96 



NA TURE 



\_Nov. 26, if 



very interesting phenomenon was observed on taking the measure- 

 ments of pressure in the sounding-tube. A narrow glass tube, open 

 on both sides, with an oil index, the movements of which were ob- 

 served, served as manometer. No displacement of the index was 

 ever noticed, but out of the interior end of the manometrical 

 tube there appeared to issue a current of air impelling the cork 

 sand a long way. This current of air was stronger when the 

 mouth of the narrow tube was conical than when it was cylin- 

 drical. The current of air was present both when the upper 

 end of the tube was open and when it was closed, as also when 

 the lower end turned towards the source of sound was diverted 

 from it, in consequence of an incurvation. The current of 

 air was finally identified at all points of the sounding-air 

 column, but the intensity of the apparent air-current varied 

 according as the lower end was in the belly or in the node of 

 the tube, and accordmg to its length. The ma.xima of the 

 current were more pronounced than the minima. If the upper 

 end were likewise in the sounding-tube, then was there a current 

 from the manometrical tube forthcoming. The index in the 

 manometer, however, remained persistently unmoved, a demon- 

 stration that in point of fact there was no actual current in the 

 narrow tube. The strength of the apparent air-current might 

 be measured by little mills, and when small radiometers with 

 paper wings were introduced into the sounding-tube, they fell 

 into veiy lively rotation. If instead of full paper wings the 

 radiometers had small conical paper tubes, directed all alike, 

 they rotated just as fast, and in just the same maimer as did the 

 other radiometers When, however, one approached the node 

 of the sounding-tube, the rotation became slower, ceased, 

 assumed the contrary direction, in order, after further progress, 

 to pause again, and next pass into the former lively rotation. 

 The fast rotation of the sound radiometers Prof. Neesen 

 explained as anemometrical movements which, as was known, 

 were independent of the direction of the wind. The contrary 

 movement of the tube radiometers in the node were explained 

 as determined by the currents of air in the little tubes which had 

 been observed in the manometers as stated above ; they entered 

 into the phenomena in which the vibratory movements were less. 

 The attractions and repulsions produced by the sound appear 

 to be based on similar processes. 



Meteorological Society, November 3.— With reference to a 

 recent publication of Dr. Lender, Prof. Sporer made some obser- 

 vations regarding the line of demarcation which must be drawn 

 between nieteorology and hygiene, and by way of illustration re- 

 lated a number of personal experiences gathered m the course 

 of his stay in the tropics, pointing out how the explanation of 

 them did not properly belong to the office of meteorology. — .\ 

 paper on the brown ring and the solar eclipses, by Dr. Zenker, 

 who was unable to be present, was read. The abnormal sunset 

 glows which had appeared in the skies since the autumn of 1SS3 

 and the brown-red ring round the sun were still visible, though 

 in reduced intensity. The fact that these phenomena were not 

 earlier observed showed that they owed their existence to some- 

 thing novel which had been introduced into the atmosphere, and 

 were not at all due to the presence of ice- crystals or globules of 

 fog in the higher strata of the air. The fine particles giving rise 

 to the reflex-phenomena in question might be of terrestrial ux of 

 cosmic origin. The first of these two assumptions had to contend 

 with the facts that the dust concerned with the phenomena kept 

 so long afloat that the constituent dust-particles were of a very 

 different character from that of the Krakatab ashes, and that it 

 was at very great altitudes that they appeared to be suspended. 

 Against the second of these assumptions— that, namely, of tlieir 

 cosmic origin— there was the fact of the absence of metallic 

 particles from the dust and also the fact that the dust was found 

 occurring likewise in lower strata. No decision had yet been 

 arrived at in the matter, and it was therefore of great im- 

 portance to determine precisely the altitude of the dust-cloud 

 floating above the earth. The measurements hitherto taken had 

 yielded very different results. In this respect it was a most 

 striking fact th.at on one and the same day in Steglitz, near 

 Berlin, the height of the reflecting dust was calculated from the 

 silowing phenomena at from 2 to 17 kilometres, while in 

 Dresden the glow was observed the whole night; and that for 

 the end of the astronomical twilight about midnight, on taking 

 a single reflection, the height of the reflecting surface gave itself 

 as equal to 900 kilometres, and, on taking a double reflection, 

 showed a height of from 200 to 300 kilometres. Dr. Zenker 

 suggested that on the occurrence of the next solar eclipses 

 observations of the brown ring be made. For the zone of 



totality he calculated the formulse for the exact determina- 

 tion of the height of the dust-cloud. These formulje were not 

 communicated, because the paper itself would shortly appear 

 in the Metcorologische Zeitschrift. It was only briefly mentioned 

 that if during the totality the whole of the brown-red ring were 

 seen, a height of br would be the result, r being the diameter of 

 the cone of shadow. An exact representation of the total solar 

 eclipse in the year 1SS6, visible in America, and that of 1887, 

 visible in Europe and Asia, was appended to the paper. — In 

 the discussion which followed the reading of this paper Prof 

 von Bezold referred to the fact that the brown ring was very 

 difficult of perception in the plain, being not at all visible in 

 Berlin, for example ; while even at a slight elevation it could 

 be very beautifully observed. He further advised caution against 

 the assumption that the brilliant sunset phenomena were some- 

 thing entirely new. He himself occasionally observed such 

 phenomena as far back as 1SO3, though it was formerly not 

 possible to awaken general interest in the spectacle as can now 

 be done. Regarding the brown ring, too, he conjectureci that it 

 had been formerly seen, though attention had not been paid to it. 

 Vienna 

 Imperial Academy of Sciences, July 9.— On some ex- 

 periments made on total reflection and abnormal dispersion, 

 by ii. Mach and T. Arbes.— Experiments on electrical double- 

 refraction of liquids, by G. Taumann.— On phenomena of ab- 

 sorption in crystals of zircon, by E. Linschmann. — On a mite 

 (Tarsonemiis intectus, n.sp. ) living on man and corn, by L. 

 Karpelles. — On the epithelium of the mouth of Salaiitandra 

 maculata, by M. HoU.— On the determination of solubility of 

 some salts in water at difterent temperatures, by G. A. Raupen- 

 strauch.— On the botanical results of Dr. Polak's expedition to 

 Persia in the year 1SS2, by O. Stapf.— On the development 

 of chlorophyll-corpuscles, by K. Mikosch.— Determination of 

 the orbit of the Kriemhild {242) planet, by N. Herz.— On 

 rotation and precession of a liquid spheroid, by S. Oppenheim. 



CONTENTS Page 



The Whole Duty of a Chemist 73 



Central American Coleoptera 77 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Everett's " Outlines of Natural Philosophy " . ... 78 

 Nasmyth and Carpenter's "The Moon, Considered 



as a Planet, a Worid, and a Satellite " 79 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Weather Forecasts.— The Bishop of Carlisle . . . 79 



Scandinavian Ice- Floes.— Sir J. D. Hooker, F.R.S. 79 

 Can an Animal Count ?— George J. Romanes, 



F.R.S 80 



Lodge's ■•' Mechanics."— Prof. Oliver Lodge, F.R.S. 80 

 The Resting Position of the Oyster— A Correction.— 



John A.^Ryder 80 



The Rotation Period of Mars.— Richd. A. Proctor . 81 



Beloit College Observatory. — A. L. Chapin .... 81 

 Conference of "Delegates of Corresponding Societies 

 of the British Association, held at Aberdeen. By 



Francis Gallon, F.K.S 81 



Dr. Carpenter, C.B., F.R.S. By Prof. E. Ray Lan- 



kester, F.R.S 83 



Walter Flight, D.Sc, F.R.S 85 



On Radiation of Heat from the Same Surface at 



Different Temperatures. By J. T. Bottomley . . 85 



Elliptic Space. By Dr. Robert S. Ball, F.R.S. . . 86 



Notes 87 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The French Photographs of the Transit of Venus . . 89 



The Absorption-Spectrum of Oxygen 89 



The Apparent Enlargement of Celestial Objects near 



the Horizon • • 89 



Nova -Andromeda: and its Relation to the Great 



Nebula 89 



The Nice Observatory 9° 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week, 1885, 



November 2(| to December 5 9° 



Geographical Notes • • • ^o 



Chlorophyll. By Prof. J. H. Gilbert, LL.D., F.R.S. 91 



Cartographical Work in Russia in 1SS4 92 



Univer.iity and Educational Intelligence 93 



Societies and Academies 9.? 



