Oct. 9, 1884] 



NA TURE 



569 



M. Bouquet de la Grye has invented a multiplying seismo- 

 graph. The instrument has been fixed at Puebla, and a series 

 of observations made during November and December 1882 

 show twenty-two abnormal movements in one month, probably 

 seismic, only one being felt at Puebla. The sun and moon have 

 been proved to have a direct action on the pendulum, the sun 

 repelling it and the moon attracting it. 



M. A. Righi has published a paper in <Caz Journal de Physique 

 on " The Influence of Heat and Magnetism on the Electrical 

 Resistance of Bismuth." He says that the resistance of bismuth 

 increases between some temperatures and decreases between 

 others. These variations can lie drawn in a curve which shows 

 a maximum at a low temperature, then a minimum, again another 

 maximum just before fusing, anil a second minimum whilst in a 

 liquid state, this minimum being in value about one-half the 

 foregoing maximum. The positions of these maxima and minima 

 vary with the physical conditions of the bismuth ; if the bismuth 

 be cooled rapidly, the two maxima approach one another until 

 they even merge together, and the curve becomes similar to a 

 parabola. In the first case the two maxima occur at -40°C. 

 and 240 C, the intervening minimum being at 115° C. In the 

 case of rapidly cooled bismuth the single maximum is at 5°° C. 

 These results only occur in commercial bismuth, and are more 

 exaggerated as the bismuth is hardened in the preparation, wire 

 showing them more than castings, and cold drawn wire more 

 than hot. Pure bismuth behaves like an ordinary metal. The 

 resistance of bismuth either pure or commercial is increased in 

 the magnetic field ; in some experiments the increase has been 

 one-eighth of the original resistance. The increase in resistances 

 is generally proportional to the magnetic force, and decreases 

 with a rise in temperature. 



In a recent paper by M. Plante, he gives the result of some 

 experiments made to arrive at the cause and explanation oi ball 

 lightning ; he was led to these experiments by having one of his 

 mica condensers destroyed by a similar phenomenon. He 

 charged one of his condensers from his secondary battery of 

 800 pairs, when the condenser was pierced, and instead of a 

 bright spark a small incandescent globule was formed, which 

 moved slowly over the surface of the condenser, following the 

 parts where the insulating layer had least resistance, and destroy- 

 ing the metal film ; the path being most curious and erratic. 

 This motion continued, and the globule lasted one or two 

 minutes, until the batteries ran down. In the case of a condenser 

 in which the insulating material was ebonite, a sound was emitted 

 similar to a toothed wheel being rapidly rotated against a piece 

 of cardboard or sheet metal ; at the same time there was a 

 strong smell similar to that produced when ebonite is burnt. 

 M. Plante repeated this experiment with 1600 secondary cells, 

 which gave an electromotive force of 46,000 volts, and obtained 

 a similar but much more complicated result. The second 

 experiment made was to make a condenser of two flat pads of 

 filter paper moistened with distilled water and brought near 

 together so as to f 1111 an air condenser ; now on connecting this 

 condenser with his battery he obtained an incandescent globule 

 which moved about between the pads and passed from one to 

 the other. In this case he noticed that if the pads became dry 

 at any point the globule disappeared, but either appeared at 

 some other point, or at the same point again, as soon as it again 

 became damp. In this experiment he found that the globule 

 lasted a much greater time than in the case of the mica con- 

 denser, which fact was owing to the greater resistance in the 

 condenser plates which did not allow the battery to discharge so 

 rapidly. 



GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 

 To the Bolleiino of the Italian Geographical Society for 

 September Prof. Bellio contributes an ■account of a curious 

 manuscript by the Sicilian missionary Fra Teramo Castelli 

 (1597-1659), who spent the better part of his life in Trans- 

 Caucasia. This altogether unique work comprises seven thick 

 folio volumes, originally preserved in the Theatine Convent, 

 Palermo, but, after the suppression of the religious orders, 

 rescued from destruction and -removed by P. di Marzo to the 

 communal library of that city. Its peculiar character will 

 be at once evident when it is stated that there is no written text, 

 all the volumes containing nothing but pen-and-ink sketches and 

 other illustrations, accompanied by brief legends or explanations 

 mostly in Italian or indifferent Latin, but occasionally also in 



Greek and Georgian. This method was deliberately adopted 

 by the author or artist to convey his impression of men and 

 things, because, as he naively remarks, " we thus see at a glance 

 the fact, which, if written out, would take up much time both 

 of the writer and of the reader." Of the designs, of which 

 there are altogether 11 76, 347 are of little value, being occupied 

 with mystic, devotional, or ascetic subjects. But all the rest 

 arc highly interesting, especially to students of geography and 

 ethnography. The two regions chiefly illustrated are Mingrelia 

 (basins of the Rion and Ingur) and Georgia proper (basin of the 

 Kur), jointly stretching from the Euxine to the Caspian, and 

 bounded on the south by Armenia, on the north by "'the 

 kingdom of Astacan," that is, the Tatar khanate of Astra- 

 khan. Mingrelia is identified with the ancient Colchis, 

 while Georgia, " qua? Gurgistan barbaris dicitur," is s.iid to 

 comprise not only Iberia, but also a part of Greater Arme- 

 nia and a portion of Atropatia, or Atropa f ene. Frequent 

 allusion is made to the great fertility, rank vegetation, and moist 

 climate of the low-lying tracts, whence arise "dropsy, extremely 

 dangerous tertian and quartan fevers, causing worms to abound 

 in the stomach and flesh of the people, on which account they 

 consume vast quantities of salt." They are otherwise describey 

 as Christians of the Greek rite " with a little difference," very 

 numerous and warlike, especially the highlanders, still sometimes 

 wearing armour, and endowed with great physical beauty. There 

 is a portrait of a certain Mamia " Goriehs Princeps Armatus," 

 mounted on a charger, and dressed in a complete coat-of-mail, 

 with high boots, helmet, plume, spear, and shield. It is curious 

 that this practice of wearing armour still lingers among the Khevsur 

 highlanders of the same region. A striking contrast to the Gorelian 

 warrior is presented by the picture of Vominissa, a poetess wearing 

 a simple robe, a double row of pearls round her neck, a head- 

 dress also fringed with pearls, and a rich mantle lined with fur. 

 She holds a quill in her right hand, a scroll of paper or parch- 

 ment in her left, and round about are disposed an ink-bottle, 

 more paper, a penknife, a pair of scissors, and a vase apparently 

 containing perfumes. Another lady, the Princess Lipardiani, is 

 provided with a fan somewhat in the shape of a violin, with a 

 little square mirror let in at the narrow part, exactly of the same 

 form as is still fashionable in the country. " According to the 

 seasons they gather the harvests of barley, millet, grapes, and 

 nuts," is a legend occurring under one of the numerous designs 

 representing peasants reaping corn as high as a man and making 

 sheaves such as are commonly seen in Italy. Elsewhere is 

 figured a scene in a market town with the explanation : " Trade 

 is carried on by barter ; one hen for two pounds of salt, one 

 sheep for two hens, one sword for two goats, one horse 

 for three oxen," adding that all these values are deter- 

 mined by official tariffs. Amongst the sports is one called 

 trociis, which from the accompanying description seems to be 

 identical with the game of polo recently introduced into England 

 from the East. " Four horsemen gallop about playing with a 

 ball the size of an orange, which they endeavour to pick up from 

 the ground, hurl into the air, and drive forward with a racket." 

 Then it is added in Latin: " Equites ludentes hoc pacto ut 

 aspicis rarissimi sciunt se ipsos gerere, requiritur agilitas qua;- 

 dam cum certo determinato impulsu ita ut si plus aut minores 

 ponuntur spiritus non bene ludunt saepeque quasi novi Jetotontes 

 cadunt in terra ab altis equis cursoribus. " Qnder several cha- 

 racteristic portraits of natives occur Latin verses pointing out 

 how the mental faculties and moral tendencies may be deduced 

 from the form of the head and expression of the features, thus 

 anticipating the doctrine of Lavater. Of forty-six designs 

 figuring the Sultan and his Court, his army and cfiief subjects, 

 several are of considerable ethnological interest, comprising 

 portraits of Persians, Arabs, Tatars, Egyptians, Circassians, 

 Indians, Chinese, Portuguese, and other nationalities. Ap- 

 pended to these figures is the, for the times, remarkably liberal 

 sentiment that all nations have good and bad qualities irre- 

 spective of their religions, and that the Chinese have a good 

 system of philosophy and theology, although different from that 

 of Christian peoples. Prof. Bellio's paper is enriched with a 

 large number of facsimiles conveying an excellent idea of these 

 curious volumes. 



The two last numbers of the Russisclu Revue contain articles 

 on the little-known peninsula of Kamchatka, its geography, 

 natural resources, and the history of its c inquest. The districts 

 adjoining the sea are so mountainous as to be almost uninhabit- 

 able. There is, indeed, one magnificent harbour in Awachinska 

 Bay, and on this stands Petropaulovski. A chain of volcanic 



