66

an

exhibition by Major C. S. Cumberland, by whom they had been obtained, and proposed the name of Cervus elaphus yarkandensis for this form.-Mr. Sclater exhibited and made remarks on some living specimens of what are commonly called Spinning or Japanese Mice.-Mr. Sclater also exhibited and made remarks on some mounted heads of Antelopes from Somali-land, belonging to Captain Swayne, R.E., amongst which was example of the recently described Swayne's Hartebeeste (Bubalis swaynei).-Mr. A. Smith-Woodward exhibited and made remarks on examples of the supposed jaws and teeth of Bothrio lepis from the Upper Devonian formation of Canada.-Mr. F. E. Beddard read a paper containing the results of his examination of the Chimpanzee Sally" and the Orang "George,' lately living in the Society's Menagerie. The author's remarks referred principally to the external characters and the muscular anatomy of these Anthropoid Apes.-A communication from Mr. A. G. Butler gave an account of a collection of Lepidoptera from Sandakan, North-East Borneo.-Mr. G. A. Boulenger gave an account of a third collection of Fishes made by SurgeonMajor A. S. G. Jayakar at Muscat, East Coast of Arabia. Amongst these was a specimen of Histiopterus typus, a fish described in "Fauna Japonica," but not since recognized; and an example of a new species of Box, proposed to be called B. lineatus.-A communication from Dr. W. B. Benham contained a description of three new species of Earthworms from British Colombia and South Africa. These were proposed to be called Plutellus perrieri, Microcheta papillata, and M. belli.-Mr. F. E. Beddard read a paper on some new species of Earthworms of the genus Perichata.-A communication was read from Dr. H. Bolau, on the specimens of Heliactus pelagicus and H. branickii, now living in the Zoological Gardens of Hamburg. Coloured drawings of these nearly allied Sea Eagles were exhibited.

Anthropological Institute, February 9.-E. B. Brabrook, Vice-President, in the chair.-Mr. Walhouse exhibited the skull of a Dacoit leader from the Chin country on the Burmese and Chinese frontier; also a quiver and several other Chin objects sent to him by Captain E. S. Hastings.-The following papers were also read :-On the exploration of Howe Hill Barrow, Duggleby, Yorkshire, by J. R. Mortimer; and on the human remains found in Howe Hill Barrow, by Dr. J. G. Garson.

In

Royal Meteorological Society, February 17.-Dr. C. Theodore Williams, President, in the chair.-The following papers were read :-The untenability of an atmospheric hypothesis of epidemics, by the Hon. Rollo Russell. The author is of opinion that no kind of epidemic or plague is conveyed by the general atmosphere, but that all epidemics are caused by human conditions and communications capable of control. this paper he investigates the manner of the propagation of influenza, and gives the dates of the outbreaks in 1890 at a large number of islands and other places in various parts of the world. Mr. Russell says that there is no definite or known atmospheric quality or movement on which the hypothesis of atmospheric conveyance can rest, and when closely approached it is found to be no more available than a phantom. Neither lower nor upper currents have ever taken a year to cross Europe from east to west, or adjusted their progress to the varying rate of human intercourse. Like other maladies of high infective capacity, influenza has spread most easily, other things being equal, in cold calm weather, when ventilation in houses and railway-cars is at a minimum, and when, perhaps, the breathing organs are most open to attack. But large and rapid communications seem to be of much more importance than mere climatic conditions. Across frozen and snow-covered countries and tropical regions it is conveyed at a speed corresponding, not with the movements of the atmosphere, but with the movements of population and merchandise. Its indifference to soil and air, apart from human habits depending on these, seems to eliminate all considerations of outside natural surroundings, and to leave only personal infectiveness, with all which this implies of subtle transmission, to account for its propagation -The origin of influenza epidemics, by Mr. H. Harries. The author has made an investigation into the facts connected with the great eruption of Krakatao in 1883, and the atmospheric phenomena which were the direct outcome of that catastrophe. He has come to the conclusion that the dust derived from the interior of the earth may be considered the principal factor concerned in the propagation of the recent influenza epidemics, and that, as this volcanic dust invaded the lower levels of the atmosphere, so a peculiar form of sickness assailed man and beast. --Report on

the phenological observations for 1891, by Mr. E. Mawley. This report differs in many respects from the previous reports on the same subject. Among other changes, the number of plants, &c., selected for observation has been greatly reduced, while the number of observers has considerably increased. The winter of 1890-91 proved in England very destructive to the root-crops, as well as to green vegetables and tender shrubs. Birds also suffered severely. In Scotland and Ireland, however, there was scarcely any severe weather until March. The flowering of wild plants was greatly retarded by cold in the spring, but during the summer the departures from the average were not so great. The harvest was late, and its ingathering much interfered with by stormy weather.-Note on a lightning discharge at Thornbury, Gloucestershire, July 22, 1891, by Dr. E. H. Cook. EDINBURGH.

in the chair.-Prof. C. G. Knott read a paper on the magnetizaRoyal Society, January 18.-Prof. Chrystal, Vice-President, tion of iron by a current passing through it. The experiments were an attempt to get some insight into the nature of circular magnetization as it exists in an iron wire carrying a current. Direct experiment seemed hopeless. Accordingly, tubes were used, in which the circular magnetization was measured by the induction current produced in a coil wound longitudinally round the wall of the tube. The circular magnetization could be produced either by an axial current along a copper wire threading the tube, or by a sectional current from end to end along the tube itself. Several tubes of different bores were used in pairs, the induction, axial or sectional, in one being balanced, by adjustment of resistances in the secondary circuits, against the induction, axial or sectional, under the influence of the same current in the other. The average magnetic force acting round the tube was calculated in accordance with the usual assumptions, and this, taken along with the observed induction, gave an average permeability. The general result was that the sectional induction accompanying a given current is greater by about 7 per cent. than it would be if the usual theory as to the relation between it and the axial current were accurate. Direct experiment appreciably showed that a current flowing through iron does not increase permeability to inductive forces acting perpendicular to the current, so that the deviation mentioned must be due to the faultiness of the theory. greater current densities, such as exist in the circularly magnetized wire, this deviation may be even more pronounced.-A paper, written by Mr. R. W. Western, on tactics adopted by certain birds when flying in the wind, was read. In this paper an attempt was made to explain the advance of certain birds against the wind without motion of the wings.-A paper, by Dr. A. B. Griffiths, on ptomaines extracted from urine in certain infectious diseases, was communicated.-Prof. Tait read the second part of a paper on impact. In the series of experiments described in this part of the paper, blocks of the various substances dealt with, similar in shape to those used in the first set of experiments, but larger in size than they were, were used. The mass of the impinging body was also larger than formerly, and in some experiments the part of it which impinged upon the substance was made of a V-shape instead of flat. The paper contained a comparison of the present results with the former.-Prof. Tait also read a note on the critical isothermal of carbonic acid as given by Amagat's experiments. Throughout a considerable range of volume this isothermal is practically flat.

With

The

February 1.-The Rev. Prof. Flint, Vice-President, in the chair. A paper by Dr. Piazzi Smyth, formerly Astronomer-Royal for Scotland, on the latest physical geography from Greenland, was read.-A paper, by Mr. R. Brodie, on the equilibrium and pressure of arches, with a practical method of ascertaining their true shape, was communicated. method involves the use of a very simple and easily applied geometrical construction.-Prof. Tait read a note on the isothermals of mixtures of gases. In this note reference was made to a possible explanation of the flatness (indicated in Amagat's recent experiments) of the critical isothermal of carbonic acid near the critical point as due to the presence of a small quantity of air.

PARIS.

Academy of Sciences, February 22.-M. d'Abbadie in the chair.-On a geometrical interpretation of the expression of an angle with two normals infinitely close to a surface, and on its

THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 1892.

THE SCIENCE MUSEUM AND THE TATE

GALLERY.

HE men of science of this country owe a deep debt

geology, for which a special Museum exists in Jermyn Street.

One hundred and fifty thousand square feet being required, a plot of 500,000 square feet was provided; and it is quite certain that, at some not very distant time, the space not yet built on will be required. We cannot,

careful inquiry into the questions raised by the suggested use, for Mr. Tate's gallery, of land bought for scientific purposes, he has decided that the scientific claim must hold good. It is impossible to over-estimate the importance of this decision. Had it been otherwise, the possibility of establishing in London an institution which should be for Science what the National Gallery is for Art and the British Museum Library for Literature would have been wrecked for a generation.

One can easily imagine that it was not easy for a Chancellor of the Exchequer to come to such a conclusion-not easy, that is, to one who was prepared only to look at the surface of things.

On the one hand, there was the tempting offer of £80,000 from a well-known public benefactor, about which large sum so much has been said that very few have thought it worth while to consider either the value of the plot or what capital sum would represent the annual outlay necessary to keep up the gallery when once built; an outlay which, of course, would fall upon the nation.

a

On the other hand, the Lord President of the Council, who is responsible for the Science and Art Department (and, as many people think, however erroneously, for the proper setting out and consideration of any national question touching Science or Art), seemed to be willing that Mr. Tate should have his way. Nor was this all; the Report of the Committee appointed by the Treasury a few years ago is so vaguely drafted that it now appears that the view which we and others took in discussing its recommendations at the time was incorrect. The question referred to this Committee dealt with the space necessary for the housing of the science collections which had been brought together as nucleus for the Science Museum, the establishment of which was recommended in 1874 by the Duke of Devonshire's Commission. The Committee's Report recommended that 90,000 square feet should be provided. We and others naturally took this to mean that this was in addition to the existing space. The modern gloss, however, is that this represented the whole space necessary, in the opinion of the Committee, for a complete Museum dealing with all the inorganic sciences (except geology and mineralogy) and their industrial applications! It may even be that this idea has been placed before Mr. Goschen. If so, all the greater credit to him for having seen through the fallacy of a view which it is absolutely impossible can ever have been in the heads of the scientific members of the Committee.

As we pointed out recently, it is better not to deal with opinions in such a matter as this, if facts are available; they exist. The space considered necessary not very many years ago for the sciences represented in the Natural History Museum was 150,000 square feet, nearly double that already mentioned. In the case of these sciences, moreover, "industrial applications" cannot be exhibited at all-except, by the way, in the case of

the point of view of possible, or rather certain, future extensions; while all will agree that a national building of this class is all the better for standing a little away from noisy and dusty roads.

This, then, is the available fact with which we can deal, and we must again state whither it leads us; for in Mr. Goschen's letter to Mr. Tate, admirable though it is as a complete statement of the case, there is one phrase to which we must take exception. To show its force, we quote the whole sentence :

"In conclusion, allow me to say that I can well understand that the difficulties in finding a suitable home for your collection, notwithstanding your munificent offer to build yourself, may not unnaturally have caused you some vexation. I think you will, however, admit that the Government have shown their desire to meet you in every possible way, and are willing to incur considerable In the first outlay themselves in carrying out your plan. instance, we not only offered the eastern and western galleries for housing British art, but adopted the plan of uniting them by a cross gallery, which seemed to remove many of the objections. When you came to the conclusion that the proportions given to the plan were not large enough or distinct enough to suit your views, and when you suggested the site at the corner of the Imperial Institute Road, I hoped that a solution had been found, and that this arrangement would meet with general acceptance. You are aware of the storm which followed, and though, in my own judgment, the Government land at Kensington was of so large an area that, by some understanding between the representatives of science and those of art, satisfactory means could be provided for assigning sites for every purpose, I was nevertheless so anxious that no obstacles should prevent the execution of your plans, that I consented to recommend the Government to incur a very considerable pecuniary liability if the Corporation of London should, on their part, offer the site on the Embankment on terms which were suggested to me as not impossible."

Now, the land at Kensington, of so large an area," consists of something like 300,000 square feet, say three-fifths of the site occupied by the Natural History Museum: of this, Mr. Tate demanded roughly 100,000 square feet-thus leaving 200,000.

Of this, the new laboratories for physics, astronomical physics, and chemistry, if these are to be on the scale of similar institutions in a second-rate German town, will, including the necessary lighting spaces, &c., require 100,000 square feet. This leaves 100,000.

But this remainder, on which there is to be built a Science Museum, is less than two-thirds of the exhibiting space of the Natural History Museum as it stands at present, to say nothing of the total area devoted to it!

It is clear, then, that Mr. Goschen has not had the facts placed before him by those upon whom he has relied for his information. While the official prompting has tended one way, the opinions of the President and Officers of the Royal Society and other men of science have clearly tended another; and Mr. Goschen's final

attitude is, to a large extent, due to the weight which he has wisely and bravely attached to the latter.

"The proposal," he says, "has not met with the general acceptance which we anticipated for it. On the contrary, it is strenuously opposed by what appears to be the whole body of opinion representing scientific interests; and, although it might be possible to provide adequately for those interests and at the same time appropriate the site proposed to the British Art Gallery, I cannot say that the discussions in that sense with which we have for some time been occupied have so far had any effect in diminishing opposition from those quarters."

The opposition has, we may remark, not changed because the facts have not changed, and we do not think it would have been started if any modus vivendi had been possible.

And here we approach a side of the question which shows that as the world grows older, questions of science and art are not managed in this country any better than they used to be, and that some radical change is necessary in our manner of dealing with them. A correspondent of the Pall Mall Gazette ascribes this to Tory government. It is easy to see that the administrative system and not party government is to blame.

Mr. Goschen, in his letter, states that Mr. Tate himself suggested the site on the science ground, and it may be that some friends of science have said or thought hard things of Mr. Tate in consequence.

Mr. Tate replies :

"I did not suggest the site at the corner of the Imperial Institute Road, and was only aware of it when it was pointed out to me as the plot offered by the Government as a desirable site for the Gallery of British Art, and with that site I expressed myself satisfied."

It must therefore be taken that it was the Government itself that offered the site. Did the Government offer first and consider afterwards? for Mr. Goschen now admits that it "would not be wise to assign this corner site to the Gallery of British Art." Another point can be best stated by again quoting from Mr. Goschen:

"When it [the scheme] was first mooted, the intention was that works of British painters from the National and South Kensington Galleries should be transferred to the new gallery. It has since been ascertained that the trustees of the National Gallery are not disposed to fall in with this intention, and that the Science and Art Department is precluded by the terms of its various trusts from parting with many of its most important works."

The Science and Art Department is not more precluded" now than it was when the land was offered to Mr. Tate. The preclusion dates from 1857, and it apparently was not known to those who, as it would now seem, without consulting the Science and Art Department, were ready both to hand over pictures and land.

We give these two instances as indications of the result of the present system of dealing administratively with such questions.

We have already stated that the scientific world is under great obligations to Mr. Goschen; but we must also point out that the President and Officers of the Royal Society, and the other men of science who memorialized Lord Salisbury and attended the deputation, have rendered a service to science worthy of the high position they hold.

There are men of science employed at South Kensington, it is true; but they, as we have said before, have no official voice in such matters as these.

Since it seems we may now hope that the land has been saved for scientific purposes, it is much to be desired that some representative of science in the House of Commons should move for a Committee on which the Treasury and the Office of Works, the Science and Art Department (though judging from recent events the lastnamed is too frequently ignored when questions directly connected with its duties are under consideration), together with the Roya! Society and the Professors of the Royal College of Science, may be represented.

Mr. Goschen's answer on Monday to Dr. Farquharson's question as to what steps had been taken to provide for the building of the Science Museum, and for the extension of the Royal College of Science so urgently required, shows us clearly that it will be some time before the teaching at South Kensington will have passed through its present camping-out stage.

Mr. Goschen acknowledges that

"it has been impossible to take any steps towards beginning the erection of a Science Museum or the extension of the Royal College of Science until the question connected with the British Art Gallery had been settled. I myself had visions of a scheme, independently of building on the controversial corner, which I had thought might have given ample satisfaction both for the present and future to the scientific world, but the matter will now have to be reconsidered."

In answer to another question Mr. Goschen admitted that the scientific work at South Kensington is at present cramped, and stated that, in conjunction with the Commissioner of Works, he would endeavour to find some temporary buildings to meet the difficulty before the final scheme is adopted.

Let us hope that, some time before another generation has passed away, the "administration" which has led to the present impasse may be ameliorated, and that useful buildings on the site may prove to everybody the justice of the views held by the men of science in this matter.

THE CORRESPONDENCE OF CHRISTIAN

HUYGENS.

Euvres Complètes de Christiaan Huygens. Publiées par la Société Hollandaise des Sciences. Tome quatrième, Correspondance 1662-63. (La Haye: Martinus Nijhoff, 1891.)

THE

HE fourth volume of the Huygens correspondence, covering the years 1662-63, is now before us. Although the interval, as regards fresh discoveries by the "Dutch Archimedes," was a comparatively barren one, the 249 letters referable to it (to say nothing of supplementary documents) afford materials for much instruction, and some entertainment. It is much to learn that the greatest astronomer of his time sought to keep in touch with Paris in respect to the cut and colour of his clothes; nor can we be indifferent as to the precise date of his beginning to wear a wig. On June 15, 1662, at the age of thirty-four, he communicated to his brother Constantine the distressing intelligence of his incipient baldness; a remedy for which, in the shape of the best perruque to be had in Paris, was provided in the following

October. A similar article of attire, despatched by him to the Hague for his elder brother's wear, figures in several letters, and engaged many anxious thoughts; but a little plot concocted by the par nobile fratrum for extracting the price-amounting to four and a half louisfrom the liberality of their father, the Secretary, appears to have been baffled. They were, indeed, often made to feel-though not with any unreasonable harshness-that he who keeps the purse holds the reins; for the paternal authority exercised in their family was of no shadowy kind. The elder Constantine ordered his three sonsmiddle-aged, in Dante's sense, though they were-from realm to realm at his good pleasure, and was obeyed with out hesitation. And notwithstanding that his demands from Paris for optical toys-pocket-telescopes, magiclanterns, and the like-gave Christian considerable annoyance, he did not venture to refuse, or so much as remonstrate against the fulfilment of paltry, troublesome, and, to his sentiment, humiliating commissions. however, stooped instead to the scarcely laudable subterfuge of begging his brother Louis, then in Paris, to abstract one of the three lenses of the lantern, and so bring about at least a postponement of his father's appearance at the Louvre in the character of showman to scientific "marionettes," no longer claiming even the distinction of novelty.

He,

Huygens spent the whole of 1662 in Holland, occupied mainly with experiments on the "weight and spring of the air." Pneumatic inquiries just then, largely through Boyle's example, raised very general curiosity; and pneumatic engines attracted much constructive ingenuity. The mode of creating vacua had been recently arrived at; phenomena of an unforeseen kind thence ensued, and led to continual surprises; their investigation involved that of the qualities and functions of the air; upon which the learned, accordingly, promptly and eagerly entered. Huygens among the number; yet with no result of the first order of importance. He fabricated an improved air-pump; and observed by its means some apparently anomalous effects, which occupied many of his thoughts, and gave rise to an extensive correspondence, both with French savants, and with Sir Robert Moray as the representative of the Royal Society of London. They did not, however, prove to possess all the significance which he was at first disposed to attach to them. Less than his customary success, also, about this time attended his efforts to give to pendulum-clocks the perfection needed for the solution of the problem of longitudes. His coadjutor was the ingenious Alexander Bruce, a few months later Earl of Kincardine, who, with unlucky result, took a pair of the carefully-adjusted timepieces on a trial voyage from the Hague to London in December 1662. The sea was rough; the ship a small one, but with large capacities for rolling and pitching; whereby a test more searching than tolerable was applied to the novel mechanism. One clock, thus "furiously shaken," lost the bob of its pendulum; the other stopped, and their custodian, having succumbed to sea-sickness, could do next to nothing to remedy the damage. Evidently, the purpose in view demanded some better invention, such as, indeed, Robert Hooke had already hit off, but, after his usual volatile fashion, had thrown, still incomplete, aside. On arriving in Paris, April 3, 1663, the first care of our

mathematician was to have himself bled, in order to get rid the sooner of a cold caught on the journey of six full days from Brussels; and the operation, singularly enough, produced the intended effect. His next desire was to place himself au courant of the state of practical optics in the French capital, and to compare his lenses with those ground and polished by Auzout and D'Espagnet. The handiwork of the latter excited his particular admiration; but the secret of his methods was carefully guarded, and Huygens records, with a perceptible shade of irritation, the vigilance of the Bordeaux alchemist over a case of lenses which might, for the care bestowed in keeping them tucked under his arm, have been a box-full of pistoles. He found, however, "Messieurs les Lunettiers" less advanced than he had expected in their grand schemes for telescopes 80 and 100 feet in length.

He set out with his father for London on June 7, and both were present three days later at a meeting of the Royal Society, where they were entertained with "occasional observations," and "promiscuous discourses," relating to petrifactions, the smutting of corn, the amelioration of flowers, and sundry other topics. Christian testified his usual courteous interest in the proceedings; but expressed, none the less, in one of his confidential letters to his brother Constantine, something of scorn for the miscellaneous doings at Gresham College. And he felt himself, he said, no whit the wiser for his election as a Fellow of the Society on June 17, 1663. English festivities, however, he admitted to be splendid. "This is the true land of good cheer," he wrote, after a succession of dinners given by the Earls of Manchester, Albemarle, and Devonshire, all of which were outdone by the brilliant hospitality at Roehampton of the Dowager Countess of Devonshire. A Court ball evoked no special comment; and perhaps Huygens's most genuine interest in London was in his visits to Sir Peter Lely's studio. Both he and Constantine dabbled about that period in pastels, and the recipe by which Lely's crayons were fabricated was an object of eager desire to them. It was freely imparted, and is here printed (p. 372).

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Huygens quitted London on October 1, and spent the remainder of the year in Paris. And since his movements were regulated, not by the claims of science, but by family arrangements, his letters thence referred to no critical problems of that age. They are accordingly more readable," in the general sense, than might have been expected from a geometer of his profundity; those addressed to his brothers, which form the majority in the present volume, being even playful and diverting. To them he showed himself without disguise. He sent them lively causeries, rather than formal epistles; social jottings, family intelligence, the first hints of his anticipated triumphs, his unvarnished opinions of his contemporaries : they alone were allowed to see that there was a keen edge to his wit. His erudite correspondents on occasions put him fairly out of patience; yet to Louis Huygens alone was it confided that he thought Chapelain intolerably tedious, and Petit uncommonly dull. Constantine, on the other hand, was the recipient of his impressions touching the harpsichord performance of William Brereton, a distinguished member of the Royal Society. Its effect upon a trained musician like Huygens can easily be gathered from the ominous facts that the player was