March 27, 1890] 



NATURE 



503 



the initial direction of the transverse valleys from pre-Glacial 

 times — and of the longitudinal valleys from Glacial times. (13) 

 That the Thames basin results from the elevation of the Weald 

 and the flexures of the Chalk and Oolites of the Midland coun- 

 ties, and dates from a period subsequent to the Westleton Beds. 

 (14) That the genesis of the Lower Thames similarly dates from 

 early Pleistocene times, whilst its connection with its upper 

 tributaries and the Isis, which possibly flowed previously north- 

 eastward, took place at a rather later period. After the reading 

 of the paper there was a discussion, in which the Chairman, Mr. 

 Whitaker, Dr. Irving, Mr. Topley, Dr. Evans, and the author, 

 took part. Dr. Evans congratulated the Society and Prof. 

 Prestwich on his having been able to sum up the results of the 

 observations of so many years in the series of papers which he 

 had lately read. 



Entomological Society, March 5. — Captain Henry J. 

 Elwes, Vice-President, in the chair. — Mr. C. G. Barrett 

 exhibited a number of specimens of Dianthecia carpophaga, 

 Bork., bred by Mr. W. F. H. Blandford from larvae collected 

 near Tenby on flowers of Silene maritima. He remarked that 

 the series included a number of forms intermediate between D. 

 carpophaga and D. capsophila, and establish the fact that the 

 latter is only a local variety of the former. Mr. W. H. B. 

 Fletcher, Mr. Blandford, and Mr. McLachlan took part in a 

 discussion as to the identity of the supposed species. — Mr. 

 Barrett further exhibited a specimen of Dianthecia hiteago, var. 

 Barrettii, Db., also bred by Mr. Blandford from a larva found 

 at Tenby, and he remarked that the species had not previously 

 been taken in England ; also a long series of forms intermediate 

 between Catoptria scopoliana, Hw., and its small variety 

 parvitlana, Wilk., collected by Mr. E. Bankes, Mr. Fletcher 

 and Mr. Vine, in Sussex, the Isle of Wight, and Pembroke- 

 shire ; also a specimen of Botys mtitualis, Zell., — a species 

 widely distributed in Asia and Africa, — taken by Mr. C. S. 

 Gregson near Bolton, Lancashire. — Mr. H. Goss exhibited 

 several abnormal specimens of Arctia caja, bred last December. 

 The object of the exhibition was to show the effect produced by 

 forcing the larvae, and subjecting them to unusual conditions. 

 It was stated that the peculiarity of the colour of the hind 

 wings of the female parent had not been transmitted to any of 

 the offspring. — Mr. Blandford referred to two specimens of a 

 species of Cardiophorus, from Tenby, which he had ex- 

 hibited at the August meeting of the Society as Cardiophorus 

 cinerais, and stated that subsequent investigation had led him to 

 hand them to Mr. Champion for determination. Mr. Champion 

 was of opinion that they did not belong to the same species ; 

 that one of them was C. asellus, Er., and the other, probably, C. 

 eqtiiscti, Hbst., a species new to this country. — Mr. C. J. Gahan 

 read a paper entitled "New Longicornia from Africa and 

 Madagascar. " — Captain Elwes read a paper entitled " On a new 

 species of Thymara and other species allied to Himantopteriis 

 fuscinervis, Wesmael." — Dr. Sharp read a paper entitled " On 

 some Water Beetles from Ceylon." — Mr. J. J. Walker communi- 

 cated a paper entitled " Notes on Lepidoptera from the Region 

 of the Straits of Gibraltar." Mr. F. Merrifield, Mr. B. G. 

 Nevinson, Captain Elwes, and Mr. G. Lewis took part in the 

 discussion which ensued. — It was announced that papers had 

 also been received from Mr. E. Meyrick, Prof, Westwood, and 

 Mynheer P. C. T. Snellen. 



Royal Meteorological Society, March 19.— Mr. H. F. Blan- 

 ford, F.R.S., Vice-President, in the chair. — The following papers 

 were read : — A brief notice respecting photography in relation 

 to meteorological work, by Mr. G. M. Whipple. The first person 

 to use photography for obtaining meteorological records was Mr. 

 T. B. Jordan, of Falmouth, in 1838. Some years later, Sir F. 

 Ronalds and Mr. C. Brooke devised more complete and 

 elaborate apparatus ; the arrangement of the former being now 

 in use at the Observatories of the Meteorological Office, and that 

 of the latter at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. Reference 

 was also made to Mr. J. B. Jordan's form of sunshine recorder, 

 and to Captain Abney's photo-nephograph. The various photo- 

 graphic processes which have been employed in connection with 

 these instruments were fully described. — Application of photo- 

 graphy to meteorological phenomena, by Mr. W. Marriott. The 

 author showed how photography could be most usefully em- 

 ployed for the advancement of meteorological knowledge. Much 

 valuable information had been recently obtained from photographs 

 of lightning and clouds. An interesting collection of such 

 photographs was shown on the screen, together with others 



illustrating floods, whirlwinds, tornadoes, hailstorms, frost, snow, 

 &c, — After the reading of these papers, the meeting was ad- 

 journed to allow the Fellows to inspect the Exhibition of 

 Instruments, &c., an account of which we print elsewhere. 



Mathematical Society, March 13.— J. J. Walker, F.R.S. 

 President, in the chair. — The following communications were 

 made: — Perfect numbers, by Major P. A. MacMahon, R. A. — 

 The relation of distortio n in prismatic images to dispersion, by 

 Dr. J. Larmor. — On the satellite of a line relatively to a cubic, 

 by the President (Prof. Greenhill, F.R.S., V.P,, in the chair).— 

 An approximate relation connecting successive terms of the 

 expansion for tan x, by G. Heppel. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, March 17. — M. Hermite in the 

 chair. — M. Maurice Levy communicated a paper on the applica- 

 tion of electro-dynamical laws to planetary motions. In a com - 

 munication of February 17, M. Tisserand applied Gauss's for- 

 mula of electro-dynamical attraction to the movement of celestial 

 bodies without at all asserting it to be true. M. Levy concludes 

 that the formula is contrary to the doctrine of energy and to the 

 facts, and shows that Riemann gave a law which, like that of 

 Weber, is in accord with both. — On the photographic halo, and 

 a method of making it disappear, by M. A. Cornu. The author 

 has investigated the appearance and cause of the halos which sur- 

 round intense points of light on a photographic plate, and the 

 conditions necessary to remove them. — Under agricultural 

 chemistry, M. Berthelot discusses the facts relating to observa- 

 tions on the reactions between the soil and atmospheric ammonia. 

 — M. P. Schutzenberger, in researches on some phenomena pro- 

 duced during the condensation of gases containing carbon under 

 the influence of the silent discharge, has investigated the com- 

 position of the brown solid formed together with carbonic acid 

 from the condensation of carbonic oxide. The experi- 

 mental results give a formula intermediate between CjjHjOio 

 and C12H2O11. — Method of determining the pole of an ellipsoid of 

 three unequal axes by the observation of its catoptric images, by 

 M. D. E. Sulzer. — On a new system of electrical accumulators 

 and some accessory apparatus, note by M. Charles Pollak. — On 

 the double thiosulphates of lead and sodium, by M. J. Fogh. 

 — The action of sulphuric acid on aluminium, by M. A. Ditte. 

 The author finds aluminium to behave much like amalga- 

 mated zinc. With a smooth plate of this metal immersed 

 in dilute cold sulphuric acid for some time but little hydro- 

 gen is liberated owing to the formation of a protecting 

 film of the free gas, and that any circumstances tending to 

 facilitate the removal of this film increase the rapidity of action 

 of the acid ; for instance, a trace of a chloride of any metal 

 reduced by aluminium causes the plate to be comparatively 

 rapidly attacked owing to the roughening of the surface due to 

 the deposition of a metallic film ; again a similar effect is 

 obtained when the reaction is caused to occur in a vacuum, 

 because of the freer disengagement of hydrogen. The product of 

 the reaction is in the first place neutral sulphate of aluminium, 

 but the reaction continues further, a basic sulphate being pro- 

 duced with further evolution of hydrogen. The conclusion 

 is drawn that aluminium acts normally, in accordance with the 

 heat of formation of its salts, when in contact with sulphuric 

 acid or metallic sulphates, and that the slowness of the reaction 

 is due to the mechanical interference of the liberated hydro- 

 gen. — On a new crystalline form of ammonium chloride, by 

 MM. G. Geisenheimer and F. Leteur. M. Le Bel has shown 

 the possibility of a second form of ammonium chloride ( Comptes 

 rendus, January 20, 1890) ; the authors give data leading 

 them to conclude that they have probably obtained the second 

 form, rendered stable by the presence of a slight impurity. — 

 Note by M. J. Meunier, on the mono- and di-benz-acelals 

 of sorbite. — On the o dextro- and laevo-rotatory borneol cam* 

 phorates, by M. A. Haller. The author draws the conclu- 

 sions — (i) that the total etherification of camphoric acid is only 

 effected at a relatively high temperature and with the anhydride ; 

 (2) that isomeric bodies are certainly produced under these con- 

 ditions ; (3) that camphoric acid, in the acid ethers studied 

 in this note, is analogous to phenol in its reactions. — On 

 oxytetric acid, by M. Ch. Cloez. — On the value of the heat of 

 hydration of malic acid, by M. Iw. Ossipoff. — Note by M. J. A, 

 MuUer, on the dissociation of the hydrochlorides of amines and 

 dissolved salts of fatty acids. Using phenolphthalein as in- 

 dicator, the author has been enabled to trace the dissociation of 



