43S 



KNO^A/'L.EDGE • 



[Dec. 1. 1882. 



HariDf; ohscrred a request of one of yonr corrcsiwndcnts to 

 pecorJ any gimibu- appearanre, I send yon this notice. 



I was not looking for such n thinfr, believing tlint it irns too long 

 after new moon to see the earth-shine, and indeed had forgotten 

 about the notice in Knowliuioe till I saw the arc. Senex. 



[Seeing the dark b.nly of the moon so lute is not nnnsnal, under 

 farourable atmospheric conditions. Onr correspondent's observa- 

 tion thows that the arc of light is of exceeding faintness, as the 

 sli(;ht absorftlion due to glass or binocular sutiiced to render it 

 ondiscemible. — En., 



REDUCTIOX OF BAROMETRICAL OBSEUYATIONS. 



[t>42]— In answer to "A Query" (031, p. 408), the following 

 arv- the nile.<i for reduction of barometric observations issued by the 

 Meteorolo^cal Office (N.B., the instrument ninst be mounted in 

 metal, not woo<l) : — The corrections for (1) index error, (2) ca- 

 pacity, and (3) capillarity are combined in one general correction, 

 obtained by oh.<crvation. and given in the Kcw certificate with each 

 barometer verified there. For the correction for temperature — i.<'., 

 to bring the reading to what it would be at 32" Fah.— a table is 

 constructed, and the correction -f or — can bo immediately found 

 from that for each half-inch of the mercury, and for each degree 

 of the attached thermometer. The correction for altitude — i.e., to 

 bring the reading to " mean sea level " — is also given by a table for 

 each inch of the mercurial column (27 to 31), and for each degree 

 of the external air. These are always additive, as the barometer 

 will always stand lower as we ascend above sen level. 



The tables referred to may be found on pp. SO to 89 in Mr. Scolt's 

 " Instructions in the Use of Meteorological Instruments," and in 

 Mr. Marriott's " Hints to Meteorological Observers." 



G. R. WVX.NE. 



MAGNETIC DISTURBANCE. 



[643] — The "magnetic perturbations" in connection with the 

 display of the Aurora Borealis of Nov. 17, 18 and 20, were generally 

 felt throughout the North of England. The traffic over public tele- 

 graph wires was very seriously delayed, and for intensity and con- 

 sUncy the strongest I remember ever having witnessed. They 

 were pretty constant (positive), and did not change their direction 

 rapidly, thus facilitating measurements. The wires running cast 

 and west suffered the greatest. 



I herewith enclose measurements, taken at intervals with " Tan- 

 gent Galvanometer," extacted from diary : — 

 ^ Nov._17, 10.15 a.m. Wires running E. and W., 50° ; N. and S. 30°. 

 Xov. 17, 10.35. a.m. Earth currents incieascd in intensity follow- 

 ing measurements, E. 00°, W. full deflection. Change in direction 

 very slow. Traffic on E. and W. wires totally stopped from 10.35 

 to 12.45 p.m. Wires giving full deflections at these times ; 

 3.15 p.m.. earth currents very powerful, 70°. 



Nov. 18, 10.35. Strong earth currents prevailing, but change 

 direction rapidly ; E. and W. wires, G0° ; N. and S. comparatively 

 clear (10*). These strong currents prevailed until 1.15 p.m. 



Not. 20, 8.20, a.m. E. wires, -10°. W. wires, C3°. N. and S., 10°. 



11.30, a.m. E. „ fiO". W. „ 05° nil. 



1.35, p.m. E. „ 05". W. „ 70°. Variable. 



Gawber Height*' Farm. E. Pbi.nce. 



PAINTS FOR LANTERN-SLIDES. 

 [^]— Will some reader tell me what paints are best used for 

 magic-htntem slides ? C. T. B. 



CORSET-WEARINfJ. 



[^5 —In supjMirt of the remarks of your correspondent under 

 the above title, may I state that in tight-lacing, as distinguished 

 from simple r<.r»<i-wearing, the shape of the waist is actually 

 mltCTrt], i,i,fl from U-ing oval tends to Ix-'comc round, and that the 

 rwJnctioti in diameter is not anterio-posteriorly, but laterally. 



Now in r.ntunil brt-athing there is a lateral expansion of the lower 

 p«rt of the thonuric cavity during inspiration, as well as in other 

 directions, and it is this lateral movement which corset-wearing 

 ^*^"* t" bmder. I fear that as yet many women will have to Ix) 

 pCT»uaded of the inelegance of corsetwraring rather than of its 

 discomfort and onhralthineis. Perhaps one day wo shall believe 

 that dre.i in intended to cover the IxmIv, and not that we are to 

 adapt oorwWea to the "laat new stylo" and "latest fashion," 

 whati^er it may be. 



May I a<k how the "Rational Dress Association," referred to by 

 the same rorrcapondent, makes its doings known to the world in 

 gtDoral :- ThoM of ns who cannot evolve a rational scheme of 

 drew frr.m <,nr inn. r cons/ ionsness arc, willy-nilly, dependent upon 

 I ; and what is their gnido ? A. II. 



SKULL MEASUREMENTS. 

 [646]— As "P. R. M.'s" question in Knowledck, No. 51, asking 

 for skull measurements, does not appear to have been answered, 1 

 venture to send vou a statement : — 



C. Index. 



1. Dolichocephalic, at or bolow ... '73 

 Sub-dolichocephalic "70 to '73 



2. Orthocephnlic '74 to -79 



3. Brachvcephnlic, at or above ... 80 

 Sub-bi-achycephalio 77 to •70 



These are the figures given by Professor Boyd Dnwkinsj they differ 

 slightly from Dr. Thuruani's, who gives for — 



1. Dolichocephalic '0 



Sub-dolichocephalic 71 to "73 



2. Orthocephalic "I to "70 



3. Biachyccphalic 80 to -89 



&ub-brachycophalio '77 to '79 



Tlic iivcrnge cephalic inde.\ for tlie modem English skiill would 

 be not less than 75"77, according to Dr. Thurnnm. Mr. L. O. Pike 

 has stated that the English of the present day arc one of the 

 longest-headed peoples in Europe, and, in Wiltshire, tlie longest 

 without exception. Professor Welcker, cited by Dr. Thurnam, 

 gives the breadth indices of — 



Little Russians and Finns "79 



South Gprnmna, Great Rns.sians, and Magyars ... "80 



Swiss, Slovaks, Calraucks, and Tungusians '81 



Europe contains no typical dolichocephalic ('70 or ^l) now. 



J. MAGEN.S Mello, M.A., F.G.S., if. 



EFFECT OF ALCOHOL OX I'RiS. 



[Gl7] — Two doctors having conducted, at the expense of a rich 

 Swedish ]>hilanthropist, a series of experiments upon pigs, for the 

 purpose of ascertaining the effect of alcohol on tlio internal organs 

 of drunkards, fifteen pigs were treated daily upon various descrip- 

 tions of alciihol, and then killed, after the process of alcoholisation 

 had gone on for some time. Each pig had a different description of 

 liquor. One had whisky, another had brandy, a third absinthe, 

 and so on. When killed, their vital organs wcro found to be 

 marked with small white spots, resembling ulcers. Their flesh was 

 sound, but when sent to market it was seized as unfit for food. A 

 dispute is now going on between the exjierimenters and the police 

 as to whether the inspector of the market was not mistaken. This 

 being the effect of their experiments on the pigs, what state must a 

 man's body be in who drinks regularly cither wliisky or brandy ? I 

 should say like the pigs, or, if not worse, upon their vital organs. [?] 



E. C. R. 



[Alcoholisation and taking alcohol are rather different things. 1 

 have recently had rather interesting evidence of the real valuo of 

 the use of so-called stimulants. When lecturing daily, and also 

 travelling long distances, I .nlw:iv" :i.|..|.f :i vpry light diet: tea, dry 

 toast, and an egg for break I :i ' n I'n i In n lill six, when I take 



tea, dry toast, and a chop ; ;ni • I take a biscuit or Bn 



with cheese, and a glass of \\ i i i » ; ...1 \. ih r, " cold without." I 

 tried this season the effect of oMniiing ilic vvljisky. Result — sleep- 

 lessness till one or two in tho morning. No other harm, but 

 weariness during following day. Taking the whisky-and-water 

 again, after trj-ing this a night or two, acted as tho most perfect 

 Btdative.— K. A. P.] 



LUMINOUS HKA. 

 [018] — In 1871 I was ordered to South America for the benefit 

 of my health, and with a view to having as long a sea-trip as pos- 

 sible, I took passage in a sailing-vessel. While lying becalmed a 

 couple of degrees south of the equator I had tho opportunity of 

 observing the grand phtnomcnon of a luminous sra, and I must say 

 that of all tlio phenomena I h.avo witnessed, none gavo mo greater 

 pleasure than that, alluded to. About 10 p.m. the luminosity com- 

 menced, and the whole of tho sea, from the centre wo occupied to 

 the horizon all around, apijcared to bo ono mass of phosphoroscont 

 light. Even the stars above seemed dimmed, and tho sails of tho 

 ship were brightly illnminatcd, while every cord in tho rigging was 

 clearly distinguishable/ I drew np a bucketful of tho water from 

 alongside, and found that directly tho bucket touched tho water tho 

 phosphorescence suddenly ceased for a few minutes in the immediate 

 vicinity of the ship. For about ton minutes tho water in tho bucket 

 was as dark as ink, but after that timo again shone out, though 

 immediately a finger was dipped in it again became dark. I have 

 no doubt that the effect was duo to certain marine animalcula), tho 

 * name of whichi cannot recall U> mind, and the light appeared to mc 



I 



