Sept. 30, 1S80] 



NATURE 



511 



which points the ice had either all volatilised or had become 

 detached from the bulb. This appears improbable from our 

 present ideas concerning latent heat, but it is nevertheless a fact, 

 if I can make the necessary arrangements it is my intention to 

 show the experiment at an early meeting of tlie Chemical Society, 

 when it will be open to criticism. 



In regard to the remarks contained in the former part of Mr. 

 Ilannay's letter, I of course did not bring forward the first 

 proposition in my letter as anything new, but merely to show 

 that my experiments confirmed the previous conclusions of others 

 on the critical temperature. Thos. Carnelley 



Firth College, Sheffield, September 27 



A Peat Bed in the Drift of Oldham 

 In Nature, vol. xxii. p. 460, there is a description of a bed, 

 or rather beds, of peat in the drift at Oldham. A few days ago 

 I had an opportunity of examining the section described by Mr. 

 Jas. Nield, and under his guidance, but I differ from him in 

 opinion as to the age of the peat. The section occurs on the 

 steep sloping side of a valley, and just above it there is an 

 exposure of sand covered by boulder clay. In my opinion some 

 of the latter has simply slipped down, off the sand, on to the 

 surface of the peat at a lower level ; or it may have been exca- 

 vated and thrown down for the purpose of obtaining tlie under- 

 lying sand. Besides, the principal bed of peat rests on blue silt, 

 which again rests on boulder clay. The upper bed of peat 

 occurs at one end of the section, and both ends present the 

 appearance of a talus of debris from a higher level. Still the 

 section is somewhat obscure, though a few hours' digging at a 

 right-angle to its present exposure would probably prove the 

 blue silt and peat to be more recent than the boulder clay, 

 although the latter is certainly the highest bed in the section as 

 at present exposed. However, geologists are indebted to Mr. 

 Nield for calling attention to the section, and no doubt he and 

 others will take means to prove the true position of the peat, 

 which is SiUre to attract considerable attention. 



G. H. Morton 

 122, London Road, Liverpool, September 18 



Hardening of Steel 



I SHOULD have, had circumstances permitted, thanked Mr. 

 Walter R. Brown for his kind response to my letter, " Iron and 

 Hydrogen" (Nature, vol. xxii. p. 220), and for the reference to 

 Mr. Anderson's report, with which I was unacquainted. 



The points mentioned by Mr. T. W. Giltay certainly seem 

 somewhat to controvert the theory of alloyed hydrogen ; but 

 thinking over the facts some time ago it struck me that the 

 aqueous vapour in the air would be a source for the gas as in 

 chilling beneath water. It would be interesting to know whether 

 mercury, as commonly used, is not also faintly alloyed with 

 hydrogen. 



For my own part, I am inclined to the carbon theory, but the 

 facts were brought forward with the idea of seeing them dis- 

 cussed, and a somewhat obscure but important subject brought 

 to light. H. J. Johnston-Lavis 



Mosquitos 



Seeing in Nature, vol. xxii. p. ii, the use of infusion of 

 quassia recommended, and being a great martyr to mosquitos, I 

 immediately set to work to brew two or three gallons with all 

 the energy with which I had already tried many remedies and 

 nostrums. 



The basements of nearly all the good houses here in Naples 

 are used as stables, and consequently form a great attraction for 

 these insect pests. 



This large quantity of very concentrated infusion was disposed 

 of as follows : — The whole of the bed-room walls, ceiling, carpet, 

 and furniture were gone over with a Lister's vapour carboliser 

 containing the solution ; sheets and night-dresses wrung out 

 and dried before use, body sponged all over, and bed clothes 

 re-sprayed w ith the solution each night. 



This certainly was a fair trial, but the results after all this 

 expense, trouble, bitter lips and mouth was a complete failiure. 



It really seems that the only true protection against mosquitos 

 is the curtain with all its inconveniences. 



September 21 H. J. Johnston-Lavis 



GENERAL PITT RIVERS' {LANE FOX) 

 ANTHROPOLOGICAL COLLECTION i 



n. 



V 



OUTRIGGERS are very varied in their structure. In 

 some canoes there are two opposite one another, 

 one of which does not touch the water; it is merely a 

 balance platform ; in some both outriggers only occasion- 

 ally touch the water. It is not improbable that the side- 

 galleries of some junks are developed out of balance plat- 

 forms, and that the ledges known as the "chains" of 

 modern European vessels are of similar origin. The 

 rudder is merely a development of the steering paddle. 

 It is still merely a fixed paddle, being worked by an 

 operator with his face in the direction in which the boat 

 is moving, whilst oars have taken the place of all the 

 other paddles of the boat. 



Another series illustrates the origin of clothing. Clothing 

 was derived, no doubt, partly from the development of 

 ornaments, being originally entirely ornamental, as a 

 large proportion of it still is, even amongst ourselves, 

 and partly from gradual modifications of belts and such 

 accoutrements, which served a useful purpose when put 

 round the body as convenient appliances for hanging 

 things to for carriage. A pocket is a luxury which a 

 savage does not possess. He has to sling his little neces- 

 saries to his belt, or secure them in the lobe of his ear, 

 or carry them, to his embarrassment, in his hand. Even 

 in Japan the men are obliged to sling their tobacco- 

 pouches and pipes from their belts by ineans of silken 

 cords and the beautifully-carved ivory buttons or netsukes 

 so well known in European collections. They have 

 pockets only in their sleeves, and these are insufficient. 

 The simple cincture is the sole clothing of the Andaman 

 Islander. A bunch of pandanus slips is added in front 

 in a further stage, and eventually a complete encircling 

 fringe is reached. When paper cloth (tappa) has been 

 invented, or woven material, this is substituted for the 

 fringe, and a kilt is the result. In some parts of Great 

 Britain dress has not advanced beyond this stage, or 

 rather the primitive form of dress has been adopted as a 

 curiosity. The sporran probably represents the original 

 dress, the bunch of grass of the Andaman Islander, now 

 worn over the kilt instead of as originally next the skin. At 

 a further stage, the kilt being found uncomfortable, it was 

 fastened together at one spot between the legs, and hence 

 arose the idea of trousers, which, through the baggy 

 Turkish inexpressibles, gradually developed into their 

 present form. 



The simple cloak of skin or tappa developed gradually 

 into coats and various more convenient tight-fitting gar- 

 ments, but in all robes of ceremony the savage cloak form 

 is still retained by the most highly civilised races. One 

 of the latest additions made to his collection by General 

 Pitt Rivers is a series of ISritanny caps, showing the 

 gradual development of all the strange forms in vogue in 

 different districts, by means of the abnormal growth of 

 the strings, crown, or front, of one simple type. 



Another series shows the development of drinking- 

 vessels of all kinds, starting from the natural vessels 

 found ready to hand, such as human skulls, cocoanut- 

 shells, gourds, and horns. From the cocoanut with a 

 handle comes the ladle, and hence the spoon, and so on. 



Another series is devoted to the development of musical 

 instruments. Wind instruments are modifications derived 

 from the horns of animals, spiral shells, reeds, bamboos, 

 and bones. From these by gradual steps are attained 

 the trumpet and spiral brass instruments, the curl of 

 which probably came from the spiral shell; also pan- 

 pipes, and hence organs, and flutes. As bearing on the 

 origin of the bagpipes is exhibited a bag and whistle 

 carried by Indians of the north-west coast of America 

 to imitate the call of ducks and decoy them. 



' Continued from p. 493. 



