cholera was in question, it now transpires that in every case examined one or more of the ordinary proofs as to this have been wanting, and Dr. Klein concludes that the outbreak is not one of true cholera.

AFTER the 1st of November the time of Central Europe, which is employed in Sweden, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Bosnia, and Servia, and is reckoned from the fifteenth degree of longitude, will be adopted upon Italian railway-systems. Railway time in Italy will therefore be exactly one hour in advance of Greenwich time, and 50 min. 39 secs. in advance of Paris mean time, the difference of time between Greenwich and Paris being 9 min. 21 secs.

THE passengers on board the North German Lloyd s.s. Oldenburg, which left Genoa for the East on the 23rd inst., include Dr. W. Kükenthal, Ritter Professor in the University of Jena, who proceeds, under the auspices of the Senckenberg Naturalists' Society, on a twelve months' zoological expedition to the Moluccas. After a short sojourn in Java, he will make Ternate his headquarters, exploring the surrounding islands, and especially the island of Halmahera. We are informed that Prof. Kükenthal was the elected one of fifty zoologists who sought the leadership of the expedition. The energy and endurance which he displayed in his recent investigations in the Arctic Seas led to the accumulation of rich material, and they justify an anticipation of good results from the present, less tropical, journey.

THE exhibition arranged by the Deutsche MathematikerVereinigung at Munich, of models, drawings, apparatus, and instruments used in pure and applied mathematics, was closed on October 5. From a circular that has been issued by the Association we learn that the exhibition was in every respect successful. Owing to the support given by the Royal Bavarian Government and the Ministry of the Interior, it was possible to considerably extend the plans originally proposed. The success of the undertaking was largely due to the kindness of the many public bodies and private individuals who lent apparatus, &c., and have participated in the work, often at a pecuniary sacrifice. The committee of the Association desire to express their thanks to exhibitors and others who have supported them during the last two years.

THE following gentlemen have been nominated for election on the council of the London Mathematical Society for the session 1893-4-Mr. A. B. Kempe, F.R.S. (President);

Messrs. A. B. Basset, F. R.S., E. B. Elliott, F.R.S., A. G. Greenhill, F.R.S.. (Vice-Presidents); Dr. J. Larmor, F.R.S. (Treasurer); Messrs. M. Jenkins and R. Tucker (Hon. Secs.). Other members-Dr. Forsyth, F.R.S., Dr. Glaisher, F. R.S., Dr. Hill, Dr. Hobson, F. R.S., Mr. Love, Major Macmahon, F.R.S., Mr. J. J. Walker, F.R.S. The new nominees are Lt. Col. J. R. Campbell and Lt. Col. A. J. C. Cunningham, R.E., in the place of Messrs. H. F. Baker and J. Hammond, who retire. The annual general meeting (November 9) will be made special for the consideration of the following resolution, which will be moved by the council: "That the London Mathematical Society be incorporated as a Limited Liability Company under Section 23 of the Companies Act, 1867; and that the Council be empowered to take the necessary steps to carry this resolution into effect." The presentation of the De Morgan medal, awarded by the council in June last, will be made at the same meeting, to Prof. Felix Klein, the medallist, who expects to be present to receive it in person.

We have received the first part of the second half of vol. iii. of Cohn's Kryptogamen Flora von Schlesien, devoted to the fungi, under the editorship of Dr. J. Schroeter. The present part commences the description of the Ascomycetes, and is occupied by a portion only of the first sub-order, the Discomycetes.

THE second part of vol. vi. of the Journal of the College of Science of the Imperial University of Japan is entirely occupied by an elaborate paper, by Prof. Sadahisa Matsuda, on the anatomy of the Magnoliaceæ. It is illustrated by four plates exhibiting the excellence of work to which we are now accustomed in the products of the Japanese press.

DR. R. A. PHILIPPI contributes to the Verhandlungen of the German Scientific Society of Santiago in Chile two interesting papers on the "Fauna and Flora of Chile and Argentinia." With regard to the flora he points out that, notwithstanding the wide difference between those of Chile and of Europe, the number of identical species is greater than Europe has in common with South Africa or Australia; while both the flora and fauna of Chile differ in a very remarkable way from those of Argentinia. Dr. Philippi argues from these facts that the mountain range of the Cordilleras must have been formed before the development of the fauna and flora of these countries.

AMONG other excerpts from the Transactions of the Academy of Science of St. Louis, vol. vi., that have recently been received, the following are of interest :-"The Opening of the Buds of Some Woody Plants," by Mr. A. S. Hitchcock. This paper records observations made during the spring of 1892. In "Flowers and Insects-Labiata" Mr. Charles Robertson

gives an account of the pollinators of various Labiates. Of the twenty-three species described, nine have long-tongued bees as their principal visitors, and eight show special adaptation to bees in general. No species was found to be adapted to the lower hymenoptera, though ten species were visited by them. Diptera occurred as visitors of nineteen species, and butterflies on all but five species. The ruby-throated humming-bird only visited Monarda, Bradburniana, and M. fistulosa, and beetles were found only on the six least specialised flowers investigated. Mr. J. Christian Bay has prepared the materials for a monograph on Inuline, in the form of a list of papers on the subject, published up to the end of 1890.

DR. EDMUND NAUMANN, the well-known writer on Japan Geology, has just published an interesting paper in Petermanns Mettheilungen (Ergänzungsheft, No. 108), under the title of "Neue Beiträge zur Geologie und Geographie Japans." Three coloured plates are given-plate i. the crater of Shiranesan and views of Bandai, two volcanoes active within recent years; plate ii. a stereographic representation of the geology of Japan (scale (1: 5,000,000); plate iii. the general contours of the country

(scale 1: 2,600,000).

JAPAN is possibly one of the best illustrations of the value of geological knowledge in throwing light and colour on the geographical features of a country. Dr. Naumann, in his account of the geological structure of the great mountain chain, empha sises the presence of a crystalline core throughout the whole length of the islands, and against it the sedimentary deposits may be said to have a zonal distribution. He proves that while there was prepalæozoic folding in these crystalline schists and gneisses, the main period of mountain movement and the upheaval of the greater portion of Japan took place in early Mesozoic times. The intrusions of the enormous granitic masses are probably of late Mesozoic age, and since that time there have been several periods of volcanic activity, constant recurrences taking place along ancient lines of weakness. The result of the particular processes of mountain-making in Japan on the present configuration of its surface, and the correlation of the rocks with the various types of landscape, are then briefly described.

THE "Fossa magna" is an apt name given some years ago by Dr. Naumann to that curious well-marked depression between the north and south wings of the main island-a de

pression bordered by the highest summits in Japan, and occupied by a girdle of volcanoes. Ed. Suess ("Antlitz d. Erde," hd. ii. p. 225) and the Japanese geologist, Harada, are of opinion that the mountains in the north and south wings belong to two independent chains which during the period of upheaval had been pushed against one another at this "fossa magna," and they compare the case of Hindu Kush and the Himalayas. Dr. Naumann still adheres to the view he had previously advanced, namely, that the mountains of the north and south wings form one chain, which after its upheaval was broken by a transverse fault along the "fossa magna," the transverse fault being of later date than the main longitudinal fault on the west or inner side of the islands and cutting through it. The eruptive activity and frequent subsidences within the "fossa" have merely taken advantage of this important tektonic break.

THE Report on the Botanic Gardens at Georgetown, British Guiana, for the year 1891-92, contains some interesting information on the meteorology of that colony for the year 1891. The rainfall was much above the average, though not so much so as in the two previous years. For the nine years ending 1888 the average fall was 80.5 inches, but for the three years ending 1891 the average fall has been 119.6 inches; the returns from various stations show that there is a gradual increase in the rainfall from the south to the north of the colony. The number of days on which the sun shone was 351, leaving only 14 days of unbroken cloudiness; the mean daily sunshine for the year was 7h. 13m. The maximum day temperature in the shade ranged from 84° in February to 90° in September and October. The minimum night temperature ranged from 71° to 74°, and the solar radiation from 148° to 157°.

A CAREFUL study of the vapour pressures of aqueous solutions has been carried out by C. Dieterici, of Breslau, who has communicated his results to Wiedemann's Annalen. The determinations were made for o° C. by means of an apparatus designed for the appreciation of very feeble pressures. The gauge used was an aneroid box with a German silver disc, which has the advantage of yielding to a great extent without elastic fatigue. The motions of the centre of the disc were transferred to a mirror suspended in jewelled bearings by means of a light watchmaker's arbor, the connection being made by a cocoon thread, and the mirror being gently held in position by a small spiral spring. Deflections were measured by reflected scale and telescope. The gauge was fitted to a tube which could be filled with the vapour of the solution surrounded by melting ice, or could be exhausted at pleasure. The gauge and tube were enclosed in another air-tight space which could be filled with pure water vapour at o° C. or exhausted. The pressure of the water vapour produced a deflection of 170 scale divisions, equivalent to 2.31 mm. of mercury. The author discusses at

length the bearing of his results upon Van't Hoff's dissociation theory, and upon the kinetic theory of gases. The curves exhibiting the relation between degree of concentration and the corresponding vapour pressure have the common characteristic

that with the concentration increasing from an infinitely dilute solution to about 26 in multiples of the normal solution, they commence at approximately the same angle, then fall with a steep incline, and finally tend to become parallel to the axis of abscissæ. At about 26 the curve of sulphuric acid cuts this axis, showing that the action between the acid and the water counterbalances the osmotic pressure necessary for evaporation. The other bodie; investigated were glycerine, phosphoric acid, and the hydrates of potassium and sodium, enumerated in the order of decreasing vapour pressures.

THE current number of the Philosophical Magazine contains an account of the most recent determinations of the refractive indices of liquid nitrogen and air, carried out by Profs. Liveing

and Dewar. Owing to the bubbles constantly rising from liquid nitrogen, the prism method could not be made to give accurate results, The refractive index was therefore determined by finding the angle of total reflection. The liquid nitrogen, or air, was enclosed in a cylindrical vessel containing two vertical plane-parallel plates of glass with a film of air between them. The light from an electric discharge or a monochromatic flame was sent through a slit into the vessel, a suitable portion being cut off by black paper screens, and an image of the slit was thrown upon the slit of a spectroscope by the glass vessel itself. The vertical plates were turned round a vertical axis till the extinction of the image indicated that the angle of total reflection had been reached. The refractive index thus obtained for sodium light was 1226 in the case of liquid oxygen (the prism method gave 1'2236), 12062 for liquid air, and 1'2053 for liquid nitrogen at 190°, and of density o 89. The nitrogen probably contained 5 per cent. of oxygen. The refraction constant of nitrogen is therefore o 225 as determined from the liquefied substance. Mascart gives o 237 for the constant as determined from gaseous nitrogen. The two results are in as fair an agreement as could be expected, considering the difficulties surrounding the

measurements.

WIEDEMANN'S Annalen de Physique et de Chemie for October contains a paper, by R. J. Holland, on electrical conductivity of copper chloride solution. The solution, whose resistance was to be measured, was enclosed in a dumb-bell shaped glass vessel about 10 c.m. long, the electrodes, which had a surface of 21 sq. c.m., being fixed at the ends. In order to determine the

mean section of the tube between the electrodes, it was filled with a solution of sodium chloride and the resistance measured, then using Kohlrausch's results for the resistance of the salt solution the mean section was calculated. The resistance was measured by means of a Wheatstone's bridge, with an alternating current and telephone. All the strengths of copper chloride solution examined show a regular, though slight, increase of conductivity at high temperature, this increase being different for solutions of different degrees of concentration. The maximum conductivity was obtained with a solution containing about 18 per cent. of the dried salt. The temperature coefficient varies with the degree of concentration, and attains a maximum value for a temperature of about 40° C. When the difference in concentration is taken into account, the results obtained agree very well with those obtained by Trötsch and Wiedemann, though they do not show so satisfactory an agreement with those obtained by Isaachsen.

L'Elettricista for October contains a paper by Dr. Monti, in which he gives the results of the experiments he has undertaken in order, if possible, to account for the fact that the values obtained by Macfarlane in 1877 for the difference of potential required to pierce a plate of paraffin were very much smaller than those obtained by Steinmetz and himself. Macfarlane found that the difference of potential required to

pierce a plate of paraffin 3 mm. thick was 39,000 volts, while Dr. Monti finds that to cause a discharge to pass between two knobs 5 mm. in diameter through a layer of paraffin I mm. thick it requires a difference of potential of 155,000 volts. The author employed paraffin which melted at 54 76° C. The terminals were brass balls which were fixed within a glass tube about 10 c. m. long. Their distance apart having been measured by means of a microscope, the paraffin was melted and allowed to cool in a partial vacuum. It was then again melted and allowed to solidify under the ordinary pressure. By this means the formation of air bubbles within the paraffin was avoided, and it is to the presence of such air bubbles in the slab of paraffin employed by Macfarlane that Dr. Monti attributes the difference in the values obtained.

AN electrical method of fog-signalling, which has great possibilities before it, has been invented by an electrician in the employ of the Great Northern Railway Company. A wire is laid by means of a pipe from the signal-box to the various signals, at which points brushes composed of copper wire pro ject some four or five inches above the side of the rail nearest the signal. To the foot-plate of the engine a similar brush is fixed, connecting with an indicator and bell on the engine. If the signal be at danger the two brushes coming in contact has the effect of ringing the bell, and indicating to the driver by means of a miniature signal fixed on his engine that the line is not clear. The arrangement can be switched off in fine weather. The process, which is in working order at Wood Green, has proved so satisfactory that the company have decided to fit up the suburban lines, and eventually the whole of their system.

THE report of the meeting of the Société Helvétique des Sciences Naturelles, held at Basle in September 1892, has just been published.

Natur und Haus, edited by Dr. L. Staby and Herr Hesdörffer, begins its second year with a number full of articles on a variety of scientific topics. The journal must help to popularise science in the Fatherland, for its contents-both text and illustrationare excellent.

THE second year's meetings of the University Extension Philosophical Society will commence on Friday, October 27, at 8 p.m., when Mr. Bernard Bosanquet will give an address on "Atomism in Psychology," at Whitelands College, Chelsea. Among other gentlemen who will read papers during the present year are Prof. Sully, Mr. G. F. Stont, Mr. C. S. Loch, and Mr. P. H. Wicksteed.

THE trustees of the Australian Museum have issued their thirty-ninth annual report. We are sorry to notice that there has been a slight falling off in the attendance of visitors during the year 1892. The number of visitors was 130,701, being sewer by 2144 than in the previous year. The average week-day attendance was 265, and that for Sundays 712,

THE following lectures will be delivered at the Royal Victoria Hall during November :-November 7, Mr. Francis Bond, on "Norway and the Norwegians"; November 14, Prof. H. G. Seeley, F. R.S., on "Skulls"; November 21, Mr. James Swinburne, on "The Mechanics of Street Toys"; November 28, Mr. Douglas Carnegie, on "The Philosopher's Stone, or the Royal Road to Health and Wealth."

A NEW and revised edition of "Our Reptiles and Batrachians," by Dr. M. C. Cooke, has been published by Messrs. W. H. Allen and Co. As the author remarked in the preface of the original edition, he aimed at producing "a popular volume on a rather unpopular subject," and not a work for the man of science. The fact that a new edition has been called for shows that the general public appreciate tales of snake-stones and the incarceration of frogs in blocks of granite; of the "toad's envenomed juice," and incombustible salamanders. However, in the reading of these accounts something is learned concerning the habits and characters of the lizards, snakes, newts, toads, frogs, and tortoises indigenous to Great Britain; so instruction is happily combined with amusement.

THE "Zoological Record for 1892," edited by Mr. David Sharp, F.R. S., and being the twenty-ninth volume of zoological literature, has just been published. The scope of the Record has been greatly enlarged, and an index of special subjects has been included in each department, in addition to the list of titles and the taxonomical arrangement according to genera. It has not been possible, however, to make a complete epitome of pale on

tological literature; indeed, Mr. Sharp thinks that palæonto logists should undertake the compilation of a separate record. We are inclined to agree with this. Everyone knows that an incomplete record is of very little use; for valuable time may be wasted in searching through it for references which it does not contain. But if every branch of science had a publication which did for it what the "Zoological Record" does for zoology, scientific papers would be in a fair way of organisation.

SOME years ago Prof. Frank Clowes communicated to the Royal Society and to the Aberdeen meeting of the British Association the fact that there occurred in the neighbourhood of Nottingham a large area of sandstone, in which the cementing material was wholly crystalline barium sulphate. The subject was mentioned again in the Geological Section at the recent Nottingham meeting of the British Association, and several geologists gave instances of similar sandstone occurring in other parts of England. Prof. Clowes writes that he would be glad to learn of the occurrence of such sandstone in any locality, and to receive specimens for examination and chemical analysis.

WE have received part 4, vol. v. of the Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society, and are glad to find that both financially and numerically the society is in a satisfactory condition. Of the 250 members many are non-resi dent in the county, and it is probably owing to their help that for a small subscription the society is able to issue a goodly publication consisting of more than 190 pages. The address of the president, Mr. H. B. Woodward, of the Geological Survey, deals mainly with the geology of the county, which presents many very interesting features, and he also contributes a memoir (with portrait) of the late Caleb B. Rose, one of the fathers of Norfolk geology. These memoirs of local naturalists of note form a marked feature in the society's publication, as also do the lists of the fauna and flora of the county, the twelfth of which, namely the Coleoptera, by Mr. Jas. Edwards, in which 1728 species are enumerated, is included in the present number. Amongst the other contributions are a very interesting paper on tortoises in domestication, by Sir Peter Eade, containing measurements and weights of two tortoises, taken annually since the year 1886; notes on the occurrence of the Siberian pectoral sandpiper and Sowerby's whale in Norfolk, on the Lapland bunting, the Holkham shooting parties at the commencement of the present century, on Norfolk slugs, and other matters of local and general interest.

IN these Notes on August 24, reference was made to some recent modifications in the method for staining the cilia of micro-organisms. Strauss mentions in the Bulletin Médicale, 1892, No. 51, that he has succeeded in colouring the cilia of the cholera spirillum, the spirillum Metschnikowi, and Finkler Prior's spirillum in a living condition. For this purpose broth cultures, from 1-3 days old, are employed, one needle-loop of which is placed on a microscopic slip and carefully mixed with a needle-loop of Ziehl's fuchsin solution diluted with water (1: 3-4). A cover glass is then superposed, and the preparation examined under the microscope as rapidly as possible. The above-mentioned organisms become intensely red in colour, and many retain their motility for a short time, and at one of the pores may be seen the extremely thin corkscrew-shaped or wavy cilium-tinted pale red containing more highly coloured granules, which are disposed in longitudinal series in its interior. When the organism is no longer in a living condition, the cilia may still be seen although less distinctly, whilst numerous isolated and detached cilia may be seen moving with great activity in the fluid. Strauss has not so far been successful in exhibiting by this method the cilia of other organisms in a living condition.