360 



NA TURE 



[March 2, 1876 



Anthropological Institute, Feb. 22. — Mr. J. Park Harri- 

 son, treasurer, in the chair — The Director, Mr. E. \V. Braybrook, 

 read a paper by the Rev. John Earle, M.A., on the Ethno- 

 graphy of Scotland. The author alluded to the great similarity 

 in the physiognomy of the Norwegians and the Scotch as 

 exhibited in photographic portraits, the likeness between the two 

 peoples having also struck Dr. Beddoe. The conquest of the 

 northern parts of Scotland, and especially Caithness, (Icelandic 

 Kata-ness = ship promontory) is celebrated in the Sagas : and the 

 author believed that the " harrying west " of the Danes along 

 the eastern coast of Great Britain extended at least as far as the 

 Firth of Forth. Vigfusson's Icelandic Dictionary supplies 

 materials to illustrate numerous striking features in the Scottish 

 language and the Norsk, e.g. bairn, carline, eldine, ettle, fey, 

 (make) ; gar, greet, (to weep) ; speer, firth, &c. The Danish 

 and Norsk districts in Scotland are the meeting ground of the 

 great and divergent branches of the Gothic family — the Teutonic 

 and the Scandinavian. In the Scottish language the Norsk 

 element is almost undiluted with Saxon, and we gain from it 

 Ethnological evidence, which recorded history does not distinctly 

 afford. An analysis of the language Mr. Earle believes would 

 bring out additional proofs that it is the permanent expression of 

 the overlapping of the races above alluded to. 



Berlin 



German Chemical Society, Feb. 14,— A. W. Hofmann, 

 president, in the chair. — E. Paternoand G. Briosi made prelimi- 

 nary communications on hesperidine obtained from oranges ; 

 1,000 oranges yield less than 150 grains of the pure substance. — 

 A. Ladenburg has found that isomeric diamines are acted upon 

 by nitrous acid in very different ways. Parametatoluylendia- 

 mine yields a well crj'stallised body C7H7N3, amidoazotoluylene. 

 — T. V. d, Hoff finds that succinic acid obtained in reducing 

 malic acid with HI is optically inactive. — V. Wartha has dis- 

 covered indigo in commercial litmus.— P. Weselsky described 

 a reaction of phloroglucine. Mixed with nitrate of toluidine and 

 nitrite of potassium it yields a precipitate of the colour of 

 cinnabar. — A. Claus has found that the body until lately 

 known as crotonchloral when treated with cyanide of potassium, 

 yields not only chlorocrotonic acid C3H4CICO2H, but also a 

 bibasic acid C3H4 (C02H)2, and tricarballylic C3Hg (COoH)3. — 

 The same chemist described combinations of sulfo-urea with 

 bichloride of mercury, and with oxalic acid. — R. Hasevcleors, in 

 using Deacon's chlorine-apparatus has remarked that the amount 

 of HCl decomposed, sunk within six weeks from 80 to 2 per cent. 

 He found the hydrochloric acid passing through the apparatus 

 to be contaminated with sulphuric acid, and believes this to be 

 the reason of the deterioration of the process. Sulphuric acid, 

 so he believes, is decomposed into sulphurous acid, and oxygen 

 and the sulphurous acid is reoxidised by retransforming the 

 chlorine into hydrochloric acid : — 



SO4H2 = H2O -I- O + SO„ 



SO2 + CI2 + 2H„0 = SO4H2 + 2HCI. 



A support of this view is found in the fact that manufacturers 

 that take great care in introducing hydrochloric free from sul- 

 phuric acid, are able to use the process for a comparatively 

 longer period. — M. Neneky, who by the action of formic and 

 acetic acids on guanidine obtained formo-guanamine CsNgHj, and 

 aceto-guanamine C4N5H-, has also obtained two isomeric teases 

 CgNgHu by the action on guanidine on butyric and isobutyric 

 acids. Aceto-guanamine, by taking up one or two mole- 

 cules of water under the influence of potash, respectively yields 

 guanide C4N4H5O ; guanamide C4N3H5O2. By oxidation it 

 yields cyanuric acid C3N3II5O3. — E. Bandrowsky, trcatbg 

 guanidine with valerianic acid and caproic acid, obtained the 

 corresponding guanamines, C-NgHjj and CgNgH^g. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, Feb. 14. —Vice- Admiral Paris in the 

 chair. — The deaths of MM. Andral and Seguier were announced. 

 — The following papers were read : — On the ethers of hydra- 

 cids, by M. Berthelot. — On the formation of amides, by M. 

 Berthelot,— On hyposulphite of potash, by M. Berthelot. — 

 Memoir on the approximation of functions of very large 

 numbers and on an extensive class of developments in series 

 (second part), by M. Darboux. — Vibrations of a homogeneous 

 solid in equilibrium of temperature, by M. Felix Lucas. — On 

 the movements of the heart when it is submitted to artificial 



excitations, by M. Marey. The results obtained show that the 

 heart is refractory to excitation during the greater part of its 

 systolic phase. The systole produced (by excitation) is greater 

 tlie longer its interval from the spontaneous systole which pre- 

 cedes it. After each systole produced, there is a compensating 

 repose which restores the temporarily altered rhythm of the 

 heart. This is important as confirming a law the author believes 

 he has established, viz., that the work of the heart tends to 

 remain constant. — On deviations from the laws relating to 

 gases, by M. Mendeleeff. — On isomerous rosanilines, by M. 

 Rosenstiehl. There are three of these, one derived from i mole- 

 cule of aniline and 2 molecules of toluidine ; another, i of 

 aniline and 2 of pseudo-toluidine ; the third, i of aniline, i of 

 toluidine, and i of pseudo-toluidine ; the latter constitutes, for 

 the most part, commercial fuchsine. — On the optical inactivity 

 of the reducing sugar contained in commercial products, by MM. 

 Aime Girard and Laborde. — On a new element in the deter- 

 mination of chimi-calories, by M. Maumene. Very various 

 liquids undergo a molecular alteration (readily revealed by 

 chemical action) without their nature being changed ; the purely 

 physical influence of heat gives them a sort of temper (trempe), 

 during which their chemical actions produce extraordinary 

 numbers of chimi-calories. Olive oil recently heated to about 

 300" behaves no longer like its former self when treated with 

 hot acid, but it is not perceptibly altered in colour, odour, or 

 density. — On a new acid pre-existing in the fresh milk of mares, 

 by M. Duval. It appears to be distinct from hippuric acid, and the 

 author proposes to call it iquinic acid. — On the aptitude of oysters 

 for reproduction from the first year, by M. Gerbe. Observation 

 shows this to be a fact. Among these precocious mothers there 

 are some whose shell, in transverse diameter, measures hardly 

 25 mm. Hence the prosperity of the reproducing portion of a 

 natural oyster bed, does not depend only on the presence of large 

 oysters. The quantity of eggs, indeed, is generally in propor- 

 tion to the size of the oyster. Many oysters, especially the young, 

 propagate twice in the season^ under favourable conditions. The 

 laying of eggs occurs at long intervals, possibly corresponding to 

 lunar phases. — Reply to a note of M. Arm. Gautier, relative to 

 the ri^/^ of carbonic acid in the coagulation of blood, by MM. 

 Mathieu and Urbain. — Description of the diplometer, by M. 

 Landolf. This is an instrument for measuring the diameter of 

 an object at a distance and independently of its movements. — On 

 the origin and mode of generation of atmospheric whirlwinds, 

 and on the unity of direction of their gyratory motion, by M. 

 Couste. The whole mechanism of whirling movements in the 

 atmosphere depends on two causes, gravity and heat ; the weight 

 of the air drives vertically from below upwards the less dense 

 water-vapour which the heat has produced ; and further, the 

 weight of the air causes this gas to be precipitated (in horizontal, 

 or at least inclined directions into the vacuum which the vapour 

 tends to leave behind it in rising. 



CONTENTS Pagb 



The Government Scheme of University Reform 341 



Legislation Regarding Vivisecti»n 342 



Miss Buckley's History of Natural Science 343 



Hassall ON Food. By T ' 345 



Letters to the Editor :— 



Prof. Tyndali on Germs. — Inquirer 347 



The Mechanical Action of Light. — George Hicks 347 



Metachromism and Allied Changes. — W. M. Flinders Petrie • 347 

 Seasonal Order of Colour in Flowers. — Prof. W. T. Thiselton 



Dyer • . . . 348 



Rainbow Projected on Blue Sky. — William F. Denning . . . 348 

 Our Astronomical Column : — 



Olber's Comet of 1815 348 



Minor Planet, No. 160 349 



The Binary Star u) Leonis ~ 349 



Science and Art in Ireland 349 



The Loan Exhibition of Scientific Apparatus 349 



HuNTERiAN Lectures on the Relation of Extinct to Existing 



Mammalia, III. By Prof. Flower, F. R.S 350 



The F1R.ST General Geological^Map of Australia 35* 



Physical Science in Schools. By T. N. Hutchinson ; Ja.mks M . 



Wilson ^^^jHH 



Anniversary Address of the President of the Royal Geo- HH 



logical Society, John Evans, F.R.S 354^^^ 



Notes 35^ 



Scientific Serials 358 



Societies and Academies 358 



Erratum.— Vol. xiii. p. 328, last line, for him read me. 



