July i8, 1895] 



NATURE 



277 



present in large numbers in the mouth and all along the intes- 

 tinal tract of man. Cow's milk contains them, and they are 

 not destroyed even when the latter is vigorously boiled. The 

 most favourable temperature for the growth of these thermophilic 

 bacilli lies between 60° and 70° C, but they may be induced to 

 grow also between 34° and 44° C. It would Ijc interesting to 

 learn what part is played by these bacteria in nature, and it is to 

 be hoped that Dr. Rabinowitsch will continuethese investigations, 

 and instruct us as to these functions of thermophilic bacteria. 



Dr. J. Haxn" has sent us a copy of his paper on the condi- 

 tions of atmospheric electricity on the summit of the Sonnblick 

 mountain, deduced from the records of an improved registering 

 hair hygrometer by Richard, which had been adjusted and tested 

 at the Central .Meteorological Office in \'ienna. The discussion 

 is one of much importance, and the subject is treated by Dr. 

 Hann in a very thorough manner ; but the space at our disposal 

 will only allow us to notice briefly some of the general results. 

 The yearly range of relative humidity <m the mountain is the re- 

 verse of what it is over the plains ; the minimum, or greatest dry- 

 ness, occurs in winter, and the maximum in spring and summer. 

 This much was known from observations at Alpine stations, but at 

 these the uncertainty of the behaviour of the hygroi.ieters in low 

 temperatures made the results doubtful. Temperature and vapour 

 pressure on the Sonnblick run in nearly parallel curves, each degree 

 of difference of temperature corresponds to a change of tension of 

 vapour in the same direction. With regard to the daily range, it is 

 found that in all, except the three winter months, there is low- 

 relative humidity in the morning and a great humidity during the 

 evening and night. In winter, however, the case is very dif- 

 ferent ; from about 6h. p.m. to 7h. a.m. the relative humidity 

 remains below the mean, and from gh. a.m. to 5h. p.m. it is 

 above the mean. The daily range of absolute humidity (vapour 

 tension) is nearly the same in all seasons of the year ; the 

 minimum occurs early in the morning, and the maximum in the 

 afternoon. The most remarkable feature in the daily range of 

 relative humidity is that on very clear and warm days, long before 

 the rise of the sun has any effect, the humidity falls below the 

 mean value on the Sonnblick, and by about 6h. in the morning, it 

 has fallen nearly 7 per cent, below the daily mean. This important 

 fact seems to show that the relative dryness of the forenoon on 

 mountains is due to a descending movement of the atmosphere, 

 caused by the winds blowing from the mountains to the valleys 

 during night-lime, and thus cooling the sides of the mountains. 



The ]\\\y Journal o{ the Chemical Society contains the paper 

 on "Helium, a Constituent of certain Minerals," by Prof. W. 

 Ramsay, Dr. J. Norman Collie, and Mr. M. Travers, read 

 before the Society at the last meeting. There are also fifteen 

 other papers read before the Society, and 13S pages of abstracts 

 of chemical papers published in other journals. 



With the current number, the Medical .Magazine enters upon 

 its fourth year of issue. The magazine is always readable, not 

 only by members of the medical profession, but liy the laity, and 

 the papers which it publishes on medical history and literature are 

 invariably of general, as well as technical, interest. We notice 

 among the articles in the number before us, one on " Mountain 

 Sickness," by Dr. H. Kronecker ; and another on " Immunity," 

 by Dr. J. G. Sinclair Coghill. 



Under the title Beitriige znrwissenschaftlkhen Botaiiik a new- 

 contribution to general botanical literature is announced, to be 

 edited Ijy Dr. M. Kiinfstiick, and published by Nagele, of 

 Stuttgart. The first number, which is already published, con- 

 tains papers on the physiology of w-oody iilanls, by Lutz ; on 

 the action of " Bordeaux-briihe" and its constituents on Spiro- 

 gyra longata and on the uredespores of Puccinia coronata ; and 

 on the oily excretions of calcareous lichens, by the editor. 



NO. 1342, VOL. 52] 



The report for 1894 of the .American Museum of Natural 

 History shows that a number of valuable specimens were added 

 to the collections last year. The new wing, for the building 

 and equipment of which 550,000 dollars (;£^I 10,000) were voted 

 in 1893 ^n*! '894, is approaching completion, and is expected 

 to be opened to the public in the autumn. Since the prepara- 

 tion of the report, the Legislature has given power to the 

 authorities of New York City to appropriate ;^ioo,ooo for a 

 further enlargement of the museum, and for an increased grant 

 of ^4000 annually, for maintenance. The erection' and equip- 

 ment of another wing to the museum will provide the facilities 

 for carrying out the plans of the Trustees for the establishment 

 of a great department uf Anthropology. 



The report of the Trustees of the South African Museum, fo' 

 the year 1894, has been received. As the staff of the museum 

 does not include collectors, it is gratifj-ing to learn that nearly 

 seven thousand specimens were presented by private collectors 

 during last year. That the museum is appreciated is evidenced 

 by the fact that the number of visitors in 1894 was nearly 

 twenty-six thousand. The Curator, Mr. R. Trimen, has com- 

 pleted the manuscript of descriptions of new Lepidoptera from 

 Mashonaland, which will be published at the beginning of the 

 year. He has also begun the incorporation of the tropical 

 African insects of this order in the South African collection, 

 adopting the 16° of latitude S. as the South African limit. The 

 staff has been increased by the appointment of Dr. G. S. 

 Corstorphine as assistant in the department of geology and 

 mineralogy. A report by him, on the existing collection of that 

 department as at present exhibited, is appended to the report 

 of the Trustees. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Campbelli Monkey {Cercopilhecus campbelli) 

 from West Africa, presented by Miss C. Thompson ; a Yellow- 

 billed Sheathbill (Cluonis alba), captured at sea, presented by 

 Captain Plunket ; four Common Chameleons ( Chamii:leon vul- 

 garis) from Egy-pt, presented by Mr. J. C. Mitchell ; a Sharp- 

 nosed Crocodile (Crocodiliis aaitus) from Columbia, presented 

 by Mr. James {j. Green ; a Royal Python (Python regius) from 

 West Africa, ])resented by Colonel Frederick Cardew ; an 

 Alexandra Parrakeet (Polyfelis alexandra) from Australia, 

 six Grey Francolins (Francoliniis pontiieriamis) from Mombassa, 

 a Black Tortoise (Tesludo tarhonaria) from South America, 

 deposited ; five l-'ennec Foxes (Cants cerdo), two Variegated 

 Jackals (Cants variegaliis), two Libyan Zorillas (Iclonyx 

 lybiea), two Fgy-ptian Cats (Felis liiaiis), three Dorcas Gazelles 

 (Gazella Donas), iowx White Pelicans (Pelecaniis onocrotalus), 

 a Grey Monitor ( Varaniis griseiis), from Cairo, received in 

 exchange ; a Wapiti Deer (Ccrvus canadensis), two Short- 

 headed Phalangers (Belideus breviceps), born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



The New M.^dras Observai'orv. — Prof. Michie Smith, 

 the successor of Mr. Pogson at Madras, has lately made known 

 a few particulars relating to the new Solar Physics Ob- 

 servatory which is to be erected in India. The funds have 

 been voted by the Indian Government, and the site selected is 

 in the Palani Hills at Ivodaikanal, 300 miles south of Madras. 

 The daily work of photograjihing the sun, which is now- carried 

 on for the Solar Physics Committee at Dehra Dim by the 

 officers of the Indian Trigonometrical Survey, will form ])art of 

 the routine work of the new observatory. It is also proposed to 

 undertake a systematic spectroscopic examination of the sun, but 

 the details of this jiortion of the programme have not yet been 

 finally determined upon. The climate of Kodaikanal seems to 

 be almost all that can be desired for astronomical purposes. 

 The mean daily temperature varies from 54°"I C. in December 

 to 62°"2 C. in May, while the rainfall is about 47A inches. From 

 March to December in the year in which observations were 



