Sept. 13, 1S77] 



NATURE 



431 



Gregorian telescope was covered with platinum by tlie metliod 

 referred to, and with entire) success. The larger mirror was 

 about 4 cttn., and the time required for covering was about three 

 hours, with a battery power equivalent to four] or five Grove 

 cells. j 



It is an interesting point to determine, even though only 

 approximately, what amount of heat meteoric masses develop in 

 their motion through the atmosphere. M. Schiaparelli has I 

 proved that to calculate the loss of velocity of a tody which 

 penetrates the atmosphere, it is not necessary to know the law 

 according to which the density of the air varies in the different 

 layers traversed, but it is sufficient to know the barometric pres- 

 sure at the two extremities of the course, or (which comes to 

 the same) the weight of air displaced by the body whose initial 

 velocity is known. Starting with this thtorem, and taking the 

 average velocity of falling stars as 50,000 metres per second (it 

 varies between 16,000 m. and 72,000 m.), M. Govi estimates, 

 in a recent paper, that a falling star, on reaching a part of the 

 atmosphere where the barometric pressure is about I mm., will 

 have its velocity already reduced to about 28,000 m. ; coming 

 to a region where the pressure is 10 mm., its velocity will be 

 about 5,916 m., and at a pressure of ico mm. (should the 

 meteorite reach so far), the velocity will not be more than 506 m. 

 Thus the initial velocity of bolides diminishes very rapidly, and 

 may be almost entirely lost on reaching earth. Now, knowing 

 the loss of velocity of a moving object of given mass, the quan- 

 tity of heat developed can easily be deduced. Taking a bolide 

 of I4'66 kilogrammes reaching an air layer where the pressure 

 is about I mm., M. Govi finds the loss of 'is vivu of the object 

 to correspond to the enormous number of 2,921,317 calories, 

 which would readily explain all the accompanying phenomena 

 of heat and light, and also mechanical effects. 



Within the last year or two no spot on the American con- 

 tinent has furnished such an amount and variety of archreological 

 material as the Santa Barbara Islands and the coast of California 

 opposite to them. Dr. Yarrow, in Wheeler's report for 1876, 

 describes his " Big Bonanza," as he calls it, on the main-land, 

 near .Santa Barbara ; and Prof. Hayden has published an elabo- 

 rate account of Mr. Paul S chumacher's researches made upon 

 the islands. The crania and skeletons are counted by hundreds, 

 and tons of stone implements, many of them of most beautiful 

 workmanship, have been revealed by the winds blowing the sand 

 from the burial-places. During the summer of 1877 Mr. 

 Bowers has continued these explorations on behalf of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution, with the greatest success, and has found 

 many new varieties of objects of stone, and in large numbers. 



Mr. Gunn writes with reference to our report last week 

 (p. 406) of a paper read by him at the late British Association 

 Meeting : — " The new Silurian beds discovered near Widdybank 

 Farm were stated in the paper to belong to the volcanic series 

 of the Lake Country. It is the Cronkley Pencil Mill Shale 

 which was referred to the Stockdale Shales or Pale Slates." 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Mandrill {Ccrcopithcciis monnoii) from West 

 Africa, presented by Mr. Francis Lovell ; a Purple-faced Monkey 

 (Scinnopithectis h'ucoprymmis) from Ceylon, presented by the 

 Misses Rowney ; a Common Fox (Caiiis viilpcs), European, 

 presented by Mr. R. Ilayssen, an Angolan Vulture (Gypohicrax 

 an^olensis), a Vociferous Sea Eagle (I/j/iactiis vocifer) from 

 Africa, presented by Mr. I. A. Solomon ; a Vervet Monkey 

 {Ct-rcopithecus lalandii) from South Africa, a Great Anteater 

 {Myrmecop/iaj;a Juliala), two Mealy Amazons (Chrysalis furinosa) 

 from South America, a Short-toed Eagle (Cinai-'iiis ga/liciis), a 

 Common Genet [Goidta vulgaris) from Southern Europe, an 

 Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopleriis) from Africa, de- 

 posited, 



THERMOMETRIC OBSERVATIONS MADE AT 



RAMA ON THE COAST OF LABRADOR 

 'T'WO years' thermometric observations made three limes a day 

 at Rama, Labrador, about 60° north latitude, furnfsh the 

 following monthly and annual means. The degrees are Centi- 

 grade. 



The annual means resulting from these tables are — 



For the first year, from August, 1S74, to July, 1875, -5°'5l, 

 ,, second ,, ,, 1875 ,, 1S76, -4°'93. 



Tie rnnual extremes are — 



In the first year, min. - 35°, Feb. 19 ; max. -f 23", Aug. S, 

 ^ second „ -34°, March 6; ,, H- 20°, July 27. 

 The first year was sensibly more cold than the second ; if we 

 compare their means to those of the two preceding years — 



187210 1S73, -4''-o; 187310 1874, - 5°-3;i 



their results as the mean of the four consecutive years count- 

 ing from the month of August, - 4'''93. 



The observations were made at Ivama by M. and Mme. Weiz, 

 Moravian missionaries, with a thermometer sent from the obser- 

 vatory of Geneva. A barometer was recently sent from Kew to 

 Nam, another station of Labrador, to solve the question of the 

 variations of atmospheric pressure in these regions. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



London. — Prof. Morris, who for more than twenty years has 

 held the chair of geology and mineralogy at University College, 

 has resigned his appointment. The Rev. T. G. Bonney, fellow 

 of St. John's College, Cambridge, and Prof. H. G. Seeley, of 

 King's College, are mentioned as candidates. 



Birmingham. — We have received the programme of the 

 Birmingham and Midland Institute, which is quite as satisfac- 

 tory as usual. Prof. Tyndall, the president, will deliver the 

 inaugural address on the evening of Monday, October I . 



Upsala. — The celebration of the 400th anniversary of the 

 foundation of the University of Upsala was brought to a ter- 

 mination on Saturday. The celebration, which lasted nearly 

 the whole week, seems to have been thoroughly successful, and 

 was enthusiastically joined in by all, both ''town and gown," 

 from the king downwards. Many foreign delegates were present. 

 We hope to be able to give a detailed account of the event 

 shortly. It is stated that the king has made the University a 

 donation of 40,000 crowns, the yearly revenue from which is to 

 be distributed as premiums to young authors of scientific works, 

 ^ N*-TUPE, vol. xiii. p. 6q. 



