240 



NATURE 



[Jan. 9, 1890 



ihe thermometers into warm water at 45° C, in such a way that 

 its external metallic envelopment was in contact with the water 

 and took on the temperature of the latter, while at the same time 

 aspiration could proceed undisturbed. When the clock-work 

 was not set in motion and the turbine in the upper part of the 

 instrument was at rest, the thermometer indicated a temperature 

 of 35° C. ; but as soon as aspiration was started by setting the 

 clock-work in motion, the temperature recorded fell to 22° '5 C, 

 being now identical with that indicatedby a second thermometer 

 not immersed in water. In the next place, a series of experi- 

 ments was made in order to determine the rate of flow of the 

 air through the thermometer. To effect this the thermometer 

 was attached by an air-tight joint to the upper end of a glass 

 <;ylrnder whose capacity was 5 litres, whose interior was moistened 

 with soapy water, and whose lower end was closed with a soap- 

 film. On setting the instrument in work the time required for 

 the aspiration of 5 litres of air was measured by the time the 

 soap-film occupied in ascending from the lower to the upper end 

 of the cylinder. The speaker showed that when the turbine was 

 in motion the rate of flow of the aspired air was about 2'5 m. 

 per second ; when in addition to the turbine an external injector 

 was used, the velocity rose to rather more than 3 m. ; when the 

 injector alone was used the velocity was similarly 3 m. The 

 bellows which he had used in his earlier instruments gave a very 

 variable and much slower current of air. Finally, he demon- 

 strated the action of the instrument when employed as a 

 psychrometer. By surrounding the thermometer with gauze and 

 moistening the latter the instrument recorded a temperature of 

 1 8° C, while at the same time a similar non-moistened thermo- 

 meter recorded 21° C. An ordinary psychrometer which was 

 placed in close proximity to the other indicated 21° C. with the 

 dry-bulb, and 16° C. with the wet. The President pointed out 

 that when determining temperatures with an aspiration thermo- 

 meter the rarefaction of the air must lead to a slight fall of 

 temperature, which is, however, partly compensated for by the 

 friction of the air. Both these factors can be calculated from the 

 known rate of flow of the air. 



In the report of the Berlin Physical Society, NATURE, 

 January 2, p. 215, in the fourth line from the bottom, for 

 *' Society " read " Institute." 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 

 London. 



THURSDAY, January 9. 



:RovAL Society, at 4.30. — New Experiments on the Question of the Fixation 

 of Free Nitrogen (Preliminary Notice): Sir J. B. Lawes, Bart., F.R.S., 

 and Prof. Gilbert, F.R.S. — On Electric Discharge between Electrodes at 

 Different Temperatures in Air and in High Vacua ; Prof. J. A. Fleming. 

 — A^Milk-dentition in Orycteropus : Oldfield Thomas. 



Mathematical Society, at 8. — On the Deformation of an Elastic Shell : 

 Prof. H. Lamb, F.R.S.— On the Relation between the Logical Theory of 

 Classes and the Geometrical Theory of Points: A. B. Kempe, F.K.S. — 

 On the Correlation of Two Spaces, each of Three Dimensions : Dr. Hirst, 

 F.R.S. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. 



Royal Institution, at 3 —Electricity (adapted to a Juvenile Auditory) : 

 Prof. A. W. Rucker. B'.R.S. 



/^j7/2>.4F,<'January 10. 

 Royal Astronomical Society, at 8. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 7.30.— The Irrigation Works on 

 the Cauvery Delta ; Alfred Chatterton. 



SATURDAY, January ii. 

 ■Royal Botanic Society, at 3.45. 



Essex Field Club, at 7.— The Inter-Relations of the Field Naturalist's 

 Knowledge : Prof. J. Logan Lobley. 



SUNDAY, January 12. 



S JNDAT Lecture Society, at 4.— Heroes of British India ; the Men who 

 Conquered, Ruled, and Saved it : Willmott Dixon. . 



TUESDAY, January 14. 



Zoological Society, at 8.30.— On a New Species of Otter from the Lower 

 Pliocene of Eppelsheim : R. Lydekker. — A Complete List of the Sphinges 

 and Bombyces known to occur on the Nilgiri Hills of Southern India, 

 with Descriptions of New Species : G. F. Hampson. — On some Cranial 

 and Dental Characters of the Domestic Dog: Prof. Bertram C. A. Windle 

 and John Humphreys. — Fourth Contribution to the Herpetology of the 

 Solomon Islands : G. A. Boulenger. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Recent Dock Extensions at 

 Liverpool : George Fosbery Lyster. 



WEDNESDAY, January 15. 

 Society of Arts, at 8. 

 Royal Meteorological Society, at 7.15 — Annual General Meeting.— 



Report of the Council. — Election of Officers and Council. — Atmospheric 



Dust (illustrated by Lantern Slides) : Dr. W. Marcet. F.R.S.. President.^ 

 Entomological Society, at 7. — Annual Meeting. — Election of the Council 



and Officers for 1890. — Address by the Right Hon. Lord Walsingham, 



F.R.S., President. 

 University College Chemical and Physical Society, at 4.30. — 



The Magnetization of Iron and Nickel ; J. J. Stewart. 



THURSDAY, J a:^VARY 16. 

 Royal Society, at 4.30. 

 Linnean Society, at 8. — Life-History of a Remarkable Uredine on 



Jasminum grandiflora : A. Barclay. — Certain Protective Provisions in some 



Larval British Teleosteans : E. Prince. 



FRIDAY, January 17. 

 Society of Arts, at 8. 

 Physical Societv, at 5.— On a Carbon Deposit in a Blake Telephone 



Transmitter : F. B. Hawes.— On Electric Splashes : Prof. S. P. Thompson. 



—On Galvanometers : Prof. W. E. Ayrton, F.R.S., T. Mather, and W. 



E. Sumpner. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Food in Health and Disease: Dr. J. Burney Yeo (Cassell). — A Guide 

 for the Electric Testing of Telegraph Cables, 3rd edition : Colonel F. 

 Hoskioer ( Spon). — The Educational Annual, 1890; E. Johnson (Philip). — 

 Parallel Translations of Lines and Surfaces, 2nd edition : D. Maver 

 (Aberdeen, Brown). — Year-book of Pharmacy, 1889 (Churchill). — Natural- 

 istic Photography, and edition : P. H. Emerson (Low). — Warren's Table 

 and Formula Book: Rev. J. Warren (Longmans). — Bergens Museums Aars- 

 beretning for 188S (Bergen).— Geological M-^chanism : J. L. Wilson (J. 

 Heywood). — Bibliography of Meteorology, Part 2, Moisture (Washing- 

 ton). — Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, Part 15 (Triib- 

 ner). — Mind,iNo. Ivii. (Williams and Norgate). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Zoological Results of the Challenger Expedition 217 

 The Vertebrates of Leicestershire and Rutland. By 



R. L 220 



The Scientific Papers of Asa Gray. By W. Dotting 



Hemsley, F.R.S 221 



Manures and their Uses. By W 223 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Van Beneden : " Histoire Naturelle des Cetaces des 



Mers d'Europe."— W. H. F 223 



Strasburger and Hillhouse : " Hand-book of Practical 

 Botany for the Botanical Laboratory and Private 



Student."— D. H. S 223 



Mascart : " Traited'Optique."— Prof. J. D. Everett, 



F.R.S . 224 



Moessard : *' Bibliotheque photographique : Le Cylin- 



drographe, Appareil panoramique " 224 



EissleV: " A Hand-book of Modern Explosives " . . 224 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



The Peltier Effect, and Contact E.M.F.— Prof, 



Oliver J. Lodge, F.R.S 224 



Mirages. — Arthur E. Brown 225 



Self-luminous Clouds.— C. E. Stromeyer 225 



The Revised Terminology in Cryptogamic Botany. — 



Alfred W. Bennett 225 



Exact Thermometry. -Dr. Edmund J. Mills, 



F.R.S 227 



The Palaeontological Evidence for the Transmis- 

 sion of Acquired Characters. By Henry Fairfield 



Osborn 227 



A Field laid down to Permanent Grass. By Sir J. 



B. Lawes, F.R.S 229 



The Total Eclipse of December 22 229 



Notes 229 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Objects for the Spectroscope.— A. Fowler 232 



Identity of Comet Vico (1844) with Brooks's (1889) . 233 



Observations of some Suspected Variables 233 



Spectrum of a Metallic Prominence 233 



Comet Swift (/ 1889, November 17) 233 



Solar Spots and Prominences 233 



Geographical Notes 234 



The Anniversary of the Royal Society. By Sir G. G. 



Stokes, M.P., P.R.S 234 



Hail-storms in Northern India 236 



Scientific Serials 237 



Societies and Academies 237 



Diary of Societies • • • 240 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 240 



