384 



NATURE 



\AMgtist 15, 1889 



Tdoh of the cyclic nucleus. By making selenium tetrachloride 

 act on benzine, M. Chabrie has obtained compounds correspond- 

 ing to the sulphides and thiophenols prepared by Friedel and 

 Crafts from sulphur and the chloride of sulphur. — On the oxi- 

 dizing action of nitroso-camphor under the influence of light, by 

 M. P. Cazeneuve. This substance, recently obtained by the 

 author {Comptes rendus, cviii. p. 857), yields Liebermann's blue 

 reaction with phenol and sulphuric acid, and also presents the 

 curious phenomenon of becoming decomposed under the in- 

 fluence of light. The conditions seem somewhat analogous to 

 those attending the formation of chlorophyll and of the colour- 

 ing-matter in flowers. — On the isocamphols, by M. A. Haller. 

 The paper deals more particularly with the influence of solvents 

 on the rotatory power of the isocamphols. — Respiratory com- 

 bustion by the nervous system in its relation to the size of the 

 animal, by M. Charles Richet. A large number of experiments 

 on dogs confirm, for animals of the same species, the law esta- 

 blished by Regnault and Reiset for animals of different species 

 — namely, that the respiratory combustions, by kilogramme of 

 living weight, increase in inverse ratio to the size of the animal. 

 — On the products of microbes favourable to the development 

 of infections, by M. G. H. Roger. Amongst the substances 

 secreted by Bacteria, some are known to produce intoxicating 

 phenomena, while others possess vaccinating properties. M. 

 Roger's researches lead to the inference that there are others 

 that tend to stimulate the development of certain pathogenic 

 agencies, at least in the case of symptomatic charbon. — On a 

 new Mediterranean species of the genus Phoronis, by M. Louis 

 Roule. This specimen was found in the Zoological Station at 

 Cette, and has been named Ph. sabatieri, from the founder of 

 that station. The characteristics of the species are here de- 

 scribed by contrast with Ph. hippocrepis, Str. W. — On the 

 growth of the oceanic sardine, by M. Georges Pouchet. Ob- 

 servers have failed to determine the region where the sardine is 

 hatched and passes the first phases of its development. Those 

 reaching the fishing-grounds are already several months old, and 

 the observations made at several points present so many dis- 

 crepancies that no general law can be laid down regarding their 

 growth during the fishing season. The difficulty of determining 

 this point is increased by the fact that the shoals themselves 

 appear to be continually renewed by fresh arrivals throughout 

 the whole season. 



August 5. — M. Des Cloizeaux, President, in the chair. — Heat 

 of combination of fluor with hydrogen, by MM. Berthelot and 

 Moissan. After many failures, the authors have at last succeeded 

 in measuring the heat of combination of these bodies. Reserv- 

 ing for a future communication the details of their experiments, 

 they here give the broad ixsults expressed in the formulas : — 



H -f F gas = HF gas + 37'6 calories 



H -f F = HF dissolved 4- 49*4 ,, 



— On the relations of atmospheric nitrogen with vegetable soil, 

 by M. Th. Schloesing. Continuing his researches on this sub- 

 ject with fresh samples of earth taken from various districts and 

 under varying conditions, the author has still failed to discover any 

 soil which being destitute of vegetable germs fixes gaseous nitrogen. 

 Hence he concludes that if any exist they must be regarded 

 as quite exceptional, and not to be depended on by agriculturists. 



— Observations of Davidson's comet (July 23) made at the 

 Observatory of Algiers, by MM. Trepied, Sy, and Renaux. 

 The observations cover the period from July 26 to July 30, when 

 the nucleus of the comet was comparable to a star of the eighth 

 magnitude. — A study of the electric phenomena produced by 

 solar radiations, by M. Albert Nodon. Numerous observations 

 made at the laboratories of the Sorbonne and the College de 

 France show that on meeting an insulated metallic or carbon 

 conductor the solar rays communicate to it a positive electric 

 charge ; that the amplitude of this charge increases with the 

 intensity of the rays, and decreases with the hygrometric state 

 of the air, the phenomenon attaining its maximum value in Paris 

 about I p.m. in summer, when the atmosphere is pure and dry ; 

 lastly, that the effects cease during the transit of clouds across 

 the face of the sun. If these results can be extended to non- 

 metallic bodies, then solar radiation may be regarded as one of 

 the causes of the electrization of the clouds. — Researches on the 

 sulphites (continued), by M. P. J. Hartog. Here are studied the 

 double normal sulphites of potassium and amnjonium, and the 

 bisulphite sulphite of sodium and potassium. — On the heat of 

 combustion of some organic compounds, by M. J. Ossipoff. The 

 bisubstituted succinic acids, presenting certain analogies with the 

 fumaric and malic acids, are here studied thermochemically with 



a view to determining their heat of combustion. — A chemical 

 and thermic study of the phenolsulphuric acids (continued), by 

 M. S. Allain Le Canu. In the present paper the author confines 

 his researches to orthophenolsulphuric acid, the preparation and 

 properties of which are fully described. — On the distribution of 

 Nemertes on some points of the French seaboard, by M. L. 

 Joubin. A systematic exploration of the Roscoff and Banyuls 

 districts has resulted in the discovery of nearly sixty species of 

 Nemertes in those two localities alone. About ten of these have 

 not yet been described, and will form the subject of a future 

 memoir. — On the mechanism of the photodermatic and photo- 

 genic functions in the siphon of Pholas dactylus, by M. Raphael 

 Dubois. Although these mollusks possess no eyes, they display 

 extreme sensibility to light, the least change of its intenshy sufficing 

 to excite a more or less sudden contraction of the siphon. M. 

 Dubois's already described graphic process has enabled him to 

 verify the exi.stence of two distinct functions, one receptive, the 

 other emissive, thus showing that the mechanism of sight belongs 

 to the category of tactile phenomena in the higher animals 

 gradually differentiated and localized in a special organ. It also 

 appears that the photodermatic (receptive) function is stimulated 

 by luminous vibrations from without, while the photogenic 

 (emissive) has for its final outcome the emission of luminous rays 

 through the circumambient medium. — On some habits of the sea 

 trout, by M. A. Giard. The author's observations in the 

 Wimereux estuary and neighbouring waters, tend to show that 

 many smelts and grilses, and even a number of adults (bull- 

 trout ?), pass a much longer time in the sea than is generally sup- 

 posed by ichthyologists. — On the colouring matter of the sper- 

 moderm in the Angiosperms, by M. Louis Claudel. The results 

 are here given of a series of studies on the pigments of grains 

 made in the botanical laboratory, Marseilles. It appears 

 generally that the solid pigments of grains are scarcely ever pre- 

 sented under the form of leucite, and that they derive directly 

 from the protoplasm. In this respect they differ from the pig- 

 ments of flowers and pericarps which, according to Flahault and 

 others, derive from pre-existing leucites. — On the recent eruption 

 of the island of Vulcano (Lipari Group), by M, O. Silvestri. 

 The volcanic phenomena presented by the eruption, which began 

 on August 2, 1888, are characteristic of a special phase, which 

 has already been observed by M. Silvestri at Etna, and to which 

 he proposes to give the name of Vtdcanian phase. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Practical Photometry: W. J. Uibdin (Kin^). — Picture-Making by Photo- 

 graphy, 2nd edition: H. P. Robinson (Hazell). — Shut out from Love : J. 

 Nickal (Hughes). — Elements d'Economie Politique Pure, deuxieme edition : 

 L. Walras (Lausanne, Rouge). — Lehrbuch der Ver^rleichenden Anatomic, 

 Zweite Abtheilung : Dr. A. Lang (Jena, Fischer). — Cours de Mineralogie, 

 deuxieme edition : A. de Lapparenc (Paris, Savy). — Chemical and Physical 

 Studies in the Metamorphism of Rocks ; A. Irving (Longmans). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Three Cruises of the Blake. By Dr. John 



Murray 361 



Kant's " Kritik." By W. L. Courtney 362 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Brady and Norman : "' Monograph of the Marine 

 and Fresh-water Ostracoda of the North Atlantic 



and of North Western Europe " 364 



Langley and Phillips : " The Harpur Euclid" . . . 365 

 Warren : " An Elementary Treatise on Mechanics " . 365 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



The Earlier Eruptions of Krakatab. — Prof. John W. 



Judd, F.R.S 365 



On some Effects of Lightning. — C. Tomlinson, 



F.R.S. ; A. F. Griffith 366 



A Brilliant Rainbow. — E. Burton Durham .... 367 

 The 1851 Commissioners' Estate at Kensington . . 36 



The International Chemical Congress 30 



The Rev. M. J. Berkeley 33 



Notes 3^ 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1889 



August 18-24 35 



The Congress of German Naturalists and Physicians 3^ 

 The Progress of Science as Exemplified in the Ait 

 of Weighing and Measuring. By Dr. William 



Harkness 3J 



Scientific Serials 38 



Societies and Academies 38 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 384 



I 



