296 



SCIENCE. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



A General Description of the State of Indiana, 

 extracted from the First Annual Report of the Bureau 

 of Statistics and Geology for 187Q, re-published by 

 authority of his excellency, James D. Williams, Gov- 

 ernor. 



This is a small pamphlet of 16 pages, containing 

 information of an industrial rather than of scientific 

 character. A map of Indiana is given, the typographi- 

 cal imperfections of which render it a useless addition. 



The Scientific English Reader. Englisches Nat- 

 urwissenschafltich-Technisches Lesebuch fur hohere 

 technische lehranstalten und zum selfstudium fur 

 studirende, lehrer, techniker, industrielle. Mit 

 sprachlichen und sachlichen erliiuterungen. Von 

 Dr. F. J. Wershoven : I. Theil — Phys\k, Chemie, 

 Chemische Technologie, by F. A. Brockhaus, Leip- 

 zig, 1 88 1. 



This work is intended to place before the German 

 student specimens of the best literary productions of 

 English scientists. The present volume, treating of 

 Physics and Chemistry, gives selections from the works of 

 Lardner, Maxwell, Roscoe, Lockyer, Wilson, Smiles, 

 Grover, Ure, and others who have treated on technical 

 subjects within range of the present work. 



To aid those who desire to make translations from this 

 book to the German language, an appendix of German 

 equivalents of English technical words has been given at 

 the end of the work. 



Dr. Wershoven's work will also be useful to the Eng- 

 lish student, "who desires readings in Science." The se- 

 lections are made with good judgment, and they will be 

 read with profit by those who desire a general idea of 

 English scientific literature, carried well up to date. 



The Student. — A Monthly Journal devoted to the inter- 

 ests of Education. — Haverford College, Montgomery 

 County, Pa., $1 per annum, 10 cents single number. 



The number of periodicals devoted to education is in- 

 creasing rapidly. " The Student," published by Haver- 

 ford College, and edited by Professor Isaac Sharplessand 

 Professor Watson W. Dewees, appears to advocate a re- 

 turn to what the editors term old-fashioned studies — 

 classics and mathematics — believing they have made 

 many a sturdy man in the past, and that their influence 

 is as potent for the future as ever. A strictly practical 

 education, meaning such an one as can be directly used 

 in business, the editors consider extremely limited and 

 truitless of disciplinary value. 



If Professor Sharpltss has no faith in a " practical edu- 

 cation," he appears to believe in making " The Student " 

 a practical educational journal, and we are agreeably sur- 

 prised to find the subject handled in such an attractive 

 manner. 



C.Kiii 1 '. 1 hart of Animal Classification — 

 adapted to Steele's Zoology. By A. B. Griffen, 



641 Broad street, Newark, N. J. Price, 15 cents. 



This Chart shows, in an admirable manner, the rela- 

 tions ol the various divisions of the Animal Kingdom. 

 The six great sub-kingdoms, Veriebrata. Articulata, Mol- 

 lusca, Ecbinodermata, Coelenterata, arc represented as 1 

 the trunks of as many " Zoological trees," whose branches 

 and twigs are the Classes, Orders, Families, etc. It is of 

 quarto si/e, and so arranged thai it may be folded con- 



ntly and without injury, Asa systematic synopsis 

 1 01 convenience ol reference we heartilj recommend it to 



'he students of Zoology 



CHEMICAL NOTES. 



Characteristic Distinctions between Human Blood 

 and that of other Animals. — Dr. Vincenzo Peset y Cer- 

 vera has found that on mixing the blood of different ani- 

 mals with a little bile there are formed in the mass, crystals 

 not exceeding 0.003 metre in size. These crystals may be 

 distinguished thus : — Those of man are right rectangular 

 prisms ; those of the horse, cubes ; of the ox, rhombohed- 

 rons ; of the sheep, rhombohedric tablets ; those of the 

 dog, rectangular prisms; those of the rabbit, tetrahedrons ; 

 of the squirrel, hexagonal tables ; of the mouse, octahed- 

 rons ; of common poultry, cubes modified at their angles, 

 &c. 



On some Causes which Hinder or Facilitate the 

 Precipitation of Manganese Hydrate by Ammonia. — 

 Giulio Puliti finds that the precipitation of manganese from 

 its solution by means of ammonia may be partially or to- 

 tally hindered by sal-ammoniac. Heat renders the sal- 

 ammoniac more efficacious. In hot liquids the precipita- 

 tation of manganese may be completely prevented if the 

 metal meets with this reagent in the proportion of 1 : 150. 

 He also finds that iron, aluminium, and chromium facilitate 

 the precipitation of manganese. 



Behavior of Carbonic Acid with Nessler's Reagent 

 and Ammonia. — A solution of acid ammonium carbonate 

 or a dilute solution of sal-ammoniac mixed with water con- 

 taining carbonic acid or with sodium bicarbonate, if mixed 

 drop by drop with Nessler's reagent gives a yellow precipi- 

 tate, which disappears on agitation without imparting the 

 slightest coloration to the liquid. Not until the free car- 

 bonic acid has been saturated by the addition of caustic 

 potassa or of an excess of the reagent, is a permanent yel- 

 low coloration produced. — Th. Salzer. Bui. de la Soc. Ckitn. 



Perforation of Zinc Cisterns and Corrosion of Lead 

 Pipes by Water. — X. Rocques has observed that the plates 

 of zinc cisterns are corroded, not uniformly, but in certain 

 well-defined places. The cause of this inequality is the 

 electric current, which is set up between the purer portions 

 of the metal and those more alloyed. Zinc, lead, and cop- 

 per are attacked very slowly by ordinary water and by 

 saline solutions in general (chlorides, bicarbonates). The 

 corrosion is more rapid if there are several metals in con- 

 tact. The presence of nitrogenous matters and ammonia 

 accelerates the action, especially in case of zinc. The 

 phenomena display their greatest activity in presence of 

 oxygen. This is the case at the surface where the metal is. 

 alternately in contact with water and air. The deposits 

 formed are chiefly silicates and carbonates of lead, zinc and 

 copper. 



Detection oe Picric Acid in Beer. — Dr. H. Fleck evap- 

 orites 500 cc. of the beer to a syrup, mixes with ten times 

 iis volume of absolute alcohol, filters off the precipitate, 

 washing it as well as possible, and evaporating the alco- 

 holic filtrate to dryness. The residue is extracted with 

 water at the boiling point as often as the liquid becomes 

 colored, evaporates to dryness, and extracts the residue 

 with ether. The ethereal extract contains the picric acid 

 almost pure. 



Determination of Theine in Aea, — Fifteen grms. tea 

 are repeatedly extracted with boiling water till completely 

 exhausted ; the liquid is filtered, evaporated to the consis- 

 tence of an extract, mixed with 2 gnus, calcined magnesia 

 and 5 guns, powdered glass and completely dried. 



Use of Bromine in the Analysis of Sulphides. — Bro- 

 mine oxidi/.es sulphur and sulphides very rapidly. Iron 

 pyrites require to be very finely pulverized and a prolonged 



action is required. Copper pyrites ate dissolved very rap- 

 idly if an excess of bromine is used, which is easily ex- 

 pelled i>\ agentleheat. The sample is placed in a small 

 flask, covered with a little water, and the bromine is added. 

 A gentle heat is sometimes nccessai\ towards the end. 



One part of sulphur requires about 15 parts of bromine. 

 Bromine vratei is especially adapted for destroying sulphur 

 etted hydrogen and dissolving recently precipitated sul 

 phides.- I Reit hardt. 



