26o 



NATURE 



\jfan. 1 6, 1879 



3. The photographic absoi"ption spectra can be employed as a 

 means of identifying organic substances, and as a most delicate 

 test of their purity. The curves obtained by co-ordinating the 

 extent of dilution with the position of the rays of the spectrum 

 absorbed by the solution form a strongly-marked and often a 

 highly characteristic feature of many organic compounds. 



There is a curious feature in connection with the position of 

 the absorption bands ; at the less refrangible end they either 

 begin at line 12 Cd or line 17 Cd, and those which begin at 12 

 end a little beyond 17. 



No napthalene or anthracene derivatives have yet been 

 examined, and very few substances of unknown constitution — 

 hence most interesting results may be anticipated from a con- 

 tinuation of this research, and this contribution must be accepted 

 rather as a bare commencement of the subject than its 

 conclusion. 



Mathematical Society, January 9. — C. W. Merrifield, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — Dr. J. Hopkinson, F.R.S.j 

 was admitted a Member. — The following communications were 

 made to the Society : On a theorem in elliptical functions, by 

 Prof. Cayley, F.R.S. — On a new modular equation, by Prof. 

 H. J. S. Smith, F.R.S. — On coefficients of conduction and 

 capacity of two electrified spheres, by Prof. Greenhill. — On 

 certain systems of partial differential equations of the first order 

 with several dependent variables, by Prof. Lloyd-Tanner. 

 Edinburgh 



Royal Society, December 16, 1878. — Prof. Kelland, presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — The first paper was on the action of light 

 on the iris, by Mr. William Ackroyd. In i the paper Mr. Ack- 

 royd suggested certain methods for determining whether the 

 amount of light admitted to the eye had an influence on the 

 pupil or not. Certain of the suggested met^iods had reference 

 to light emanating from a bright point held close to the eye, 

 while another dealt with rays of light emanating from a bright 

 point at a distance. — The next paper was by Mr. John Aitken, 

 on a new variety of ocular spectrum. — Mr. Alex. Macfarlane, 

 D.Sc, M.A., then read the first half of a paper on the 

 principles of the logical algebra. In it he entered into a 

 minute examination of the principles of the logical calculus, as 

 laid down by Prof. Boole in his treatise on the "Laws of 

 Thought," and advanced a new theory of the operation of the 

 mind, founded upon the analysis of language and the nature of 

 mathematical reasoning. 



Manchester 



Literary and Philosophical Society, December 10, 1878. 

 —J. P. Joule, D.C.L,, LL.D., F.R.S., president, in the chair. 

 On the combinations of aurin with mineral acids, by R. S. Dale, 

 B.A., and C. Schorlemmer, F.R.S. — On the estimation of small 

 excesses of weight by the balance from the time of vibration 

 and the angular deflection of the beam, by J. H. Poynting, 

 B.A., B.Sc. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, January 6. — M. Fizeau in the chair. 

 — M. Edm. Becquerel was elected Vice-President for 1879. — 

 M, Fizeau gave information regarding the publications of the 

 Academy, and the changes among members and correspondents 

 during tlae year. The deceased members are Becquerel, Reg- 

 nault, Delafosse, Bernard, Belgrand, and Bienayme. Deceased 

 correspondents, Didion, Secchi, Mayer, Malaguti, Leymerie, 

 De Vibraye, De Valdrome, Shumann, Rokitanski, and Lebert. 

 — The following papers were read : — Reply to M. Pasteur, by 

 M. Berthelot. — On a gigantic isopod from a great depth in the 

 sea, by M. Milne-Edwards. This creature, called Bathynotnus 

 giganteus, was brought up from a depth of 955 fathoms, on the 

 north-east of the bank of Yucatan, by the American expedition 

 in the Blake, which started in December, 1877, under A. Agassiz, 

 It measures o"23m. in length and o'lom. in breadth, and is 

 specially distinguished by its respiratory apparatus. This has 

 the form of plumes or tufts from branching stems under the 

 false abdominal feet, which serve as a kind of opercular 

 system. The whole system, including a hollow part in the 

 false abdominal feet, may be injected with coloured liquid. 

 Doubtless the arrangement is specially adapted for the great 

 depth at - which the animal respires. The eyes are very 

 well-developed (which would hardly have been expected in a 

 very dark medium). They are each formed of nearly 4,000 

 square facettes, and, instead of being above the head, as in all 

 errant Cymothoadians, they are lodged under the frontal border, 

 at each side of the base of the antennae. M. Milne- Edwards 



places the animal in a new family, which he designates Branchi- 

 ferous Cymothoadians. — On the parallelism of axes of rotation, 

 by M. Sire. The tendency to this is illustrated by a simple 

 apparatus. — On an economical method of bathing adopted in 

 the 69th Regiment of Infantry, by Dr. Ilaro. Each man takes 

 his place in a tub of warm water, and receives a pulverulent 

 douche of warm water, at the same time rubbing himself with 

 black soap and a brush ; then comes a second douche of warm 

 water, then washing with cold water. 80 to 1 00 men are thus 

 washed daily at a cost of i fr. 20 per shnce, or o'oi2 fr. per 

 man. — On the existence of the intra-Mercurial planet indicated 

 by Leverrier, by M, von Oppolzer. He finds (by calculation) 

 the existence of such a planet very probable, but thinks 

 it cannot be identical with any of the two objects ob- 

 served by Mr. Watson, — Double nebulae in motion, by 

 M. Flammarion. He suggests that such may be the origin of 

 systems of double stars. Having compared the observations 

 made on 5,000 catalogued nebulae, he indicates those which 

 show a certain motion, and the nature of it. — On the formation 

 of organic ultramarines, by M. de Forcrand. He obtains such 

 products by heating ultramarine of silver with chlorides or 

 iodides of different alcoholic radicles. — On the separation of 

 ethylamines, by MM. Duvillier and Buisine. — On a new group 

 of silicified stems of the coal epoch, by M. Renault. Complet- 

 ing, in some sort, the observations of Prof. Williamson, he 

 finds among the fossils of Autun a series of types parallel (as 

 regards the growth of the ligneous axis) to the Sigillarinese, but 

 related, on the other hand, to stems of Cordaites by certain 

 details of structure. This new group he designates Poroxylea:, 

 from the nature of their wood ; they present the three types of 

 stem found in SigiUarinese. — On the disease of the chestnuts, by 

 M. De Seynes. The parasite mycelium forms a superficial and 

 a deep network, which destroy the cellular layers of the root, 

 the richest in protoplasm ; the liberian and ligneous fibres are not 

 attacked. — On dental grafting, by M. David. He distinguishes 

 the graft by restitution and the graft by borrowing. The former 

 consists in reimplantation after extraction, and is resorted 

 to to rectify direction, to treat caries and periostitis easily, or to 

 facilitate operations" on some other tooth in the mouth. In 

 twenty -two cases, only one proved unsuccessful. The graft by 

 borrowing consists in substituting a sound tooth (which has had 

 to be extracted from the same or another mouth), for a bad one. 

 Or a sound root from a lower animal may be inserted for a bad 

 one, as base for a pivoted artificial tooth. — On animal grafting 

 in its applications to the therapeutics of certain lesions of the 

 dental apparatus, by M. Magitot. He furnishes some data 

 regarding graft by restitution in the case of chronic periostitis 

 of the top of the root of teeth, &c. His success amounts to 

 about 92 per cent, (sixty-two operations, fifty-seven cures). — M. 

 Delesse was elected member in mineralogy, in room of the late 

 M. Delafosse. 



CONTENTS Page 



A Scottish Meteorological Mountain Observatory .... 237 



Coal. By Prof. W. C. Williamson, F.R.S 238 



Ascension 240 



Letters to the Editor :— 



Schwendler's Testing Instructions for Telegraph Lines.— Herbert 



McLeod - 241 



The Unseen Universe — Paradoxical Philosophy. — Hermann Stoff- 



KRAFT 242 



Molecular Vibrations. — Wm. Chappell 24a 



The Electric Light. — W. H. Preece 242 



Force and Energy, IIL — Robert H. Smith 242 



Absorption of Water by the Leaves of Plants. — Col. Alfred S. 



Jones 244 



The Formation of Mountains. — Alfred R. Wallace .... 244 



Musical Notes from Outflow of Water. — M 244 



Shakespeare's Colour-Names. — Dr. C. M. Incleby .... 244 

 Our Astkonomical Column : — 



A Variable Star observed by Scheiner in 1612 245 



The Zodiacal Light 245 



Biological Notes : — 



New Asiatic Fishes 245 



Respiration of Amia 246 



Chilian Butterflies 246 



Insects in Tertiary Rocks 246 



On the Relations of Rhabdopleura 24'^ 



Geographical Notes 24^ 



The Geological History of the Colorado River and Plateaits 



By Capt. C. E. Dutton (}Vith Illustrations) 247 



The British MrsEUM Library 253 



The "Graham" Lecture AND Medal. By John Mayer ... 254 



Notes =55 



Indo-Oceanic Rac2s 258- 



Scientific Serials 259 



Societies and Academies ^59 



