January ii, 1900] 



NATURE 



259 



on the constitution of the electric spark {^Proc. Roy. See., vol. 

 Ixiv. p. 331), has continued the research in the laboratory of 

 M. Lippmann, in Paris. In \.\\.t Journal de P/iyst</tte (Series 3, 

 vol. viii. pp. 652-660) he gives a detailed account of the action 

 of the jar spark, with and without self-induction in the secondary 

 circuit, on the metals bismuth, copper, cadmium, zinc, lead, 

 iron, cobalt, silver, mercury and also on the gases hydrogen 

 and oxygen. In every case the effect of self-induction in the 

 secondary is to lower the temperature of the spark, the result- 

 ing spectrum being intermediate between that of the arc and 

 the ordinary condensed spark, the air lines entirely disappear- 

 ing and the long lines of the metals only persisting. With a 

 very long exposure (fifteen times normal), the band spectrum 

 of nitrogen was faintly perceptible in the spectrum of the self- 

 induction spark. In the case ot metals containing impurities, 

 the spectrum of the impurity is well shown in the modified 

 spark spectrum. Photographs of the metallic spectra mentioned 

 accompany the paper, showing clearly the contrast between the 

 two types of spark. The apparatus consisted of a loinch spark 

 coil, three Leyden jars, each of 1200 sq. cm. surface, with self- 

 induction varying from o-oooi2 to 0-0038 henry in secondary 

 circuit. The photographed spectra extended from A 5900 to 

 A 34CO. 



The Annual Progress Report of the Geological Survey of 

 Western Australia for 1898, reached us atl the close of 1899. 

 Field-work has been carried on mainly by Mr. A. C.ibb Mait- 

 land and Mr. Torrington Blatchford in areas which were con- 

 sidered to be of economic importance. Among these the 

 crystalline rocks of the southern and western portions of the 

 colony received attention. The schists and gneisses have a 

 general strike to N.E. and S.W., but it was not found pos- 

 sible to draw any lines separating granite from gneiss or other 

 schistose rocks. A belt of iron-bearing schist, about six miles 

 in width, has been traced to the north of Northam. The 

 country consists chiefly of granite, in which are belts of 

 vertical mica- and hornblende-schists, and banded iron-bearing 

 quartzites. In places these quartzites have proved to be 

 auriferous. 



TtlE anthropological aspect of primitive mathematics has 

 recently been approached in two such very different ways by 

 Herr L. Frobenius (" Die Mathematik der Oceanier" ; Natnr- 

 wissenschaftliche Wochenschrijl, Bd. xiv. 1899, p. 573), and 

 W. J. McGee ("The Beginning of Mathematics"; Ameri- 

 can Anthropologist, N.S. vol. i. 1899, p. 646) as in itself to 

 constitute an interesting psychological study. The (iernian in- 

 vestigator gives lists of numerals from numerous localities, and 

 classifies them into structural groups, which fall naturally into 

 geographical districts ; for example, the group which has practi- 

 cally only two numerals lies to the south of Indonesia (i.e. 

 part of New Guinea and Australia) ; that with five is found in 

 the middle district (portions of New Guinea), while that with 

 ten numerals is characteristic of the northern district, whence it 

 has spread into Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. The 

 various exceptions and variations are noted, as well as the way 

 in which the numerals illustrate primitive addition, multiplica- 

 tion and subtraction. The American student starts with the 

 axioms that (i) Primitive men are mystics ; (2) Primitive men 

 are egoists. The Australian binary concept of things is ex- 

 pressed not only by their numeration, but even more clearly by 

 their social and fiducial systems. The most widespread of the 

 mystical numbers is four, the devotee of the Cult of the Quarters 

 is unable to think or speak without habitual reference to the 

 cardinal points. To most of the devotees of the qualern 

 concept— forming probably the majority of the middle, primi- 

 tive tribes of the earth— the mystical number four is sacred, 

 perfect, all-potent, of a perfection and potency far exceeding that 

 NO. I 576. VOL. 6f] 



of six to the Pythagoreans and the hexagram to Paracelsus. A 

 somewhat higher stage is marked by the use of six as a mystical 

 or sacred number ; in this stage the cardinal points are aug- 

 mented by the addition of zenith and nadir. In the case of the 

 last two cults the exoterically perfect numbers of four and six 

 are esoterically perfected through the unity of subjective person- 

 ality ; hence the mystical numbers of five and seven. The 

 author denies that the quinary system was primeval. The 

 method of treatment by Prof. McGee is sufficiently illustrated 

 by these quotations. 



An account, with illustrations, of the most interesting of the 

 medals awarded to students in London Hospitals, is contributed 

 to the current number of the British Medical Journal by Mr. 

 T. E. James. 



The twenty-seventh annual dinner of the old students of the 

 Royal School of Mines will be held on Friday, January 26, at 

 the Hotel Cecil. The chair will be taken by Mr. H. G. Graves, 

 who, for the past eight years, has acted as hon. sec. of the 

 dinner committee. 



The current number of the Electrician contains, as a supple- 

 ment, a large sheet-table giving details concerning the Electricity 

 Supply Works in the United Kingdom. An immense amount 

 of information concerning the plant in stations in operation or in 

 progress is given in the table. 



The fish hatching experiments recently started by the Crystal 

 Palace School of Fish Culture have now been resumed, and the 

 operations may be witnessed daily at the Palace. The first, lot 

 of ova salmonidce was laid on Friday last. 



Messrs. Whittaker and Co. have published the fourth 

 edition of Mr. T. H. Blakesley's "Papers on Alternating 

 Currents of Electricity for the use of Students and Engineers.' 

 A prominent characteristic of the book is that various electrical 

 problems are dealt with by geometrical methods. 



A coi'Y of the seventh volume of Natur uiid Hans — an 

 illustrated magazine for naturalists, using the word in its widest 

 sense — has been received. Numerous excellent illustrations are 

 distributed through the pages, and the articles will interest all 

 students of natural history having even an elementary knowledge 

 of the German language. The publisher is Gustav Schmidt, 

 Berlin. 



The second of the Selborne winter lectures will be delivered 

 at the Linnean Society's Room at Burlington House, W., on 

 Tuesday, January 16, at 8.30 p.m. The subject will be " Man's 

 First Contact with Nature," by Prof. G. S. Boulger. The 

 February lecture will, it is hoped, be the one promised some 

 months ago by the Hon. J. Scott Montagu, M.P., on "South 

 African Fauna and Flora " ; and the March lecture by Dr- 

 Lubbock. 



The thirteenth edition of " Discoveries and Inventions of the 

 Nineteenth Century," by Mr. Robert Routledge, has been pub- 

 lished by Messrs. G. Routledge and Sons. In matters which 

 have been brought prominently before the public, such, for 

 instance, as Rontgfen photography and wireless telegraphy, the 

 book is up-to-date, but in some of the less familiar sections it is 

 many years behind the times. The section on the spectroscope 

 particularly needs to be revised. Used with discrimination, the 

 book contains much instructive information concerning achieve- 

 ments of modern science and industry. 



HoRricuLTURAi, Science and practice are fortunate in having 

 such a trustworthy exponent as The Garden, of which the first 

 number of a new series has just been published. The journal 

 was founded in 1871 by Mr. William Robinson, and during its 

 existence has done much to promote improved methods in 



