142 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



[Feb. 10, 18 



lasted till July 4th — indeed, for a period of more than two 

 months, till August 12th, the total rainfall amounted to but 

 ■74 inch, or less than a third of the average of a single sum- 

 mer month. It will be observed that, notwithstanding the 

 drought, the rainfall in June approximates more nearly to the 

 average than that of any other month. This is owing to the 

 very heavy rains which occurred on the 2nd and 3rd of this 

 month, when 2 '02 inches, or a tenth of the rainfall for the en- 

 tire year, were recorded in a period of twenty-four hours. 



I may add that my thermometers are Kew tested, and are 

 placed in a Stephenson screen four feet from the ground. 



B. A. 



WILL MEN EVER FLY? 



The question which should be placed and kept before your 

 readers is this, Can man by the aid of mechanical appliances, 

 attached to himself, transport himself through the air ? 



I state distinctly that he can, and could prove it. He 

 would, however, have to provide himself artificially with the 

 three essentials of flight, viz., " form," " plane-support," 

 and " guidance." Each essential at the same time is of the 

 utmost simplicity. But after he had done this, it would be 

 of such little practical value, by reason of his limited powers 

 and personal requirements in the aerial sphere, that there is 

 no thorough student of the science of aerial navigation who 

 would waste time over it. 



Man has mastered transport on land and water, and it only 

 remains to attain the same in air. It will be safer and quicker 

 than marine travelling, and for mail carrying, transport to 

 places otherwise difficult of access, and special travelling, it 

 will be highly remunerative as a commercial enterprise. 



There are several earnest and practical men engaged on 

 the subject at the present moment, one of whom — although 

 not adopting the bird principle — I know could construct an 

 aerial-machine capable of driving itself through the air with 

 great power ; but he, like myself, is determined to wait until 

 it can be properly started as a new field for the employment 

 of practical engineers and navigators. Avitor. 



WHAT WINDS BRING CLOUDS ? 



In discussing the floatation of clouds, Mr. W. J. Black, in 

 your last issue, seems to assert that in this country clouds are 

 rarely brought by northerly and easterly winds. I think that if 

 he calls to mind the frequent prevalence of cloudy skies during 

 the long prevalence of the " polar current " from which we 

 have suffered he will reconsider this opinion. Our ancestors 

 used on this very account to designate the North sea as the 

 "cloudy sea." ' M. L. P. 



METEOROLOGICAL CHARACTER OF THE PAST 



YEAR. 

 The predominance of the polar current this year must have 

 attracted general attention. We have had northerly and 

 easterly winds blowing, not merely in the spring months, 

 but in the autumn, when they are comparatively very rare. — 

 N. E. G. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Mrs. W. — We regret we cannot insert your contribution. It 

 is very entertaining, but is not of scientific interest. 



W. E. Frith. — The best makers of magic lanterns are 

 Perken, Son, and Payment, Hatton Garden, E.C. ; 

 Watson and Sons, 313, High Holborn, W.C. ; W. C. 

 Hughes, Mortimer-road, Kingsland, W. ; and W. C. 

 Tyler, 48, Waterloo-road, S.E. 



G. R. Farn'combe, — Thank you for the correction to the state- 

 ment on page 80. The temperatures should have been 

 described as below zero instead of degrees of frost. 



W. Tebb. — The subject of your communication is too medical 

 for discussion in our columns. 



RECENT INVENTIONS. 



The following list has been compiled especially for the Sci'e.N'nvic 

 News, by Messrs. W. P. Thompson a?td Boult, Patent Agents, oj 

 323, High Holborn, London, W.C; Newcastle Chambers, Angel 

 Row, Nottingham ; Ducie Buildings, Bank Street, Manchester ; and 

 6, Lord Street, Liverpool. 



Horse-Shoe. — A horse-shoe has been patented by J. 

 Nunn, Bolckow-street, Middlesbro'-on-Tees. The shoe 

 is made with a rim of steel, round the edge of a very 

 light shoe, to the inside corners of the heels, the hollow 

 formed by the rim being filled up level by a plate of leather 

 nailed on with the shoe. This will prevent slipping and 

 clogging with snow or mud. 



Dark Lantern. — A police lantern has been patented 

 by Mr. A. D. Melson, of Birmingham. The improve- 

 ments consist in supplying an increased amount of air to 

 dark lanterns without allowing of the escape of light. 

 The reservoir, which fits into a bayonet socket, has a 

 concave bottom, so that air entering the hole in the 

 bottom of the lantern passes, by radial apertures, to the 

 flame. An additional cowl prevents the top of the 

 lantern from becoming too hot to be turned by hand. 



Tachometer. — An apparatus for indicating the speed 

 and direction of rotation of shafts has been patented by 

 Mr. R. P. Fuge, Ireland. The apparatus consists substan- 

 tially of a dynamo, which is connected to the shaft (the 

 speed of which it is required to indicate) by means of a 

 band. The two poles of the dynamo are connected elec- 

 trically by insulated electric wires to the terminals of the 

 indicating device. As the speed of the shaft alters, the 

 electromotive force or current from the generator will 

 alter, a voltmeter or an ammeter will show the variation 

 in either case, and if their dials are suitably marked, 

 they will show the alteration in the speed of the shaft. 



Inhaler. — Mr. F. W. Loxton, of Mile End, New 

 Town, London, has patented an inhaler. It consists of a 

 short tube of metal with a piece of perforated metal or 

 other substance at each end thereof, one of these pieces 

 being fixed, and the other movable ; the movable piece 

 is kept in its place by a mouthpiece of glass. The 

 space contained between the two pieces of perforated 

 metal is filled with small cubes or pieces of wood of an 

 absorbent nature. The end of the tube that contains 

 the fixed piece of metal is provided with a stopper of 

 cork. The use of the small cubes or pieces of wood of 

 an absorbent nature is to receive the drugs or other 

 medicinal substances that may be prescribed for inhalation. 



Improvement in Hot-water Jugs. — A swinging cover 

 for hot-water jugs has been patented by Mr. E. Taylor, Ed- 

 ward-street Works, Birmingham. The self-acting cover 

 is made to swing upon a wire bar fixed across the centre 

 of a jug, the cover being so constructed that the hinges 

 generally used in covers of a like nature are entirely dis- 

 pensed with, as also the niches usually made in the 

 sides of the jug. In order to carry out the invention, an 

 ordinary jug is taken with a small hole pierced in each 

 side, into which is fixed a wire bar across its centre. The 

 cover is constructed with a raised groove across its centre, 

 to fit the wire fixed on the jug, upon which bar the cover 

 works, and, its centre of gravity being below the point 

 of suspension, it always maintains a horizontal position, 

 and may be removed by the simple process of lifting it 

 on and oft" the fixed bar. 



