26o 



NA TURE 



[July io, 1890 



In chapter iv. he expldins a "physiological hypothesis," that 

 the natural impression given by binary rhythm arises probably 

 from the naturally symmetrical structure of the human body, 

 and the binary action of its functions, such as breathing and the 

 beating of the heart, whereas a ternary rhythmic motion 

 seems something heterogeneous and unnatural. In chapter v. 

 he discusses the effects of rhythms on our organism, simple or 

 natural rhythms giving an agreeable impression, and unnatural 

 •or complicated rhythms giving one of a contrary description. 

 Then follows a long chapter of formula; and complicated arith- 

 metical statements of rhythmical combinations of various kinds. 



These remarks, on rhythms generally, occupy two-thirds of 

 the pamphlet ; the remaining third is intended to show how 

 they may be applied to the nature and effects of musical sounds. 

 Chapter vii. contains a description of the major musical scale as 

 harmonically deduced by the aid of the monochord ; and after 

 that we begin to get a glimpse, though obscurely, of the nature 

 of the general argument. The following extracts may give an 

 idea of it : — 



" The only sounds of the scale which are in binary rhythm 

 are the first, i : i, and the last, 1:2; and these are in fact the 

 only ones which imply rest. The fifth, 2 : 3, is constituted by a 

 ternary rhythm, and is, in fact, the sound of greatest motion 

 which is contained in the scale. This most powerful motive 

 action gives to this sound the greatest tendency towards the 

 sounds of rest, authorizing it to fall directly on them, however 

 distant from it. 



" The ratio 4 : 5, which represents the major third, is consti- 

 tuted by a quinary rhythm— a rhythm of semi-motion which has 

 such an action that while it makes us feel faintly the need to 

 pass to the fundamental, it may almost supply it coming after the 

 fifth." 



Thus we arrive at the kernel of the theory, which appears to 

 be that the effects of different combinations of rhythmical blows 

 or noises are assumed to be applicable to the vibrations causing 

 «iusical sounds, and to account for the effects of such sounds in 

 an emotional point of view. It is something akin to the old 

 Euler doctrine of the "simplicity of ratios," but it professes to 

 be more comprehensive. 



It is not carried out very far in this book, but the author 

 promises that if he lives long enough, and has sufficient means, 

 he will complete it in a larger treatise. Then, perhaps, we shall 

 see how it will explain the construction of "Israel in Egypt," 

 Haydn's Quartettes, and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. 



THE MUSEUMS ASSOCIATION. 



nnilE first annual meeting of the Museums Association was 

 held in Liverpool on June 17, 18, and 19, under the 

 presidency of the Rev. H. H. Higgins, M.A. Liverpool was 

 represented by the President, Mr. J. T. Moore, Mr. R. Paden, 

 Mr. J. Chard, Mr. P. Cowell, Mr. H. A. Tobias, and a number 

 of other gentlemen. In addition to the home contingent, the 

 following were present : — Mr. F. W. Rudler, Mr. R. J. Howard, 

 Mr. R. Ashton (Blackburn) ; Mr. J. Vicars, Mr. J. J. Ogle 

 (Bootle) ; Mr. W. W. Midgley (Bolton) ; Mr. Butler Wood 

 (Bradford) ; Mr. John Storrie (Cardiff) ; Mr. Montagu Browne 

 (Leicester) ; Mr. C. G. Virgo (Manchester) ; Mr. T. J. George 

 ^Northampton) ; Mr. J. W. Carr (Nottingham) ; Mr, R. Howse 

 (Newcastle) ; Prof. Boyd Dawkins, Mr. W. E. Hoyle (Owens 

 College) ; Major Plant (Salford) ; Alderman Brittain, Mr. E, 

 Howarth (Sheffield) ; Lieutenant-Colonel Turner, Mr. John 

 Tym (Stockport) ; Mr. Robert Cameron, Mr. J. M. Bowley 

 (Sunderland) ; Mr. L. Greening, Mr. H. Roberts, Mr. F. W. 

 Moncks, Mr. C. Madeley (Warrington) ; Mr. H. M. Platnauer 

 (York). 



The proceedings were opened by Mr. J. T. Moore, as Mr. S. 

 W. North, chairman at the last meeting (held in York), was 

 unavoidably absent. The Rev. H. H. Higgins gave his pre- 

 sidential address, and the following papers were read and dis- 

 cussed : — "On Museum organization and arrangement," by 

 Prof. W. Boyd Dawkins, F.R.S. ; " Suggestions for aid in the 

 determination of natural, history specimens in Museums," by 

 Mr. F. W. Rudler ; " A new method of mounting Invertebrates 

 for Museum and lecture purposes," by Dr. H. C. Sorby, 

 P'.R.S. ; "Notes on the Liverpool Free Public Museum," by 

 Mr. T. J. Moore ; " Circulating school cabinets for elementary 

 schools," by Mr. John Chard (Assistant in the I^iverpool 

 Museum); "The best means of making Museums attractive to 



the public," by Mr. R. Cameron ; "A plea for local geological 

 models," by Mr. T. \. Moore ; " Museum cases and Museum 

 visitors," by Mr. E. Howarth ; "Notes on the Moscow Museum," 

 by Mr. Willoughby Gardner; "Winter evening lectures in 

 Museums," by Mr. R. Paden (Assistant in the Liverpool 

 Museum). 



Some very pleasant expeditions were made, thanks to the 

 untiring energy of the local Secretary, Mr. H. A. Tobias, who 

 was ably seconded by Mr. Cowell and Mr. McMillan. The 

 members of the Association were most hospitably received ; they 

 were entertained at lunch by his worship the Mayor, and 

 received invitations to a soiree of the Library, Museum, and Arts 

 Committee, and to a magnificent conversazione given by the 

 Japanese Consul, Mr. James L. Bowes. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS. 



American Journal of Science, June. — Prof. Elias Loomis : 

 a memorial address prepared by H. A. Newton at the request 

 of the President and Fellows of Vale College. — The magnetic 

 field in the Jefferson Physical Laboratory, Part II., by R. W. 

 Willson. In the February number of the Jotimal the author 

 gave some observations of the variations of the horizontal in- 

 tensity in different parts of the Jefferson Physical Laboratory in 

 1886-87, and upon the disturbance in the magnetic field pro- 

 duced by the presence of iron steam pipes and other iron masses. 

 He now finds from extended observations that brickwork pro- 

 duces a great disturbance of the magnetic field, and thinks, 

 therefore, that in general it would be safer to make exclusive 

 use of wood for buildings and piers intended for refined mag- 

 netic measurements. — The electrical resistance of the alloys of 

 ferro-manganese and copper (from determinations made by Mr. 



B. H. Blood), by Edward L. Nichol,--. The observations show 

 that ferro-manganese-copper alloys decrease in electrical re- 

 sistance each time they are subjected to a change of temperature. 

 In one case an alloy containing 80 82 per cent, of copper and 

 19" 12 per cent, of ferro-manganese, was hard drawn in the pro- 

 cess of obtaining a strip suitable for measurement. Its specific 

 resistance at 20°, referred to pure copper as unity, was 30-38 ; 

 this resistance gradually diminished as the strip was repeatedly 

 heated to 100° and cooled to 20°, until after seven such heatings 

 it had fallen to 30'072. The effect of successive annealings 

 upon the resistance of a number of alloys is also described. 

 — Fluid volume and its relation to pressure and temperature, by 



C. Barus. The paper contains the introductory part of a series 

 of experiments on the compressibility of liquids, in progress at 

 the Physical Laboratory of the U.S. Geological Survey. 

 Taking the results from 0° to 185° as a whole, it follows that if 

 with the observed thermal expansion compressibility be supposed 

 to increase inversely as the first power of the pressure binomiaL 

 (A + p, where A is constant), then temperature and pressure 

 must vary linearly to maintain constancy of volume. — On 

 hamlinite, a new rhombohedral mineral from the herderite 

 locality at Stoneham, Mi., by W. E. Hidden and S. L. Pen- 

 field. — On a large spring-balance electrometer for meauring 

 (before an audience) specific inductive capacities and potentials, 

 by Alfred M. Mayer. The chief characteristic of the excellent 

 piece of apparatus described is that it shows directly, and not 

 Inferentially, that different dielectrics transmit the force of 

 electricity in different degrees. — Notice of new Tertiary mammals, 

 by O. C. Marsh. 



The American Meteorological Journal for June contains : — 

 An article on the distribution of cloud over the globe, specially 

 prepared by M. L. Teisserenc de Bort from a former paper on 

 this subject (Nature, vol. xxxvi. p. 15), with diagrams of mean 

 isonephs for March, which is the clearest month over the globe, 

 aud for July, which, on the whole, is a cloudy month, and also 

 with figures showing the appearance of the cloud bands on the 

 earth, compared with oth-r planets having atmospheres. — Is 

 the diurnal variation of the magnetic needle a meteorological 

 phenomenon ?, by Prof. R. Owen. The object of the paper is to 

 show that our atmosphere is the medium influenced magnetically 

 by the sun, in affecting the diurnal movement of the needle. 

 The author thinks that the facts adduced may aid us in under- 

 standing why storms in the northern hemisphere rotate from 

 right to left, and advance from lower to higher latitudes. — A 

 translation of Dr. R. Assmann's paper on the climatological 

 influence of influenza. — Report of the meeting of the New Eng- 



NO. 1080, VOL. 42] 



