Sept. 2i, 1882] 



NATURE 



, 1 1 



AVE have received a further supply of University Calendars. 

 That of University College, Liverpool, is pleasant reading in 

 some parts ; the list of donations and subscriptions to the young 

 college is quite worthy of Liverpool, and might well excite the 

 envy of more struggling institutions. Here we have 10,000/. 

 for a Chair of Natural History, another 10,000/. for a Chair of 

 Chemitry, and the like sums or nearly so, for Chairs of Philo- 

 sophy, of Art, of Mathematics, for a chemical laboratory, and so 

 on, besides thousand on thousand for other purposes. Liverpool 

 College has had a good start, and much will be expected of her. 

 The Calendar of Firth College, Sheffield, is small and business- 

 like, and in the statement of the objects of the college, the 

 governors show that they have a satisfactory idea of what such an 

 institution should be and do. We have also the Calendar of 

 University College, Wale=, in [whose curriculum science has a 

 place. 



Two interesting cases of explosion are described by Herr 

 Pfaundler in a recent number of Wiedemann's Annalen. A 

 closed glass tube two-thirds filled with liquid carbonic acid was 

 inserted a few centimetres deep in a bath of carbonic acid and 

 ether brought to a temperature of - 100° C, in order to get 

 crystallised carbonic acid. Beautiful crystals were soon formed 

 in the immersed part of the tube, and a layer of the liquid acid 

 remained above. 1 he tube was then raised by its upper part 

 into the air, and in a few minutes it exploded violently. This 

 tube had of ten before borne a rise of temperature to 31°. The 

 explosion is attributed to thermal expansion of the solid carbonic 

 acid (as a more likely cause, than vapour-pressure on glass ren- 

 dered brittle by a low temperature). In the second case, a large 

 sheet zinc bell-gasometer, u^ed exclusively for keeping oxygen 

 gas, was concerned. It had stood about six months unused, 

 containing a little of the gas. When the i-suing gas was being 

 tested with a glowing match, an explosion occurred, shattering 

 the apparatus. Any entrance of hydrogen or coal-gas is out of 

 the question. It is supposed that the water had gradually 

 absorbed acid vapours from the air of the lab oratory, and that 

 the zinc had been thus attacked, yielding hydrogen. The zinc 

 was in fact somewhat corroded. It is recommended that the 

 zinc in such cases be coated with a lac. 



In a recent communication to the Rivista Scicntifico- Ind ustriah, 

 Prof. Palmieri conclujes from experiments (1) that glycerine in 

 contact with an ammoniacal nitrate of silver solution partially 

 reduces the metal in the cold state, and with heat the reduction 

 is more pronounced, and gives the appearance of a metallic 

 mirror ; (2) that with addition of a solution of caustic potash, 

 either in the cold or hot state, complete reduction is produced, 

 with a most brilliant metallic mirror ; (3) that some substances 

 accelerate the reduction, su;h as alcohol and ether; and (4) 

 that, operating in the cold state and in darkness, the reduction is 

 more brilliant and rapid that when operating in light. On the 

 whole it appeirs that the reducing action referred to may be 

 applied industrially with advantage to the silvering of mirrors, 

 both on account of the facility of the process and its economy. 

 The exact proportion of the components is important, and Prof. 

 Talmieri promises particulars shortly. 



A simple anemoscope and anemometer, designed by the 

 Brothers Brassart of Rome, at the instance of Prof. Tacchini, 

 especially for use in meteorological stations of small resource, is 

 described in the Riv. Sci. 2nd. (Nos 12-13). Tne chief pecu- 

 liarity in both instruments is the system of free transmission, 

 obviating prejudice to the indications from changes of tempera- 

 ture j the axis has several universal joints in its course, and in 

 the case of the anemoscope passes down freely through a central 

 hole in the plate bearing the compass card, a weight being hung 

 at the end of it. It carries an index just over the card. In the 

 anemometer the weighted axis has a perpetual screw acting on a 



toothed wheel, which, by means of a system of join'el rod-, 

 actuates three discs having peripheral numbers, in such a way as 

 to present a numerical record of the wind's velocity in a given 

 time. About forty of these anemoscopes and anemometers are 

 now at work at various Italian stations. 



Experiments have been recently made in Rome by Signors 

 Capranica and Colasanti regarding the action of oxygenated 

 water on the system. [Physiologically absorbed (according to 

 Hueter's method) the substance acts as a poison, quickly killing 

 aniimls, the fatal dose varying with the animal's size (about 25 

 cc, is enough for a dog weighing 3 kgms., 75 cc. for one 

 weighing 13 kgms.). The poisonous action appears in all the 

 great functions of the body, especially that of the spinal cord j 

 the excito-motor power of that organ is over-excited, as shown 

 by convul ive phenomena (tetanus, locomotor ataxy, &c). The 

 phvsico-chemical acts of nutrition are also profoundly disturbed, 

 as is proved by the very pronounced glycosuria previous to death. 

 All the-e di-turbances are attributable to decomposition of the 

 H 2 O s in contact with the tissues. The consecutive phenomena 

 in poison with oxygenated water are identical (the authors say) 

 with those M. Bert has abserved as resulting from the action of 

 compressed oxygen. 



THE additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Chacma Baboon (Cynorephalus porcariiis 9 ) 

 from South Africa, presented by Mr. H. Banfield ; a Moustache 

 Monkey [CercopMaus aphus) from West Africa, presented by 

 Mrs. Heath ; two Macaque Monkeys (Macacus cynomolgus 6 9} 

 from India, presented by Mr. F. J. Newton ; a Great Anteater 

 {Mymucophagajubata 9 ) from Parana, presented by Sir William 

 Wiseman, R.N. ; a Vulpine Phalanger (Pkalangista vulpina A ) 

 from Australia, presented by Mr. W. Marston Clark ; three 

 Gold Pheasants {Thaumalea picta <J & 9 ), six Bamboo Partridges 

 {Bambusuola thoracia), a Common Moorhen (Galliiiula ckloropus) 

 from China, a Black Kite (Mih'iis migrants), captured in the 

 Red Sea, presented by Mr. Theodore A. W. Hance ; a Horned 

 Lizard (Pkrynosoma cornutum) from Texas, presented by Mr. 

 W. Pilcher ; a Squirrel Monkey (C/irysolhrix scinrca A) from 

 Brazil, a Ring-tailed Coati {JVasua rufa) from South America, 

 deposited ; a tiger (Fe/is tigris 6 ) from India, two White-eared 

 Connres (Conurus leucotis) from Brazil, two Dusky Parrots 

 (Piomts violacetis) from Venezuela, a Horned Parrakeet (Nym- 

 phicus cornutus 9 ) from New Caledonia, received in exchange ; 

 a Wapiti Deer (Ce/vus canadensis 9 ), a Geoffrey's Dove 

 (Peristera geoffroii 9 ), bred in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN 



Cometary Discoveries.— By telegram to the Earl of Craw- 

 ford's Observatory at Dunecht, M. Cruls, director of the Oo- 

 servatory at Rio Janeiro, announces the presence of a bright 

 comet in the morning sky, the position of which on September 

 11718 M.T. at Rio, was in R.A. oh. 48m., Decl. - 2 1 ; it 

 was vis ble to the naked eye. 



On Sunday last, Mr. A. Ainslie Common, of Laling, while 

 observing the sun with a special telescop; (reflector with glass 

 reflecting-surfaces only), found a fine comet near the sun : 

 nucleus bright, tail about 4' long, and apparently much brighter 

 at each side, giving the appearance of two tails. Mr. Common 

 compared it for position with the sun's limbs, and from his 

 observations we find for the comet's place at Greenwich noon, 

 on September 17, R.A. uh. 33m. 583-. Decl. + I 42 W.5 

 the hourly motion in R.A. appeared to be + im. 14s., and m 

 Decl 4- 4.'" •*. 



M* Cruls thought his comet might be the expected one of 

 1812, but this is certainly an oversight. Were the comet of 

 1812'in his observed right a-cension on September 12, its de- 

 clination would be much further north than that observed if the 

 comet were approaching perihelion, and much further south if it 

 were receding therefrom. Whether the comet detected at Rio 

 is identical with the remarkable one discovered by Mr. 



