566 
NATURE 
[APRIL 15, 1897 
furnace and allowed to cool slowly, the ingot contains only 
about I per cent. of combined carbon, although the presence of 
a considerable quantity of graphite shows that the mass, when 
fluid, contained a much higher percentage. In preparing dia- 
monds by rapidly cooling a solution of carbon in iron, M. 
Moissan noticed, in the central portion of the casting, signs of 
crystallisation recalling the appearance of the boride and the 
silicide of iron. It thus appeared probable that the carbide 
of iron could exist at a very high temperature, but was almost 
completely decomposed on slowly cooling to the solidifying 
point of the casting. Following up this observation, M. 
Moissan heated pure iron for three minutes in a carbon crucible 
with a current of 900 amperes at 600 volts, the mass being then 
taken from the furnace and poured directly into cold water. 
The ingot was crystalline in structure, containing from 3 to 4 
per cent. ofcombined carbon, but no graphite. From this the 
carbide was separated, by a modification of the method of 
Mylius, Foerster and Schwenz, in brilliant crystals of exactly 
the composition Fe,C (Compres vendus, April 5). Water has 
no action upon this, even at 150, but hydrochloric acid gives a 
mixture of hydrogen and methane. The experiment is stated 
by M. Moissan to be free from danger, but is hardly likely to 
be frequently repeated in the laboratory on account of the 
enormous currents required, representing, indeed, upwards of 
700 horse-power. 
FATHER SIDGREAVES has issued his report on the meteoro- 
logical, magnetic, and other observations made at the Stonyhurst 
College Observatory in 1896. It is curious that the instruments 
at Stonyhurst seem to object to furnish positive evidence of phe- 
nomena, either terrestrial or celestial. Tracings of the horizontal 
magnetic direction and force were examined in connection with 
several distant earthquakes ; but Father Sidgreaves says he has 
found nothing in the movements of the magnets that could be 
attributed to any but magnetical disturbance.- Even the nearer 
earth tremor of December 17, 1896, made no impression on the 
Stonyhurst magnetic curves. Over 350 photographs of stellar 
spectra were obtained during the year with the compound prism 
spectrograph in combination with the Perry- Memorial objective. 
AN admirable series of leaflets on birds, edited by Mr. H. E. 
Dresser, has been published by the Society for the Protection 
of Birds. Part I. contains short and popular articles, written 
by well-known ornithologists, on owls, woodpeckers, starling, 
swallows, kingfisher, osprey, dippers, nightjar, titmice, kestrel, 
and plovers. The leaflets will do good service in interesting 
the public in our feathered friends, and in preventing the 
wanton destruction and possible extermination of beneficial 
species. At the end of the collection of leaflets is a concise 
and clear statement of the Acts and Orders which have been 
made for, the protection of eggs and birds in the different 
counties. 
THE following new editions of scientific works have recently 
been published :—‘‘Stones for Building and Decoration,” by 
George P. Merrill. (New York : Wiley and Sons. London: 
Chapman and Hall.) This book has already been reviewed in 
Nature (vol. xlv. p. 222, 1892); the present edition, how- 
ever, contains over fifty more pages than the original. It 
deals almost entirely with stones found in North America, or 
imported, and used in the United States for building and 
ornamental purposes. —‘‘ Collected Contributions on Digestion 
and Diet,” by Sir William Roberts, F.R.S. Second edition. 
(London: Smith, Elder, and Co.) All the contributions the 
author has made, either in the form of lectures or papers, to 
subjects relating to digestion, dietetics, and dyspepsia, are 
brought together in this volume. An article on the opium 
habit in India, which appeared as an ‘‘annexure”’ to the 
NO. 1433, VOL. 55] 
Report of the Royal Commission on Opium (1895), has beem 
appended to the new edition.—The eighth edition of am 
‘Elementary Text-book of Physics,” by Prof. W. A. Anthony, 
Prof. C. F. Brackett, and Prof. W. F. Magie, has been published 
by Messrs. Wiley and Sons. The book contains a concise and 
instructive statement of the fundamental principles of physics. 
It possesses many good features, and may be used with advan- 
tage as a text-book of physics for the higher classes in schools. 
and colleges. 
Tue Cambridge University Press will publish very shortly = 
“*The Life-Histories of the British Marine Food-Fishes,” by 
Dr. W. C. McIntosh, Professor of Natural History in the 
University of St. Andrews, and Mr. A. T. Masterman, 
Assistant Professor and Lecturer in Natural History in the 
same University. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Chacma Baboon (Cyvocephalus porcarius, 
é), a Levaillant’s Cynictis (Cyndctes penzcillata), a Jackal 
Buzzard (Luteo jacal), a Cape Grass Owl (Strix capensis), two 
Hoary Snakes (Pseudaspzscana), two Yellow Cobras (Waza 
flava), a Puff Adder (Aztzs artetans) from South Africa, pre- 
sented by Mr. J. E. Matcham; a Red-footed Ground Squirrel 
(Xerus erythropus) from West Africa, presented by Sir Archi- 
bald Lamb ; a Larger Tree Duck (Dendrocygna major) from 
India, presented by Mr. W. Jamrach; two Barbary Turtle 
Doves (7urtur résorius) from Africa, presented by Mr. W. S. 
Berridge ; a Crested Porcupine (Aystrzx cristata) from West 
Africa, an Argus Pheasant (Argus géganteus, 9 ) from Malacca, 
a Red and Blue Macaw (Ava macao) from South America, an 
Indian White Crane (Gres deucogeranos) from India, deposited ; 
four Tufted Ducks (Adigula cristata), European; two Red- 
backed Buzzards (zteo erythronotus) from South America, two 
Barred-shouldered Doves (Geopelia humeralis) from Australia, 
purchased ; a Markhoor (Cagra megaceros, 6) from North-east 
India, received in exchange; a Mouflon (Oves mustmon, 6), 
four Coypu Rats (AZyopotamus coypus), born in the Gardens. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 
OBSERVATIONS OF JUPITER’S FrrrH SATELLITE.—Prof. 
J. M. Schaeberle, writing from the Lick Observatory to the 
Astronomical Fournal (No. 398), gives the results of his observ- 
ations relating to the fifth satellite of Jupiter. These measures 
will furnish considerable data for correcting the mean motion of 
the satellite, even ifno other observations be secured at the pre- 
sent season. Marth’s ephemeris was found still to be in good 
agreement with the observed place, the error in time of elonga- 
tion being less than four minutes. The observations were made 
on February 27 of this year, and were begun within half an 
hour of the satellite’s greatest elongation. 
TJARVARD COLLEGE OBSERVATORY REPor?T.—We have 
received the fifty-first annual report of the director of the 
Astronomical Observatory of Harvard College, Prof. E. C- 
Pickering, to the president of the University. A glance at this. 
shows one what an immense amount of useful work is being done 
at this observatory, and how great a scope is included in it. The . 
two subjects to which special attention is called, are the suc- 
cessful erection of the Bruce photographic telescope in Peru, and 
the establishment of a series of circulars, which have for their 
object a prompt means of announcing discoveries made at the 
observatory or its branch stations, and other similar matters of 
interest. The usual routine work has been continued with the 
well-known energy displayed by the director in all departments. 
Thus with the East equatorial, among other observations, 4192. 
comparisons have been made to determine the form of the light 
curve of the Algol variable W Delphini, 3436 of U Cephei, and 
1616 of Z Herculisand 1748 of T. Andromedze. The photographs. 
taken with the 8-inch Draper telescope numbered 2508, while 
the 8-inch Bache telescope has been employed in obtaining 
2770 stellar spectra. Among these many very interesting 
objects have been discovered, several of which have been pre- 
viously referred to in these columns, The 13-inch Boyden tele- 
