20S 



NA TURE 



{Jtily I, 1880 



various parts of the earth within different seasons. — Prof. Ivraye- 

 vitch, who has undertalven a series of investigations on the very 

 small changes of pressure of the air in connection with changes 

 of weather, exhibited his new graphic very sensitive barometer, 

 the column of which consists of water and mercury, and which 

 amplifies 140 times the oscillations of a common mercury baro- 

 meter. — Prof. Egoroff has begun a series of researches into the 

 atmospherical lines of the solar spectrum. As known, several 

 of them are due to the presence of water-dust in the atmosphere, 

 .-ind Angstrom sujTposed tliat several other lines (A, B, and a) 

 depend upon the presence of carbonic acid and nitrogen. The 

 experiments of M. Egoroff show that neither of these two gases 

 modifies the solar spectrum, even when the rays go through a 

 sheet five metres thick of gas. 



In other branches of physics we must but notice the most 

 important work, by Prof. Tchebysheff, on centrifugal regulators ; 

 the researches by M. Sloughinoff on the calorific capacity of 

 gases ; by Prof. Petrushevsky on the velocity of evaporation of 

 liquids with reference to the coefficients of cohesion of these 

 liquids and to the molecular pressure ; on the true atomical heat 

 capacity, by M. Stelson, who arrives at the conclusion that the 

 theory of a constant atomic heat-capacity is not true for many 

 gases ; and by M. Sloughinoff, on the powder -state of bodies, 

 and on the changes of the internal energy of solids and fluids 

 under the influence of exterior forces. 



We notice also the' communication by M. Lebedzinsky on an 

 improved microscope with liquid lenses, which gives enlarge- 

 ments from So to 200 times, and is very cheap ; and by M. 

 Argamakoff on lighting and heating by means of pulverised 

 hydrocarbons. 



SEISMOLOGY. IN JAPAN 

 The Earthquake of Febritary 22, iSSo. — The earthquake 

 which occnrred shortly after midnight on the morning of 

 February 22 was the most severe since the opening of this 

 country to foreigners. I have been so much in the habit of 

 noting my watch during the frequent earthquake manifestations 

 by day and night, that I am sure I must have been instantly 

 awakened. My house was swaying to and fro, windows were 

 rattling, timbers creaking, mortar falling, and pictures swinging 

 violently. Although, as usual on such occasions, I was studying 

 my watch by a night light, I meditated escape. After forty 

 seconds the motion apparently subsided. There had been two 

 distinct periods of maximum intensity. Taking my lamp, I tried 

 to reach the door, but the motion was still so great that I had to 

 stop, supporting myself against the wall. When I went down 

 stairs to look at two long pendulums of 20 and 30 feet length 

 respectively, I found them swinging in arcs of aliout 2 feet, 

 having broken all the apparatus on the table over h hich they 

 hung. Hitherto the pointers placed on heavy weights suspended 

 by long wires have been regarded by me as motionless points 

 during an earthquake, and I have been able to use them 

 accurately on this assumption even for a shocli which Palmieri's 

 instrument indicates as 21°, a shock which knocked down several 

 chimneys. It would seem that in the last earthquake the house, 

 instead of, so to speak, "eating up" the vibrations, was forced 

 into vibration itself. Tlie period of this vibration was roughly 

 noted by my neighbour, Mr. Thomas Gray, as nearly one second. 

 At the lower end of one of these pendulums I have small pointers 

 which scratch two smoked glass plates. These plates are caused 

 to move away during an earthquake, so that relative vibrations 

 are shown in two wavy lines. The direction of the first mark 

 upon the plate tells the direction of the shock, and also the 

 distance moved by the earth relatively to the steady pointer. 

 The amplitude of the waves tells approximately what the move- 

 ment has been during succeeding vibrations. From the number 

 of w aves upon a given length of glass we get the rate of vibration, 

 and hence, knowing the velocity of transit, the true wave-length of 

 the earthquake may be determined. As an example I may mention 

 that an earthquake (December 3, 1S79) registered by Palmieri's 

 instrument as 18°, was recorded on 7 inches of one of my glass 

 plates in a curve of seven very small waves, the amplitude of each of 

 which was about I mm. Each wave was formed in half-a-second. 

 The important deductions which may be draw n from even only 

 one observation of this kind are obvious. The other pendulum 

 I have used only for finding the greatest horizontal movement of 

 an earth particle and its direction. Two pointers push against 

 the motionless pendulum-bob when an earthquake occurs, and 

 30 they are moved in the stand which carries them, deflecting 



two suspended galvanometer mirrors, and readings of the amount 

 of deviation of beams of reflected light are taken. I give some 

 examples of the movement of the head of a pile which was 

 driven deeply into the soft soil upon which Yedo is built : — 



1. March 4, 1S-9, 4.43 p.m. — On the smoked glass the mark 

 made was 3 mm. long ; N. io° E. to S. 10° W. Palmieri's 

 instrument gives this shock of intensity 10° from S.S.W. to 

 N.N.E. 



2. Febniary i, 18S0.— .Small shock. Mark 1-25 mm. from 

 N. 35° W. to S. 35° E. Palmieri's instrument gives intensity 

 2''S S.S.E. to N.N.W. As measured by the mirrors, this shock 

 was 0'5 mm., and there is reason to believe that the mirrors were 

 more correct. The amplitude of swing, as indicated on the 

 moving plates, was from 3 mm. to 4 mm. At the point, however, 

 there seems to have been a motion of about to mm. 



As my indicating apparatus was broken, I give the following 



record from two of Palmieri's instruments in the Government 



Observatory : — ^ 



From S.S.E. or N.N.W. the intensity was 7S 



,, S.S.W. „ N.N.E. ,, „ 52 



„ W.S.W. ,, E.N.E. „ „ 28 



,, W.N.W. „ E.S.E. „ ,, 2S 



These measurements had to be computed, as the graduations 

 of the instruments are only to 26°. The shaking seems to have 

 had three periods. The first began .at I2h. 49m. 22s., and lasted 

 14 seconds; the second began at I2h. Som. 19s., and lasted 

 im. 26s. ; the third began at I2h. S2m. 15s., and lasted 

 6 seconds. 



On visiting Yokohama I found that the chief destruction had 

 been amongst the houses belonging to Europeans. This is partly 

 due to the Japanese houses being nearly as flexible as baskets, 

 but it is also on account of the European houses being mostly 

 bulls on hills. Thus the houses built on the Huff, hills inter- 

 sected liy sharp steep valleys, and also many houses built along 

 the ereck have suffered ; the greater part of Yokohama is built on 

 a plain of shingle, and the houses here escaped with small 

 damage. 



The edge of a declivity is like the last of Tyndall's row of 

 boys, unsupported on one side, and therefore gets shot forwards. 



Tokei, Yokohama, Japan John Milne 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE 



CAMBr;iDGE. — In the first half of tlie winter course of lectures 

 given in connection with the Cambridge Local Lectures the 

 attendance of about 1,200 persons, on subjects of physical 

 science, out of a total of 3,5/0, may be noted. In the second half 

 of the session scarcely 400 were attending lectures on ] hysical 

 science subjects, but this was coincident with a general falling 

 off after Christmas, to which bad weather, depression] of trade, 

 and political excitement may have contributed. 



Another academic year has completely passed, and in the 

 multitude of counsellors no relief has yet been given to those 

 who desire freedom of choice of language studies and some 

 chance for modern languages. The 1 University still says: "If 

 you have not the sma'tering of Greek we require, we will give 

 you no degree unless you bring up Arabic or Sanskrit as an 

 Oriental student." 



A Liverpool paper intimates that the movement for establish- 

 ing a University College in that city is likely soon to be crowned 

 with success. In the scheme which was approved at a town's 

 meeting held some months ago it was proposed that seven pro- 

 fessorships and two lectureships should be founded, and it was 

 estimated that, independent of the cost of erecting college build- 

 ings, the amount required for the foundation of the college is an 

 annual income of 3,000/., or a capital sum of 75,000.-'. The 

 committee accordingly appealed for subscriptions, and the ,ippe.al 

 has been responded to in such a hearty manner that there is 

 every probability of the entire sum required being raised before 

 long. Already 60,000/. has been subscribed for the establish- 

 ment of the college, tlie subscriptions including several of 

 10,000/. each. Lord Derby has subscribed 10,000/. towards 

 the founding of one professorship ; a like sum has been given by 

 Messrs. W., S. G., and P. H. Rathbone. Mrs. Grant of Rock 

 Ferry has endowed another professorship with io,oco/. ; Col. 

 A. H. Brown and the Messrs. Crossfield have between them coii- 

 tributed 10,000/. for the founding of another chair ; and it is 

 believed a number of Scotchmen resident in the city will provide 



