Oct. 2, 1879] 



NATURE 



54: 



of Lincolnshire," and Mr. H. B. Woodward a memoir of Samuel 

 ■Woodward. Ornithological and Meteorological Notes for 1S78, 

 and Part 9 of the Fauna and Flora of Norfolk (Hymenoptera 

 — ChrysididiE and Aculeata) by Mr. J. P. Bridgman fill up the 

 volume. 



We learn from the annual report of the Central Meteorological 

 Observatory at St. Petersburg, just appeared in the Repertorium 

 fiir Mdcorologie for the years 1877 and 1878, that the Observa- 

 tory received accurate meteorological observations from 133 

 Russian stations. 



"Accidents in the Comstock Mines and their Relation to 

 Deep Mining " forms the subject of a recent paper ta the 

 American Institute of Mining Engineers, by Mr. Church, M.E. 

 He points out that heat, the peculiar mode of timbering in 

 square sets, the almost exclusive use of nitro-glycerine powders, 

 the necesssity of frequent repairs to shaft timbers, the incessant 

 movement of the rocks through which the shafts are sunk, 

 making accidents in hoisting more than ordinarily frequent, and 

 the necessity of transporting large quantities of rock through 

 narrow gangways entirely by human labour, are the conditions 

 in w hich mining in the Comstock may be said to suffer rather 

 more than the usual liability to danger. Two of the causes, 

 both connected with the movement of the ground, may be 

 expected to increase with depth. Together with the heat they 

 couiprise 40 per cent, of the whole number of accidents. It is 

 concluded that the conditions of deep mining will increase 40 

 per cent, of the causes which lead to casualties, leaving 60 per 

 cent, unaffected. 



The silicates which form crystalline rocks (the formation of 

 which is supposed to have occurred at a high temperature) alJow 

 of being fused in the laboratory, and the products of this fusion 

 are of great geological interest. Not a few are chemically altered 

 in the process, because they contain hydrogen or fluorine, or 

 both. In a recent paper to the Berlin Academy Prof. Rammels- 

 berg has discussed the behaviour of the two fluorine-containing 

 silicates, topaz and mica, at a high temperature. It appears that 

 out of both the fluorine is wholly or partly volatilised, escaping 

 partly in the free state, partly in the form of fluorides. The two 

 minerals, however, behave differently in that, whereas in the 

 gl nving mica the proportion of the electro-jositive elements is 

 not altered, in the glow ing topaz a large quantity of silicium and 

 a smaller of aluminium is wanting. 



The number of journals and reviews published in the twenty- 

 t'AO cantons of Switzerland is 519, of which 249 are 'political 

 journals, 30 literary, 39 religious, &c. It is in the canton of 

 Berne that most journals are published, viz., 7' ; then comes the 

 canton of Zurich with 68 ; the cantons of Glarus and Uri have 

 only 3 journals each. 



A French populari-er of science. Prof. Laurendeau, o( Bor- 

 deaux, endeavours to give an idea of universal gravitation by 

 Using a terrestrial globe to which small figures are attached by 

 means of pieces of caoutchouc. On pulling a figure from the 

 globe, then letting go, it falls back wherever its position on the 

 globe. Two such figures being attached on opposite sides of the 

 globe, demonstrate that what we call high or low is merely 

 greater or less distance from the centre of the globe. To illus- 

 trate the case of Saturn with its ring, Prof. Laurendeau u;es a 

 sphere rotated about a horizontal axis ; in the equator of this 

 sphere are arranged metallic sectors attached to the centre by 

 threads of caoutchouc. On rotation commencing, the sectors 

 come out, and by virtue of persistence of impressions on the 

 retina, one sees Saturn's ring. Again, two balls of the same 

 mass and volume are attached to suspended threads ; the threads 

 are twisted round each other, then left to untwist, whereupon 

 the balls separate by centrifugal force, gravitating round a 

 common centre between them. Then these balls are replaced 



by a large ball and a small one ; and this time the small gravi- 

 tates round the large. Once more a solid lead ball and a large 

 inflated balloon, being similarly treated, the larger gravitates 

 round the smaller, &c. 



Dr. J. Pelletan in an article on Microscopes in La Nature, 

 states that English microscopes are much sup3rior to those made 

 in France ; the former comply with all the desiderata, while the 

 latter are far behind. But the English are at least twice the 

 price of the French. Nearly all cheap English microscopes. 

 Dr. Pelletan states, are bad. 



We have received the programme of the course of lectures 

 during the coming winter in connection with the Bristol Museum 

 and Library, in which scientific subjects bear a prominent part. 

 During the Christmas holidays Prof. S. P. Thompson will give 

 three lectures on Frost, Ice, and Snow, and Mr. W. J. Sollas on 

 Glaciers, Ice Action in the Arctic Regions, and Ice Action in 

 the Past. 



"Edison's Fast System of Telegraphy " is the subject 

 of a descriptive paper in the October Scribner and the occasion 

 of the publication of a new portrait of the inventor by Francis 

 Lathrop. This system is the little known Automatic Telegraph 

 which for a year was in operation between New York and 

 Washington, and attained the marvellous speed of several 

 thousand words per minute, but has now disappeared in the 

 litigation of rival companies. Scribner has now had papers on 

 the three discoveries of Mr. Edison, which are regarded by him 

 as the most important, viz. : the Electro Motograph principle 

 (involved in Phonograph, Telephone, &c.), the Carbon Button 

 and the Automatic Telegraph. 



In the Paris International Exhibition of Sciences applied to 

 Industry luminous dials for clocks are now sold, on which the hour 

 can be read during the whole of the night without the help of any 

 light whatever. Although fading gradually the phosphorescence 

 is sufficient to serve till daylight. Barometers and thermometers 

 are said to be prepared on this principle for night balloon ascents 

 when no moon is visible. These substances are prepared accord- 

 ing to the principle defined by M. Edmond Becquerel in his w^ork 

 on Phosphorescence. 



M. H. Lesoudier, of Paris, will shortly publish a large work 

 on the natural history of birds, entitled " Les Oiseaux dans la 

 Nature ; Description pittoresque des Oiseaux utiles. " The 

 authors are MM. Rambert and Robert. The work will contain 

 no less than sixty chromo-lithographs, and will besides be pro- 

 fusely illustrated with woodcuts. 



The Nagasaki Rising Sun states that the prosj^ects of another 

 new coal mine on an extensive scale being shortly oiiened in the 

 Island of Nakanoshima are looked upon as very promising. 

 Preliminary operations were commenced some time ago, and it 

 is understood that they are now nearly completed. The Island 

 of Nakanoshima is situated about twelve miles from Nagasaki, 

 and contains some fine seams of coal. 



In his just published report on the trade and commerce of 

 Taganrog, Her Majesty's Consul tells u< that a scourge in the 

 shape of a destructive insect — the Amsoplia austriaca beetle — 

 has revisited that region. It appeared in the steppe, sixty miles 

 to the north of Taganrog, as well as at Mariapol, in immcase 

 swarms, and committed great devastation among the com crops. 

 These insects attack the new corn, and have destroyed many 

 million roubles' worth of produce. They deposit their eggs at a 

 depth of from three to four inches in the ground, preferring rich 

 dark soil where wheat is grown to any other, and it is stated that the 

 lapse of one, or even two years is necessary to complete the 

 metamorphosis. It is asserted that, after the larva has 

 quickened, the offspring buries itself deeper in the ground 

 until it arrives at maturity. 



