324 
width and depth, and extending for some 10 yards, A spruce- 
tree close by shows a furrow an inch in width running from a 
height of 6 feet down to the root. 
On Thursday night, at 11.30, M. L’Hoste crossed from 
Cherbourg ina balloon, alighting in the neighbourhood of Lon- 
don at 6.30 on Friday morning. M. L’Hoste had asmall sail to 
assist in directing the balloon, and an apparatus for letting 
down into the sea to draw water into the balloon to act as 
ballast. He was accompanied by M. Mangot, the astronomer. 
The highest altitude attained was 3600 feet, and the lowest tem- 
perature observed 7° C. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Malbrouck Monkey (Cercopithecus cynosuru:) 
from West Africa, presented by Mrs. Barrington; a Blue-faced 
Amazon (Cirysotis estiva) from Brazil, presented by Mrs. I 
Fletcher ; an Aldrovandis Skink (Pdsticdon auratus) from North 
Africa, presented by Mr. R. J. M. Teil; two Grey Parrots 
(Psittacus erithacus) from West Africa, deposited ; a Sea Eagle 
(Haliaetus ), a Masked Weaver Bird (Hyphantornis per- 
sonata) from Africa, a Short-eared Owl (Asio drachyotus), 
European, a Hyacinthine Macaw (Ara hyacinthina) from 
North Brazil, two Blanding’s Terrapins (Clemmys blanding?) 
from North America, two Indian River Snakes ( Tropidonotus 
guincunciatus) from India, purchased ;_ two Triangular Spotted 
Pigeons (Columba guinea), a Geoffroy’s Dove (Peristera geoffroii), 
four Brazilian Teals (Querquedula brasiliensis), five Slender 
Ducks (Anas gibberifrons), two Chilian Pintails (Dajila spini- 
cauda), two Wild Ducks (Anas boschas), a Himalayan Monaul 
(Lophophorus impeyanus), bred in the Gardens. 
ASTRONOMICAL PHENOMENA FOR THE 
WEEK 1886 AUGUST 8-14 
(FOR the reckoning of time the civil day, commencing at 
Greenwich mean midnight, counting the hours on to 24, 
is here employed.) 
At Greenwich on August 8 
Sun rises, 4h. 37m. ; souths, 12h. 5m. 253s. ; sets, rgh. 34m. 
decl. on meridian, 16° 6’ N.: 
16h. 43m. 
Moon (two days after First Quarter) rises, 14h. 45m. ; souths, 
19h. 25m. ; sets, oh. Im.*; decl. on meridian, 16° 41’ S 
> 
Sidereal Time at Sunset, 
Planet Rises Souths Sets Decl. on meridian 
h, m h. m. h. m. ae 
Mercury 6 Io E25 ese LOUS2) 7 24N. 
Venus ... Tie 57 TOMES --) LSO 22 4N. 
Mars Io 51 TOT yen V2L ESE 8 41S. 
Jupiter... 9 °5 Tes, wesc ten) 0 25S. 
Saturn .. 158 Io 4 18 10 22 4N. 
* Indicates that the setting is that of the following morning. 
Tariable Stars 
Star R.A. Decl. 
bee im, Peer) h. m. 
U Cephei ... O 52°2... 81 16N.... Aug. 12, 21 49 m 
R Arietis ss ZECOLO) -3. 24 STN aes) ceils M 
aUrsee Majoris-.. 1203022 ..:860) 7 IN) oe TOs me 
(Wi Warginis: oc os.0 1T2745°8)2-0 SO LOUNGE 53 LON m 
R Camelopardalis. 14 26°3...84 21N.... ,, 11, uM 
5 Libree © 1415459) 0.) 8/4595 ece0y 955) LA aZONRO. 772 
S Libre Sees et 5 W4UOreeeTOMEOlOs yp M 
U Ophiuchi... nL LO78 rece a POUNG a) 2; RZ NTO). 272 
ps 2 ieee 
U Sagittarii... SCAG MOPS easy 0, © Ow 
B Lyre... see S14'5¢0)---39) T4UNG aes 5 LOO! 7725 
R Lyre won LOU 5 TiOh > AGTASINGT cour meISS m 
7 Aguile = 194657, --. SOn43uNen ne” -5 me eee EOl72 
5 Cephei «22249... 57, 50.N. 22 55 On OT 
M signifies maximum ; 7 minimum ; #2, secondary minimum. 
Meteor Showers 
The principal shower of the week is that of the Persefds, R.A. 
43°, Decl. 56° N. The maximum occurs on August 10, but 
many meteors from the same radiant are usually seen on the 
NATURE 
nights both immediately preceding and following that date. 
Meteors are frequently seen also from neighbouring radiants, 
e.g. near the Pleiades, R.A. 55°, Decl. 26° N.; near Capella, 
R.A. 68°, Decl. 46° N.; near y Tauri, R.A. 55°, Decl. 7° N.; 
and from Lynx, R.A. 96°, Decl. 71° N. A radiant from 
a Pegasi, R.A. 345°, Decl. 15° N., is also active at this season, 
which is usually the most prolific of the year. 
O-cultations of Stars by the Moon (visible at Greenwich) 
Corresponding 
angles from ver- 
Aug. Star Mag. Disap. Reap tex to right for 
inverted image 
h. m. h. m. ° ° 
8°%.. 24iScorpil) 2-05 19 I5 ... 20 34 92 255 
Ir... @Sagittarli ... 5 18 44 ... 20 0 74 242 
Aug. h. J , 
14... Venus in conjunction with and o° 1’ south 
of Saturn. 
THE SCIENTIFIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE 
COAL-TAR COLOUR INDUSTRY* 
THE subject on which I propose to address you this evening 
has been brought under the notice of the Society of Arts 
on former occasions, and was only la-t year thoroughly treated 
of by Dr, W. H. Perkin, the pioneer of this branch of manu- 
facture, in his Presidential Address to the Society of Chemical 
Industry. It has, moreover, quite recently furnished materials 
for a lecture at the Royal Institution by Sir Henry Roscoe, so 
that I feel in some measure obliged to apologise for again bring- _ 
ing forward a topic upon which it may appear to chemists that 
nothing particularly new remains to be said. Having, however, 
been intimately associated with this branch of chemical industry: 
for many years, I have had exceptional opportunities of watching 
its development, and of forming ideas upon the causes of its 
progress, which may justify my engaging your attention upon the 
present occasion. 
The manufacture of coal-tar products is a subject which offers 
distinct advantage for popular treatment, both on account of the 
practical utility of the products, and the striking and beautiful 
colour phenomena which they present. But I do not propose 
now to avail myself of these advantages, because I think there 
is a more serious aspect of the subject than the mere enumera- 
tion of the names, chemical formuiz, and mode of preparation 
of the recently discovered products. I must take it for granted 
that those present this evening are familiar with the fact that out 
of coal-tar there are obtained series of hydrocarbons from which 
are prepared nearly all the dye-stuffs at present in use ; that the 
introduction of these artificial colouring-matters has revolution- 
ised the tinctorial industries, and that the tar of gas-works, 
which was formerly a waste product and a nuisance, is now a 
valuable source of revenue to the gas companies. It is, doubt- 
less, known to you also that, besides colouring-matters, there 
are obtained from the same hydrocarbons artificial perfumes, and 
drugs which rival quinine in efficiency ; and that quite recently 
a substance has been discovered by Dr. Fahlberg, which goes by 
the name of ‘‘saccharine,” and which is stated to possess 220 
times the sweetening power of cane sugar.* But I must content 
myself by merely pointing to such discoveries as triumphs which 
the chemist, by his ‘‘so potent art,” has achieved in recent 
times, because I want to bring home to English manufacturers 
one particular point in connection with this industry, and the 
Chemical Section of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, 
Manufactures, and Commerce seems to me to be the right place 
for so doing. It cannot be denied that the coal-tar industry has 
for some years past been migrating from this country, the land of 
its birth, to the continent of Europe. Of the causes of this 
decline assigned by Dr. Perkin and others who have expressed 
opinions upon the subject, I do not now propose to touch upon 
those which may be considered as purely politico-economical 
* A Paper read at the Society of Arts by Prof. R. Meldola, F.R.S., F.C.S., 
F.I.C., on May 13, 1886. 
* The substance referred to is an anhydro-derivative of orthosulphamine- 
benzoic acid having the formula 
CsHi< $0,>NH. 
For details, see a paper by I. Levinstein, Journ. Soc. Chem. Ind., Feb. 
1836, p. 75. Also the original communications in the American Chemical 
Fournal, vol. i. pp. 170 and 426, and vol. ii. p. 181. For an investigation 
of the physiological action see the Archivio per le scienze mediche, vol. ix. 
| No. 22, p. 407 (Turin, 1886). 
[August 5, 1886 
~~ = Ts 
