38o 



NATURE 



{Feb. 20, 1879 



the temperatures were reached upon"which the results were based. 

 On trying to explain this phenomenon by Fourier's conduction of 

 heat, he found that the difference between the true and the false 

 law of cooling should not last more than a fraction of a second, 

 whereas it lasted more than 10 minutes. He accordingly concluded 

 that it must be due to the fact that the thermometers did not ac- 

 quire at once the temperature of the bar, but that some minutes 

 must elapse before the whole of the thermometer has the proper 

 temperature. He tested this by heating a bar and placing a 

 thermometer in it as soon as it was allowed to cool. The 

 phenomenon appeared. After a few minutes, when the thermo- 

 meter was indicating the true rate of cooling of the bar, a second 

 thermometer was placed in the bar close to the first. The second 

 showed the same phenomena, though the first was now following 

 the usual law of cooling. In 5 or 6 minutes the first and 

 second thermometers gave identical results, but a third thermo- 

 meter gave the old phenomenon when newly inserted alongside 

 the others. Other experiments confirming these were also made. 

 — Mr. J. Y. Buchanan read a note on the distribution of tem- 

 perature under the ice in Linlithgow Loch. He had made these 

 experiments while testing a new deep-sea thermometer by 

 Negretti and Zambra. His results showed that with the depths 

 for abscissse and the corresponding temperatures for ordinates, 

 the curve so plotted was one of contrary flexure — the contrary 

 flexure being at the temperature of 37 "6" F., which he expected 

 further experiments would show was the temperature of maximum 

 density for the water of the loch. One remarkable fact was 

 that the temperature rose as the bottom was reached, being 

 about 40*1° there. This he thought was due to the oxidation of 

 matter at the foot, and this idea was confirmed by the fearful 

 stench of the water. — Dr. Alexander Macfarlane continued his 

 paper on the principles of the logical algebra. He showed 

 that x^ = X '\% of the nature of a condition imposed on x and 

 that a more general form is ^^ = ± *■• He applied the principles 

 of the logical algebra to deduce the general conclusion from data 

 of certain common forms, and gave theorems on the number and 

 nature of such general conclusions. 

 Paris 



Academy of Sciences, February 10. — M. Daubr^e in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read : — Last reply to M. 

 Pasteur, by M. Trecul. — Fourth reply to M. Berthelot, by M. 

 Pasteur. — On the existence of an apparatus prehensive or com- 

 plementary of adherence, in parasitic plants, by M. Chatin. 

 This apparatus is most commonly furnished by the parasite, 

 sometimes by the sustaining plant, or both. More often the 

 form is that of a bell, of which the sucker corresponds to the 

 tongue. Sometimes the tissue of the supporting plant rises 

 round and embraces the sucker ; and sometimes both plants 

 furnish uniting growths round the point of attachment of the 

 sucker. The author shows how the prehensive arrangement is 

 more or less strong according to circumstances, and he gives 

 histological details. — M. de Lesseps read a letter from M. 

 Roudaire, giving news of boring operations in the region of the 

 isthmus of Gabes, which are so far encouraging. One fact 

 stated is that fresh water was found at 4 metres depth at the 

 highest point ; this would be important in the case of cutting 

 through the tongue of land. — Observations on the project of 

 forming an interior sea in Eastern Sahara, by MM. Martins and 

 Desor. Having visited the region in 1863 they disapprove of 

 the project, on the score of mirage possibly falsifying obserra- 

 tions, the water of the new sea and any change of climate ruining 

 the date palm cultivation, on which the natives so largely depend, 

 &c. — Researches on the formation of latex and laticiferous 

 vessels, during germinative evolution, in the embryo of Trago- 

 pogon porrifolius, by M. Faivre. — On the determination of 

 imaginary roots of algebraic equations, by M. Farkas. — Remarks 

 on differential linear equations and those of the third order, by M. 

 Combescure. — On a simple way of presenting the theory of 

 potential, and on the differentiation of integrals in cases where 

 the function under the signy becomes infinite, by M. Boussinesq. 

 — Hydroelectricity and hydromagnetism ; experimental results, 

 by M. Bjerknes. These relate to actions of two pulsating or 

 two oscillating bodies with each other, or a pulsating with an 

 oscillating body. In one set of experiments air columns in two 

 bell jars immersed in water, were varied through tubes, by 

 means of pumps, causing pulsations. — On green and phosphor- 

 escent light from molecular shock, by Mr. Crookes. — On the 

 dissociation of hydrate of chloral (new method) by MM. Engel 

 and Moitessier, _ The dissociation is effected at about 61° in an 



atmosphere 'of chloroform. (A mixture of hydrate of chloral 

 and chloroform is submitted to distillation.) — Researches on the 

 yeast of beer, by MM. Schiitzenberger and Destrim. They 

 compare the modifications of yeast in presence and absence of 

 sugar. Simple digestion of yeast at 30*' for twenty-four hours 

 made it lose 1*77 per cent, of solid matter. With yeast and 

 sugar [there was an increase of solid matter; about 11 '3 per 

 cent, of yeast, or 57 percent, of sugar. — On the homologues 

 of oxyheptic acid, by M. Demar9ay. — Analysis of a honey of 

 Ethiopia, by M. Villiers. This honey, called tazma, is gathered 

 (without wax) in subterranean cavities by an insect resembling a 

 large mosquito. It differs from other honeys by absence of 

 cane sugar. — On the banana, by M. Corenwinder. He points 

 out variations in its composition. In the fruit, sound and ripe, 

 the total proportion of sugar may rise to 22*06 per cent. — On a 

 process of enriching phosphates of carbonated gangue, by M. 

 L'Hote. He effects decarbonatation of the phosphate, by 

 heating it to near a cherry red, and making steam act 

 on it. The quick lime is separated by means of weak hy- 

 drochloric acid. — On various epizootics of diphtheria of court- 

 yard fowls at Marseilles, and on possible relations of this 

 disease with human diphtheria, by M. Nicati. Inoculation 

 of a rabbit succeeded ; and the appearance of the disease in the 

 fowls seemed to occur along with an increase of human diph- 

 theria. — On the sensibility of the eye to action of coloured light 

 more or less diluted with white light, and on photometry of 

 colours, by M. Charpentin. The chromatic sensibility remained 

 constant provided the white light added did not exceed a certain 

 pretty high maximum (in the case of red, ten or twelve times the 

 intensity of the red). A very simple element of comparison (of 

 white and colourless lights) is had in determining for each light 

 used, the minimum quantity capable of causing the original 

 sensation of colourless light. — Researches on the physiological 

 properties and the mode of elimination of methyl-sulphate 

 of soda, by M. Rabuteau. — On sub-periostic ossification and 

 especially on the mechanism of formation of Haversian systems 

 in the periostic bones, by M. Laulanie. — Researches on the 

 liver of cephalopod molluscs, by M. Jousset de Bellesme. The 

 liver in these animals is not analogous in function to the liver of 

 vertebrates. It is a digestive gland, merely transforming albu- 

 minoid matters, and without action on fatty or amylaceous 

 matters. — Observations on a shower of sap, by M. Mussel. This 

 was observed in autumn from the leaves of Abies excelsa.— -The 

 death of M. Gervais was announced. 



GOTTINGEN 



Royal Academy of Sciences, December 7, 1878. — On the 

 ponderomotor elementary law of electrodynamics, by Herr 

 Riecke. — The mean depth of the ocean and, the proportions of 

 land and sea, by Dr. Kriinamel. 



January 4. — The meteorite collection of Gottingen University 

 on January 2, 1879, by Herr Klein. — Electrolytic friction com- 

 pared with capillary friction, by Herr Kohlrausch. 



CONTENTS Page 



Thk Coal Mine Commission ..>.'. S •••.... 357 



Kingzett's Animal Ch^ivjistrv 358 



0»R Book Shslf: — 



Johnson's " Patentee's Manual" 362 



Liesegang's " Manual of the Carbon Process of Photography, &c." 362 

 Lkttkrs to thk Editor:— ■ 



The Gulf-Weed (Sargassum iacciferum)a. Means of Migration for 



Fishes and Marine Invertebrates.— J. Matthew Jones ... 363 



The Highest Tide on Record.— H. N. MosELEY, F.R.S. ... 3^3 

 The Glacial Period and Geographical Distribution,— W. A. 



Forbes 3^3 



Leibnitz and the Royal Society.— Dr. C. M. Ingubby 364 



Ear Affection.— Dr. W. AinslieHollis; Dr. Urban Pritchard; 



John Harmkr 3^4 



Intellect in Brutes.— Arthur Nicols 305 



Our Astkomomical Column :— 



The Companion of Algol S^S 



"A Missing Star" • • 3°S 



Comet 1871 V 3|| 



Olbers' Comet of 1815 366 



Diurnal Oscillations of the Barombter. By John Allan 



Broun, F.R.S 300 



Maeocco and the Atlas (Wit A Illustrations) 3"° 



Reorganisation of the American Surveys 37o 



Hbinrich Geissler 37^ 



Geographical Notes 372 



Moving op Heavy Ordnance 3/3 



Notes 374 



Sir John Lubbock on Ants 377 



University and Educational Intelligence r 377 



Scientific Serials . . . ' 37| 



Societies and Academies] . 37 



