Tov. II, 1 875 J 



NATURE 



39 



_ cement, on the direction of the current, the author is un- 

 able to account for satisfactorily ; they cannot, he thinks, be 

 dne to inductive action. — Some researches by Dr. Neesen on 

 attraction and repulsion by rays of light and heat are noticed 

 incur " Science in Germany." — M. Soret describes the diffrac- 

 tkm phenomena obtained with circular gratings, consisting of 

 opaque discs with a series of openings in the form of concentric 

 mtg s; and a paper of " Optical Notes," by Dr. Wolcott Gibbs, 

 of the American Academy, treats of a new optical constant, and a 

 method of measuring indices of refraction without emplojrment of 

 graduated instruments. — M. Fuchs shows how the electrometer 

 aaay be used for determining intensity of current, polarisation, 

 and resistance ; and M. Mach describes a polarisation apparatus 

 with rotating Mialyser. 



Bulletin de V Academic Imperiaie des Sciences deSt. Petersbourg. 

 (t xix. Nos. 4 and 5 ; t. xx. Nos. I and 2). — From these publica- 

 tkms we notice the following more important papers : — On the 

 double star 2 634 = Camelopardali 19, Hev., by Dr. O. Struve. 

 On the salts of parabanic acid, by N. Mentchutkine ; the 

 author considers the potash, soda, ammonia, and silver salts of 

 this acid. — On oxalurate of potash and on the determination of 

 potassium in the salts of the acids of the uric group, by the 

 same. — On the velocity of irritation in the spinal marrow, by 

 E. Cyon. — Researches on blood, by Heinr, Struve. — On carbon 

 tetraiodide, by M. G. Gustavson. — On a simple evaporimeter, 

 dfte uscfiil in winter or summer, by H. Wild. — Continued 

 observations of the companion of Procyon, by O. Struve. — On 

 dhnethylisobutylcarbinol and the new heptylene obtained by 

 flhean-s of this alcohol, by M. D. Pawlow. — On iodide of 

 ethylidene, by M. G. Gustavson. — On the chemical structure 

 of pinacoline, by M. A. Boutlerow. — Preliminary note on the 

 dasticity of rarefied air, byM. D. Mendeleeff and M. Kirpitschoff. 

 — Diagnoses plantarum novarum Japoniae et Mandshurise, by 

 C. J. Ma.ximowicz. — Report on a new iron meteorite firom the 

 shores of the Angara river, in the government of Jenisseisk, by 

 M. A. Goebel. — Observations of the planets at the Academical 

 Observatory of St. Petersburg ; determination of the longitude 

 of the ascending node in the orbit of Mars, by A. Savitsch. — 

 Results of measurements made on crystals of arragonite, copper, 

 pyrites, and skorodite, by N. von Kokscharow. — On the doubts 

 recently raised on the cosmical origin of the Pallas iron, and a 

 tation of the same, by M. A. Goebel. — Hydrological 

 arches, by Prof. C. Schmidt, of Dorpat The author treats 

 c: the Caspian Sea, the Sea of Aral, the Dwina, and the White 

 Sea. — On a method to obtain a uniform exposure in photograph- 

 ing the sun, by Dr. B. Hasselbcrg. — On the existence of a resist- 

 ing medium in celestial space, by Dr. E. von Asten. — Researches 

 z~ the theory of the determination of orbits, by Fr. W. Berg. — 

 ycentric theorem, which gives a means to express the duration 

 any movement of a point, by relation of two straight lines ; 

 J. Somofif. — A note on perowskite crystals, by N. von 

 kscharow ; the author describes the determination of perow- 

 e forms by approximate measurements made with the ordinary 

 exion goniometer of Wollaston, the natmre of the perowskite 

 itals from the Ural Mountains, and the angles measured. — 

 Results of exact measurements of sulphur crystals, by the same. 

 Analysis of the observations made in the Caucasus on terrestial 

 refra-ztion, by M. Sawitch. — A note on mechanisms which retard 

 reflex actions, by J. Setschenow. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 



Linnean Society, Nov. 4. — Dr. G. J. Allman, F.R.S., pre- 

 sident, in the chair. — The followii:g papers were read : — Obser- 

 vations on Bees, Wasps, and Ants, Part III., by Sir John 

 Lubbock, Bart., F.R.S. An abstract of this paper appears in 

 another column. — On the rate of growth of the female flower- 

 stalk of Vallisneria spiralis, by A. W. Bennett, F.L.S. The 

 '■ peduncle of the female flower of this plant is remarkable for the 

 rapidity of its growth, attaining a length of from three to four 

 feet, and increasing, at its period of greatest energy, at the rate 

 I of half an inch per hour. The observations were chiefly directed 

 , to determine which portion of the peduncle displayed the greatest 

 [ part of this energy ; and this was found to lie in a portion at but 

 I a short distance below the flower-bud ; a marked zone of two 

 I inches increasing ultimately relatively to the remainder ot^the 

 flower-stalk about in the proportion of three to two. This dis- 

 plays a greater analogy^to what has been hitherto observed in 



the case of roots than in that 01 aerial stems. The coiling up of 

 the peduncle so as to bring the flower beneath the surface does 

 not take place when the flower ha.s not been impr^nated. — On 

 plants collected by Lieut Cameron about Lake Tangan> ika, by 

 Prof. Oliver, F.R.S.— On a collection ot North Celebes plants 

 made by M. Riedel, by Prof. Oliver, F.R.S. 



Chemical Society, Nov. 4.— Prof. Abel, F.R.S., president, 

 in the chair. — First paper. On the decomposition of stearic acid 

 by distillation under pressure, by Mr. G. Johnston. — Dr. C. R. 

 A. Wr^ht read a paper, by himself and Mr. G. A, Beckett, On 

 Isomeric Terpenes and their Derivatives, being Part V. of their 

 researches on this subject ; also one On the Alkaloids con- 

 tained in the Aconites, Part I. ; after which Mr. F. J. M. 

 Page gave an account of a simple form of gas regulator for main- 

 taining a constant temperature in air-baths, water-baths, incu- 

 bators, &c. — Communications were also read from Mr. R. W. E. 

 M'lvor, on the fluorides of arsenic, phosphorus, and iodine ; 

 and on the iodide of antimony. — The last paper, On Tolylphenyl, 

 a new hydrocarbon, was by Air. T. Camelly. 



Zoological Society, Nov. 2. — Dr. E. Hamilton, V.P., in 

 the chair. — The Secretary read a report on the additions that 

 had been made to the Society's Menagerie during the months of 

 June, July, August, and September, 1875. — A letter was read 

 from Signor L. M. D'Albertis, giving some account of several 

 excursions he had made into Southern New Gtiinea from his 

 present quarters in Ytile Island. — A note was read from Mr. 

 Walter J. HofiBoaan, describing a hr>m of an American Prong- 

 horn i^AntUocapra americana), with a double prong. — A letter 

 was read from Capt. J. Moresby, R.N., giving the exact locahty 

 of the young Casuariits uni-appendiculatus, presented by him to 

 the Society in August 1874. — A communication was read from 

 Dr. P. von Bleeker, containing a description of a rare Central- 

 Asiatic fish (Elopuhthys dahuriats.. — A conomunication was read 

 from Mr. Edgar A. Smith, containing the description of a new 

 species of Carinifex from California, which he proposed to name 

 Carinifex ponsonbii. — A second communication firom Mr. Smith 

 contained remarks on the genus Alaba, with the description of a 

 new species. —A communication was read from Mr. W. T. Blanford 

 correcting certain errors in the figures of HerpesUs ferru^inus 

 and Oz'is polii, in the Society's Proceedings. — Mr. P. L. Sclater, 

 F.R.S., and Mr. O. Salvin, F.R.S., read a paper giving the 

 descriptions of two birds from Medellin, State of Antioquia, 

 U.S.C., which appeared to be new to science, and were 

 named 'Catharus phaoplettrus and Automolus holostictus. — Mr. 

 A. H. Garrod read a report on the causes of death of the 

 Indian elephant which died in the Gardens on July 7, 1S75. — -^ 

 communication was read from the Rev. S. J. Whitmee, of 

 Samoa, on the habits of the fishes of the genus Antennaritis. — 

 A communication was read from Mr. G. E. Dobson, containing 

 a monc^raph of the bats of the genus Taphosous, Geoflfr. — A 

 communication was read from Dr. Otto Finsch, attaining notes 

 on the pigeons of the genus Chrysccna. — A communication was 

 read from Dr. J. S. Bowerbank, F.R.S., being the fifth part 

 of his monograph of the siliceo-fibrous sponges. 



Royal Microscopical Society, Nov. 3. — Mr. H. C. Sorby, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — A very interesting paper was 

 read by the President, On a new method of measuring bands in 

 spectra. It was first explained that by means of the ordinary 

 quartz absorption band plate, the exact position of a spectrum 

 line not coinciding with either of the absorption bands, could not 

 be accurately determined ; and the necessity for so doing having 

 been shown, the author described and figured his new contrivance 

 designed for the ptirpose. It consisted of a piece of quartz about 

 1 4 inches thick^ and cut with parallel siufaces exactly at right- 

 angles to the principal axis of the crystal, along the line of wMch 

 there was no polarisation. This gave a series of seven dark bands 

 when placed between two Nicol prisms and viewed through the 

 spectroscope. By rotating the upper prism the position of the 

 first band could readily be made to coincide with any given fixed 

 line as D, and by the rotation of the lower prism the series of 

 bands could be caused to traverse the entire spectrum, each half 

 rotation moving them forward the precise amount of the dis- 

 tance existing between them. A graduated scale marked upon a 

 circle attachSi to the lower prism enabled the position of the 

 bands to be compared with great accuracy with that which they 

 originally occupied, and of course also with that of any fixed lines 

 shown in the comparison spectrtmi, A paper by Dr. J. J. Wood- 

 ward (U. S. A. ), on Frustulia Saxonica, was read by the Secretary. 



