I20 



NATURE 



[Dec. 9, 1875 



phosphoric anhydride. — O, Hausamann, by distillation of 0- 

 naphtoate of calcium, has obtained a ketone identical with the 

 one that j8-naphthoyl-chloride and naphthalin yield by healing 

 them with zinc. — C. Jaeger, by fusing nitrosophenol with 

 potash, has obtained azophenol, CcH4(OH)NNC6H4(OH), 

 crystals of the constant melting-point 214°. — Robert Scliiff 

 has succeeded in producing nitroso-thymol, CjoHisfNO)©!!, 

 by treating thymol with nitrite of potassium and sulphuiic 

 acid. Nitrosothymol yields nitrophenol when oxidised with 

 . ferricyanide of potassium. Nitrothymol has been transformed 

 into amidothymol and diazothymol by the ordinary methods. — 

 O. Rembold, by treating ellagic acid (C^^IIgOt,) with zinc 

 powder at high temperatures, has obtained a new isomeride of 

 anthracene, to which he gives the name ellagene (melting-point, 

 38°, boiling-point, 252° ; its chinone insoluble in sulphite of 

 ammonium, yielding itself no precipitate with picric acid). 

 Ellagic acid boiled with potash yields a new acid (Cj4HgOg), 

 which, by sodium amalgam (?) and water, is transformed into the 

 acid C14HJQO7. — F. Schardinger described nitro-derivatives of 

 anthrafiavone. — A. Vogel showed absorption -bands of manganic, 

 uranic, and chromic salts ; also absorption-bands of hydrate of 

 cobalt, which, suspended in water, shows absorption-bands on 

 D and between D and C. They appear also in the presence of 

 nickel with great clearness. Sulphocyanate of iron shows an 

 absorption-band between G and E. — A. Pinner, who from 1S70 

 up to the present time has studied the derivatives of what he con- 

 sidered croton- chloral, has now come to the conclusion that the 

 greater part of his researches have been erroneous, in as far as 

 all the compounds described 'by him contain two atoms of hy- 

 drogen more than he has alleged. Thus what has been called 

 crotonic chloral is really butyric chloral. Its derivative with 

 hydrocyanic acid is not trichloroangelic, but trichorovalerianic 

 acid. Its product of oxydation and subsequent reduction are 

 not chlorocrotonic, but chlorobuiyric acids. Potash does not 

 prcduce a chloride CgHjClj, but chloride of alljlene (C3H4CI2), 

 which by sodium is not transformed into "a new hydrocarbon, 

 C3H.2," of which he has lately taken the trouble of giving a 

 structural formula, but into allylene, C3H4 ! — W. VVeitli has 

 proved the sulpho- ureas produced by the action of aniline on 

 ethylic isosulphocyanide, and of ethylamine on phenylic isosul- 

 phocyanide, to be identical. Oxide of lead transforms them into 

 an imide, C(NC2H5)(NCgHg) ; and the action of aniline and of 

 HCl NC also produce identical derivatives. 



Geneva 



Society of Physics and Natural History, Nov. 4. — 

 Prof. Calladon published in 1872 (tome xxi. of the Memoirs of 

 the Society) a paper on the effects of lightning on trees, &c. A 

 case of a pyramidal poplar struck by lightning on August 4 last, 

 near Rolle, in the Canton de Vaud, enabled him to verify some 

 of his previous conclusions, and to add some new observations. 

 The f^ash which struck this tree, situated 1 1 metres from the 

 shore of the Lake of Geneva, left perfectly intact the upper 

 portion. At seven-eighths of its height commences the trace 

 left by the lightning, in the form of a wound (p/ai'e) three to 

 four centimetres in width, and from seven to eight centimetres 

 in depth. This wound descends as far as the ground, turning 

 round the trunk in the form of a screw, and describing four- 

 fifths of the complete circumference of the tree. Fragments of 

 wo id of various sizes were projected to distances as far as fifty 

 metres. Some are pierced by jagged holes, indicating a violent 

 eruption of the electric fluid Irom the interior to the exterior, 

 the track of the fluid having probably been in the layer which 

 separates the alburnum from the old wood or duramen. The 

 places where the emission of the fluid occurred are sometimes 

 indicated by spots of a red colour, similar to the effect which 

 might be produced on wood by the application of a hot iron. 

 They correspond to a slight depression of the surface of the 

 wood. The wound of the tree is turned from the shore of the 

 lake, lightning striking more readily plants which grow near 

 watercourses, visible or underground. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, Nov. 29, M. PVemy in the chair. — 

 The follovsring papers were read : — Theorems in which there is a 

 condition of equality of two segments taken on normals and tan- 

 gents of curves of any order and class, by M. Chasles. — Reply 

 to notes of M. Duchartre and M. Violette, apropos of stripping 

 off the leaves of beet, by M. CI. Bernard. — Memoir on organic 

 elements considered as electro-motors, by M. Becquerel. — Exa- 

 nMnation of a piece of wood petrified by subcarbonate of lime 



found at Bourbon ne-les- Bains, in a Roman cesspool, by M. 

 Chevreul. This is regarded as confirming the author's theory of 

 petrefaction given in 1866. — Mineralisation of organic debris, 

 vegetable and animal, in the thermal water of 13ourbonne-les- 

 Bains, by M. Daubree. — Thermal researches on phosphoric acid, 

 by MM. Berthelot and Louguinine. — Atmospheric perturbations 

 of the hot season of 1875 5 group of rains Irom 21st to 24th of 

 June ; Flood of the Garoime, disasters at Toulouse, by M. Bel- 

 grand. The floods of the (iaronne since 1 770 have always been in 

 spring or early summer, and, almost without exception, the maxi- 

 mum of rain and flood has been on the 23rd of June. — Reply to 

 some objections raised by our recent communications on the use- 

 ful effect of steam injectors, by M. Ledieu. — M. Daubree presented 

 a flattened-angular meteorite sent by Prof. Hinrichs, from Iowa. 

 — On the coefficient of capillary flow, by M. Guerout. Tlie flow 

 is in a horizontal tube ; and in the case of alcohols the coefficients 

 do not form a regular series ; they diminish for alcohols richer 

 in carbon ; but bodies of similar composition and density often 

 differ in fluidity. — Oa the composition of arable land in 

 Auvergne ; importance of phosphoric acid for its fertility, 

 by M. Truchot.- — On a system of irrigation of meadows by means 

 of rain-water, in mountainous and impermeable regions, by M. 

 Le Play. — On the Meteorological Observatory of the Pic du Midi 

 de Bigorre (H antes- Pyrenees), by General de Nansouty. — On 

 some indications of the existence of Edentata at the commence- 

 ment of the miocene epoch, by M. Gaudry. —On the contraction 

 produced by rupture of the battery current, in the case of uni- 

 polar excitation of nerves, by M. Chauveau. The negative 

 pole has but little aptitude to produce contraction at opening. 

 Positive or negative, the opening contractions are distinguished 

 for their brevity and equality. — On the poisonous principle in 

 damaged niaize, and its application in pathology and therapeutics, 

 by M. Lombroso. The action is like that of strychnine. — On 

 the earth-worms of the Philippine Islands, and of Cochin China, 

 by M. Perrier. — Application of a theorem, complementary 

 of the principle of correspondence, to determining, without 

 calculation, the order of multiplicity of a point O, which is 

 a multiple point of a given geometrical place, by M. Saltel. 

 — On the discussion of equations of the first degree, by M. 

 Roucbe. — On the points of a curve or a surface, which satisfy 

 a condition expressed by a differential equation or partijj 

 derivatives, by M. Halphen. — CrystaUised sulphydrocar- 

 buret, from the interior of a mass of meteoric iron, by Mr. 

 Lawrence Smith. — On the nature of flame, according to Galen 

 and Aristotle, by M. Calliburces. The experiment of the two 

 candles, as proving that flame is a phenomenon produced by 

 ignition of gas, is carried back to Aristotle.— On certain anato- 

 mical details of Sarcoptes scabiei and its numerous varietias, by 

 M. Megnin. — On the musculoid cilia of the common mussel, by 

 M. Sabatier. These organs have affinity with muscular tissue 

 when they are agglutinateJ, and with vibratile cilia when dis- 

 sociated and isolated. 



CONTENTS ] 



Scientific Agricultuke. By Prof. Thojias Baldwin 



The New Geojietry • 



Eskimo Tales AND Traditions (/K/VA ////<j/ra/jV?«) 



Our Book Jshelf:— 



Sutton's "Keport on Trichinosis." By Dr. T. S. Cobbold, F.R. 3. 



Michelet's "The Sea" 



Lbtters to the Edit'ir: — 



The Dresden " Gorilla." — Dr. A. B. M ever 



Dr. Stoliczka's Collection of Mammals. — H. H. Goowin-Auste.v . 



Glands of the Cherry Laurel.- G S. Boulger 



Saw-fish inhabiting Fresh Water. — W. W. Wood 



Observations on Fish. — Robert U. S. Mitchell 



Misti and its Cloud.— Prof. Alex.\nder Agassiz [With Ilius- 

 tratioti) 



The Effect of Waves.— Capt. W. W. Kiddle, R.N 



OtTK Astronomical Column : — 



The Total Solar Eclipse of 1605, Oct. 12 



The Minor Planets 



List of Mammals of Yakkand .... 



Archaeological Researches in Kentucky and Indiana . . . . 



Science in Italy By C. T 



Science in Germany. By W . . . 



Notes 



The Difference of Thermal Energy transmitted to the Earth 

 by Radiation from Different Parts of the Solar Surfacb. 



By Capt. J. Ericsson (iVith lilusirations) 



The Graphic Method of Representing Musical Interval'. By 



Dr Pole, F.R.S 



The Swedish Arctic Expedition 



Botanical Notes : — 



The Calcutta Botanical Gardens 



Gum Arabic 



Societies and Academies 



'age 



lOI 

 I02 



103 

 105 



ic6 

 ic6 

 107 

 107 

 107 



107 

 loS 



108 

 IC9 

 109 

 109 

 no 



112 



112 



116 

 116 



117 

 117 

 ii3 



