NA TURE 



\yan. 23, 1890 



Berlin. 

 PhysioloEfical Society, December 27, 1889. — Prof. duBois- 

 Reymond, President, in the chair. — Dr. Augustus Waller, of 

 London, demonstrated the electrical negative variation of the 

 heart which accompanies the pulse. The demonstration was 

 preceded by a short introductory description of the method by 

 which it is possible to detect the negative variation accompany- 

 ing each beat of the heart both in man and other normal 

 animals. The peculiar position of the heart determines the 

 special position of the equipotential lines for the cardiac muscle, 

 and these then determine the way in which the electrodes must 

 be applied to the outer surface of the body in order to obtain 

 the most marked results. Thus, for instance, when one pole of 

 the capillary-electrometer is applied to the head or right 

 shoulder of a man, while the other pole is connected with his 

 left hand, this arrangement is effective, and the mercurial 

 meniscus in the electrometer can be seen to move synchronously 

 with the pulse. When the poles are applied to the left shoulder 

 and left foot, or left hand and left foot, or right hand and right 

 foot, these arrangements are non-effective. In the horse, dog, 

 and cat, results are obtained by connecting the fore-limbs" with 

 the hind-limbs through the electrometer ; this is due to the fact 

 that in these animals the heart is placed with its axis from right 

 to left, thus dividing the body symmetrically into a front and 

 hinder half. The demonstrations were made on a man, a horse, 

 and a dog. — Mr. Auschiitz exhibited an apparatus (" Schnell- 

 seher ") for the stroboscopic examination of instantaneous 

 photographs (twelve per second) of moving objects. The 

 reproduction of the movements afforded by the instrument was 

 very perfect. 



Stockholm. 



Royal Academy of Sciences, January 8. — On our know- 

 ledge of the nature of the Antarctic regions, and on the desirable- 

 ness of researches there as well planned and comprehensive as 

 those which have been conducted by Swedish investigators in 

 the Arctic regions during many years, by Baron Nordenskiold. 

 If contributions could be obtained from Australia, Baron O. 

 Dickson and Baron Nordenskiold would fit out a scientific ex- 

 pedition to the Antarctic regions to start from Sweden in 1891. — 

 On remains of birds from the Saltholms Limestone (Upper 

 Cretaceous) at Limhamn, in Scania, by Prof. W. Dames, of 

 Berlin. (The right humerus, scapula, and coracnideum, of 

 probably a wading-bird, being next the Enaliornis of the chalk 

 of Cambridge, in England, the only European find of a Cre- 

 taceous bird. It has been named Scaniornis Lundgreni, Dam.) 

 — Researches on oiazotiol combinations, by Herr Hector. — On 

 Jurassic woods from Green Harbour, in Spitzbergen, by Prof. 

 Schrenk, of Leipzig. — On the secretions of the digestion in the 

 median intestines, and some phenomena in combination therewith 

 in insects and Myriopoda, by Dr. G. Alderz. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



London. 



THURSDAY, January 23. 



RovAL Society, at 4.30. — On a Photographic Method for Determining 



Variability in Stars : Isaac Roberts. — Physical Properties of Nickel 



Steel: Dr. Hopkinson, F.R.S. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — MagnetLsm : Dr. J. 



Hopkinson, F.R.S. (Discussion.) 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Sculpture in Relation to the Age: Edwin 

 Roscoe Mullins. 



FRIDAY, January 24. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 7.30.— The Up-keep of Metalled 



Roads in Ceylon : Thos. H. Chapman. 

 Royal Institution, at 9.— The Scientific Work of Joule: Prof. Dewar, 

 F.R.S. 



SA TURD A Y, January 25. 

 •Royal Botanic Society, at 3.45. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— The Natural History of the Horse, and of 

 its Extinct and Existing Allies : Prof. Flower, C.B., F.R.S. 



SUNDAY, January 26. 

 Sunday Lecture Society, at 4.— John Milton, the Champion of Liberty : 

 Dr. Stanton Coit. 



MONDAY, January 27. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— The Electro-magnet ; Dr. Silvanus P. Thompson. 



TUESDA Y, January 28. 



Society of Arts, at 8.— The Relation of the Fine Arts to the Applied 

 Arts : Edward C. Robins. 



Anthropological Institute, at 8.30.— Anniversary Meeting.— Presi- 

 dential Address. 



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

 Liverpool : George Fosbery Lyster. (Discussion.)— Bars at the Mouths 

 of Tidal Estuaries : W. H. Wheeler. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— The Post-Darwinian Period: Prof. G. J. 

 Romanes, F.R.S. 



WEDNESDA Y, January zq. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— The Utilization of Blast-furnace Slag : Gilbert 

 Redgrave. 



THURSDAY, January 30. 

 Royal Institution, at 3— Sculpture in Relation to the Age : Edwin 

 Roscoe Mullins. 



FRIDAY, January 31. 

 Royal Institution, at 9. — Smokeless Explosives : Sir Frederick Abel, 

 C.B., F.R.S. 



SATURDAY, February i. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— The Natural History of the Horse, and of 

 its Extinct and Existing Allies : Prof. Flower, C.B., F.R.S. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Atlas of Commercial Geography : J. G. Bartholomew (C. J. Clay). — Elec- 

 tric Light, 3rd edition : J. W. Urquhart (C. Lockwood). — North American 

 Birds, Parts i and 2 : H. Nehrling (Wesley). — Handbuch der Palaeontologie, 

 ii. Abthg. , 8 Liefg. (Munchen). — Handbiich der Palaeontologie, i. Abthg., 

 iii. Band, 3 Liefg. CMiinchen). — Year-book of Photography for 1890 (Piper 

 and Carter). — Livy, Book xxi. : Allcrof: and Masom (Clive). — Queensland 

 Meteorological Report for 1887. — Handleiding tot de Kennis der Fl^ra van 

 Nederlandisch Indie. Eerste Deel : Dr. J. G. Boerlage (Leiden, Brill). — Die 

 Arten der Gattung Ephedra : Dr. O. Stapf (Wien). — Grasses of the Southern 

 Punjab: W. Coldstream (Thacker). — Prof. Arnold Guyot ; J. D. Dana 

 (Washington). — Miscellaneous Papers relating to Anthropology (Washing- 

 ton). — Accounts of the Progress in Anthropology, Zoology, Mineralogy, 

 Chemistry, Physics, Geography and Exploration, Vulcanology and Seis- 

 mology, North American Geology in 1886 (Washington). — Bibliography of 

 North American Pala;antology m 1886 (Washington). — The Advance of 

 Science in the Last Half Century : T. H. Huxley (Washington). — Report of 

 the Smithsonian Exchanges for the Year ending June 30, 1887 (Washing- 

 ton). — Preservation of Museum Specimens from Insects and the Effects of 

 Dampness: W. Hough (Washington) — Ethno-Conchology : R. E. C. 

 Stearns (Washington). — The Human Beast of Burden : O. T. Mason 

 (Washington), — Notes on the Artificial Deformation of Children among 

 Savage and Civilized Peoples : Dr. J. H. Porter (Washington). — Cradles of 

 the American Aborigines : O. T. Mason (Washington). — The Ether Theory 

 of 1839, Part I : J. Johnstone (Edinburgh, Gemmell). — Third Annual Report 

 on the Puffin Island Biological Station: Dr. W. A. Herdman (Liverpoal). 

 — Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, January (Williams and Norgate). — 

 Traits Kncyclopedique de Photographic, January 15 (Paris, Gauthier-Villars). 

 — Records of the Geological Survey of India, vol. xxii.. Part 4. — Journal 

 of the College of Science, Imperial University, Japan, vol. iii.. Part 3 

 (Tokio). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Future Indian Civil Service Examinations . . 265 



The Shan States 265 



The Lesser Antilles. By D. M 268 



A Text-book of Human Anatomy 269 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Johnson: "A Treatise on Ordinary and Partial 



Differential Equations" 270 



Harris: " The Land of an African Sultan " .... 270 



Hulme : " Wayside Sketches " 270 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Influenza. — W. Greatheed ; Augustus Harvey . 270 

 Rainbow due to Sunlight reflected from the Sea. 

 (///M.f/ra^f^.)— Sir William Thomson, F.R.S,; 



William Scouller 271 



Osteolepidas. — R. L. + E 271 



Exact Thermometry. — Dr. Sydney Young .... 271 

 Foreign Substances attached to Crabs. — F. Ernest 



W^eiss 272 



Galls. — W. Ainslie Hollis 272 



The Evolution of Sex. — Dr. A. B. Meyer ..... 272 

 "Manures and their Uses."— Dr. A. B, Griffiths; 



The Reviewer 272 



Magnetism. II. {Illustrated.) By Dr. J. Hopkinson, 



F.R.S 273 



Notes on a Recent Volcanic Island in the Pacific. 

 {Illustrated.) By Captain W. J. L. Wharton, R.N., 



F.R.S., Hydrographer 276 



Weather Forecasting. By R. H. S 278 



The Laboratories of Bedford College 279 



Stephen Joseph Perry, F.R.S 279 



Mr. Daniel Adamson 281 



Notes 281 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Objects for the Spectroscope. — A. Fowler 285 



The Cluster G.C. 1420 and the Nebula N.G.C. 2237 . 285 



On the Spectrum of ^ Ursse Majoris 285 



Spectroscopic Observations of Algol 286 



Geographical Notes 286 



The Sources of Nitrogen in Soils. By Prof. John 



Wrightson 286 



Societies and Academies 287 



Diary of Societies • . 288 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 288 



