20 



NATURE 



\Nov. 4, 1875 



the papers as a who'e are above ihe average of those emanating 

 from similar societies. The Jisls of specimens in the various 

 sections appended show that the members continue to do much 

 practical work ; a botanical garden has also been opened in con- 

 nection with the Society. 



Proceedings of the Bath Natural History and 'Antiquarian 

 Fidd Club, vol. iii. No. 2, 1875. — This part contains the fol- 

 lowing papers on scientific sul)jects : — I^otes on some railway 

 sections near Bath, by the Rev. H. H. Winwood, F.G.S., with 

 an illustration. — Studies and problems for Somersetshire geolo- 

 gists, by M. H. B. Woodword, F.G.S, — There is an interesting 

 address by the Rev. Preb. Scarth, on the results of modern 

 archasological achievement, and a summary of Proceedings for 

 the year 1874-75, by the Secretary. 



Morphologisches Jahrlnieh.—T\\Q first part of this new Journal of 

 Anatomy and Embryolo:^y, issued by Prof. Gegenbaur (see vol. xi', 

 p. 15) consists of about 200 pages, and has five double plates. Prof. 

 Gegenbaur supplies an excellent introductory article on the posi- 

 tion and iignification of morphology. The succeeding sixty pages 

 are occupied by an elaborate account, by Dr. Richard Hertwig, 

 of Fodophrya gemmipara, anew species of Acinetan, followed by 

 sn essay on the structure and systematic position of the Acineta;. 

 The author identifies his species with one figured, but not deter- 

 mined, by the late Mr. Alder in the "Annals of Natural History " 

 for 1851, p. 426. Its nucleus is remarkable for having a number 

 cf irregular stellate branches, and its tentacles are differentiated 

 into captorial and suctorial. After a review of the structure of 

 AciuetK generally, Dr. Herlwig comes to the conclusion that a 

 unicellular organism, covered with cilia, is the original form from 

 ■which Acinetaa and Infusorians have sprung, but that it cannot 

 yet be determined whether it possessed a cytostome, and thus 

 was a tme ciliated Infusorian, or whether it was provided with 

 tentacles, and was intermediate between Ciliata and Acinetse. — 

 The Vi'hole of the remainder (114 pages) of this part is occupied 

 by a very notable paper by Dr. Emil Rosenberg, on the develop- 

 ment of the vertebral column and of the os centrale carpi of 

 man. He sets before himself the problem, little touched 

 hitherto, of the discovery of the steps by which man may have 

 developed from the nearest mammalian stock. Taking first the 

 vertebral column, he sets forth the differences existing therein in 

 the various Anthropomorphce, and seeks to reconcile them with 

 that of man. For instance, in two genera. Troglodytes and 

 Hylobates, there are thirteen dorsal vertebra:, while in the Orang 

 and in man there are only twelve. But Dr. Rosenberg has dis- 

 covered in more than one human embryo an actual rib-rudiment 

 on the 13th dorsal vertebra ; so that the homology of the 13th 

 dorsal in man and Troglodytes is established. Another result 

 that Dr, Rosenberg claims to have demonstrated from examina- 

 tion of human embryos is that a process of transformation goes on 

 in the growth of the sacrum, by which vertebra at the proximal 

 end, with their costal elements, are assumed into the sacrum, 

 while a corresponding number at the distal end undergo reduc- 

 tion and are dismisssd into the caudal region. And this process, 

 generalised, may be applied to each of the hinder regions of the 

 vertebral columns. Thus in the history of development each 

 lumbar vertebra in man is the result of a single transformation 

 from the condition of a dorsal vertebra ; each sacral vertebra has 

 previously passed through the lumbar stage ; while the caudal 

 vertebrae have been successively dorsal, lumbar, and sacral, 

 before becoming caudal. This is necessarily but a very imper- 

 fect sketch of the major subject of this paper, which is of very 

 hisjh interest. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, Oct. 26. — M. Fre'my in the 

 chair. — In opening, he referred in feeling terms to the death 

 of Sir Clias. Whcatstone. — M. Milne-Edwards presented the 

 second part of the eleventh vol. of his wojk on "The Compara- 

 tive Physiology and Anatomy of Men and Animals." The fol- 

 lowing other communications were made : — On employment of 

 means in experimental physiology, apropos of the influence of 

 stripping the leaves off the beet, upon the production of sar- 

 charire matter, by M. CI. Bernard. M. Fremy made soiiic 

 remarks also en this subject. — On the carpellary theory, accord- 

 ing to the Iridea; (third par.), by M. Trecul. — On the dates of 

 tall of meteorites, by M. Sainte-Claire Deville. Pie finds an 

 excessive fall of badies on the 12th, 13th, and 14th May ; also 



something like a ten-days' period, corresponding to periodical 

 inequalities of temperature. — ^On the practical v.alue of steam- 

 injectors, by M. Ledieu. — Progress realised, in the question of 

 making land, by em])loyment of the rational methoi, and ia 

 determination of the daily working of chronometers, by M. de 

 Magnac. The new method (he shows) renders n-.wigation much 

 more exact. — Magnetic observations on the island of St. Paul, in 

 November and December 1874, by M. Cazin. — On the mosses 

 of St. Paul and Amsterdam Islands, by M. Bescherclle. — List of 

 L'chens collected by M. de ITsle, on St. Paul and Amsterdam, 

 and description of new species, by M. Ny lander. — New spectro- 

 electric tube (modified fulgurator), by MM. Delaclianal and 

 Mermet. A small conical capillary tube is placed over the 

 platinum electrode passing through the bottom of the larger 

 tube ; through this the liquid rises and is illuminated by the 

 spark. — On the laws which govern reaction with direct addition 

 (continued), by M. Markovnikoff. — The industry of nitrate of 

 soda in South America, by M. L'Olivier.- — Experimental re- 

 searches on the mechanism of coagulation of blood in treatment 

 of varices by simple isolation of veins, by M. Bergeron. — On the 

 alterations produced in the vine by Phylloxera vastatrix, by M. 

 Max. Cornu. — Conservation of food stuffs, by M. Reynoss. — M. 

 de Carvalho presented a note on the properties of air subjected 

 to passage of an induction current. — M. Delauney on a "solar 

 concentrator," apropos of M. Mouchol's paper. — M. Pertinset on 

 a project of exploration of Terra del Fuego. — The Minister 

 for the Navy and Colonies communicated part of a report 

 from the Governor of Martinique on the earthquake there 

 from 17th to 25th September, and magnetic phenomena accom- 

 panying it. M. Sainte-Claire Deville said M. Duvi^nan had 

 written him from Guadeloupe that none of the Martinique 

 shocks had been felt there. — Observations of the planet (149) 

 discovered by M. Perrotin at Toulouse (sent by M. Leverrier). 

 — Experiments made on Geiss'er tubes with the chloride of 

 silver pile formerly described, by MM. Warren De la Rue 

 and Miillcr. — On spiral nebula\ by M. Plante. He shows how 

 a cloud of metallic matter detached from the electrode by an 

 elecric current of high tension, in a liquid, assumes a gyratory 

 movement when acteel on by a magnet ; and supposes the form 

 of spiral nebulae may thus be due to strongly magnetic celestial 

 bodies in their neighbourhood. — On the hydrological map of 

 the department of Seine-et-Marne, by M. Delesse. — M. 'De- 

 gantiere presented a note on the noise which accompanies or 

 precedes the fall of hail. 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED 



Colonial. — Report of the Agricultural Conditions, Capabilities, an' 

 Prospects of the Neilgherry District: W. R. Robertson, M.R.A'. 

 (Madras). 



American. — The Mechanical Engineer ; his Preparation and his Wo: 

 An Address by R. H. Thurston, A.M , C.E. (New York, Van Nostrand). 

 Monthly Report of the U.S. Department of Ai?ricultnre, Aug. and Sept. 

 Memoirs of the Boston Society of Natural History. Vol. ii. Part 4, No. 

 —Report of Mount St. Elias : W. H. Dall, W.S.C.S.— -Bulletin of the Buff.;: 

 Society of Natural Sciences. 



Foreign. — Bulletin de la Fcde'ration des Societes d'Horiiculture di- ii 

 gique (Liege) — Liste des Jardines, des Chaires, et des Musees Bjt 

 du Monde (Licje). 



CONTENTS Pa< 



American Geological Surveys. By Prof. Arch. Geikie, F.R.S. . 



Alix on the Loco.motion of Birds 



"The Adqde OF Snow" 



OuK Book Shelf : — 



Further ■' Researches in Mathematical Science" 



Amery's " Notes on F'orestry " 



Curley's " Nebraska " 



Bird's " Twelve Maps for Map-Drawing " 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Observation of Cirrus Cloud.— Ale.vander BucnAN 



Mr. Mallet's Paper on Prismatic Basalt —R«bt. M.m.i.et, F.R.S. 



Plagi.arism. — Prof W. Boyd D.wvkins, F. k.S 



The Internal Heat of the Earth.— John Willis 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



40 Eridani 



Proper Motion of rt- Centauri 



The " Astronomische Nachrichten " 



A New Palmistry. By John C. Galton 



Science in Germany ' 



MuLLER on Bees and Flowers. By J. L. . ■ 



Faye on the Laws of Storms {IVii/i Itlustratiotis) 1 



Notes ,• ' 



Eleventh Report of the Com.mittee for Exploring Kents 



Cavern, Devonshire ' 



Scientific Serials 



Sociktiks and Acadkmiks ■ ■ 



Books and Pamphlets Rkcbivbd - 



Erratum —Vol. xii. p. 559, col. 2, Hue 17 from bottom; for " sixty years | 

 read " ten years." 



