166 
grammatic woodcuts. —In the Psychical Section of the Conference 
M. Letourneau treated of the evolution of morality, tracing the rise 
and progress and various fluctuations of the moral sense among 
different races.—M. Pozzi, in announcing the decision of the 
Committee for awarding the Broca prize, explained that he and 
his colleagues had selected the works of three among the 
numerous competitors, viz. MM. Collignon, Chudzinski, and 
Testut, as of pre-eminent merit. The prize was, however, 
unanimously awarded to the last-named, M. Testut’s great work, 
‘Muscular Anomalies in Man explained by Comparative 
Anatomy,” having secured him this distinction both on account 
of its able and exhaustive character and its great literary merits. 
The selected essays of MM. Collignon and Chudzinski, treated 
respectively of the “anthropometric differences of the leading 
races of France,” and of the ‘‘ Anatomy of the Negro.” In his 
address M. Pozzi gave a summary of M. Testut’s work, of which 
he spoke in terms of unqualified praise, both as regards the 
methods with which his observations had been conducted, and 
the manner in which the results were compared and tested.— 
Report of the eulogy on Paul Broca, delivered by M. Dally on 
the day the Broca prize was awarded for the first time. As an 
old friend and colleague, M. Dally, in his historical and literary 
notice of the life and works of Vroca, was able to give many 
hitherto unknown particulars, which add largely to the interest 
of his address. 
Bulletins de la Société d’ Anthropologie de Paris, 1 Fascicule, 
1885, containing vésmé of the rules, organisation, and actual 
condition of the Society, with lists of members, affiliated 
societies, and recent obituary, &c., &c., &c. Among the works 
presented to the Society at its inaugural meeting, 1885, special 
notice is due to the ‘‘ Elements of General Anthropology,” by 
M. Topinard, who here gives a résumé of his lectures at the 
School of Anthropologie since 1876; the ‘‘Gitafios of Spain 
and Portugal,” by M. Bataillard ; ‘f Ethnic Mutilations,” by M. 
Magitot; and ‘‘Cannibalism among the Red-Skins,” by 
M. Letourneau. In regard to each of these, the authors 
treated at great length of the objects aimed at in their 
respective works, the character and scope of which they 
fully explained.—M. Chudzinski presented the Society with the 
cast of the deltoid muscle of a negro, showing an anomalous 
separation of the bundles, which had a Simian character.—M. 
Delisle drew attention to an ox’s head belonging to Bos indicus 
of Senegal, in which a perfectly developed horn protruded from 
between the nasal bones.—A paper by Dr. Hoffman, of Wash- 
ington, on a curious relic found in South California, supposed to 
have been a case for keeping the colouring-matters and instru- 
ments employed in tattooing.—On the Quaternary deposits of 
Rosny (Nogent-sur-Marne), by M. Eck. Among these finds 
are fine teeth of Zlephas primigenius, Rhinoceros tichorhinus, 
Equus, &c.—Report by M. Gouin, of Cagliari, on the skulls 
and objects found by M. Issel in the recently-opened cave at 
Orreri, in the Island of Sardinia. M. Issel believes, from his 
study of the prehistoric remains of Western France, Spain, and 
the basin of the Mediterranean generally, that these and the 
finds at Orreri all point equally to the diffusion of a primitive 
race, which was extant in the Canary Isles within historic times. 
—On Laos, by M. P. Neis, who explored the Laotian territory 
bordering on Cambodia in 1882-84. The author, as a French 
official, enjoyed exceptional advantages for travelling in Cochin 
China and the neighbouring districts, and his careful study of 
the character and habits of the people has enabled him to collect 
much interesting information regarding the distinctive anthropo- 
logical and social characteristics of the different races of Indo- 
China. M. Neis sees no ground for the opinion that these races 
exhibit traces of a Negrito element, but he draws attention to the 
fact that everywhere the Mongol is displacing the Thay and 
other ancient nationalities, although this is most evident in the 
territories between Mam-on and Tonkin, and he believes that, 
unless the King of Siam takes prompt measures to stop this 
invasion, Siamese supremacy and French authority will be alike 
endangered.—Ceylon and its inhabitants in ancient and modern 
times, by M. Beauregard. The author derives his materials 
from English sources.—On the caves of Saumoussay, by M. 
Bonnemére, who believes that these grottoes served in prehistoric 
ages as a tannery.—On the measurements of the long-bones as 
a basis for the reconstruction of the entire skeleton, by M. 
Topinard, with plates of the osteometric instrument used by 
Broca.—On will, considered from a physiological point of view, 
by M. Fauvelle. 
NATURE 
[ Fune 18, 1885 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
LONDGN 
Royal Society, May 7, with a note added May 12.—‘‘ On 
the Electric Resistance of a New Alloy named Platinoid.” By 
J. T. Bottomley, M.A., F.R.S.E. 
In the course of a series of experiments on the electric resist- 
ance of various metals and alloys and in particular on the varia- 
tion of the electric resistance of these metals and alloys with 
temperature, the author has examined a new alloy (called by the 
inventor ‘ platinoid”’), which has turned out to have important 
properties. 
This alloy is the invention of Mr. F. W. Martino, of Sheffield, 
who kindly supplied specimens of the metal, and wires specially 
drawn down to the finer gauges for experiments. 
Platinoid is practically German silver with the addition of a 
small percentage (I or 2 per cent.) of metallic tungsten. The 
tungsten is added in the form of phosphide of tungsten, a con- 
siderable percentage of which is in the first place fused with a 
portion of the copper. The nickel is then added; and then the 
zinc and the remainder of the copper. The mixture requires to 
be re-fused more than once, and during the process the phos- 
phorus and a considerable portion of the tungsten originally 
added is removed as scoriz. In the end there is obtained a 
beautiful white alloy, which is platinoid. When polished the 
alloy is scarcely distinguishable in appearance from silver. To 
test the quality claimed for it as to being untarnishable, the 
author has been keeping ornamental specimens lying exposed 
to the ordinary town atmosphere ; and has satisfied himself that 
the alloy has a very remarkable power of resisting the tarnishing 
influence of the air of a large town. 
It is, however, the electric resistance of platinoid that has 
chiefly interested the author. German silver wire has proved of 
great use in the construction of galvanometer coils and resist- 
ance coils, on account of two importantproperties, viz., its very high 
resistance and the smallness of the variation of its resistance with 
change of temperature. Both those properties are possessed in 
a still higher degree by platinoid alloy. 
The resistance of German silver differs considerably in dif- 
ferent specimens. It iscommonly stated to be 21°17 X 10°°B. A. 
ohms between opposite faces of a centimetre cube at 0° C.;? or, 
reducing to legal ohms, 20°935 x 10~® legal ohms between the 
opposite faces of a centimetre cube. The following table shows 
the resistance cf a number of specimens of platinoid wire : 
a . Resistance 
lameter . etween Oppo- 
Specifying in deci- Cross Resistance site ee 
number mals of a Section eS Oe a centimetre 
centimetre SS cube legal 
ohms. 
16) see LOO 0204300 “181 36°98 X 10° 
V7 bese eLA SO) "0160200 202 32°36 
1S) ves) 1230) "O119400 288 34°38 
LO) eee oO 0096770 353 34°16 
20... “0805 0058760 555 32°61 
AY ees 0505 70027180 ... 1'250 34°76 X 1078 
BP see) HO4Q5 ‘OOT9240_ ... 1°707 32°85 
28 ... ‘0402 70012690... 2°605 33/06 
29 ... °0340 "0009070... 3412 30°94 
32) 4 | 0290 “0006605 AST 28°87 
36)... 5.0220 ‘0003801... 8219 31°24. 
It appears from these results that the specific resistance of 
platinoid is about ove and a half times that of German silver. 
The experiments on the variation of resistance of platinoid 
with temperature were carried on in the following way. The 
specimen of platinoid to be tested was wound on a wooden 
bobbin, on the surface of which a screw had been cut, and the 
spires of the helix were kept separate by lying between the 
threads of the screw. This coil was immersed in a bath of oil, 
and was connected in series with a known wire of German 
silver, the temperature of which was kept constant, and with a 
single Daniell’s cell. The differences of potential between the 
two ends of the platinoid wire and the two ends of the German 
silver wire were determined by applying the electrodes of a 
a high-resistance galvanometer. The ratio of the differences of 
potential is the same as the ratio of the resistances of the two 
wires. 
1 Given by Prof. Fleeming Jenkin, F.R.S., as expressing the results of 
Matthiessen’s experiments. 
