June 5, 1891.J 



SCIENCE. 



3 3 



may help to explain the intense darkness, often tempered by a 

 livid yellow glow, which is characteristic of thunder-clouds. 



— The May 21 number of Nature states that the Gottingen So- 

 ciety of Sciences has recently ofifered the following prize in physics 

 for Sept. 30, 1898 : From the researches of W. KCntgen and A. 

 Kundt on variation of the optical properties of quartz in the elec- 

 tric field, there appears to be a close connection between the 

 electro-optic phenomena and the elastic deformations which that 

 piezo-electric substance shows under the action of electrostatic 

 forces. An extension of the inquiries to a series of piezo-electric 

 crystals with various properties of symmetry seems highly desira- 

 ble. The investigation should also be directed to determining 

 whether the electro-optic phenomena in piezoelectric crystals are 

 caused exclusively by the deformations occurriug in the electric 

 field or, besides, by a direct action of the electrostatic forces on 

 the light-motion. Prize, £25. The German Society for the En- 

 couragement of Industry offers the following (among other) prizes: 



(1) How far is the chemical composition of steel, and especially 

 the amount of carbon present, a measure of the usefulness of cut- 

 ting-tools? Prize, a silver medal and £300; date, Nov. 15, 1891. 



(2) A silver medal and £150 for the best chemical and physical 

 investigation of the most common iron paints. Date, Nov. 15, 

 1894. (3) A gold medal and £150 for the best work on the mag- 

 netism of iron. This should compi-ise a^critical comparison of 

 previous observations; also personal observations on steel and 

 wrought iron bars of the most various chemical composition possi- 

 ble, examination being made both of the strength of temporary 

 magnetization with absolutely measured and varying magnetizing 

 force, and the strength of permanent magnetism and its durability 

 with r-egard to temperature- changes and vibrations. Date, Nov. 

 15, 1893. (4) Investigation of the trustworthiness of the usual 

 methods of determining the carbon in iron. Prize, a silver medal 

 and £150; date, Nov. 15, 1893. 



— At the Montreal meeting of the Royal Society of Canada, on 

 May 37, papers were read as follows. In the section on English 

 Literature, History, and Archseology, "Opportunities for the 

 Study of Folk-Lore in Canada," by John Reade; " The Bethucks 

 or Red Indians of Newfoundland," by Dr. Patterson; "Notes and 

 Observations on the Shuswap People of British Columbia," by 

 Dr. George M. Dawson; "Grammar of the Haida Language, 

 Queen Charlotte Islands," by Chai'les Harrison (communicated by 

 Dr. George Dawson) ; "Descriptive Notes on Certain Implements, 

 Weapons, etc., from Graham Island," by Alex. MacKenzie (com- 

 municated by Dr. G. M. Dawson). In the section on Mathemati- 

 cal, Physical, and Chemical Sciences, the following papers were 

 read; " De la Certitude dans les Sciences d'observation " (presi- 

 dential address), by Monsignor T. E. Hamel; "Automatic and 

 Multiplex Telegraphy," by F. N. Gisborne; "The Use of a Sym- 

 bolic Form of de Moivres Function," by Professor N. F. Dupuis; 

 " An Attempt at Deducing the Pressure Under which a Steam 

 Boiler Explodes from the Dynamic Effects Produced by the Ex- 

 plosion " and " A Steam Boiler Explosion at Sillery, near Quebec," 

 by C. Baillarge; " Establissement des Formules de Wrouski i-ela- 

 tives a le Mecanique celeste," by Dr. A. Duval; " The Variation 

 with Temperature and Concentration, of the Absorption Spectra 

 of Aqueous Solutions of Salts," " The Density of Weak Aqueous 

 Solutions of Nickel Sulphate," and "The Relativity of Force and 

 the Third Law of Motion," by Professor J. 6. MacGregor; " The 

 Synthesis of a New Di-Quinoline," by Dr. R. F. Ruttan (commu- 

 nicated by Dr. Girdwood) ; " Faraday's ' Lines of Force: ' Sugges- 

 tion of a Name," and " Newton's Use of the Slit in the Formation 

 of the Spectrum,'' by Alexander Johnson; "A New Oxy-Ether 

 Lamp," by G. R, Prowse (communicated by Dr. Johnson); 

 " Memoranda as to Preparations for the Proposed Telegraphic 

 Longitude Determination : Greenwich -Montreal," by Professor 

 McLeod (communicated by Dr. Johnson); " Observations of Sun 

 Spots; May, 1890, to May, 1891," by Pi'ofessor McLeod (commu- 

 nicated by Dr. Johnson); "The Time-Unit" and "The Hour 

 Meridians," by Dr. Sanford Fleming; and "Moral and Personal 

 Elements in Statistics," bj- George Hague (communicated by Sir 

 William Dawson). In the section on Geological and Biological 

 Sciences papers were read as follows: "The Probable Occurrence 



of Gold-bearing Rocks in New Brunswick," by Professor L. W, 

 Bailey; "Notes on the Pleistocene Plants of Canada, with De- 

 scriptions of New Species from the United States," by Professor 

 D. P. Penhallovv; "The Geological Formation of Quebec, South 

 of the River St. Lawrence," by R. W. Ells (communicated by J. 

 F. Whiteaves); " The Present State of Botany in the Dominion of 

 Canada, with Suggestions as to Promising Lines of Investigation, 

 and a Proposal for United Effort in Systematic Observation 

 throughout the Several Provinces and Territories," by George 

 Lawson; "Note on Carboniferous Batrachians, by Sir William 

 Dawson; " Parka decipiens. — Notes on Specimens from the Col- 

 lections of James Reid," by Sir William Dawson and D. P. Pen- 

 hallow ; "Hibernation: a Preliminary Communication," by Pro- 

 fessor Wesley Mills; " The Orthoceratidee of the Cambro-Silurian 

 Rocks of Manitoba" and "The Ammonites of the Cretaceous 

 Rocks of the Valleys of the Peace and Athabasca Rivers," by 

 J. F. Whiteaves ; " The Geology of the St. Clair Tunnel," by Frank 

 D. Adams (communicated by Sir William Dawson); "Observa- 

 tions on the Distribution and Habits of Some New Brunswick 

 Fishes, including New Forms Lately Identified," by Philip Cox 

 (communicated by Professor Bailey); "Illustrations of the Fauna 

 of St. John Group, No. 6," by G. F. Matthew; " Three Deep Wells 

 in Manitoba," by J. B. Tyrrell (communicated by Dr. G. M. Daw- 

 son) ; and "The Sequence of Strata forming the Quebec Group of 

 Logan and Billings, with Remarks on the Fossil Remains Found 

 Therein," by Heni-y M. Ami (communicated by Dr. G. M. Daw- 

 son). 



— The Perak Government Gazette states that a portion of an 

 ethnographical collection formed by Signer G. B. Cerruti, in the 

 island of Nias, has been recently acquired by the Government of 

 Perak for the museum. Pulo Nias, as described in Nature, is one 

 of a chain of islands bordering the south-western coast of Suma- 

 tra. The population is said to be numerous and of one race, 

 though divided into many tribes under independent chiefs. 

 Head-hunting is as common with them as it used to be in Borneo, 

 and most of the houses have skulls hung up in them. Their wea- 

 pons consist of iron-headed spears, mostly barbed, knives of two 

 patterns, somewhat resembling the Kadubong Achi, with shields 

 of two distinct types. No bows and arrows or blow-pipes seem to 

 be known, nor are throwing-sticks applied to their spears; boats 

 also are not used by them, though rafts are sometimes made to 

 cross rivers on. The ironwork of their weapons is fashioned by 

 themselves, and the upright double cylinder bellows is used to 

 supply wind to their forges — the same in every respect as those 

 used by the Semangs of Upper Parak.and the far-away Malagasy. 

 Helmets of black ijoh fibre are worn, somewhat similar to the 

 cocoanut-fibre ones of the Sandwich Islanders. Woven body 

 armor is in use, in the shape of thick coats made of what appears 

 to be the fibre of Hibiscus tiliacens. Buffalo hide armor is also 

 said to be used, but is not represented in this collection. Attached 

 to the sheaths of some of the knives are four or five animals' teeth, 

 such as tigers, rhinoceros, etc., also a small carved wooden idol, 

 and one or more bamboo boxes containing stones. In those ex- 

 amined there were twelve pebbles in each box. These stones are 

 supposed to have been taken from a spot on which a man had 

 been slain. AH these charms are tied up into a bundle with red 

 cloth, and bound with string on the upper fi'ont part of the sheath 

 of the knife. 



— A comprehensive study of the influence of forests on the daily 

 variation of air- temperature has been recently made by Professor 

 Milttrich {Nature, May 21), the data being from stations in Ger- 

 many and Austria. Inter alia, this influence is greater in May to 

 September or October than in the other months. In pine and fir 

 woods it rises gradually from Januai-y to a maximum in August 

 or September, then falls more quickly to a minimum in December; 

 but in beech woods a minimum occurs in April, then there is a 

 quick rise, till the maximum is reached in July. The daily varia- 

 tion itself is gi-eatest in May or June, both in forest and open coun- 

 try. The influence of the forest is to lower the maxima and raise 

 the minima, and the former influence is in most months greater 

 than the latter ; in December and January, and occasionally in 

 neighboring months, it is less. The influence on the maxima in 



