5i8 



NATURE 



{March 28, 1889 



in July the amplitude of the double daily oscillation is smallest 

 over the whole globe. The author also investigates the single 

 daily oscillation, in connection w ith the influence exerted by the 

 position of the station, as well as the range of the barometer 

 at sea, and arrives at some interesting results. 



Six shocks of earthquake were noticed at Aquila on March 1 1. 

 Two were very severe, but had no injurious results. Shocks were 

 felt at Idstein, Auroff, and Gorsrod,near Wiesbaden, on March 12, 

 at 2.29 a.m. The direction of the shocks was from west to east. 



Telegrams received at Madrid report that a strong shock 

 of earthquake was felt on March 25 at Alhama in the province 

 of Granada. No damage was done, but great alarm prevailed 

 among the inhabitants. 



M. B. Hasselberg, of Pulkowa, has been studying the ab- 

 sorption spectrum of iodine, which he has succeeded in resolving 

 into widely separated lines with a Rowland grating, and in 

 photographing. The wave-lengths of about 3000 lines have 

 been determined by a dividing-engine. 



Another interesting pair of geometrical isomers have been 

 discovered by Dr. Auwers and Prof. Victor Meyer. They are 

 the monoxims of benzil, both possessing the constitution 

 C,jHg . C(NOH) . CO . CfiHg. Benzil, CgHs . CO . CO . CgHs, 

 is the typical di-ketone of the benzene series, and reacts, like 

 other ketones, with hydroxylamine. As there are two CO 

 groups present, there are two possible oxims, a monoxim and a 

 dioxim.. A few months ago. Dr. Auwers and Prof. Meyer 

 showed that there were really two dioxims, both of the constitution 

 C,;Hg.C(NOH).C(NOH) CgH,, but differing in the arrangement 

 of the various groups in space. One of these isomers was shown 



C6Hg-C=NOH 

 to probably possess the configuration | , while 



CeHg-C^NOH 

 the other, which melts 30° C. lower than the first, may be 



CgHs— C=NOH 

 formulated | . It is now found that there are 



NOH=C— CgHg 

 also two corresponding monoxims, one of which, termed the 



CfiHg— C=NOH 

 a-monoxim, may be represented as | , while 



CeHg-C=:0 

 the )8-monoxim has its groups probably disposed in the manner 

 C6Hg-C=NOH 



I . Both these monoxims are obtained when 



= C — CfiHg 



benzil and hydroxylamine, NHoOH, are allowed to react upon 

 each other at the ordinary temperature. If the hydroxylamine 

 be used in the form of its hydrochloride dissolved in a little 

 water and added to an alcoholic solution of the benzil, 

 a preponderating quantity of the /3-compound is formed, 

 and in greater quantity the higher the temperature. At 

 - 15° C, the product consists largely of the a-monoxim ; 

 at 0°, about equal quantities of the two are formed ; at the 

 ordinary temperature of a room the product is almost ex- 

 clusively of the )3-compound ; and finally, when the operation is 

 conducted upon a water-bath, a quantitative yield of the 

 j8-monoxim is obtained- The a compound is best prepared by 

 dissolving 10 parts of benzil in 30 parts ordinary alcohol, and 

 adding a mixture of 3^ parts of hydrochloride of hydroxyl- 

 amine and 4 parts of soda dissolved in a little water. After 

 standing a few hours the mixture is poured into water, and the 

 turbid hquid thus formed filtered. On acidifying the filtrate an 

 oil separates out which rapidly crystallizes. On recrystallizing 

 the mixed crystals from dilute alcohol, a large yield of the pure a- 

 compound is obtained, owing to its much more sparing solubility, 

 in microscopic tabular four-sided cry.vtals possessing a mother-of- 

 pearl lustre. It may also be recrystallized from benzol, from 



which it is obtained in the same form. The crystals melt sharply 

 at 137°. On the other hand, the /8-monoxim crystallizes from 

 alcohol in thick prisms, melting at 113°, 24° lower than the a- 

 compound. Another striking point of dissimilarity is that from 

 benzol the j8-compound crystallizes with half a molecule of 

 benzol of crystallization. Each reacts with a further equivalent of 

 hydroxylamine to form the corresponding dioxim ; and each also 

 forms a characteristic ethereal salt with acetic acid, the a-acetic 

 ether forming broad flat prisms melting at 61°, and the 3-acetate 

 crystallizing in needles of melting-point 78". Hence the oxims 

 of benzil form a most beautiful and indubitable case of true geo- 

 metrical isomerism, and a valuable further justification of the 

 modified Van t' Hoff-Wislicenus hypothesis. It is to be hoped 

 that, by further investigations of similar cases, we may 

 indeed eventually be enabled to form some idea of the actual 

 orientation of the atoms in our chemical molecules. 



The American Society of Naturalists recently appointed a 

 Committee to report on the teaching of science in schools. The 

 Report, which has been adopted and approved of by the Society, 

 contains, amongst others, the following suggestions as to the 

 mode in which, in the opinion of the Committee, science can 

 best be taught in the schools :— Instruction in natural science 

 should begin in the lowest grades, where it should be conducted 

 chiefly by means of object-lessons. More systematic instruction 

 should be given in the high schools during the four years' course 

 preparatory to College. An elementary knowledge of some 

 one or more branches of natural science should be required of 

 every candidate for matriculation at College. There are some 

 differences of opinion as to the details in carrying out this plan, 

 but the Committee recommends that scientific study should begin 

 with the study of plants and animals, the botanical instruction 

 beginning with drawing the outlines of the leaves of plants, and 

 the zoological with descriptions of the more familiar animals, 

 special prominence being; given to the study of those plants and 

 animals which are useful to man. The simple geological pheno- 

 mena of the district in which the school is situated should be 

 taught. Children should be encouraged to collect specimens of 

 all kinds of natural objects, and these specimens could be made 

 the subject of the object-lessons. An attempt should be made 

 to teach the rudiments of human physiology and hygiene. The 

 Committee recommends the introduction into the highest grades 

 of the grammar school of very rudimentary lessons in physics 

 and chemistry, which would pave the way for further study in 

 the high schools and Colleges. 



We have received several interesting papers, by Prince Roland 

 Bonaparte, on subjects relating to geography and anthropology. 

 One of them (in French) is an account of the early voyages of 

 Dutchmen to the East India Archipelago. In another series of 

 French papers the Prince deals with geographical discoveries in 

 New Guinea. He has also reprinted from the Journal of the 

 Anthropological Institute a note (in English) on the Lapps of 

 Finmark. In this paper he presents various anthropological 

 data collected during a tour of three months in Scandinavia. A 

 more elaborate paper (in French), by F. Escard, which is printed 

 in the same form as these essays, gives a full account of the ex- 

 periences of Prince Roland and his companions in the country 

 of the Lapps. 



The " Record of the Excursions of the Geologists' Association, 

 1860-84," which has been prepared by Mr. T. V. Holmes, is 

 now ready for the press, but it will not be printed until the 

 names of a sufficient number of subscribers have been received. 

 The work will consist of over 500 pages, and contain accounts of 

 all the sections and districts visited by the Association down to 

 the end of 1884, with the illustrations (sections, &c.), which have 

 from time to time a ppeared in the circulars and Proceedings. 



