44 
NATURE 
[May 11, 1899 
THE ROVAL SOCIETY'S CONVERSAZIONE. 
HE first of the two soirées held annually at the Royal 
Society took place on Wednesday, May 3. There was a 
large collection of apparatus and many interesting exhibits, but 
our space only permits us to refer to some of those which 
attracted most general attention ; these are as follows :— 
Mr. Thomas Andrews, F.R.S., exhibited microscopic struc- 
ture of heavy steel guns, projectiles, and warship propellor 
shafts. 
The Tsetze Fly Committee of the Royal Society showed 
enlarged photographs, taken by Surgeon-Major Bruce, illus- 
trating districts in South Africa affected by the Tsetze Fly 
Disease. 
Mr. A. Mallock exhibited thin films used as mirrors. The 
films are formed by allowing a solution of pyroxyline in amyl 
acetate to spread on the surface of water. The films being 
removed when the solvent has evaporated, are then stretched 
over rings, whose edges have been ground to a true plane, and 
silvered. 
Dr. Patrick Manson and Surgeon-Major Ross exhibited the 
development of Fz/arta nocturna, Manson, and of Proteosoma 
grasstz, Labbé (one of the parasites of malaria of birds), in 
the mosquito. 
Prof. W. N. Hartley, F.R.S., and Prof. J. J. Dobbie ex- 
hibited photographs of absorption spectra of organic com- 
pounds, showing the method of investigating peculiar cases of 
isomerism called tautomerism or desmotropy. 
Mr. Edwin Edser showed the phase-change associated with 
the reflection of light from a fuchsine film. Two unsilvered 
glass plates, forming the end mirrors of a Michelson interfero- 
meter, are provided with films of fuchsine on their back surfaces. 
A horizontal strip of fuchsine is removed from one of the mirrors. 
Interference fringes are produced by means of rays of light re- 
flected from the fuchsine films ; these fringes are focussed on the 
slit of a spectroscope. The resulting spectrum is found to be 
crossed by vertical dark bands. In the violet and blue, the bands 
formed by reflection, in the glass, from fuchsine and air respect- 
ively, are seen to be continuous. Since fuchsine is optically less 
dense than glass for blue light, this is in agreement with theory. 
Passing onward toward the red end of the spectrum, a gradual 
displacement occurs in the bands produced by the light reflected 
from the fuchsine. Red light is seen to be retarded by half a 
wave-length when reflected from fuchsine. 
Mr. Shelford Bidwell, F.R.S., exhibited experiments demon- 
strating multiple vision ; Mr. James Swinburne, Nernst electric 
lamps ; Dr. Woodward, F.R.S., a selection of zoological speci- 
mens from Christmas Island (indian Ocean), collected by Mr. 
C. W. Andrews; Dr. Francisco P. Moreno, Director of the La 
Plata Museum, Argentine Republic, portion of skin of an 
extinct ground-sloth, named Meomylodon listai by Ameghino, 
from a cavern in Southern Patagonia; and Dr. G. Herbert 
Fowler, examples of floating organisms from the surface and 
deep water of the Faeroe Channel. 
Sir W. Crookes, F.R.S., exhibited new photographic re- 
searches on phosphorescent spectra. It has long been known that 
certain substances enclosed in a vacuous glass bulb phosphoresce 
brightly when submitted to molecular bombardment from the 
negative pole of an induction coil. The ruby, emerald, diamond, 
alumina, yttria, samaria, and a large class of earthy oxides and 
sulphides emit light under these circumstances, Examined in a 
spectroscope, the light from some of these bodies gives an almost 
continuous spectrum, while that from others, such as alumina, 
yttria and samaria, gives spectra of more or less sharp bands and 
lines. The exhibitor showed photographs of a group of lines high 
up in the ultra-violet region, characteristic of a new element asso- 
ciated with yttrium, and separated by long fractionation. To 
this element the name Victorium has been given. The atomic 
weight of Victorium is probably near 117. In the purest 
state in which it has yet been prepared, Victoria is of a pale 
brown colour. 
The Marine Biological Association showed (1) methods of 
feeding of marine animals, illustrated by living and preserved 
examples ; (2) charts illustrating the distribution of the fauna 
and bottom-deposits near the thirty-fathom line from the Eddy- 
stone Grounds to Start Point. 
Mr. Adam Hilger showed the Michelson echelon grating 
spectroscope. 
Prof. Arthur Thomson exhibited a model to illustrate how 
natural curliness of the hair is produced. Three factors require 
NO. 1541, VOL. 60] 
consideration in the production of curly hair: (5) the hair 
shaft, (2) the hair muscle, and (3) the sebaceous gland. 
Straight hair is always circular on section, and is usually thicker 
than curly hair, which is ribbon-like and fine. In order that 
the muscle may act as an erector in the hair, it is requisite that the 
shaft of the hair embedded of the skin should be sufficiently 
strong to resist any tendency to bend ; unless this be so the lever- 
like action necessary to produce its erection is destroyed. When 
the hair is fine and ribbon-like, the shaft is not sufficiently stout 
to resist the strain of the muscle and naturally assumes a curve, 
the degree of curvature depending on the development of the 
muscle, the resistance of the hair, and the size of the sebaceous 
gland. The curve thus produced becomes permanent and affects 
the follicle in which the hair is developed, the softer cells at the 
root of the hair accommodate themselves to this curve, and 
becoming more horny as they advance towards the surface, 
retain the form of the follicle, the cells on the concave side of 
the hair being more compressed than those on the convex side. 
In this way, the hair retains the form of the follicle after it has 
escaped from it. 
Dr. Sorby, F.R.S., showed (1) Actinize and other marine 
animals killed by menthol and preserved in formalin in a fully 
expanded condition, and the same mounted as transparent 
lantern slides. The addition of a little menthol to sea water in 
which the animals are living causes them to expand very fully, 
and in many cases to die so. When completely dead they 
can be transferred to 4 per cent. formalin, and kept thus 
distended or mounted in balsam as lantern slides. (2) Various 
marine animals preserved as museum specimens in strong 
glycerine. 
Prof. E. A. Schafer, F.R.S., exhibited (1) specimens showing 
that after hemisection of the spinal cord Clarke’s column under- 
goes atrophy on the same side below the lesion; (2) specimens 
showing that the fibres of the pyramidal tract terminate at the 
base of the posterior horn and in Clarke’s column, and not in 
the anterior horn.; (3) specimens showing that the fibres of the 
descending antero-lateral tract terminate in the anterior horn. 
Prof. H. L. Callendar, F.R.S., exhibited recording pyro- 
meters—platinum and thermo-electric. 
Mr. W. Duddell showed an oscillograph for tracing alternate- 
current wave-forms. This oscillograph is arranged for tracing 
the wave-forms of potential difference and current in investiga- 
tions with alternating currents. It is essentially a galvanometer 
which has the extremely short periodic time of one ten- 
thousandth (o'000r) second, and which is perfectly dead-beat, 
and has a sensibility, as arranged, of 300 mm. per ampere. 
Prof. Hele Shaw and Mr. A. Hay showed how lines of force 
in a magnetic field could be determined by the stream lines of a 
thin film of viscous fluid, and also plotted from mathematical 
investigation, 
Prof. W. F. Barrett showed a new thermo-electric combin- 
ation, giving a nearly constant electromotive force through a 
wide range of changing temperature. 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE. 
Oxrorp.—A meeting of the Junior Scientific Club was 
held on May 6. Mr. E. H. J. Schuster (New College) ex- 
hibited some excellent lantern slides of shore life. —This being 
the 200th meeting, Mr. G. C. Bourne. (New College) read a 
very interesting paper on the early constitution of the Club, 
after which the Club adjourned. The officers for the ensuing 
term are—President, E. Gurney (New College). Secretaries, 
A. G. Gibson (Christ Church), H. E. Stapleton (St. John’s). 
Treasurer, F. W. A. Fleischmann (Magdalen). Editor, F. W. 
Charlton (Merton).—Owing to medical advice, Prof. E. Ray 
Lankester, F.R.S., finds that he will be unable to deliver the 
Boyle Lecture of this year. Prof. J. G. McKendrick, F.R.S., 
has consented to take his place, and will lecture on ‘‘ Musical 
sensations and the inner ear” on June 13. 
CAMBRIDGE.—Prof. Sims Woodhead will deliver an inaugural 
lecture on the relations of pathology to modern medicine, in the 
Anatomy Theatre on May 23, at 2.30 p.m. 
Mr. P. T. Main (sixth wrangler, 1862), who was for many 
years Lecturer in Chemistry and Superintendent of the Labor- 
atory of St. John’s College, died in his rooms on May 5. 
The examinations in Agricultural Science for the University’s 
diploma will extend from June 12 to June 19. 
