JuLy 17, 1902] 
UsEFUL suggestions for laying out, planting and cultivating a 
garden and grounds are given by Mr. T. W. Sanders in the 
second number of the series of rural handbooks in course of 
publication by Messrs. Dawbarn and Ward. Seven plans are 
given for laying out plots varying in area from a quarter of an 
acre to ten acres; and anyone free to follow the designs set 
forth, and capable of waiting patiently for the trees and shrubs 
to develop, may act with advantage upon the concise instructions 
which Mr. Sanders gives. 
A CHEAP edition (price 6d.) of Laing’s ‘‘ Modern Science 
and Modern Thought,” revised and brought up to date, with a 
biographical note by Mr. Edward Clodd, has been issued for 
the Rationalist Press Association by Messrs. Watts and Co- 
With reference to the revision which the advance of knowledge 
during the last seventeen years has rendered necessary, Mr. 
Clodd remarks :—‘‘ The portions thus affected are those dealing 
with the continuity of Paleolithic and Neolithic man in Con- 
tinental Europe ; with the recent discovery of remains, probably 
of an intermediate form between man and ape, in Java ; and 
with the remarkable discoveries in Babylonia, which appear to 
accord to that empire on earlier civilisation than that of 
Egypt.” 
Mr. BENJAMIN Kipp is leaving England shortly for South 
Africa, in connection with studies on which he is engaged. 
Since the publication of ‘‘ Principles of Western Civilisation ” 
he has been occupied with articles of some length for the ‘‘ En- 
cyclopedia Britannica.” One of these deals with the applica- 
tion of the doctrine of evolution to society. The article on 
sociology in the new edition will be contributed by Mr. Kidd. 
THE question as to whether tellurium or iodine possesses the 
larger atomic weight has given rise to many researches since 
Mendeléeff pointed out that the conclusion drawn from the 
periodic system was opposed to the experimentally determined 
facts. This work has hitherto been principally devoted to 
tellurium, partly because as the rarer and lesser known element 
tellurium might possibly contain elements of higher atomic 
weight, but chiefly because the work of Stas in regard to iodine 
appeared so convincing that further determinations of this con- 
stant for iodine would be superfluous. Since all the work done 
on tellurium tends to show that its atomic weight is decidedly 
higher than that of iodine, Prof. Ladenburg has attacked the 
question from the other side, and has redetermined the atomic 
weight of iodine, using methods of purification differing from 
those adopted by Stas; the result is in almost absolute agree- 
ment with the usually accepted figure, so that the discrepancy 
between the conclusions of the periodic law and the results of 
experiment still remains unexplained. 
THE current number of the Serichte containsa paper by Dr. 
W. Marckwald on polonium, the radioactive constituent of 
bismuth. The discoverers of these radioactive elements, M. 
and Mme. Curie, after numerous attempts to isolate this element, 
concluded that polonium is a species of active bismuth, and that 
there is as yet no proof that it containsa new element. Dr. 
Marckwald, after numerous fruitless experiments, has succeeded 
in obtaining a minute amount of polonium in a manner which 
would appear to exclude the possibility of its identity with 
bismuth. Starting with some kilograms of residues from pitch- 
blende, about 1 per cent. of strongly radioactive bismuth oxy- 
chloride was obtained, and it was proved that this activity 
remained unchanged after several months. The acid solution 
of this was then treated with a stick of pure metallic bismuth, 
the metal becoming after some time coated with a black de- 
posit. It was found that the activity of this deposit, as measured 
by the electroscope, far exceeded that of the original solution, 
the residual solution having lost its activity during the deposi- 
tion. No deposit was seen when a second stick of bismuth was 
NO. 1707, VOL. 66] 
NATURE 
281 
placed in this exhausted solution. The total weight of polonium 
obtained was only 5 milligrams, corresponding to an amount 
not exceeding I gram per ton of pitchblende. The author 
hopes to be able to obtain sufficient material to carry out an 
atomic weight determination. 
ALTHOUGH the fact of the existence of a gaseous antimony 
hydride has been known for many years, it is only comparatively 
recently that it has been obtained in the pure state, and the 
accounts of the stability of the pure hydride differ considerably. 
Thus, according to Olszewski, who first succeeded in solidifying 
the gas, decomposition with separation of antimony occurs 
readily even at — 90°C. The current number of the Berzchte 
contains a paper on this subject by A. Stock and W. Doht. In 
order to obtain as richa gas as possible, they made a careful 
study of the composition of the gas evolved from a series of 
alloys of antimony with zinc, sodium, calcium and magnesium, and 
they found that the magnesium alloy was much the best for the 
purpose. Thus, whilst thezinc-antimony alloys never yielded a gas 
containing more than I per cent. of the hydride, an alloy of one 
part of antimony with two of magnesium gave hydrogen con- 
taining from 10°4 to 14 per cent. of the antimony hydride. 
From this mixture the pure gas was easily solidified out with 
liquid air, melting at — 88° C. and boiling at — 17°C. The 
solid melts to a clear liquid, and evaporates without leaving any 
trace of antimony, and, in fact, the gas may be kept at the 
ordinary temperature for some hours before decomposition 
sets in. 
THE additions to the Zoological Society’s Gardens during the 
past week include a Brown Capuchin (Cebus fatwel/us) from 
Guiana, presented by Madame Delmas; two Ocelots (Fe/zs 
pardalis), two Common Boas (Soa constrictor) from South 
America, presented by Captain W. H. Lacy; two Giraffes 
(Giraffa camelopardalis, 8 2) from Kordofan, two Cheetahs 
(Cynoelurus jubatus), three Secretary Vultures (Serpentarius 
reptilivorus) from Africa, presented by Colonel Mahon ; a Green 
Woodpecker (Gecznus viridis) British, presented by Mr, J. T. 
Jones ; a Roseate Cockatoo (Cacatua rosezcapzl/a) from Australia, 
presented by Miss Ina King; five Lions (young) (eds /o), 
two Grévy’s Zebras (Zguus grevyz, 9 9) from Southern 
Abyssinia, a Campbell’s Monkey (Cercopithecus campbellz) from 
West Africa, five Pratincoles (Glareola pratincola), European, two 
Lesueur’s Terrapins (MZalacoclemmys Jlesueuri), two prickly 
Trionyx (Zrionyx spinifer), an Alligator Terrapin (Chelydra 
serpentina) from North America, two Striated Snake-head Fish 
(Ophiocephalus striatus) from India, two Egyptian Geese 
(Chenalopex aegyptiacus) from Africa, deposited ; an Ourang- 
Outang (Simia satyrus) from Borneo, two Golden-backed 
Woodpeckers (Brachyplernus aurantius), an Indian Roller 
(Coractas indica) from India, two White-eyebrowed Guans 
(Penelope superctliaris) from South-east Brazil, purchased ; a 
Duke of Bedford’s Deer (Cervus xanthopygtus) born in the 
Gardens. 
OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 
BRIGHT METEOR OF JULY 13.—Several correspondents 
send particulars of a brilliant meteor observed over a wide 
area last Sunday evening, July 13, about 10.30. According 
to charts sent by Prof. F. J. Allen from Cambridge, and Mr. 
A. Macrae from Crouch End, the meteor, which was probably 
sporadic, first appeared at an altitude of about 40°, and travel- 
ling in a N.E.-S.W. direction crossed a line joining Jupiter and 
Markab at right angles, at about 25° from the former. The 
meteor travelled very quickly and was intensely bright. Prof. 
Allen says :—‘‘ It illuminated the landscape like a considerable 
flash of lightning, though the moon shone and incandescent 
lights were near.” Its colour is given as ‘‘ violet-white.” Mr. C. 
Waterer, of Margate, also remarks :—‘‘It lighted up the whole 
