Atig, 24, 1876] 



NATURE 



3<53 



experimenting as to the influence of current strength, tempera- 

 ture and concentration of solution, on the transference of ions, 

 M. Kirmis met with a peculiar regular arrangement of silver 

 crystals in the platina dish of a silver voltameter. The result is best 

 obtained with a considerable electromotive force. The intensity 

 should not exceed a certain limit (not more than 028 mgr. of 

 silver being separated out per square ctm. and minute). The 

 concentration of the solution should be between 5 and 10 per 

 cent, and a positive electrode with sharp points should be used. 

 The deposited strips appear as accumulations of moss-like 

 dendrites, which, under the microscope, are found to be 

 made up of cubes and octahedra. — In works which describe 

 the process that occurs in sounding an open or closed pipe, 

 it is usually represented that the air current from the slit 

 at the bottom, breaking against the upper hp, imparts shocks to 

 the air column of the pipe, and these are the cause of the air- 

 column being thrown into vibrations. M. Sonreck, an organ- 

 maker of Cologne, here questions this hypothesis, and supposes 

 instead a pendulum-like to and fro motion of the blast-current, 

 which has the widest amplitude at the edge of the upper lip, is 

 dependent on the elasticity of the air-column of the pipe and the 

 pressure of the outer air, and so is subject, to the laws of vibra- 

 tion of the air-column. He explains the process in some detail, 

 and some interesting forms of experiment are described. For 

 complete determination of any colour it is necessary to know three 

 things, viz., the colour-tone, purity, and brightness. The first is 

 found by ascertaining that spectral colour by whose mixture with 

 white the colour in question is had. M. von Bezold describes 

 two methods of doing so simply and without trouble. They are 

 closely related to a plan suggested by Vierordt for producing 

 mixtures of pigment and spectral colours. — M. Gieseler de- 

 scribes a simple apparatus for measuring small intervals of time 

 by a determination of the time of fall of a freely-falling body. — 

 We further note papers on the specific heat of cerium, lan- 

 thanum, and didymium, by M. Hillebrand ; and on experiments 

 on the electro-motive forces induced in unclosed circuits through 

 motion, by M. Helmholtz. 



The current number of the Ibis commences with a paper by 

 Prof. Newton and Mr. Edward Newton on the Psittaci of the 

 Mascarene Islands, in which the Seychellian Palaornis wardi is 

 figured, and the species peculiar to each of the islands are de- 

 scribed, four of the eight being extinct, one barely surviving, and 

 the remainder diminishing in number. — Mr. H. Seebobm and 

 Mr. J. A. Harvie Brown continue their notes on the birds of the 

 Lower Petchora, figuring the eggs of Ttinga minuta from 

 Dvoinik. — Mr. D. G. Elliot in his notes on the Trochilidai dis- 

 cusses the genera Cyanomyia and Heliotrypha, describing seven 

 species of the former, one, C. microrhyncha, being new, and 

 three of the latter, H. squamigularis, of Gould, being shown to 

 be H. barrali, of Mulsant and Verreaux. — Mr. H. E. Dresser con- 

 tinues his notes on Severtzoff's " Fauna of Turkestan, " specially 

 referring to Ciconia viycteriiarhyncha, a species with the bill 

 shaped like that of C. boyciana, but red. — Mr. R. Swinhoe 

 describes a collection of birds from Hakodadi, in Northern 

 Japan, sent by Mr. T. W. Blakiston. Two new species are 

 described and figured, Arundinax blakistoni and Sch«eniclus 

 pyrrhulinus. — Lord Walden makes notes on the late Colonel 

 Tickell's manuscript work entitled " Illustrations of Indian 

 Ornithology." The work was presented by the author in 1874 

 to the Zoological Society. It is beautifully illustrated and fully 

 annotated, forming seven small folio volumes. Figures are given 

 of Picus atratus, Zosterops siamensis, and Dicaum trigonostigma, 

 together with a brief account of the contents of each volume. — 

 Mr. P. L. Sclater records further ornithological news from New 

 Guinea, describing results arrived at by Beccari, Bruijn, and 

 D'Albertis. The collections of the two first- named contain 

 4,600 specimens, referable to 350 species, of which 58 are said 

 to be new to science. — Mr. J. H, Gurney continues his criticism 

 of Mr. Sharpe's " Catalogue of the Accipitres in the British 

 Museum." — Lord Walden describes and figures a new species of 

 Trichosloma from Celebes, T. finschi, and finally Mr. Salvin 

 describes a new Odontophorus, O. citutus. 



Geological Magazine, Nos. 141, 142, 143, 144, 145. — The 

 articles that are running through several numbers are ; — Sketch 

 of the geology of Ice and Bell Sounds, Spitzbergen, by Prof. 

 A. E. Nordenskjold, with woodcuts. — The probable conditions 

 of deposit of the Palaeozoic rocks in the northern hemisphere, by 

 Henry Hicks, with a folding plate comparing Europe with North 

 America — Cretaceous Gasteropoda, by J. Starkie Gardner. — 

 There are several papers on glaciers and ice-action : among 



them are Mechanics of Glaciers, David Bums. — Ice-work in 

 Newfoundland, John Milne (of the Mining School, Japan). 

 — Glacial events in England and Wales, D. Mackintosh. — The 

 erosion of lake-bisins by glaciers, Osmond Fisher. — Notes on 

 glaciers, T. G. Bonney. — Sub-aerial denudation versus glacial 

 erosion, W. Gunn. — There are also many letters on the subject of 

 the origin of lake-basins from Prof. Ramsay, James Geikie, Prof. 

 Hull, Prof. Green, J. W. Judd, T. V. Holmes, Hugh Miller.— 

 The other papers are : On the Carrara marbles, by G. A. Lebour, 

 showing why they are now regarded as of Carboniferous age instead 

 of Jurassic, as recently they have been. — The transport of vol- 

 canic dust, by Prof. Nordenskjold. This is a record of the pas- 

 sage of volcanic dust from Iceland to the east coast of Sweden, 

 a greater distance than has ever been known before. — A paper 

 on the vertical range of graptolites in Sweden, by G. Linnarsson, 

 is accompanied by one on the correlation of the graptolitic de- 

 posits of Sweden with those of Britain, by Prof. H. A. Nichol- 

 son. — On the exhumation and development of Omosaiirus arma- 

 tus, Owen, by W. Davies, of the British Museum. This is a 

 popular description of how the remains were removed from the 

 Kimmeridge clay of Swindon to the British Museum. — On the 

 volcanic outbursts which preceded the formation of the Alpine 

 system, by J. W. Judd. — In connection with Mr. Hick's papers 

 on Palseozoic rocks is one by Prof. Linnarsson, criticising some 

 of his conclusions. — There are also some minor papers and a 

 number of miscellaneous articles. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



Vienna 



Imperial Academy of Sciences, Feb. 3. — Contributions 

 to a knowledge of interstitial inflammation of the liver, by M. 

 Miiller. — On the ending of nerves in the epidermis of mammals, 

 by M. Mojsisovics. He examined (after Eimer) the snout of 

 the mole, and of some foreign related species ; and he comes to 

 adifferent conclusion regarding the "Eimer organs." M. Riegler 

 exhibited an osteophyte, weighing I,l20gr., that had been found 

 in the skull of an ox. The animal had seemed quite fresh and 

 healthy. 



Feb. 10. — On the colours of thin crystal plates, by M. Dit- 

 scheiner. These arise through interference of the internally 

 reflected light rays, and are seen in crystal plates (gypsum) of 

 much greater thickness than that which simply refracting plates 

 must hjiYe in order to show the ordinary colours of thin plates. — • 

 On the changes in arterial blood pressure after closure of all the 

 arteries of the brain, by M. Mayer. There is at first great in- 

 crease of arterial biood pressure, which is not due either to the 

 mechanical closure, nor to increased activity of tho heart, but to 

 intensive stimulation of the cerebral vasomotor centre, through 

 deficient access of arterial blood. In five or ten minutes this 

 excited state of the brain centre passes into that of complete 

 paralysis, indicated by low blood pressure. The author drawi 

 some inferences for the doctrine of the vasomotor centres in the 

 brain and spinal cord. 



Geneva 



Physical and Natural History Society, March 16. — 

 Prof. Plantamour, fifteen years ago, gave a resume of the results 

 of the meteorological observations rr.ade at Geneva since 1826. 

 Disposing, to-day, of fifty years' observations, he examined the 

 modifications made on his conclusions by that new period of 

 fifteen years, and other results which may be deduced. The 

 mean of temperature has been in general greater during the last 

 fifteen years, and enables us to increase by 3-^ of a degree the 

 annual mean previously deduced. All the monthly means must 

 be slightly augmented, if they are to be derived from fifty 

 years of observation instead of thirty-five ; except in the case of 

 the month of December. The following is the table of means 

 (in centigrade degrees) according to the two series : — 



Jan. Feb. Mar. April May June July Aug. 



1826-1860 ... -034 + 132 4"48 861 1288 16-78 1853 17-80 

 1826-187S ... -008+160 4-60 897 13-20 1681 18 8i 17-91 

 Difference ... +0-26 +028 +012 +036 +032 +003 +0-28 +0-1 1 

 Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 



1826-1860 ... 14 29 9 81 4 45 + o"86 



1826-187S ... 14-66 9-88 4-55 + 080 



DiflFercnce ... + o 37 + 007 + 0-10 + 006 



The same result appears if we divide the year into seventy- 

 three periods of five days, or pentades, according to the 



