288 



NATURE 



[July 21, 1892 



the water was hot enough to cook their rice they took it for a 

 sign that an eruption would shortly follow. The great eruption 

 came in 1856. The waters of the lake began to boil, burst 

 their banks, and flowed down the sides of the mountain towards 

 Tabukan and Taruna, causing immense destruction of human 

 lives and property. 



Concerning the present eruption we learn very little at 

 present, but it seems to me very improbable that the whole 

 island has been destroyed, and, from the sparseness of the popu- 

 lation on the slopes of the Awu, it is also very improbable that 

 so many as 12,000 persons have lost their lives. 



The population consists of one Dutch Controlleur, who 

 may possibly be married, some three or four German mis- 

 sionaries with their wives and children, one or two European 

 traders, a few Chinamen, and the remainder Sangirese Malays. 

 The island is governed by five native Rajahs, who are advised 

 by the resident Dutch Controlleur. For many years there has 

 lieen no war or other disturbance, but the island, notwithstand- 

 ing the richness of its soil, is not in a very prosperous condition. 

 The only produce of any importance is copra, but some good ebony 

 and other timber is found in the forests that cover the islands. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, July 11.— M. d'Abbadie in the chair. 

 — On a slight additive correction which may have to be applied 

 to the heights of water indicated by sea-gauges when the swelling 

 or choppy agitation of the sea attains a great intensity ; case 

 of a swell, by M. J. Boussinesq. From theoretical considera- 

 tions and practical experiments it appears that a tide-gauge 

 exposed in a lateral basin will not give correct indications of 

 level for a choppy sea, but that it will register a lower level than 

 it would if the water were at rest. For a wave i metre high the 

 difference may amount to i cm. — On the determination of the 

 density of gases, by MM. Henri Moissan and Henri Gautier. 

 This is achieved by a new method, which makes it possible to 

 determine the density within one or even one-half per cent, from 

 a volume of 100 cc. of the gas. The principle is analogous to 

 that adopted by Dumas in his researches on vapour-densities, 

 and consists in measuring the difference between the weight of 

 a known volume of the gas and an equal volume of air at the 

 same temperature and pressure. If this difference in grammes 

 be denoted by p, and if v denote the volume of the gas or air 

 at temperature f and pressure H, the density is given by the 

 equation 



H I 



p — V y. o'ooi29^ ix-i) X — . X 



760 i-t-o-oo367A 



The apparatus consists of a glass cylinder of about 90 cc. 

 capacity connected at its lower end with a glass tube leading 

 through an india-rubber tube to a movable flask filled with mer- 

 cury, by means of which the pressure inside the measuring 

 cylinder can be regulated. The latter is surmounted at its upper 

 end by a weighing bulb separated by a three-way cock, by which 

 communication can be established with a fine bent tube. In the 

 experiment, the bulb is first exhausted, then filled with dry air 

 and again exhausted, this being repeated about ten times. It is 

 then shut off, and the fine tube and the measuring cylinder are 

 filled with mercury by lifting the reservoir. The capillary tube 

 can now be used as a pipette, and the gas is drawn into the 

 cylinder and allowed to assume a constant temperature during 

 the night at the pressure of the atmosphere. The bulb is then 

 exhausted and placed in communication with the cylinder, and 

 all the gas is driven into the bulb by raising the mercury flask. 

 The bulb is then carefully removed, and dry air is allowed to 

 enter so as to bring the pressure nearly up to that of the atmo- 

 sphere. Lastly, the bulb is placed on the balance ; the weight 

 which has to be added or removed to obtain equilibrium repre- 

 sents /, which, substituted in the above equation, gives the 

 density. The specimen of gas operated upon can be subse- 

 quently used for other experiments. — On the order of appearance 

 of the first vessels in the flowers of some LactuccB, by M. A. 

 Trecul. — On the effects of cold and drought on this year's 

 harvests, and the means by which it has been attempted to combat 

 the evil, by M. Chambrelent. — On the alcoylcyanocam- 

 phors and the benzine- azocamphocarbonic ethers, by M. A. 

 Haller. — On the Libytherium maurusium, a great Ruminant 

 -of the plaisancian pliocene formation of Algiers, by M, A. 

 Pomel, — Measurement of the absolute intensity of gravity at 



NO. II 86, VOL. 46'] 



Breteuil(InternationalOfficeofWeightsandMeasures), byM. G. 

 Defforges. This was carried out by means of two reversible 

 pendulums constructed by the brothers Brunner, one being im., 

 the other o'5m. long between the knife-edges. The oscillations 

 took place in air and in a vacuum, the latter being continued for 

 12 to 24, and once for 50 hours. The results were : — 



For the length of the seconds pendulum 0*993952 



For^ 9-80991 



—Photographs of the chromosphere, the prominences, and the 

 solar faculK, taken at the Kenwood Astro-physical Observa- 

 tory, Chicago, by M. E. Hale. — On the practical calcula- 

 tion of the dimensions of the outflow orifices of saturated 

 vapour into the atmosphere, under constant or varying condi- 

 tions ; application to safety valves, by M. H. Parenty.— On 

 a chloro-nitrogen salt of palladium, by M. M. Vezes. — Double 

 chlorides formed by lithium chloride and the chlorides of 

 the magnesium series, by M. A. Chassevant.— Researches on 

 nickel and cobalt, by MM. Ch. Lepierre and M. Lachaud. — 

 On the iodomethylates of quinine, by M. E. Grimaux. — On the 

 camphocarbonic methyl ethers, methyl camphor, and some 

 nitrogen derivatives of cyanocamphor, by M. J. Minguin. — 

 Action of the metalloid nitrides and hydronitrides on the oxy- 

 hydrocarbon compounds, by M. R. Vidal. — On some ferru- 

 ginous medicines, by M. H, Le Chatelier.— Contributions to thr 

 history of mineral waters ; on the alumina contained in these 

 waters, by M. F. Parmentier. — The respiratory value of 

 hasmocyanine, by M. L. Cuenot— Physiological action of 

 spermine ; interpretation of its effects on the organism, by M. 

 Alexandre Poehl. — On the embryonic circulation in the head of 

 the axolotl, by M. F. Houssay. — On the Belisarius Vigtderi, a 

 new fresh-water copepod, by M. Maupas. — On the evolution of 

 the embryo of a fowl submitted during incubation to a con- 

 tinuous rotation, by M. Dareste. — The boghead of Autun, by 

 MM. C. Eg. Bertrand and B. Renault.— On the constitution of 

 the fructifying ears of Sphenophyllum cuneifoliu7)i, by M. R. 

 Zeiller. — A review of the geological constitution of the regions 

 situated between Bembe and Crampel Peak (Congo), after 

 specimens collected by M. Jean Dybowski. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Dr, Mivart's Essays. By C. LI. M 265 



Physical Optics. By Arthur Schuster 267 



The Apodidae. By Prof. E. Ray Lankester, F.R.S. 2j/ 

 Our Book Shelf: — 



Lowne : "Anatomy, Physiology, Morphology, and 

 Development of the Blow-fly {Calliphora erythro- 



cephala)"—L.. CM 267 



Compton : " A Mendip Valley: its Inhabitants and 



Surroundings " 268 



Loney : " Key to Elementary Dynamics " 268 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Lightning Spectrum. — A. Fowler 268 



On the Line Spectra of the Elements. — G. Johnstone 



Stoney 268 



"The Grammar of Science." — Edward T. Dixon; 



Dr. St. George Mivart, F.R.S 269 



A "Viper" Bite. — W. A. Rudge 270 



The Edinburgh Meeting of the British Association. 



By F. Grant Ogilvie 270 



The Origin of Land Animals: a Biological Research. 



{Illustrated.) By W. J. Sollas 271 



The Photographic Map of the Heavens 274 



Notes 276 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



A New Nebulous Star 279 



Atmospheric Depressions and their Analogy with the 



Movements of Sun-Spots 280 



Yale College Observatory Report 280 



Geographical Notes 280 



The Museum Question. By Prof. Bdyd Dawkins, 



F.R.S 280 



On the Carburization of Iron. I. By John Parry . 283 

 Photometric Observations of the Sun and Sky. By 



William Brennand . 284 



Inorganic Synthesis of Azoimide, N3H, By A. E. 



Tutton 286 



The Reported Volcanic Eruption at Great Sangir . 287 

 Societies and Academies 288 



