SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
223 
wicli rather than the Kew Observatory because the true time can be obtained 
there from the astronomical clocks, whereas at Kew it can only be obtained 
by observation ; and if (as is probable) Captain Basevi arrives in the winter, 
pendulum- observations taken at Kew would be greatly delayed, as happened 
when the operations were commenced at Kew. Moreover, Greenwich 
appears to have been employed as a reference station for pendulum-observa- 
tions more frequently than Kew. 
Electro-motive Force. — We desire to direct the attention of those who are 
interested in this subject to a series of papers, one of which is published in 
the “ Chemical News,” January 6, written by the Rev. W. Highton, M.A. 
The author’s observations are too long for abstract, but they certainly tend 
to prove that there is no ordinary mechanical law applicable to electrical 
force. In other words, he goes in against the doctrine that only a definite 
amount of work can be obtained from a definite amount of chemical change, 
and he seems to us to prove his case clearly. 
The Fusibility of Platinum-wire by the Blowpipe. — Mr. E. J. Chapman, of 
Toronto, Canada, does not think much of Dr. Skey’s supposed discovery of 
the fusibility of platinum- wire recorded in our last. He says : 11 If Dr. Skey 
will look in Plattner’s 1 Probirkunst,’ p. 16 of last edition (p. 14 of third 
edition), he will find the following statement: ‘When it is desired to test 
whether it is possible to produce a ?ufliciently strong oxidising flame, it is only 
required to try to fuse the end of a platinum-wire of a thickness of OT mm. to 
a globule. The wire is bent for this purpose at a right angle, and the shorter 
bend is so held in the outer flame that the axis of the wire exactly coincides 
with the axis of the blowpipe-flame, care being at the same time taken that 
neither wire nor flame vibrate. With strong and really good flame a globule of 
molten platinum is very soon formed, and this globule will be the larger 
according to the greater strength of the flame.’ A similar method of show- 
ing the fusibility of platinum by the blowpipe is given by Dr. H. O. Lenz, 
in his ‘ Lothrohrschule ’ (Gotha, 1848), and Bruno Kerl, in his handy little 
‘ Leitfaden,’ refers also to the fusibility of fine platinum-wire by the blow- 
pipe-flame. Other published statements of this well-known fact might 
likewise be quoted.” — Chemical News (January). 
Duration of Lightning Flashes. — Mr. O. N. Rood has been carrying out 
researches on this subject, and the result of his experiments is that the dura- 
tion of flashes of lightning, as observed by him, and measured by means 
fully described in this memoir, during a violent thunderstorm in August last, 
amounts, in round numbers, to about l-500th of a second, the average length 
of the streak being 9°. — American Journal of Science and Art. 
Water Supply to Toivns.—TLevT E. Grahn has published a paper in the 
u Journal fur Gasbeleuchtung ” (December), which is a portion of a lecture 
given by him before a meeting of water-works engineers, held at Hamburg 
last May, and contains, apart from matters strictly relating to the engineer- 
ing part of water supply, a very excellent account of the origin of water in 
nature, of its various functions in the three kingdoms of nature, and on the re- 
quisite qualities of water intended for domestic use. — See also Chemical News. 
The Constitution of the Sun. — This paragraph should be in our Astro- 
nomical summary, but as it is not there we insert it here. It relates to M. 
Zollner’s recent paper in “ PoggendorfTs Annalen ” (No. 11, 1870). This 
essay, says the abstract in the “ Chemical News,” illustrated by a series of 
