206 



NA TURE 



{June 28, 1885 



with the spectrum of comets ; continuous spectrum corona ; spec- 

 trum of protuberances ; plates and drawings of protuberances." 



The American Association for the Advancement of Science 

 will hold its thirty second annual meeting at Minneapolis, Minn., 

 August 15 and following days. The president-elect is Prof- 

 C. A. Young of Princeton, and the following is the list of the 

 sectional vice-presidents of the meeting : — Section A (Mathe- 

 matics and Astronomy), W. A. Rogers of Cambridge ; B (Phy- 

 sics), H. A. Rowland of Baltimore ; C (Chemistry), E. W. 

 Morley of Cleveland ; D (Mechanical Science), De Volsen 

 Wood of Hoboken ; E (Geology and Geography), C. H. Hitch- 

 cock of Hanover ; F (Biology), W. J. Beal of Lansing ; G 

 (Histology and Microscopy), J. D. Cox of Cincinnati ; H 

 (Anthropology), O. T. Mason of Washington ; I (Economic 

 Science and Statistics), F. B. Hough of Lowville. The permanent 

 secretary is F. W. Putnam of Cambridge ; the general secretary 

 (of the meeting), J. R. Eastman of Washington. 



The annual meeting of the American Academy of Arts and 

 Sciences was held in Boston, Tuesday, May 29. The following 

 officers, we learn from Science, were elected for the ensuing 

 year :— President, Prof. Joseph Lovering; vice-president, Dr. 

 Oliver Wendell Holmes ; corresponding secretary, Prof. Josiah 

 P. Cooke ; recording secretary, Prof. John Trowbridge ; trea- 

 surer, H. P. Kidder ; librarian, S. H. Scudder. M. Adolph 

 Wurtz of Paris was elected a foreign honorary member. The 

 list of members of the Academy now includes 192 resident 

 Fellows, 92 associate Fellows, and 72 foreign honorary mem- 

 bers. The Academy voted unanimously to confer the Rumford 

 gold medal upon Prof. Henry A. Rowland of Baltimore for his 

 researches in light and heat. 



A NEW mode of measuring light was proposed at the last 

 meeting of the Royal Society by Mr. Preece, F.R.S. The 

 standard of reference is a small surface illuminated to a given 

 intensity, and the mode of comparison is the light given by a 

 small glow lamp whose state of incandescence is raised or 

 lowered by increasing or diminishing an electric current. The 

 amount of illumination is measured by the amount of current 

 flowing, so that the number of amperes gives the degree of illu- 

 mination. The standard surface is that illuminated by a British 

 '■candle" at 127 inches, and this is the same as that produced 

 by the French "bee " at I metre distance. In this way sunlight, 

 moonlight, twilight, fog, and the amount of illumination in any 

 part of a room or building, or that distributed over a street or 

 area at any time of day or night can be measured without any 

 reference to the source of light or its distance from the point 

 lighted. We have in fact a standard of illumination very easily 

 and simply measured. 



Prof. Bureau has been appointed Director of the Jardin des 

 Plantes in place of the late M. DecaUne. 



On Saturday, June 16, a joint meeting of the Essex Field 

 Club and the Geologists' Association was held at Grays for the 

 purpose of visiting the " Deneholes " in Hangman's Wood. From 

 fifty to sixty members and visitors, including many members of 

 the Anthropological Institute, were present, and nearly all had 

 an opportunity of descending one or both of the two holes which 

 were exhibited for the occasion. The meeting was under the 

 conductor-hip of Mr. T. V. Holmes, F.G.S., who has written a 

 1 aper giving an account of last year's preliminary exploration, 

 which will shortly appear in the Transactions of the Essex Field 

 Club. Photographs of the interior of one of the holes were suc- 

 cessfully taken by Mr. A. J. Spiller by means of magnesium 

 burning in oxygen. The party assembled for tea at the " King's 

 Arms " Hotel, when the president of the Club, Prof. G. S. 

 Boulger, and Mr. Holmes announced that it was the intention of 

 the Club to undertake the systematic investigation of these in- 



teresting prehistoric remains, both at Grays and elsewhere along 

 the Essex shore of the Thames. A large fund will be required 

 for this work, and a committee has been formed for the purpose 

 of organising the explorations, which will be carried on under 

 the personal superintendence of Mr. T. V. Holmes and Mr. 

 F. C. J. Spurrell. After some remarks by Dr. Hicks, the pre- 

 sident of the Geologists' Association, the meeting broke up. A 

 public appeal for assistance will shortly be made, and in the 

 meantime subscriptions will be gladly received by the treasurer 

 of the Essex Field Club, Mr. Andrew Johnston, J. P., The Firs, 

 Woodford, or by the Hon. Secretary, Mr. William Cole, Laurel 

 Cottage, Buckhurst Hill, to be paid to the accou it of the 

 " Denehole Exploration Fund." 



It will be seen from our Correspondence Columns that an 

 earthquake was felt in the south-west of England on Monday. 

 The shock seems to have spread very widely over Devonshire 

 and East Cornwall. At Holsworthy, Devonshire, a very 

 perceptible shock was felt at seventeen minutes to two 

 o'clock that afternoon. Floors shook, ai d doors and win- 

 dows rattled as from a passing train. No damage is re- 

 ported. A severe shock was felt at Hartland and Clovelly at 

 1.30 p.m., and a second shock at Clovelly at 1.40. Houses 

 shook considerably, and the bottles on counters in shops were 

 knocked against each other. A similar statement is sent from 

 Bude. The inhabitants of Princetown and the vicinity of 

 Dartmoor, about two o'clock were start'ed by two smart 

 shocks, followed by a subterranean rumbling like the passing 

 of a very heavy waggon, or the echo of distant thunder. The 

 first trembling was of sufficient intensity to be perceptibly felt by 

 those who happened to be occupying a chair, and the like effect 

 was produced on small movable objects, but it resulted in no 

 mischief. The disturbances apparently travelled from north east 

 to west. At Launceston at twenty minutes to two a shock was 

 felt, accompanied by a rumbling noise, which lasted at intervals 

 during about thirty minutes. The houses shook, and china and 

 earthenware rattled on the shelves. About an hour afterwards 

 another shock was felt, but not so severe. Similar information 

 comes from Lostwithiel, Liskeard, Lydford, Tavistock, Oke- 

 hampton, and Bideford. 



The Fine Art Society (148, New Bond Street) have seut us 

 an artist's proof of M. Leopold Flameng's very fine etching 

 after Mr. John Collier's picture of the late Mr. Darwin. The 

 original is admittedly faithful and characteristic, and of high 

 rank as a work of art, and M. Flameng has been perfectly suc- 

 cessful in reproducing the artist's intention. The result of both 

 these labours is a portrait of the greatest man of science of this 

 century, which all other men of science should be glad to pos ess. 

 We believe the number printed is limited. M. Flameng will 

 also undertake a similar etching of Mr. Collier's picture of Prof. 

 Huxley in this year's Exhibition. 



We have received the Report of the (Royal Victoria Coffee 

 Hall, where, as may be known to many of our'Sreaders, much 

 good work is being done at the present time in the way of pro- 

 viding cheap amusement every night, free from the temptation 

 to drink and other evils common to ordinary music halls. 

 Among other experiments being tried are short lectures of 

 the simplest and most popular kind, generally on some 

 scientific subject . illustrated by the oxyhydrogen lantern. 

 We are told that a really good lecturer who understands his 

 audience as well as his subject meets with a most encouraging 

 reception, but that very few men of science give their assistance 

 in this good work. We regret this ; but we believe it is largely 

 due to the fact that very little is known of the work in question, 

 and that if a general appeal were made to those men of science 

 who occasionally give an account either of their own work or 

 the work of others, many would be found willing to join in the 



