March 31, 1910J 



NATURE 



135 



of two strips of platinum blackened at the front surface 

 and carrying a thermo-j unction at tlie back. One of 

 these is exposed to the radiation to be measured, while 

 an electric current passes through the other. This 

 electric current is regulated until the two thermo- 

 j unctions are at the same temperature. The intensity 

 of the current necessary for this purpose gives a mea- 

 sure of the radiation after certain corrections have 

 been applied. The use of the instrument is simple 

 and convenient, and found so much favour with 

 observers well qualified to judge that the Inter- 

 national Union of Solar Research recommended it as 

 a standard for measurement of solar radiation. 



Since then the instrument has shown itself liable 

 to certain systematic errors which render further 

 experimental investigations necessary*. Its intrinsic 

 merit is, however, so great that it is pretty certain 

 that it will re-establish its reputation, but it is much 

 to be regretted that Prof. Angstrom's experimental 

 skill is no longer available for the purpose. When the 

 International Union of Solar Research made its 

 recommendation, it was well aware that for a 

 complete determination of the solar constant it is 

 necessary to divide the spectrum into portions suffi- 

 ciently homogeneous to allow the application of 

 Lam.bert's law, but such complete determinations need 

 only be carried out in one or two places. Abbot is 

 doing excellent work, and if this be repeated at an- 

 other station, say in India, the ground will be pretty 

 well covered. In addition to these standards, we 

 require, however, some instrument which is easily 

 transported, and ser\^es to record the radiations 

 received at different times and in different localities. 

 Angstrom's pyrheliometer promises to serve that 

 purpose admirably, as soon as more ready means have 

 been found to standardise it easily from time to time, 

 or to obtain a more permanent absorbing surface of 

 the platinum strips. The coloured glasses which 

 Angstrom recently used to absorb parts of the spectrum 

 chiefly affecting the absorption of aqueous vapour or 

 carbonic acid will probably increase considerably the 

 utility of the instrument. 



It remains to notice an important contribution of 

 Angstrom's in the field of radio-activity. He mea- 

 sured, by means of a Bunsen ice calorimeter, the heat 

 set free in a given time by radium salts, and found it 

 to be constant and independent of the substance in 

 which the radium is placed. 



Angstrom's charming personality endeared him to 

 all with whom he came into contact, and we condole 

 with Swedish science and the University of Upsala in 

 the loss thev have sustained. Arthur Schuster. 



fiOTES. 

 We notice with great regret the announcement of the 

 death of Prof. Alexander Agassiz, on Monday, at seventj'- 

 four years of age. 



Sir James Dewar, F.R.S., has recently received two 

 foreign diplomas, namely, that of Doctor, honoris causa, 

 of the University of Brussels, and that of honorary 

 member of the American Chemical Society. 



The Oceanographical Museum at Monaco, established by 

 the Prince of Monaco, was opened on Tuesday by the 

 Prince in the presence of representatives of European 

 Governments and scientific societies. An article upon the 

 museum and the opening ceremony will appear in a later 

 issue of Nature. 



The third International Physiotherapeutic Congress was 

 opened by President Falli^res on Tuesday at the School 

 3f Medicine, Paris. .A large number of members of the 

 NO. 2109, VOL. 83] 



French Government and of the Diplomatic Corps in Paris, 

 including the British and .American .Ambassadors, were 

 present at the ceremony. 



The council of the South .African .Association for the 

 -Advancement of Science at a recent meeting resolved by 

 a unanimous vote to oflfer the presidency of the forth- 

 coming meeting in Cape Town to Dr. T. Muir, C.M.G., 

 F.R.S., and he has accepted the invitation to occupy that 

 office. The actual date of the meeting has not yet been 

 fixed. 



Lord Kinnaird will preside at the dinner to Sir John 

 Murray on Tuesday next, April 5, in connection with tTie 

 Michael Sars . expedition for the e.xploration of North 

 Atlantic waters. The dinner will be held at the Criterion 

 Restaurant, and tickets may be obtained from the honorary 

 secretary of the Atlantic Union, 13A Cockspur Street, 

 S.W. 



.At a meeting of the National Geographic Society at 

 Washington on March 26, President Taft presented the 

 gold medal of the society to Sir Ernest Shackleton, and 

 in doing so he remarked : — '* It is evidence of the society's 

 liigh appreciation of the marvellous work you have done 

 in the cause of science, of the endurance, courage and 

 intelligence you have shown in the pursuit of a definite 

 object." On March 28 the explorer was presented with 

 the Cullum gold medal of the American Geographical 

 Society, New York. 



Ox March 23 the Mayor of Doncaster, Councillor 

 Halmshaw, formall}' opened a municipal museum at Don- 

 caster, for which purpose some of the rooms in a fine 

 mansion, known as Beechfield, have been set apart. These 

 are devoted to specimens illustrating local geology, 

 archaeology, and natural history. Mr. T. Sheppard, of 

 Hull, who a short time ago was asked by the Doncaster 

 Corporation to report on the lines the museum should take, 

 was called upon by the Mayor to give an address. In 

 this he dwelt more particularly upon the educational 

 advantages of museums, and the necessity of provincial 

 museums being of local interest. Subsequently the visitors 

 were conducted round the collections, which reflected great 

 credit upon the curator, Dr. Corbett. 



On Tuesday next, April 5, Dr. A. Harden will begin 

 a course of three lectures at the Royal Institution on 

 " The Modern Development of the Problem of Alcoholic 

 Fermentation"; on Thursday, April 7, Dr. T. G. Long- 

 staff will give the first of three lectures on " The Hima- 

 layan Region " ; and on Saturday, April 9, Mr. W. W. 

 Starmer will commence a course of three lectures on 

 " Bells, Carillons and Chimes " (with musical illustra- 

 tions). The Friday evening discourse on .April 8 will be 

 delivered by Prof. Percival Lowell, on "Lowell Observa- 

 tory Photographs of the Planets"; on April 15 by Prof. 

 W. J. Pope, on " The Chemical Significance of Crystal 

 Structure "; and on April 22" by Mr. T. Thorne Baker, on 

 " The Telegraphy of Photographs, Wireless and by 

 Wire." 



After a number of slight earthquake shocks, an active 

 eruption of Mount Etna commenced on March 23. Signer 

 Ricco, the director of the observatory there, reported 

 in a telegram from Nicolosi, a suburb of Belpasso, that 

 the lava was advancing on March 24 in a stream more 

 than 1500 feet wide, at a rate of upwards of 60 feet an 

 hour. On March 25 he reported that the violence of the 

 eruption had increased notably during the night, and that 

 quantities of scorise were being thrown up, accompanied 



