October, 1906.] 



KNOWLEDGE & SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



567 



have been detected in the velocity curve of the spcctro- 

 grapliic orbit. — (Lick Observatory BulUiin, US.) 



New Optical Catalogues. 



Adam Hihirr, l.td. \n Ihcir latest cataUigm-s, Messrs. 

 Hilger present sevcr.il iiii|K>rt.int novelties for the considera- 

 tion of the spectroscopic or astrophysical worker. The list 

 "A," in addition to numerous forms of spectroscope of im- 

 proved design, contains descriptive illustrations of several 

 new departures in spectroscope designing. For much too 

 long a time the spectroscopic apparatus supplied even for 

 critical research has been made of too light design, re- 

 sulting in difliculties due chiefly to flexure, and also tem- 

 perature changes induced by the variety of materials em- 

 ployed in construction. The Hilgcr " Bar " .Spectrograph 

 has been designed to eliminate many of these defects, and a 

 critical examination convinces one that it is sure to give 

 satisfaction, especially for photographic work, where 

 rigidity is so specially necessary. Ihe mounting consists 

 of two triangular bars, connected at their intersection with 

 a thoroughly good, long, conical fitting. The bars are ac- 

 curately scraped to standard gauges, and on them are 

 mounted the massive carriers for the lenses, eyepieces, 

 prisms, etc. A specially designed clamp is provided for 

 locking each piece in any desired position. As made, the 

 instrument can be provided with either prism or grating, 

 being practically a universal spectroscope or spectrograph. 

 For the optical parts, Messrs. Hilger are prepared to supply 

 prisms made of the new " Uviol " glass, prepared by 

 .Schott and Co., for ultra-violet work, but as it does not 

 pass light as far as a quartz-calcite train, it is not recom- 

 mended for standard work. 



The well-knowTi " Evershed " spectroscopes for prom- 

 inence and spectrum work on the sun, and the new form 

 of Hiifner .Spectrophotometer also deserve special mention, 

 but particulars of numerous other pieces of physical appara- 

 tus are included. 



List "B" contains particulars of the Echelon gratings 

 usually supplied, the largest consisting of 40-plane parallel 

 plates. All these are generally supplied with the auxiliary 

 spectroscope, which is necessary for isolating the particular 

 radiation under investigation. The Constant Deviation 

 spectroscope, which is a speciality of the firm, is well 

 adapted for this purpose, and several different methods of 

 arranging the apparatus are suggested. 



Carl Zeiss. — The catalogue of astronomical telescopes and 

 accessories just issued by Messrs. Zeiss gives minute 

 details of their instruments, all presented with that beauti- 

 ful finish always associated with the products of the firm. 

 The views of the erecting shop, where instruments are built 

 up and thoroughly tested before sending out, and the well 

 equipped observatory, where all the objectives are used on 

 the actual celestial objects, all emphasise the care which is 

 taken to produce only one qualitv, and that the best. The 

 list includes refracting and reflecting telescopes, objective 

 prism spectroscopes, prominence spectroscopes, and all the 

 usual small apparatus of an observatory. 



BOTANICAL. 



]5y G. Massee. 

 Vitality in Seeds. 



A IIIGIILV interesting and well .lulluntic.iti'd account is 

 given by Landreth, in I'roc. Amcr. Fliil. Soc, No. 182, of 

 an instance of persistent vitality in seeds. Lieutenant 

 Greely, Commander of the Lady Franklin Bay F^xpedition, 

 which sailed north in 1881, took out seeds of various vege- 

 tables noted for their antiscorbutic properties. Some of 

 these were sown at Fort Conger, 81" 44' north, but the 

 attempt was not successful. This station was abandoned 

 in 1885. In i8c)g, sixteen years later, the abandoned station 

 at Fort Conger was discovered by Lieutenant Peary, Com- 

 mander of the North Polar Expedition. Among other 

 things found was a packet of radish seed in an open box in 

 the attic of the Fort. 



These seeds had been exposed during sixteen years to a 

 winter temper.iture of (»" to 70" F. below zero. The seeds 

 were sent home .and remained until the spring of 1905, when 



they were sown and 50 per cent, produced perfectly normal 

 plants. The original seed was harvested certainly not 

 earlier that 1880, and consequently was twenty-three years 

 old when sown. The question is raised as to whether the 

 electrically charged atmosphere, so constant in northern 

 regions, has the effect of prolonging germinative force. It 

 has been observed that the atmospheric electric currents add 

 quite 100 per cent, to the rapidity of plant growth, and to 

 tlie development of colour and strength of perfume. 



Response to Stimuli in Plants. 



Dr. Bose has on previous occasions published some in- 

 teresting and novel ideas relating to the response manifested 

 by plants to electrical stimuli. In a book entitled " Plant 

 Response as a Means of Physiological Investigation," he 

 fully exjjlains the results of his researches on this subject. 

 The phenoinena of fatigue, rhythmic response, polar efTects 

 of electric currents, transmission of stimuli, etc., can be 

 demonstrated in plants exactly as in animals, thus proving 

 that the underlying law concerning response to stimuli is 

 identical in the two kingdoms. This conception is the 

 leading idea of the author, and is supported bv numerous 

 refined and original methods of research, which are fullv 

 explained. Many new and highly ingenious instruments 

 have been devised for such purposes as recording simul- 

 taneously the response of two plants placed under varving 

 conditions; for recording the death-spasm of protoplasm, 

 etc. Response in whatever manner expressed, resolves 

 itself into two simple and well defined factors, namelv, con- 

 traction and expansion. The former is the direct result 

 of stimulation, the latter being the indirect result. 



Growth is collectively a multiple response to various 

 stimuli. Death is the outcome of a sudden and irreversible 

 molecular change, accompanied by contraction. 



Burmese Lacquer Ware and Burnnese 

 Varnish. 



;\ very interesting account is given bv Sir George Watt, 

 in the Ecw Bulletin, of the beautiful examples of native 

 workmanship, in which Burmese lacquer or varnish plavs 

 an important part. This substance is furnished by a large 

 deciduous tree, Mclanorrha'd, usitata (Wall.), met with "in 

 the open forests of Manipur, Burma, and .Siam, and bears 

 the following vernacular names : thit-si or thit-tsec (Burm.), 

 kliea- (Manipur), suthan (Taleing), kiatronei (Karen). In 

 British Burma, the lacquer-ware is of two kinds — (i) in 

 which the article is made of basket-work lacquered over ; 

 (2) that in which the article is made of wood, such as the 

 large round platter, with a raised edge, in which dinner 

 is served, round and square boxes, bowls, etc. 



For basket-work, strips of a bamboo known as Tinwa- 

 Ceiihalostachyum perffracile, are most frequently used. The 

 baskets with their trays and covers, are so accurately 

 plaited that the rest of the work can be done on a lathe. 

 The interstices of the wicker are then filled with clay and 

 painted with varnish, which penetrates and toughens the 

 clay, and binds the fibres of the wicker. It is afterwards 

 ground smooth on a lathe and various coats of varnish 

 applied. 



In some instances the entire surface of an article is 

 covered with engraving. The gloss of the varnish is re- 

 moved and a perfectly smooth surface produced. It is then 

 handed over to the engraver, often a young girl, who, bv 

 means of a fine metal point, engraves a certain portion of 

 a pattern, the spacing and assortment being done bv the eye 

 without any previous sketch or copy. The article is then 

 rubbed over with some dry metallic pigment which loads 

 the engraved portions with colour, the excess is rubbed off 

 and the colour fixed by a coating of varnish. This proces-s 

 is repeated time after lime until the pattern is completed 

 and the various colours desired have been introduced, after 

 which one or two final coats of varnish completes the work. 

 In some examples gold leaf is pressed into the partiallv 

 dried varnish, which produces gold lacquer. 



In Mandalay, and elsewhere in l"pper Burma, the resin, 

 after being thickened with rice husk or cow dung ashes, is 

 used for moulding. The material is mouUled between the 

 fingers into the form of the bodies of animals, etc., and 

 the details worked in with wooden modelling tools. This 

 method is also used for the ornamentation of fancy boxes, 

 iilol thrones, portfolio covers, etc. 



