EE 
Nov. 30, 1882 | 
verging in the east,” but the point is apparently below the visible 
horizon. Shortly after I had, however, the opportunity of 
seeing the true convergence, as we were crossing the Peasemarsh, 
a largecommon near here. It was afier rain, and there appeared 
a very bright spot in the east opposite the true sun, which to the 
best of my recollection was setting and not set, for I momentarily 
took the appearance to be some form of reflection of the sun 
itself. The rays were quite strong in the east and west, and 
though fainter could be distinctly traced across the sky. I 
believe that there were no clouds and that the ray intervals were 
equidistant, though I will not be certain on this point. I notice 
that one of my drawings also shows this peculi rity, though I 
confesss my impression has been hitherto that these rays were 
due to the interference of clouds. J. RanD CAPRON 
Guildown, Guildford, Nov. 24 
On the Isomerism of Albuminous Bodies 
AMONG organi> compounds there are large number of bodies 
hoving the same composition, but different constitution. They 
are called isomerides. The number of these isomerides increases 
in proportion as the number of atoms which they contain 
increases. 
Prof. Cayley has already calculated the possible number of 
i-omerides of hydrccarbons. From his result it can be easily 
seen that the increase of isomerides in proportion to the com- 
plexity of the composition is an exceedingly rapid one. 
Now the number of atoms which the so-called albuminous 
bodies contain are very large. The number of isomerides which 
they can give therefore must be exceedingly large, in fact almost 
innumerable. 
Prof, Schorlemmer, in his ‘‘ Rise and Development of Organic 
Chemistry,” says: ‘‘ The enigma of life can only be solved by 
the synthesis of albuminous compounds.” If then these albu- 
minous bodies are really the basis of life, the different species of 
living beiags must come from innumerable sources, for albu- 
minous bodies have innumerable isomerides. According to this 
theory, we can say that the different species of living beings, 
whether animals or plants, were developed out of the chemical 
compounds haying the same composition, but different constitu- 
tion, but cannot assert, as some do, that they were developed 
out of the same source, or a few sources 
Tokio, Japan, October 12 SHIGETAKE SAGIURA 
An Extraordinary Lunar Halo 
On Monday evening, November 20, an unusual halo sur- 
rounded the moon from 6.15 to 6.25. The moon was not quite 
full, and the halo to some extent assumed the form of the moon, 
The halo consisted of a succession of concentric rings. The 
ring next the moon was equal to four diameters of the moon, and 
had a soft yellow-white radiance, almost equalling the moon in 
brillianey ; it was surrounded by a succession of prismatic rings, 
red commencement, and proceeding outward orange, yellow, 
green, blue, indigo, and violet. At 6.15 the chromatic rings 
were pretty sharply defined, with the exception of the outer one, 
which was faint and evanescent. Outside of the ring was a 
corona-like envelope. This aspect continued about five minutes, 
and during the next five minutes rapidly changed ; the edges of 
the rings became irregular, radii shot from the rings towards 
the moon, and at 6.25 the phenomenon disappeared. 
Newcastle-on-Tyne, November 24 J. P. BARKAS 
Meteor 
A BRIGHT meteor was seen here about 4.30 p.m. in the east. 
It did not explode, but dissipated itself with scintillations. It 
reached a very low level before it disappeared. 
Oxford, November 27 W. L. HARNETT 
Flame in Coal Fire 
THE flame referred to by Major Herschel (NATURE, vol. xxvii. 
p- 78) is simply that of carbon monoxide, which may be 
observed in most coal fires, after the hydrocarbons are con- 
sumed, burning with a pale blue flame. Any yellow tint is of 
course due to sodium present in the coal. The production of 
carbon monoxide depends more upon the arrangement of, than 
the quality of, the coal, Major Herschel will find the reason of 
its presence give in any text-book on chemistry, 
NATURE 
103 
I cannot understand what advantage is obtained by removing 
the slit of the spectroscope, especially if one wishes to show 
that a flameis mono-chromatic. When burnt at ordinary pres- 
sure, carbon-monoxide has no definite spectrum, SM. 
Rugby, November 24 
Waterspouts on Land 
I AM of opinion that the phenomena referred to by Mr. Hos- 
sack are not the effect of waterspouts, but are rather to be 
attributed to landslips. I may mention a case which may throw 
some light on the matter. About 1872 (I cannot give the exact 
date) a landslip occurred on the banks of the Tay, about seven 
miles north of Dunkeld, close to Guay Station on the Highland 
Railway, and on the east side of that line. I lived close by at 
the time, and shortly afterwards saw the effects. Local opinion 
attributed it to the following causes :—Along the top of the 
gravelly slope planted with oak and other trees, ran a brook. 
Immediately above the place where the landslip occurred, the 
banks of the brook had been burrowed by rabbits. When the 
sudden flood occurred which caused the landslip, the water of 
the brook entered these holes, undermined the gravelly slope or 
teriaced beach, and precipitated it across the highway into the 
field below, devastating fully an acre of it. ‘The trees, turf, 
&c,, were deposited in the field much as they grew upon the 
slope. I was surprised that they had not been overturned, but 
it would appear that they had slid down. The effects are still 
quite visible to passengers on the railway. Had they been pho- 
tographed at the time, they would have formed a capital illus- 
tration for a geological text-book. 
Guildhall Offices, Carlisle Joun GEepDEs McINTOSH 
NOTES FROM THE LETTERS OF CAPTAIN 
DAWSON, R.A. IN COMMAND OF THE 
BRITISH CIRCUMPOLAR EXPEDITION 
AY 21. Onboard the s.s.“Nova Scotian.” —A grey sky, 
a grey foam-flecked sea, floating ice-floes, fog and 
rain, with a thermometer a few degrees above freezing— 
such are the features of the Gulf of St. Lawrence this 
morning, and a cheerful welcome to the New World. 
Our course has been a long way to the south of New- 
foundland on account of the ice, consequently our passage 
has been a long one. Yesterday was quite lovely, several 
icebergs were in sight eight or ten miles off, looking like 
peaks of snow mountains at a distance; now we are in 
the midst of ice fields delaying us a good deal, as at times 
it is difficult to fin. a ~ssage. 
May 22. Quebec—We sighted land last night, and saw 
such a lovely sunset as we went up the St. Lawrence. We 
have been steaming up the river eighteen hours, but we 
cannot yet see the land on both sides. We have just 
passed the Peruvian, which left Liverpool a fortnight 
before us, but she got among the ice and broke her screw, 
and has been twenty-seven days on the voyage. Another 
of the Allan line steamers ran into an iceberg. So we 
feel lucky in getting across without mishap. At the end 
of the week I start for Winnipeg—2,500 miles by rail—a 
long journey of five days and four nights. 
I find Quebec quite wintry after England; indeed, the 
snow is still lying in sheltered places where it has drifted, 
and no trees are in leaf. 
Fune 3. On Lake Huron.—On reaching Toronto we 
went back again into summer—everything was green and 
spring-like, and the air was quite soft and balmy. 
We left Toronto for Sarnia, where we embarked for 
Duluth, on the west end of Lake Superior—thence it is 
about twenty-four hours’ journey to Winnipeg. Toronto 
was looking very well. ‘There are groves of horse-chest- 
nut trees in the principal streets, which have a very good 
effect. At Toronto 1 was introduced to the Canadian 
Premier, who took a great interest in my expedition. I 
also dined with the chief of the observatory there, and 
they gave me some wine at dinner which was made from 
their own vines in the suburbs. To Sarnia is about six 
hours—a most fertile country. The weather, however, is 
very rainy at present—this is the wet time of the year. 
