64^ 



NATURE 



[Oct. 26, 1882 



Mathematics. Candidates will be tested in Classics, and re- 

 quired to show sufficient knowledge to pass Responsions. The 

 emolument is 80/. annually. The examination begins on Novem- 

 ber 23. Candidates must not have exceeded the age of nineteen. 

 The election in the first place is for two years. The tenure will 

 be renewed for another two years if the College is satisfied with 

 the progress and good conduct of the scholar. For special reasons 

 the scholarship may be prolonged for a fifth year. 



The formation of the new Boards of Faculties will not be 

 proceeded with this term ; it is proposed to defer the elections 

 till a day not later than February 3, 1882. The appointment of 

 examiners will therefore rest this term with the Vice-Chancellor 

 and Proctors as before. 



Prof. Max M uller has been elected a permanent Delegate of 

 the Clarendon Press. 



Cambridge. — Mr. James Ward is appointed Lecturer on the 

 Science of Education at Cambridge for the present year ; Mr. 

 W. N. Shaw, of Emmanuel College, is approved as a teacher of 

 tphysics, and Mr. J. N. Langley, of Trinity College, as a teacher 

 of Physiology for the purpose of Medical Studies. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Journal of the Franklin Institute, October. — Mohr's geo- 

 graphical theory of earth-pressure, by G. F. Swain. — The 

 platinum-water pyrometer, by J. C. Hoadley. — Experiments on 

 the fatigue of small spruce besms, by F. E. Kidder. — Theory of 

 the stereoscope, by W. Leconte Stevens. — Report on European 

 sewerage systems, &c. (continued), by R. Hering. — The manu- 

 facture of potash alum from felspar, by H. Pemberton, jun. — 

 Report of the committee on the Fowler cloth-cutting machine. 



Revue Internationale des Sciences for September, 18S2, con- 

 tains : On the psychology and writings of Broca, by M. Zab- 

 rowski. — On the structure and on the movements of the proto- 

 plasm in the vegetable cell, by H. Frommann. — On orientation 

 and its organs in man and animals, by M. Viguier. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 Sydney 

 Linnean Society of New South Wales, August 30. — The 

 president, Dr. James C. Cox, F.L.S., &c, in the chair. — The 

 following papers were read : — By the Rev. J. E. Tenison- 

 Woods, F.G.S., &c, Botanical notes on Queensland, No. 4. 

 This paper contained the author's observations on some of the 

 Queensland species of Myrtacece, chiefly of the Eucalypti. — By 

 the Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, F.L.S., &c, &c, on a coal 

 plant from Queensland. This is an account of a fossil species 

 of Eauiselum found in the Ipswich coal beds, and provisionally 

 named E. rotiferum, from the wheel-like shape of the dia- 

 phragm. No Equisetum had previously been found in the 

 Australian coal beds. — By William Maoleny, F. L.S., &c, Ob- 

 servations on an insect injurious to the vine. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, October 16. — M. Jamin in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read : — On the shock of two 

 balls placed on a billiard table, by M. Resal. — On the catalogue 

 of six hundred tornadoes observed in the United States in the 

 course of this century, by M. Faye. This relates to a report by 

 Sergeant Finley, of the U.S. meteorological service. The 

 rapid increase of tornadoes recorded shows the rapidity with 

 which population has increased. Trombes and tornadoes are 

 short epiphenomena of cyclones. Inter alia, the mean velocity 

 of gyration in a tornado is about 174 metres per second ; the 

 usual diameter is about 300m. to 400m. ; the mean velocity of 

 translation 17 m. per second. Most go from S.W. to N.E. 

 They traverse about 1 1 leagues on an average, and last three- 

 quarters of an hour. Several tornadoes may occur in one cyclone. 

 They are formed exclusively in the dangerous semicircle of a 

 cyclone, and nearly always a little in advance. They show a 

 marked predominance in April, June, and July, and from 4 p.m. 

 to 6 p. m. — On the functions of seven letters, by M. Brioschi. — 

 Rational conception of the nature and propagation of electricity 

 deduced (1) from consideration of the potential energy of ethereal 

 matter associated with ponderable matter; (2) from the mode of 

 production and transmission of work ari ing from variations of 

 this energy, by M. Ledieu. — On the processes employed for the 

 construction and plan of the metric standards, by M. Tresca. He 



has been unwell, but promises a complete memoir on the subject 

 shortly. — Brazilian missions for observation of the transit of 

 Venus, by M. Cruls. These are four in number, and will act at 

 St. Thomas, Magellan, Pernambuco, and Rio de Janeiro, the 

 respective heads being Capt. Jeffe, M. Cruls, M. Lacaille, and 

 Capt. Jacques. Each station will have a 6-in. equatorial, a 4^-111. 

 astronomical telescope, a meridian instrument with collimator, an 

 excellent compensated pendulum, electric chronograph, &c. A 

 chronometric junction of Magellan with Montevideo will be un- 

 dertaken. — On the comet 1812 (Pons)andits approaching return, 

 by MM. Schulhof and Bossert. — On the metric and kinematic 

 properties of a sort of conjugated triangles, by M. Stephanos. — 

 Ordinary and extraordinary indices of refraction of Iceland spar 

 for rays of different w ave length as far as the extreme ultra-violet, 

 by M. Sarasin. The measurements referred to the principal lines 

 of the visible solar spectrum and the lines of cadmium (induction 

 spark) between two cadmium points). M. Soret's fluorescent 

 ocular was used for the ultra-violet lines. The columns for the 

 two prisms u<ed show- satisfactory agreement, as do also the 

 author's values for the ordinary index for D and F with those of 

 M. Mascait and M. Cornu. — The f irees of induction which the 

 sun develops in bodies by its rotation vary, all other things 

 equal, in inverse ratio of the squares of the distances, by M. 

 Quet. — On M. Helmholiz's theory of double electric layers] 

 calculation of the magnitude of a molecular interval, by M. 

 Lippmann. The interval e he calculates to be 1-35, 000,000mm., 

 which it is interesting to compare with the number, nearly the 

 same (1-30,000,000) arrived at by Sir William Thomson by quite 

 another way, fir the minimum distance separating copper from 

 zinc. — On the electrolysis of hydrochloric acid, by M. Tommasi. 

 He examines the two cases of concentrated and dilute acid, 

 platinum electrodes being used. — On the reduction of nitrates 

 in arable land, by MM. Deherain and Maquenne. Nitrates, in 

 being reduced in arable land, liberate under certain conditions 

 protoxide of nitrogen. The reduction occurs only in arable land 

 containing much organic matter, and has been observed only 

 when the atmosphere of the ground was absolutely free from 

 oxygen. — On the industrial richness of crude alnnite, in powder, 

 by M. Guyot. The proportion of the base varies considerably 

 (17-5 to 32 per cent.). — On chronic poisoninr by antimony, by 

 MM. de Poncy and Livon. A cat weighing S67 gr. at first was 

 made to absorb, in a regular progressive way, 0'628 gr. of white 

 oxide of antimony between April 26 and August 13. The 

 animal did not pass through a period of embonpoint (as with 

 arsenic), but it gradually fell into disease, took diarrhoea and 

 died. All the tissues were pale and colourless, and nearly all 

 the organs showed fatty degeneration. — Two maps of part of 

 the New foundland coast, by Admiral Cloue, were presented. , 



CONTENTS 



Pagh 



Scientific Worthies, XX.— Jamhs Peescott Joule. By J. T. 



Bottom lky {With Steel Plate Engraving) 617 



Coal-Tar. By Prof. T. E. Thorib, F.R.S 620 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Barnes' "Tables for the Qualitative Analysis of 'Simple Salts' 



and ' Easy Mixtures ' 621 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Comet.— Geo M. Seabuoke; Major J. Herschel: C. J. B. 

 Williams: W. Larden ; Lieut. -General Sir J. H. Lefkoy. 

 C.B., F.RS; Wentwokth Erck ; H. Collett (With Illus- 

 trations) 621 



The Proposed Bridge over the Forth.— Prof. Osborne Reynolds, 



F.R.S. ; B.Baker; M amE de ; William H. Johnson . 623 

 On the Alterations in the Dimensions of the Magnetic Metals by 



the Act of Magnetisation. — Andkew Gray i«5 



Aurora. — Rev. A. E. Eaton 626 



1 he Victoria Hall Science Leclures.— One of the Committee . 626 



The Typhoons of the Chinks* Seas 626 



Seismology in Japan. By Pr..f. John Milne (With Illustrations) 627 



The Late Professor Balfour 631 



Dr. Thwaites 632 



Elevation of the Sierra Madre Mountains. By N. T. Lupton 633 



Notes 633 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Comet 1882 b (Finl.iy, Seplember 8) 635 



Comet 1882 c (Barnard, September to) 636 



Pons' Comet of 1S12 656 



The Transit of Venus 636 



A Spectroscopic Studc of Chloroihyll. By W. J. Russell, 



Ph D.. F.R.S., and W. LafkaIK, F.C.S. (With Diagram) . . . 636 

 On a Method of Investigating Experimentally the Absorp- 

 tion of Radiant Hfat by (jAsr.s. By Prof Tait (With 



Diagram) ^39 



University and Educational Intelligence 639 



Scientific Serials 640 



Societies and Academies 640 



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