278 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



the development of these minute organisms the 

 peculiar secretion of carnivorous plants furnishes a 

 favourite pabulum or food. 



The Royal Institution of Great Britain has been 

 in luck's way lately. Mr. Thos. G. Hodgkins, of 

 Long Island, New York, has bequeathed to it the 

 sum of $100,000, and the Goldsmiths' Company 

 have donated ^1000 for "Original research," etc. 



If Mr. R. C. Cbaytor did not " strike ile," by his 

 query as to the calculated capacity of a pipe for 

 a gallon of water, he has been the means of proving 

 (by the number of correspondents replying), how 

 large and keen is the reading clientele of Science 

 Gossip, for it is quite impossible to do other than 

 publish the replies of the first answers opened. 



" Saxon and Dane and Norman are we," sang the 

 Sate Poet Laureate in his Alexandra " Welcome 

 Ode." But we are getting "drefful mixed." All 

 nations are coming to England to get corn — that is, 

 a livelihood. In a comparatively short period our 

 native ethnography will be effaced. Just in the nick 

 of time, therefore, Dr. Francis Galton and other 

 men eminent in the science of ethnography have 

 issued a circular letter on behalf of the committee 

 appointed by the British Association, for an ethno- 

 graphical survey of Great Britain. It is proposed to 

 record for certain typical villages and the surround- 

 ing districts, the physical types of the inhabitants, 

 their current traditions and beliefs, the peculiarities 

 of their dialect, the monuments and other remains of 

 ancient cultivation, and historical evidence as to 

 continuation of race. 



Our big brother planet, Jupiter, is evidently going 

 through the throes of important and powerful physical 

 changes. We must not think of this huge world as 

 being in anything like the same state as our earth, 

 although the latter many millions of years ago doubt- 

 less passed through the same stages that Jupiter is 

 now undergoing. Ever since the recent opposition 

 of Jupiter, its surface has experienced many changes. 

 The position and size of the "great red spot" 

 (evidently a part of the planet which has not yet 

 cooled down below the red-hot state) is the chief part 

 studied. Recently this red spot has changed its 

 character, and seemed as it if were about to disappear. 

 A conspicuous black spot has appeared on the edge 

 of the northernmost "belt," whose motions appear to 

 be very similar to those of the " great red spot." 



Talking about Jupiter, its newly-discovered fifth 

 moon is exciting the attention of all astronomers as 

 much as a new baby does a bevy of young mothers. 

 It is so very close to the planet that they find it 

 difficult to estimate its real magnitude, but it is 

 probably not more than 100 miles in diameter, and 

 may not even be that. The very fact that such a 

 small world can be seen from the earth, and studied 



here, shows what wonderful instruments modern 

 astronomers are possessed of, and how accurate must 

 be their methods of observation. This new fifth 

 Jovian moon actually makes two revolutions round 

 the big planet in a day. Except the recently- 

 discovered inner satellite of Mars, it is the most 

 rapidly revolving satellite known. 



Pickering & Chatto's " Book-Lover's Leaflet" 

 is always welcome to a bibliophile, even if he cannot 

 afford to buy the books whose brief learned notices 

 are so instructive ; but the last number surpasses all 

 others in literary interest. 



Lord Beaconsfield's famous saying that 

 " Chemicals are looking up," is as historic as Mr. 

 Gladstone's advice to farmers to grow fruit for the 

 jam manufacturers. Both men were right, although 

 both were laughed at. The English jam trade has 

 enormously developed since Mr. Gladstone's address 

 on the subject, and it is very certain that an im- 

 provement in the market condition of "chemicals" 

 is not a bad sign of an increased prosperity in other 

 trades. 



Consequently it is with much pleasure we note 

 new and vastly improved departure in the manu- 

 facture of certain chemicals. Again it is the new 

 science of electricity " L which has made it possible. 

 One of the most important chemicals used all over 

 the world, is caustic soda. Hitherto, the process of 

 its manufacture, has been slow and roundabout. 

 Now an altogether new method has been discovered, 

 by which caustic soda, chlorine, and other chemical 

 products can be made from the brine directly, by the 

 aid of electricity. The new process is also a more 

 economical one by at least 50 per cent., as compared 

 with any or all of the present methods. It is much 

 simpler, the caustic soda being produced from tlie 

 brine in one operation instead of two. The valuable 

 chlorine is also saved, and utilised for the production 

 of bleaching powder (chloride of lime), and other by- 

 products. Our most eminent chemists have pro- 

 nounced this new method of manufacture a complete 

 success, and the chemical industries of the north 

 of England promise well in the future in conse- 

 quence. 



Possibly a new source of wealth will henceforth 

 be found, on account of this new method of 

 electrically decomposing sea-water. Hitherto, the 

 mighty seas and oceans of the world have con- 

 tributed little or nothing, except a little coarse table- 

 salt, to the world's wealth. Now that electricity can 

 decompose and extract its saline and other salts from 

 it, will it not be able, ere long, so to extract them as 

 to leave the water pure enough to drink ? It seems 

 possible ! In that case the time may not be far 

 distant, when every ship will carry its own electric 

 apparatus, for separating the chloride of soda, etc., 



