Feb. 24, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



191 



a telephone. The invention relates to make-and-break 

 transmitters producing intermittent electric currents. In 

 this instrument the diaphragm, which is preferably of 

 glass or mica, is stretched in a frame attached to a block, 

 in which the mouthpiece is arranged in a position such 

 that the air waves fall obliquely on it ; an air passage is 

 provided all round it, also an exit hole. The electrodes, 

 which may be of carbon, are fixed one on each side of 

 the diaphragm, and are both connected to one pole of the 

 battery. Two adjustable points with which they make a 

 break contact are in connection with the other pole. 



Safety Lamp Burner. — Mr. W. Notley, of Peckham» 

 London, has patented a safety lamp-burner. The burner 

 protects the oil in the reservoir from ignition by enclosing 

 the wick in a porous chamber encased at its sides in a 

 metal tube, or at the sides and base with wire gauze, 

 twenty-nine meshes to the inch, through which the flame 

 cannot pass to the oil or the vapours in the reservoir, 

 but which will permit the oil to permeate through to 

 feed the wick ; and the ignition of any oil contained in 

 the wick case at the moment of the overturning of the 

 lamp is prevented by an automatic extinguisher, forming 

 part of the burner, which extinguishes the flame before 

 the lamp can have passed so far from the vertical as to 

 permit the oil to reach the flame. 



Miners' Gas Tester. — An apparatus for the detection 

 of gases in mines has been patented by Mr. J. W. Swan, 

 of Lauriston. The apparatus consists of a transparent 

 glass tube open at both ends, except that the ends are 

 covered by wire gauze. In this tube is a metallic wire 

 so arranged that by means of a switch it can be either 

 included in or excluded from the circuit of a battery. 

 The tube containing the indicator wire is preferably 

 enclosed in a casing of ebonite with an opening in one 

 side for observing the wire. The wire gauze diaphragms 

 which cover the ends of the glass tube are circular. In 

 using the apparatus the electric current is turned on by 

 means of the switch and the degree of brightness of the 

 indicator wire observed. The ends of the tube are then 

 closed (by finger and thumb), and any change in the 

 degree of brightness of the wire when the ends of the 

 indicator tube are closed noticed. This will give the 

 required indication, as, if firedamp be present, the wire 

 will be brighter when the indicator tube is open than 

 when it is closed. 



Telemeter. — ^Mr. W. H. M. Christie, of the Royal 

 Observatory, Greenwich, Kent, has patented a telemeter. 

 At both ends of a tube are fixed two reflectors which 

 receive pencils of light from the object, whose distance 

 is to be determined through two apertures, the reflectors 

 are incHned at 45° to the axis of the tube, and so direct 

 the image of the object through two object glasses to the 

 same number of mirrors, also inclined at a similar angle 

 so as to turn the rays of light into an eye-piece. Each 

 object glass may be made adjustable longitudinally in 

 the tube, but one of the object glasses is also adjustable 

 transversely by means of a micrometer screw with a 

 graduated disc. Two images of the distant object are 

 seen in the eye-piece, the distance between them being 

 greater the nearer the object. The lens, which is adjust- 

 able transversely-, is moved by the micrometer screw, 

 until the images coincide or come into some definite 



relative position, when the range is read off^ on the 

 graduated disc. 



ANNOUNCEMENTS. 



Bombay Technical Institute. — Sir Dimshaw Petit has 

 presented the Bombay Government with a property valued at 

 300,000 rupees as a donation towrards the establishment of 

 the proposed institute. 



Government Research Grant. — Applications for assist- 

 ance from the Government grant of .£4,000 for the promotion 

 of scientific research must be forwarded, with particulars of 

 the proposed research, to the Secretaries, Royal Society, 

 Burlington House, before the end of March next, upon printed 

 forms to be obtained of the assistant-secretary. 



Oxford. — The Vice-Chancellor has announced that Mr. 

 A. H. Green, M.A., F.R.S., F.G.S., formerly Fellow of Caius 

 College, Cambridge, now Professor of Geology in the York- 

 shire College, Leeds, has been elected to the Professorship of 

 Geology. Professor Green was sixth Wrangler in 1855. He 

 is the author of a manual of geology and various geological 

 memoirs. 



Patents in India. — The proposed new Patent Bill provides 

 for fourteen years' protection for inventions. The charges 

 will be as follows : — On application for provisional protection, 

 ten rupees ; on filing complete specification, thirty rupees. 

 After the expiration of four years from the date of the patent, 

 the annual charge will be for the next five years 50 rupees, 

 and for the last five years 100 rupees. 



Meteorological Exhibition. — The Council of the Royal 

 Meteorological Society have arranged to hold, at 25, Great 

 George Street, Westminster, on iWarch 20-23 next, an exhi- 

 bition of apparatus connected with atmospheric electricity, 

 including lightning-conductors, photographs of lightning, and 

 damaged objects. The Committee will also be glad to show 

 any new meteorological instruments or apparatus invented or 

 first constructed since last March ; as well as photographs 

 and drawings possessing meteorological interest. 



Observations of Hail and Thunder Storms. — A com- 

 mittee has been appointed by the Council of the Royal 

 Meteorological Society, to collect observations on British hail 

 and thunder storms from volunteer observers. The objects 

 which they hope to attain thereby are : — ( i ) A knowledge of the 

 nature and causes of the different kinds of thunder-storms, their 

 attention having been specially called to the subject by the 

 great loss of life and property during the past summer. (2) A 

 discovery of the localities where had and thunder are most 

 frequent and destructive. (3) If possible, to obtain an in- 

 creased power of forecasting hail and thunder, whereby they 

 hope that eventually damage to persons, stock, and property 

 might be lessened. Forms and instructions will be sent to 

 intending observers on application to the Secretary of the 

 Royal Meteorological Society, 30, Great George-street, West- 

 minster, S.W. 



Natural Science Postmastership at Oxford. — There 

 will be an election at Merton College on June 30 to one ; 

 Natural Science Postmastership of £So per annum. Candi- 

 dates for this Postmastership must not have exceeded 19 

 years of age, nor (if members of the University) six terms 

 of University standing, on the day of election. The examina- 

 tion will begin on Tuesday, June 26, at 10 a.m. The subjects 

 for examination will be chemistry and physics. There will 

 be a practical examination in chemistry. Candidates will 

 have an opportunity of giving evidence of a knowledge of 

 biology ; but the examiners will look for evidence of an 

 acquaintance with the principles of chemistry and physics at 

 least equal in extent to that which is required in the Pre- 

 liminary Honour Examination in the Natural Science School. 

 Candidates who wish to be examined in biology must give at 

 least a week's notice to theTutor in Natural Science. A paper 

 will be set in algebra and elementary geometry (Euclid, 

 Books I. -IV.) and a classical paper of the standard required 

 by the University of Responsions. Further information may 

 be obtained from the Tutor in Natural Science. 



