The Upper Air

Sclentific curiosity knows no bound3. One of its latest manifestations is the attempt of Messieurs Basancon and Hermite at Paris to ascertain the com position of the air at great heights above the earth. For this purpose they send up balloons containing an instrument invented by Monsieur Hermite, which consista of a tube exhausted of air and fitted with a valve which autonatically opens at a time flxed in adrance. As soon as air has rushed into the tube the valve closes. The height tt which the tube was filled is known by means of a self-recording barometer. No important discovery has yet been achieved with this instrument, but interesting results are expected from it. It is the converse gf the Instruments which are used to bring up specimens of vater from great depths in the sea,