Notes and Memoranda. 229 



sirable animals were excluded. In one case, during a period of twenty-two years, 

 a sheep was born in this flock exactly reproducing the primitive type. M. 

 Beaudouin agrees in the main with M. Sanson, but observes that he generalises 

 too fast when he says that the inconveniences attributed to consanguineous con- 

 nections have no foundation in observation. " We should add," observes M. Beau- 

 douin, "when such unions take place between selected individuals." M. Gourdon, 

 after reviewing the proceedings of the most celebrated cattle-breeders, contends 

 that Durham oxen, New Leicester pigs, Ditchley sheep, and other successful 

 examples, are, however useful to man, monstrosities, constituted in opposition to 

 all the laws of health, and that connections of consanguinity always produce 

 mischief, although it may be convenient to resort to them for special purposes. 



Temperature of Spheroidal Liquids. — Tn a paper sent to the French 

 Academy, M. S. de Luca states as the result of his experiments on water in the 

 spheroidal state, that the liquid in this condition does not wet the vessel which 

 contains, and receives heat by radiation and by occasional and imperfect contact 

 with its sides ; this heat is employed in volatilizing the superficial layer of the 

 liquid, and in producing a vapour by which the radiant heat is absorbed, and 

 consequently the spheroidal liquid varies in temperature, being cooled in propor- 

 tion as the evaporation goes on. 



An Innocent Green. — The Chemical News gives the following, on the autho- 

 rity of the Journal de Pharmacie, as an innocent substitute for arsenite of copper 

 in pastrycook's work. Infuse for twenty-four hours 0'32 grammes of saffron in 

 7 grammes distilled water. Then take 0'26 grammes of carmine of indigo, and 

 infuse them in same manner in 15'6 grammes distilled water. Mix both liquids, 

 and a beautiful green is obtained, 10 parts of which will colour 1000 parts of 

 sugar. To preserve the colour evaporate the liquid to dryness, or convert it into 

 a syrup. 



A Powerful Fulminant. — Mr. J. Horsley, writing in Chemical News, states 

 that three parts of ferricyanide of potash and four of chlorate, make a violent 

 fulminant, which explodes on being rubbed with a hard substance. Too great 

 caution cannot be employed in such experiments, and the quantities should be 

 very small. Mr. Horsley gives a timely warning of the danger of exploding 

 white gunpowder by friction, and he calls the mixture of equal parts of chlorate 

 and red prussiate of potash " a treacherously powerful fulminant." 



Alcohol from Coal-Gas. — "We read in Cosmos the following description of 

 a patent taken out by the Sieur Castex in Pecember, 1854: — " In burning organic 

 matter the smoke which is disengaged can be entirely absorbed by concentrated 

 sulphuric acid. This sulphuric acid mingled with water, and distilled, yields 

 alcohol. To facilitate the absorption of all the smoke of the organic matter, it is 

 made to pass over a substance like coke, wetted with the sulphuric acid. Before 

 sending out coal-gas it may be treated according to this method." M. Berthelot 

 first mentioned to the Academy his synthetic mode of preparing alcohol in 

 January 1855. 



Professor Wyman on Infusoria. — The American Journal of Science gives 

 the details of a number of experiments relating to the controversy concerning 

 the generation of infusoria. Professor Wyman, apparently operating with great 

 care ; obtains results nearer those of Pouchet than of Pasteur. He boiled various 

 infusions of animal and vegetable matter, and sealed them in flasks containing 

 only air that had been exposed to a red heat. Nevertheless, in a number of instances, 

 he obtained infusoria, usually Vibrio Spirillum and Bacterium, but sometimes ferment 

 cells, monads, and kolped-like bodies. He cannot reconcile his results with the 

 theory of the dissemination of eggs. 



Dagron's Microphotographs. — The Abbe - Moigno gives a most enthusiastic 

 accoimt of the new method of preparing and exhibiting microphotographs invented 

 by M. Dagron. After describing a process by which a series of the minute sun 

 pictures are taken in rapid succession, he proceeds to inform us that a number of 

 " cylinders of common or flint glass are prepared in advance, about five or six mil- 

 limetres long and two thick. The second extremity of these cylinders is spheri- 



VOL. H. — NO. III. E 



