April 15, 1892.] 



SCIENCE. 



215 



instance, the advantage in climate which Hyeres and Mentone 

 enjoy over Marseilles is chiefly due to their being more sheltered 

 from the mistral, or north-west wind, the scourge of the lower 

 valley of the Rhone from Valence to Avignon. He went on to de- 

 scribe the climate of the Riviera, illustrating it by lantern slides 

 from recent photographs, including views of Hyeres, Costabella, 

 Cannes, Nice, Mentone, San Remo, etc., and he showed the three 

 principal causes of the warm winter in this region to be: (1) the 

 southern latitude; (2) the protection from cold winds by mountain 

 ranges; and (3) the equalizing and warming influence of the Med- 

 iterranean Sea, which being practically tideless is always equally 

 potent, not varying with hour and season. Dr. Williams men- 

 tioned the weak points of the south-of-France climate, with its 

 blustering mistral, its occasional cold bise, its moist sirocco-wind ; 

 but summed up the Riviera winter climate as being, on the whole, 

 clear, bright, and dry, with fog and mist practically unknown, 

 with a winter temperature of 8° to 10° higher tiian England has, 

 though subject to considerable nocturnal radiation, with about half 

 the number of rainy days and four to five the number of bright 

 ones which she can boast of, with cold winds and cold weather, 

 without which it would lose its health-giving effect. 



After the delivery of this address the meeting was adjourned in 

 order to allow the fellows and their friends an opportunity to in- 

 spect the exhibition of instruments relating to climatology which 

 bad been arranged in the rooms of the Institution of Civil Engi- 

 neers, 35 Great George Street. The Meteorological Office showed 

 a set of instruments necessary for the equipment of a climatologi- 

 cal station, viz., Stevenson thermometer-screen, fitted with dry- 

 bulb, wet-bulb, maximum and minimum thermometers; and also 

 a rain-gauge. Thermometers were also shown for ascertaining 

 the temperatures on the ground, under the ground, and at a dis- 

 tance, as well as for recording temperature continuously. Various 

 forms of sunshine recorders were exhibited, as well as a number 

 of actinometers and solar radiation instruments for ascertaining 

 the heating effect of the solar rays. The exhibition included a 

 large and interesting collection of hygrometers, also several rain- 

 gauges and other instruments. Among the curiosities is a piece 

 of plate glass which was ''starred" during a thunder-storm on 

 Aug. 21, 1879; this was not broken, but it has a number of wavy, 

 bair-like lines. The exhibition contains a large number beautiful 

 photographs of clouds, lightning, and snow-scenes, as well as of 

 the damage done by the destructive tornado at Lawrence, Mass., 

 U.S.A. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



On April 16, at the Department of Archaeology and Palseoh- 

 tology of the University of Pennsylvania, will take place the open- 

 ing of the Loan Collection of Objects used in Worship, already 

 referred to in these columns 



— A very intense light, such as is required for photographic or 

 occasionally for medical purposes, may, as is well known, be 

 readily obtained by buraing magnesium ribbon, which has, how- 

 ever, the disadvantage of being somewhat expensive. An excel- 

 lent substitute, according to Lancet, has been found by a French 

 •chemist, M. Villon, in aluminium, which is about a third of the 

 price of magnesium, and which may be utilized in the same man- 

 ner by burning it in a spirit lamp, or, if a flame of much more 

 intense brilliancy is required, in a coal, gas, or spirit flame sup- 

 plied with a jet of oxygen. In these it burns without emitting 

 fumes, in which respect it is superior to magnesium. The light 

 given by aluminium has a high actinic power — nearly as high, 

 indeed, as that of magnesium. The most convenient way of ob- 

 taining a very intense light, according to M. Villon, is to use a 

 lamp provided with a jet of oxygen at the centre of its flame, into 

 which powdered aluminium mixed with a quarter of its weight of 

 lycopodium and a twentieth of its weight of nitrate of ammonium 

 can be projected by means of a tube furnished with an air-ball. 

 This gives an exceedingly intense light, without smoke. A mixture 

 of aluminium powder with chlorate of potash and sugar can be 

 ignited, giving an intense light by means of gun-cotton, but is 

 somewhat dangerous. Probably the best plan for medical photog- 



raphy, or for laryngoscopic and auroscopic and other demonstra- 

 tions, would be to burn a ribbon of aluminium in an ordinary spirit 

 lamp. Of course, if oxygen and an oxy-hydrogen, or an oxy-alco- 

 holic, lamp were at hand a much more intense light could be ob- 

 tained. 



— The London Times of March 34 printed the following com- 

 munication from a correspondent: Under the direction of the 

 Austrian Government an interesting series of deep-sea explora- 

 tions has been conducted recently in the eastern parts of the Med- 

 iterranean, by a scientific party on board the ''Pola." At one 

 point, about 50 nautical miles south-west from Cape Matapan, the 

 "Pola" found a depth of 4,400 metres (2,406 fathoms), followed 

 within a few miles further east by a depth of 4,080 metres (3,236 

 fathoms), which are the greatest depths recorded in the Mediter- 

 ranean. They have received from the Austrian Hydrographical 

 Board the name of Pola Deep. The great depression of the 

 Mediterranean must thus be shifted considerably east from its 

 former central position on the maps. Another deep area was ex- 

 plored between Candia and Alexandria — the depths attaining from 

 3,310 metres (1810 fathoms) some twenty miles south-east of 

 Grandes Bay, and from 3,393 metres (1,208 fathoms) to 3,120 

 metres (1,322 fathoms) within a short distance from Alexandria; 

 the maximum depth sounded being 8,068 metres (1,678 fathoms) 

 in 38° 39' 30" north latitude, and 33° 19' 54" east longitude. The 

 highest temperature was found during the first part of the voyage, 

 at depths of 1 to 50 metres, the highest being 80.8° Fahrenheit at 

 1 metre; the lowest temperature, oii°, was observed at the issue 

 from the Adriatic Sea, at a depth of 760 metres. In explorations 

 conducted some two years ago in the Central Mediterranean, it 

 was observed that the density of the water and its saturation with 

 salt increased with depth, and the same was noticed in the west- 

 ern part of this year's cruise. But in the Eastern Mediterranean 

 the density of water varies but very little in the different strata, 

 and it is higher on the whole than in the west. The transparency 

 of the water is very great in the Eastern Mediterranean. Al- 

 together the " Pola " made no fewer than 50 deep sea soundings, 

 27 of which touched depths of more than 1,000 metres. 



— P. Blakiston, Son, & Co., Philadelphia, announce that they 

 will soon publish " Physical Education," by Frederick Treves, 

 F.R.C.P. The subject of physical education as a hygienic measure 

 has recently attracted so much attention from school boards, the 

 medical profession, and sanitarians generally, that it now ranks 

 in importance with the various branches of study pursued in our 

 public schools and colleges. To the average city man or woman 

 of sedentary occupation physical exercise is of quite as much con- 

 sequence as it is to school children and college students. It is, 

 however, often taken up unwisely and to the lasting harm of 

 those who in ignorance attempt methods that are unsuited to their 

 physical condition. It has therefore been thought advisable to 

 publish, from the advance sheets of " A Treatise on Hygiene," 

 this paper by one of the best known medical writers of the day, 

 that it might be within the reach of those who would not 

 perhaps care to purchase the larger work in which it will be 

 included. 



— Houghton, Mifflin & Co. announce that Mrs. Olive Thome 

 Miller adds to her two excellent books about birds already pub- 

 lished by this firm a third, to which she gives the title, "Little 

 Brothers of the Air." It describes between twenty and thirty 

 different birds, and for all lovers of birds, who are happily very 

 numerous, this little book has special attractions. Professor 

 Child has prepared the eighth part of his remarkable edition of 

 '■ English and Scottish Popular Ballads." It was originally ex- 

 pected that the work would be complete with the eighth part, 

 but Professor Child has been successful in discovering a good deal 

 of material which he had hardly anticipated finding, so that at 

 least one more part is necessary to complete the work. "The 

 Satchel Guide for the Vacation Tourist in Europe " has been re- 

 vised for 1893, and, as heretofore, holds the first rank among 

 Guides for those who wish to cover only a part of Europe, and 

 make a tour instead of a thorough continued study of many 

 places. 



