253 



NATURE 



[July 13, 1! 



cave on the 'day following the eclipse, I found it almost filled 

 with shingles and debris. This cave was situated at about the 

 same height above the water as the cave of Amaknak, from 

 which Mr. Dall extracted such voluminous information as to the 

 antiquity of strata of refuse found therein. I cite these instances 

 only for the purpose of showing that it is not safe to ascribe 

 great age to any and all accumulations of debris found on the 

 coast of Alaska, and also as a support for my theory of a general 

 Innuit migration along the coast at a comparatively recent 

 period, subsequent to the invention of the kaiak or a similar 

 structure." 



From the Italian Census of December 31, 1S81, it appears 

 that in 23 out of 24 provincial chief towns the number of persons 

 knowing how to read and write has greatly increased since 1871. 

 In ten years the citizens of Udine had increased in such know- 

 ledge at the rate of 9 per cent. ; in Corno, 6 '50 per cent. 

 Brescia made a strange exception ; in 1S71 there were 2S99 

 persons ignorant of reading and writing, and in 1S81 this number 

 was increased to 3120 persons ; data are wanting to explain this 

 fact. In the 24 capitals of provinces the average result is that a 

 little more than 50 per cent, of the inhabitants know how to read 

 and write. 



Messrs. TrUbner and Co. have issued a second and much 

 enlarged edition of their " Catalogue of the Principal Languages 

 and Dialects of the World." The original catalogue contained 

 about 1 100 titles on 64 pages, while this [edition enumerates 

 nearly 3000 titles on 170 pages. The utility of such a catalogue 

 to students of language is obvious. 



With praiseworthy promptness Messrs. Blackie and Son 

 have issued the third volume of the new edition of the Imperial 

 Dictionary, edited by Mr. Charles Annandale. This volume 

 extends from L to Screak, and in all respects is up to the two 

 first volumes. The only omission of importance we detect is 

 Photophone, which perhaps came too late to be put in its proper 

 place. 



A French engineer has originated a plan by means of which 

 passing ships could send messages by submarine cables ; he 

 would float buoys with the necessary connecting wires and ap- 

 paratus at intervals of a day's journey along the line of the cable, 

 each numbered and properly lighted at night. The writer in 

 the Moniteur de la Plo/te considers that the plan presents but 

 few difficulties, and would obviate much anxiety and many 

 dangers. 



Dr. Schliemann is carrying on new excavationsst Hissarlik, 

 with the assistance of two eminent German architects. No 

 fewer than 150 workmen are daily employed in laying bare the 

 foundations of the ancient cities. Two perfectly distinct cities 

 have lately been discovered in the burnt stratum, the lower one 

 resting on the large walls which have hitherto by mistake been 

 attributed to the second city. Hissarlik now turns out to have 

 been the Acropolis of this lower burnt city, this being proved 

 by the walls and the pottery, as well as by two vast brick build- 

 ings, one of them 43 feet broad by 100 feet long, the other 23 feet 

 broad by less than ICO feet long. These buildings seem to have 

 been temples, a separate gateway, flanked by enormous towers, 

 leading up to them. There are, besides, three or four large 

 buildings, apparently dwelling-houses, but no smaller buildings. 

 The city walls now stand out very imposing. They rest on a 

 substiucture of large blocks, 33 feet high, afterwards superseded 

 by great brick walls. All the treasures formerly found by Dr. 

 Schliemann are now ascribed to the first burnt city. Dr. Schlie- 

 mann has found in the temples copper nails of a very peculiar 

 shape, weighing from 1000 to 1 190 grammes. The second 

 burnt city, being the third city from the rock, and hitherto identi- 

 fied with the Homeric Troy, turns out to have had but very small 



houses and no lower town at all. Dr. Schliemann will continue 

 his excavations till the beginning of August. 



Some interesting objects which have, according to the Datly 

 News correspondent, just been found in Neuchatel are considered 

 by Swiss archaeologists to throw a new light on the history of the 

 lake-dwellers, and the discovery is consequently looked upon as 

 one of importance. Amongst the objects are a carriage-wheel 

 with iron rim, irou swords, and many human bones. 



The Field Naturalist is the name of a new natural history 

 journal, published by A. Heywood of Manchester ; it is stated 

 to be "a medium of intercommunication," and for this purpose 

 it will doubtless be of service to the many cultivators of science 

 throughout the country. 



The Proceedings of the Liverpool Naturalists' Field Club for 

 1SS1-S2, gives the usual account of the numerous excursions of 

 this Society ; they seem to have been successful. We have also 

 received an interesting brief Report of the work done by the 

 York School Natural History Society during the past year ; this 

 Society has founded a special section, exclusively [devoted to 

 scientific workers. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Red-legged Partridge (Caccabis rufa), 

 European, presented by Dr. A. O. Grosvenor ; a Ring Ouzel 

 (Tardus torquatus), British, presented by Mr. H. A. Macpherson; 

 a Red-sided Eclectus (Eclectus polychlorus) from New Guinea, 

 presented by Mr. A. Lubbock ; a Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma 

 cornutum) from Texas, presented by Master Charles Ed. Napier ; 

 a Dwarf Chameleon (Chamaleo pttmilus), eighteen Rough-scaled 

 Lizards (Zomirus cordylus), a Banded Skink (Euprepes lUtatus), 

 a South African Skink (Scelotes bipes), four Beetles (Scarites 

 rugasus), four Beetles (Psorodes, sp. inc.) from Robben Island, 

 South Africa, presented by the Rev. G. H. R. Fiske, C.M.Z.S. ; 

 a Goshawk (Astur palumbarius), European, deposited ; two 

 Black Leopards (Pelt's pardus), an African Elephant (Elephas 

 africanus $ ) from Africa, a Ilardwick's Hemigale (Hemigale 

 hardwicki) from Borneo, a Cuvier's Lagotis (Lagotis cuvieri) 

 from Patagonia, a Pronghorn Antelope (Antilocapra amcricana) 

 from North America, a Malayan Tapir (Tapirus indiens), two 



Hornbills (Bnceros, sp. inc.) from Malacca, purchased; a 



One-Wattled Cassowary (Casuarius uniappendiculatus) from New 

 Guinea, received in exchange ; three Chiloe Wigeons (Mareca 

 chiloensis), bred in the Gardens. — The following insects have 

 emerged during the week : — Silk Moths : Actias seleue, Telia 

 polyphemus ; Butterflies: Parnassius apollo, Vanessa polychlorus, 

 Tltecla spini, Mclanagria galathea ; Moths : Deilephila euphorbia, 

 Sciapteron tabaniformis, Bembecia hyhci/ormis, Zygana filipen- 

 dultc, Plitsia concha. 



PROF. MENDELEEF ON THE HEAT OF COM- 

 BUSTION OF HYDROCARBONS 1 

 " TN considering the numerical data as to the heat of combus- 

 tion," Prof. Mendeleeff says, "it will be perceived that 

 until now sufficient attention has not been given to the distinc- 

 tion between purely calorimetrical data and those physical and 

 mechanical changes which accompany chemical reactions, while 

 it was recognised long ago that it is essential to separate, as far 

 as possible, the heat of the reaction from the heat disengaged 

 by physico-mechanical processes. Tb/i drawback arising from 

 this is especially noticeable with regard to the heat of combustion 

 of compounds of carbon, as this heat is used for measuring the 

 heat of formation of compounds of carbon from simple bodies, 

 which last is, as is known, but a small fraction of all the heat of 

 combustion." Thus, for example, when the products of com- 

 bustion of CO„ and of H 2 act on incandescent charcoal, both 

 reactions are very similar, if we do not give attention to the 

 physical process which accompanies the second reaction. The 



1 " Notice on the Heat of Combustion of Hydrocarbons," in the Journal 

 of the Russian Chemical and Physical Society, v->! xiv. pp. 330-238. 



