42 



NATURE [May 14, 1896 



•conlains the numerical results arrived at, together with certain 

 observations suggested by them. The tables given lend support 

 to the following interpretation : — 



" The predominance of green or blue — the colours of vegeta- 

 tion, the sky, and the sea — means that the poet is predominantly 

 a poet of nature. If red and its synonyms are supreme, we may 

 assume an absorbing interest in man and woman, for they are 

 the colours of blood and of love, the two main pivots of human 

 aflairs, at all events in poetry. And where there is a pre- 

 dominance of blacU, white, and, I think I would add, yellow — 

 the colours that are rare in the world, and the colour of golden 

 impossibilities — there we shall find that the poet is singing with, 

 as it were, closed eyes, intent on his own inner vision. . . . 

 Although I cannot claim to have put this numerical test of 

 colour-vision into a final shape, there can be little doubt that it 

 possesses at least two uses in the precise study of literature. It 

 is, first, an instrument for investigating a writer's personal 

 psychology, by defining the nature of his n;sthetic colour-vision. 

 When we have ascertained a writer's colour-formula and his 

 colours of predilection, we can tell at a glance, simply and 

 reliably, something about his view of the world which pages of 

 description could only tell us with uncertainty. In the second 

 place, it enables us to take a definite step in the attainment of a 

 scientific a;sthetic, by furnishing a means of comparative study. 

 By its help we can trace the colours of the world as mirrored in 

 literature from age to age, from country to country, and in finer 

 shades among the writers of a single group." 



Another article in the Contemporary is of scientific interest : 

 it is on " The Proposed Gigantic Model of the Earth," by Dr. 

 A. R. Wallace. It may be remembered by our readers that M. 

 Elisee Keclus has drawn up a scheme for constructing a terres- 

 trial globe on a scale of one-hundred-thousandth the actual 

 size, that is, 418 feet in diameter. Another globe would be 

 required as a cover for the actual earth-model, so that the 

 expense of such a duplex structure would be enormous Dr. 

 Wallace gives a qualified support to M. Reclus' proposal ; for he 

 thinks only one globe should be constructed, showing all the 

 great geographical features of the earth on its outer surface, 

 while on the inner surface would be formed that strictly accurate 

 model which M. Reclus considers would justify the expense of 

 such a great work. 



Miss Mary Kingsley contributes to the National an interesting 

 account of her ascent of "The Throne of Thunder," or the 

 Peak of Cameroons, the highest point on the western side of 

 the African continent. Twenty-seven white men have reached 

 the peak, and Miss Kingsley describes the twenty-eighth ascent, 

 the second successful one from the south-east face. In the same 

 review Mr. A. G. Boscawen, M. P., gives his impressions of 

 Japan, and concludes his remarks with a few words about 

 British commercial interests in the Far East. It is satisfactory 

 to note his remarks on the advantages to be gained by the 

 appointment of commercial and technical advisers to foreign 

 Legations. He says : — 



"And now I would suggest what I have suggested elsewhere, 

 that the Government ought to give a helping hand by appoint- 

 ing a commercial attach,.' to the Legation at Tokyo, who I feel 

 sure would prove most useful at the present moment, when the 

 Japanese are friendly to us, and are certainly inclined to buy 

 from us if we will only take the trouble to adapt our manufac- 

 tures to their markets. Such an official, by keeping us con- 

 stantly informed at home of what articles the Japanese require, 

 would prevent a large portion of our trade from going to 

 foreigners, especially to the Germans and Americans, who have 

 for years taken far more trouble than we have to secure the 

 gootlwill of the Japanese." 



A passing mention must .suffice for the remaining articles of 

 scientific interest in the magazines and reviews received. Sir 

 Robert Ball writes on " The Scenery of the Moon," in the 

 Strand Mtigazine, his description being illustrated by reproduc- 

 tions from lunar photographs. Miss Agnes Giberne treats the 

 well-worn theme of "The Par Distance of our Universe," in 

 Chamhers's Journal, which also contains popular articles on the 

 electric supply of London, jumping beans, and house-flies. 

 Some suggestive points in connection with the evolution of 

 language will be found in the article entitled "The Genesis of 

 Expression," by M. L. Johnson, in the Westminster Review. 

 A wellilhistrated paper on "The Evolution of the Trotting 

 Horse," contributed by Mr. Hamilton Bushey to Scribner, is 

 not without interest to scientific readers. Under the title 

 "Through Scientific Doubt to faith," the Quarterly Review 



NO. 1385. VOL. 54] 



traces the mental hiscory of Romanes, as evidenced by his own 

 works, and in the lately published " Life and Letters," written 

 and edited by his wife. The article is a complacent statement 

 from the religious side. The Viscount Harberton writes on 

 " Muzzling and the Prevention of Rabies " in the Humanitarian. 

 Mr. P. C. Knapp brings forward evidence, in the Century, 

 against the view that nervous disorders are increasing, and 

 shows that, without more evidence in its favour, the belief in 

 the greater nervousness of Americans is an error. Finally, the 

 Geographical Journal contains Mr. St. George Littledale's 

 account of " A Journey across Tibet, from North to South, and 

 West to Ladak," and Mr. Edward A. FitzGerald's paper on 

 "The First Crossing of ihe Southern Alps of New Zealand " 

 -Attention may profitably be drawn to the maps which illustrate 

 Mr. Littledale's journey, and to a new map of the Upper 

 Kuyuni River, British (_>uiana, from a recent survey. 



THE METRIC SYSTE.M IN THE UNITED 

 STATES. 

 C2TRENUOUS efforts are being made by the American 

 '~-' Metrological Society to secure the adoption of the Bill 

 making the use of the metric system obligatory in the United 

 States after a specified date. Letters have been sent to all who 

 are interested in the question, soliciting their help and influence, 

 and petitions are being numerously signed and sent in to Repre- 

 sentatives. The Committee im Coinage, Weights and Measures, 

 of the House, recently reported unanimously in favour of the 

 Bill, and the introduction and conclusion of their interesting 

 report are rejirinted in Science, from which source the subjoined 

 summary has been made. 



For more than a generation after the construction of the 

 constitution, the American people lived with no legal standard 

 by which could be determined even the amount of metal which 

 went into the coin that came from their mints. Gallatin pro- 

 cured from France a platinum kilogram and meter in 1S21, and 

 from England a troy pound in 1S27, and in 1828 the latter was 

 recognised as the standard for mint purposes by the following 

 Act : 



" For the purpose of securing due conformity in weight of 

 the coins of the United States to the provisions of this title, the 

 brass troy pound weight procured by the Minister of the United 

 States at London in the year eighteen hundred and twenty-seven 

 for the use of the mint and now in custody of the mint at 

 Philadelphia, shall be the standard troy pound of the mint of 

 the United States, conformably to which the coinage thereof 

 shall be regulated." 



Meantime both the people and the Government were using 

 such weights and measures as were nearest at hand, derived in 

 the main horn the English ancestry, but made by themselves 

 without any authoritative standard for comparison, and as a 

 consequence differing materially from each other. In 1S30 the 

 Senate directed the Secretary of the Treasury to have a com- 

 parison made of the standards of weight and measure used at 

 the princi|':d custom houses of the United States, and report the 

 same to the Senate. This was done, and large discrepancies 

 and errors were found to exist. These discrepancies w'ere 

 nullifying and violating the provision of the Constitution which 

 prescribes that " all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform 

 throughout the United States." Varying scales and varying 

 measures inevitably produced varying rates of duty. The 

 Treasury Department, therefore, in the exercise of its executive 

 power and as a necessary incident and means to the execution 

 of the law and the observance of the Constitution, adopted for 

 the use of that Department the Trough'on scale, then in the 

 possession and use of the Coast Survey, as the unit of length, 

 and the troy pound of the mint as the unit of weight. From 

 the latter the avoirdupois pound was to be derived, assuming 

 that there were 7000 grains in the pound avoirdupois to 5760 

 in the pound troy. For measures of capacity the wine gallon 

 of 231 cubic inches, and the Winchester bushel of 2I50'42 cubic 

 inches, were adopted. This gave to the Treasury Department 

 the basis of a system of weights and measures to be used in its 

 operations, and in order to promote the general adoption and 

 use of the same throughout the country. Congress, in June 

 1836, adopted the following joint resolution : 



"That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he hereby is. 



