January 24, 1901J 



NA TORE 



3G9 



table. A measuring instrument to remedy the defects associated 

 with the use of the ordinary apparatus is described by Messrs. 

 Miller and Kenrick in the Journal of Physical Chemistry 

 (vol. iv. p. 599). Provided with a dial two feet in diameter, 

 and " dead-beat " in its action, the instrument is so arranged 

 that ohms, mhos, volts and amperes can be read oflf directly, 

 and it can be changed from any one use to any other without 

 delay. A series of fifteen quantitative experiments, chosen so 

 as to illustrate the various principles of electro-chemistry, and 

 which can be shown to a large class by means of the instrument, 

 are described by the authors. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Stanley Crane {Anthropoides paradisea) 

 from South Africa, presented by Mr. J. E. Matcham ; a White 

 Pelican {Pekcanus onocrotalus), a Lesser Black-backed Gull 

 {Lams fuscus), European; a Yellow Hangnest {Cassicus 

 persictis), a Common Boa {Boa constrictor) from South America, 

 two Japanese Greenfinches {Liguriniis siniciis) from Japan, a 

 Yellow-winged Su^ar-bird {Coereba cyanea) from South 

 America, a Three-striped Boa {Lichanura trivigata), a Chained 



Snake {Coluber catenifer), a Snake {Zamenis taeniatus), a 



Snake {Rhinochelus lecontii) from North America, de- 

 posited ; an Axis Deer ( Cervus axis), born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



New Variable Stars. — Two more variables are announced 

 in the Astronomical Journal, vol. xxi. No. 487, as having been 

 detected by Mr. R. T. A. Innes, at the Cape Observatory. 



24.1900. Arae. This star is C.P.D. - 49° 10361, and has 

 the position 



h. m. s. 



RA. = 17 49 32l^jO-^x 

 Decl. = - 49° 24' "9 /'v'^75;- 



The range in magnitude is from 8*9 to 975, and the period very 

 short — about 7h 28m. 36s. 



25. 19CX3. Octantis. This star is No. 9192 in Gillis's Polar 

 Zones, and has the position 



b. m. s. 

 R.A. = 13 9 32 

 Decl. = - 83° 34' -I 



The variation in magnitude is from 77 to iO"3. 



The Almucantar. — The Case Observatory, Cleveland, 

 Ohio, has recently been equipped with one of the new type of 

 instruments invented by Dr. S. C. Chandler in 1879, and in the 

 Astronomical Journal, vol. xxi. No. 488, Mr. C. S. Howe 

 gives a description of its construction and working, illustrated 

 by photographs of the instrument in position. It is adaptable 

 for all determinations usually made with the transit circle, as 

 time, latitude, right ascensions and declinations, &c., but has 

 several advantages. As the name implies, the instrument is 

 inclined at a fixed elevation, generally equal to the latitude of 

 the station, and being free to move in a horizontal plane, the 

 times of passage over the parallel of altitude are observed in 

 exactly similar manner to meridian transits ; in general both 

 transits may be observed, east and west. The advantages claimed 

 are (i) elimination of flexure ; (2) elimination of refraction 

 errors depending on zenith distance, leaving only those produced 

 by variations of pressure and temperature ; (3) greater precision 

 of fundamental plane of instrument ; (4) greater extent of sky 

 available. 



The Case almucantar has an object-glass of 6 inches aperture 

 and 60 inches focus, by Brashear, and instead of the telescope 

 being inclined, the light is reflected from a mirror inclined at 

 the proper angle, outside the object-glass. 



The whole of this optical apparatus rests on a massive hollow 

 iron ring 57 inches in diameter, which floats in mercury, means 

 being provided for preventing lateral movement. The float, 

 telescope tube and frame weigh about 1800 pounds, and addi- 

 tional weights are provided for adjusting the position of the 

 centre of gravity. Preliminary experiments show that, although 

 the instrument weighs about 2300 pounds, the oscillations after 



VO. 1630, VOL. 63] 



it has been moved die out in slightly over one minute, so that 

 stars can be observed at intervals of three minutes. Another of 

 these instruments, of about the same size as the above, has been 

 erected at the Durham Observatory, and is described by Prof. 

 R. A. Sampson in Monthly Notices, vol. Ix. pp. 572-579. 



THE ETHNOLOGY OF ANCIENT HISTORY 

 DEDUCED FROM RECORDS, MONUMENTSi 

 AND COINS. 



CERIOUS students of ancient history are fully aware that 

 "^ the narratives which have been preserved by professional 

 historians are usually so eclectic and .so meagre in many im- 

 portant details that they require to be largely supplemented by 

 other data before the full significance of the events can be ap- 

 preciated. The spade of the archaeologist has provided innu- 

 merable documents of the greatest historical importance which 

 serve to supplement the imperfection of the written record, and 

 the observations and measurements of the physical anthropolo- 

 gist have to be called into evidence as well as the comparative 

 studies of the ethnologist. The historian who ignores archae- 

 ology, physical anthropology and ethnology deprives himself of 

 the most voluminous of historical documents which lead, when 

 carefully studied, to accurate conclusions. Thus alone can 

 written records be established. 



As in the distribution of animals, so in that of man, it is im- 

 possible to draw a line of demarcation between Europe and 

 Asia. The pure Northern European type is as distinct as pos- 

 sible from the true Mongol, but there is such a chain of links 

 between these two primary human races that they pass insen- 

 sibly into one another. 



It is now generally admitted that the fair dolichocephalic 

 European race {Homo Europaeus, the Northern or Nordic race 

 of some authors, the Aryan of others), stretched in Neolithic 

 times far away into Asia, where they mixed to a variable extent 

 with the Mongols, more so to the eastward, less so to the west- 

 ward. To portions of this hybrid population have been applied 

 such terms as Allophylian, Turanian, Finno-Turki, Ural- 

 Altaic, Ugro-Altaic, Turko-Tatar, Mongolo-Turkic, Tatar, 

 Turki. Part of this spectrum of mixed peoples was spoken of 

 by ancient historians under the collective name of Scythians, 

 those in Europe being " Aryans," those in the extreme east 

 being largely Mongolised. 



A short, dark, brachycephalic race {Homo Alpinus, Alpine or 

 Slavo-Celtic race) which wandered into Central France in Neo- 

 lithic times still persists in a central zone across Europe and into 

 Asia, and there can be little doubt that this element also entered 

 into the population of Western Asia in very early times. But 

 at whatever period they arrived, their descendants can be found 

 amongst the Tadjiks, who are brown brachycephals and quite 

 different from the brachycephals of the yellow race whose point of 

 origin appears to have been towards Tibet, whereas Lapouge and 

 Ujfelvy believe the former to have followed the dolichocephals 

 either from Asia Minor or from Europe. 



A third race, of medium stature and dark complexion, is the 

 dolichocephalic Mediterranean group {Homo Mediterranensis). 

 This was located in Neolithic times in Western and Southern 

 Europe, Northern Africa, South-Western and Southern Asia. The 

 Dravidian peoples of India do not now concern us, and attention 

 need be drawn only to the Semitic branch of the Mediterranean 

 race, with its various offshoots. It is possible that the rise of 

 Babylonian culture was due, as Keane points out, to the 

 influence of Semites on the indigenous Akkado-Sumerians, 

 who were almost certainly of Finno-Turki origin. 



The typical Mongols {Homo Mongoliciis) are a short, brachy- 

 cephalic people with a yellowish skin, high cheekbones, very 

 characteristic eyes, lank, black hair on the head, and sparse hair 

 on the face. This race is as purely Asiatic as the negro is 

 African. 



The easterly drifting of tall, fair, long-headed peoples speak- 

 ing dialects of the Aryan group of languages took place, 

 perhaps, about 2000 B.C. The migrants to India had scarcely 

 attained the agricultural phase of culture, and it was not until 

 the conquests of Alexander in 327 B.C. that a true civilisation 

 flourished in the Panjab. The Persian branch advanced much 

 more rapidly, owing to their proximity to the ancient civilisations 

 of Mesopotamia. 



Few portions of the world have had so complex a history as 

 the region between the Caspian Sea, the Persian Gulf and the 



