Oct. 31, 1872] 



NATURE 



547 



into their Ijronzes. Tlius, a certain bronze for statues was 

 formed by fusing together 100 parts of copper, 10 parts of lead, 

 and 5 parts of tin. In a very ancient l^ronze armlet (probably 

 l'ha;nician) found in this country, and belonging to a period 

 anterior to the Roman occupation. Prof. Church found — • 



Copper S649 



Tin 676 



Zinc 1 "44 



Lead 441 



Oxygen and loss . . . "go 



Bronze was very much used in Egypt for vases, mirrors, arms, 

 &c. These, according to Sir G. Wilkinson, usually contain 

 from 80 to 85 per cent, of copper, with from 15 to 20 per cent. 

 of tin. By the use of some acid substance, the surface was some- 

 times covced with a green or brown patina. Although the 

 casting of the metals was not known in Greece in the time of 

 Homer, bronze was ]irobably cast in Egypt 2000 years i!.c. 



Several compounds of copper were used by the ancients, both 

 the red and black oxide were obtained by heating copper to red- 

 ness, and allowing it to cool in the air ; they distinguished be- 

 tween the scales which fell off during cooling, and those which 

 were caused to fall off afterwards by blows of a hammer. These 

 oxides were principally used for colouring glass. Verdigris or 

 acetate of copper was obtained as now by covering plates of 

 copper with the refuse of grapes after the expression of the vine 

 juice. Copper pyrites and a rude kind of sulphate of copper 

 would appear from Pliny's obscure account to have also been 

 known. 



It follows from the above remarks concerning bronze, that tin, 

 like copper, was known at a very early date. This is the more 

 remarkable, because it has always been a comparatively scarce 

 metal, and it was obtained from distant localities. Formerly it 

 was almost entirely supplied by Spain and Britain. The 

 Phoenicians, who' were the earliest traders, obtained it first from 

 India and Spain, and afterwards from Britain. The Greek name 

 for tin, kassiteros (Kairffirepoy), was perhaps derived from the In- 

 sula; Cassiterides, or Scilly Islands, from whence the Phftnicians 

 asserted that they procured tin ; but it has been suggested that 

 in all probability they invented the story because tliey desired a 

 monopoly of the metals, while in reality they procured all their 

 tin from the mainland of Cornwall, where it has always abounded. 

 Tin must have been very valuable, or the Phanicians vPould not 

 have traded so far for it. Ilomerj evidently considers it of far 

 greater value than copper. In the time of Pliny it was worth 

 about eight shilhngs the pound. The metal was known in 

 Egypt 2000 B.C. Pliny mentions that it was found in the form 

 of small black grains in alluvial soils, from Jwhich it was ob- 

 tained by washing ; this account would agreejwith a description 

 of the so-called slrcani tin, which is tin ore separated from the 

 parent vein, and carried down by streams. It ii an oxide of tin, 

 and the metal is obtained from it by strong ignition with char- 

 coal. Tin was used for tinning copper vessels, for making 

 mirrors, and in the manufacture of bron»e. In the Iliad the 

 greaves of the armour of Achilles are made of tin, and it 

 enters into the composition of the shield ; it was also used for 

 coating copper. 



G. F. RODWELL 

 (To bt continued.) 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



The BuUdin de TAcadimie Implruile des Sciences dcSt. Feleis- 

 bourg^ xvii.,No.2, commences with a proposed new classification of 

 the Balxnoidea,by J;F. Br.andt, with the view of including extinct 

 forms recently met with in Central and Southern Europe, and in 

 Central Asia. He bases it mainly on skeleton structure, with 

 special reference to form of cranium; The next jiaper contains 

 some algological studies by Christopher Gobi. He describes 

 how moisture, with heat and light, acts on chlorophyll in the 

 cells of Chroolepus, accumulating it at the periphery, and leaving 

 a nucleus of red pigment at the centre. He also describes a new 

 species of tlic plant, which he terms Chroolcf-us UHciiialus . It 

 is found on the maple, ash, and linden, and its chief character- 

 istic is a hook-shaped zoosporangium with subsporangial cell at 

 the end of a series of irregular cylindrical-shaped cells' forming 



the stalk . The growth of the zoosporangia takes place onlyf at 

 night . This new species is most closely allied to the C. umbrinus, 

 — C. J. Maiimowicz gives a full description, in Latin, of certain 

 pb.ntsinjapan and Mandshuria. — The last paper isbyC.J. Max-i 

 mowicz, on the inthience of strange pollen on the form of frxiit. 

 He experimented with two very distinct species of lily, L. davuri- 

 cum and L. hulbiftruin, kept in a room warmed by sunlight. 

 He fertilised the Hower of each with pollen from the other, and 

 the process was repeated in several individuals. When the 

 capsules developed, each was found to liave the form character- 

 istic of the other plant. The form of the seeds in both was inter- 

 mediate between those of the parents. 



Annalen der Chemit uiid Pharnwcic, No. 9, 1S72. — The first 

 article, by Dr. Schreder, describes a new product of styphnic 

 acid, obtained by reaction of cyanide of potassium with the neu- 

 tral potassa salt of the acid. He names it Rcsoi cin-htdophati, 

 and gives as its formula C,|H_,N,,0,. It is soluble in water, but 

 insoluble in alcohol and ether. The potassa, soda, and baryta 

 salts of the substance are discussed. — In a paper on some com- 

 binations of vinyl, Dr. Baumann desa'ibes the action of sodium 

 methylate on an excess of iodide and bromide of vinyl at ordi- 

 nary temperature ; experiments on the action of cyanides of 

 potassium and of silver on bromide of vinyl ; and the conversion 

 of bromide and chloride of vinyl into isomeric bodies. — An essay 

 on camphoric acid, by F. Weeden, contains an account of a new 

 modification, called meso-camphoric acid, obtained by action of 

 hydriodic and hydrochloric acid on dextro-camphoric acid ; its 

 formulais Ci^HijOj. He also treats of substitution products of 

 camphoric acid anhydride and of amido-camphoric acid. — A 

 paper on "Carbazol,"a substance prepared from coal-tar oil, is 

 furnished by C. Graebe and C. Glaser ; and Herr Graebe also 

 communicates a note on " Vapour Densities of some Aromatic 

 Compovmds of High Boiling-point." 



Poggendorff' s Annalen der Pliysih nnd Cheinie, No. 6, 1872. — • 

 This opens with a detailed account, by Dr. Rudolph Keen g, of hi.s 

 various experiments with manometiic flames. His apparatus is 

 based on the effects of sound-waves upon a membrane presented to 

 them, which, in its turn, affects a stream of gas Howiiig to a iet, 

 causing the latter to dance. Thejetisimaged on themirrr,r-covered 

 sides of a revolving box, and its successive motions (caused by 

 the sound and varying with it) appear from the reflection, which, 

 through the box's motion, becomes a luminous line of images. 

 Dr. Ka;nig has successfully employed this method in the study 

 of various acoustical effects — combinations of notes, vowel 

 sounds, "overtones," interference, &c., and the varieties of 

 flame-forms produced are fully shown by numerous drawings. — 

 In the paper following, S. Lamansky describes a series of careful 

 experiments on the heat spectra of the sun and the lime light. 

 The .absorption bands in the ultra red of the former had the same 

 position, though the prisms were varied, those used being flint 

 glass, bisulphide of carbon, and rock salt. The position ami 

 intensity of the heat maximum and the intensity of absorption 

 were found to vary with the time of year and of day at which the 

 observations Were made. The heat spectrum of limelight is con- 

 tinuous, and its maximum further removed from the end o' ilie 

 visible spectrum than in the case of sunlight. — E, Hagenbach 

 continues the account of his experiments on fluorescence of 

 various substances ; and 11. Weber communicates a paper on 

 the Heat Conductivity of Iron and of German Silver. — The 

 serial also contains (of original articles) a short note from Prof. 

 Clausius in reply to Prof Tait's last communication ; a descrip- 

 tion of an improved Holtz machine, by W. Musaeus ; a note on 

 the spectrum of aurora, by A. v. Oellingen ; and one or two 

 o'.hers not calling for special notice. 



The Scottish Natvralist for October opens with an article by 

 Mr. J. Allen Hooker, on "The Study of Entomology," contain- 

 ing some very useful hints to yuung entomologists as to the 

 direction in which their studies and observations can be most 

 usefully turned, some of which are all but entirely neglected by 

 collectors in this country. Mr. James Hardy then describes his 

 new "Ragwort-seed Fly," Anthemyia Jacobam ; and Dr. 

 Buchanan-White concludes his account of the nest i^f /■'oriiiica 

 ruja and its inhabitants. A number of items of information of 

 especial interest to Scottish zoologists and botanists fill up the 

 number. In both the last two numbers there are instalments 

 of the "Insecla Scotica," the Lepidoptera of .Scotland by 

 Dr. Buchanati-White, and the Coleoptera of Scotland by Dr. D. 

 Sharp.' 



