324 



NATURE 



{July 1 8, 1878. 



own ; he then investigates the action of hypobromite on oxamide — 

 74*87 per cent, of its total nitrogen is given off— and endea- 

 vours to ascertain the precise condition of the suppressed 

 nitrogen. — Action of the halogens at high temperatures on 

 metallic oxides, by Messrs. C. F. Cross and S. Suguira. 

 With lead oxides oxyiodides are formed, and with the oxides and 

 carbonates of the alkaline earth metals in the presence of oxygen 

 periodates are produced. — On manganese tetrachloride, by Mr. 

 W. W. Fisher. The author has studied the action of strong hy- 

 drochloric acid on the black and red oxides of manganese ; brown 

 liquids are formed containing a highly chlorinated manganese 

 compound, probably the tetrachloride, which is readily resolved 

 into manganous chloride and free chlorine. — On salts of nitrous 

 oxide, by Mr. A. E. Menke. The sodium salt was obtained by 

 fusing nitrate of soda with iron filings ; its properties and reac- 

 tions were studied. Diver's silver salt was prepared, and its 

 composition confirmed. — Notes on madder colouring matters, by 

 Messrs. E. Schunck and H. Roemer. The authors have pre- 

 pared some quantity of munjistin and examined its properties, 

 also its reactions with acetic anhydride, bromine, potash, and 

 nitric acid. In all respects munjistin resembles purpurox- 

 anthic acid. — On the occlusion of hydrogen by copper, by Mr. 

 G. S.Johnson. The discrepancy between the results obtained 

 by previous experimenters is explained (i) by the fact that 

 hydrogenised copper retains nearly all its hydrogen in vacuo at a 

 red heat. (2) That the same metal occludes varying quantities of 

 hydrogen. The amount occluded is in most cases sufficient to 

 introduce a serious error in organic analysis. At a red heat 

 copper oxide occludes carbonic acid. — On the rdle played by 

 carbon in reducing the sulphates of the alkalies, by Mr. J. 

 Maclear. At a high temperature with excess of carbon, spdium 

 sulphide and carbonic oxide are formed. At a dull red heat 

 sodium carbonate and carbonic acid are produced in addition. — 

 On the action of ethylchlorcarbonate on some oxygenated haloid 

 compounds of the fatty series, by Mr. O'Neil F. Kelly. The 

 compounds employed were allyl alcoholdibromide glycerindi- 

 chlorhydrin and epichlorhydrin. — The Society adjourned over 

 the recess. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, July 8. — M. Fizeau in the chair. — 

 The following among other papers were read : — Action of heat 

 on aldol, by M. Wurtz, He obtains, beside crotonic aldehyde, 

 a little ordinary aldehyde, and, in certain circumstances, a new 

 polymer of the aldehyde, which he describes, — On malignant 

 pustule in fowls, by MM. Pasteur, Joubert, and Chamberland. 

 Fowls when cooled contract it easily, and they may then be 

 completely cured by reheating. — Influence of atmospheric elec- 

 tricity on the nutrition of plants, by M. Grandeau. His mode 

 of experiment was to place two plants of the same species 

 (tobacco, maize, wheat) under the same conditions as to soil, 

 aeration, isolation, &c., but the one withdrawn from the action 

 of atmospheric electricity by means of a Faraday's cage. The 

 plants thus withdrawn elaborated, in equal times, 50 to 60 per 

 cent, less of living matters than the others. Plants of small 

 elevation above the ground are also affected by atmospheric 

 electricity. The centesimal amount of proteic matter formed 

 appears not to depend sensibly on this action ; it is proportional 

 to the yield. The proportion of ash is higher in plants removed 

 from the electricity ; and the proportion of water is less. — 

 On the curves of solubility of salicylic and benzoic acids, by M. 

 Bourgoin. Taking the temperatures for abscissae, and the 

 quantities dissolved for ordinates, the solubility of salicylic acid 

 in water is represented by a parabolic curve, whose convexity is 

 towards the axis of temperatures. — On the diffusion of fire-damp 

 in mines, by M. Coquillion. The experiments show that it 

 diffuses very slowly from above, but rapidly upwards. — On a 

 disease of malignant pustule form, caused by a new aerobic 

 vibrion, by M. Toussaint. He found this vibrion in a rabbit 

 inoculated from the blood of a horse which had died rapidly 

 with symptoms of malignant pustule, — On Avenardia Prid, a 

 giant Neaiertian of the west coast of France, by M. Giard. 

 In the state of rest it measures i m. to i*2om. in length (in 

 extension twice or thrice as long), the width being 2 to 3 ctm. 

 It is found in hundreds in an old canal from salt marshes at 

 Pouliguen, now transformed into a reservoir, where the sea- 

 water is renewed each tide. — Observations and experiments 

 on the migrations of Filaria rytipleurites, a parasite of cock- 

 roaches and rats, by M. Galet. The eggs produced by the 

 parasite in the alimentary canal of the rat are thrown out with 



fecal matters, and swallowed by the cockroach. The embryos, 

 when hatched, penetrate the walls of the alimentai-y canal of 

 the latter, and are encysted in fatty matter, where they await 

 the cockroach being devoured by the rat. In the rat they now 

 complete their cycle. — Experimental researches on the varia- 

 tions of volume of the cranium, and on the applications of the 

 graphic method to solution of various anthropological problems, 

 by M. Le Bon. A superior race contains more of voluminous 

 crania than an inferior. Among 100 modern Parisian heads 

 there are about eleven with a cranium of 1,700 to 1,900 cubic 

 centimetres ; in the same number of negro heads not one will 

 be found of such size. The weight of 100 masculine Parisiaiv 

 brains of the present varies between 1,000 and 1,700 grammes, 

 the volume between 1,300 and 1,900 cubic centimetres. The 

 difference between the largest and smallest brains among modern 

 Parisians is three times that observed in the negro, and it is 

 greater than in the Parisians' ancestors of 600 years ago. 

 Stature has only a very slight influence on the volume of 

 the brain. With equal stature woman has a much less heavy 

 brain than man. Rising in the scale of civilisation, the difference 

 in weight of brain (and so volume of cranium) between man and 

 woman is found constantly increasing ; thus the average differ- 

 ence of crania of the present Parisian men and women is nearly 

 double that between the crania of the ancient Egyptian men and 

 women. Persons having the same circumference of crania may 

 have differences in volume of over 200 cubic centimetres ; but 

 operating on series, i centimetre increase of circumference cor- 

 responds to an increase of about 100 cubic centimetres in volume. 

 Certain relations are found to exist between circumference of 

 cranium and head, and volume and weight of brain. The cranium 

 is always unequally developed on the two sides, without apparent 

 relation to race or intelligence. — Automatic imitation of moun- 

 tain chains on a globe according to the theory of upheaval, by. 

 M. Chancourtois. This is by the method of a caoutchouc balloon 

 covered with wax, then allowed to contract. — Determination of 

 the orbit of the planet 103, Hera, by M. Leveau. — On the deve- 

 lopment of the cephalo -thoracic portion of the embryo of verte- 

 brates, by M. Cadiat. 



CONTENTS p^oB 



Theodore Schwann 297 



A Translation into German 298 



Merriman's " Method of Least Squares " 299, 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Holmes' " Botanical Note-Book, or Practical Guide to a Know- 

 ledge of Botany" 299 



Beetz' "Grundzuge der Electricltatslehre." — A. S ■^tx> 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Measuring Scales for Pocket Spectroscopes. — Prof. A. S. Hbrschbl 



{\Vith Illustrations) 300 ; 



Zoological Geography — Didus and Didunculus. — Searles V. 



Wood, Jun 301 



Smell and Hearing in Insects. — Consul E. L. Lavard . . . , 302 



On the Lichen Gonidia Question. — Marcus M. Hartog .... 302 



The Phonograph. — George P. Bidder 302 



Remarkable Form of Lightning. — B. Woodd Smith 302 



Our New Protectorate 302 



TvcHO Brake's Correspondence 306 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Periodical Comets in 1879 306 



A New Comet 307 



Minor Planets 307 



Saturn's Satellites 307 



Biological Notes : — 



The Male of Salpa.— E. R. L 307 



The Structure and Development of Sponges. — E. R. L 307 



Geographical Notes 308 



The Genesis of Limbs, IL By St. George Mivart, F.R.S. {With 



Illusirationi) 309 



A Hunting Wasp. By C. L. W. Merlin 311 



A Ne.w Camkra'Lvcida. (Wii/i Illusirattons). 312 



Anatomical Preparations for Museum and Class Purposes. 



By L. C. MiALL 312; 



Bees. By Frederick Smith 313 



The Orion Nebula 313 



American Geological Surveys.. By Prof. Arch. Geikie, F.R.S. . 315 



Notes 316 



The Explanation of Certain Acoustical Phenomena. By Lord 



Rayleigh, F.R.S 319 



University and Educational Intelligence 321 



Scientific Serials 32' 



Societies AND Academies — S^." 



Errata. — Vol. xviii. p. 294, 2nd colunn, line 22 from top, read for 

 "insolvents" "resolvents; " line 31, for "2'»"read "2^ ." In last week's 

 "Paris," parenthesis near beginning, for "distillation (which discoloured 

 the fatty acids)" read " distillation (which had been resorted to to punfy 

 the fatty acids)." . 



