456 



NATURE 



[Sept. 5, 1889 



J^cienca, and horticulture. Among the operations of these 

 agricultural experiment stations are "fertilizer control," or the 

 analyses of manures, the analyses of fodder and feeding-stuffs 

 draiaage experiments, feeding experiments with farm animals, 

 observations on milk, the determination of injurious insects, with 

 remedies against their attacks, fruit culture experiments, drinking- 

 water analyses, ensilage experiments, meteorology, seed-testing, 

 analyses of soils and rocks, the culture of various plants for 

 fodder and corn, >vith other useful work. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, August 26. — M. Des Cloizeaux, 

 President, in the chair. — On the molecular tactics of the arti- 

 ficial macle of Iceland spar produced by Baumhauer by means 

 of a knife, by Sir William Thomson. The substance of this 

 paper has already been communicated to the Royal Society of 

 Edinburgh, and will shortly be published, under the title of 

 "Molecular Tactics of Cry.-tals," in the Proceedings of the 

 Society. The author also contributes a paper on the equili- 

 brium of atoms, and the elasticity of solids in Boscovich's theory 

 of matter. — Note on the orbits of shooting-stars, and on sta- 

 tionary radiant points, by M. F. Tisserand. A calculation of 

 the elements (mostly parabolic) of their several orbits leads to 

 the inference that the meteoric showers encountered by the earth 

 at different times of the year do not all emanate from the same 

 radiating centre, but belong to different systems proceeding from 

 quite independent radiant points. A series of essays based on 

 the assumption that the orbits are not parabolic, but elliptic, 

 lead to the same conclusion. — On the relations of atmospheric 

 nitrogen to vegetable soil, by M. Th. Schloesing. This is a 

 reply to M. Berthelot's recent .strictures on the author's negative 

 results. These results are here maintained, and M. Schloe ing 

 again argues on fresh grounds that there is no fixation of nitro- 

 gen by vegetable humus except through the actual process of 

 vegetation. — Pathogenic properties of the microbes present in 

 malignant tumours, by M. Verneuil. The author still adheres to 

 the opinion already enunciated in 1883, that these parasites have 

 nothing to do with the initial stage of boils, ulcers, cancer, and the 

 like. At the same time he does not regard their presence as a 

 matter of indifference, but admits that in certain cases they may 

 themselves possess special pathogenic properties, in virtue of 

 which they act on the system like septic poisons. — On the pro- 

 gress of the zoological station at Roscoff, by M. de Lacaze- 

 Duthiers. The author speaks in satisfactory terms of the present 

 condition of this station, and of the complementary establishment 

 at Banyuls, which have now been placed in connection with 

 the Sorbonne. The electric light, introduced at Roscoff by the 

 aid of private munificetice, is now in perfect working order. — 

 The Eiffel Tower struck by lightning, by M. Mascart. A cor- 

 rect account is given of this occurrence, which took place on 

 August 19, and exaggerated reports of which appeared in the 

 daily papers. The conductor was struck, with the normal results, 

 showing perfect communication with earth, and consequently 

 complete safety of the structure from any danger on this score. — 

 Observations with the pendulum effected in Russia, by General 

 Steibnitski. The author reports that the Russian Imperial 

 Geographical Society is now in possession of three Repsold 

 pendulums, with which the latitude and longitude of Karma- 

 kul in Novaya Zemlya and Archangel, the two northernmost 

 stations in European Russia, have been accurately determined. 

 — Occultation of Jupiter by the moon, August 7, 1889, by M. 

 Ch. Andre. The results are given of the three observations 

 taken at the Observatory of Lyons by MM. Andre, Le Cadet, 

 and Marchand. None of the satellites disappeared instan- 

 taneously, as is the case with stars of the same magnitude 

 (seventh). The disappearance of satellites III., II., and IV. 

 occupied l""5, l"'i, and o"'5 respectively, giving for their 

 several diameters o"'46, o"'3o, and o"'i5. — On the angle of 

 polarization of the moon, by M. J. J. Landerer. A method is 

 described by means of which this element has been determined 

 at 33° 17', a mean value resulting from eleven series of observa- 

 tions witla probable error ± 7'. The same process is equally 

 applicable to the planet Venus. — On the solar spots, by M. G. 

 Spoerer. Besides some brilliant protuberances, the large spot 

 visible from June 16 to 18 was observed on the last day at 

 10.43 ^■'^- at Potsdam. But a photograph of the same taken a 



few minutes before the observation shows no trace of the spot, 

 which is replaced by an even depression on the solar rim, 

 exactly where the spot had been observed. An explanation is 

 suggested of this phenomenon.— Specific heat of aqueous vapour 

 under constant volume, by M. Ch. Antoine. For RegnauU's 

 curves of the form x = K + Mts - N/^^ the author substitutes 

 functions of the temperature t and of the tension /, such as 

 X = B + cts = <t>[p), deducing for aqueous vapour two deter- 

 minations for specific heat under constant pressure and constant 

 volume. Analogous formulas may be obtained for other vapours, 

 such as ether, chloroform, acetone, benzene, chloride, and sul- 

 phide of carbon. — Papers were contributed by M. Leo Vignon 

 on the action of water on stannic chloride ; by M. G. Kaulin, 

 on the action of phosphates on the growth of cereals ; by M.C. 

 Timiriazeff, on the relation between the intensity of solar radia- 

 tion and the decomposition of carbonic acid by plants ; and by 

 M. Armand Sabatier, on the zoological station at Cette. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Marine Aquaria : R. A. R. Bennett (Gilt).— Narrative of an Explorer in 

 Tropical Soutfi Africa ; F. Galton (Ward, Lock).— The Matfiematical Theory 

 of Kiectricity and Magnetism; vot. ii. Magnetism and Etectrodynamics : 

 Watson and Burbury (Ciarendon Press).— Bulletin of the U.S. National 

 Museum ; No. 34. The Batrachia of North America : E. D. Cope (Washing- 

 ton).— Bulletin of the U.S. National Museum; Contributions to the Natural 

 History of the Cetaceans, a Review of the Family Delphinidae : F. W. True 

 (Washington).— Calcul des Probabilites : J. Bertrand (Pari=, Gauthier- 

 VillarsX- Die Foss.len Pferde der Parapasformation : Dr. H. Burmeister 

 (Buenos Aires). — Elementary Physiography, 2nd edition: G. Thorn (Edin- 

 burgh, Thin).— The Eiffel Tower: G. Tis.sandier (Low).— Brain, July 

 (Macmillan).— The Esclepiad, No. 23, vol. vi. : Dr. B. W. Richardson 

 (Longmans).— Journal of the College of Science, Imperial University, Japan, 

 vol. iii., Parts i and 2 (Tokyo). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Sir William Thomson's Popular Lectures. By Prof. 



. Oliver J. Lodge, F.R.S 433 



The Mathematical Theory of Political Economy. 



l^y F- Y. E 434 



Musical Instruments and their Homes 436 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Madan : "Heat" 436 



Symons : " British Rainfall, 1888" 437 



Holmes : " Ancient Ait of the Province of Chiriqui " 437 

 Williamson and Tarleton : " An Elementary Treatise 



on Dynamics " 437 



Letters to the Editor : — 



On some Effects of Lightning. — Captain J. P. 



Maclear 437 



Nose-Blackening as a Preventive of Snow-Blindness. 



— Rev. Henry Bernard 438 



A Method of Mounting Dried Plants. — Dr. John 



Wilson 438 



Colour-Blindness and Defective Far-Sight among 



the Seamen of the Mercantile Marine 438 



St. Elmo's Fire on Ben Nevis. By A. R 439 



Telescopes for Stellar Photography, I. {Illustrated.) 



By Sir Howard Grubb, F.R.S 441 



Notes 444 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Yale College Observatory . . . . • 448 



New Minor Planet 448 



Comet 1889 d (Brooks, July 6) 448 



Comets 1888 e (Barnard, September 2) and 1889 l> 



(Barnard, March 31) 448 



Reduction of Rutherfurd's Photographs of the Pleiades 



and Prassepe 448 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1889 



September 8-14 448 



Geographical Notes 449 



Our Sensations of Motion. (Illustrated.) By Prof. 



A. Crum Brown 449 



On the Geological History of the Prehistoric Flora 



of Sweden. By Dr. A. G. Nathorst 453 



Agricultural Experimental Stations in the United 



States 455 



Societies and Academies 456 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 456 



