452 



NA TURE 



[March 13, 1879 



in one region, we arrive ultimately at the root A ; anywhere in 

 another region we arrive ultimately at the root B ; and so on for 

 the several roots of the equation. The division into regions is 

 made without difficulty in the case of a quadric equation, but in 

 the next succeeding case, that of a cubic equation, it is anything 

 but obvious what the division is, and the author had not 

 succeeded in finding it. 



Manchester 



Literary and Philosophical Society, February 4. — E. W. 

 Binney, vice-president, F.R.S., in the chair. — The area of the 

 middle drifts as determined by their contents, by Alfred Bell, 

 F.G.S. Communicated by R. D. Darbishire, F.G.S. 



February 18. — J. P. Joule, F.R.S., &c., president, in the 

 chair. — On a chemical investigation of Japanese lacquer, or 

 "urushi," by Sadamu Ishimatsu. Communicated by Prof. 

 Roscoe, LL.D., F. K.S. — On the bursting of the gun on board 

 the Thunderer, by Prof. Osborne Reynolds, F.R.S., Professor 

 of Engineering, Owens College, Manchester. 



Boston, U.S. 



Society of Natural History, October 2, 1878. — Notes on 

 the physical geography and geology of Trinidad, by W, O. 

 Crosby. 



October 16. — The peculiarities in the growth of the Swamp 

 Cypress (Taxodium distichuvi). 



October 23. — Museum pests observed in the entomological 

 collection at Cambridge, by Dr. H. A. Hagen. 



November 6. — A century of orthoptera. Decade viii. Acridii 

 (Melanoplus), by S. H. Scudder. Decade ix. Acridii (Pezotettix). 



Vienna 



Imperial Academy of Sciences, January 23. — The fol- 

 lowing, among other papers, were read : — Measurements on 

 simultaneous oscillation, by Prof, von Ettingshausen. This 

 relates to a suspended and swinging coil of wire, the currents of 

 which set a galvanometer needle swinging, — On curves of the 

 fourth order with three double points, by Herr Ameseder. — On 

 the diffusion of liquids (second part), by Herr Stephan. 



February 6. — On soaie new and rare fish-species in the zoo- 

 logical museums of Vienna, Stuttgart, and Warsaw, by Dr. 

 Steindachner, — On the occurrence of chlorophyll in the epidermis 

 of leaves of phanerogams, by Herr Stohr. — On the pheno- 

 mena in the circulation after temporary closure of the aorta ; 

 contribution to the physiology of the spinal chord, by Prof. 

 Mayer. —On the transformation of iodide of phenol into dioxy- 

 benzol, by Prof. Li) p nann and Herr v. Schmidt. — Variations in 

 structure and grov\ th of the mesentery of the human intestine, 

 by Prof. Toldt. — On organic ferricyanide compounds, by Herr 

 Bernheimer. — Action of the fusing hydrate of soda on phenol, 

 and synthesis of phloroglucin, by Herren Barth and Schreder. 



February 13. — On muscular sounds of the eye, by Prof. Hering. 

 — Covellin as a superficial pseudomorphism of a Celtic axe of 

 bronze found at Salzburg, near Hallstatt, by Dr. v. Hochstetter. 

 — Oxidation of resorcin to phloroglucin, by Professors Barth and 

 Schreder. — Remarks on Dr. Wangen's memoir on the geo- 

 graphical distribution of fossil organisms in India, by Herr 

 Wynne. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, March 3. — M. Daubree in the chair. 

 — The following papers were read : — Reply to M. van Tieghem 

 concerning the origin of Amylobacter, by M. Trecul. — Researches 

 on the foetal envelopes of the armadillo with nine bands, by M. 

 Milne-Edwards. Exceptionally to the rule with mammalia, the 

 four foetuses of this armadillo are all lodged in a common 

 chorion. — The waters of the Cheliff; some observations regard- 

 ing the interior sea of Algeria, by M. Balland. The Cheliff is 

 the principal water-course of Algeria, and flows to the Medi- 

 terranean. At present it carries down over three million tons of 

 earthy matters (chiefly silica and clay) in twenty-four hours; 

 this would give a layer I metre thick, over 300 hectares. The 

 numerous Saharan rivers lost in the Chotls also convey large 

 quantities of earth and sand ; then there is the sand displaced by 

 winds. These considerations are urged agai ist the interior sea. 

 — Discovery of a small planet at the Observatory of Marseilles, 

 by M. Stephan.— Extract from a letter from P. Ferrari, relating 

 to the intra-Mercuriat planet. This calls attention to an im- 

 portant observation by P. De Vico in 1837 (which seems to have 

 escaped Leverrier's notice), on a planet-like body which then 

 passed over the sun's disk. — Formulae relative to the theory of 

 planetary perturbations, by M. de Gasparis. — On the multiplica- 

 tion of elliptic functions, by M. Halphen. — Resolution of a class 



of congruences, by M. Pellet. — On the emissive power of coloured 

 flames, by M. Gouy. — On the spectra of absorption of didymiuni, 

 and of some other substances extracted from samarskite, by M. 

 Soret. The facts indicate the existence, in the didymium from 

 samarskite, of a substance at least different from didymium. The 

 same substance seems to be in less quantity in terbine, and in least 

 in the didymium from cerite. — Action of sulpho-cyanate of ammo- 

 nium on monochlorised acetone, by MM. Norton and Tchemiak. 

 — On amidised acids derived from butyric and isovaleric acids, 

 by M. Duvillier. — Researches on digestion in cephalopod mol- 

 luscs, by M. Jousset de Bellesme. The posterior salivary glands 

 of the poulpe facilitate the digestion of albuminoids, laying bare 

 the muscular fibre for action of the chief digestive juice. Tlie 

 upper salivaries are merely connected with mastication and swal- 

 lowing. The animal has a digestive aptitude only for albuminoid 

 and connective matters ; and this is the more remarkable because 

 some of its organs, e.g., the liver, contain a large amount of 

 fatty matters. — Researches on Peronospora^ganglivformis of let- 

 tuce, by MM. Bergeret and Moreau. Water slightly acidulated 

 with nitric acid is a good remedy ; it poisons the Peronospora 

 and is a manure for the soil. — Influence of oxygen on alcoholic 

 fermentation by beer yeast, by M. Bechamp. In a first series of ex- 

 periments pure oxygen was conducted into the fermenting mixture 

 continuously. In a second series the electrodes from a battery of 

 six or eight Bunsen elements were put in the mixture ; the gases 

 of fermentation were collected, and the oxygen 'proved to be 

 mostly absorbed. Oxygen acts as an excitant, stimulating the 

 life of the yeast and the mutations of its matter. In the first 

 period of fermentation (with the current) the absolute quantity 

 of alcohol formed was greatest ; it diminished to the end. The 

 acetic acid increased from the beginning. The sugar-water ab- 

 sorbs part of the oxygen. Pure yeast in water under weak elec- 

 trolytic action, may absorb all the oxygen. — On a method of 

 conservation of infusoria, by M. Certes. He employs a solution 

 (2 per cent.) of osmic acid. The important point is to make the 

 reagent act promptly and with a certain force. One way, suit- 

 able for most cases, is to expose infusoria on a glass plate to the 

 vapoiu-s of osmic acid for ten to thirty minutes. For very con- 

 tractile infusoria, a drop of the reagent is deposited on the cover 

 before covering the drop of water which contains them. Excess 

 of liquid is removed with Joseph paper ; two opposite sides of 

 the cover glass are luted with paraffin or Canada-balsam ; and 

 for coloration a mixture of glycerine, picrocarminate, and water 

 (equal parts) is used. — On the unity of forces in geology (con- 

 tinued), by M. Hermite. He offers objections to the hypothesis 

 of igneous fluidity. The present form of the earth is attributed 

 to the presence of its seas. Volcanic phenomena do not agree 

 with the existence of central fire, or even a sea of lava of small 

 extent. — On the hurricane which traversed Switzerland on 

 February 20, 1879, by M. Forel. He finds in the data strong 

 proof of a gyratory motion of the atmosphere. — Theory of 

 glazed frost ; reclamation of priority, by M. Nouel. — On some 

 former examples of glazed frost similar to that of January last, 

 by M. Vogt. He gives an account of one instance of the phe- 

 nomenon observed at Geneva in 1856. 



CONTENTS Pack 



The United States Fisheries 429 



The Pacific Islands ■*3o 



Our Book Shelf : — . 



" Index Medicus " . 43'^ 



Letters TO the Editor:— 



The Tides at Chepstow and Fundy.— Prof. Saml. Haughtok, 



F.R.S 432 



Magnetic Storms.— W. H. Preece • • • • ^'^'^ 



Atmospheric Pressure and Solar Heat. — S. A. Hill . . . . . 432 



Intellect in Brutes.— Arthur Nicols ; Rev. George Henslow . 433 



On the Freezing of Lakes.— Messrs. Nbgretti and Zambra . . 433 



The Migration of Birds. By Prof. Alfred Newton, F.R.S. . . 433 



The Dimensional Properties of Matter in the Gaseous Sjtate. 



By Prof. Osborne Reynolds, F.R.S. . . ' 435 



OuK Astronomical Column:— 



The Binary Star a Centauri 437 



A New Variable Star in Sagittarius 437 



New Minor Planet 437 



Intra-Mercurial Bodies " 437 



Geographical Notes • * 43 



A Study in Locomoi ion (If^M Illustrations) 43° 



William Kingdon Clifford 443 



David Page Vvt 



Notes V'Z 



Science in Russia "s 



University and Educational Intelligence ! ". ! 449 



Scientific Serials ... •• -m 



Societies and Academies • 



