468 Scientific Intelligence. 



of which was connected with the earth, the other with the source 

 of electricity. Above the upper condenser plate was hung a 

 very sensitive magnetic system. The direction of the magnetic 

 needles was perpendicular to a radius of the revolving disc, and 

 their middle point was near the edge of the disc. The devia- 

 tion of this system was measured by a mirror, telescope and scale. 

 The author concludes, after discussing the relation of the effects 

 observed to those obtained by Rowland and by others, that a 

 small electrodynamic effect can be noticed, when a dielectric is 

 moved in a homogeneous electrical field. — Ami. der Uiysik und 

 Chemie, No. 10, 1888, pp. 264-270. j. t. 



7, light and Electricity. — Loed Rayleigh (B. A., 1888) has 

 been endeavoring to discover if an electric current flowing 

 through an electrolyte causes the velocity of light to vary through 

 the liquid. He experimented with dilute sulphuric acid. The 

 result was negative within the range of the experiment, which 

 was extremely delicate. In H 2 S0 4 diluted, one ampere per square 

 centimeter does not alter the velocity of light by one part in 

 thirteen millions, or by fifteen meters per second. — Nature, Oct. 

 4, 1888, p. 555. j. t. 



8. The energy stored in permanent strains / by C. Baeus. 

 (Communicated). — Apropos of certain strain experiments of 

 Wassmuth, an account of which has just reached me in the 

 Beiblatter (No. 9, p. 648, 1888), I desire to advert to somewhat 

 similar results which I have in hand. I brought a measured 

 amount of work to bear on soft metallic wires, and by deducting 

 from this the energy thermally dissipated (measured in a way 

 essentially like that of Wassmuth), I was able to express defi- 

 nitely the energy potentialized in effecting given changes of 

 molecular configuration. In this respect my work and purposes 

 are distinct from Wassmuth's. Necessarily operating on soft 

 metal, I find that the values for the maxima of energy stored 

 under given conditions differ so largely in different metals, that I 

 am justified in treating them as molecular data of importance. 



II. Geology and Mineralogy. 



1. International Congress of Geology. — The members of the 

 u Provisional Committee" appointed at the Congress in London, 

 with reference to preparations for the next meeting of the Con- 

 gress at Philadelphia, whose names are mentioned on page 389, 

 met at New Haven, on Thursday, the 15th of November. All 

 were present except Dr. T. Sterry Hunt. By vote twenty-four 

 members of the permanent or organizing committee were ap- 

 pointed, as follows: C. A. Ash burner, J. C. Branner, T. C. Cham- 

 berlin, G. H. Cook, J. D. Dana, W. M. Davis, C. E. Dut- 

 ton, G. K. Gilbert, James Hall, A. Heilprin, C. H. Hitchcock, 

 Joseph LeConte, J. Leidy, J. P. Lesley, O. C. Marsh, J. S. 

 Newberry, J. W. Powell, J. R. Procter, N. S. Shaler. J. J. 

 Stevenson, C. D. Walcott, R. P. Whitfield, H. S. Williams, 



