Keb. lo, iS88.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



143 



Incandescent Lamp. — An electric incandescent lamp has 

 been patented by Mr. Albany Featherstcnhaugh, Charles- 

 street, London. The invention consists in placing in an 

 electric incandescent lamp two or more filaments side by 

 side and close together, so that each filament is partly 

 shielded by the other, and a certain portion of the heat 

 generated by the electric current is prevented from 

 escaping away by radiation. The effect of this is to in- 

 crease the intensity of the light produced, for, although 

 a certain portion of the light from each filament is lost 

 from being interrupted by the other filament, yet the 

 light lost in this way is simply proportional to the heat 

 saved by the same cause, whereas the light which does 

 go forth to the surrounding space is proportional to the 

 third or fourth power of the whole heat. 



Electric Miner's Lamp. — An electric safety lamp for 

 miners has been patented by Mr. S. F. Walker, of 

 Cardiff. According to this invention a primary galvanic 

 battery is used in connection with an incandescent lamp, 

 the whole being made in a portable form. The battery 

 is formed of one or more galvanic cells, according to the 

 amount of light required. , Each cell is constructed as 

 follows : — An outer containing vessel is taken, made 

 wholly of carbon, and inside this cell is placed a cell or 

 diaphragm of porous earthenware; within the porous 

 cell is suspended the positive or generating element, 

 which may be zinc or iron, which will form, with the 

 substance of which the outer containing vessel is com- 

 posed, a galvanic cell ; the zinc within the porous cell is 

 immersed in dilute sulphuric acid ; and in the space out- 

 side the porous cell, within the outer containing vessel, a 

 suitable oxidant is placed, such as bichromate of potash. 



Stringed Musical Instrument. — Mr. G. E. Mason, 

 45, Carr-lane, Kingston-ujJon-HulI, has patented a stringed 

 musical instrument. The invention is to produce a 

 musical instrument of that class in which the strings are 

 played by the fingers and thumbs of each hand of the 

 performer, and which shall obviate the disadvantage and 

 remove the inconvenience experienced in other instru- 

 ments of this class, as dulcimers and Meinhold zithers, 

 on which only one diatonic scale can be produced ; on 

 this instrument, which is to be called the Psalterium, 

 there is a full compass of chromatic notes, so that music 

 in any key can be performed on it. A sound board is 

 formed of wood, in the shape of a horizontal isosceles 

 triangle, of which the apex is flattened and of convenient 

 depth. This sound board is blocked to enable the same 

 to bear the strain or pressure of the strings when tuned. 

 On each side of this triangular frame are placed the pegs 

 for tuning, and also at the bottom of each side are placed 

 small pins to hold the other end of the strings. A 

 small loop having been twisted on the strings, and each 

 side of the box being about three inches in depth, the 

 string will form an angle of about 45 degrees, by having 

 one end hooked on to the small pins at the bottom and 

 brought over the top of the opposite side to the tuning 

 pins. On the right-hand side all the strings required to 

 make the full complement of flats and sharps are brought 

 together, so that the two sides taken together form a 

 complete chromatic scale. An opening in the top sound 

 board enables the string to pass through, so that about 

 one-half of the string is out of sight on each side, and 

 the strings on either side are within reach of the fingers 

 or thumbs of both hands. 



TECHNICAL EDUCATION NOTES. 



Copenhagen. — We learn from the Horological Journal 

 that efforts are being made to induce themunicipal authorities 

 of Copenhagen to start a technical school of watchmaking 

 on the lines of the Horological Institute. 



A Technical School and Institute for North 

 London. — An influential meeting was held at the Islington 

 Vestry Hall yesterday, under the presidency of Sir A K. 

 RoUit, LL.D., M.P., at which, on the motion of the Rev. 

 Dr. AUon, seconded by Sir James Tyler, a resolution declar- 

 ing the desirableness of founding a technical school and 

 institute, or schools and institutes, for the North of London, 

 on lines somewhat similar to those of the Polytechnic Insti- 

 tution, was adopted unanimously. Liberal donations were 

 promised towards the object. Sir Albert Rollit, M.P., pro- 

 mised ^100, Mr. Quintin Hogg .£500, while Sir James Tyler, 

 in a short and characteristic speech, promised ;^i,ooo towards 

 the site. 



Metropolitan Science and Art Classes. — The Lord 

 Chancellor, after distributing the prizes' at the Guildhall on 

 the 31st. ult., said, he thought it was part of the duty of the 

 State, not, indeed, to educate people absolutely, but to afford 

 them the means of education, and to take care that those 

 faculties tliat might be within them were drawn out. He did 

 not regard what was called the intense competition with the 

 despair, or even the depression, they sometimes heard of. 

 After all, until the world's surface was thoroughly peopled, 

 and until the powers of art had been exhausted — not in 

 conquering our fellow-men, but in conquering the secrets of 

 nature, and making her yield more abundantly than hitherto 

 sources of enjoyment and support — we need not despair. 

 Any one who took the trouble to see the list of wonderful 

 inventions recorded at the Patent Office and elsewhere would 

 see what extraordinary powers resided in the educated human 

 intellect to master what would seem insuperable difficulties ; 

 and when he saw such a large number of young men coming 

 forward, not for the value of the prize to be gained, but for 

 the purpose of striving to do what they could to master 

 abstruse and difficult sciences, his heart glowed with delight 

 to see that there was that Anglo-Saxon spirit among us still 

 which had made us great, and had spread our civilization iu 

 every quarter of the globe. 



ANNOUNCEMENTS. 



Bethnal Green Museum. — After the 6th February, this 

 Museum will, on Tuesdays be closed at 4, 5, or 6, according 

 to the season, but will be kept open on Thursdays till 10 p.m. 

 Both these days will be free days. On Wednesdays only 

 the admission will be 6d. 



The Geological Society. — The medals and funds to be 

 given at the annual meeting of the Geological Society, on 

 February 17th, have been awarded as follows: — Wollaston 

 Medal to H. B. Medlicott, F.R.S. ; Murchison Medal to Pro- 

 fessor J. S. Newberry, M.D., of New York; Lyell Medal to 

 Professor H. AUeyne Nicholson, M.D., D.Sc. ; Wollaston 

 Fund to John Home, F.R.S. E. ; Murchison Fund to E 

 Wilson, of the Bristol Museum ; Lyell Fund to Arthur H. 

 Foord and T. Roberts, B.A. 



Elizabeth 'Thompson Science Fund. — A circular recently 

 issued announces that appropriations under this fund will be 

 made at the end of 1888, and the trustees invite applications 

 from those desiring aid in scientific work. The grants are 

 not limited to investigations in any one particular branch of 

 science, but to researches which, as the circular states, "can- 

 not otherwise be provided for ; " and which tend to the 

 " advancement and prosecution of scientific research in its 

 broadest sense." Out of the income now available, the 

 trustees are at present disinclined to make any grant _ex- 

 ceeding 500 dols. We observe the names of several of our own 



