6i6 



NATURE 



The Southport Society of Natural Science has issued its first 

 report, from which we learn that the Society, although still 

 very young, is doing good work as a local centre of scientific 

 inquiry. The report includes a presidential address by Dr. H. 

 H. Vernon, on the material and educational utility of natural 

 science. 



Mr. Edward Stanford has issued "The Hand-book of 

 Jamaica for 1892." This is the twelfth year of publication. 

 The work has been compiled from official and other trustworthy 

 sources by S. P. Musson and T. Laurence Roxburgh. It com- 

 prises all necessary historical, statistical, and general information 

 relating to the island. 



The latest instalment of the Transactions of the Royal 

 Society of Victoria (vol. ii. part 2) opens with a paper on the 

 occurrence of the genus Belonostomus in the rolling downs 

 formation (Cretaceous) of Central Queensland, by R. Etheridge, 

 Jun., and A. S. Woodward. There are also papers on the 

 structure of Ceratella fusca (Gray), by Prof. W. Baldwin 

 Spencer ; additional observations on the Victorian land plana- 

 rians, by Dr. A. Dendy ; and land planarians from Lord Howe 

 Island, by Prof. W. Balwin Spencer. Each of the papers is 

 illustrated. 



Prof. S. H. Gage, of the Cornell University, has reprinted 

 an interesting paper contributed by him to the Ame7'ican 

 Naturalist on the life-history of the vermilion-spotted newt 

 {Diemyctylus viridescens, Raf.). He has added to it a valuable 

 annotated bibliography. 



A report on the geology and mineral resources of the central 

 mineral region of Texas, by T. B. Comstock, was included in 

 the second Annual Report of the Geological Survey of that State, 

 and has now been issued separately. It ought to be of good 

 service to practical men as well as to students of science. The 

 author has a valuable note in which he shows how the prospector, 

 the capitalist, or the property-holder may most advantageously 

 use the report. 



An excellent essay on aboriginal skin-dressing, by Otis T. 

 Mason, has been reprinted from the Report of the U. S. National 

 Museum for 1888-89. It is based on material collected in the 

 Museum, and includes an account of skin-dressing among the 

 Eskimo and the Indians, There are many illustrations. 



The following science lectures will be given at the Royal 

 Victoria Hall during May : — May 3, " Flying Bullets," by C. 

 Vernon Boys ; May 10, "Travels in Java and Sumatra," by 

 Wm. Hancock; May 17, "The Wonders of the Rocky 

 Mountains," by Wm. Carruthers ; May 24, "Mines and 

 Mining," by Bennett H. Brough ; May 31, "The Alps in 

 Winter," by C. T. Dent. 



The results of an investigation, concerning the conditions of 

 silent combination of the hydrogen and oxygen contained in the 

 detonating mixture of these gases obtained by the electrolysis 

 of water, are communicated to the current number of Liebig's 

 Annalen by Prof. Victor Meyer and Herr Askenasy. The 

 object of the experiments was to ascertain whether any regular 

 connection existed between the duration of time, during which 

 such a mixture of the two gases is maintained at a temperature 

 at which silent combination slowly proceeds, and the amount of 

 water produced. The main result of the experiments has been 

 to afford a direct negative to this question, the amount of com- 

 bination under precisely the same conditions of temperature, 

 pressure, and time varying most irregularly. Although this is 

 the case, however, some interesting phenomena have been 

 observed during the course of the experiments. It was found 

 that, when a quantity of the pure dry mixture of two volumes of 

 hydrogen and one volume of oxygen was sealed up in a glass 

 NO. II 74, VOL. 45] 



[April 28, 1892 



bulb and heated in a bath of the vapour of phosphorus penta-^ 

 sulphide, the temperature of which (518°) is such that the bulb 

 becomes faintly luminous, no explosion occurred, but a small 

 proportion of the gases silently combined, with production of 

 water. Upon immersing the bulb, however, in a bath of boiling 

 stannous chloride (606°), explosive combination instantly occurred. 

 It was surmised, therefore, that the temperature at which explosion 

 occurs lies somewhere between 518° and 606°. But upon modifying 

 the experiment in such a manner that the bulb was open, a slow 

 stream of the gaseous mixture being allowed to pass continuously 

 through, it was found that no explosion ensued under these 

 conditions at the temperature of boiling stannous chloride, 

 although at this temperature the bulb glows with a cherry red 

 heat, and the glass is quite soft. It appears likely, therefore, 

 that the extra pressure of the gases in the closed vessel deter- 

 mines the explosion at a lower temperature. The irregularity 

 in the rate of silent combination would appear to be due to the 

 different condition of the inner surfaces of the vessels containing 

 the gaseous mixture ; probably largely owing to the different 

 amount of etching action by the water vapour at these high 

 temperatures. In order to eliminate this disturbing element, 

 the experiments have been repeated with bulbs whose inner 

 surfaces have been equally etched beforehand and with bulbs 

 whose interior walls have been silvered, the results, however, 

 showing in both cases the same irregularity. In connection, 

 however, with the experiments with silvered bulbs, another 

 striking fact has been brought to light. It was found that in 

 these bulbs the silent formation of water occurs at temperatures 

 several hundred degrees lower than in unsilvered glass bulbs. 

 Complete combination had occurred in two hours' time at the 

 temperatures of boiling phosphorus pentasulphide (518"), sulphur 

 (448°), diphenylamine (310°), and naphthalene (218°) ; 70 per 

 cent, of the mixed gases had combined at the temperature of 

 boiling aniline (183°), and a small amount of combination had 

 occurred even at 155°. Finally, it was found that bright July 

 sunshine is incapable of inducing the combination of hydrogen 

 and oxygen, even when it is concentrated upon a bulb traversed 

 by the gaseous mixture and heated to 606° in a bath of boiling 

 stannous chloride. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Patas Monkey {Cercopithecus patas) from 

 West Africa, presented by Mr, W. S. Hewby ; two Orinoco 

 Geese (Chenalopex Jubata) from South America, presented by 

 Mr. Everard F. im Thurn, C.M,Z,S. ; two Mute Swans {Cygnus 

 olor), European, presented by Mrs. Melville ; a Herring Gull 

 {Larus argentatus), British, presented by Miss Lota Bower ; 

 two Chinese White-eyes [Zosterops simplex) from China ; an 

 Egyptian Goose (Chenalopex a^yptiaca) from Africa, deposited ; 

 a Cheer Pheasant (Phasiaitus wallichii f, ) from Northern India, 

 a Swinhoe's Pheasant [Euplocamus swinhoii ? ) from Formosa,' 5 

 a Common Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus ? ), British, sixi 

 Wigeon {Mareca penelope, females), twelve Common Teal 

 {Querquedula crecca 6 (J 6 $ ), European, purchased ; a Crested 

 Porcupine {Hystrix cristata), born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Spectrum of Nova Aurig/e. — On February 22, Mr, E. W. 

 Maunder obtained a photograph of the spectrum of Nova 

 Aurigse with an exposure of seventy minutes. The photo- 

 graphic magnitude of the star was then 478, and its visual 

 magnitude was about 5 7. Bright lines were observed upon the 

 plate at the following wave-lengths: — 4919, 4860(F), 4629, 

 4580, 4547, 4510, 4472, 4340 (G), 4229, 4174, 4101 {k), 

 3968 (H), 3933 (K), 3887-5 (a), 3834 ()3), And dark lines had 

 their positions located as follows : — ^4316 (G), 4212, 4155, 

 4085 {h), 3953 (H), 3913 (K). Measures of the displacement 



