l82 



NA TURE ^ p. ^^Ji [J UNE 2 1 , 1 894 



THE ROYAL SOCIETY COXi'ERSAZIONE. 

 HE rooms of the Royil Society were crowded with a dis- 



T 



tinguiihed gathering on Wednesday evening, the I3ih 

 in^t., the occasion oeini; the annual Ladies' Conversazione of ihe 

 Society. In accordance with our usuil custom, we give descrip- 

 tions of the most important exhibits not previously mentioned 

 in these column?. 



Prof. McKenny Hughes, F.R.S., exhibited specineni illus- 

 trating the evolution of the breeds of English oxen. The 

 earliest breed. Bison fyi:cus, belongs exclusively to the 

 Pal.xolithic age. The next. Av /■li'nigeniiis, com- 

 menced with Biicn /risen.', but outlived that species, and is 

 characteristic of the Neolithic age. Both the above forms had 

 disappeared before the arrival of the Romans in Britain. Sos 

 toit^ifrons appeared with B^'s frimi^tnius, but survived to Roman 

 tiuics. The Romans improved Bos longijrons by crossing it with 

 some larger breed having slraighterand m )re upturned horns. As 

 there was no large native breed surviving, and, moreover, the 

 characters of AiV/r/<«yj,v«/«j do not appear in the cross, the 

 Romans must have imp jrted the breed with which B^s loiii,'i/i\'ns 

 was crossed. The type of the Roman breed is still seen m the 

 lawnv Highland cattle (a larger variety of which is still common 

 in Italy) ; in the bla;k Welsh an i Highland (such as were killed 

 for funeral feaits) ; and in the Chillingham cattle (the des- 

 cendants of the white sacrificial ball}. All these are whole- 

 coloured ; the pirti-col oured cattle are a much later intro- 

 duction. After the wiihdrawal of the legionaries, there was 

 soon no end of selection of stock, and the cattle, except those 

 preserved in enclosures or isolated in the far West and North, 

 reverted to the type of Bjs hngifrom as seen in specimens 

 from the iiiediaival ditches round CambridJC. 



Mr. Shelford Bidwell, K. R S., exhibited illusira ions of re- 

 current vision and retinal uicillations. For recurrent vision a 

 m iving patch of light, white or coloured, projected upon a 

 screen, was followed at a short distance by a "gho.t" or re- 

 current image, generally of a violet hue. To show retinal 

 oscillations a modified form of Charpentier's experiment was 

 used, demonstrating the brief p;r!o.l 01 insensibility to luminous 

 impre>sion< which follows the impact of light upon the eye. 



The shell musical instruments (trumpets and llutes), ex- 

 hibited by Dr. George Harley, F.R.S., included: (i) Shell 

 log-horn used by fishermen on the banks of Newfoundland 

 (Slrombus gigas). (2) Welsh shell-trumpet used as a d'nncr 

 summons (small Strombiis gigtis). (3) Miner's blasting signal 

 horn, used in the Guernsey granite quarries (Stpjti'ni! .i^igas], 

 (4) Conch trumpet, blown at funerals and religious festivals in 

 Southein InJia (7/<'WHtV/.; raf'a — peeled and decorated with 

 lotus t1o*er). 5) Triton shell llute from New G.iinea {Triton 

 Irilonis). (6) Helmet shell trumpet from New Guinea {Cassis 

 corniita). (") Figurc-ornimented triton trumpet from Japan. 

 (8) Triton shell llute from Solomon Inlands, The exhibitor 

 expressed the opinio n that shells were the first forms of 

 trumpets and tijles ever employed. 



.Sketches of clouds, by Luke 1 loward, F. R S , were exhibited 

 by his granddaughter, Lidy Fry. These sketches were lately 

 f jund, unmounted, amongst the family papers ol the late Luke 

 llowaid. In many cases they btar his initials, or remarks in 

 his handwiiting. I'hey appear to have been drawn by him 

 from initancci which came under his own observation, during 

 the time that he «as conducting those ^^udle5 which resulted in 

 hw work on " The MoJilications of Clouds," and in his well- 

 known nomenclature and classifi.:ation. Some of them were 

 c'lpied for, and appeared in, his work. See also the " Ein- 

 leuiinj"io I'rol. G. Hellmann's recent reprint of Howard's 

 work. (Berlin A. .\>hcrandCo, 1894 ) 



Original drawingt of the " Milky Way," made at Birr Castle 



Olxerv.itnry, wtre exJitbited by Lord Koise. These drawings, 



view »i)1 three sections of same on an 



It the ■' .Milky Way," as tcin with the 



^ 'ih l>eclination. They were 



he original scale by Mr. W. 



1 ■ . . , r-. Longmans. 



i iie i'oaliiiaiicr-Ociicial exhibited ( I) Whcatslonc'sautomatic 



irnn^mii'er, r«nriin|; up to 600 words per u.inutc, driven by 



r motor. The air motor in 'his instrument dispenses 



II). weight which, when the instrument is running 



.. — .... ., _, _i..^ by the operator 



.cd directly to the 

 ^ tie train of wheel 



work, the friction regulator and complicated fly-wheel. The 

 speed of the instrument is regulated by opening or contracting 

 the nozzle regulating the supply of air. The power required is 

 so small that the instrument can be driven at a moderate 

 >peed by simply blowing into it with the mouth. (2I Prof. 

 Hughes' type printing telegraph, driven by Willmot's air motor. 

 The air mitor in this instrument takes the place of the 132 lb. 

 weight previously used, and dispenses with the whole of the 

 winding gear, and nearly all the train of wheel-work, the motor 

 being applied directly to the printing shaft. The motor is 

 self-starling in any position, and will run continuously without 

 any aid from the operator. 



Messrs. John I. Thornycroft and Co. had on view a case con- 

 taining models of torpedo boat?, light-draft patrol steamer, and 

 the " Thornycroft " water-tube boiler. 



.•\ sonometer for measuring the relative and comparative per- 

 ception of hearing was exhibited by Mr. T. P. Ilawksley. The 

 instrument consists of two primary coils of unequal winding ; 

 between them slides a secondary coil, two dry cells, or a ther- 

 mopile supply current, which is made intermittent by an adjust 

 able rheotome. The secondary coil is connected to a deep note 

 telephone, from which proceeds a tube to be applied to the ear. 

 A condenser may be used. Atone point on the scale the inter- 

 ruptions of the rheotome are not heard in the telephone, but 

 on approaching the secondary coil to one of the primary coils, 

 the interruptions gradually increase in loudness until they 

 become unbear.ible to the ear. 



.Mr. J. Wimshurst exhibited models showing au improved 

 method of communication between shoreslations and light ships, 

 or other like purposes. The method consists in arranging 

 suitably wound coils of insulated wire upon the swivel pin of 

 the moorings, the one coil being in com oiunication with the 

 shore station and the second coil in communication with the 

 ship. Signals, or sound, are transmitted by induction, or by 

 electromagnetic induction. 



Mr. Charles Bradbury's exhibit was the " Brunsviga " cal- 

 culating machine, for plain figures or decimals. The " Bruns- 

 viga "is an arithmometer constructed on an entirely new sys- 

 tem, and will add, multiply, subtract or divide with absolute 

 accuracy, giving produc s up to 13 figures (ordinary size) or 

 iS figures (large size) The handle is turned in one direction 

 for addition or multiplication, and in the reverse direction for 

 subtraction or division. This machine is used at the Royal 

 College of Scienc. the City and Guilds Technical College, the 

 Millard Laboratory at Oxford, the Postal T clegraphs Depart- 

 ment, &c. 



Mr. Charles Baker showed appara'us for obtaining instan- 

 taneous photomicrographs, and viewing the image until ex- 

 posure is made. The apparatus consists of a case containing a 

 metal shutter, carrying a prism, and connected with a pneu- 

 matic release. When this shutter is set the im.agc in the micro- 

 crope is projected, by means of a prism, on to a screen, which 

 is fixed in an adjustable tube at right angles to the optic axis, 

 and can b: vic.ved and focussed up to the moment of exposure. 

 To ensure accurate focus, the screen in the adjusting tube 

 should be placed the same distance from the microscope as the 

 plane of the sensitised [ilate. .V slit in the abutter can be 

 opened or closed to regulate the exposure. 



The exhibit of the Marine Biological Association included : 

 (I) Living pelagic larva:, &c., from Plymouth. (2) Examjiles of 

 the echinoderm fauna of Plymouth. (3) Hybrid between brill 

 and lurhot (North Sea). (4) Sole with an eye on each side of 

 the body. The usual distortion, due to the shifting of the left 

 eye to the right side, had not occurred ^.^■ortll .Sea). (5) Plaice 

 latv.-v, up to 2S d.ays' old, reared from eg^s hatclic.l in the Ply- 

 mouth Laboratory. The organisms exhibited were either of 

 econom c or of scientific interest. 



A method of heating by electricity for hospital purposes was 

 shown by .Mr. C. T. SncJeUor. P.y means of this electrical 

 mode of generating heat it is possible to obtain and maintain 

 unifor.n any r<:quired degree of temperature. The apparatus 

 isencloicd in an clastic and tlexible case, with a silk or woollen 

 covering, so that it can be applied to and envelope any part of 

 the body as a lomenlation. It can also be used for a domestic 

 Turkish bath, or used as a footwarmer, and generally for warm- 

 ing purjHises in the bcdrooji or carriage. 



NO. 1286, VOL. 50I 



