.440 



JVA TURE 



[Septe 



3. 189] 



The American Meleorological Journal for July contains the 

 following articles :— Franklin's kite experiment, by A. McAdie. 

 After priving various details respecting Franklin's experiments, 

 the author describes similar experiments recently carried on at 

 the Blue Hill Observatory, near Boston, U.S., the chief advance 

 being that at every step the electrical potential of the atmosphere 

 was measured by an electrometer. The kite was sent up on 

 several days, and at a height of 1000 feet sparks over \ inch in 

 length were obtained ; while abnormal movements of the stream 

 of water fr>m the electrometer during electrical disturbance 

 always foretold when a flash of lightning was about to occur. — 

 Cloud heights and velocities at Blue Hill Observatory, by H. H. 

 Clayton. This paper contains the results of cloud observations 

 made at Mr. A. L. Rotch's Observatory during the last five 

 years. The average heights of some of the principal clouds 

 were : nimbus 412 metres, cumulus (base) 1558 m., false cirrus 

 6500 m., cirro-stratus 9652 m., cirrus 10,135 m. The 

 cumulus is highest at Blue Hill during the middle of the day. 

 The Upsala observations show that the base of the cumulus, as 

 well as the cirrus, increases in height until evening, but neither 

 of these conclusions anply to the observations at Blue Hill. The 

 average velocity found for the cirrus (82 miles an hour) is twice 

 as great as that found at Upsala. The extreme velocity was 

 found to be 133 miles an hour. A comparison between wind 

 and cloud velocity shows that below 500 metres the wind 

 velocity is less than the cloud velocity. Above that, the excess 

 of the cloud velocity increases up to 1000 metres, and then 

 decreases again till about 1700 metres, after which it steadily 

 increases. This decrease between 1000 and 1700 metres is very 

 probably due to the fact that the clouds between 700 and 1000 

 metres were mostly observed during the morning, when the 

 cumulus moves most rapidly, and that the clouds between 1000 

 and 1700 metres were mostly observed during the afternoon, 

 when the cumulus moves slowest. — Meteorological kite-flying, 

 by W. A. Eddy. This is an account of some experiments made 

 at Bergen Point, New Jersey, to determine the vertical extension 

 of warm air currents by means of self-recording thermometers 

 carried by a kite string. Experiments showed that an altitude 

 of 1800 feet could be obtained by using one kite, and that many 

 hundred feet could be added to the altitude by lifting the weight 

 of slack string by fastening on larger kites. It is estimated that 

 by this means an altitude of 4000 feet was obtained. The 

 minimum temperature at an attitude of about 1500 feet, on 

 February 14 last, was only 2° lower than at the surface. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, August 24.— M. Ducharlre in the 

 chair. — Remarks on the dynamic conditions of the development 

 of cometary tails, by Dom Et. Sififert. — ^/jmw/ of solar observa- 

 tions made at the Observatory of the Roman College during the 

 second quarter of 1891, by M. Tacchini. — On cyclic systems, by 

 A. Ribaucour. — A property of involution, common to a group 

 of five right lines and a system of nine planes, by M. P. Serret. 

 — On the tension of water-vapour up to 200 atmospheres, by M. 

 Ch. Antoine, From the expression t - 1638-0 -0005 P^ _ 



5 -0402 - log P 

 deduced from the experimental results of MM. Cailletet and 

 Colardeau, the author deduces formulae for the calculation of P 

 to a first approximation, by the aid of the general formula 



P = G( — — — J , given by J. Bertrand to express the tension 



of vapours. The formulae given are : — 



Pi = [0-0058824 [t + ^o)f^^ applicable from o°-ioo° ; 

 pi = [0-0064516 [t + 55 )]5'5 applicable from 50°-200° ; 

 pi = [0-0071069 [t + 4i)]"'" applicable from 220°-365°. 



The value P^ is then used in Cailletet's formula to calculate P, 

 of which tabulated values are given. — On the rejection, by the 

 liver, of bile introduced into the blood, by M. E. Wertheimer. 

 The author has examined the bile of dogs before and after the 

 injection under varying conditions of sheep's bile. The cha- 

 racteristic absorption spectrum of cholohaematine, a colouring 

 matter not present in the bile of the dog, but always a con- 

 stituent of sheep's bile, was invariably found in bile secreted by 

 the dog's liver after injection ; thus an indisputable proof is 



given that the liver takes out bile constituents from the blood, 

 and passes them into the alimentary canal unaltered. 



Brussels. 

 Academy of Sciences, July 4.— M. Plateau in the chair. 

 — On hoar frosts, by M. Folic. Some observations of the 

 ravages caused by frosts which occurred on June 12 and 

 13 indicate that, if the cultures of the Ardennes are to be 

 preserved from such disastrous effects, the plateau must be 

 again planted with trees. The frosts appear to have had 

 more effect near the soil than at some metres above it.— 

 On one of M. Servais's theorems, by M. E. Catalan. — On an 

 extension of M. Hermite's law of reciprocity, by M. Jacques 

 Deruyts. — On two new Lerneopodians, one of which is found 

 at the Azores, and the other on the coast of Senegal, by M. 

 P. J. Van Beneden. Description is given of male and female 

 Brachiella chavuii found at the Azores, and of male and female 

 Brachiella chcvreuxii from the coast of Senegal. The descrip- 

 tion is accompanied by a plate. — On a method of generation of 

 the cubic surface, by M. F. Deruyts. 



Sydney. 

 Royal Society of New South Wales, July i.— H. C. 

 Russell, F. R.S., President, in the chair. — Eighteen new 

 members were elected, and the following papers were read : — 

 On Nos. 13 and 14 compressed-air flying machines, by Lawrence 

 Hargrave. — Some folk-songs and myths from Samoa, translated 

 by the Rev. G. Pratt, with introductions and notes by Dr. John 

 Eraser. — On a cyclonic storm in the Gwydir district, and Pre- 

 parations now being made in Sydney Observatory for the photo- 

 graphic chart of the heavens (illustrated by photographs), by H. 

 C. Russell, F.R. S., Government Astronomer. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



British Cicadas, Part 7: G. B. Buckton (Macmillan).— Bibliotheca 

 Botanica (Wesley). — British Oligocene and Eocene Mollusca in the British 

 Museum (Natural History): R. B. Newton (London). — Fossil Botany: H. 

 Grafzu Solms-Laubach ; translated by H. E. F. Garnsey, revised by L B. 

 Balfour (Oxfjrd, Clarendon Press). — Synopsis der Hoeheren Mathematik, 

 Erster Band : J. G. Hagen (Berlin, Dames). — Missouri Botanical Garden 

 Second Annual Report (St. Louis, Mo.).— Blackie's Science Readers, Nos. 

 2, 4, and 5 (Blackie).— Free Land : Dr. T. Hertzka, translated by A. Ransom 

 (Chatto and Windus). — A Sketch of the Vegetation of British Baluchistan : 

 J. H. Lace and W. B. Hemsley (Lindon). — Bulletins de la Society 

 d'Anthropologie de Paris, January and February, March and April (Paris, 

 Masson)— Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania for 

 1890 (Hobart). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Report of the Board of Trade Committee on 



Electrical Standards 417 



The Congress of Hygiene 419 



The British Association : — 



Section E (Geography) — Opening Address by E. G. 

 Ravenstein, F.R.G.S., F.S.S., President of 



the Section 423 



Section H (Anthropology) — Opening Address by 

 Prof. F. Max Miiller, President of the Section . 428 



Electrical Standards 434 



Notes 435 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Stars having Peculiar Spectra 438 



Photography of Solar Prominences 438 



Encke's Comet {c 1891) 438 



A New Asteroid (312) 438 



Jupiter and his Markings. By W. F. Denning , . 439 



Scientific Serials 439 



Societies and Academies 440 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 440 



NO. II 40, VOL. 44] 



