66 
apparatus consists mainly of three portions; the first consists of 
a horizontal magnetic needle mounted on a vertical support 
between a small and sensitive coil of wire, the needle and its 
stop being connected with a battery, a bell and a registering 
apparatus, the needle when in contact with its stop completing 
the circuit. The registering apparatus is a small electromagnet 
which actuates a pen in contact with a disc, and the latter is 
connected with a clock and moves with regular velocity. The 
third and very important portion of the arrangement is the 
coherer, which is composed of two delicately suspended needles 
nearly in contact ; these are connected in a circuit, which in- 
cludes the coil in which the horizontal needle is placed, a cell, 
and the long intercepting wire, corresponding to the tall post 
with wire of the Marconi telegraph system. The apparatus 
works in the following manner. A distant flash of lightning 
Starts a wave-impulse, and this is led to the coherer by the 
intercepting wire ; the needles move and touch each other, 
thus completing the circuit, and allow a current to pass through 
-the coil. This coil immediately causes the needle inside it to be 
deflected to the stop. The second circuit is thus completed, the 
needle on the registering apparatus marks a deflection on the 
disc, the bell is rung, and the vibration caused by the latter 
separates the needles of the coherer. According to the account 
here given, the instrument is very efficient and has been found 
to record storms as many as twenty miles away, while on another 
occasion the instrument during very fine weather was working 
‘apparently rebelliously,” but was really recording a great 
storm raging at Budapest (as shown by the time of occurrence 
and record at each place), a distance of 110 kilometres from 
the apparatus. 
In the Seéentific Transactions of the Royal Dublin Society 
for April, Prof. F, T. Trouton discusses the remarkable experi- 
ment suggested by the late Prof. Fitzgerald for testing the 
relative motion of the earth and the zther. The idea of the 
experiment is that a charged electrical condenser, when moving 
through the ether with its plates edgeways to the direction of 
motion, possesses a magnetic field between the plates in con- 
sequence of its motion in accordance with the generally held 
view that a moving charge is equal to an electric current. As 
Prof. Trouton points out in the second part, the experimental 
realisation of the results anticipated opens up the possibility of 
utilising the earth’s energy of motion through space, but it ap- 
pears, so far as the observations go, that the effects sought are 
masked by some countervailing phenomena. In examining the 
paper at the present time, the recent discussions of Cremieu, 
Righi and other physicists on the question whether moving 
charges do actually generate a magnetic field, and allied points in 
the theory of electromagnetism, must not be overlooked. 
We have received a copy of a paper, by Mr. R. S. Hutton, 
on the fusion of quartz in the electric furnace. Mr. Hutton 
found that quartz can be readily fused in a Moissan are furnace 
taking 300 amperes at 50 volts, and if air is supplied during 
the process reduction can be prevented. A modified form of 
furnace was built with a trough cut at right angles to the 
carbons, so that a carbon mould filled with broken-up quartz can 
be pushed under the are. For making tubes, a carbon core is 
used, which is easily withdrawn afterwards, as it does not stick 
to the quartz. The tubes thus prepared are not quite free from 
bubbles, but can be improved in appearance by reheating under 
the arc, and, being thick-walled, can be used for drawing down 
and blowing. Mr, Hutton expresses the hope that this process 
may be extended by those having large supplies of power at 
their disposal, and may prove cheaper and more easily worked 
than the present method of fusion in the oxyhydrogen flame. 
Fused quartz apparatus might then be easily available, and its 
valuable properties would ensure its use for many purposes. 
NO. 1698, VOL. 66] 
NATURE 
[May 15, 1902 
Chief among these may be noted its low coefficient of expan- 
sion, its high melting point, and its power of withstanding 
sudden changes of temperature without cracking. 
THE last number of the /owrna/ of the Russian’ Physical and 
Chemical Society (vol. xxxiv. 2) contains a paper by Prof. 
Bohuslav Brauner on the position of the rare earths in 
Mendeleeft’s periodical system of elements, which led to a very 
interesting discussion when it was read at the last Congress of 
Russian Naturalists. After having mentioned his experimental | 
and theoretical work concerning the elements lanthanum, cerium, 
praseodymium, neodymium, thorium, &c., the author discussed 
the position of these elements in the periodic system, and the four 
different ways in which it may be attempted to place them in it. 
With Mr. Steele, of Melbourne, he comes to the conclusion that 
this group of elements represents a sort of node in the periodic 
system, between cerium and an unknown element which has 
the atomic weight of 180. This inter-periodic group is a con- 
tinuation of the eighth series, which ends with the platinum 
elements ; gold appears in such case as the first member of the 
ninth series, and not of the eleventh. In the twelfth series the 
first members are, probably, radium, thorium and uranium. 
This addition seems, in Mendeléeff’s opinion, to deserve serious 
attention. 
IN the latest Ao//ettino of the Italian Seismological Society, 
Dr. Cancani reconsiders the periodicity of the great earthquakes 
which have visited the coasts of the Marches and Romagna. 
By the discovery of some missing records, he has been able to 
fill up two gaps in the series, which now extends from 268 h.c. 
to 1874 A.pD. The intervals between successive great earth- 
quakes vary from 93 to 1144 years, the average interval being 
IOI‘9 years. 
Soon after the Riviera earthquake of February 23, 1887, the 
geodynamic section of the Central Meteorological Office of 
Rome commenced the systematic record of all Italian earth- 
quakes. During the first three or four years, the new section 
was getting into working order, but from 1891 onwards it at- 
tained that uniformity and regularity which now characterise it. 
The results of the first ten-year period (1891-1900) are sum- 
marised by Dr. A. Cancani in a paper published in the last 
Bollettino (vol. vii. No. 6) of the Italian Seismological Society. 
Taking into account only those shocks that were perceptible 
without instrumental aid, he finds that no less than 3361 earth- 
quakes were observed in Italy during the ten years. The 
maximum monthly numbers occur in July and August, but this” 
distribution is accidental and due to the very numerous shocks 
which followed the Monte Saraceno (Foggia) earthquake in 
July and August, 1893. During the last five years, the maximum 
numbers are found in January and March. The hourly distri- 
bution of earthquakes shows a minimum between 5 and 8 p.m. 
and a maximum in the first hour after midnight. Seismologists 
usually consider the midnight maximum as apparent and due to — 
the condition of the observers, but Dr. Cancani remarks that } 
the ratio of night earthquakes to day earthquakes is the same, — 
namely 1°5, both for weak shocks (of intensities 2 to 4) and for ‘ 
strong ones (intensities 5 to 8). This is in direct contradiction F 
to results previously obtained by de Montessus. i 
of the balloon ascents which took place on the. morning of 
February 6 :—Strassburg, (1) temperature on ground — 0°'9C., ; 
— 39°°7 at 8290 metres; (2) temperature at starting —O”'l, 4 
—6°°8 at 3600 metres. Berlin, temperature — 4°°4, and—12°'9 _ 
at 3635 metres. Vienna, (1) temperature —8°'6, and —12°°0 at 
3760 metres ; (2) with Archduke Leopold Salvator and Arch- 
duchess Blanca in the car, temperature —9°’O at 3000 metres 
