ausgestrahlte Licht," Edw. L. 

 Nichols (E.V. Huth, Gottingen) ; "The Students' Text-Book 

 of Electricity," Henry M. Noad (Crosby Lockwood) ; " Atlas 

 of Histology, " part 3, E. Klein and E. N. Smith (Smith, 

 Elder) ; " Organic Chemistry," Hugh Clements (Blackie and 

 Sons) ; " Evolutions Old and New," S. Butler (Hardwicke 

 and Bogue) ; " Treatise on Natural Philosophy," vol. i. part i, 

 Thomson and Tait (Cambridge University Press) ; " Mechanics,'' 

 R. S. Ball (Longmans); "Health and Occupation," B. W. 

 Richardson (S.P.C.K.); "Electric Lighting," J. N. Shool- 

 bred (Hardwicke and Bogue); "Hydro-Incubation," Thos. 

 Christy (Christy and Co.); "Principles of the Algebra of 

 Logic," Alex. Macfarlane (Douglas); "Geological Map of 

 Northumberland," G. A. Lebour (Andrew Reid); " The 

 Ibis " (General Index 1859-76), Ed. O. Salvin (Van Voorst) ; 

 " Middletan's Impeachment of Modern Astronomy" (Judd and 

 Co.) ; "Hints on the Pronunciation of the French Language," 

 L. J. V. Gerhard (Hachette and Co.); "Analytical Chemis- 

 try," Dr. John Muter (Wm. Baxter); "Pharmaceutical Che- 

 mistry," Dr. John Muter (Wm. Baxter) ; " Manchester Science 

 Lectures for the People, 1877, 1878, 1879" (John Heywood) ; 

 "Australasia," A. R. Wallace (E. Stanford). 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Rhesus Monkey (Macacus erythroms) from 

 India, presented by Mr. H. Winsor; a Vulpine Phalanger 

 (Phalangisia vulpina) from Australia, presented by Mr. A. 

 Elder ; a Ring-necked Parrakeet (Palceornis torquatus) from 

 India, presented by Mr. F. S. Prince ; a Herring Gull (Larus 

 argentatus), European, presented by Mr. C. H. de Loecker ; a 

 Rough Terrapin (Clemmys punctularia) from Trinidad, presented 

 by Surgeon-Major C. J. Weir; a Puma (Felis concolor) from 

 America, purchased ; two Squirrel Monkeys {Saimaris sciurea) 

 from Guiana, two Plantain Squirrels [Sciurus plantani) from 

 J ava, a blue Jay ( Cyanocitta cristata) from North America, an 

 Ariel Toucan {Ramfhastos atiel) from Brazil, a Sclater's Curassow 

 {Crax sclateri) from South America, deposited; a Zebu (Bos 

 indicus), two Geoffrey's Doves (Peristera geoffroyti), a Yellow- 

 Jegged Herring Gull (Larus Imcophceus), bred in the Gardens. 



ON THE INFLUENCE OF PRESSURE UPON 

 THE SPECTRA OF GASES AND VAPOURS 



"LI ERR G. CIAMICIAN has recently communicated to the 

 ^ ^ Vienna Academy the results of a series of interesting ex- 

 periments made with a view of investigating the influence of 

 pressure upon the spectra of gases and vapours. From the 

 somewhat lengthy report we gather the following data, which 

 may prove acceptable to those of our readers who are actively 

 engaged in spectroscopic research. The spectra of the three 

 halogens, chlorine, bromine, and iodine, show on the whole the 

 same peculiarities when the pressure is increased. The bright 

 lines become diffused, sometimes a little broader, without, how- 

 ever, changing into bands. Besides this, a continuous illumin- 

 ated background appears, which increases in brightness with 

 the pressure, and which often overpowers the lines. This is 

 particularly the case with iodine, where, eventually, nothing but 

 a continuous spectrum is seen ; while with chlorine and bromine 

 certain lines yet remain brighter than the continuous light. The 

 behaviour of certain lines in the red part of the spectra of 

 chlorine and bromine is remarkable, as they retain their original 

 sharpness and fineness under any pressure. 



The spectrum of sulphur does not change at all under in- 

 creased pressure, the lines retain their full sharpness, and a 

 continuous bright background appears only at the red end of 

 the spectrum. In the case of phosphorus and arsenic there is 

 no reaction at all, as here even the continuous background does 

 not appear. Herr Ciamician thinks that it has been overlooked 

 hitherto that arsenic under a moderate pressure, and without a 

 Leyden jar being inserted into the electric current, gives a spec- 

 trum of the first order, viz., a nearly continuous one, which, 

 when the density becomes greater and the Leyden jar is inserted, 

 disappears, and is replaced by a line spectrum. 



Metals behave very differently to the non-metals just men- 

 tioned ; here a real band -like extension of the spectral lines 

 takes place, while the continuous light remains subdued. In 

 the mercury specti-um the enlargement of the green and violet 

 lines are specially noteworthy. In the sodium spectrum Herr 

 Ciamician could observe the enlargement, which is very con- 

 siderable, only with the rroersed, i.e., dark D line, as he could 

 not observe the spectrum emitted in any other way than through 

 a layer of sodium vapour. Under high pressure sodium gives a 

 continuous background in the immediate neighbourhood of the 

 D line, and upon this the reversed D line appears. At first it 

 is seen as a double line, but soon afterwards the two lines flow 

 into one in consequence of the enlargement ; the dark band thus 

 formed becomes wider and wider, until it finally covers the 

 whole background which appeared in continuous light. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



"Xv.^ Revue Internationale des Sciences (h^x^, 1879) contains 

 the following papers ; — On symbiosis, by Prof, de Bary. — 

 On the physical and intellectual evolution of woman among 

 the different races, by M. Zaborowski. —On the chromatic 

 function of the octopus, by Dr. L. Fr<5dericq. — On the source 

 of muscular power, by A. Flint. — On the constitution of the 

 blood plasma, by Dr. L. Frediricq. — On the nature of lichens, 

 by Dr. J. MiiUer. — On the entozoa of insects, by Osman Galeb. 



The Verhandlungen der naturforschcnden Gesellschaft 2U 

 Freiburg in Baden (vol. vii. part 3) contains the following 

 papers : — On a generalisation of Jacobi's reversion problem of 

 Atjcl's integral, by F. Lindemann. — On the determination of 

 the coefficient of elasticity through the bending of short rods, by 

 K. R. Koch. — Microscopical observations on the growth and 

 melting away of alum crystals in solutions of isomorphous sub- 

 stances, by F. Klocke. — On an automatic water and air-pump, 

 by L. von Babo. — New discoveries in the Freiburg flora, by J. 

 Schill. — On some minor actions of wind, by F. C. Henrici. 



Th^ Archives des Sciences physiques et naturelles [Apri], 1879) 

 contains the following papers : — Remarks on the geological 

 review of Switzerland for 1878, by Krnst Favre. — On the seiche 

 occasioned by the cyclone of February 20 last, by Prof. Ph. Plant- 

 amour. — On the hurricane of February 20, by F. A. Forel. — On 

 the presence of tannine in vegetable cells, by J. B. Schnetzler. 

 — On the meteorology of the Presidency of Bombay, by Ch. 

 Chambers. — Researches on electricity, by Gaston Plante. — On 

 the compounds derived from oxypropylbenzoic acid, by R. 



