NA TURE 



[July 21, 1904 



the temperature coefficient of electrical conductivity, (s) 

 Solubilities and conductivities. A large number of sub- 

 stances were examined, and it was found that many organic 

 •compounds containing oxygen or nitrogen dissolved readily 

 in HCl, HBr, HI, and HjS, and formed solutions which 

 conducted well. 



Inorganic substances, on the other hand, did not dissolve, 

 or if so only in the merest traces. An exception to the 

 latter generalisation occurs in the case of H,S dissolved in 

 HBr ; these liquids mix in all proportions, but the mixture 

 does not conduct the current. 



June 16.—" On Flame Spectra." By Charles de Watte- 

 ville. Communicated by Arthur Schuster, F.R.S. 



In order to obtain the spectrum of any substance, it has 

 generally been considered sufficient to introduce a small 

 quantity of it into an already formed flame. In the 

 course of a photometrical investigation of flames which 

 had been coloured by injecting the spray from saline solu- 

 tions into the gas to be burnt, M. Gouy discovered in the 

 spectra of the flames several new lines belonging to the 

 metal contained in the solution {Xnna\es de Chimic ct de 

 Physique, 5th series, vol. xviii., 1879). Instead of appear- 

 ing throughout the whole flame, as did the previously 

 known lines, these new lines were only emitted in the 

 vicinity of the inner blue cone — the origin of the Swan 

 spectrum. 



The method employed by the author is, m short, that 

 which has been introduced by M. Gouy. 



The lines in the spectra obtained under the conditions 

 of his experiments are very much more numerous than is 

 the case when all the portions of the flame do not partici- 

 pate in the production of the phenomena. Moreover, the 

 flame spectra extend suftlciently far into the ultra-violet in 

 order to enable the line 2194 of tin to be observed. 



The lines which are found in the flame spectrum are 

 those which are the strongest lines in the arc spectrum. 

 In certain cases, some of the more intense arc lines are 

 absent, whereas less intense arc lines are to be found in 

 the flame spectrum. On the other hand, none of the 

 characteristic lines of the spark spectrum are ever seen in 

 the flame spectrum. 



There is a most striking similarity between the flame 

 spectra of iron, of nickel, and of cobalt, and the oscillatory 

 spark spectra of the same metals in the region included 

 between about 4300 and 2700 Angstrom units. The simi- 

 larity of the two spectra is so great that, except for very 

 small differences of intensity, the oscillatory spark spectrum, 

 which is photographed as a comparison spectrum in the 

 centre of the flame spectrum, appears to be a prolongation 

 of the latter. In the ultra-violet the spectrum of the flame 

 appears to fade away a little more rapidly than that of the 

 oscillatory spark, but it is probable that this difi'erence 

 would be reduced by prolonging the time of exposure, 

 since it is, of course, the radiations of the shortest wave- 

 length which are most absorbed by different media. 



It is very probable that the reason for this similarity 

 between the spectrum of the flame and the spectrum of the 

 oscillatory spark is entirely a question of temperature. 

 On the one hand, the increase in the number of lines of 

 the flame spectrum obtained by the use of the sprayer may 

 be attributed to the fact that the hottest regions of the 

 flame take part in the production of the phenomena, and, 

 on the other hand, the diminution in the number of lines 

 in the spark spectrum when the spark becomes oscillatory 

 is due to a diminution of its temperature. 



New South W.\les. 

 Royal Society, May 4. — Prof. F. B. Guthrie, president, 

 in the chair. — Prof. F. B. Guthrie delivered the presidential 

 address, in which he gave a risumi of the condition of 

 chemistry and chemists in the State. Of the teaching 

 institutions, the university made ample provision for teach- 

 ing chemistry ; about 300 students were in attendance at 

 lectures, and about 150 doing practical work in the labor- 

 atories. In conclusion, stress was laid upon the necessity 

 for centralising chemical research work. At present there 

 existed the opposite tendency — to decentralise it as the de- 

 partmental work grew. Personally, he would like to see 

 established a central scientific institute, where all the scien- 

 tific work could be conducted. Failing this, a great deal 



NO. 181 2, VOL. 70] 



could be done in consolidating scientific work and increasing 

 its efficiency by the creation of a controlling science de- 

 partment, which would administer the different scientific 

 establishments under departmental control. This would be 

 of great advantage in research, especially where it required 

 the cooperation of more than one branch of science. 

 Investigation into subjects of national importance could 

 then be carried out in continuity. 



June I. — Mr. C. O. Burge, president, in the chair. — 

 Possible relation between sun-spots and volcanic and seismic 

 phenomena and climate ; H. I. Jensen. This paper is a 

 sequel to the author's note communicated to the Royal 

 Society of New South Wales on June 4, 1902. The paper 

 is divided into two parts. In the first part it is shown that 

 while there has been a marked rise in solar activity since 

 the middle of igo2, seismic and volcanic disturbances have 

 fallen off on the earth, both in violence and frequency, almost 

 to a minimum. In the second part of the paper various 

 sun-spot and meteorological theories are considered. The 

 climates of Australia and Mauritius are discussed, and the 

 occurrence of heavy rains at sea during drought periods, 

 the retreat of glaciers during cold winters, and the diminu- 

 tion in the number of cyclones during sun-spot minima are 

 ascribed to the same cause, namely, the feebler circulation 

 of the atmosphere due to the diminution in the amount of 

 heat received from the sun during sun-spot minima. An 

 index to literature and tables of earthquake and eruption 

 statistics follow. — On the absence of gum, and the presence 

 of a new diglucoside in the kinos of the Eucalypts : H. G. 

 Smith. In this paper, which is the first of a series dealing 

 with Eucalyptus kinos, the author shows that the supposed 

 gum occurring in many Eucalyptus kinos is not gum, but a 

 peculiar tannin diglucoside. — On some natural grafts 

 between indigenous trees : J. H. Maiden. The author 

 obtained from George's River a composite log which in 

 bark and timber showed the absolute fusion of white or 

 cabbage gum {Eucalyptus haemasloma, variety micrantha) 

 and stringybark (Eucalyptus capitellata). The red timber 

 of the former contrasts well with the pale brown of the 

 latter, and the fusion of the two timbers is perfect. Such 

 instances of the organic union of two species of the same 

 genus have been rarely recorded. 



CONTENTS. PAGH 



The Mind of a Great Thinker. By W. McD, ... 265 



American Big Game. By R. L 266 



The Orbit of a Planet 267 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Hinion :" The Fourth Dimension " 268 



Williams: "The Hill Towns of Italy" 268 



Thomas : " Our Mountain Garden "... . 268 



Vasey : " Guide to the Analysis of Potable Spirits" , 269 



Schlich :" Forestry in the United Kingdom" . . . . 269 



Hering :" Ready Reference Tables." — M.S. . . 269 

 Arnold and Mandel : " A Compendium of Chemistry." 



J. B. C 269 



Letters to the Editor ;— 



Residual Affinity. — Spencer Pickering, F.R.S. . . 270 



A Volatile Product from Radium. — Harriet Brooks 270 



The Traction of Carriages. — E. Williams 270 



Universities and the State .... 271 

 The Meeting-Place of East and West. (Illustrated.) 



By H. R. Hall 275 



British Association Meeting at Cambridge . . 277 



Modern Printing Presses. By Chas. T. Jacobi . 27S 



Cancer Research. By Prof. R. T. Hewlett . . . 279 

 Electrical Transmission of Pictures and Script. 



By C. C, G 280 



Notes, (llhistmtcd.) 281 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Radial Velocity of the Orion Nebula 285 



Muss and Shape of Jupiter 286 



" Reversals " in Sun-spot Spectra 286 



Escape of Gases from the Earth's Atmosphere . . . . 286 



Forthcoming Return of Encke's Comet 286 



The Upper Chalk of England and its Zones . ... 286 



University and Educational Intelligence 287 



Societies and Academies 2S7 



