July 26, 1883] 



NATURE 



307 



Kioto ware have been fraudulently placed on the Western mar- 

 kets as genuine Satsuma. The former is less dense than the latter, 

 and its colour is as a rule darker. In truth, this writer says, 

 not more than a fraction of the ware which has been attributed 

 t ) the Satsuraa workshops was ever manufactured there. The 

 outcome of the factories was always comparatively small. They 

 » orked to order, and nine-tenths of their productions were cups, 

 tea-jars, and other small articles. Large vases and portly incense- 

 burners were exceptional ; and in the matter of old Satsuma 

 Western collectors have among Japanese virtuosi rivals who are 

 at once more competent judges and very much more liberal 

 purchasers tban themselves. 



The city of Rouen is to establish at Pont de l'Arche on the 

 Seine large waterworks for the generation of the electric light. 

 A lamp is to be placed on the top of the Cathedral, and 

 directed by a reflector on the surrounding streets. 



The largest display of electric light in Paris is probably at 

 the Hippodrome, where, in the large hall, sixteen regulators and 

 142 Jablochkoff lights are used, exclusive of those in other parts 

 of the building and outside. The dimensions of the arena are 

 about 45 metres by 120, and the height about 30 metres. The 

 effect is really splendid. 



The past month has brought with it its annual science ex- 

 aminations, and we have been especially struck with the ques- 

 tions of the City and Guilds examination papers in the electrical 

 subjects. One fact that we notice is that there seems very little 

 difference between the pass and honours grades, two or three 

 of the questions being similar, if not identical in each ; secondly, 

 in the electric lighting and transmission of power papeis there 

 seems to be a great paucity of questions on these topics, and one 

 or two rather prominent questions on theoretical electricity. Are 

 not papers of this kind somewhat misleading to teachers who 

 are preparing classes for these subjects? 



A very interesting legal case has just been decided by the 

 Solicitor-General in the matter of the Lane-Fox disclaimer. 

 Mr. Lane-Fox sought to be allowed to disclaim from his patent 

 of 187S for incandescent lamps and storage batteries, all except 

 the use of secondary batteries as a means of storage, and regu- 

 lation of a supply of electricity. This is a very broad claim, 

 and, to judge by present appearances, of vast importance. Al- 

 though not the first to use accumulators, yet Mr. Lane- Fox i^ the 

 first man who worked out a system in which they played the 

 part of regulators for a steady supply. The disclaimer was 

 allowed by the Solicitor-General after a protracted discussion. 



Another so-called "God's waggon" has been discovered in 

 the Deibjerger Moor near Ringkjobing (Jutland). Our readers 

 will remember our reporting the discovery of the first some two 

 years ago. Dr. Petersen, the keeper of the Copenhagen Museum, 

 has proceeded to the spot to superintend further researches. 



Two further volumes of Hartleben's " Elektrotechnisch e 

 Bibliothek" have just been published. They are entitled " Die 

 elektrischen Leitungen und ihre Anlage," by J. Zacharias, and 

 " Pie elektrischen Uhren und die electrische Fenenvehr Tele- 

 grapbie," by Dr. A. Tobler. 



Of ihe " Encyclopadie der Naturwissenscbaften " (Breslau, 

 Ed. Trewendt) we have received the 14th part of the sec md 

 divisi .n and the 33rd part of the first division. The latter con- 

 tains the continuation of Wittstein's " Handworterbuch de r 

 Pharmakognosie der Pflanzenreichs," and the former of Dr. 

 Gobel'- " Vergeleichender Entwicklungsgescbichteder Pflanzen- 

 organe " in the " Handbuch der Botanik." Both works v. ill, we 

 are informed, be soon brought to a conclusion. 



Dr. Macgowan of Wenchow is endeavouring to procure 

 records of earthquakes in China from the residents in various 

 parts of that country, and with that object has addressed a letter 

 to the local journals. He directs attention especially to Formosa, 



where earthquakes are most common in November and Decem- 

 ber, confirming so far Mr. Mallet's observations. A Chinese 

 record thus describes the effects produced on the sea by sub- 

 marine causes — among them probably earthquakes : — " Peculiar 

 noises of the sea are sometimes heard which are commonly 

 regarded as indicative of change of weather, sounds coming from 

 the foreboding rain, those from the south being followed by 

 wind. Hissing noises are heard ; at times they are low, at 

 others loud. When low they resemble the beating of a drum 

 or the dropping of beans on the same instrument. Now the 

 sounds are near, and now distant ; stopping suddenly, or con- 

 tinuing for hours. When the noise is loud, it is more noisy than 

 a hundred thousand men, and the sea bubbles up ; in very pro- 

 tracted cases the noises continue day and night for half a month, 

 and when of short continuance the sound lasts three or four 

 days. During the sounds the sea is agitated by fearful billows 

 and furious waves." 



Severe tornadoes are reported as having occurred in Southern 

 Minnesota and Wisconsin (U.S.) on Monday. A railway train 

 was overturned and many of the passengers killed. 



Dr. H. Reusch, who last year took part in the geological 

 investigations of the west coast of Norway, made under the 

 direction of Prof. Kjerulf, has given to Natural the results of his 

 examination of the fossils of the fjelds and islands near Bergen. 

 The richest find was discovered on the little island, StorJo, outside 

 the Hardangerfjord, where numerous well pre-erved remains of 

 crinoids, a great variety of corals, graptolites and shells of 

 mollusks were obtained which belonged to the Silurian period. 

 The rocks uf this district were mostly of compressed conglome- 

 rates. The small group of islands beyond Espevaar, and the 

 neighbouring Siggen Fjeld, exhibit the most strongly marked 

 volcanic character, and owe their origin to the eruption of 

 streams of molten rock and 1 >yers of ash and scoria;, w hich 

 probably belong to the Silurian age. These products of erupti :>n 

 have, however, not remained in situ, for the once horizontal 

 deposits have been so powerfully crushed, twisted, or upheaved 

 at various points, that the masses of rock of which the great 

 Siggen Fjeld is composed have now a vertical inclination trend- 

 ing north. The accidental discovery in 1S62 of a small nugget 

 of pure gold embedded in white quartz, in the so-called Slor- 

 haugens mine on Bommel Island, has attracted the attention of 

 prospectors, and a French company has opened extensive works 

 at Viksnes, where copper pyrites are found in considerable 

 quantities. A fine specimen of the auriferous quartz of Bommel 

 Island may be seen in the museum of the Christiania University. 



The steamer Germania is on the point of sailing from Ham- 

 burg to Cumberland Sound, in order to bring home the staff of 

 the German Polar station. Dr. F. Boas leaves with the 

 Germania for the purpose of making ethnographical researches 

 in Arctic America. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Malbrouck Monkey (Cercopithecus cyno- 

 surus 6) from West Africa, presented by Miss M. A. Waite ; a 

 Black-backed Jackal (Canis mtsomelas 9 ) from South Africa, 

 presented by Mr. E. D. Thomas ; a Philantomba Antelope 

 (Cephalophus maxwelli), a Duyker-Bok (Cephalophus mergms) 

 from South Africa, presented by Mrs. Macfarlane ; five Martini- 

 can Doves (Zenaida martinicana), two Porto Rico Pigeons 

 (Columba corensis) from the West Indies, presented by Mr. J. A 

 Ward ; a Ringed-necked Parrakeet (PaUeornis torquatus) from 

 India, presented by Mrs. Humphrey ; a Macaque Monkey 

 (Macacus cynomolgus? ) from India, an Ocelot ((Felis pardalis 6) 

 from Demerara, a St. Thomas's Conure (Conurus xantholamm) 

 from St. Thomas, West Indies, deposited ; thirteen Common 

 Vipers ( Vipera bcrus) from Hampshire, purchased ; two Levail- 

 lant's Cynictis (Cynictis penicillaia), two Wonga-Wonga Pigeons 

 (Leucosarcia picata), bred in the Gardens. 



