^i 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[March ist, if 



of atoms in the sun's present mass. The immediate antecedent to in- 

 candescence might have been the whole portions in the extreme condi- 

 tion of subdivision ; or it might have been any smaller number of 

 groups of atoms making up minute crystals ; or it might have been 

 lumps of matter like meteoric stones. For the theory of the sun it was 

 indifferent which of these alternatives was accepted ; but we could not 

 but adopt the common opinion which regarded meteorites as fragments 

 broken from larger masses, and we could not be satisfied without trying 

 to imagine what were the antecedents of those masses. Nothing short 

 of atoms seemed admissible as a theory of the primitive condition of 

 things ; and it was strange how we were brought back to the theory of 

 Lucretius. 



THE ROYAL MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY. 



THE Rev. Dr. Dallinger, F R.S., president of the Royal Microscopi- 

 cal Society was last month re-elected for a fourth year. The annual 

 address which he gave treated mainly on two subjects, the first being as to 

 the value of the new optical glass, introduced by Professor Abbe and Dr. 

 Schott, of Jena. This does away with the secondary spectrum of the 

 microscope, the new lenses being designated " apochromatic." Dr. 

 Dallinger says that a distinct advance has been made in the optics of the 

 microscope, especially in compensating eye-pieces. The second subject 

 of the address was a series of experiments which Dr. Dallinger has con- 

 ducted for nearly ten years continuously, regarding the e.xtent of change 

 of temperature to which the lower forms of organisms can be adapted by 

 slow modifications. For a year and a half Dr. Dallinger cariied on 

 tentative experiments to determine what methods would be most suit- 

 able for his purpose : and for nearly seven years continuous experiments 

 and observations were being made with the result that several organisms 

 had gradually become adapted to live and thrive under a temperature 

 approaching that of boiling. Unfortunately an unforeseen accident 

 during Dr. Dallinger's absence terminated the research ; but he has 

 again during the past year started from his original point of commence- 

 ment, with all the improvements suggested by experience. The great 

 object was to keep several species of the minute monads, without inter- 

 mission, under a constant temperature, with the power of increasing the 

 temperature by one degree or less at a time. This was done by a com- 

 plex apparatus based on Professor Schjifer's ingenious device for main - 

 taining a constant temperature in a warm stage for the microscope. 

 The apparatus was kept in a room at a constant temperature, and was 

 supplied with gas at an unchanging pressure. The variation of the 

 thermostats now at work is less than one-sixth of a degree Fahrenheit in 

 24 hours. The water in which the organisms lived was kept in con- 

 stant communication with the microscope stage, and they could be 

 examined alive at the temperature at which they were being cultivated. 

 Commencing at the normal temperature of 60^ F., the first four months 

 were occupied in raising the temperature 10" without altering the life- 

 history. When the temperature of 73° was reached, an adverse influence 

 appeared to be exerted on the vitality and productiveness of the 

 organisms. The heat being left constant for two months, they regained 

 their full vigour, and, by very gradual stages of increase. 78^ was 

 reached in five months more. Again a long pause was necessary, and 

 during the period of adaptation a marked development of vacuoles was 

 noticed, which again disappeared when it was possible to raise the 

 temperature further. The further history of the experiments presented 

 practically the same features — long pauses, vacuolation, slow advance 

 — until at last the high temperature of 158° F. was reached, when the 

 research was accidentally terminated. It is because it is so difficult to 

 observe the ett'ects of changes through a sufficient number of genera- 

 tions of larger animals that results obtained on the simpler forms are so 

 valuable. Darwin distinctly insisted on the slowness of the process of 

 adaptation ; here we have creatures which are incessantly multiplying 

 by dividing, the longest interval being four minutes. Dr. Dallinger 

 must, therefore, have observed something like half a million genera- 

 tions of the organisms under consideration. Here are the " countless 

 generations "' required ; and at the end of the series the organisms are 

 found to be fully adapted to a change in the essential condition of life, 

 sufficient to produce death originally. 



The London iNSTiraTiON.— Professor Meymott Tidy, in a lecture 

 on Chemical Action, given before the London Institution, on the 20th 

 January, described the alteration in the density of bodies resulting from 

 chemical combination. The next alteration of matter referred to as the 

 effects of the chemical forces were changes in the forms of matter, it 

 being shown experimentally that every possible alteration might occur, 

 solids becoming liquids and gases, liquids becoming solids and gases, 

 and gases becoming liquids and solids. Dr. Tidy passed on to con- 

 sider the various heat-changes produced when substances were combined. 

 Every chemical act, he explained, was accompanied by development or 

 absorption. The heat absorbed by decomposing a substance into its 

 original constituents was equivalent to the heat developed in combining 

 them. Certain difficulties, it was, however, noted, occurred in making 

 heat the expct measure of the chemical act. One of these difficulties 

 was the alteration of state so frequently occurring when chemical action 

 came into play. 



RECORD OF SCIENTIFIC AND 

 TECHNICAL SOCIETIES.* 



*** The whole of the papers of the Soeieties referred to are not included 

 in this list. 



THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



Jan. 6th. — Papers read, (l) " On the Occurrence of Silver in Volcanic 

 Ash from the Eruption of Cotopaxi," by Dr. J. W. Mallet ; (2) 

 " On the Continuity of the Liquid and Gaseous State of Matter," 

 by Prof. Ramsay and Dr. Goring. 



Jan. 13th. — Papers read, (l) " Supplementary Note on the Values of the 

 Napierian Logarithms of 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and of the Modulus of 

 Common Logarithms," by Prof. J. C. Adams ; (2) " On the Crimson 

 Line of the Phosphorescent Alumina," by Mr. W. Crookes. 



Jan. 27th. — Papers read, (i) " On a Perspective Microscope," by Mr. 

 G. J. Birch ; (2) " On the Thermodynamic Properties of Sub- 

 stances whose Intrinsic Equation is a Linear Function of the 

 Pressure and Temperature," by Prof. G. T. Fitz-Gerald, F.R.S. 



Feb. 3rd. — Papers read, (l) "On the Waves Produced by a Single 

 Impulse in Water of any Depth, or in a Dispersive Medium " ; (2) 

 " On the Formation of a Vortex or Vortices by the Motion of a 

 Solid through an Inviscid Incompressible Fluid," by Sir William 

 Thomson, F'. R.S. 



Feb. loth. — Paper read, "Contributions to the Metallurgy of Bismuth," 

 by Mr. Edw. Matthey. 



Feb. 24. — Papers read, (l) " Problems in Mechanism regarding Trains 

 of Pulleys and Drums of Least Weight for a given Velocity Ratio," 

 by Prof. Hennessy, F.R.S. ; (2) "On the Relation between 

 Tropical and Extra-Tropical Cyclones," by the Hon. R. Aber- 

 cromby ; ( ;) "A Thermal Telephone Transmitter," by Prof, G. 

 I^orbes. 



Feb. 17. — Papeis read, (i) "A Record of Experiments upon the 

 Functions of the Cerebral Cortex," by Prof. Schafer, F.R.S., and 

 Prof. Horsley, F.RS. ; (2) " On Radiant Matter Spectroscopy : 

 Examination of the Residual Glow," by W. Crookes, F.R.S. 



ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH. 

 Jan. 7th.^Special Afternoon Meeting. Address, " On Processes of 

 Refrigeration," by Mr. J. J. Coleman, of Glasgow. 



THE SOCIETY OF ARTS. 

 Jan. 24th. — Cantor Lecture, " On the Diseases of Plants, with Sp.cial 



Regard to Agriculture and Forestry," by Dr. Thudichum. 

 Jan. 25th.— Paper read, "On Volcanic Eruption in New Zealand," by 



Mr. K. Nicholls. 

 Jan 26. h.— Paper read, " On Photographic Lenses," by Mr. J. T. 



Taylor. 

 Feb. nth. — Paper read, " On the Economical Condition of India," by 



Dr. G. Watt. 

 Feb. 14th. — Cantor Lecture, "On Building Materials," by Mr. W. V. 



Dent. 

 Feb. 15th. — Ordinary Meeting. Paper read, "On Colonial Woods,' 



by Mr. A. Ransome. 

 Feb. 16th. — Paper read, " On Uses, Objects, and Methods of Technical 



Education in Elementary Schools," by Mr. H. H. Cunynghame. 



THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. 



Tan. 25th. — Ordinary Meeting. Papers read, (i) "On Sewage Sludj;e 

 and its Disposal," by Mr. William Dibdin, F.C.S., F.I.C. ; (2) 

 "On Filter Presses for the Treatment of Sewage Sludge," by Mr. 

 W. S. Crimp, Assoc. M. Inst. C.E., F.G.S. 

 students' meetings. 



Jan. 2ist. — Paper read, " On the Use of Cast-Sttel in Locomotive Con- 

 struction," by Mr. A. J. Hill. 



J in 27th. — Birmingham Association of Students. Meeting at Bir- 

 mingham. Paper read, " On the Kidderminster Sewerage and 

 Water Supply," by Mr. R. Pierce, Stud. Inst. C.E. 



Feb. 4th. — Paper read, " On Recent Researches in P'riction," by Mr. J. 

 Goodman. 



Feb. 17th. — Glasgow Association of Students. Meeting at Glasgow. 

 Lecture, " On the Early History of Railways," by Mr. C. P. Hogg, 

 M. Inst. C.E. 



Feb. 18th.— Paper read, "Diving: The Apparatus Used, and the Work 

 Carried out under Water," by Mr. G. Becks. 



THE INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. 

 Feb. 3rd and 4tb. — Fortieth Annual General Meeting. "Inau- 

 gural Address," by the President, Mr. E. H. Carbutt. Conclusion 

 of adjourned discussion on the late Mr. Robert Wyllie's paper, 



* In order to make this record complete for the year, so far as it goes, it is 

 carried back to the beginning of January, but the pressure the additional 

 matter thus dealt with puts on our space, compels us to leave some of the 

 notices over until next montli. 



