JUNE 26, 1902] 
NATURE 
207 
Theoretical reasoning had led him to the belief that, working 
under sufficient pressure, it would be possible to melt carbon 
and to maintain it in the liquid condition, and actual experi- 
ment verified this theory. At a pressure of 1500 atmospheres, 
the arc between two carbons inserted in the pressure vessel 
failed, and not even an E.M.F. of 70 volts sufficed to carry the 
current across the gap separating them. The author’s explana- 
tion of this phenomenon is, that the carbon had assumed the 
third allotropic state, and had in its passage into the liquid and 
transparent condition become a non-conductor. The difficulty 
of maintaining it in this condition was, however, great, and in 
some cases the phenomenon only lasted a few seconds. 
Attempts were made to obtain diamonds, by sudden cooling 
of the interior of the pressure vessel by an inrush of water, but 
although unmistakable diamonds were found amongst the hard 
grey powder that was obtained, the results were not altogether 
satisfactory. The apparatus used by the author in these investi- 
gations has been patented (English Patent No. 16908, 1900), 
and as circumstances have compelled him to relinquish his own 
investigations of the subject, he hopes that others may continue 
the experiments along the lines he has indicated. 
THE development of the large Beaumont oil-field in Texas, 
which is situated only sixteen miles from the coast, will | 
probably lead to oil being much more largely used as fuel for 
engines than it has hitherto been. The possibility of a cheaper 
supply of oil is a matter that is of great importance to this 
country, and may lead to the increased use of motor cars for | 
suburban traffic and for trade purposes. The oil will be con- 
veyed from the oil-field to the coast by pipe lines, along which 
the oil will flow by gravity into tank steamers, the cost of 
conveyance to this country being not much more than a 
halfpenny a gallon. It has been found by experiment. that 
four and a half barrels of oil, or 189 gallons, are equivalent to 
one ton of the best coal. Oil is now used largely in America 
as fuel. On the Southern Pacific Railway 300 engines have 
been adapted to burn oil, and it is anticipated that a very 
large sum will, in consequence, be annually saved in the 
working expenses. In Russia no other fuel than oil is used on 
the 1600 miles of the Trans-Caspian Railway. 
In the Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria, of which 
we have just received part ii. of vol. xiv., 1902, geology 
dominates, and zoology is the only other science dealt with. 
The natural history of the country is attracting particular atten- | : : 
u hi | issued a catalogue of South African fishes (marine and fresh- 
tion, as shown by papers on Crustacea, Polyzoa and Mollusca. 
Mr. T. S. Hall and Mr. G. B, Pritchard discuss a suggested 
nomenclature for the marine Tertiary deposits of southern 
Australia. Local names are always desirable for formaticns 
which cannot be expected to correspond in time with the strati- 
graphical divisions made in distant regions ; and the authors are 
to be commended for using names peculiar to South Australia, 
despite the fact that they introduce the Werrikooian and Jan 
Jucian formations. Prof. J. W. Gregory gives an account of 
the geology of Mount Macedon, an isolated mountain ridge, 
which though forty miles distant is one of the most conspicuous 
features in the views from Melbourne. 
pile resting on Ordovician rocks. The igneous outbursts may 
have commenced in late Cretaceous times, but there is no certain 
evidence. The mountain, however, probably marks the begin- 
ning of the great period of volcanic activity of which the last 
eruptions built up still existing craters, and of which records 
are preserved in the legends of the Victorian aborigines. 
THE Journal of the Franklin Institute (vol. cliii. No. 1) 
contains an account of the half-tone trichromatic process of 
colour-printing, by Mr. F. E. Ives. Until recently, all the 
finest colour-printing has been done by the chromolithographic 
‘these surfaces might be accomplished photographically. 
inks and impressions. It has long been thought that, in accord- 
ance with the trichromatic theory of colour vision, three printing 
surfaces, colours and impressions might be substituted for the 
seven to twenty of the lithographer, and that the preparation of 
The 
only commercially successful development of this idea at the 
present time is by the employment of three half-tone process 
blocks made from a trichromatic negative colour record and 
printed with three coloured inks in the type process. Up to the 
present the quality of the product of this process has, however, 
been so uncertain that the process has been brought somewhat 
into disrepute. The author shows that conditions can be 
secured which make it possible to obtain the best results almost 
automatically. 
IN the Sczentific Transactions of the Royal Dublin Society 
(vol. vii.) is a paper by Prof. Joly on sedimentation experiments 
and theories. The rates of settlement of suspensions from 
solutions containing ions in various degrees of concentration 
indicate that above a certain concentration the rate of fall of the 
surface of the suspension is fairly independent of the degree of 
concentration. Below certain concentrations a distinct surface 
| to the descending suspension fails, and the sediment is only seen 
to collect from the bottom of the vessel upwards. A suspension 
precipitated at a concentration in the neighbourhood of this 
critical concentration does not again precipitate with a distinct 
surface if reshaken. On removing the electrolyte from such an 
‘*exhausted ” suspension, it is found that the liquid is as 
effective as at first in producing surface if a fresh sample of the 
powder is used. On the other hand, the original powder will 
not again exhibit the formation of surface when treated with 
fresh electrolyte of the same strength, but requires a more 
concentrated solution to do so. The failure is, therefore, to be 
traced to some alteration in the solid particles, and on testing 
the fresh powder it is found to be electrically negative towards 
distilled water, whereas the used powder is neutral or nearly 
so towards its salt solution. The author advances a theory 
of the process of sedimentation to account for the observed 
phenomena. 
‘<THE Pioneers of Evolution, from Thales to Huxley,” is the 
title of a pamphlet of 114 pages by Mr. E. Clodd, published for 
the Rationalist Press Association by Messrs. Watts and Co. 
THE Agricultural Department of the Cape of Good Hope has 
water), drawn up by Dr. J. D. F. Gilchrist, the Government 
biologist. : 
In his report of the Ghizeh Zoological Garden for 1go1, 
Captain Stanley Flower announces that two important additions 
have been made to the buildings, namely, the lion-house and the 
elephant-house, both of which were completed during the year. 
IN the June number of the Zoo/ogist Mr. R. Service alludes 
to the change which appears to have taken place of late years 
| in the habits of the black-headed gull, this bird being much more 
It consists of a volcanic 
of a land-dweller than formerly. 
WE have received a copy of a reprint of an article from 
Chambers's Journal in which Mr. H. F. Witherby recapitu- 
lates the main facts connected with the migration of birds, 
adding a few observations made during his own travels in the 
eastern Sudan and elsewhere. 
A SUPPLEMENT to the Oxford University Gazette, issued 
June 17, contains the report of the delegates of the museum for 
1g01. Among the more important additions to the collec- 
tions is a ‘*totem-post,” about 36 feet in height, from Queen 
Charlotte Island, presented by Prof. E. B. Tylor. The Hope 
process employing from seven to twenty stones with as many | professor of zoology announces that the insect collection has 
NO. 1704, VOL. 66] 
