124 



NA TURE 



\yune I, 1876 



by Dr, E. Coues. — Prof. Martin Duncan, F.R.S., read the 

 second portion of a memoir on the Madreporaria dredged up 

 during the expedition of H.M.S Porcupine. — Prof. Duncan also 

 read descriptions of new littoral and deep-sea corals from the 

 Atlantic Ocean, the Antilles, the New Zealand and Japanese 

 Seas, and the Persian Gulf.— Prof. W. H. Flower, F.R.S., read 

 a paper on some cranial and dental characters of the existing 

 species of Rhinoceroses. This paper contained the result of the 

 examination of fifty- three skulls of Rhinoceroses contained in 

 the Museum of the College of Surgeons and the British Mu- 

 seum, and described the principal characteristics of the five 

 forms under which they could all be arranged, viz. : i. Rhinoceros 

 unicornis, Linn, (including R. stenocephalus, Gray) ,* 2. Rhino- 

 ceros sondaicus, Cuv. (including R. flowen and R, nasalis of 

 Gray) ; 3. Ceratorhinus sumatrensis, Cuv. (including C. ni^er 

 Gray) ; 4. Alelodus bicornis, L'nn. (including A. keillon, A. 

 Smith ; 5. Atelodus simus, Burchell. It was also shown that the 

 skull of a Rhinoceros lately received at the British Museum from 

 Borneo, was that of a two-homed species not distinguishable 

 from C. sumatrensis. — A communication was read from Dr. 

 Julius von Haast, F.R.S., containing some further notes on 

 Oulodon grayi, a new genus of Ziphioid Whales, from the New 

 Zealand Seas. 



Geneva 



Physical and Natural History Society, February 3.— - 

 Prof. Marignac gave a risutnS of researches on the specific 

 heats of saline solutions. This work, the result of a long 

 series of experiments, does not lead to any general law enabling 

 us to infer the specific heat of the solution from that of the con- 

 stituent elements, bases, or acids. This paper is published 

 in the Archives des Sciences. — M. Theod. Turrettini, who 

 has to make frequent visits to the boring of the St. Gothard 

 tunnel, gave an account of a phenomenon which is frequently 

 produced during the progress of the work in the granitic 

 mass of the mountain. When the rock is shaken by the 

 explosion of a mine, the reports resulting from the explosion are 

 not the only immediate ones produced. Afterwards, and at 

 unequal intervals, other spontaneous explosions are produced, at 

 considerable distances from the mine-hole, of which the cause is 

 unknown, and which cause numerous accidents to the workmen. 

 The phenomenon is new, and it appears to indicate in the very 

 substance of the granite, a species of tension inherent in its for» 

 mation, and which, agitated at one point, is transmitted to a 

 distance so as suddenly to disengage large fragments of material. 

 It may be compared with the experim'rnt daily made by the 

 quarrymen who work the erratic blocks in the valleys of the 

 Alps, to obtain building materials. In order to obtain them 

 they use wedges of wood which they drive into holes pierced for 

 the purpose, and which, being wetted, cause by their expansion 

 the di>junclion of the granitic masses. This disjunciion is not 

 produced by gradual fissures as in the case of mill-stones, for 

 example. It is always accompanied by an explosion more or 

 less violent, and the two disjoined surfaces cannot again be 

 exactly fitted to each other. There is deformation of the mate- 

 rial, leading to the presumption of a state of latent tension exist» 

 ing in the consdtution of the rock itself, and which a point 

 hitherto quite mysterious, may throw light on the mode of forma- 

 tion of these ancient rocks. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, May 22. — Vice- Admiral Paris in 

 the chair. — The following papers were read : — Second note on 

 theoretical and experimental determinations of the ratio of the 

 two specific heats in perfect gases whose molecules are mona- 

 tomic, by M. Yvon Viilarceau. — M. Vulpian was elected Member 

 in the Section of Medicine and Surgery, m room of the late M. 

 Andial. — On photographic images obtained at the foci of 

 astionomical telescopes, by M. Angot. The dimension of the 

 image increases considerably with duration of exposure and in- 

 tensity of tlie light. The phenomenon is the same, wheJier the 

 collodion be dry or moist ; also when the intensity of light is 

 varied, the time of exposure remaining constant. M. Angot was 

 led to reject the idea of a travelling [cheminement) of the photo- 

 graphic action. He deduces the effects from tlie ordinary theory 

 of diffraction. — Action of organic acids on the tungstates of soda 

 and potash, by M. Lefort. — On the physical properties of water 

 supply, by M. Gerardin. He distinguishes two types — blue 

 water and green water — represented at Paris by the Vanne and 

 the Seine respectively. Tne blue is changed into green in many 

 ways, but most powerfully by organic matter in decomposition. — 

 On the lead contained in certain platinum point; used in lightning- 



conductors, by M. de Luca. Two such points were fused by 

 lightning at the Vesuvius Observatory in March ; they contained 

 10 to 12 per cent, of lead. Platinum points for lightning rods 

 should have at least a density = 21. — On the antiseptic pro- 

 perties of borax, by M. Larrey. — On the preparation of a mixture 

 containing cyanide of potassium, for destruction of phylloxera, 

 by M. Milius. — On instrumental diffraction, by M. Andre. He 

 draws some inferences from the fact that two observers with 

 telescopes of different apertures do not perceive the moon's limb 

 at the same instant ; the telescope with the smaller aperture will 

 show it a little sooner than the other. — Modifications in electric 

 piles, rendering their con-truction easier and more economical, by 

 M. Onimus. He substitutes parchment paper for the porous 

 vessel. Thus a simple and good sulphate of copper pile may be 

 made by wrapping a zinc cylinder in parchment paper, winding 

 spirally a copper wire round this and immersing the whole in a 

 sulphate of copper solution. — New experiments on the flexibility 

 of ice, by M. Bianconi. Ice expelled by constant pressure (by 

 an iron plate e.s^.) rises in a crest about the compressing body. 

 It has, manifestly, compressibility or plasticity, but slow and very 

 limited. — On nitrides and carbides of niobium and tantalum, by 

 M. Joley. — Normal pyrotartaric acid, by M. Reboul. — On elec- 

 trolysis of derivatives of aniline, phenol, naphtylamine, and 

 arthraquirone, by M. Goppelsroeder. — On the fixation of atmo- 

 spheric nitrogen by mould, by M. Schloesing. M. Deherain's 

 experiments to prove that gaseous nitrogen can be fixed in a state 

 of combination by various organic matters, were repeated (with 

 certain precautions) by the author, but with negative results. — 

 On the nature of the mineral substances assimilated by cham- 

 pignone, by M. Cailletet. The mycelium takes from the soil al- 

 most the whole of the alkalies and phosphoric acid present. The 

 ashes of champignons are simpler than those of chlorophyll 

 plants. Silicon and iron, important elements in the latter, are 

 absent in the former ; which are also poor in lime and magnesia. 

 The author explains how fairy circles are formed. — On the ana- 

 tomy of the musical apparatus of the grasshopper, by M. Car- 

 let. He corrects, in some points, what has hitherto been taught 

 about this organ. — On anew species of psorospermia {Lythocystis 

 Schneideri) parasite of Echinocardium cordatum, by M. Giard. 

 — On the deposits of quaternary fossils in Mayenne, by M. 

 Gaudry. Tnis district, which has not yet attracted much of the 

 attention of geologists, is one of the most interesting in France 

 for study of quaternary palaeontology. — The Akkas, or dwarfs, 

 of the interior of Africa, by M. Marictte. Dwarfs play an 

 important part in the religions of the ancient Egyptians, 

 and it is probable the latter knew the country of the Niams- 

 Niams. — Traumatic tetanus treated successfully by intravenous 

 injections of chloral, note by M. Ore. — On the erosions which 

 must be attributed to action of diluvial waters, by M. Robert. 

 There are, on hill-sides such as those in the valley of the Cise, 

 two sorts of erosions, the one very old, reaching back to the 

 cataclysm of geologists, the other more recent, and still in the 

 process of being formed. 



CONTENTS ^I^ 



" Scientific Worthies," Vill. — Charlhs WrvjLLB Thom«om 



( With Steel Engraving) 85 



The Cruklty to Animals Bill 87 



The SciENCB OF Language. By ihe Rev. A. H. Saycb 88 



Our Book Shelf : — 



Sharp's " Rudiments of Geology " 90 



Harcu 'i " Souih Australia " 90 



Lbttkrs to thb Editor:— 



The Spelling of the Name " Papua." — Dr. A. B. Mbver .... 09 



New Zealand Prehsio ic Skeletoa. — Dr. Julius von Haast . . 90 



Visibili y of the Satellite » of Uranus. — Asaph H.\ll 91 



PiOtec ive Res mblance in tha Sloths. — J C. Gai.ton .... 91 

 Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Secondary Light of Venus 91 



The Observat ry at Athens 92 



The Loan Collection Conferences 93 



The Cruise OF THE '■ Challe.nger ' (/f'/Z/i ///«jMi//Vv;j) .... 93 

 Natural History at the Royal Acade.my. By Two Natu- 

 ralists 105 



Thb Ethnology of the Papuans of Maclay Coast, New 



Guinea Bv J. C. Galton 107 



The Museum of Comp.\kative Zoology, Cambridge. U.S.A. . . 109 



TH.i Greenwich Time Signal System, II. (/-K //j; ///?/j/r«.'?V«) . . no 



viigration and Habit.s of the ;vokwegian Lemming 113 



Tue Seychelles Islands By W. R.. M'Nab 113 



The Loan Collection Confukences 



Section — Physical Geography, &c. — Opening Address by the Presi- 

 dent, John Evans, F.R.S 114 



Section — Bio'ogy. — Opening Address by the President, Prof. J. 



Burdon Sanderson, M.D., LL.D., F.K S 117 



Science in Germany. By W 119 



Notes "9 



Scientific Serials 132 



SaciBTlES AND ACADBMIBS (With Illustrations) 122 



I 



