Mar. 9, iS88.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



223 



QS^mtml MOU0. 



Discovery of the Sarcophagus of Alexander the 

 Great. — Further examination of the sarcophagi recently 

 discovered at Saida, in Syria, shows that among them is 

 the sarcophagus of Alexander the Great, containing the 

 body of the monarch. 



Dr. Clark's Visit to South Africa. — Dr. G. B. 

 Claris, M.P., who has returned home from South Africa, 

 travelled over 2,000 miles in Becuanaland, proceeding as 

 far as the Tropic of Capricorn. His mission, which was 

 of a semi-political character, has proved highly satis- 

 factory. 



Frauds in the Brandy Trade. — -The phylloxera has 

 iDeen the ultimate cause of frauds and falsehoods not a 

 few. The " cognac " now imported from France is to a 

 great extent not derived from the grape, but is mixed 

 with, or even entirely made up of, beet-root spirit or 

 German potato-whisky, both of which are rich in the 

 very injurious article known scientifically as amylic 

 alcohol, and popularly as " fusel." 



Distribution of the Nitric Ferment, and its part 

 IN the " Weathering " of Rocks. — A. Muntz {Bieder- 

 mamis Ccnfralblatt) remarks that this ferment occurs 

 with great regularity on the surface of bare rocks in 

 shady places, as well as in qrevices. It is nourished by 

 the organic matter and the salts brought down by rain. 

 It acts like the lichens, both chemically and mechani- 

 cally. 



On the Function of Chlorophyll. — A. Nagamatsz 

 (Nhturwissen Rundschau) attempts to solve the following 

 questions : — i. Can the leaves of land-plants assimilate 

 under water ? He found that if such leaves are entirely 

 moistened with water, and consequently are not coated 

 with a stratum of air, the answer must be in the nega- 

 tive. 2. Has light which has traversed an assimilating 

 leaf the power to effect assimilation in a second leaf ? 

 This question also was decided in the negative. 



Bottom W.wes. — On a few occasions ships have 

 suddenly been struck in calm weather by enormous 

 waves, the cause of which was not obvious. In two of 

 these cases, occurring- in the Atlantic, the waves seem to 

 have originated at a point about 50° N. lat. and 32-5° 

 W. long. This is the point where the Faraday observed 

 a reef rising 1,800 metres above the bottom of the 

 Atlantic. It is conjectured that these waves are due to 

 submarine volcanic action, having its seat near the reef 



The Parisian Water Supply. — During the past year 

 the following dead animals were fished out of the Seine 

 within the city walls : — 2,02t dogs, 977 cats, 2,257 rats, 

 507 chickens and ducks, 3,066 kilos of butchers' refuse, 

 210 rabbits or hares, 10 sheep, 2 colts, 71 pigs, 49 

 geese and turkeys, 10 calves and goats, 3 monkeys, i 

 snake, 2 squirrels, 3 porcupines, i parrot, 609 assorted 

 birds, 3 foxes, 130 pigeons and partridges, 3 hedgehogs, 

 8 peacocks, and i seal. This, says the Medical Press, 

 is, perhaps, barely meat enough for substantial broth, 

 but too much for plain drink. 



Wieser, of Vienna, have invented an arrangement by 

 which, according to Uldaitd's Wocheiischrifl, the raw 

 flesh of oxen, etc., can be preserved for thirty days or 

 upwards in a sound condition, and without the use of 

 ice. The apparatus to be employed is a wooden chest 

 of peculiar construction, fitted with several difiusion 

 apertures serving as air-filters, besides an absorption 

 apparatus as a gas generator. The working cost is 

 smaller than that of ice, and the first cost of the appa- 

 ratus is from thirty to forty florins. 



South American Exploration. — Intelligence reaches 

 us from Manaos (Brazil) that Colonel Labre, an explorer, 

 has succeeded in ascending the Madeira River as far as 

 Bolivia, descending by the rivers Madre de Dios and 

 Acre, and thus discovering a means of communication 

 between the Amazon territory and Bolivia that is free 

 from those impediments — that is, the series of rapids ot 

 the Beni River, which up to now have had to be encoun- 

 tered. This is an important and notable discovery, and 

 will undoubtedly tend to the rapid development of a rich 

 and almost wholly unknown region. — Panama Star and 

 Herald. 



Mineral Phosphate of Lime. — Until recently it has 

 been believed that the deposits of this mineral at Le- 

 grossan, in Spain, were unique in the world. Similar 

 beds are now being discovered in various countries, 

 especially in Tunis and Algeria. Some of the deposits 

 contain as much as 35 per cent, of actual phosphoric 

 acid, whilst in others the proportion falls as low as 10 

 per cent. These mineral phosphates, however, require 

 to be rendered soluble by means of sulphuric acid, as 

 their assimilation is otherwise too tedious for the nourish- 

 ment of crops. 



A Destructive Wave. — The Panama Star and Herald 

 reports the occurrence of a huge wave at Baracoa, Cuba, 

 which, according to published accounts, struck the beach, 

 broke, and flowed inland, carrying many native huts and 

 several good houses before it. After sweeping in fully 

 400ft. the water flowed back to the ocean. Nearly 300 

 huts and houses were destroyed, but no lives were lost, 

 for the people saw it coming and fled to the hills. The 

 beach was swept clear of every habitation that stood 

 upon it. The wave v;as not a tidal wave, but the result 

 of a three days' north wind. 



Algeria. — Sir Lambert Playf^ir has just completed a 

 very copious Bibliography of Algeria, which has been 

 issued at the expense of the Royal Geographical Society, 

 as one of their supplementary papers. Sir Lambert has 

 been so long our Minister at Algiers that he is thoroughly 

 familiar with the country and has studied it in all its as- 

 pects. The Bibhography, which covers 300 pages, has been 

 a work of the most laborious character. It is arranged 

 chronologically from 1541 downwards, and contains alto- 

 gether 4,745 entries. Appended is an index of subjects 

 and an index of authors. For anyone making inquiries 

 concerning Algeria it is indispensable. 



Preservation of Meat. — HH. L. Hemmann and A. 



The New Comet. — Mr. Finlay, of the Royal Obser- 

 vatory, Cape of Good Hope, has computed the elements 

 of the comet (of which the discovery was announced in 

 Scientific News, page 199, vol. i., New Series), from ob- 

 servations made at the Cape ; and from these elements 

 Dr. Becker, of Lord Crawfurd's Observatory, has calcu- 



