64 



NATURE 



[May 20, 1880 



marked than in that of nitrogen, while the curve of air 

 lies between the two. Further, hydrogen is the only gas 

 not exhibiting a minimum of the product of pressure and 

 volume. As hydrogen is, so to say, the most perfect o-as 

 known, it would seem probable that on being forced^to 

 assume a state of tenuity allied to that of hydrogen, i.e., 

 by being exposed to elevated temperature's, the other 

 gases experimented upon would yield curves resembling 

 more and more that of hydrogen, until finally tempera" 

 tures would be attained at which the convexity of the 

 curves would totally disappear. The results chronicled 

 by M. Amagat, taken in connection with those ascertained 

 by other investigators in experimenting upon gases 

 compressible at ordinary temperatures, would fairly allow 

 the establishment of a law that when a gas on being 

 compressed gives constantly increasing numbers for the 

 product of the pressure by the volume— which according 

 to ;\Iariotte's law should remain unity— it is at a tempo" 

 rature above its critical' point ; or, to use Dr. Andrews' 

 apt description, without actual liquefaction it can pass by 

 means of pressure alone through all the intermediate 

 stadia between the gaseous and the liquid states. 



M. Amagat's interesting researches will, it is to be 

 hoped, be followed by similar experiments executed 

 under a wider range of temperature on the various gases ; 

 the results of which will, without doubt, throw much 

 valuable light on the phenomena and conditions of lique- 

 faction. Apart from their purely scientific interest, the 

 tabulated records of his observations furnish to the 

 engineer data of the greatest value, enabling him to 

 construct manometers combining exactness and delicacy 

 for the indication of high pressures, which hitherto have 

 been measured with but a certain degree of approximation 

 to the truth. X. H. N. 



NOTES 



Dr. M. Treub has been appointed director of the Botanical 

 Gardens at Buitenzorg, Java. 



We are glad to learn that the collections from Socotra, which 

 Prof. Bayley Balfour was compelled to send by sea from Brindisi, 

 have arrived safely at Kew Gardens. 



At Dorpat a monument is about to be erected to the memory 

 of the celebrated naturalist, Karl Ernst von Eaer, who died at 

 Dorpat on November 2S, 1876. The funds will be supplied by 

 the Dorpat University and the Imperial Academy of Sciences at 

 St. Petersburg. The eminent sculptor, Herr Franz von Villebois, 

 has made two excellent sketches for the monument. 



At a recent meeting of the Court of Common Council, at 

 which the Lord Mayor presided, it was resolved that the free- 

 dom of the City of London in a suitable gold casket be presented 

 to Sir Henry Bessemer, F.R.S., M.LC.E., in recognition of his 

 valuable discoveries, which have so largely benefited the iron 

 industries of this country, and of his scientific attainments, 

 which are well known and appreciated throughout the world. 



On August s, as we have already announced, the exhibition 

 of anthropological and prehistoric objects found in Germany will 

 be opened at Berlin. At the same time the general meeting of 

 the German Anthropological Society will take place. No less 

 than 114 arch.-eological, eight pakxontological, and sixteen 

 craniological museums will send objects to this exhibition. The 

 objects found in the Loess strata will be particularly interesting, 

 and besides these we may point to the objects found in caves 

 and in moors. 



The British Medical Association will be well received at 

 Cambridge in August, not only by the University but in the 

 town ; the Town Council have granted the Guildhall free of 

 cost. The president of the Physiological Section, Dr. Rutherford, 

 will give his address on Wednesday, August 11, at 2 o'clock, 

 and there will follow a discussion on the subject, " Is Urea 



formed in the Liver? " to be opened by Prof. Gamgee, of Man- 

 Chester; on August 12 Prof. W. Preyer, of fena, will open a 

 discussion on "Sleep and Hypnotism." Drs. Gaskell (Cam- 

 bridge) and Stirling (Aberdeen) are the secretaries of this 

 Section, 



Prof. MiLXE,''of Tokei, Japan, who has made a trial of 

 almost every seismoscope in existence, and has devoted all his 

 leisure to seismometry for several years, has exerted himself 

 successfully to interest the Japanese officials in establishing a 

 suitable system of earthquake observation, as well as the Euro- 

 peans in Japan, who have lately formed a society for the purpose 

 of systematically studying seismic phenomena. Mr. Milne has 

 obtained the assistance of the Government in having immediate 

 telegraphic communication concerning earthquakes, and he aims 

 at getting from telegraph operators throughout the country infor- 

 mation concerning earth-currents during earthquakes. If we 

 consider the importance of studying the matter systematically in 

 a countiy where small earthquakes occur every few days, and 

 where the people are all greatly interested, it must be evident 

 that this society will have a promising future. 



A Congress of the Members of the Royal Agricultural College, 

 Cirencester, of former Students and Professors of the College, and 

 of others interested in Agriculture, will be held in the College on 

 Friday, June 4, 18S0, under the Presidency of the Principal. 

 At the Morning Session at 10 a.m. the subject for discussion will 

 be — "Diseases in Cattle and Sheep, with especial reference to 

 recent outbreaks," introduced by a paper by Prof. Buckman, 

 F.G.S., F.L.S., on "The Natural History of Meadow and 

 Pasture, in connection with such Diseases." At the afternoon 

 session at 3 p.m. the subject for discussion will be— "Agri- 

 cultural Research and Experimental Stations," introduced by 

 Prof. Henry Tanner, M.R.A.C, F.C.S. 



In connection with the subject of " Fungus Inoculation of 

 Insects," a Heidelberg correspondent, " O. S.," sends us for 

 publication the following beautiful and little-known poem, by 

 Goethe (iSio, Poems, vol. ii.) : — 



Der Fliegentod 

 " Sie saugt mit Gier verrath'risches Getranke 



LTnabgesetzt, voni ersten Zug verfiilrrt ; 



.Sie fiihlt sich wohl, und langst sind die Gelenke 



Der zarten Beinchen schon paralysirt ; 



Nicht mehr gewandt, die FlUgelchen zu putzen, 



Nicht melir geschickt, das Kopfchen aufzustutzen — 



Das Leben so sich im Genuss verliert. 



Zum Stehen kaum wird noch das Fusschen taugen ; 



So schliirft sie fort und, mitten unterm Saugen, 



Umnebelt ihr der Tod die tausend Augen." 



Dr. Werner Siemens, the well-known German electrician, 

 had been instructed, a few years ago, to manufacture a series of 

 standard weights on behalf of the Egyptian Government, which 

 wished to adopt] the German system ; but as the Egyptian 

 Government did not fulfil its financial obligations Dr. Siemens 

 kept the set of weights in his workshop, where they were used 

 for various purposes. On the occasion of the visit of the weights 

 and measures inspector these weights were discovered, and Dr. 

 Siemens summoned before the police. The case has been tried 

 with some solemnity, and Dr. Siemens fined 2 marks. 



A remarkable phenomenon was observed at Kattenau, near 

 Trakehnen (Germany), and in the surrounding district, on March 

 22. About half an hour before sunrise an enormous number'of 

 luminous bodies rose from the horizon and passed in a horizontal 

 direction from east to west. Some of them seemed of the size 

 of a walnut, others resembled the sparks flying from a chimney. 

 They moved through space like a string of beads, and shone with 

 a remarkably brilliant light. The belt containing them appeared 

 about 3 metres in length and f metre in breadth. 



