134 



NA TURE 



[July 29. 1909 



75°. The Greenwich records only show three days in 

 June with the thermometer above 70°, and the observations 

 since 1841, a period of sixty-eight years, only show one 

 June, i860, with an equally small number of warm days ; 

 but as recenlly as 1907 June only had five days with the 

 thermometer above 70°. For the first twenty-seven days 

 of July there have been only fifteen days with a tempera- 

 ture above 70° ; this is precisely the same number as 

 during the whole month in 1907, whilst in 1879 there were 

 only eight equally warm days, and in 1888 only twelve. 

 In 1907, the summer of which approximates somewhat to 

 that of the present year, there were twenty days in 

 August with a temperature of 70° and above. In 1868, 

 which is about the warmest summer on record, there were 

 in the three months seventy-seven days above 70° and 

 thirty-three days above 80°, whilst in the coldest summer, 

 i860, there were only twenty-three days with 70° or above, 

 and the sheltered thermometer on no day touched 80°. 

 Taking England as a whole, the temperature this summer , 

 has been largely deficient of the average, and the rainfall 

 has been generally in excess, but not to any great extent, 

 whilst the sunshine is everywhere deficient. 



M. Bl^riot accomplished a flight across the English 

 Channel in his monoplane in the early morning of Sunday, 

 July 25. He started his flight at 4.35 a.m. from Baraques, 

 near Calais, and, having travelled across the Channel, he 

 landed in safety in a field near Dover Castle. According to 

 M. Bl^riot's own account of the flight, his engine at the 

 time of starting made 1200 revolutions — almost its highest 

 speed — to enable him to get over the telegraph wires 

 along the edge of the cliff, but as soon as this was accom- 

 plished the speed was reduced. The monoplane travelled 

 at a height of about 250 feet, and at the time of passing 

 the Escopetie, the destroyer in attendance, in the Channel 

 the rate of travel was at least 425 miles an hour. Twenty 

 minutes after leaving the French coast M. Bl^riot was 

 able to make out Dover Castle, and, heading the mono- 

 plane westward, he followed the coast-line to Dover. 

 Eventually catching sight of his friend, M. Fontaine, 

 waving a large French tricolour to guide him to a suit- 

 able place of descent, the monoplane was brought to earth 

 with little damage. The flight represents an achievement 

 of great interest in the history of aerial navigation. On 

 being informed of this notable feat, M. Quinton, presi- 

 dent of the Aerial League, remarked, " Before five years 

 are out England will have ceased to be an island. The 

 sea is no longer a barrier. Relations between nations will 

 undergo a change. The strategic and political situation 

 of certain peoples will be transformed." The Times gives 

 the following particulars of M. Bl^riot's monoplane, 

 Bleriot XI. The area of its sustaining surface, which was 

 at first 14 square yards, was increased last February to 

 17 square yards. Its spread is 85 yards. Under these 

 conditions the small monoplane left the ground very easily, 

 but could not stop in the air more than two minutes. Its 

 motor was then replaced by a three-cylinder Anzani of 

 105 mm. (413 inches) bore and of 22-25 horse-power, 

 weighing 132 lb. in working order. With this modifica- 

 tion the Bleriot XI. has made some very successful flights, 

 including one on July 4, when the aeroplane stopped in 

 the air for 50m. 8s., and another on July 13, when it flew 

 from Etampes to Chevilly, a distance of twenty-six miles. 

 It then went to Calais, where it underwent a few tests, 

 with the present result. The framework of the BUriot XI. 

 is of ash and poplar stiffened with piano strings. It 

 weighs 45 lb., and is about 23 feet long; it can easily 

 carry a load of 660 lb. placed at its middle point. The 

 'anding chdssis, including the wheels and springs, weighs 

 NO. 2074, '^OL. 81] 



only 66 lb. The inclination of the tail of the machine, 

 and the warping of the wings, ensuring lateral stability, 

 are effected by means of a hand-lever, whilst the vertical 

 rudder is moved by a bar pressed down by the foot of the 

 aviator. The propeller, which is a Chauvi^re one of the 

 type known as " Int^grale," is placed in front of the 

 machine, and is so designed that the air it throws back 

 does not meet the framework of the aeroplane. It has a 

 diameter of a Utile less than 7 feet, and working the 

 BUriot XI. it has an efficiency of 85 per cent. 



The Civil Service Supplementary Estimates of sums re- 

 quired to be voted for the year ending March 31, 1910, 

 include 6500!. to the Royal Society, as grant in aid of the 

 expenses of the aeronautical section of the National 

 Physical Laboratory. The grants under the Irish Uni- 

 versities Act, 1908, amount to 28,150!., namely. Queen's 

 University, Belfast, 4700/. ; University College, Dublin, 

 i6,oooi. ; University College, Cork, 5700?. ; and University 

 College, Galway, 1750!. 



K 



Mr. H. G.\rrett, writing from Greensted Rectory by 

 Ongar to the Times (July 28), says : — " During the severe 

 thunderstorm on the 13th inst. a meteoric stone fell in 

 the stable yard here with a terrific explosion when within 

 a few feet of the ground, embedding itself in the gravel 

 about 8 inches, the ground around for several feet being 

 perforated with small holes caused by the fragments. The 

 main part and fragments which we could collect weighed 

 I lb. 13 oz. The fall was witnessed by my daughters, who 

 were sheltering about eight yards away." 



A Reuter message from Melbourne states that it is 

 proposed to invite the British Association to meet in 

 ."Australia in 1913. The University of Melbourne is com- 

 municating with the different .'\ustralian universities with 

 the view of formulating definite proposals. It is suggested 

 that the invitation should proceed from the Common- 

 wealth. 



The local secretaries for the forthcoming British 

 Association meeting at \\'innipeg desire it to be known 

 that the proposed excursion up the coast of British 

 Columbia to .Alaska, now being organised in connection 

 with the Natural History Society of Canada, is unofficial, 

 and is not part of the local committee's arrangements. 

 Those desiring, therefore, to make this journey before the 

 meeting should communicate with Mr. M. B. Cotsworth, 

 Victoria, B.C. 



The death is announced of Prof. G. .Arlh, professor of 

 industrial chemistry in the University of Nancy. Prof. 

 -Arlh's first researches were concerned with organic chem- 

 istry, his work on menthol and its derivatives being well 

 known. For some years Prof. .'\rth had been engaged in 

 perfecting methods of metallurgical analysis. 



We notice with regret the death, at Naples, of Dr. 

 V. R. Matteucci, instructor in geology in the University 

 of Naples, and director of the observatory on Vesuvius. 

 It will be remembered that during the eruption of Vesuvius 

 in 1906 Dr. Matteucci followed successfully every phase 

 of the eruption at grave risk to his own safety. 



Mr. p. W. Stuart-Menteath desires to direct the atten- 

 tion of our geological readers to the instructive sections 

 to be seen in the neighbourhood of Gavarnie, in the 

 Pyrenean region. The subject has been fully discussed in 

 a paper on the Gavarnie overthrust, and other problems 

 in Pyrenean geology, by Mr. E. E. L. Dixon, with an 

 appendix by Mr. Stuart-Mcnteath (Geol. Hag. for August 

 and September, igoS). 



