June 29, 1882] 



NATURE 



213 



Strom 5269 '4) in the second, and is good in the fourth and even 

 fifth spectrum. 



Flat grating, 2X3 inches, 1200 lines to one millimetre. 

 Shows very many more lines in the 13 and A groups than were 

 ever before seen. 



Flat grating, 2 X 3 J inches, 14,438 lines to the inch. This 

 has most wonderful brilliancy in one of the first spectra, so that 

 I have seen the Z line, wave-length 8420 (see Abney's map of 

 the ultra-red region), and determined its Have length roughly, 

 and have seen much further below the A line than the B line is 

 above the A line. The same may be said of the violet end of 

 the spectrum. But such gratings are only obtained by accident. 



Concave grating, 2X3 inches, 7 feet radius of curvature, 4818 

 lines to the inch. The coincidences of the spectra can be 

 observed to the tenth or twelfth spectrum. 



Concave grating, 2X3 inches, 14,438 lines to the inch, 

 radius of curvature S feet. Divides the 1474 line in the first 

 spectrum, ihe E line in the second, and is good in the third or 

 fourth. 



Concave grating, 3 x 5 J inches, 17 feet radius of curvature, 

 28,876 lines to the inch, and thus nearly 160,000 lines in all. 

 This shows more in the first spectrum than was ever seen 

 before. Divides 1474 and E veiy widely, and shows the 

 stronger component of Angstrom 5275 double. Second spectrum 

 not tried. 



Concave grating, 4x5! inches, 3610 lines to the inch, radius 

 of curvature 5 feet 4 inches. This grating was made for Prof. 

 Langley's experiments on the ultra-red portion of the spectrum, 

 and was thus made very bright in the first spectrum. The defini- 

 tion seems to be very fine, notwithstanding the short focus, and 

 divides the 1474 line with ease. But it is difficult to rule so 

 concave a grating, as the diamond marks differently on the 

 different parts of the plate. 



These give illustrations of the results accomplished, but of 

 course many other experiments have been made. I have not yet 

 been able to decide whether the definition of ..he concave grating 

 fully comes up to that of a flat grating, but it evidently does so 

 very nearly. 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



Cambridge. — The following awards have been made at St. 

 John's College for proficiency in natural science : — Foundation 

 Scholarships to Bateson, Goodman ; Exhibitions to Edmunds, 

 Love, T. Roberts (already scholars), and to Acton, Andrews, 

 Clementson. T. Roberts also received a Wright's Prize, with 

 augmentation of scholarship to 100/. for the year. In the Open 

 Exhibition Examination at Easter, H. Stroud (Owens College) 

 was awarded a a Foundation Scholarship of 100, and Fuller 

 (Perse School, Cambridge), 50/. for three years. 



In the long list of lectures on Natural Science for the 

 ensuing academical year, lately published, we note as new 

 courses or features of special interest, Mr. Shaw's lectures on 

 some Applications of the Higher Mathematics to Physics 

 (Michelmas Term) ; Dr. Roberts's lectures on Physiography 

 (Michaelmas Term) ; Prof. Hughes's Course of Dynamical 

 Geology (Lent Term) ; Dr. Vines's complete course of advanced 

 Botanical Study, extending through the year ; Prof. Newton's 

 lectures on the Evidence of Evolution in the Animal Kingdom, 

 in the Michaelmas Term, and on the Geographical Distribution 

 of Animals, in the Easter Term ; and Prof. Balfour's announce- 

 ment of his lectures and practical work, as Professor of Animal 

 Morphology. 



The annual report of the Botanic Gardens Syndicate details 

 work done in improving the Gardens, and amongst valuable 

 additions to the collection, the Tonga plant, recently introduced 

 from the Fiji Islands. A special collection of medical plants 

 has been formed, which already contains the most important 

 hardy plants, and some of considerable rarity. About 8000 

 labels have been written during the year. 



With regard to the recent Mathematical Tripos (in which 

 Messrs. Welsh of Jesus College, and Turner of Trinity College, 

 were respectively Senior and Second Wranglers), although the 

 twenty-nine Wranglers may enter for a further advanced 

 examination in January next, they are by no means compelled to 

 do so. The examination, so far as it has already proceeded, 

 includes very many of the subjects of the old Mathematical 

 Tripos, and we anticipate that unless the colleges decline to elect 

 to Fellowships Wranglers who do not proceed to the higher 



examination, many will rest content with the test already under- 

 gone. The recent talk about the "abolition of the Senior 

 Wrangler " has not a very valid basis. 



The eighth annual meeting of the Yorkshire College was held 

 at Leeds on Saturday, Sir Edward Baines in the chair. Prof. 

 Marshall, the principal, made a satisfactory report, and a reso- 

 lution of the council was confirmed to proceed with the com- 

 pletion of the new college buildings. On the proposition of the 

 Mayor of Leeds (Alderman Tatham) it was resolved that, in 

 memory of the late Lord F. Cavendish, M.P., the late president 

 of the college, who for twelve years had been one of its foremost 

 promoters, a fund be established for the endowment ot a Caven- 

 dish Professorship of Physics or for such other purpose as the 

 council should deem best. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Notet from the Leydcn Museum, vol. iv. No. 2, April, 1882, 

 contain : On American Diptera, by F. M. van der Wulf. — On 

 new species of Lycidae, Lampyrida?, and Telephorida?, and on a 

 new Sumatran species of Callimerus, by Rev. H. S. Gorham. — 

 On new species of Pedilidae and Anthicida;, and on a new 

 African species of Hister, by S. de Marseul. — On the Holo- 

 thurians in the Leyden Museum, by Dr. H. Ludwig. — On some 

 British Indian reptiles and amphibia, by Dr. A. Hubrecht. — On 

 the Pselaphidae and Scydmsenid:e of the Sunda Islands by Dr. 

 L. W. Schaufuss. — Description of a new species of Apogonia, 

 by Dr. D. Sharp. — On a new species of Pantolamprus from 

 Liberia, by Dr. E. Candeze. 



Bulletin de la Soc. Imp. des Nattiralistes de Moscou, tome Ivi. 

 No. 3, 1882, contains ; V. Kiprijanoff, on fish remains in the 

 Siwerischen Osteoliths (2 plates). — Dr. Max Schmidt, on 

 Bolborhvnchus monachus. — Prof. K. Lindeman, on Coleopliora 

 tritici, a new injurious Russian insect. — Dr. J. v. Bedriaga. — On 

 the Amphibia and Reptiles of Greenland. — F. v. Thumen, con- 

 tributions to the fungal-flora of Siberia. — N. Vischniakoff, on the 

 Ammonites distractus of Quensted. — Prof. Bredichen, report on 

 the tails of comets 1881 b and c — Dr. E. Kern, on a new milk 

 ferment from the Caucasus (2 plates). — Th. A. Sludski, on two 

 inequalities taking place in the movement of the solar system (in 

 Russian). — A. Becker, journey to Southern Daguestan. — M. 

 Menzbier, comparative review of the ornithological fauna of 

 Moscow and Toula.— A. Regel, Correspondence. 



Zeitschrift fur wissenschaftliche ZoologU, vol. xxxvi., part 4, 

 1882, contains J. Brock, on the anatomy and systematic position 

 of the Cephalopoda (with plates 34 to 37).— O. Katz, contribu- 

 tion to a knowledge of the tegumentary system of the pouch 

 and its several accompanying organs in the marsupials (with 

 plates 38-40). — R. Rbssler, contribution to the anatomy of the 

 Phalangidce (with plates 41 and 42). 



Archives des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles, May 15.— Study 

 on the chemical composition of albuminoid substances (con- 

 tinued), by A. Danilewsky. — Mean diurnal heights of Lake 

 Leman, at Secheron, from 1874 to 18S1, by P. Plantamour.— 

 The rheolyser, by E. Hartmann. — Darwin considered as regards 

 the causes of his success and the importance of his works, by 

 Alph. de Candolle. 



SiizungsberUhte und Abhandlungen der naturwisscnschaftlichen 

 Ceselisc/ia/t /sis in Dresden, July to December, 18S1.— On some 

 lime-spar crystals, by A. Pungold. — Flora of Dresden and its 

 environs, by C. F. Schulze. — On the oldest traces of fossil plants 

 in Saxony, by H. B. Geinitz.— On the progress of Geological 

 researches in North America, by the same. — On the occurrence 

 of Cenomanian petrefactions at Dohne, by J. v. Deichmuller. 

 On the occurrence of the Riesengebirge races of Pinus Montana, 

 Mull., in the Saxon-Bohemian Oberlausitz, by O. Drude. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 



Royal Society, June 15. — "On an Arrangement of the 

 Electric Arc for the Study of the Radiation of Vapours, toge- 

 ther with the Preliminary Results." By Professors Liveing and 

 Den ar. 



By the arrangement described, the authors are able to make 

 observations as the temperature rises and as it falls, and so to 

 trace the influence of temperature in many cases in which the 

 extent of that influence was before doubtful. The temperature 



