January 28, 1892] 



NA rURE 



305 



ment used in the measurement of high temperatures. In con- 

 structing his pyrometers, Prof. Wiborgh followed two principles 

 — first, that a certain quantity of air, when heated, is main- 

 tained at the same volume, and the increase of pressure gives a 

 measure of the increased temperature ; and second, that the air 

 is maintained unaltered in pressure when the temperature is 

 determined by the change of volume. The two forms of his 

 air-pyrometers may be compared to the two forms of the baro- 

 meter — the mercurial and the aneroid. The air-pyrometer in 

 its aneroid or metallic form is especially adapted to determine 

 the temperature of the hot blast, the gases from all sorts of 

 furnaces, of distillation-products from retorts, &c. ; and gener- 

 ally it will fulfil any demands that may fairly be made upon an 

 accurate instrument for ascertaining temperatures for practical 

 purposes, in cases where the temperature to be determined 

 ranges from o° to 1400" C. 



A REMARKAULE illustration of the height of breaking waves 

 is afforded by the following paragraph, which we take from the 

 .S<z« Francisco Chronicle of January 6 : — " Portland, January 5. 

 The lighthouse tender Manzanita reached Tillamook Rock 

 Sunday for the first time in six weeks, and brought away the 

 keeper, George Hunt, who has been on the rock for four years, 

 and has been transferred to the Cape Mars Light. He say's, in 

 the storm of December 7 the waves swept clear over the house, 

 washing away their boats, and tearing loose and carrying away 

 the landing platform and tramway, which were bolted to the 

 rock. On the 29th the waves were still higher, and streams of 

 water poured into the lantern through the ventilators in the 

 balloon top of the dome, 157 feet above the sea-level. The 

 lighthouse was shaken to its foundation by the impact of seas 

 against it, and the water found its way into the house. Men 

 were on duty all night to keep the lamp burning, and but for 

 the wire screen the shutters of the lantern would have been de- 

 molished. All hands were alarmed, and old sailors of the crew 

 say they would sooner have taken their chances on board a ship." 

 Prof. Edward S. Holden informs us that it is known to him 

 personally that this lighthouse is sometimes buried in spray and 

 water, and thai the glass of its lanterns has been broken by the 

 impact. 



The U.S. National Museum prints a capital paper, by Mr. 

 Frederic A. Lucas, on animals recently extinct or threatened 

 with extermination, as represented in the Museum's collections. 

 In each case the cause of destruction is noted. Mr. Lucas 

 finds that in nearly every instance the cause is "reckless 

 slaughter by man." As an instance of the way in which animals 

 may be destroyed, he refers in the introduction to peccaries. 

 In 1885 these little animals were so abundant in several coun- 

 ties of Texas that their well-worn tails were everywhere to be 

 seen, while their favourite haunts could be readily picked out by 

 the peculiar musky odour characteristic of the creatures. Shortly 

 after that date, hog-skin goods being in' favour, a price of fifty 

 cents each was offered for peccary hides, with the result that by 

 1890 the peccaries were practically exterminated. 



The fresh-water sponges in the collection of the late Mr. 

 Henry Mills were placed some time ago in the hands of Dr. D. 

 S. Kellicott, on the understanding that a representative set of 

 specimens would be selected and prepared for the Buffalo 

 Society of Natural Sciences. Dr. Kellicott has now finished 

 his labours, and submitted the specimens to the Society. He 

 is of opinion that the region about Buffalo Bay and the 

 Niagara River affords almost ideal conditions for the life and 

 growth of fresh-water animals. Its richness, he thinks, is even 

 yet scarcely appreciated. The outlet of the American fresh- 

 water ocean remains at almost a constant level. It is not, like 

 so many lesser American rivers, a mere thread of heated water 

 in summer and a flood of tilt in winter and spring. Neither 

 NO. II 6 I, VOL. 45] 



storm nor season greatly disturbs its clearness or destroys its 

 purity ; and owing to its mass its temperature changes slowly 

 and the range is moderate. There are also deep passages, once 

 portions of the river-bed, now almost land-locked, but still 

 sufficiently open to the river to admit fresh water and maintain a 

 constant level. Aquatic life in these channels is remarkably 

 luxuriant for a Nerth American station in latitude 43°. Again, 

 there are small rivers or creeks entering the main river, the 

 estuaries of which are deep, quiet, and supplied from above with 

 swamp and land drainage, whilst their constancy is assured by 

 that of the Niagara. These are teeming with a vast variety of 

 microscopic plants and animals from early summer to December. 

 These conditions are especially favourable to the growth of 

 sponges, and they are found in extraordinary abundance. 

 Whilst the number of species recorded compares favourably 

 with any explored locality in the world, the abundance of re- 

 presentatives is, according to Dr. Kellicolt's experience and the 

 testimony of others, quite unsurpassed. 



The working of mercury mines appears to have become 

 an industry of some importance in Russia. According 

 to the Journal de St. Pkersbourg, quoted by the Board 

 of Trade Journal, there have been found in the district of 

 Bakhmont (province of Catherinoslaw) rich deposits of mercury 

 ore, and the works which have been established there, increasing 

 their operations year by year, have succeeded in producing at 

 the present time 20,000 pouds of mercury annually (poud 

 = 36 pounds avoirdupois). Other deposits of mercury have 

 been discovered in Caucasia, in the province of Da:Thestan ; 

 and the Mining Administration has every reason to believe that 

 private enterprises will be established which will make under- 

 takings of this kind very profitable. Mercury is, as is known, 

 very rare. It is only found in more or less considerable 

 quantity in Spain, Austria, the United Stales of America, 

 and Italy. The works in the province of Catherinoslaw extract 

 20,000 pouds of pure mercury from more than 3,500,000 pouds 

 of ore (sulphAt p of mer cury). _ This quantity js sulScien t fui 

 Russian consumption, and even allows of an export of 14,000 

 pouds to other countries. 



Some time ago the Minister of Agriculture in Victoria, acting 

 on the advice of the Board of Viticulture, authorized, among 

 other reserves throughout the colony, the reservation of about 

 1 100 acres in the Dunolly district as a viiicultural reserve for ex:- 

 perimental purposes. From this area a space of twenty acres 

 has been excised, which has now been cleared and fenced with 

 vermin-proof wire, for the purpose of establishing a perfume 

 farm and experimental plot, for the growing of perfume plants, 

 medicinal drugs, and the production of essential oils. A list of 

 the plants under cultivation at the farm, with a report of the 

 progress up to date, is included in a hand-book issued by the 

 Vicforian Royal Commission on Vegetable Products ; and it is 

 anticipated that satisfactory results will follow during the present 

 season. The hand-book is published in order that all who may 

 choose to avail themselves of the opportunity may make experi- 

 ment in their several localities, with the view of comparison 

 with the plot established at Dunolly for educational purposes, 

 and so that an interesting and profitable industry may be 

 established in the colony. 



From a series of experiments made a short time ago [Naturw. 

 Rdsch.), Prof. Wesendonck, of Berlin, inferred that dustless air, 

 in friction with metals, does not generate electricity. But 

 carbonic acid, under like conditions, readily gave a charge, and 

 this was thought to be due to cloud-formation in the gas stream- 

 ing out of the vessel which had held it in liquid form, the small 

 water-particles charging the metal by friction. Further experi- 

 ment has seemed to confirm this view. The gas let out from 

 such a vessel, in vertical position, with some freedom, appears 

 cloudy. Gaseous carbonic acid, under 50 or 60 atmospheres. 



