SCIENCE. 



[Vol. XI. No. 258 



experiments the electrolysis was allowed to continue several hours, 

 so that eventually the small quantity of undecomposed acid remain- 

 ing in the U-tube was insufficient to keep the two gases apart : the 

 experimenters were consequently suddenly startled by a violent 

 detonation. The hydrogen and fluorine had combined in the dark 

 at the low temperature of — 23°. The same detonation was after- 

 wards brought about on a smaller scale by reversing the current. 

 On bringing the wide-mouthed delivery-tube of a hydrogen-genera- 

 tor near the orifice, the detonation at once occurred, and the hydro- 

 gen inflamed. Metals are all attacked with more or less energy by 

 fluorine, forming fluorides. Cold sodium and potassium were at 

 once rendered incandescent. Calcium, magnesium, and aluminium 

 acted similarly, in a more modified manner, becoming incandescent 

 when slightly warmed. Powdered iron and manganese, on gently 

 warming, burned with bright scintillations. Lead was attacked in 

 the cold, and tin at a slightly elevated temperature. Mercury, as 

 suspected, entirely absorbed the gas, forming yellow protofluoride. 

 Silver, at a gentle heat, became coated with a beautiful satin-like 

 fluoride, soluble, unhke the chloride, in water. Gold and platinum 

 at 30o°-4oo° became coated with their respective fluorides, which 

 were decomposed again at a red heat, with evolution of free fluor- 

 ine. Perhaps the strongest evidence of the intense chemical activity 

 of fluorine is exhibited in its action upon cold potassium chloride : 

 the chlorine was at once expelled, filling the air with its disagree- 

 able odor, and was identified by the usual chemical tests. Chlorine 

 was also expelled from its combination with carbon in carbon tetra- 

 chloride. All organic compounds are violently attacked by fluor- 

 ine ; a piece of cork at once carbonized and inflamed ; alcohol, ether, 

 benzene, and turpentine took fire immediately in contact with it. 

 Glass, as might have been expected, is at once corroded by fluorine : 

 some very delicate experiments were carried out with perfectly 

 dried glass, with the same result. Many other re-actions, all inter- 

 esting and all showing the immense energy with which the atoms 

 of fluorine are endowed, were performed, but one especially ought 

 to be noticed ; viz., the action of fluorine upon water. It is a sin- 

 gular fact, that, whenever oxygen is liberated in the cold, there is a 

 great tendency to form ozone : hence, when fluorine is attempted to 

 be collected over water, the gas collected is not fluorine, but ozon- 

 ized oxygen ; water is decomposed by the fluorine, forming hydro- 

 fluoric acid, while the oxygen is set free, and a considerable 

 quantity of it is converted into the more condensed form of ozone. 



— A new journal for promoting the teaching of physics and 

 chemistry is being published in Berlin {Zeitschrifi fiir den physi- 

 calischeti tmd chemischen Unterricht, Springer). It is edited by 

 Dr. F. Poske. In an introductory note, the editor emphasizes the 

 educational value of the teaching of physics. He says that it must 

 show how the knowledge of physics originates, — historically and 

 logically, — and that by doing so it is as valuable a means of educa- 

 tion as any other science. The first number contains a paper by 

 the eminent physicist and philosopher, E. Mach, on the teaching of 

 the physics of heat, and another by M. Koppe on Foucault's pen- 

 dulum experiment. There are numerous descriptions and illustra- 

 tions of simple apparatus for demonstrating physical experiments 

 in school. 



— The third annual meeting of the Indiana Academy of Science 

 was held at Indianapolis, Dec. 28 and 29. The following is a list 

 of the papers read : D. W. Dennis, ' The East-West Diameter of 

 the Silurian Island about Cincinnati ;' C. R. Dryer, ' The Kamesof 

 Allen County, Ind. ; ' J. T. Scovell, ' Erosion in Indiana ; ' D. A. 

 Owen, ' A Geological Section of Johnson County, Ind. ; ' D. W. 

 Dennis, ' The Transition of Orthis occidoitalis. Hall, into Orthis 

 sinuata. Hall ; ' O. P. Hay, ' Notes on Some Fossil Bones found in 

 Indiana ; ' O. P. Jenkins and W. V. Brown, ' Location of Eel River 

 Falls; ' J. C. Branner, ' A Sketch of the Geology of Arkansas ' and 

 ' The meanderings of the Arkansas River below Little Rock ; ' J. 

 U. Nef, ' On Carboxylated Derivatives of Benzoquinone ; ' W. A. 

 Noyes, 'Beta para Nitro-toluic Acid ; ' J. U. Nef, ' On Chloranil ; ' 

 J. L. Campbell, ' The Reversal of the Electric Current in the Holtz 

 Induction Machine;' C. A. Waldo, 'A Method of Determining the 

 Epicentrum of an Earthquake ; ' B. W. Evermann, ' The Fishes of 

 Carroll County, Ind. ; ' W. P. Shannon, 'A List of the Fishes of 

 Decatur County, Ind. ; ' D. S. Jordan, • The Isthmus of Panama as 



a Barrier to Marine Fauna ; ' O. P. Jenkins, ' Notes on Some South- 

 ern Indiana Fishes ; ' D. S. Jordan, ' Blind Fishes and Natural Se- 

 lection ; ' F. M. Webster, 'An Unusual Appearance of Apatura 

 celtis2Aong the St. Francis River in Arkansas;' J. S. Kingsley. 

 ' The Origin of Anthropods ; ' G. G. Hubbard, ' List of Butterflies 

 of Jefferson County, Ind. ; ' W. P. Shannon, ' List of Butterflies of 

 Decatur County, Ind. ;' F.M.Webster, ' Drouth, and its Effect upon 

 Insect Increase and Decrease,' ' Distribution of Some Species of 

 Injurious Insects, throughout Indiana, during the Season of 1887," 

 and 'The overflow of the Mississippi River, and its Effect upon the 

 Species of Simulmm (Buffalo Gnats) infesting the Smaller Inland 

 Streams of the Adjacent County; ' Amos W. Butler, ' Some Rare 

 Indiana Birds ; ' Maurice Thompson, ' The Secondary Functions of 

 the Hyoid Cornua in Picus and Colaptes ; ' Amos W. Butler, ' Sug- 

 gestions concerning a Law for the Protection of Birds ; ' D. S. Jor- 

 dan, ' The Origin of Genera; ' C. W. Hargitt, 'Some Curious Mon- 

 strosities in Egg-Formation ; ' W. S. Windle, ' The Skull of Nec- 

 turus lateralis;' J. M. Coulter, 'Evolution in the Vegetable 

 Kingdom ' (presidential address) ; C. W. Hargitt, ' Notes on 

 Scaphiopiis holbrookii :' O. P. Hay, 'Observations on the Am- 

 phmma ; ' B. W. Evermann, ' The Occurrence of the Star-nosed 

 Mole in Indiana ; ' A. W. Butler, ' Notes on Some Indiana Reptiles 

 and Amphibians;' O. P. Hay, ' Some Additions to the List of Indi- 

 ana Reptiles ; ' Lillie J. Martin, ' A Chemical Study of Juglans^ 

 nigra; and ' The Value of Organized Work in Plant-Chemistry ; ' 

 O. M. Meyncke, ' The Late Drouth and its Effect on Vegetation ; ' 

 Stanley Coulter, ' Histology of the Foliage Leaf of Taxodium dis- 

 tichum :' John M. Coulter, ' Stomata of Tillandsia iisneoides ;' 

 G. G. Hubbard, 'Additions to the Flora of Indiana;' J. N. Rose, 

 ' Characters in Umbellifera ; ' O. M. Meyncke, ' Companion 

 Plants ; ' Walter H. Evans, ' Lichens of Indiana ; ' J. C. Arthur, 

 ' Life-History of the Plum-Leaf Fungus ; ' O. M. Meyncke, ' Notes 

 on the White-spored Agarics of Franklin County, Ind. ; ' T. B. 

 Redding, ' Man an Evolution : Biological Proofs.' 



— A meeting for the purpose of organizing the American Folk- 

 Lore Society was held at University Hall, Harvard University, Cam- 

 bridge, Mass., on Wednesday, Jan. 4. Rules for the government 

 of the society were enacted, of which the first declares that " the 

 American Folk-Lore Society has for its object the study of folk-lore 

 in general, and in particular the collection and publication of the 

 folk-lore of North America." The rules further provide that the 

 society shall consist of members who subscribe an annual fee of 

 three dollars ; that each member shall be entitled to a copy of the 

 journal to be issued by the society ; that an annual meeting shall 

 be held ; and that the affairs of the society shall be conducted by 

 a president and a council of fourteen members, to be elected annu- 

 ally. Prof. E. J. Child of Harvard University was elected presi- 

 dent. 



— The Railway Review of Jan. 7 says that on Dec. 31, 1885, 

 there were 10,746 miles of railways in operation in South America, 

 of which 4,378 were situated in Brazil. We have compiled the 

 statements given in the Annuario do Imperial Observatorio do Rio de 

 Jatieiro of 1887. It appears that on Dec. 31. 1886, approximately 

 4,820 miles of roads were in operation, while 2,530 miles were 

 being constructed and surveyed. The statements given in the 

 Annuario are not sufficiently clear to give exact figures for the 

 lines. The value of the information given in the annual is enhanced 

 by tables giving the elevations of the stations. According to the 

 Annuario of 1886, 4,607,213 miles of telegraph-lines were in opera- 

 tion, of which 1,325,894 miles are in the Province Rio Grande do 

 Sul. 



— A course of eight lectures on subjects of general interest is to 

 be given by leading scientific men in behalf of the Marine Biologi- 

 cal Laboratory, under the auspices of the Boston Society of Natural 

 History. The Marine Biological Laboratory is to be a permanent 

 station on the New England coast, where suitable opportunities and 

 conveniences may be had for teachers, professional naturalists, and 

 others, to collect and study the animals and plants of the sea. The 

 project has the support of the naturalists of the country and of 

 many liberal citizens, who have already contributed several thou- 

 sand doHars toward the funds needed. The receipts from the lec- 

 tures will be applied to increase the funds. If a sufficient sum is 



