Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 439 



The results of the experiments in their bearing on the theory of 

 light were discussed. It may merely be mentioned that the most 

 obvious conception of the processes brought to light by the experi- 

 ments is obtained by assuming that vibrations of the luminiferous 

 medium produce vibrations of the solid particles in the same direc- 

 tion, which effect a photochemical change of the sensitive lamina. 

 On the basis of this assumption the experiments lead to a decision 

 between the mechanical theories of light, and that in favour of 

 Fresnel's. 



Expressed in the language of the electromagnetic theory of light 

 the experiments teach that the chemical action of a rectilinearly 

 polarized wave of light is connected with the presence of electrical 

 and not of magnetic vibrations. 



As regards the method of investigation here employed, the thin 

 sensitive lamina represents in a certain sense a transparent eye 

 which can simultaneously take up luminous impressions from oppo- 

 site directions. "While in investigating the motion of light we have 

 hitherto been restricted to one locality in drawing a conclusion as to 

 the motion transmitted to the eye ; the possibility is now open of 

 investigating the luminous motion in the place itself as regards its 

 amplitude, phase, and the direction of its vibrations. — Wiedemann's 

 Annalen, vol. xl. p. 203, 1890. 



observations on a paper by mk. flux " on the shape of 

 newton's rings." by a. wangerin. 



In the March number of the Philosophical Magazine a paper is 

 published by Mr. Flux which discusses the theory of Newton's 

 rings, and leads to the same results as those which I developed in 

 1880 in connexion with the observations of Prof . Sohncke*, and 

 which I had published in abstract in the Monatsberichte of the 

 Berlin Academy, November 4, 1880, and more fully in the Annalen, 

 vol. xii. p. 201 (1881). Mr. Flux, it is true, mentions my priority 

 in two places ; yet from the words at the conclusion he seems to 

 raise the claim of being by his theory the first to arrive at a satis- 

 factory conclusion. In opposition to this view I find myself com- 

 pelled to prove that everything which Mr. Flux adduces in refer- 

 ence to Newton's rings in reflected light, is completely covered by 

 the contents of my research, with the exception of one unimport- 

 ant result. In the first place, Mr. Flux has not added a single new 

 result to those which I have already found. But the agreement 

 between our papers is not restricted to the results, but extends, 

 not only to the details of the calculation, but also to the greater 

 part of the nomenclature, and even to the figures. The proof of 



* Before I began my theoretical investigations Prof. Sohncke had 

 already established experimentally several of the results given in our 

 joint paper, and he has subsequently tested other deductions from the 

 theory. 



