May 1 8, i88S.] 



SCIENTIFIC News. 



K11 



I want it to enable me to identify any lichens I am likeiy to 

 find without going into the rarer species. I have looked at 

 two books on the subject at the British Museum — Leighton's 

 Lichens, which seems too technical, besides having no 

 plates, and Lindsay's, which is now out of print,, and in 

 which I believe the classification adopted, is now generally 

 discarded. Is there any other book that would suit my 

 purpose, or has the subject been treated in any Natural 

 History Magazine — for instance, Science Gossip ? Lichen. 



METEORIC STONES. 



On reading in a recent number of your val uable 

 Journal some descriptions of "meteoric stones," I remembered 

 having seen a large one some time ago when inspecting some 

 mines in a remote district in the south of Europe. Its 

 dimensions were more or less as follows : length 2 ft. 3 in. 

 diameter I ft. to ift 3 in., and its weight must have been 

 more than 10 cwts., as it took three men to turn it over. 



With a hammer and chisel I was able to cut off a small bit 

 of it, which appeared like metallic iron ; this I afterwards 

 made a qualitative analysis of, and found it contained, besides 

 iron, a good percentage of nickel and traces of cobalt. 



The stone was then lying in a farmyard, where I liave 

 reason to believe it still remains. It was found some twenty 

 years previous to ray visit in an adjoining field when ploughing. 



I \vould feel obliged if any reader of the Scientific News 

 could tell me if this stone is of any value. Chaparro. 



THE ICHTHYOSAURUS. 



A discovery of great interest to both the geologist and the 

 student of natural history has just been made in South 

 Somerset. Last week, while some labourers were exca- 

 vating a pit of blue lias on the Manor Farm, Tintinhull, near 

 Yeovil, they came across a truly magnificent fossil of the 

 ichthyosaurus. From the snout to the end of the vertebra the 

 length was over twenty-two feet, and the jaw, which was 

 furnished with large conical teeth, was nearly three feet 

 long. Three out of the four "paddles" with which the 

 animal propelled itself were very distinct, and all its other 

 structural peculiarities were fully developed in the fossil. 

 Unfortunately, when the clay surrounding it was loosened, 

 the fossil fell to pieces, although one of its most powerful 

 " paddles " (measuring about thirty-four inches long) was 

 preserved intact. 



All the fragments, which filled several tubs, were pre- 

 served by Mr. Penny, the occupier of the farm, and no doubt 

 an expert in ichthyology would have no difficulty in fitting 

 them together. The spot on which this interesting fossil was 

 found is situated about midway between the Bristol and the 

 English Channels (about twenty-five miles from each other, 

 as the crow would fly), and about two miles from the present 

 bed of the River Parrett, which flows into the Bristol Channel. 



Am I correct in saying that no specimen of this curious fish- 

 reptile has before been found on British soil so far away from 

 the sea? Hitherto, the great repository for ichthyosaurian 

 remains has been in the blue lias cliffs at Lyme Regis, Dorset, 

 nearly thirty miles from the spot where the specimen I allude 

 to was found. There are not wanting many evidences to show 

 that the whole of that flat and marshy part of Somerset 

 through which the River Parrett now runs was once an arm 

 of the sea, and at a far less remote time than that which is 

 generally known as the " Saurian period." 



Geo. F. Munford. 



RECENT INVENTIONS. 



The following list has been compiled especially for the SCIENTIFIC 

 News by Messrs. W. P. Thompson and Boult, Patent Agents, of 

 2,22,, High Ilolborn, London, IV. C. ; Newcastle Chambers, Angel 

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

 and 6, Lord Street, Liverpool. 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



A, R. H. — Sepia is obtained from a black fluid secreted 

 by various species of cuttle-fish, especially by Septa 

 officinalis, S. loligo and S. Aitnicaia. As soon as 

 possible after capture, the glands are cut off and the 

 fluid squeezed out and dried to prevent putrefactive 

 chlttge from setting in. The pigment is prepared from 

 the black mass so obtained by boiling it with caustic lye, 

 filtering and precipitating the colouring m&tter by the 

 addition of an acid. 



Rev. M. Bradshaw. — The objective glasses you require can 

 be obtained from Mr. J. Browning, optician. Strand. 



Photographic Printing. — Mr. G. J. Sershall has 

 patented a method of photographic printing. The object 

 is to combine several views on a photograph. This is 

 effected by the use of a series of masks having a trans- 

 parent portion corresponding in outline to each particular 

 view to be printed on the combined photograph. The 

 rest of the mask is rendered opaque by printing the sur- 

 face with a suitable ink in a printing press. The print- 

 ing may be done first, and the required portion of the 

 surface made transparent afterwards by varnish and other 

 suitable means. 



Pen. — Messrs. J. Gilmore and W. R. Clark have 

 patented a fountain pen-holder. The invention consists 

 of a device permanently attached to the holder, and which 

 can be used with any class of nib, simply requiring to be 

 cleansed when a new nib is inserted. The device 

 consists of a bent piece of metal which forms a hump upon 

 the back of the pen, but the end of which does not come 

 quite into contact with the nib. The vibration of the 

 pen caused by writing induces an intermittent suction 

 between the end of the bent metal attachment and the 

 back of the nib, which ensures a steady flow of ink to the 

 point. The bent metal must be sufficiently close to the 

 nib to ensure it taking up a supply of ink and holding it 

 by capillary attraction whilst writing. 



Fire Extinguisher. — Mr. J. E. Long has patented a 

 hand fire-extinguisher. The invention relates to extin- 

 guishers in which a hand-pump is connected with a 

 portable reservoir, so that the extinguishing fluid may be 

 withdrawn from the reservoir, and projected upon the 

 fire by means of the hand-pump. The apparatus cen- 

 sists of a cylindrical reservoir, which may be con- 

 veniently handled by one hand. A hand-pump, having 

 a nozzle, is attached to one side, parallel with the axis of 

 the reservoir, and is adapted to withdraw fluid through 

 a connecting-pipe, and eject it through the nozzle in a 

 stream. In this connecting pipe, between the pump and 

 reservoir, is placed a valvular device, adapted to close 

 the pipe when desired, which device is in the form of a 

 stop-cock, operated by a handle from without. 



Safety Indicator. — A safety indicator for apparatus 

 working under pressure has been patented by Mr. M. 

 Bailey, Peckham. The invention relates to the construc- 

 tion of safety pressure and vacuum indicator for steam 

 boilers and other machinery. A cylinder is employed 

 adapted to be connected to the boiler in any suitable 

 manner, so that its lower end may be open to the boiler. 

 In this cylinder works a tubular piston or a suitable 

 valve ; above the piston is a guide chamber, in which is 

 arranged a spring, which is contained within a pressure 

 piston, and this spring can, by means of a screw, be 

 adjusted to the required pressure. By this arrange- 

 ment, if the pressure in the boiler exceeds the regulated 

 pressure of the apparatus, the annular piston, in rising 

 under the pressure, will compress the spring, and there» 

 by give an alarm in the required place by coming in 

 contact with a suitable electric arrangement 



