INSTRUCTOR. By R. H. WARN, Practical Tin-plate Worker. Containing practical and simple rules for striking the various patterns required for Sheet Iron, Zinc, Copper, and Tin-plate Workers. Illustrated by 32 Plates and Diagrams. This work has been examined, practically tested, and received a special note of recommendation from the Gas Meter Makers, Zinc Workers, and Tin plate Workers. Published and Sold by the Author only, 54, MARQUIS ROAD, CAMDEN SQUARE, LONDON, N.W. Price, handsomely bound in cloth, 108.; post-free, 10s. 6d. P.0.0. made payable Post-office, Camden-road. The parallel vice, tool holder, and the slide box are adjustable to various angles, and the whole machine swivels on its basis. ARTLEY'S SYSTEM of PLAYING Planes 8 by 4 inches with adjustable parallel vice and reversing feed motion. Complete, £12 10s. HA the PIANOFORTE or HARMONIUM WITHOUT LEARNING NOTES and without any other instructions. Price, stamps, 2. 6d. post-free from Publisher, WALTER HARTLEY, 57, Rhodes-street, Halifax, Yorkshire. Fifth Edition, price 60. SELF HELP TO PATENT LAW. Also, price 18., COLONIAL AND FOREIGN PATENT LAWS by GEORGE DAVIES, C.E. Published at the Office for Patente 4, St. Anne's-square, Manchester, by GEORGE DAVIES, C.E (late John Davies & Son). Established 1835. PATENTS. Mr. J. C. MEWBURN, BRITISH, FOREIGN, and COLONIAL PATENT AGENT and CONSULTING ENGINEER, gives prompt personal attention to all matters entrusted to him. Handbook on Patents sent post free.-Offee for Patents, 169, Fleet-street, London. NOTICE TO INVENTORS. 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Full particulars given in the HANDBOOK FOR INVENTORS, to be had gratis from No. 5, Serle-street, Lincoln's Inn, London, W.O., and from No. 87, St. Vincent-street, Glasgow. NVENTIONS PERFECTED, and al IN kinds of Machinery manufactured by 8. SMITH, 204, High Holborn, London. NOTICE TO INVENTORS BREWER & JENSEN, Engineers and Patent Agents, con tinue to transact business connected with Patents and Registra tions at most moderate charges. INVENTOR'S MANUAL gratis and post free. Established 1844-Offices: 83, Chancery-lane, London. PATE ATENTS.-NOTES FOR THE GUIDANCE OF INVENTORS (Reprinted from Engineering), may be had, post-free for 7 stamps, from the Author, Mr. W. LLOYD WISE, Office for Patents, Chandos Chambers, Buckingham-street, Adelphi, London W.C. LIVERPOOL PATENT OFFICE. W. P. THOMPSON & CO., 6, Lord-street, Liverpool. Largest patent and trademark business out of London. "Manual of Instructions," gratis. "Hand-book of Patent Law"-British Law only, 6d; of all Countries, 1878 edition, 2s. 6d. post-free. By W. P. THOMPSON, C.E. "The pitfalls into which an unwary inventor would run a risk of stumbling are pointed out. A trustworthy guide to patenteos."-ENGLISH MECHANIC. THE SCENOGRAPH. Tourists' Folding Pocket Camera. Under 1lb., complete with Lens, Stand, and Case, 35s. and 50s. By the new dry process chemicals are left at home, and the sensitive plates developed at leisure. No previous knowledge necessary. Manual of Instruction (with RUPTURES. By Her Majesty's Royal Letters Patent. WHITE'S MOC-MAIN LEVER TRUSS COMPANY (LIMITED). WHITE'S MOC-MAIN LEVER TRUSS IS allowed by upwards of 500 medical men to be the most effective invertion in the curative treatment of HERNIA. The use of a steel spring, so often hurtful in its effects, is here avoided, a soft bandage being worn round the body, while the requisite resisting power is supplied by the MOC-MAIN PAD and PATENT LEVER, fitting with so much ease and closeness that it cannot be detected, and may be worn during sleep. A descriptive circular may be had, and the Truss, which cannot fail to fit, forwarded by post, on the circumference of the body w the hips, being sent to the MANUFACTURER, MR. WHITE, 228, Piccadilly, London. Price of Double Truss, 31s. 6d., 428., and 52s. 6d. Postage free. ELASTIC STOCKINGS, KNEE-CAPS, &c. The material of which these are made is recommended by the faculty as being peculiarly ELASTIC and COMPRESSIBLE, and the best invention for giving efficient and permanent support in all cases of WEAKNESS, VARICOSE VEINS, &c. Price 4s. 6d., 78. 6d., 108., and 16s. each. Postage free. SPINAL MACHINES, LEG IRONS, And every description of Surgical Appliances. JOHN WHITE, Manufacturer, 228, Piccadilly, London. you TO CONSUMPTIVES. Would you toration, thereby relieving the lungs so that they can heal? Would you like to know how to expel the fever and stop the night sweats? Would you like to know how to strengthen the system up to a standard of good health, by a few life-giv ng herbal remedies? If so, send for my 32 page Treatise on Herbal Remedies for Lung Complaints." Sent to all applicants free of charge, prepaid by mail. Address PROF. O. PHELPS BROWN, 2 King Street, Covent Garden, London. Duplex and Single Wick Lamp Manufacturers. To be obtained of all respectable Ironmongers & Lamp Vendors. HOW TO PURCHASE A HOUSE FOR TWO GUINEAS PER MONTH, With Immediate Possession and no Rent to pay.-Apply at the Office of the BIRKBECK BUILDING SOCIETY, 29 & 30, Bouthampton-buildings, Chancery-lane. HOW TO PURCHASE A PLOT OF LAND FOR FIVE SHILLINGS PER MONTH, With Immediate Possession, either for Building or Gardening purposes.-Apply at the Office of the BIRKBECK FREEHOLD LAND SOCIETY, 29 and 30, Southampton-buildings, Chancery-iane. HOW TO INVEST YOUR MONEY WITH SAFETY. Apply at the Office of the BIRKBECK BANK, 29 & 30, Southampton buildings, Chancery-lane. Deposits received at varying rates of Interest for stated periods, or repayable on demand. Current Accounts opened with parties properly introduced. and Interest allowed on the minimum monthly balance English and Foreign Stocks and Shares purchased and sold, and as to the value of technical education. In become a new starting point in the theory The English Mechanic proposing the vote of thanks Mr. Lowthian of iron structures, and will be referred to AND WORLD OF SCIENCE AND ART. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1878. ARTICLES. 66 Bell pointed out that the superior education for some time to come as the authority for of the French had not prevented them from new formulæ. Many of the experiments making great mistakes in the introduction were made by firing gun-cotton above the of new methods, while, in spite of their dis- plates, while others were directed to asceradvantages, Englishmen had occasionally tain the power required to pull bars of iron made great discoveries; and Mr. Samuel- and steel into two pieces. The results son, in seconding, expressed the opinion obtained are of the greatest importance, that the combination of practice with science and are well deserving the serious attenwas the thing upon which both England tion of the bridge-builder and the shipand other countries must rely for insuring wright. The users of metal must in future the best results. Prof. Jordan then read an make a special selection for special purposes, interesting paper on the "Progress of Iron for it is clear that no wrought iron will THE IRON AND STEEL INSTITUTE. and Steel Industries," which was really an resist concussive force equal to mild steel. THE autumn meeting of the Iron and account of the resources of the ironworks If sea-water is found to attack and destroy Steel Institute was held last week at of France, with brief descriptions of the steel quicker than wrought iron, we must Paris in the rooms of the Société d'Encou- methods of working adopted in the different still continue to use the latter for the skin ragement pour l'Industrie Nationale. The districts. The paper was listened to with of the ship, but Mr. Adamson's experiments Institute was received by Prof. Gruner, great attention, and Mr. Lowthian Bell show conclusively that by the use of acting for M. Dumas, the president of the complimented the French ironmasters in Bessemer or Martin-Siemens steel, oneSociété d'Encouragement, and by M. Tresca, obtaining good results from coal and coke third of the total weight of a vessel may be president of the French Society of Civil which he was certain would be regarded saved, and at the same time greater strength Engineers. After brief speeches of welcome with contempt by nearly all the ironworkers may be obtained. Ordinary merchant or and thanks, Dr. Siemens took the chair, of England. The difficulty is surmounted Staffordshire iron, although only possessing and proceeded with his presidential duties. by careful washing of the coal, and by the a very small power to resist percussive Having announced the choice of the council attention paid to the coking, which is gene- force at a colour heat, is much better for the next president-Mr. Edward Wil- rally carried on in Coppee or Appolt ovens. adapted for a chain cable or a rod to liams-and transacted the routine business, On this point Mr. Bell asked for further suspend a steady load, than purer irons, Dr. Siemens delivered his presidential information as regards the results obtained but is not adapted for the manufacture of address. After alluding to the many names with the old beehive oven and the Coppee fowling-pieces or rifles, because by quick of distinguished foreigners who were mem- oven in the production of coke. The yield firing a colour heat may be approximately bers of the Iron and Steel Institute, and of coke from coal in close-distilling ovens developed, and then the barrel is liable to paying a passing tribute to the memory of is much in excess of that obtained with the burst and fly in pieces. According to Mr. members recently deceased, the president beehive oven, where the coal is exposed to Adamson, the strong metals that will carry turned to the position and prospects of the a highly heated current of atmospheric air. the highest tensile strain must be carefully iron and steel trade. The present low Mr. Bell has made many experiments with treated in the manufacture. No violence is prices are due mainly to foreign competi- different ovens, and the yield was quite admissible, and cold punching ought to be tion, and thanks to the courtesy of the equal to expectation; but when he came to abandoned as a barbarous system that French metallurgists, the English members test the coke in the blast furnace he found oftener than is suspected leads to destrucof the Institute have discovered that they that practically the same quantity of coal tion. The colour-heat tests ought, he have formidable rivals in the markets of was required to manufacture a ton of iron, thinks, to be impressed upon all workmen, the world; but, so said Dr. Siemens, we because whatever increase of yield was ob- to prevent the hammering of metals when shall return home with the further convic- tained in the shape of coke from the new half cold; where hammering is required it tion that those formidable rivals have ovens was made up by the superior quality would be better policy to only heat the iron behaved to us most generously in giving us of that obtained from the old beehive oven. with boiling water, or by applying steam access to their secrets of success.' In the The superior results obtained by the French against the surface. Finishing forgings by contest for cheapness, which just now en- are probably due to the fact that they are hammering at a black heat at all times gages the attention of the whole industrial obliged to crush and wash their coal. The proves injurious, unless great care is taken world, England will be able to hold her fact remains, however, that the Coppee and in the subsequent annealing, and it is own, owing to the abundant supply of fuel Appolt oven gives better results in France questionable, then, whether the full measure and ores, coupled with her ready means of than the old beehive, and the contrary is of strength is ultimately restored to or left intercommunication, and facilities for reach- found to hold good in England. The pre- in the metal. A dangerous temperature ing foreign markets-advantages which, in sident hoped that Mr. Bell and others would can be produced by allowing fly-shafts, the opinion of Dr. Siemens, more than com- not let the question drop, but would make railway carriage axles, and similar articles pensate for the somewhat higher rate of further experiments. to become so hot as to boil off the grease, wages paid in England. Considering also M. Tresca, in the course of some general as the strength of the purest iron is seriously the natural aptitude of the British race to remarks addressed to the meeting, referred affected at a heat of 600° Fahr. Mr. be stimulated to exertion under difficulty, to the question of the exhaustion of the Adamson's paper was received with much and the results revealed by recent statistics, supply of fuel, and expressed the opinion interest, and drew from the president an he sees no reason to alter the opinion he that so long as we had the rays of the sun emphatic expression of its value. expressed in his inaugural address. "Eng-acting upon the earth we need have no fear Siemens alluded to the fact that the Board land must for a long time retain the first on that head. It is probable that M. Tresca of Trade had, after a great deal of arguposition for massive and cheap productions, meant that when the coal supply began to ment, consented to allow steel to be used in whereas we shall probably find that our fail other means of obtaining the requisite engineering structures, but after the facts neighbours excel in the aptitude they evi- heat would be discovered. Prof. Akerman, produced by Mr. Adamson a revision of the dently possess for adapting new materials of Stockholm, read a paper on "The most rules must follow. Mr. Barnaby also spoke to particular purposes, of which the present Recent Advances in the Manufacture of on the subject, and stated that the Exhibition furnishes us with so many Iron and Steel," and referred to the sup- Admiralty proposed to use steel only in striking examples." Dr. Siemens then drew posed differences between Bessemer and future, but they took the precaution to test attention to the admirable system of tech- Martin steel, which he thought were not every plate by taking a shearing and heatnical education in France, and spoke in very pronounced, but regarded the two pro- ing it, treating it with cold water, and then terms of high praise of the skill and man- ducts as specially adapted, each for certain subjecting it to bending. As to punching agement that have rendered the works of work. He spoke of the method of prevent-versus drilling, Mr. Barnaby stated that the Le Creusot famous throughout the world. ing blowholes in steel castings by the addi. Admiralty were now building vessels in Situate in a district possessing only mode- tion of a small percentage of silicon, or by which many of the steel plates were rate deposits of inferior coal, and a meagre making them with an excess of carbon, and punched, and the loss was so insignificant clay ironstone, with a scanty population, annealing subsequently in contact with that it was not sufficient to warrant them and without any natural means of commu- oxides. The effect of hardening steel cast- in running the risk of having the plates nication with a shipping port, the works of ings in oil, and Sir Joseph Whitworth's badly annealed. For boiler-making drilling M. Schneider produce annually about plan of compressing by hydraulic power, was necessary, but much of the work in 125,000 tons of iron and steel wrought into were alluded to, and special attention was shipbuilding must be punched, and as a rails, forgings, plates, and finished engines, directed to the production of extremely matter of fact they had found that the remarkable for their good quality. At these hard tool steels by the addition of tungsten plates suffered more by the riveting up than works is the largest steam hammer in or chromium. The most valuable paper by the punching. Prof. Gruner also existence a weight of 80 tons falling read at the meeting was that by Mr. D. through 5 metres, being the most powerful Adamson, of Manchester, on the "Mechanitool of the kind yet made. The president cal and other Properties of Iron and Mild having referred to the papers about to be Steel," in which a record of numerous experead, concluded his address, which was riments on the strength of iron and steel was chiefly remarkable for the views expressed given. This paper will, if we mistake not, VOL. XXVIII.-NO. 705. Dr. expressed the opinion that the age of steel had arrived, though statements made to him by French engineers showed that in many cases it was a treacherous materia?, sometimes splitting spontaneously like badly annealed glass. The subject is engaging the undivided energies of the representative men amongst ironworkers in various parts of the world, and when the results obtained by Mr. Adamson become widely known we may expect that the Bessemer and the Martin-Siemens processes will be taken up with vigour, and civilisation will profit by the international competition which is seen in its most pleasant phase in the meeting of the French ironworkers with the Iron and Steel Institute. SUBMERGED TORPEDO BOATS. THAT portion of the world of New York which takes an interest in ships in general and torpedo boats in particular has been much excited ever since the spring of the present year by the doings of the distinguished Swedish engineer, Capt. John Ericsson, the whilom rival of George Stephenson. Capt. Ericsson, it was known, had invented a torpedo somewhat similar to the Whitehead, which was capable of going through the water at the almost incredible speed of 60 miles an hour for the first 250ft., and at such a speed for any desired distance as would enable the dynamite-carrying fish to burst through any nets or traps that a vessel could oppose to its progress. The details of the mechanism by which the torpedo is propelled are kept secret by Capt. Ericsson, but having ascertained its powers by experiment in the Hudson, he set about producing a torpedo boat which should be practically invulnerable and, with its deadly messengers, unattackable. That such a vessel is appropriately named Destroyer will not be disputed if the accounts that reach us from New York may be trusted; but it may well be doubted if such a vessel as Capt. Ericsson has designed and built is altogether the wonder that we are told. The monitors or "cheese boxes of the same inventor frequently came to an untimely end during the Civil War, and though we may readily enough confess that the Destroyer is a very terrible engine of war, we doubt whether she could defy with impunity a whole ironclad fleet. The vessel is long for her breadth and has fine lines, both ends being sharp thin wedges. The length is 130ft., depth 11ft., and extreme breadth 12ft. The rudder is attached to a wrought-iron post standing up from a prolongation of the keel, and is actuated by tillers formed by iron plates riveted on each side and connected by straight rods to the pistons of two hydraulic cylinders located near the keel. A four-way cock, worked by a wire >rope from the wheel, admits water to, and exhausts it from, the cylinders, so that all the steering gear but the wheel is several feet under water. Near the bow the lines of the vessel bulge on each side to admit of the construction of discharging tubes for the torpedoes, but the stern fines off like the body of a fish, the width for the last twelve feet ranging from 2ft. to a few inches. On a level with the sea-going water line, a curved iron-deck is fitted water-tight, so that water can be admitted between the two decks in order to sink the main below the surface. At a distance of 32ft. from the bow, and inclined at an angle of 45°, is an Sin, armour-plate extending across the vessel, supported by wood backing and the curved deck. This shield serves to protect the wheel and the base of the smoke stack, and as the vessel will always attack end on, discharging its torpedoes in a line parallel with the keel, the inclined armour-plate and the smoke stack will be the only objects at which aim can be taken. Capt. Ericsson believes that the vessel will be able to live at sea in any weather, and its buoyant properties are said to be as perfect as those of a lifeboat. The motive power for such a boat must necessarily be of peculiar construction if a speed of twenty-five miles an hour is to be attained, and accordingly we learn that Capt. Ericsson has built an engine of peculiar construction capable of yielding 1,000 horse-power on a low pressure of steam. The boilers (two in number) are, however, enormous, and occupy nearly the whole length of the middle hold, but no details have been published at present, so that we can only wonder by what means 1,000 horse-power is developed by a com| paratively small engine under a moderate pressure. The fact that the torpedo boat is submerged is not exactly a protection against projectiles, while the launch of an ironclad boldly dashed at the torpedo boat might give it just that extra amount of submergence which would prevent it ever coming up again. At the same time it must be remembered that the Destroyer is itself open to destruction by one of the enemy's torpedo boats. s. a.mh. m. s. 111 49 40 15,, 12 30 Declination South. Sidereal Time. " h. m. s. 1 3 14 34 12 40 20:49 611 48 8 65,, 12 48 12 5 10 32 13 0 3:26 1111 46 46-57,, 13 6 32 7 4 51 13 19 46-03 16 11 45 36-73, 13 25 58 56 47 13 39 28:80 21 11 44 41 69,, 13 43 53 10 45 33 13 59 11:57 26 11 44 356,, 14 2 58 12 30 21 14 18 54-34 31 11 43 43 77., 14 22 21 14 10 18 14 38 37′12 A solitary spot, at rare and distant intervals. affords the sole indication of any returning activity on the surface of the Sun, The Moon Enters her First Quarter at 7h. 0.9m. a.m. on October 3rd; and is Full at 8h. 544m. in the morning on the 11th. She enters her Last Quarter at 7h. 9.6m. a.m. on the 19th, and will be New at 10h. 584m. on the night of the 25th. Day of Month. Moon's Age at Noon. Souths. h. m. 4 27.3 p.m. 843.5 12, 5.2 29 " Days 1 4.9 3 16.7 a.m. 7 42.9 Experiments have been made recently at Birkenhead with the Garrett torpedo boat, a cigar-shaped vessel about 14ft. long by 5ft. in its greatest diameter. It weighs about 5 tons, and, floating at travelling level, exposes a conning tower, which rises about 2ft. from the centre of the boat. This tower forms the only hatchway of the vessel. It is square in section, fitted with windows and with a couple of short tubes closed by brass caps. A heavy lead keel keeps the boat in proper position, and it is propelled by a screw worked by treadle and fly-wheel. The boat is fitted with watertanks, and is provided with a small but powerful force-pump, by means of which it can be submerged or raised to the surface. Iron bottles containing compressed air and oxygen form part of the stores, but the secret appears to be contained in the tin cases of chemicals used for revivifying the breathed air. One of these cases is strapped to the back of the operator and the expired breath is conveyed through a tube to the The Moon will be in conjunction with Jupiter chemicals which revivify it and return it to at 4 p.m. on the 4th; with Saturn at 11 p.m. the atmosphere of the boat. When one on the 9th; with Mars at 6 a.m, on the 25th; case is exhausted another is adjusted, and with Venus 4 hours later; the supply of oxygen is kept up by the at 4 a.m. on the 26th. assistance of the bottleful which forms one of the indispensable stores. The bottles of compressed air are for the purpose of maintaining a suitable pressure within the boat. The torpedo gear is slung outside, and is reached by unscrewing the brass caps in the conning tower and passing the arms out through the closed sleeves which prevent the entrance of water. The hands are thus, as it were, covered with a glove while working outside the boat. It is worthy of note, however, that in the experiments the arrangement failed, the water forcing a leak in the fabric of which the sleeves were made. Artificial light is provided by a lamp composed of two Gassiot tubes, and communication with the shore or with an accompanying launch is intended to be kept up by means of a telephone. Mr. Garrett has remained beneath the surface for more than an hour on several occasions, and his boat is capable of being submerged at will. Its speed is only about 4 knots, but it is proposed to make a larger vessel to carry three as crew, and to be propelled by compressed air. The mechanical portion of the invention is provisionally protected, but Mr. Garrett attaches primary importance to the chemical discovery by which he is enabled to revivify the breathed air, and so dispense with any large supply of compressed air, which may of course be employed solely for obtaining motive power. The boat is made with plates 3-16ths of an inch thick, and was found of ample strength to withstand the pressure due to a depth of 30ft. The arrangements for attaching torpedoes to vessels are, however, far from perfect, and until these can be improved it may be doubted whether the invention will be of any practical utility. Occultations of (and a Near Approach to) Fixed Stars by the Moon. 48 42 p.m. Bright 301 384 10 7, Bright 282 302 2 23 a.m. Dark 317 346 7 6,, Dark 240 279 6 46 p.m. Dark 288 249 6 19,, Dark 287 253 6 21,, Dark 268 234 10 9,, Dark 257 218 138 98 21 Dark 5 53 p.m. Bright 113 1 8 a.m. Bright $5 29,, 9 17 15 33 Bright 103 1 47 a.m. Bright 2 p.m. + A near approach. Bright 6 +10 1 SSE 8 54 9 9 6 22,, 9 6 3 4. 9 Starting thus from the confines of Leo, Mercury will traverse the entire constellation of Virgo, and at the end of the month enter that part of Libra conterminous with it. He will be less than half a degree N. of Virginis in the early morning of the 8th; and about 1° S. of y Virginis on the 11th. He will be a little more than S. of 0 Virginis on the 16th, and some 4° N. of Spica on the 18th. Mercury will be in conjunction with Mars at 8 p.m. on the 12th. Juno will also travel through Aquarius, but, Saturn Is an evening Star during the entire month, and Mercury Is a morning Star during October; but is rapidly approaching the Sun, with which he comes into superior conjunction at 8 p.m. on the 24th. He will necessarily be best placed for the observer at the beginning of the month. Souths. Pallas thus travels through Aquarius. She will Day of Month. 4222 h. m. h. m. 8 0.4 10 51.2 8 51.0 p.m. 18 4 53.1 N 10 52.4 a.m. 28 8 12.7 11 2:4 h. m. s. 1 II I Ec R 6 7 41 p.m. 9 59 0 I Sh I 11 15 0 " I Oc D 7 19 0 I Ec R 10 53 30 دو I I I IV III دو دو 11 16 2° 50-3 11 17.3 p.m. 10 56.3 I The path indicated by the above ephemeris Continues practically invisible. دو دو Neptune Is now very well placed for the observer; " Day of month. Right Declination Souths. Venus will thus, as it were, follow Mercury from the confines of Leo across nearly the whole of Virgo; describing, however, a somewhat shorter path, and not passing quite out of the last-named Constellation. She will be only about 12' N. of 7 Virginis on the 10th; and some 21' S. of 0 on the 21st. She will be about 4° N. of Spica Virginis on the 24th. Venus will be in conjunction with Mars at 9 a.m. on the 21st. Continues to be close to the Sun, and is, of course, invisible. The Three Minor Planets, Ceres, Pallas, and Juno, may all be fairly well seen during the present month, Ceres coming into opposition on the 29th.-CERES. " A retrograde path lying in that absolutely Showers of these bodies may be looked for Ec. Eclipse; Oc. Occultation; Tr. Transit of Satellite; Sh. Transit of Shadow; D. Disappearance; R. Reappearance; I. Ingress; E. Egress. The printing of a phenomenon in italics indicates that its visibility is rendered doubtful, either by the brightness of the twilight, or by Jupiter's proximity to the horizon. Greenwich Mean Time of Southing Fifteen of the Principal Fixed Stars, on the Night of October 1st, 1878. of Jupiter Pegasi . Piscium a Andromeda ... ... در دو Right Declination Souths. 1 h. m. 19 58.6 Souths. 21 22.0 The method of determining the Local Mean Time of Transit of either of the Stars in the above List will be found on page 60 of Vol. XXIII.; and that of finding the instant of its A short path described wholly in a blank region Meridian Passage at Greenwich on any other in Sagittarius. night in October on p. 393 of Vol. XXII. وو وو دو THERMO-ELECTRIC TELEPHONY. AMONGST the numerous patents obtained since the telephone became famous, we find one awarded to the invention of Mr. C. W. Harrison, of South Kensington, which is so far remarkable that the patentee claims to produce a thermo-electric beat corresponding to the electric undulation created by the sound-wave of the ordinary telephone. spiral is supported at intervals of the nodal | electro-magnets are arranged with south BEE MANAGEMENT. (Continued from p. 645, Vol. XXVII.). T will be evident to any one examining a bar The first part of the invention relates to the ferent thicknesses in proportion to the pitch of frame hive for the first time that, unless construction of an electric telephone of great sensitiveness and simplicity by utilising a thermo-electric battery arranged in a manner suited to the object in view. One method by which the patentee was enabled to carry on conversation at a distance through a connecting wire or line consists in speaking direct upon the electrodes of a thermo-battery, or upon one of the electrodes, or upon some suitable surface connected with them, and thus producing from the warmth of the breath a thermo-electric beat or wave corresponding with the air-wave produced by the voice. Fig. 1 is a transverse sectional elevation of a thermo battery in its simple form, which the patentee finds well adapted for the purposes of his invention. A is a ring of amalgamated copper, lead, or other suitable metal in slight adjustable contact with a disc of carbon, B, which is attached by glue or by other suitable means to a block of wood, C, the adjustment of the contact between the electrodes being effected by the screws, E, passing through the bridge, D. The face and handle, F, are of wood, the former having the form shown to guide the air-waves, and the latter being bored out to allow the wires from the two electrodes to pass down the terminals, G, to which also the line wires, H, are connected. The words to be conveyed should be directed towards, and be spoken near to, the face of the carbon plate, B. the notes; these wires may be straight or bent, Α FIG. A FIG.3 FIG. 5 8 some means are taken to compel the bees to build along the centre of the top bar, the devious track they will pursue will render the whole hive useless, as instead of each comb being confined to a single bar, it would probably run diagonally through four or five. Several means have been adopted to compel the bee to follow the line of the bar; the simplest being a narrow ridge of wax running along the centre of the under side of the top bar, which answered the purpose very well, as the bees use it as the foundation of the midrib of each comb. As the running of a ridge of wax in a straight line along a bar was found a rather difficult operation, a strip of wood was fastened on the bar, along the edge of which strip the wax was easily laid. From this to the use of a bar, in which a tongue runs along the under side, was but a step. Any of these means may be used, but they have been superseded by impressed wax-sheets, which we will now describe, and the advantage to be gained by the use of them. If any one will take a piece of old comb which has been devoted to brood, and attempt to break or cut it, it will be found to possess a toughness many times greater than that of newly-built comb. On close examination it will be found that each cell is lined with many thicknesses of a peculiar membrane, each thickness having acted as cocoon to a larva when Fig. 3 is a front elevation, and Fig. 4 a side passing into the chrysalis state. As the larva elevation of another form of the single pair elecwhich first occupied the cells closely fitted trode thermo-battery, in which the mechanism their cocoons to the cell walls and floor, and as is constructed of great delicacy and lightness, each succeeding generation as carefully fitted so that a very faint sound will cause it to act their cocoons to the preceding ones, an old efficiently. A is a carbon plate, suspended on brood comb may be roughly compared to a series pivots at its upper end, and when vertical is in of short tubes of larvæ pellicle, cemented side very light contact with a shoe, B (carbonby side with wax. It will thus be readily seen faced), which is capable of adjustment relative that, if the wax be slowly melted on one side to the plate, A. When the shoe is drawn a comb, while the other side be kept comparatowards the plate, A, the latter is put out of tively cool, the whole of one side may be the vertical, and so presses more on to the shoe, removed, leaving the other side of the comb giving greater contact. The adjustment may uninjured. The best way to proceed is to obtain be further effected by the set screw, C. The a comb which is quite or almost free from polpatentee has also devised a thermo-battery len, and which has been devoted to brood. If with six pairs of elements. These consist of the comb is crooked, it must be warmed and wires attached and in contact by hook-and-eye flattened. Next lay it on a tea-tray, with one arrangement, the wires passing round a block wet cloth under it, and another folded round of wood with a terminal at each end, to each the edges of the comb, and hold the whole in of which an end wire is attached, the wires front of a bright fire. In a short time the wax being alternately different metals, by preferwill begin to melt, and the cells may be removed ence amalgamated copper and platinised lead. a few at a time, until the whole of the upper side In a similar battery, the alternate wires, Fig. 5 illustrates a vertical sectional eleva- of the comb is removed. A pair of wooden instead of being connected by hook-and-eye tion of a receiver constructed according to the tweezers may be made which will greatly assist arrangement, have their ends laid in contact invention. A is the stand capable of adjustment in the operation, if no better ones are at hand. in pairs in carbonised grooves burnt in the face as to height, as shown. Surmounting the top is a or a piece of brass bent like a U, and sharpened of a block. In some cases when it is desired to horizontal cylinder, B, filled with discs of car-at the ends. When finished the whole must be increase the effect by a more powerful current, bon, C, through the centre of which passes a put away undisturbed till quite cold, as the the patentee uses in addition to the warmth of rod, D, at one end of which is a button, E, of least touch will injure it while soft and warm. the breath that of the thumb and finger, by vulcanite or ivory, and at the other a screw On examining it, it will be found that the touching the electrodes or the terminal; he thread and nut, by which the contact of the thus produces continuous current to be varied discs may be increased in pressure or diminished. by the waves of sound and heat emanating F is the mouthpiece for directing the soundfrom the breath. In all these forms of thermo- waves on to the discs of carbon. From each of battery the warmth of the breath should be the end discs a wire is led down to a terminal brought to bear on the electrodes. at the base of the instrument. The current FIG. 4 passes through the instrument, and the air shape of the cell bottoms is faithfully preserved, and a cast may be taken in plaster of Paris, which will be a counter-type of an “impressed sheet." After trimming the cast until it is the size of the bar in use, and oiling the face of it, a second cast may be made from the first, which will also require trimming. Having got thus far, it is necessary to describe the least simple of the two plans which may be followed, as at this point the two divide. Another part of the invention relates to the employment of flat or other spirals or coils of wire attached at each end, or at stations on the line wire. The words to be conveyed are spoken Mr. Harrison calls this instrument a receiver, on to one or more of these coils, and received but it would appear to be a transmitter. The at the other end by similar coils. Other sounds receiver, however, is presumably Bell's teleFrom each of the two moulds a cast in type may be similarly conveyed. The coils may be phone, as the patentee says that the sounds metal may be taken, or they may be copied by employed with or without a local battery. transmitted may be repeated by any known electrotype, and the copies strengthened by a Sometimes the coils are made a source of elec- suitable means. A convenient arrangement of backing of lead. Whatever plan may be tricity by being constructed compound, i.e., of repeater for this purpose consists in an electro- adopted, it will be found that, as the moulds more than one metal, or by coating them with magnet and metal diaphragm, which latter he fit into each other, by placing between them a magnetic sand, or by other suitable means. In prefers to make of well-annealed iron, as bare thin sheet of wax, a moderate pressure will his experiments Mr. Harrison has found that as possible; this is best obtained by electro indent upon the wax the depressions in the the conducting wire of the circuit will produce deposition. The diaphragm should be as thin plate, and transform the plain sheet in a few sonorous vibrations in accordance with the as possible at the centre (having regard to con- seconds into the fac-simile of the midrib of a variations in the current. For this purpose he tinuity), increasing in thickness towards the comb. If preferred, an electro may be taken prefers that the spiral should be of soft iron, margin to about seven or eight times its thick- direct from the comb, but I should recommend and that it should be stretched over a sounding ness, and thus present a somewhat concave the plaster cast to be used, and the comb stored board with a moderate degree of tension. The face towards the mouth of the receiver. The away for future use. Before explaining the |