July 20, 18S3.] 



SCIENCE. 



85 



adapted fur the purpose; and Prof. Lemstrora at- 

 tributes the phenoraeiion to the same origin as the 

 aurora. 



Prof. Lemstrom refers to Groneman's meteoric 

 theory of the aurora, and no doubt considers it to 

 be disposed of by ttie experiments above described. 

 It happens, lioivever, that the s.iine iiiiinber of \a- 

 lure contains an article from Dr. (Ironeman, in 

 which he says, " 1 believe I have proved by this 

 research that there existed with tlie aurora of Nov. 

 17, 18S2, cosmic dust, passing through the upper 

 strata of our atmosphere wilh great velncity, and 

 giving, according to the most iiitere-ting observati(m 

 of Mr. Kiind Capron, ' tlie u^ual green line' of the 

 aurora spectrum;" and, further, "It is very remark- 

 able that this experiment comes at the same time 

 as the interesting experiment of Prof. Lemstrora, 

 showing that electric currents are able to give a 

 development of liglit in our atmosphere, possessing 

 the same number of undulations in a second as the 

 auroral light. Now our meteoroid being part of an 

 aurora, it gives a stronger proof of the origin of that 

 phenomenon than Prof. Lemstriim's experiment, the 

 gre.-vte-^t attraction of which is that we are able to 

 repeat it arbitrarily and with our own means. Fur- 

 ther, I have always maintained that electricity, ex- 

 cited easily by friction, must be one of the causes of 

 the auroral li^ht . . . and it seems to me very plau- 

 sible that cosmic matter, approaching the earth, in- 

 duces electric currents through the air. Therefore I 

 think that the results of l^rof. Lemstrom are in full 

 harmony with the idea of a cosmic origin of aurorae." 



— (Nature, May 17, 31, June 7.) E. ii. H. [75 



CHEMISTRY. 



A nevr acid occurring in the juice of the 

 beet — E. O. Lippmann claims to have discovered 

 a new acid in the incrustations which form in the 

 evaporatinn-pans from the juice of unripe or par- 

 tially decomposed beet-roots. Analyses gave results 

 corresponding to oxycitric acid 



/ Oil H. \ 

 ( cooH — cn. — c c I, 



\ coon COOH/ 



obtained by Pawolleck by boiling chlorcitrie acid. — 

 {Berichte cleutseh. chem. gesellnch., xvi. 1078.) c. k. m. 



[76 

 Cinnoline - derivatives. — V. v. Richter found, 

 that, by warming an aqueous solution of the diazo- 

 chloride of ortliophenylpropiolic acid, a carboxylic 

 acid of cinnoUne was formed, a substance which he 

 regards as an analogue of chinoline. 



^cu = CH .Cll = Cll 



C,H.: I . C„H,: I . 



^N =CH \N =N 



Chinoline. Cinnoline. 



— (Berichte deutsch. chem. genellsch., xvi. 677) 



C. F. M. [77 



Compounds of the ketones 'vrith hydrazine. 



— The action of i)lienylliydrazine upon ketones seem.H 

 to be analogous to that of hydroxylaminc. With 

 acetone, H. Keisenegger obtained the compound 



CbHjXjHC'CCII ,).;, which was decomposed, by warm- 

 ing wilh dilute acids, into acetone and phenylhydra- 

 zine. Acetophenonphenylhydrazine resulted from 

 tlie action of phenylhydrazine upon acelopheiion. 

 Oenanthol gave tlie substance C JI,NjHC,H,,. 

 With dimethylhydraziue, acetophenon formed 

 chiefly (CBi),N.C^'^^\ — (Berichte deutuch. chem. 

 yeseliich., xvi. 661.) c. f. m. [78 



METALLURGY. 



Sulphuric acid from pyrites. — There are very 

 evident advantages in using pyrites instead of brim- 

 stone for the manufacture of sulphuric acid, provided 

 the right kind of pyrites is at hand. The (lualities 

 necessary are a liigli per cent of sulphur and iron, in 

 order that the cost of handling may be a minimum. 

 Lead, zinc, calciiim. and magnesium can only be 

 present in very small quantity, as they will roast to 

 sulphates, and so cause a loss of sulphur; moreover, 

 tliey lessen the value of the iron as a by-product. 

 Copper to the amount of two or three per cent is 

 foumi in some of tlie best pyrites for this purpose, 

 and is extracted as a by-product. But the especial 

 element to be avoided is arsenic, both on account of 

 the rapid corrosion of tlie chambers, and the render- 

 ing of the acid unfit for many uses. The cost of a 

 ton of oil of vitriol made from brimstone is estimated 

 at .$13. .5S; made from pyrites, at $8.22. A number 

 of localities in America furnish pyrites of good qual- 

 ity. The only alterations in the plant are the addi- 

 tion of a Glover tower, and the substitution of suitable 

 kilns, of which illustrations are given, as well as of 

 the Schaffner shelf-burners. — (Eng. min. journ., May 

 5.) H. H. 11. [79 



The Henderson gas-furnace. — This furnace 

 attempts to attain to the highest heats required in the 

 shortest possible time, and with a comidete ntiliza- 

 tion of the fuel. These objects are leaelied by the 

 use of separate engines, one for the supply of air for 

 the generation of the g.as, and the other for its com- 

 bustion. The details of a trial and illustrations of 

 the furnace are given. Tlie consumption of fuel, three 

 humlreilweight per liour for the two-ton furnace, is 

 low. — (Eng. min. joui-n., May 19. ) K. H. B. [80 



GEOLOGY. 

 The mines of Cuba. — Salterain gives a brief 

 account of the mines now worked, or that have been 

 worked in the past, at least so far as known by the 

 general inspection of mines. The ' miiias de asfalto 

 y de aceites (oils) bituminosos' are divided into 

 mines of asphalt, of petroleum, and of naphtha, and 

 number seventeen in all. The prospects are con- 

 sidered favorable, about eleven or thirteen hundred 

 tons being produced annually. They are situated 

 mostly in the provinces of Pinar del Kio. Matanzas, 

 Santa Clara, Pto. Principe, and Ilabana. Tlic copper- 

 mines are thirty in number, almost all situated in 

 the province of Santiago de Cuba, and a few in Santa 

 Clara. The mineral consists of veins of sulphate 

 of copper, oxide of copper, native copper, carbonate of 

 copper, and indications of copper pyrites, all of which, 



