494 



NA TURE 



\Sebt. 14, 1882 



with two coats — a sarcolemma and contractile layer — the inner 

 surface of which is irregular, and gives ri>e to an apparently 

 granular contents. 2. In living condition it is unstriped. 3. 

 There are no nuclei. 4. Transverse striation may be produced 

 post-mortem, the result of three changes : — a. Regular arrange- 

 ment of the papillae on the inner surface of the contractile layer. 

 /8. Folding of the surface of the sarcolemma. 7. Splitting into 

 segments of the contractile sub-tances which subsequently con- 

 tract. 5. The contractile substance coagulates, forming myosin, 

 which subsequently contracts. 6. The rapidity of contraction 

 gives rise to varying appearances of fissures, striatums, &c. 



Improved Method of Direct Determining of the Contraction 

 Wave in Curarised Muscle, by E. A. Shaafer, F. U.S.— In this 

 method, instead of using levers which write directly on a 

 blackened surface, the levers are can ed to successively break 

 galvanic circuits connected with a Ruhmkorff induction apparatus, 

 the en Is of the secondary coil being so ana aged that the sp irks 

 arc t aismit ed through a sheet ol smoked paper, turned rapidly 

 by means of a spring myograph. A time tracing is at the fame 

 time recorded on the paper. 



Cn the Presence of a Tympanum in the Genus Baca, by G. B. 

 Howe*. — The author regards a fene-tra (long known to exist) in 

 the roof of the auditory capsule of the genus and its adjacent 

 parts, to be a modification of what is seen in other species, 

 which is correlative of the compression from above downwards 

 undergone by it, resuhing in the formation of a tympanum 

 physiologically foreshadowing the essential process involved in 

 the elaboration of the auditory organ of the higher forms. 



Prof. H. N. Martin, D.Sc, explained briefly his method of 

 isolating the mamalian heart for experimental purposes. 



Dogs were u-ed : these being etherised, were then kept alive 

 by artificial respiration; all systemic vessels, with the exception 

 of the thoracic aorta and the superior cava were then ligatured. 

 The heart is now- supplied by defibrinated dog's or calf's blood 

 by means of a Marriot's flask, the whole animal being kept in a 

 moist and warmed chamber. Dr. Martin by these means has 

 found that either the venous or aortic pressure may be varied in 

 very great limits without the rate of the beat being altered, but 

 by increasing the venous pressure very slightly, the work done 

 by the organ was vastly increased. These researches are, how- 

 ever, only preliminary. 



On some Toxic Conditions of the Blood illustrated bv the - 

 of Hydrocyanic Acid, by T. S. Ralph. — Having found some 

 apparently amyloid matter in the blood-corpuscles of patients 

 taking hydrocyanic acid, Mr. Ralph has examined the subject, 

 and brought forward some observations which tended to show 

 tha: this may occur in recent paralysis, and the exhibition of 

 various remedies. 



Department of Anthropology 



Evidence as to the Scene of Man ' s Evolution and the Prospects 

 of Proving the same by Palaontological Discovery, by \Y. S. 

 Duncan, M.A.I. — Mr. Duncan urged that a Committee should 

 be appointed to investigate fossil forms proving the evolution of 

 man. The author advanced a series of arguments in favour of 

 the region of the South of Europe and Asia as the probable 

 scene of man's evolution as a likely field of successful explora- 

 tion. 



Ebb and Flow in Mental Endowment, by G. Harris, F.S. A. 

 — The theory propounded by Mr. Clarke was that an ebb and 

 flow in mental capacity and moral quatities may often be dis- 

 covered in the successive generations of particular families. 

 The writer referred to the supposed transmission of endowments 

 acquired by cultivation, and started the inquiry whether t lie- 

 condition of the parent at the time of procreation of the child is 

 that from which the transmission of such qualities is derived. 



On some Customs of the Aborigines of the River Darling, New 

 South Hales, by F. Bonney. — Mr. lionney gave the result of his 

 own observations, during many years' residence, on the customs 

 of the race, and especially on the rites and ceremonies relating 

 to marriage, coming of age, burial, mourning, &c, and an 

 account of the many superstitions relating to the healing art, 

 detection of murderers, &c. The paper was illustrated by a 

 large number of valuable photographs. 



The Li & ht thrown by the Explorations of Caves on the Conquest 

 of Britain, by Prof. Boyd Dawkins, F.R.S.— The lecturer 

 brought forward much important evidence drawn from the 

 exploration of caves in Ayrshire and other localities as to the 

 places to which the Britons retreated as the advancing Anglians 

 spread westward. 



SECTION G— Mechanical Science. 

 Mr. B. Baker read a paper on The Forth Bridge, of which we 

 recently gave an account, {Nature, vol. xxv. p. 246). The 

 author gave an amusing illustration of the size of this new 

 bridge. The stature of a new born infant being 19/34 inches, 

 the average height of a guardsman 5 feet lot, the ratio of these 

 two is as 1 : 3'65, and this is exactly the ratio of the span of 

 the Forth bridge to that of th-: largest bridge at present in this 

 country, viz. the Britannia bridge. The account above alluded to 

 dealt principally with the questions of size and strength ; the 

 paper in addition to these points dealt with the history of nego- 

 tiations and Parliamentary proceedings, and then with mode of 

 construction, weight of materials to be u ed, and probable cost. 

 No less than 42,000 tons of steel will be used in the super- 

 structure of the main s,ans and 3CO0 tons of wrought iron in 

 that of the viaduct approach. The total quantity of masonry 

 in the piers and foundations would be about 150,000 cubic 

 yards, and the estimated cost of the entire work was about 

 ,£1,500,000 though from the magaitude and novelty of the 

 undertaking this must be regarded as only an approximate figure. 

 A very fine model of the proposed bridge was placed in the 

 room. 



On the Treatment of Steel for the Construction of Ordnance, 

 by Sir \V. Armstrong. — The author alluded to the want of a 

 proper definition of steel. The term was formerly confined to 

 iron containing a much greater proportion of combined carbon 

 than was to be found in the so-called mild steels of the present 

 day. The chief distinction between iron and steel now seemed 

 to be in the process of manufacture, steel being operated upen 

 in the state of fusion, while iron was dealt with in a state of 

 agglutination. But even mild s'eel contained more carbon than 

 was generally to be found in wrought iron and that excess small 

 as it was, appeared to exercise a very important influence upon 

 its qualities. These qualities bad been brought out in a marked 

 way in some investigations he had occasion to make in welding, 

 tempering, drawing, and annealing. The experiments were then 

 detailed and the specimen of steel shown to the meeting. One 

 important conclusion was that there w as much less sacrifice of 

 ductility and toughness in obtaining strength by tempering, than 

 by increase of carbon. The saving in weight of steel for a 

 given purpose would thus in the case of bridges and sinrlar 

 structures, amply repay the cost 01 tempering. 



Mr. T. R. Wrighton read a paper on The Increased Tenacity 

 in Perforated Test Bars of /ton and Steel which together with 

 the former paper elicited a very interesting discussion, particu- 

 larly v ith reference to the curious phenomenon dealt with in the 

 latter. Several explanations of the result have been given, but 

 it appears tolerably certain that the section of the test bar under 

 tension is not decreased to the same proportial extent when per- 

 forated as when solid, and this the author appeared to think was 

 due to the cutting through of the diagonal lines of stress by the 

 drilled holes. 



On the Channel Tunnel, by Mr. J. Clarke Hawkshaw-.— 

 The author commenced by giving an account of the steps 

 which had hitherto been taken in the matter, stating that 

 there were two schemes for carrying out the work. That by the 

 South Eastern Company was the one of which the public had 

 hitherto chiefly heaid, while the Channel Tunnel Company bad 

 been silent, waiting for the promised Parliamentary enquiry. 

 He then proceeded to discuss the geological aspect of the question 

 in a most able and explicit manner. The plan he advocated may 

 be briefly described as one to bore a tunnel which should 

 approach the coast of this country east of Dover so as to enable 

 the line to rise by the necessary gradient to the town. lie 

 proposed to take the shortest possible route ami instead o 

 deviating from the straight line to avoid the chance of coming 

 upon water bearing fissures, to aim rather at dealing with the 

 water from this cause by powerful pumping apparatus. He 

 argued to show that the amount of water so met with would 

 probably be quite w ithin the power of pumps to deal with. 

 The advantages to be gained from making a tnnnel direct from 

 Fainhole to Sandgatte were : — The shortest sea tunnel ; as short 

 a land tunnel, as by any line ; a greater thickness of chalk 

 through which to tunnel ; the best termination for effecting 

 junctions with the existing English railways ; and a termination 

 affording facilities for defence at a less cost than elsewhere. He 

 criticised at length other proposed routes, and finally dealt with 

 the proposed system of ventilation. 



On the system of Excavating the Channel Tunnel by Hy- 

 draulic Machinery, by Mr. T. R. Crampton. — The principal 



