312 



NATURE 



[yuly 25, 1889 



Vienna. 

 Imperial Academy of Sciences, May 9. — The following 

 papers were read : — On the preparation of indol from phenyl- 

 glycocoll, by J. Mauthner and W. Suida. — On amides of car- 

 bonic acid (second communication), by F. Emich. — On the 

 knowledge of some non-drying oils, by K. Hazura and A. 

 Gruessner. — On the transplantation of bone, by A, Adamkiewicz. 

 — On nerve-corpuscles in their physiological and pathological 

 state, by the same. — Experiments on the decomposition of 

 albumen by anaerobous micro-organisms, and on the aromatic 

 products of decomposition, by the same. — Contribution to the 

 knowledge of gases developed by the fermentation of albumen, 

 by M. Nencki and N. Sieber. — On the formation of para-lactic 

 acid by the fermentation of sugar, by the same. — On benzoyl-com- 

 pounds of alcohols, phenols, and sugars, by Zd. H. Skraup. 

 —On the constitution of grape-sugar, by the same. — Experimental 

 researches on the periodic law. Part i, by B. Brauner. — Re- 

 searches on musical psychology and acoustics, by K. Stecker. 

 — Preparatory studies for a monograph on Muscaria schizo- 

 metopa ; Part I, synopsis of genera, by F. Brauer and J. von 

 Bergenstamm. — On the crystals of grape-sugar and optically- 

 active substances in general, by F. Becke. — On new improve- 

 ments of the usual process of combustion, by F. Blau. — Note on 

 the preparation of mono- and dibromo-pyridin, by the same. — 

 On dry distillation of picolinate of copper, by the same. — On a new 

 test for albuminous bodies, by C. Reichel. — Monograph on the 

 fossorial wasps allied with Nysson and Bembex, by A. Hand- 

 lirsch. — Embryological researches on Ascomycetes, by H. Zukal. 



Amsterdam. 

 Royal Academy of Sciences, June 29. — Prof. v. d. Waals, 

 "Vice-President, in the chair. — M. Franchimont stated that, as 

 •early as the beginning of this year, he prepared the pentamethy- 

 lene glycol, its oxide, and an unsaturated alcohol of five C -atoms, 

 by boiling pentamethylene dinitramine with diluted sulphuric acid, 

 as also the bromide agreeing with the glycol ; and that M. Dekkers 

 had treated the tetramethylene-dinitramine in the same manner. 

 The properties of the pentamethylene glycol agree with those 

 published a few days ago by M. Gustavson, who obtained this 

 compound by another method. He spoke farther of the action 

 of nitric acid on carbonic and nitrogenic compounds, and of 

 the influence exercised upon them by certain atomic groups. As 

 instances of carbonic compounds he cited malonic acid esters and 

 their derivatives ; of nitrogenic compounds, all kinds of amides, 

 urethanes, &c., so that the extraordinary strong influence of the 

 ■group COOCH3 appears most clearly, even in the derivatives of 

 piperidine. — M. Pekelharing treated of the destruction of the 

 -virus of anthrax in the subcutaneous tissues of rabbits. Small 

 pieces of gelose with a culture of anthrax bacilli, whether con- 

 taining spores or not, packed in parchment-paper, introduced 

 under the skin in rabbits, not only do not superinduce anthrax 

 in the inoculated animals, but are themselves deprived of viru- 

 lence. This is the case even when the wound remains perfectly 

 aseptic, of course without application of any antiseptic matter. 

 Leucocytes penetrate into the packets, but the bacilli or spores 

 are not materially affected thereby. Therefore, next to the 

 phagocytose, whose existence is nowise denied, the action of a 

 dissolved substance for the destruction of bacilli must be taken 

 into account. — M. de Vries read a paper on the spiral torsion in 

 wild teasel {Dipsacus sylvestris). In opposition to the prevalent 

 opinion, which regards the cases of spiral torsion (called by Alex. 

 Braun Zwangsdrekung) as accidents, the speaker deemed himself 

 justified in regarding this phenomenon as an hereditary variation ; 

 and this in consequence of an experiment begun by him in 1885 

 with two twisted individuals. From the seed of the same about 

 1650 plants were reared in 1887, among which were again two 

 twisted specimens. The seed of these gave in 1889 above 1500 

 plants, among which were found a little more than 4 per cent, of 

 twisted individuals. The torsion is, therefore, not only hereditary, 

 but will gradually become fixed by the customary method of 

 artificial selection. From the 4 per cent, twisted specimens the 

 'best have been selected for seed bearers further to improve the 

 irace. — M. van Bemmelen mentioned the results obtained by M. 

 Bakhuys Roozeboom in the pursuit of his researches concerning 

 the behaviour of salts with regard to water. The normal course 

 of the solubility may be disturbed by the appearance of a second 

 layer of fluid when the salt and water are not mixed in all pro- 

 portions. Mr. Bakhuys Roozeboom succeeded in illustrating the 

 peculiarities of the behaviour in such cases in two examples : 

 AsBrj, and a salt recently detected by M. van Romburgh — 

 CgH . NO2 . N^.gs . OK. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEI VED 



Names and Synonyms of British Plants ; G. Egerton-Warburton (Bell).— 

 Swiss Travel and Swiss Guide Books: W. A. B. Coolidge (Longmans). — 

 The Human Foot : T. S. Ellis (Churchill).— The Railways of England : W. 

 M. Acworth (Murray).— Farm Live-Stock of Great Britain : R. Wallace 

 (Edinburgh, Oliver and Boyd). — I^a Lutte pour I'E.xistence : L. Frederico 

 (Paris. Bailliere).— Modern Views of Electricity : O. J. Lodge (Macmillan). 

 — Traite Pratique de la Thermom^trie de Precision ; C. E. Guillaum e 

 (Paris, Gauthier-Villars) — An Elementary Class-book of General Geography: 

 H. R. Mill (Macmillan). — The Micro-organisms of Fermentation practically 

 considered : A. Jorgensen ; edited from the German by G. H. Morris (Lyon). 

 — Useful Rules and Tables, 7th edition : by W. J. M. Rankine ; revised by 

 W.J. Millar, with Electrical Engineering Tables, &c., by A. Jamieson 

 (Griffin). — Dianthus : F. N. Williams (West). — Psycho -Physiologische Pro- 

 tisten-Studien : Dr. Max Verworn (Jena, Fischer). — CEuvres Completes de 

 Christian Huygens, tome deuxieme (La Haye, M. Nijhoff). — British 

 Rainfall, 1888 : G. J. Symons (Stanf ird).- Solutions of the Examples in 

 Higher Algebra : H. S. Hall and S. R. Knight (Macmillan).— Timber and 

 Some of its Diseases: H. M. Ward (Macmillan). — Index of Spectra, re- 

 vised edition: W. M. Watts (Manchester, A. Heywood). — Journal and 

 Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales, vol. xxii. Part 2 

 (Triibner).— Jojrnal of the Royal Statistical Society, June (Stanford). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Commercial Organic Analysis. By Dr. C. R. Alder 



Wright, F.R.S 289 



The Floating Island in Derwentwater 290 



A Journey to the Planet Mars. By R. A. Gregory . 291 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Boulger: " The Uses of Plants " 292 



Leffmann and Beam: "Examination of Water for 



Sanitary and Technical Purposes " 293 



Lynn : " Celestial Motions " 293 



Steel: " Science Examination Papers " • ..... 293 

 Bradshaw : " A Course of Easy Arithmetical Ex- 

 amples for Beginners " 293 



Anderson : " The Prospector's Hand-book " . . . . 293 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Coral Reefs. — Dr. John Murray 294 



An Earthquake ? — A. R. Sharpe 294 



The Excursion to the Volcanoes of Italy. — Dr. H. J. 



Johnston-Lavis 294 



Seismology in Italy. — Dr. H. J. Johnston-Lavis . 294 

 The Earthquake of Tokio, April 18, 1889. {Illus- 

 trated.) — Dr. E. von Rebeur-Paschwitz . , . 294 

 On the Phenomena of the Lightning Discharge, as 

 Illustrated by the Striking of a House in Cossipore, 



Calcutta. — Walter G. McMillan 295 



The Circulation of the Atmosphere over the Equator. 



— Hon. Ralph Abercromby 297 



Changed Environment. — Prof. W. Whitman 



Bailey 297 



Lamarck jy^rj'z/j' Weismann. — ^J. T. Cunningham . 297 

 Bored Stones in Boulder Clays. — G. W. Lamplugh 297 

 Mr. Lydekker on Phenacodus and the Athecae. — 



Prof. E. D. Cope 298 



Systematic Position of the Characese. — Alfred W. 



Bennett 298 



Make-believe. — Prof. Marcus M. Hartog .... 299 

 Dogs and Fire. — Prof. Marcus M. Hartog .... 299 

 "The Theorem of the Bride." — Prof. George. J. 



Allman, F.R.S 299 



Recent Researches into the Origin and Age of the 

 Highlands of Scotland and the West of Ireland. 



I. Dr. Archibald Geikie, F.R.S 299 



The Private Laboratory of Marine Zoology at 

 Rapallo. Dr. L. Camerano, M. G. Peracca, and 



D. Rosa 



Weismann on the Inheritance of Injuries 31 



Coal and Tin Discoveries in Western Australia . . 31 



Notes 31 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Binary 7 Coronse Borealis 3' 



Eclipses and Transits in Future Years 



The White Spot on Saturn's Ring J 



Comet 1889 c (Barnard, June 23) J 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1889 



July 28— August 3 3c 



Geographical Notes • 3°* 



Nitrate of Soda, and the Nitrate Country. II. 

 {Illustrated.) By the Hon. Ralph Abercromby , . 308 



Fortuitous Variation. By Lester F. Ward 31.O 



Scientific Serials 3*° 



Societies and Academies 3'* 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 3^ 



