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NATURE 



425 



inches distant from one another, the angles between the doors 

 sulitenihng an angle of 128° 51' at the centre. One of the doors 

 formed with the centre of the temple a north and south 

 line, so that it is supposed that the wall between these 

 two doors was intended to face the sun when rising at the 

 summer solstice. Many other interesting points of this temple 

 are referred to by Mr. Swan. To give some idea of the great 

 number, he says : " From what I have said it will be seen that, 

 alon" the 250 miles or .so of road between the Lobsani and 

 Lundi rivers, I have visited about twenty temples, or other 

 remains of the people who built Zimbabwe . . . but admitting 

 that I have seen all within a mile on both sides of the road, and 

 that the strip of country traversed is a fair sample, as regards 

 ruins, of this part of .\frica, it is evident that the number of 

 ruins of this class in the whole country between the Zambesi 

 and Limpopo rivers must be enormous." Further on he says : 

 " On a hill further on, I found four temples of the same sort, and 

 one little crescent of rough stones carefully oriented to the sun 

 rising at the northern solstice. In fact these temples are so 

 numerous in this part of the country, that one might safely 

 undertake to find a hundred of them within ten miles of Salis- 

 bury." Mr. Swan, in a postscript to his paper, suggests that 

 these temples are not temples in the ordinary meaning of the 

 word, but simply religious symbols, analogous, as he says, to 

 our crosses and wayside shrines. The article contains several 

 other points of interest, too long, however, to be dealt with 

 here. 



.■\n extraordinary incident is reported in Engineering, from 

 Terre Haute, Indiana, by the city engineer, Mr. G. H. 

 Simpson. A street of this town was paved with brick five 

 years ago, the joints being grouted up. The work was done 

 partly during the winter, being finished in early spring. 

 The foundation consisted of broken stone 8 in. thick, above 

 which was a layer of sand 2 in. thick. At the end of last July, 

 with the thermometer standing at about 100' F., a section of the 

 pavement rose like an arch from its foundation, and though 

 water was turned on to it, and openings made to let out any 

 possible accumulation of gas beneath, it maintained its position 

 unaffected. Men were then put to work to repair the pavement, 

 but hardly had they removed the swollen section when, with a 

 loud report, another section of the pavement rose in a similar 

 manner to a height of 7 in. to 9 in. 



We have received the fourth yearly report of the Sonnblick 

 Society, containing the results of the meteorological observations 

 made at the summit of that mountain for the year 1S95. In 

 addition to the usual obligatory observations, the observer, at 

 the instigation of Dr. Pernter, made a special study of the crack- 

 ling or humming of the telephone, and by this means, the occur- 

 rence of thunderstorms was frequently predicted. The records 

 of this phenomenon have been discussed by Dr. W. Trabert, who 

 finds that in all years, during the winter season, the noise 

 gradually decreases from 7h. a.m. until noon, and then increases 

 until about 9h. p.m. ; while in the summer season the minimum 

 occurs about 7h. a.m., from which time the humming steadily 

 increases until gh. p.m. The only meteorological phenomenon 

 with which the noise can be connected appears to be the diurnal 

 and annual range of the amount of cloud, which it closely 

 follows ; whence Dr. Trabert concludes that although it may 

 have some connection with earth currents, it is probably primarily 

 due to the electricity of the clouds. The report also contains 

 good photogravures of a cumulus cloud driven by a strong wind 

 over the Tauris mountains, at an elevation of about 10,000 feet. 



A iilscussiON took place some time ago in our columns on 



" The Alleged Absoluteness of Rotation." In connection with 



this subject we have pleasure in calling attention to a recent 



paper by Dr. Benedict Friedlaender and Herr Immanuel Fried- 



NO. I 40 1, VOL. 54] 



laender, bearing the title " Absolute oder relative Bewegung?" 

 (Berlin : Leonhard Simion), in which the pros and cons of the 

 three difierent hypotheses are discussed, as well as the possibility 

 of an experimental solution of the question. 



We have received from Prof. Angel Gallardo, of Buenos 

 Ayres, an interesting pamphlet on Karyokinesis. In it the 

 author presents the physico-mechanical hypothesis of figures of 

 cell-division and some of its consequences, founded on the views 

 of recent writers, without, however, attempting to investigate 

 the influence of this hypothesis on the more important questions 

 of biology. 



Four new volumes have been published in I\L Leaute's 

 Encyclopedic scientifique des Aide-Memoire. In " La Distillation 

 des Bois," M. Ernest Barillot describes the plant and processes 

 utilised in the distillation of wood for the production of methyl 

 alcohol, acetic acid, charcoal, tar, &c. A volume entitled 

 " Chaleur et Energie," by M. E. Aries, is an exposition of the 

 principles of thermodynamics according to a method based upon 

 the postulate that " Un systeme ne peut decrire un cycle ferme 

 irreversible, a I'aide d'une seule source de chaleur, sans lui cider 

 tie la chaleur et sans consominer cin travail. " The work is divided 

 into two parts, the first dealing with the general principles of the 

 science of heat, and the second with thermodynamics. The last 

 chapter is devoted to the description of a general method for 

 the application of thermodynamical principles. Lieut. -Colonel 

 Hennebert contributes to the Series a volume on " Travaux de 

 campagne." In this book, the author reviews the means of 

 organisation of attack and defence of an army in the field, 

 victualling, encampments, and the construction and use of 

 various military works. The same author is responsible for a 

 volume on " Communications militaires." In this, roads, navi- 

 gable waters, railways, and bridges are examined successively from 

 a military point of view, means of destruction as well as con- 

 struction being described. 



A PROSPECTUS has reached us giving particulars of a work on 

 " Submarine Telegraphy," by Mr. Charles Bright, which will, 

 provided a sufficient measure of support is obtained in advance, 

 be published by Messrs. Crosby Lockwood and Son. The book, 

 though based upon Wiinschendorff's "Traite de Telegraphic 

 sous Marine," has been thoroughly revised and brought up-to- 

 date, and is practically a new work. Besides being a resume 

 of the science and practice of submarine telegraphy, both from 

 an electrical and engineering aspect, the book contains a 

 complete history of this particular application of science from 

 its birth, practically speaking, in 1S50 up to 1S95, with a short 

 sketch of that which preceded in land telegraphy, and a prelude 

 concerning all early efforts connected with signalling of any 

 description. 



Messrs. Whittaker and Co. are about to publish an 

 authorised translation, by Mr. Lucien Serraillier, of Mr. D. 

 Farman's work on "Automobiles." The work will be fully 

 illustrated, and contain constructional details of the latest 

 developments in this branch of work. 



Mr. Quaritch has sent to us his catalogue, dated August, ot 

 choice and valuable books offered for sale by him. The list 

 contains particulars of very many rare and choice works relating 

 to most branches of science. 



.Messrs. Simpkin, Marshall, and Co., Ltd., will, on 

 October 3, issue the first number of The Avenue, a monthly 

 illustrated magazine devoted to education, association, and 

 social progress. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Squirrel yioTike.y {Chrysothrix sciiirea) from 

 Guiana, presented by Mr. A.. C. Goude ; a Rhesus Monkey 

 {MacacHS rhesus, 9 ) from India, presented by Mr. W. Stevens ; 

 three Ivory Gulls {Pagophila eburnea), a Richardson's Skua 



