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NATURE 
401 
sideration of scientific speculations, may help to give that solidity 
and elasticity to public opinion which is necessary for the rapid 
advance of science. 
1f I say that the study of applied mathematics is pre-eminently 
fitted for the improvement of an acute and correct judgment, I 
only express a sentiment which, I am sure, is felt by each of 
my colleayues for his own subject. Where so many attempts 
are made, let us hope that one may have the desired effect. 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE 
CAMBRIDGE.—The Smith’s prizes were adjudged as follows :— 
‘The first to Mr. Herman, of Trinity College, the Senior 
Wrangler; the second to Mr. Yeo, of St. John’s College, the 
Second Wrangler. 
Mr, W. F. k. Welden, B.A., of St. John’s College, has been 
nominated to study at the Zoological Station at Naples till June 
1, 1882. 
Among the subjects for which Downing College offers minor 
scholarships of from 40/. to 70/. per annum (examination June 
6) are Chemistry, Physics, Physiology, Comparative Anatomy, 
and Botany. No candidate will be examined in more than three 
subjects, and two of them must be chosen from the first three 
named. Great weight will be given to special proficiency in 
one subject. The scholarships are open to non-collegiate 
students, or to those who have resided less than one term in 
any college. In June, also, the College offers one foundation 
Scholarship in Natural Science, open to all members of the 
University who have not kept more than six terms. 
Prof. Stuart has been elected a Member of the Council of the 
Senate until November 7, 1884, in the place of Prof. Cayley, 
resigned, 
The Burney prize for the present year is to be given for an 
essay on the following subject: ‘*The Teleological argument 
for the existence of an intelligent and moral First Cause, as 
affected by recent Scientific Investigation.” 
Mr. MacAlister is lecturing at St. John’s College on Methods 
of Physical Diagnosis for medical students beginning chemical 
work. Dr. Gaskelt is lecturing on Respiration; Mr. Lea will 
lecture in March on Physiological Chemistry. 
THE Chair of Agriculture at the Royal Agricultural College, 
Cirencester, vacant at the close of the present Session, has been 
offered to and accepted by Mr, Herbert J. Little, of Coldham 
Hall, Wisbeach. 
SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 
Fournaél of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, vol. 1. part 2, No. 4 
(December 21, 1881), contains: W. 7. Blanford, notes on an 
apparently undescribed species of Varanus from Tenasserim and 
notes on other reptiles aud ampbibia.—T, Wovod-Mason and L. 
de Nicéville, second part of rhopalocerous lepidoptera from 
Port Blair, Andaman Islands, with descriptions and notes on 
new or little-known species and varieties {plate 14), This last 
adds twenty-two species to the fauna .—Geoffery Nevill, de- 
scription of a new species of Rostellaria from the Bay of Bengal 
(R. delicatula).—W. T. Blanford, a numerical estimate of the 
species of animals, chiefly land and fresh-water, hitherto recorded 
from British Inaia and its dependencies: Mammals 405, Birds 
1681, Reptiles 514, Batrachia about 100, Fishes 1357, Mollusca 
land and freshwater, about 1000, Coleoptera, 4780, Hymenoptera 
850, Lepidoptera 4620, Hemiptera about 650, Neuroptera about 
350, Diptera 500(?) Orthoptera 350 (?) Arachnida 120, Myria- 
poda 50, Crustacea, land and fresh-water, 100. A glance at 
these figures and a comparison of them with the number of 
species known of the Arthropod oraers in Europe will show 
Anglo-Indian naturalists how much there is yet to be done 
before the fauna of this great country approaches a complete 
enumeration.—J. Wood-Mason, on Huripus cinnamomeus, a 
new species from North-East India (plate 4). 
Annalen der Physik und Chemie, No. 1, 1882.—Determina- 
tion of temperature-changes in expansion and contraction of 
metal wires, and the mechanical equivalent of heat, by H. 
Haga.—Discussions on the Fourier-Poisson theory of heat-con- 
duction, by W. Hergesell.—On the relation of the freezing-point 
of salt-solutions to their laws of tension, by F. Kolaeck. — Re- 
marks on Herr Wullner’s note on the spectra of hydrogen and 
acetylene, by B. Hasselberg.—Fresnel’s interference-phenomena 
treated theoretically and experimentally, by H. Struve.—On the 
application of the telephone to determining the resistance of 
galvanic elements and batteries, by E. Less.—On the existence 
of a dialectric polarisation in electrolytes, by R. Colley.—Ou 
the differential pulley, by C. Bohn.—Theory of refraction on a 
geometrical basis, by A. Kerber.—On the electric resistance of 
gases, by E, Edlund.—Remarks on Herr F. Auerbach’s second 
paper on magnetic reaction, by G. Wiedemann.— On an apparatus 
for representing the phenomena of geysers, by the same.—On 
the Wheatstone bridge, by K. F. Slotte. 
Archives des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles, January, 1882.— 
Experimental researches on the action of poisons on molluscs, 
by E. Yung. —Memoir on the new registering barometer of the 
Meteorological Observatory of Lausanne, by H, Dufour and H. 
Amstein.—The landslip’at Elm, by A. Heim.—Researches on 
the ethers of right tartaric acid, by A. Pictet. 
Zeitschrift fur wissenschaftliche Zoologie, vol. xxxvi., part 3 
(December 30, 1881), contains :—Dr. G. Haller, on the structure 
vf the Sarcoptidz (bird parasites—-Dermaleichidz), plates 24 
and 25.—W. Mau, on Scoloplos armiger, O.F.M., being a con- 
tribution to a knowledge of the anatomy and histology of the 
Annelids, plate 26 and 27.—Elias Metschnikoff, comparative 
anatomy studies :—(1) Entoderm formation in the Geryonide ; 
(2) on some stages of the parasite of Cavmarina, plate 28.— 
Dr. August Gruber, on Dimorpha mutans, a transition form 
(Mischform) between the Flagellates and Heliozoa, plate 29,— 
Dr. August Gruber, a contribution to a knowledge of the 
Ameeba, plate 30.—Prof. Herbst, the natural history of the 
badger.—Prof. A. Biitschli, contribution to a knowledge of the 
skeleton of the Radiolarians, especially that of the Cyrtida, 
plate 31-33. 
Rwista Scientifico-Industriale, January 15.—On radiophony, 
by A. Volta.—Two specimens of tourmaline and beryl from 
Elba (with chromolithographs), and Elban microlite, by A. 
Corsi.—Insects in winter, by P. Bargagli.—A means of facili- 
tating the preparation of some insects, by P. Stefanelli. 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
LONDON 
Royal Society, January 26.—‘‘ The Influence of Stress and 
Strain on the Action of Physical Forces.” By Herbert Tomlin- 
son, B.A, Communicated by Prof. W. Grylls Adams, M.A., 
F.R.S. Part II. Electrical Conduetivity. (Abstract.) 
The temporary alteration of electricai conductivity which can 
be produced by longitudinal traction was measured for all the 
metal wires used in Part I., both inthe hard-drawn and annealed 
condition, and, in addition, for carbon and nickel. 
The electrical resistances of all the substances which were 
examined, were, with the exception of nickel, increased by tem- 
porary longitudinal stress. With nickel, however, of which 
metal a wire nearly chemically pure was at length with difficulty 
procured (through the kindness of Messrs. Johnson, Matthey, 
and Co.), the resistance was found to dimzyish under longi- 
tudinal stress not carried beyond a certain point; but after this 
point had been attained, further stress began to increase the 
resistance. The effect on nickel appears still more remarkable 
when we reflect that the change of dimensions produced by the 
stress, namely, increase of length and diminution of section, 
would increase the resistance. 
The sfecific resistances of all the substances, except nickel and 
aluminium, were increased by temporary longitudinal stress. 
With aluminium and nickel the specific resistances were dimi- 
nished by stress not carried beyond a certain limit. 
One of the most remarkable features discernible in the results 
is the similarity of the order of the metals to that of the order of 
‘*rotational coefficients” of metals recently given by Prof. Hall 
(NATURE, vol. xxiv. p. 46; abstract of a note read by Prof E. 
H. Hall at the meeting of the British Association at York) ; 
indeed so striking is the relationship in the case of the metals 
iron, zine, aluminium, and nickel, that there would appear to be 
no doubt that a series of experiments made with a view of 
determining the effects of mechanical stress and strain on the 
‘*rotational coefficients” would be of the greatest value. 
Another point to be noticed is that the alteration of the specific 
resistances of the alloys brass, platinum-silver, and German- 
silver, is much less than that of the several constituents of these 
alloys, and at first sight there would appear to be some relation 
between the alteration of resistance caused by change of tem- 
perature and that due to mechanical stress; but it has been 
proved by these and other experiments that the increase of re- 
sistance caused by rise of femperature is in some cases one 
