Nov. 9, 1888.] 



SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 



479 



General potest. 



New Minor Planet. — Dr. Palisa, of Vienna, discovered 

 another minor planet (No. 280) at 1 30 a.m. on Nov. 1st. 

 The position then was, right ascension 2 h. 2 min. 46 sec. 

 (decreasing 1 min. 8 sec. daily) ; north Polar distance, 

 76 deg. 25 min. 31 sec. (increasing 1 min. daily). It is of 

 the 1 2 th magnitude. 



The Microbia of Yellow Fever. — Dr. G. Sternberg 

 (Therapeutic Gazette) argues that the microbia of yellow 

 fever, unlike the bulk of disease-germs, flourish in an 

 acid medium and that alkaline medicines are most 

 likely to prove effectual in its treatment. It is right to 

 add that this system has worked successfully in practice. 



Glass Blowers' Cramp. — M. Poncet (Popular Science 

 Monthly) describes a peculiar deformity of the hand 

 occurring among glass-blowers, and known as glass- 

 blowers' cramp. It consists in a permanent and decided 

 flexion of the fingers, especially of the third and fourth 

 finger of the hand, which comes on after a short prac- 

 tice in glass-blowing and increases progressively. 



acts as an elastic cushion, and enables the sand to vibrate 

 when disturbed. Such sands can be rendered mute by 

 heating, rubbing, or shaking. 



The Position of Timbuctoo. — M. Caron, the French 

 officer who recently sailed down the Niger to Timbuctoo, 

 took two observations near the city, which materially 

 alter the position assigned to it by Barth, and laid down 

 on many maps. He deduces from these observations 

 that the latitude of the city is 16 deg. 49 min. N. and 

 longitude 5 deg. 12 min. W. from Paris. Barth gave 

 the former as 18 deg. 3 min. 45 sec, and the latter 4 deg. 

 5 min. 10 sees. 



New Comet.— Mr. Barnard, of the Lick Observatory, 

 announces the discovery of the sixth comet of the pre- 

 sent year at 1 p.m. Greenwich time on October 31st. 

 The comet at that time was in Right Ascension 9h. 43m. 

 22s. (increasing ig min. daily), and North Polar Distance 

 105 18' 52" (decreasing 9' daily). The physical 

 appearance is described as " nth magnitude, 1' in 

 diameter, slightly elongated, strong central condensation." 

 This is the second comet discovered by Mr. Barnard at 

 the Lick Observatory. 



Royal Geographical Society. — The two first meet- 

 ings this season of the Royal Geographical Society will 

 be of unusual interest. At the first meeting, on Novem- 

 ber 1 2th, Mr. H. H. Johnston, Her Majesty's Consul on 

 the West Coast of Africa, will describe some of the 

 results of his recent visits to the Cameroons and the oil 

 rivers. At the second meeting, November 26th, Mr. 

 Joseph Thomson will give an account of his recent visit 

 to Morocco. A few days later he will leave for East 

 Africa, probably to be absent for some considerable 

 time. 



Singing Sands. — Dr. A. Julien and Professor H. C. 

 Bolton (Science) have communicated to the New York 

 Academy of Sciences the results of their examination of 

 sonorous sands. Such sands are always clean and free 

 from dust, consisting of angular or rounded granules, 

 between one-third and one-half of a millimetre in 

 diameter. The chemical composition is not important. 

 When such sands are moistened by rain or by the tide, 

 and the moisture is afterwards evaporated, a film of con- 

 densed air is formed on the surface of each grain which 



Wood Creosote. — Captain W. H. Bixby, in the 

 United States Forestry Department's Report, greatly 

 recommends crude creosote for its antiseptic properties. 

 It is an efficient poison for both animal and vegetable 

 life, and its tarry acids possess the property of coagu- 

 lating albumen and other fermentible matters. It forms 

 an excellent insecticide, and is one of the best possible 

 oils for preserving timber and piles. If painted upon 

 wood or metal, it preserves from wet and dry-rot, rust, 

 and the attacks of insects. If forced into wood by 

 hydraulic pressure, it fills all the pores, and extends its 

 coagulating and antiseptic effects to the very centre of the 

 block. 



The Prehistoric Race in Spain. — MM. H. and J. 

 Siret (Science) have published the results of their archaeo- 

 logical researches in South-Eastern Spain, and have 

 traced the history of the early races inhabiting that 

 country. The most ancient remains seem to belong to 

 the neolithic age, the use of copper and bronze coming 

 in subsequently. They fully confirm the recent view 

 that in most parts of Europe the bronze age was pre- 

 ceded by a copper age. At the close of the bronze age, 

 the use of silver is introduced and fortified villages occur. 

 The principal result is that various races occur among 

 the early inhabitants. A series of dolichocephalic skulls 

 has been found, with an average cranial index of 73-8 

 and a long face. The nose is long and the orbit high. 

 This is the exact counterpart of the northern inhabitants 

 of Europe. Besides these, Jaques found a short-headed 

 race also with long faces, high noses and orbits. This 

 type also occurs in Northern Europe. A third race is 

 also brachycephalic, but with a broad, flat face and promi- 

 nent jaws. 



The White Sea. — The hydrographers charged with 

 an exhaustive inquiry into the depth and navigability in 

 other respects of the White Sea, recently returned to 

 Archangel. They began their investigations at the end 

 of May in the Bay of Onega. One party of three officers 

 made a special examination of the Gulf of Soroki. 

 One discovery was that of a bank n ft. below water-line, 

 where a depth of 35 ft. was marked on the chart. As there 

 is a project mooted for a canal from Onega to the White 

 Sea, it is observed by the explorers that a good port at 

 Soroki is essential. Several deviations were also noted 

 in the channels of the rivers Corelia and Dwina. The 

 former will soon be dried up, while the latter pro- 

 mises to improve. A lighthouse is pronounced neces- 

 sary on the island of Ku, and another is scarcely less 

 needed at Cape Zetny Orlow. The reefs off Mouts- 

 salma island are also badly indicated, and the lighthouse 

 at Orlow would be useful as indicating their precise 

 situation. In support of these improvements the fact is 

 put forward that Russian ships are wrecked by hundreds 

 in the Arctic seas. 



Cocoanut Fibre as a Defensive War Material. — 

 In the last report of the curator of the Nilgiri gardens, 

 attention is drawn to a new use for the refuse fibre of 

 cocoa nuts. Dr. Lawson says that his attention was 

 drawn to the subject by Mr. Money, a planter in the 

 Nilgiris, who sent him an article in the Revue des Deux 



