,58 



NA TURE 



[February 9, 1893 



p. 222, gave a note about this latter very rare, nearly forgotten, 

 and often misunderstood little rodent, figured by Alfred Duvaucel 

 in F. Cuvier's great work, the " Histoire Naturelle des Mam- 

 miferes." Cuvier could give no indication of its size, nor of its 

 native country, guessing that " qu'il est originaire des provinces 

 du Nord de Bengale, si ce n'est des parties occidentales de Su- 

 matra." Dr. S. Miiller, in 1834, obtained a specimen in Java, 

 to the northern side of Mount Gede, and named the species. 

 This, and another specimen from Sumatra (also collected by 

 Miiller) are both in the Leyden Museum as stuffed specimens. 

 The skulls of these two specimens W2re detected in the Leyden 

 Museum by Oldfield Thomas, and were included by Jentink in 

 his catalogue of 1887, though with a query. But all doubt on the 

 subject was removed at the date of this paper ; and now the 

 animal has been taken alive by Mr. J. D. Pasteur on the north- 

 ern slope of the Goenong Gedeh, Java, an account of which 

 capture is given in a very graphic translation of a letter to Dr. 

 Jentink. On birds there are papers by J. Biittikofer on the 

 specimens of the genus Tatare in the Museum, on the specific 

 value of Levaillant's "Traquet Commandeur," and on the col- 

 lections of birds sent by the late A. T. Demery from the Suly- 

 mah river, West Africa, pp. 13-30. In this last paper 96 species 

 are recorded, ten of which are new to Liberia ; on Batracho- 

 stoinus poliolophus, n. sp. from W. Sumatra, by Ernst Hartert ; 

 on a weaver finch from Sumatra ; and on a collection of birds 

 from the islands of Flores, Sumba, and Rotti, by J. Biittikofer ; 

 and on the birds of Sumba, by A. B. Meyer. About fish there 

 is a note by Dr. Th. W. van Lidth de Jeude on Orlhragoriscus 

 nasus, Ranzani, which had been washed ashore in November, 

 1891, at Callantsoog. A figure from a photograph is given. — 

 M. Schepman describes a number of land and fresh water mol- 

 lusca from Soemba, Timor, and other East Indian islands ; 

 several new species are diagnosed. — Dr. J. G. deMan continues 

 his Carcinological studies in the Leyden Museum, and in No. 6 

 describes several new species which are figured. A very im- 

 portant contribution to our knowledge of the echinoderms is 

 made by Dr. Clemens Hartlaub's paper on the species and 

 structure of the hard parts in Culcita ; nine species are carefully 

 descritied, their geographical distribution is given, Culcita grex, 

 M.T., is figured from a photograph, and a fairly complete 

 bibliography is appended. The rest of the papers are descrip- 

 tions of new forms of insects. 



No. I of vol. XV., dated as January, 1893, but published 

 October 30 last, contains a review of the genus Rhipidura, with 

 an enumeration of the specimens in the Leyden Museum. A key 

 to the 75 species now known is given — five are described for the 

 first time. M. E. Buchner has a note on the occurrence of 

 Mellivora indica, Kerr, in the Trans-Caspian district ; on two 

 supposed new species of Pentadactylus, by M. Schepman. There 

 are also several papers on new forms of insects. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 London. 

 Royal Society, January 26.— "On the Three-Bar Motion 

 of Watt." By William Brennand. Communicated by C B. 

 Clarke, F.K.S. 



" Further Researches in Connection with the Metallurgy 

 of Bismuth." By Edward Malthey, F.S.A., F.C.S., Assoc, 

 ^oy. Sch. Mines. Communicated *by Sir G. G. Stokes, Bart., 

 F.R.S. 



Paper IV. — " Bismuth, its Separation from Arsenic." — In 

 melting large quantities of bismuth containing arsenic it was 

 found that the surface of the metal being exposed to the air 

 arsenical fumes appeared, and that as the temperature of the 

 metal was raised the arsenic came off in dense white fumes 

 {A-2O3). An alloy of bismuth containing 0-65 per cent, of 

 arsenic was carefully operated upon and freed from the whole of 

 its arsenical contents, the temperatures being noted at which the 

 separation takes place. When raised to a temperature of 5I3''C. 

 and maintained at this for a short period, the bismuth was 

 found to be absolutely free from arsenic. 



Paper V. "Bismuth, its Separation from Antimony." — 

 Whilst engaged in fusing some 400 or 500 kilogrammes of bis- 

 muth containing antimony it was noticed that a peculiar oily 

 film formed on the surface of the alloy, which on being removed 

 and tested was found to contain a considerable percentage of 

 antimony. By continuing the operation and removing the film 



NO. 1215, VOL. 47] 



from time to time as it formed, the melted metal became bright, 

 and was then found to be perfectly free from antimony. A 

 quantity of about 350 kilogrammes of bismuth containing o"8o 

 per cent, of antimony was melted and the temperature observed 

 at which the antimony separated as described. By maintaining 

 a constant temperature of 458° C. the whole of the antimony 

 separated, leaving the bismuth free from any trace of this metal. 

 The temperatures were determined by the pyrometer of M. H. 

 le Chatelier. 



Physical Society, January 13. — Prof. G. F. Fitzgerald, 

 F.R.S., Presidt-nt, in the chair. — Mr. F. W. Sanderson read a 

 paper on science teaching. In this communication the author 

 considers the methods of teaching physical science, and remarks 

 that other sciences may best be treated in some different manner. 

 The method recommended is one found suitable in public schools 

 where boys may remain till about the age of nineteen. In ele- 

 mentary and secondary schools modification would be necessary 

 with a view to making it more immediately useful, whilst in 

 university and technical colleges other methods might be prefer- 

 able. The object of his public school method was to make 

 physical science a definite means of education, rather than to 

 produce skilled physicists. Certain mathematical subjects, such 

 as arithmetic, geometry, and algebra, should be taught before 

 physics is begun, and taught in such a way as to aid subsequent 

 physical work. In teaching arithmetic it is deemed desirable to 

 distinguish between the science and the art of it, and to have 

 separate hours for instruction in ea:h. The subjects included in 

 each part are described in some detail in the paper. No exist- 

 ing arithmetic satisfies the author's requirements. Geometry 

 is considered of the first importance; practical geometry and 

 the use of instruments forming the best introduction to the 

 subject. It is recommended that the elementary part be taught 

 by themathematicnl master with a view to formal geometry, e.g. 

 Euclid. As most practical geometries consist of isolated con- 

 structions they are useless for teaching the subject in a scientific 

 manner. A number of problems suitable for a graduated intro- 

 ductory course are given. After elementary geometry, mensura- 

 tion may be taken up with advantage, the facts being verified by 

 drawing to scale, measuring, or by weighing, but no rules being 

 given. Trijionometry of one angle may then be commenced. 

 Here also free use should be made of the drawing board, each 

 pupil finding the sines, cosines, and tangents of angles by draw- 

 ing and measurement, and making tables. Quite independent 

 of the mathematical class the author has been in the habit of 

 carrying boys on the engineering side through a course of 

 graphical analytical geometry, in which they draw straight lines 

 and the quadratic curves, &c.,from their equations, solve simul- 

 taneous linear equations, quadratics, cu'>ics, &c. Other 

 geometrical constructions follow. The subject as to what 

 branches of science should be taught in the different departments 

 of a school is then considered, and schemes are given for the 

 classical, modern and commercial, science, and engineering sides. 

 Some general principles which have been kept in view in 

 arranging the physical teaching are next described. In the first 

 place the fundamental experiments and observations on which 

 each scientific law is based are explained to the pupils, and 

 when possible the experiments are performed by the boys in the 

 laboratory. Secondly, from the experiments the laws are stated 

 as precisely as possible, the form of statement depending on the 

 knowledge possessed by the class. The problem of expressing 

 a law mathematically from its most fundamental statement is 

 then fully considered Thirdly,mathematical deductions from the 

 laws are followed out, and the pupils perform experiments to 

 verify the results, and thus confirm the laws. Fourthly, a 

 course of exact physical measurements is given, which includes 

 mensuiation, hydrostatics, mechanics, sound, heat, electricity, 

 and light. A first and second year's course is arranged in each 

 subject, and in both years all the boys work the same experiment 

 at the same time. This necessitates multiplication of apparatus, 

 but being of a simple character in the lower forms where the 

 pupils are numerous it is not prohibitive. It is also slated that 

 bo)sget better results with comparatively rough apparatus, if 

 large, than with delicate and expensive instruments. About half 

 the time devoted to physiis is spent in the laboratory. 

 Mathematics is introduced, as far as can be done without 

 straining the pupils too much, and with voung classes appeal is 

 madr to experiment where the strictly logical argument would 

 be difficult t) follow. In-tead of teaching the applications of 

 science as done in s<ime technical schools, the author's method 

 is to teach pure science, and let the applications come in as 



