NA TURE 



[July 27, 1905 



vented by Mr. D. R. S. Galbraith, a constant stream of 

 iron sand mixed with a given quantity of carbon is fed in 

 at the top of the furnace, and travelling downwards by 

 gravitation falls between and upon graphite bars forming 

 resistances in the circuit, and finally leaves the furnace in 

 the form of molten metal. The power is supplied by a 

 single-phase alternator having an output of too kilowatts 

 at 300 volts. This pressure is reduced to iS volts by means 

 of a transformer in close proximity to the furnace. The 

 plant is, of course, an experimental one, and will require 

 to be modified in several ways before it is used on a com- 

 mercial scale. 



Dr. J. JoLV, F.R.S. {Scientific Proceedings of the Royal 

 Dublin Society, vol. x., No. 34), being struck by the 

 difficulties raised by the silting up of harbours on the 

 south-east Irish coast, suggests the use of floating break- 

 waters moored to the bottom, but sufficiently deep to 

 prevent response to the rise and fall of waves. They would 

 thus be affected only by the tidal movements, and the 

 dimensions " need not be extravagant where the conditions 

 are not such as to require protection from deep-water 

 waves." Two types are illustrated, the one cylindrical, 

 with a submerged platform below, going down to about 

 four fathoms, and the other more like a flat-bottomed ship, 

 wider below and narrower above, with a hold full of water 

 to increase the inertia. The author believes that in the 

 seas inside the banks of Wicklow and Arklow such a 

 mass might be assumed to be unaffected by wave-motion. 

 The presence of such a breakwater, it is suggested, might 

 even favourably increase the tidal scour. 



We have received from the Home Office part iv. of 

 the general report on mines and quarries for 1903, con- 

 taining comparative statistics relating to persons employed, 

 output, and accidents at mines and quarries in the British 

 colonies and in foreign countries. A good idea is given 

 of the relative importance of mining in each country. In 

 1903 the number of persons engaged in mining and quarry- 

 ing was 4,861,932, of which one-fifth were employed in 

 the United Kingdom and one-third in the British Empire. 

 More than half the total were employed in getting coal, 

 of which the world's production was 881,002,936 tons. 

 The world also produced 609,985 tons of copper, 491,672 

 kilograms of fine gold, 44,548,962 tons of pig iron, 892^899 

 tons of lead, 26,232,099 tons of petroleum, 12,818,253 tons 

 of salt, 4,997,491 kilograms of fine silver, 98,295 tons of 

 tin, and 570,440 tons of zinc. The death-rate from 

 accidents throughout the world in 1903 is estimated at 

 1-83 per 1000, as compared with 1.93 per 1000 in 1902. 

 For coal mines the accident death-rate of the United 

 Kingdom is 1-26, and for the British Empire 133 ; while 

 for France it is 102, for Germany 2 00, and for the United 

 States 3-09. The death-rate for foreign countries generally 

 IS 2-14. It is evident that mining is conducted in Great 

 Britain with a far smaller risk of accident to the workers 

 than in most other countries. 



The meteorological results deduced from the observations 

 taken at the Liverpool Observatory, Bidston, for the 

 year 1904 have been published by Mr. W. E. Plummer. 

 This observatory is maintained by the Mersey Docks and 

 Harbour Board, and is one of the oldest and best equipped 

 m the United Kingdom. Many years ago, the late Mr. 

 W. W. Rundell prepared an elaborate discussion of the 

 winds of Liverpool, which was published by the Meteor- 

 ological Office. We notice that at the present time much 

 attention is oaid to this subject, which is naturally oi 

 Ihe greatest importance for the shipping of the Mersey. 

 NO. 1865, VOL. 72] 



Three anemometers of the Osier, Robinson, and Dines 

 patterns are kept in efficient operation, and the maximum 

 velocities and extreme pressures of the wind on the square 

 foot are given for each day of the year, while the monthly 

 and yearly summaries of the principal meteorological 

 elements are expressed in imperial and metric measures. 

 In the astronomical department, the transit instrument has 

 been used continuously for the determination of time, and 

 2586 stars were observed during the year. 



We have received the annual report of the director of 

 the Royal Alfred Observatory (Mauritius) for 1904; it 

 contains the means and extremes of the meteorological 

 elements and other general information ; the actual observ- 

 ations will be published in a separate volume. From a 

 table showing the observations of the direction of the 

 various types of clouds, it is noteworthy that out of 821 

 observations the cumulus cloud was observed on 397 

 occasions, the cirrus cloud on only 66 occasions. The mean 

 annual rainfall at ten selected stations was 13 inches below 

 the average. The log-books of ships visiting the island 

 were copied, and a daily journal of the weather over the 

 Indian Ocean kept ; it is noticeable that the number of 

 vessels arriving annually between 1882 and 1904 have 

 steadily decreased from 686 to 262. Photographs of the 

 sun were taken daily whenever possible ; 638 negatives 

 were forwarded to the Solar Physics Committee. During 

 the year 65 earthquakes were recorded. The observatory 

 is still much troubled by depredations of white ants ; 

 numerous poisons have been tried for their extermination, 

 the most efficacious being a solution of sal-ammoniac, 

 turpentine, and methylated spirit, while the bookshelves 

 are insulated with castor oil. 



O.N'E of the scientific results of the annexation of the 

 Philippines by the United .States is the study of the ethno- 

 graphy of the group. Mr. W. Allan Reed has published 

 a report on the Negritos of Zambales (vol. ii., part i., 

 Ethnological Survey Publications, Manila, 1904). This is 

 in reality only a sketch, as the author was only two 

 months in the field, but his observations have undoubted 

 value ; doubtless a more thorough study will be made of 

 these interesting people. The si.xty-two plates which illus- 

 trate the paper add very considerably to its value, and by 

 their means one can gain a very good idea of these jungle 

 folk. A very useful album of Philippine types by D. 

 Folkmar has been published by the Philippine Exposition 

 Board, Manila ; it contains eighty plates of photographs — 

 full-face and side view of head — of inmates of Bilibid 

 prison. The author has been careful to select typical 

 examples from various districts, and opposite each plate 

 are given certain measurements of the individual photo- 

 graphed, together with the averages of the same measure- 

 ments taken on a large number of examples of that par- 

 ticular tribe. This is a very useful device, as it gives some 

 sort of clue as to whether the individual figured is a fairly 

 typical example of his tribe. 



Writing to La Sicilia, Prof. A. Ricco mentions that 

 the crater of Etna is extending towards the north-west, 

 and along the whole of the circumference, from north to 

 west, is a great continuous fissure emitting steam and 

 heated vapours. As the whole of the ground between this 

 fissure and the margin must fall into the crater, he warns 

 intending visitors of the need of caution in approaching 

 the crater from the westwards, the direction from which 

 it is most easily accessible. 



In the May number of the Rend. Ace. Lincei 

 A. Pochettino describes the luminescence emitted by certain 

 crystals under the action of radium and Rbntgen rays. 



