6i4 



NATURE 



[April 2':^, 1889 



Natural arabin itself forms a similar hydrate, the precipitate 

 formed by addition of hydrochloric acid and alcohol to a solu- 

 tion of gum-arabic, when dried at ioo° C, possessing this 

 •composition. 



Mr. Fletcher, of Warrington, has recently put in the 

 market a new and very cheap sensitive flame. It consists of a 

 special arrangement of the small Argand bunsen, and differs 

 from other sensitive flames inasmuch as any considerable sound 

 completely extinguishes it. An intere sling point in connection 

 with it is that its sensitiveness is not constant, but apparently 

 varies with the atmospheric conditions. The circular issued with 

 the burner particularly states that the transparency of the flame 

 renders it unsuitable for lecture experiments. 



Mr. W. a. Hollis writes to us from Brighton, describing a 

 •dream in which rooms and things in his house seemed to be in 

 their relative positions, but transposed. The displacement ex- 

 tended itself to a servant, who appeared to be dusting some 

 furniture ; the cloth she was using she held in her left hand. 

 This experience suggests to Mr. Hollis the question, " Is it 

 possible that in dream-land we see things as in a looking-glass, 

 like our little friend Alice ? " 



Pisciculturists will read with interest M. Albert Le Play's 

 pamphlet on the rearing of carps. It is entitled "La Carpe," 

 and contains many new facts and suggestions concerning this 

 branch of pisciculture. 



Among foreign works which have been translated into French 

 •during the last two years, and the translations of which have 

 been considered worthy of a reward, we notice two English 

 books. The one is Mr. Green's " Short History of the English 

 People"; the other Darwin's "Life and Correspondence," 

 (translated ;by M. H. de Varigny. The two other works to 

 ■which, with the preceding, the Prix Langlois has been awarded, 

 are Janssen's "Germany under the Reformation," and Norden- 

 skiold's "Travels." It is interesting that a book on Darwin 

 should have been rewarded by the French Academy. M. Renan 

 and M. Taine were on the jury, and did much to bring about 

 the result. 



We have received the first three numbers (January to March 

 4889) of the Bulletin international de V Acadcmie des Sciences de 

 Cracovie. The ordinary transactions of the Cracow Academy, 

 being publi.-hedin Polish, are not accessible to scientific students 

 unfamiliar with the Slavonic languages. To remedy this incon- 

 venience the Academy will henceforth issue a monthly Bulletin 

 •containing extracts in French and German of its regular proceed- 

 ings, as well as summaries of all important memoirs in one or 

 other of these languages at the option of the authors. Besides 

 •several historical, philological, and antiquarian papers, the pre- 

 sent numbers contain contributions by Prof. Kreutz on the 

 granites of Volhynia containing tourmaline and garnets ; by M. 

 Olszewsky, on an improved method for liquefying and solidifying 

 the permanent gases and for studying their spectra ; by M. 

 Krzyzanowski, on the liquefaction and solidification of hydrogen 

 in M. Pictet's experioaents ; by M. Olearski, on the elasticity of 

 SLxnz and copper alloys ; and by M. Sawicki, on the influence 

 •exercised by the physical and chemical agents on the electric 

 properties of the nerves. 



The removal of tattoo-marks is a matter of no little difificulty, 

 and many different methods have been tried (blistering, suction, 

 thermo-cautery, counter-tattooing with white powder or milk, 

 &c. ). Criminals sometimes pour vitriol on their arms or hands, and 

 letting it act for a few seconds, plunge the limb in water. The 

 following method is recommended by M. Variot (in the Kevue 

 Scientifique) : — The skin is first covered with a concentrated 

 solution of tannin, and re-tattooeJ with this in the parts to be 



cleared. Then an ordinary nitrate of silver crayon is rubbed 

 over these parts, which become black by formation of tannate of 

 silver in the superficial layer of the dermis. Tannin powder is 

 sprinkled on the surface several times a day for some days to 

 dry it. A dark crust forms, which loses colour in three or 

 four days, and, in a fortnight or so, comes away, leaving a reddish 

 scar, free of tattoo-marks, and, in a few months, little noticeable. 

 It is well to do the work in patches about the size of a five-franc 

 piece at a time. The person can then go on with his usual 

 occupation. 



From a report of the Belgian Consul-General in the Congo 

 State, it appears that the efforts made to introduce European vege- 

 tables and fruits in that district have been rewarded with very 

 great success. The Government has imported tobacco-seed 

 from Havana and Sumatra, which is cultivated in conjunction 

 with native tobacco. The natives cultivate tobacco badly, but 

 efforts are being made by the Government to teach them better 

 methods. The inhabitants of the Lo\yer Congo have been very 

 successful in cultivating not only the usual African products, 

 such as manioc, sweet potato, &c., but also sorghum, maize, 

 and the "wandu" haricot, called "Boma" by the natives. 

 The cotton-plant grows in its wild state, and the natives manu- 

 facture from it hats, wallets, &c. No effort has yet been made 

 to cultivate it for trade purposes. 



The American Commercial Agent at Limoges, in a report on 

 the result of the sanitary investigation as to the effect of plastered 

 wines— that is, wines to which sulphate of lime has been added — 

 says that the practice is very ancient, and one about the evil 

 effects of which the highest hygienic authorities have differed. 

 The Academy of Medicine has held special meetings and dis- 

 cussed the subject at great length. The advantages claimed for 

 the practice are that fermentation is increased very much ; that it 

 is more rapid and complete ; that the wine keeps longer when 

 it has been plastered, and that the colour is richer and more 

 lasting. It is now settled, however, that plastered wines have 

 occasioned functional troubles, as, for instance, in the Depart- 

 ment of Aveyron, where, the doctors report, those who con- 

 sumed plastered wines suffered from an unquenchable thirst, an 

 insupportable dryness of the throat, and various other trouble- 

 some symptoms. The action of sulphate of lime on the bi- 

 tartrate of potash in ordinary wine produces an acid sulphate of 

 potash ; and in wine treated with lime, sulphuric acid in a 

 free state is formed, and sulphate of magnesia ; and these com- 

 bined act as a purgative and sometimes as a caustic. M. Marty, 

 who was appointed by the Academy of Medicine to report on the 

 practice of plastering, examines all the arguments adduced in 

 favour of the process, and, on his recommendation, the Academy 

 condemns the custom as being detrimental to health. 



The British Consul-General in Algeria, in his report to the 

 Foreign Office, says that hitherto the Government have been in 

 the dark as to the habits and natural history of the locusts which 

 now and then work such ravages in Algeria. Last year, how- 

 ever, a distinguished naturalist, M. J. Kiinckel d'HercuIais, 

 President of the Entomological Society of France, was sent to 

 study the question on the spot, and he has published two reports 

 on the subject. The species of locust which has ravaged the 

 country since 1885 is not the same as that which invaded the 

 same district in 1876-77. The former \% Stauronitis maroccanus, 

 the latter Acridium peregrinum. The former is found in most 

 of the countries bordering on the Mediterranean, especially in 

 Asia Minor and Cyprus. Morocco is, however, its original 

 home, where it was observed in 1845, and again in 1867. 

 Specimens of it collected in both those years still exist. Hitherto 

 the accepted theory has been that they are brought from the 

 desert by a strong southerly wind, but M. Kiinckel says that 

 none have ever been observed in the Sahara, and he believes 



