6o 



NATURE 



[Nov. 1 8, 1875 



Institution of Civil Engineers, Nov. 9. — Mr. Thos. E. 

 Harrison, president, in the chair. — The paper read was on the 

 Manora Breakwater, Kurracliee, by Mr. William Henry Price. 



Cambridge 

 Philosophical Society, Nov. i. — Mr, Pearson read a paper 

 on Aristotle's notion of " Right-Handedness ; " and added 

 some remarks on a theory of his own on the subject. 



Boston 

 Natural History Society, May 5.— This was the Annual 

 Meeting, when Prof. Hyatt, the Custodian, presented his report, 

 in which he described the condition of the numerous collections 

 belonging to the Society. The following papers were read : — 

 On some of the habits of the Blind Crawfish {Cavtharus pellucidtis), 

 and the reproduction of lost parts, by F. W. Putnam. — Synopsis 

 of the Odonata of America, by Dr. H. A. Hagen. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, Nov. 8. — M. Fremy in the chair. 

 The following papers were read : — Discovery of two small new 

 planets, at the Observatory of Paris, by MM. Paul and Prosper 

 Henry, by M. Leverrier.— Memoir on measurement of the 

 affinities in the reaction of two solutions on one another, taking 

 as bases the electromotive forces, by M. Becquerel. — On the 

 alcohols which accompany vinic alcohol, by M. Is. Pierre. — On 

 the exhaustion of the soil by apple-trees, by M. Is. Pierre. He 

 estimates that an annual supply of about 80 kilogrammes of 

 manure would be required for a single tree, to maintain the original 

 fertility of the ground. — Onservations by M. P. Thenard on M. 

 Pierre's communication. — M. de Lesseps presented the second 

 volume of his work on the History of the Suez Canal. — On the 

 separation of mixed liquids and on new maximum and minimum 

 thermometers, by M. Duclaux. It is always possible to begin 

 with a mixture (at a given temperature) such that on lowering 

 the temperature very little (much less than the tenth of a 

 degree), it divides into two layers of equal volume ; e.g. a mix- 

 ture of 15 c.c. amylic alcohol, 20 c.c. ordinary alcohol, and 

 32 9 c.c. water, at 20°. The thermometers on this principle are 

 easily made, cheap, solid, and resistant to shocks and pressure, 

 though, of course, a special mixture is required for each.— Note 

 on the determination of cafeine, and the solubility of this sub- 

 stance, by M. Commaille. — On a process for separating choles- 

 terine from fatty matters, by M. Commaille. — On the various 

 modes of structure of eruptive rocks, studied with the micro- 

 scope, by M. Michel Levy. — Researches on the inversion of 

 cane-sugar by acids and salts, by M. Henry. — Comparison of 

 unipolar excitations of the same sign, positive or negative ; 

 influence of increase of the current on the value of these excita- 

 tions, by M. Chauveau. In medical use of electricity, he finds 

 that to manage the current with regularity, unipolar excitation 

 should be used with the positive pole for motor, and with the 

 negative for sensitive, nerves. — On the anatomy and histology of 

 Lucernaria, by M. de Korstneff.— Treatment, with sulpho- 

 carbonates, of the spot which indicated the appearance of Phyl- 

 loxera at Villie-Morgon, by M. Duclaux. — On electro-capillary 

 currents produced by mineral caustics, by M. Onimus. — On the 

 influence of acids on coagulation of blood, by M. Ore. Neither 

 acids nor alcohol coagulate albumen when injected directly into 

 the circulation ; and most substances insoluble in water, but 

 which cease to be so in presence of acids and of alcohol, may be 

 injected without causing coagulation, after being submitted to 

 the action of these. 



Geneva 



Society of Physics and Natural History, Oct. 7.— Prof. 

 Alfred Gautier gave an account of the meteorological observa- 

 tions made in Labrador by the Moravian missionaries at various 

 stations in that northern region. The first notice, published by 

 him in June 1870 (Archives des Sciences, tome xxxviii. p. 132), 

 referred to the first documents of that kind sent by the mis- 

 sionaries from 1778 to 1780, and published in the Phil. Trans., 

 vols. 69 and 71 ; then a second series, made from 1841 to 1843, 

 contained in the Annales of M. Lamont, of Munich. A new 

 series of observations has been undertaken since 1867, by means 

 of thermometers sent from Geneva by M. Gautier, and it has 

 been continued more or less regularly by the missionaries. 

 Results have been received from four stations ; that of Hopedale, 

 from 1868 to 1874 ; Zoar, for one year, from Sept. 1870 to Sept. 

 1871 ; that of Hebron, from Sept. 1869 to August 1870 ; Rama, 

 the most northerly, from July 1872 to June 1874. Hopedale is 

 situated in 55° 39' N. lat. The annual means of temperature in 



Centigrade degrees, drawn from three observations daily, mr 

 at 7 A.M., 12 noon, and 7 p.m., are as follows : — 



December 1868 to November i8( 



1869 

 1870 

 1871 

 1872 



1870 

 .'871 

 1872 

 1873 



- 3'"04 



- 3'''42 



- 2-83 



- 2° -32 



- 3°-63- 



The mean of five years is thus — 3° "09. Compared with tlie 

 mean of Edinburgh (in an even more northerly lat., 55" 57'), 

 which is about 8°"4, it indicates the enormous difference existing 

 between the temperatures of corresponding latitudes on the 

 western coast and in the eastern regions of the North Atlantic. 

 The mean of the seasons at Hopedale deduced from the collec- 

 tive observations is as follows : Winter, - i8°'0 ; spring, - 5°'5 ; 

 summer, 9°o; autumn, i°*3. The minimum temperature ia 

 winter is from —26° to —36" below zero. The absolute m.inima 

 observed have been — 38^ on Feb. 3, 1870, and - 39'' on 

 Feb. 2, 1873 ; on March i, 1874, -35° was observed. In July 

 and August there was not much frost, and vegetation prospered. 

 The thermometer rose to 29° and even 30°, which it 

 reached on July 26, 1871. The daily variations resulting from 

 live years' observations rose in the mean to 4° '49. Its 

 monthly maximum was 6^*6 in June 1873, and its minimum i''*4 

 in November 1869. It is accidentally sometimes much more 

 considerable. The most notable instance was on Oct. 11, 1871, 

 when the thermometer, which indicated -4° '2 at 7 a.m., sank at 

 7 P.M. to - 27^". The barometric observations made at Ilopedale 

 present inconsiderable variations. In the neighbouring districts 

 these variations being often very sudden and very extended, it 

 may be asked if the instruments used are in a satisfactory condi- 

 ton. Since the heights reached vary between 29 and 304 

 English inches, it may be presumed that the tube is quite 

 free from air ? This is a point deserving a special inquiry. 

 From the three daily observations made at the station of Z)ar 

 from September 1870 to August 1871, may be deduced a mean 

 annual temperature of - 2°'26. Zoar is situated in about 56° of 

 N. lat. At Hebron two daily observations at 7 A.M. anl 2 P.M. 

 during one year, from September 1869 to August 1870, give a 

 mean of -3° "6. The latitude is about 58° 20'. The two pre- 

 vious years gave an annual mean of - 4° '5, and besides former 

 observations in 1841-2, a mean of -5° '3. Finally, at Rama, 

 situated in about 60° N. lat., the annual mean in 1872-3 was 

 about - 5° "6. 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED 



British. — Bamboo considered as a Paper-making Material : T. Rouilcdge 

 (Spon). — Four Thousand Miles of African Travel : Alvan S. Southworlh (Low 

 and Marston). — Artes Africans : Dr. G. Scfiweinfurth (Low and Marston). — 

 Journal of tlie Royal Agricultural Society of England. Vol. ii. Part 2 (Murray). 

 — Notes on Forestry : C. F. Amery ( Triibner) — Tenth Annual Report ol the 

 Quekett Microscopic Club. — The White Conquest: Wiliiam Hepwortix 

 Jjixon (Chatto and VVindus). — The Potton and Wicken Phosphatic Deposits : 

 J. J. Harris Teall, B.A., F.G.S. (Deighton, Bell, and Co.)--lhe Nature of 

 Light, with a general account of Physical Optics : Dr. Eugene Lommel 

 (H. S. King). — Science Lectures for the People, delivered in Manchester. 

 ist and 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 5th and 6th series (Manchester, John Heywood). — 

 Theory of Heat : J. (ilerk-Maxwell, M. A., LL D. (Longmans). — Papers on 

 Glacial Geology: T. Mellard Keade, C.E., F.C.S. (Liverpool Geological 

 Society). 



CONTENTS Page 



Mr. Gladstone at Greenwich 41 



Chajuber.s's Encyclopedia 4^ 



Egypt and the Nile 43 



OUK Book Shklp : — 



Routledge's " Discoveries and Inventions of the Nineteenth Century " 45 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Scientific Research for the Promotion of Science. — Prof. Piazzi 



Smith 45 



Ericsson's Researches on the Sun. — P. A. Secchi 46 



Sir G. B. Airy and the National Standards — Sir G. B. AiKV, F.R.S. 46 



The Origin of Our Numerals.— John ALL.A.N Broun 47 



On the Cup sliaped Joints in Prismatic Basalt. -G. P. Scrope, 



F.R.S 47 



A New Palmistry. — R. A. Prvor 47 



Our Astroxomical Column :— 



The Minor Planets 47 



Science Teaching to Young Children. By Rev. G. Heruert 



West , 4^ 



The Theory of " Stream Lines " in Relation to the Resistance 



OF Ships. By Wm Frovui, F.R.S. (iVM /^/usiraiious) . ... 50 



Notes 5^ 



Third Report of the-Settlk C.avs Committee (Victoria Cave). 



By R. H. Tiddeman, F.G.S 55 



German Scientific and Medical Association. By Dr. A. Oppenheim 56 



Societies and Academies .57 



Books and Pamphlets Received vo ' 



