Feb. 17, 1876] 



NATURE 



317 



laria) from South America, presented by Mr. A. Q. Lumb ; 

 two Golden Pheasants ( ThaumaUa picta) from China, received 

 in exchange ; a Tuft-headed Deer {Lophotragus michianus) from 

 China, the first living specimen sent to this country, a Chinese 

 Water Deer {Hydropotes inertnis), five Darwin's Pucras Pheasants 

 {Pttcrasia danvini) from China, deposited ; a Blue-cheeked Barbet 

 {AfegalcEJiia asiatica) from India, purchased. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



The American jfournal 0/ Science and Arts, ^aawzxy. — This 

 number commences with a paper of " Contributions to Meteoro- 

 logy," in which Prof. Loomis gives results derived from an 

 examination of the United States weather maps and from other 

 sources. Among the points observed are : that periods of un- 

 usual cold are generally accompanied by descent of air from the 

 upper regions of the atmosphere, and they are almost quite inde- 

 pendent of direction of the wind ; that both in summer and 

 winter the force of vapour in Philadelphia is greatest with the 

 wind which brings the highest temperature, and conversely ; 

 that the rainfall there shows a diurnal maximum about 6 p. M. 

 and a minimum about 3 a.m. ; that in the northern hemisphere 

 storms increase in frequency as we proceed northward as far as 

 latitude 60°, and perhaps somewhat further ; and that storms 

 travel with less velocity over the Atlantic (19 '6 miles an 

 hour) than over the continents of America and Europe (26 

 miles an hour) . The author compares storm-paths in America 

 and Europe. — Mr. Rowland continues his "Studies on Magnetic 

 Distribution," and one result he arrives at is, that hardening is 

 most useful for short magnets ; in very long bars it does not 

 increase the total quantity of magnetism, but only changes the 

 distribution. It would seem that almost the only use in harden- 

 ing magnets at all is to concentrate the magnetism and reduce 

 the weight. — This paper is followed by a useful summary and 

 comparison of recent researches on Soimd by Tyndall, Henry, 

 and Duane. — Prof. Draper endeavours to determine the correc- 

 tion to be applied for effect of temperature on the power of 

 solutions of quinine to rotate polarised light. The presence of 

 sulphuric acid clianges the rotation power of the alkaloid by 

 100°. Quinine used to be given in the foim of sulphuric acid 

 solution, and in the recently mere popular form of pills or the 

 like, its action is much less, and less certain ; this difference 

 being doubtless due to the change of molecular arrangement 

 which is revealed in action of sulphate solutions of the alkaloid 

 on light. — Mr. Allen has a note on extinct wolf and deer species 

 from the lead regions of the Upper Mississippi. 



Foggendarff^s Annahn dtr Physik und Chcmie. Erganzung. 

 Band vii. Stiick I. — In a paper in this number on the mechanism 

 of magnetic induction, M. Chwolson deals with a phenomenon 

 in production of the magnetic state by external magnetising force, 

 with which theory has seemed to be in discordance. This is the 

 fact, that K, the so-called magnetisation number (or the ratio of 

 magnetic movement produced to the magnetising force), in the 

 case of small increasing forces, increases at the beginning, 

 reaches a maximum, and with further increase of the force, 

 becomes continuously smaller. This initial increase of K seemed 

 to contradict the theory of molecular magnets capable of being 

 turned round. M. Chwolson's object is to show that it not only 

 does not contradict it, but is directly deducible from it, and he 

 arrives at this result from a closer study of the processes which, 

 according to Weber's fundamental hypothesis, must occur in a 

 magnetised body, and from a simple assumption as to the origin 

 cf molecule-repelling force. — There are three (largely mathe- 

 matical) papers in this number relating to the mechanical theory 

 of heat ; we merely give the titles : — On temperature and odia- 

 bata, by M. von Oetticgen ; On the specific heat and true heat 

 capacity of bodies, by M. Herrmann ; and On the second principle 

 of the mechanical theory of heat ^deduced from the 'first, by M. 

 Sjilz. — M. Voigt contributes the first portion of a careful 

 investigation of the constants of elasticity of rock salt ; he here 

 treats the case of bending. 



Der NaHirforscher, Dec. 1875. — In this number we may note 

 some researches by RI. Fleck, of Dresden, which appear to damp 

 recent optimism in reference to salicylic acid as a means of dis- 

 infection. He finds that carbolic and salicylic acids may, under 

 certain circumstances, even accelerate fermentation. Benzoic 

 acid is more effective against fermentation, and cinnamic acid 

 still better ; but their small solubility in water is against their 



use. The antifermentative action of benzoic, carbolic, and sali- 

 cylic acids is dependent on the quantity of nitrogenous yeast- 

 food ; with increase of this the value of their action diminishes. 

 The acids are not specific yeast poisons. Some experiments by 

 MM. Kolbe and Mayer have a similar bearing. — From obser- 

 vations made during the German North Polar Expedition, it is 

 shown by Dr. Hann that the density of the sea-water increases 

 both at the surface and at 900 feet depth, with the latitude, and is 

 in the Polar seas considerably greater than in the Tropics. Hence 

 Dr. Hann concludes that a temperature-compensation of the 

 water of the ocean by unequal proportions of salt does not exist ; 

 the heavy Polar water must therefore have a tendency to flow 

 towards the equator. — In an interesting paper on the rate of pro- 

 pagation of excitation in sensitive nerves, M. Bloch shows that 

 the methods for measuring this, which depend on the will of the 

 experimenter (making a signal), are unreliable. He describes an 

 ingenious new method ; and he finds the velocity in the spinal 

 cord 194 metres per second, while in the nerves it is only 132 

 metres per second. — There is an abstract of recent researches by 

 M. Exner, which go to prove, in opposition to M. Edlund, that 

 the supposition of a special power of expansion by the galvanic 

 current in a metallic wire is unwarranted. — We further note some 

 instructive researches by M. Stefan on the comparative power of 

 heat conduction of different gases. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 



Linnean Society, Feb. 3. — Dr. G. J. Allman, F.R.S., presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — William Hillhouse, Prof. E. R. Lankester, 

 Daniel Pigeon, and David Robertson were elected Fellows of 

 the Society. The following were proposed as Foreign members : 

 Dr. NyJander, Professor of Botany, Helsingfors, and J. V. 

 Barboza du Bocage, Direc. Roy. ZooL Mus., Lisbon. — Mr. 

 Algernon Peckover exhibited a case of insects from Madagascar, 

 collected by Mr. Kingdon. Among these Mr. Butler pointed 

 out and made remarks on the scarce and remarkable Actios Idcu 

 of Felder's '* Reise der Novara," the new Hawk-Moth, Dicdo- 

 iida sp., allied to a Congo species, also D. fumosa, Wallace, the 

 Danais chrysippus, L., and its mimic, Diadema misippus, L., 

 likewise a Homopterous genus allied to Cooinoscariiiy of Stal. — 

 Mr. Henry Trimen read a note on Bcea ccmntcrsonii, R.Br. He 

 observed that the supposition of Commerson having obtained 

 the type at Magellan Straits is founded on an error ; Mr. Rob. 

 Brown regarded it as belonging to the Seychelles. Mr. C. 

 Walter has quite lately discovered specimens growing on coral 

 cliffs in the Duke of York's Island, which, through the Baron 

 von Miieller, of Melbourne, have been forwarded to this country 

 for Identification. The probability is that Commerson himself 

 obtained his examples in 1768 from the same locality; its tme 

 habitat afterwards having been confounded from the name 

 "Praslin," attached to the original specimen, being given to 

 widely different places. — Mr. Bowdler Sharpe read a paper on 

 the geographical distribution of the vultures ( Vulturida?). These 

 he divides info two sub-families Vulturinas, with six genera, and 

 Sarcorhamphinse, with four genera, the distinctive characters 

 and geographical range of which were commented on. The 

 author likewise sketched out the classification of the birds of 

 prey, as proposed by him in recent publications. — A short paper 

 on New British Lichens, by the Rev. W^. A. Leightou, was taken 

 as read ; in this six new species are described and figured. — The 

 Rev. J. M. Crombie made some observations on two commimi- 

 cations laid by him before the Society, viz., (l) Lichenes capenses, 

 being an enumeration of the lichens collected at the Cape of 

 Good Hope, by the Rev. A. E. Eaton, during the Venus Transit 

 Expedition in 1874. (2) Lichenes Kergueleni, being an enumera- 

 tion of the lichens collected in Kerguelen Land by the Rev. A. 

 E. Eaton during the \'enus Transit Expedition in 1874-5. 



Mathematical Society, Feb. 10. — Prof. H. J. S. Smith, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — Messrs. A. Cockshott and R. 

 T. Wright were proposed for election. The Secretary com- 

 municated a paper by Prof. Wolstenholme : Loci connected with 

 the rectangular hyperbola, being inverse, with respect to its 

 centres and vertices. Mr. Cotterill spoke upon the subject, 

 referring to authors who had also treated of the loci in question. 

 — Mr. W. Spottiswoode, F.R.S., read a paper on determinants 

 of alternate numbers. The paper was founded on some tmpub- 

 lished notes on determinants and other functions of these 

 numbers, communicated to the author by Prof, Clifford. — Mr. 



