616 
NATURE 
[APRIL 29, 1897 
the museum for some time, and the conclusion was arrived at 
that it was largely due to the wholesale destruction of insect- 
ivorous birds. Steps have therefore been taken to protect useful 
birds and their eggs. Dr. Schénland has established a small 
private botanic garden for South African plants. He remarks 
that he was driven to this step, because there is, unfortunately, no 
public garden in Cape Colony for the study of the South African 
flora. The relics of pre-historic South African races were 
also studied during the year, some interesting finds being 
obtained from three caves at King’s Quarry, Grahamstown, A 
number of peculiar drawings on rocks in Bechuanaland were 
examined by Dr. Schonland. Although there was no decisive 
evidence to show that they were the work of Bushmen, the 
facts obtained certainly point to that conclusion. 
AMONG noteworthy articles and publications which have 
come under our notice during the past few days are the follow- 
ing :—‘* Storms and Weather Forecasts,” by Prof. Willis L. 
Moore, in the National Geographic Magazine (March). Twenty- 
six full-page plates, illustrating the weather characteristics of 
the United States, accompany this article.-—‘* Neural Terms, 
International and National,” by Prof. Burt G. Wilder, reprinted 
from the Fournal of Comparative Neurology, vi. (December 
1896). A critical treatise on the principles and practice of ana- 
tomical nomenclature, with special reference to the brain.— 
““Zusammenstellung der Ergebnisse neuerer Arbeiten iiber 
atmospharische Electricitat,” by Profs. J. Elster and H. Geitel 
(Jahresbericht des Herzog]. Gymnasiums zu Wolfenbiittel, 1897). 
Some years ago (1891), Profs. Elster and Geitel brought together, 
in the yearly report of the Wolfenbiitte! Gymnasium, the in- 
vestigations which had been made on atmospheric electricity. 
They have now collated the large amount of work done by 
others and themselves during the past six years. Their review 
is thusa valuable summary of the progress made in an important 
branch of scientific inquiry. —The Proces-verbaux of the Interna- 
tional Committee on Weights and Measures, for the year 1895, and 
the Comptes rendus of the meetings of the second conference on 
weights and measures, held in Paris in 1895.—On the Arti- 
ficial Production of certain Organic Forms, and the Manner in 
which they are Produced,” by the late Mr. George Rainey (St. 
Thomas's Hospital Reports, vol. xxiv.). This paper is reprinted 
from the J/edical Times and Gazette of 1868, and all practical 
workers in experimental physiology will be glad to have their 
attention drawn to it. Mr. W. W. Wagstaffe contributes a 
brief introduction to the reprint.—‘* A Summer Voyage to the 
Arctic,” by G. R. Putnam (Naézonal Geographic Magazine, 
April). An account is given of a voyage to Umanak fiord, in 
the northern part of Danish Greenland, and several hundred 
miles within the Arctic circle. The magnetic observations made 
during this expedition are described by Prof. G. R. Putnam in 
the March number of Zerres¢réal MJagnet?sm.—* Contributions 
towards the Bibliography of Photography in Colours,” by 
Thomas Bolas (¥owrnal of the Society of Arts, April 23). A 
valuable descriptive list of what has been published on colour 
photography since r81o.-—A full and very appreciative obituary 
notice of the late Prof. Sylvester is contributed to Sczence of 
April 16, by Prof. G. B. Halsted, who was his first pupil in the 
Johns Hopkins University.x—In a Catalogue of Mathematical 
Works offered for sale by Messrs. Dulau and Co., mathe- 
maticians will find many rare and valuable papers, The catalogue 
runs into 178 pages, and the names of authors are arranged in 
alphabetical order, 
Ir is well known that when carbon is used as anode in the 
electrolysis of electrolytes from which oxygen is evolved among 
the products of decomposition, the carbon is attacked more or 
less rapidly. This is due partly to chemical action, partly to 
mechanical disaggregation. Mr. Alfred Coehn contributes an 
NO. 1435, VOL. 55] 
interesting note on this important subject to the Zedtschrift fiir 
Elektrochemie for April 5. The phenomena observed whem 
dilute sulphuric acid is electrolysed with platinum kathodes, and. 
carefully purified arc-lamp carbons as anodes, depend on the 
concentration of the acid. When an acid containing 500: 
volumes of water to one volume of concentrated sulphuric acid 
is used, the liquid gradually becomes dark brown ; with equal 
volumes of acid and water, it remains colourless ; with inter- 
mediate concentrations the depth of colour is intermediate At 
higher temperatures the mechanical destruction of the carbon 
diminishes, and even the stronger acids become brown. The 
author has attempted to determine the electro-chemical equi- 
valent of carbon, employing acid containing equal volumes of 
strong sulphuric acid and water, at a temperature of 100° C. 
Under these circumstances the mechanical destruction of the 
carbon appears to be small compared with the chemical attack. 
While 4°0085 grams of copper were deposited in a copper 
voltameter, the carbon anodes lost 0°4476 and 0°4537 grams 
respectively, from which the value of the equivalent is 3°5. In 
a second series of experiments, in which the concentration of 
the acid was varied considerably, and the fragments of carbom 
mechanically lost were collected, weighed, and deducted from 
the total loss of weight of the anodes, values were observed 
varying from 2°7 to 3. The author promises further details of 
the experiments in a future communicaton. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a White-fronted Capuchin (Cebus albifrons) 
from Venezuela, presented by Sir William Hoste, Bart. ; two 
Pin-tailed Sand Grouse (P%erocles alchata) from India, presented 
by Mr. W. H. St. Quintin ; a Black-headed Gull (Larus 7zde- 
bundus), British ; two Rufous-necked Weaver Birds (Ayphan- 
tornis textor) from South Africa, presented by Mr. W. H. 
Dobie ; a Cactus Conure (Contras cacterum) from Brazil, pre- 
sented by Mrs. A. G, Scorer; a White-crested Touracou 
(Turacus corythatx) from South Africa, deposited ; a Crowned 
Lemur (Lev coronatus) from Madagascar, a Spider 
Monkey (A¢eles variegatus ?) from South America, three Double- 
banded Sand Grouse (Plerocles bécénctus) from Senegal, pur- 
chased. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 
PECULIAR STELLAR SpECTRA.—Harvard College Circular 
(No. 17) continues the list of stars the spectra of which have 
been designated as ‘‘ peculiar.” 
The table contains no less than nineteen stars, but we wilb 
confine ourselves in the summary to those of smaller southern 
declinations. 
Designation. RR po, Det gio, MO Description. 
| 
We sere |) ety e * 
A.G.C. 9313] 7 14°5 —24 47 | 4°6 | Peculiar. 30 Can. Maj. Re- 
- sembles ¢ Puppis. _ ‘ 
A.G.C. 10182 7 43°9 —25 42 | 5°3 HB bright. o Puppis. 
|kSraaee i Se 58 | Peculiar. Variable. 
A.G.C, 22640! 16 39°2 —46 54 | 7°4 | Bright band, wave-length about 
| 4700. 
aaa 85 —44 43 | Peculiar. Variable. 
A.G.C. 29191) 21 11°5 —39 15 | 73 | Peculiar. 
A.G.C. 31272! 22 55°0 —23 4/8 Peculiar. 
In the notes it is mentioned that the third star in the above 
list ‘‘ may resemble” that of ¢ Puppis, since it contains two 
bright lines which may coincide with the lines having wave- 
lengths 4633 and 4688. ¢Puppis, 29 Canis Majoris, 30 Canis 
Majoris, and this star may form a subdivision of Type V. All 
these stars are near the central line of the Milky Way. _ 
The fifth star was noted by Dr. Stewart as ‘‘ bright-line star 
(faint) on a Bruce photograph. An examination by Mrs. 
Fleming has indicated that the star is variable and the spectruny 
peculiar, 
