28 
vs 
British Central Africa, Since that date he has not ceased his 
endeavours to promote the advance of zoological discovery in 
the several posts that he has occupied in various parts of 
Africa, and has especially distinguished himself by the discovery, 
on the confines of Uganda, of the wonderful new African animal 
the okapi. The silver medal of the Society was awarded to 
Mr. E. W. Harper, of Calcutta, who during the past two years has 
presented to the Society a large number of living Indian birds 
new to the collection. These medals will be delivered personally 
to the recipients at the general meeting on June 19. The total 
income of the Society during the past year was 29,350/., and 
the ordinary expenditure amounted to 27,526/. The extra- 
ordinary expenditure paid in 1901, amounting to 4530/., was 
devoted entirely to new buildings and works in the Gardens. 
The most important works carried on at the Gardens during the 
past year were the rebuilding of a portion of the green-houses 
and the new drains to the hippopotamus-house. Besides these 
works, a new ape-house for the better accommodation of the 
anthropoid apes was commenced last autumn, and a sum of 
4ooo/. has already been expended upon it. The main feature 
. of the new building is the entire separation of the part appro- 
priated to the spectators from that in which the animals are 
lodged by a glass screen, so that the animals may be kept at a 
nearly uniform temperature. The number of visitors to the 
Society’s Gardens in 1901 was 725,685, showing an increase of 
28,507 as compared with the previous year and an increase of 
61,130 above the average of the previous ten years. The 
number of animals living in the Gardens on December 31 last 
was 2922, of which 789 were mammals, 1575 birds and 558 
reptiles and batrachians. Amongst the additions made during 
the past year, 10 mammals, 58 birds, 21 reptiles, 3 batrachians 
and 2 fishes were registered as new to the collection. 
THE Electrochemical Society, which has just been founded 
in America, held its inaugural meeting at Philadelphia on April 
3-5. The president is Prof. J. W. Richards, of Bethlehem, and 
the list of officers contains the names of most of the best-known 
American electrochemists. During the three days’ session, 
twenty papers were read and discussed, and arrangements are 
being made, we understand, for the publication of the proceed- 
ings. The formation of this society is a sign of the importance 
which electrochemistry has attained in the United States. ‘T'en- 
tative proposals have been made at various times for the forma- 
tion of a similar society in this country, but it is doubtful whether 
there are a sufficient number of workers in this field to ensure 
its success. Perhaps the founding of the American society may 
stimulate English electrochemists to further effort in this direc- 
tion, 
existent electrochemical journal, might have the effect of bring- 
ing this country into line with Germany and America in this | 
branch of electrical science. 
WE noticed in these columns last year the starting of the first 
large power distribution scheme in England at Newcastle-on- | 
Tyne. Last week, on April 29, Sir Frederick Bramwell laid 
the foundation-stone of the first generating station of the South 
Wales Electrical Power Distribution Company, thus inaugurating 
the second scheme in this country for the supply of electricity in 
bulk. The area that this company proposes to supply covers 
Glamorgan and a part of Monmouth, a total area of slightly more 
than 1000 square miles. The district is one eminently suited to 
the electrical distribution of power, as it includes collieries, 
steel-works, tin-plate and copper works and numerous other 
factories of different kinds. The generating station now being 
constructed is on the banks of the Taff, near Pontypridd, and it 
is expected that it will be completed in about eighteen months. 
The plant is to consist of five sets each having a capacity of 
2250 kilowatts, making a total capacity of about 15,000 horse- 
NO. 1697, VOL. 66] 
NATURE 
| July 20, which is the highest recorded at Stonyhurst. 
Some such organisation, in conjunction with the already | 
[May 8, 1902 
power. Willans engines are to be used, driving three-phase 
alternators by Messrs. Ganz and Co., of Budapesth. These wil) 
generate current at 12,000 volts, which will be converted to Jow- 
tension continuous current to be supplied to consumers. The 
steam generating plant is to consist of twenty-four water-tube . 
Niclausse boilers, which are being built by Messrs. Willans and 
Robinson at Chester. Three other generating stations will be 
erected later. Itis estimated that the cost of generating power 
will be slightly over three farthings a unit, which will enable it to 
be sold cheaply whilst allowing a considerable margin for 
profit. 
THE Journal of Physical Chemistry for January contains a 
paper by Prof. Kahlenberg on instantaneous chemical reactions 
and the electrolytic dissociation theory. A previous paper by 
the same author, in which he discussed the validity of the ionic 
theory of electrolysis, has been abstracted at considerable length 
in NATURE (vol. Ixv. p. 305). In this second communication 
Prof. Kahlenberg attacks the theory that instantaneous chemical 
reactions are dependent upon ions ; the question that the author 
sought to answer was whether these reactions, causing precipi- 
tation by double decomposition, can take place in non-conducting 
solutions. Fle finds that benzene solutions of chlorides, such as 
HCl, SnCly, PCl;, AsCl, and SiCl,, precipitate cupric chloride 
from a benzene solution of copper oleate. There is thus a 
reaction precisely analogous to the precipitation of silver chloride 
from silver nitrate solutions by means of a soluble chloride, 
although in this case both the reacting solutions are excellent 
insulators. The benzene copper and the benzene chloride solu- 
tions are no better conductors than benzene itself, nor is there 
any increase of conductivity at the moment of precipitation. 
Elaborate precautions were taken in all the experiments to 
exclude any trace of moisture. In addition, freezing- and 
boiling-point measurements were made on the copper oleate 
solution, as well as the conductivity tests, which showed that 
there was no electrolytic dissociation. The author concludes 
that, instantaneous reaction in insulating solutions having been 
thus demonstrated, similar reactions in aqueous solutions cannot 
be explained on the ionic hypothesis without further proof, 
A copy of the results of meteorological and magneticah 
observations at Stonyhurst College Observatory for 1901 has 
been received. The observations are very complete and are 
especially valuable from the fact that the means can be com- 
pared with those for the last fifty-four years. The total fall of 
rain in the year was close upon 39 inches, being 8 inches 
below the average. The shade temperature reached 89° on 
The 
lowest shade temperature registered during this long series was 
4°°6, on January 15, 1881. Drawings of the solar surface were 
made on 235 days. An appendix contains the results of 
meteorological observations taken at Malta, with means for 
the last eighteen years. 
In Symons’s Meteorological Magazine for March, there are 
several communications from correspondents referring to the 
sun-pillar of March 6, It appeared to have been most strikingly 
visible in the south and south-west of England, and was also 
observed at some inland stations. An observer at Bridport 
states that at 6h. 1om. p.m. it shot upwards 10° perpendicularly 
above the horizon, and that its colour was yellow, tinted with 
orange. At 6h. 25m., when its altitude had lessened to 5°, it 
showed a remarkably intense rosy tint, and at 6h. 40m. scarcely 
a trace was left. The theory of the formation of the phenomenon 
is that the effect of a luminous shaft is given by reflection from 
the under surfaces of minute crystals of ice floating horizontally. 
The Rev. S. Barber points out that the result is precisely 
similar to the formation of a long shaft of light by the reflection 
of the moon on the rippled surface of the sea- 
“Sa 
