. 
*“s 
Fuly 9, 1885] 
6 feet below its 1871 level, or 2225 feet above the sea. It ap- 
pears, therefore, that in 7 years, 1871 to 1878, the lake lost 
6 feet; and again, from May, 1878, to February, 1885, say 
seven years, the lake again lost 6 feet by evaporation, and this 
of course in addition to all the rain which fell during that 
period. Taking the records at Goulburn and Gungahleen, 
near the lake, the average rainfall for the first 7 years was 
27°95 inches, and during the next 7 years 23°68 inches. One 
would expect to find more evaporation during the drier years, 
but this is not borne out by observations. From the rainfall and 
recorded evaporation the lake, therefore, lost by evaporation at 
least 3 feet per annum. I say at least, because some rain 
water must have run into the lake in addition to that 
which fell into it directly, but its amount cannot be deter- 
mined. In future the recording gauge will determine this, 
and perhaps then we may apply the experience gained to 
estimating how much ran in during the past fourteen years. 
Lake George is called a fresh-water lake, and some have even 
gone so far as to propose to use it as a reservoir for the supply of 
towns. When there I ascertained that no one could use the 
water on account of its purgative properties, one glass full being 
quite enough to satisfy those who made use of it ; and it is there 
said that the water running into the lake from the Currawang 
copper mine had poisoned all the fish. This is not literally true, 
for there are still fish in the lake ; but very many were killed 
some years since, presumably by the cause mentioned. I ob- 
tained some of the water, and am indebted to Mr. Dixon, of the 
Technical College Laboratory, for the following interesting in- 
formation as to what the water contains :—It is quite evident 
that with 187°5 grains of mineral matter per gallon the water 
cannot be used for domestic purposes, and from the fact that this 
matter is constantly being added to, it cannot improve, unless it 
were possible to withdraw large quantities of the water, and supply 
its place with rain-water ; but during by far the greater number 
of years during which the lake has been known, viz., 64 years, the 
supply of rain-water going into it annually has not been equal to the 
evaporation, and there is no other outlet. After the great flood of 
1870 the lake, during the last 14 years, has gradually decreased 
by nearly a foot per annum, and similar conditions existed before ; 
and itis therefore obvious that it would not be possible to wash 
out the salts with rain-water and artificial drainage except in wet 
years—perhape once in 20 years. Extract Mining Depart- 
ment’s report, 1880 :—‘ Three samples of water from the Cur- 
rawang Copper mines were sent for analysis, with special re- 
ference to their poisonous action on the fish in Lake George, and 
were therefore only examined with regard to the metals in 
solution. The metals were present as sulphates, and are stated 
below :—Water from the creek contains: Sulphate of copper, 
1°12 grains per gallon ; sulphate of zinc, 16°78 grains per gallon ; 
sulphate of iron, 0°43 grains per gallon. Water from the work- 
ing shaft : Sulphate of copper, 17°67 grains per gallon ; sulphate 
of zinc, 53°54 grains per gallon ; sulphate of iron, 1°42 grains per 
gallon. Water from the old shaft: Sulphate of copper, 6°42 
grains per gallon ; sulphate of zinc, 7°20 grains per gallon ; sul- 
phate of iron, 0°98 grains per gallon.’ This water would 
necessarily be poisonous to fish, and flowing into a lake without 
outlet, would ultimately render the whole water poisonous. 
‘Technical College Laboratory, Sydney, 2nd May, 1885. My 
dear Mr. Russell,—The water from Lake George contains 187°5 
grains per gallon of solid matter dried at 212° F. The residue 
has a strongly alkaline reaction, effervesces with acid, blackens 
much on ignition, but does not show the presence of nitrates in 
doing so. The metals present are aluminium, calcium, and 
magnesium ; the acids chlorine, carbonic acid, sulphuric acid, 
and phosphoric acid, the last two in small quantity. The salts 
are probably arranged as chloride of sodium, sulphate of sodium, 
phosphate of sodium, carbonate of sodium, and carbonates of 
calcium and magnesium. The purgative properties of the water 
are probably due to the salts as a whole, and especially the car- 
bonate of magnesia. It should be borne in mind, however, that 
waters containing much organic matter frequently have a purga- 
tive effect.—Signed, W. A. Dixon. P.S.—Zine and copper 
are entirely absent.’ ” 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 
INTELLIGENCE 
ScIENCE AND ART DEPARTMENT.—The following Prizes, 
Scholarships, Associateships, &c., have been awarded in con- 
NATURE 237 
eee ee 
nection with the Normal School of Science and Royal School of 
Mines, South Kensington. 
First Years Scholarships: — James Rodger, 
McWilliam, Tom. H. Denning, John Richards. 
Second Year's Scholarships :—Arthur E. Sutton, Thomas 
Rose. 
The following Prizes were also awarded :—Alfred V. Jennings, 
the “ Edward Forbes” Medal and Prize of Books for Biology ; 
Arthur E. Sutton, the ‘‘ Murchison Medal” and Prize of Books 
for Geology; andthe ‘‘Tyndall Prize” of Books for Physics, 
Course I. ; Henry G. Graves, the “ De la Beche” Medal for 
Mining ; John C. Little and James Allen, ‘‘ Bessemer” Medals 
with Prizes of Books from Prof. W. Chandler Roberts for 
Metallurgy; Arthur W. Bishop and Peter S. Buik, the 
“* Hodgkinson”’ Prizes for Chemistry. 
Associateships, Normal School of Science :—Isaac T. Walls 
(Chemistry, 2nd Class) ; Alfred Fowler (Mechanics, Ist Class) ; 
George H. Wyatt (Physics, 2nd Class); Martin F. Woodward 
(Biology, 1st Class). 
Associateships, Royal School of Mines:—John C. Little 
(Metallurgy, 1st Class); Thomas A. Rickard (Metallurgy, 
Ist Class); Percy E. O. Carr (Metallurgy, rst Class) ; Walter 
A. A. Dowden (Metallurgy, 2nd Class); Henry G. Graves 
(Mining, rst Class) ; Ernest Woakes (Mining, rst Class). 
Dr. REpDWoop has retired as Emeritus Professor from the 
Chair of Chemistry at the Pharmaceutical Society. The vacancy 
has been filled by the appointment of Mr. Wyndham Dunstan, 
Demonstrator of Chemistry in the University Museum of 
Oxford. 
Andrew 
SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 
Rendiconti del Reale Istituto Lombardo, May 21.—A science 
of criminal legislation in connection with the projected Italian 
Penal Code, by E. A. Buccellati.—Note on the inscribed Etrus- 
can arms and mirrors in the Fol Museum, Geneva, by Prof. E. 
Lattes. —The system of projected homogeneous co-ordinates for 
the elements of ordinary space, by Prof. F. Aschieri,—On the 
separation of cream from milk, and the conditions tending to 
accelerate the process, by Prof. G. Morosini.—Further researches 
on the functions that satisfy the differential equation A*~=o0, by 
Prof, Giulio Ascoli.—Remarks on the Mexican skulls deposited 
in the Civic Museum, Milan, by E. A. Verga.—Meteorological 
observations made at the Brera Observatory, Milan, during the 
month of May. 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
LONDON 
Royal Society, June 18.—‘‘ A Memoir introductory to a 
General Theory of Mathematical Form.” By A. B. Kempe, 
M.A., F.R.S. 
The object of the memoir is the treatment of the “‘necessary 
matter” of exact or mathematical thought as a connected whole ; 
the separation of its essential elements from the accidental 
clothing —algebraical, geometrical, logical, &c,—in which they 
are usually presented for consideration ; and the indication of 
that to which the infinite variety which those elements exhibit is 
due. 
The memoir opens with the statement of certain fundamental 
principles, viz. :—Whatever may be the true nature of things 
and of the conceptions which we have of them (as to which 
points we are not concerned in the memoir to inquire) in the 
operations of reasoning they are dealt with as a number of 
distinct entities or z7¢s. 
These units come under consideration in a variety of guises— 
as points, lines, statements, relationships, arrangements, inter- 
yals or periods of time, algebraical expressions, &c., &c.—occupy 
various positions, and are otherwise variously circumstanced, 
Thus, while some units are undistinguished from each other, 
others are by these] peculiarities rendered distinguishable. For 
example, the angular points of a square are distinguishable from 
the sides, but are not distinguishable from each other. In some 
instances where distinctions exist they are ignored as not mate- 
rial. Both cases are included in the general statement that 
some units are distinguished from each other and some are not. 
In like manner some /azrs of units are distinguished from 
each other while others are not. Pairs may be distinguished 
eyen though the units composing them are not. Thus the angu- 
lar points of a square are undistinguishable from each other, 
