May i6, 1901] 



NA TURE 



61 



standard method of comparing coherers so that the work of 

 different experimenters may be compared, and suggests two ways 

 in which this may be done. Coherers may either be compared 

 relatively by measuring the height of vertical wire necessary for 

 them to respond to signals sent by a given transmitting apparatus 

 at a given distance, or, absolutely, by measuring the voltage at 

 which their initial resistance breaks down. The two methods, 

 it is pointed out, always give the same relative results ; the 

 latter appears to be preferable as it is more easily carried out, 

 and, moreover, eliminates all errors which might arise through 

 differences in the transmitters, which is especially advantageous 

 in the case in which the work of different persons is being com- 

 pared. Mr. Kinsley rightly insists that the absolute value of 

 the resistance after the breakdown, whether high or low, is not 

 of much importance, as the relay can always be designed to work 

 well with the particular coherer with which it is intended to 

 use it. 



We have received from the Rev. J. Coronas, S.J., of the 

 Manila Observatory, a discussion of a cyclone (El bagtiio del ?> 

 de Septiembre, 1900) which traversed the centre of the island 

 of Luzon and is said to have been the most severe storm 

 experienced during the previous six years. It is satisfactory to 

 note that, notwithstanding the paucity of observations from 

 other stations owing to the disturbed condition of the island, 

 the observatory was able to give notice of the existence of 

 the disturbance in the Pacific three days before its arrival on the 

 coast. The observations are insufficient to determine the track 

 of the storm across the Pacific, but after leaving the west coast 

 of Luzon it took a north-westerly course and, crossing the 

 China Sea, reached the mainland near the north of Hainan on 

 September 11. The fall of the barometer was greatest, and the 

 winds the most violent, in the rear of the cyclone ; a considerable 

 rise of the barometer was observed at all stations in the front of 

 the disturbance, and was correctly interpreted as a bad sign. 

 The rise was much more rapid than the subsequent fall. The 

 author discusses at some length the premonitory signs of such 

 disturbances, particularly convergence of cirrus clouds and the 

 swell of the sea ; the latter is at times observed some 500 miles 

 in advance of the approaching storm. 



It is reported that an American citizen and a member of the 

 Koman Catholic Church has offered to present to the Pope a 

 telescope larger than that shown at the Paris Exhibition of last 

 year. His Holiness is stated to have accepted the gift, which 

 is now destined to find a prominent place amongst the many 

 valuable instruments of research of the Vatican Observatory, 

 which was presented, just over a century ago, by Cardinal 

 Zelada with the then famous Dollond's telescope. Referring 

 to this gift, the Lancet gives some interesting particulars con- 

 cerning the Vatican Observatory. There seems to be scarcely 

 any doubt that an observatory tower was erected in Rome so 

 far back as some time previous to 15S2, and, as it would appear, 

 chiefly in connection with the reform of the Calendar. Accord- 

 ing to B. Crescenzi, Pope Gregory XIII. was mainly responsible 

 for its erection. It is recorded that the tower was intended 

 e.xclusively for astronomical observations and researches, and 

 there is, from an historical point of view, every reason to 

 suppose that it was the first celestial watch-tower ever built in 

 Rome. Since its erection, however, and partial endowment by 

 Pope Gregory XIII., it has passed through many and highly 

 complicated vicissitudes. It became of world-wide renown at 

 the beginning of the last century, chiefly on account of the 

 scientific labours and able management of Philip Gili, who, for 

 a period extending over thirty years, was its director. After the 

 death, however, of Gili, which occurred in 1821, it again 

 became quite disorganised. In 1888 the Vatican Observatory 

 commenced a new epoch in its history. In that year the com- 

 NO. 1646, VOL. 64] 



memoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the priesthood of Pope 

 Leo XIII. took place, and on that occasion all the instruments 

 and apparatus given by members of the Roman Catholic Church 

 interested in celestial and terrestrial physics were brought 

 together, and it then occurred to the organisers of the science 

 section of the Vatican Exposition that they would find a suitable 

 home in the old Gregorian tower. The suggestion was warmly 

 approved and soon carried into effect, and the Observatory has 

 since then taken a place in the first rank. 



The new number of the Mitteilungen aiis den deulschen 

 Sihutzgebieten is, as usual, largely devoted to statistics of 

 meteorological observations and astronomical determinations of 

 positions. A map of East Usambara, on a scale of i : 50,000, 

 based on trigonometrical and topographic surveys, accompanies 

 the number, also sketch-maps from surveys of the Kirunga 

 volcano region, and of the Ramu river in New Guinea. There 

 are short articles referring to the maps, and Count Zech con- 

 tributes an illustrated paper on the production of kola in West 

 Africa. 



The U.S. Experivient Station Record states that the agri- 

 cultural council of the Russian Ministry of Agriculture and 

 Imperial Estates has taken steps in the direction of improving 

 the character of the live stock and the live-stock industry in 

 general of that country. At present this industry is said to be 

 far behind that of other countries, the animals kept being inferior 

 and stock raising receiving comparatively small attention from 

 the farmers. The council has recommended the holding of 

 live-stock shows, with prizes for e.Kcellence, the establishment of 

 breeding farms and furnishing of expert assistance in purchasing 

 good breeding animals, the maintenance of local breeding es- 

 tablishments where the service of pure-bred animals can be 

 secured, and loans to municipalities and societies for the purpose 

 of purchasing pure-bred animals and providing for their care. 

 In order to carry out the above measures the Ministry of Agri- 

 culture, with the concurrence of the Minister of Finance, has 

 recommended a grant of 5,000,000 roubles (about 500,000/.) to 

 begin this work and a quadrennial grant of about 112,500/. 



The Bfilhttino of the Italian Geographical Society contains 

 part of a paper by Prof Gabriele Grasso on the distribution of 

 place-names in the Italian communes, dealing specially with 

 those names which have the word " monte " either as prefix or 

 suffix. Dr. Cosimo de Giorgi contributes an elaborate discus- 

 sion of the physical geography and geology of the port of Brin- 

 disi, and Dr. Giuseppe Stegagno a note on the lakes of the 

 Euganean Hills. With this number is issued the part of the 

 Bibliografia geografica della regione Tialiana, by L. F. de 

 Magistris, for 1899. 



In his Annual Progress Report of the Geological Survey for 

 the year 1S99 (1900) Mr. A. Gibb Maitland points out that the 

 field-work has been carried on in areas occupied by the ancient 

 crystalline rocks, presumably .\rchKan, where the work has had 

 a direct bearing on economic questions. The Kanowna mining 

 district to the north-east of Coolgardie was reported on by Mr. 

 T. Blatchford. Here the schists, which are much decomposed, 

 are in places highly auriferous, the granitic rocks and the 

 interlacing quartz veins are also auriferous, as well as the 

 alluvial deposits. The parent sources of the gold are the quartz 

 veins and lodes which traverse the crystalline rocks, but there is 

 much gold of secondary origin filling fissures or diffused over 

 cleavage planes. It is remarked that what may be called 

 secondary gold has been deposited from solution, not only in 

 the alluvium and other superficial deposits, but also in the zone 

 of decomposition of the bed rock. 



Mr. C. S. Minot has sent us a paper, reprinted from Science, 

 in which he describes and illustrates the unit system of laboratory 



