440 Scientific Intelligence. 



3. The Melting-Point of Pure Tungsten. — In connection with 

 tbe commercial application of tungsten filaments in electric light- 

 ing it is well known that the melting point of this metal is very 

 high, and in the neighborhood of 3000° C. Wartknberg has 

 now made some careful determinations of the melting point of 

 pure metallic tungsten by heating it electrically in a vacuous bulb 

 and employing a carefully calibrated optical pyrometer. He con- 

 cludes that the true melting-point of the metal is at least 2800° 

 and probably not more than 2850°. For comparison the author 

 measured the temperature of the positive crater of the arc lamp, 

 which varies somewhat with the kind of carbon used, and deter- 

 mined this to be 3350°, while Reich had found 3430° with the 

 same kind of pyrometer. — Berichte, xl, 3287. h. l. w. 



4. Solubilities of Inorganic and Organic Substances, by Ath- 

 erton Seidell. 8vo, pp. 367. New York, 1907 (D. Van Nos- 

 trand Company). — This is a useful and important book of 

 reference which will be appreciated by all classes of chemists. 

 It differs from Comey's well known dictionary in confining itself 

 entirely to quantitative data, or in other words, it deals with solu- 

 bilities only in the sense of the composition of saturated solutions. 

 This limitation has made possible the introduction of the solubili- 

 ties of organic compounds, as far as they have -been determined 

 quantitatively, and this addition has still left the book much 

 smaller than Comey's. The latter admirable work will still be of 

 use when qualitative data are sought, for instance, when we wish 

 to know if an inorganic compound, whose solubility has not been 

 studied quantitatively, is readily or sparingly soluble in water, 

 or when we desire to find out how readily a substance dissolves 

 in the ordinary acids. The new book is attractive in its mechani- 

 cal details, and is a very convenient one for use, as the matter is 

 arranged alphabetically, and besides it has a full index. The 

 author has not made a mere compilation, but has devoted much 

 labor to re-calculations, and to the selection of the most reliable 

 results. h. l. w. 



5. Practical Chemistry for Army and Matriculation Can- 

 didates, and for Use in Schools, by Geoffrey Martin. 12mo, 

 pp. 144. London, 1907 (Crosby Lockwood & Son). — This little 

 book outlines a course of laboratory work covering a wide range 

 of subjects. It starts with elementary chemistry, and takes up 

 quantitative work, solubility determinations, volumetric analysis, 

 blowpiping, melting- and boiling-points, etc. Necessarily, in so 

 small a book, the various subjects must be treated very briefly. 

 However, the experiments appear to be well selected and clearly 

 described. The book does not deal with chemical theory, except 

 that it gives numerous equations, and pays considerable attention 

 to chemical arithmetic. h. l. w. 



6. The Elements of Physical Chemistry, by Harry C. Jones; 

 Pp. 650, 8vo. New York, 1907 (The Macmillan Company). — The 

 appearance of a third edition, revised and enlarged, indicates an 

 extensive use of this well known, excellent text-book. Recent 



