400 



remained extant in Poland to comparatively recent times, viz., 

 Bos primigenius and Bison europaus, and that the former was 

 the last to die out, in the beginning of the seventeenth century, 



On the unity of the stracture of the brain in the different 



orders of insects, by J, H. L. Flogel, illustrated by t\vo plates of 

 capital photographic reproductions of microtome-sections, thirty- 

 seven pages.— On Archigetes sieboldi, a sexual cestode-nurse, by 

 R. Leuckart.— The epiphysis on the brain of plagiostomes, by 

 E.* Ehlers, illustrated by two plates from Raia clavata and 

 Acanthias vulgaris. 



Bulletin de VAcadhnie Royale de Belgique, No. 5, 1878.— 

 This number contains a memoir by M. Firket, treatmg of geo- 

 loo-ical and chemical phenomena which have altered the rocks 

 of" an important metalliferous region in the province of Liege. 

 The first part refers to the silurian fault and the metalliferous 

 veins of the Champ d'Oiseaux ; the second to the constitution 

 and course of beds of oligiste ; and the third to epigenic trans- 

 formation of oolithic oligiste into siderite, in contact with a vein 

 of pyrites (h propos of metalliferous veins of the mine of Lan- 

 denne).— M. Spring, having conceived some doubts as to the 

 existence of pentathionic acid, has examined anew the so-called 

 pentathionates of potassium and baryum, and he finds these 

 tetrathionates instead of pentathionates.— M. van Beneden 

 announces the discovery of some gigantic fossil reptiles (pro- 

 bably Iguanodon) in the coal formation of Bernissart, near 

 Peruwelz ; and there is some correspondence between Count Du 

 Moncel and. MM. Navez on the subject of the telephone. 



Reale Istituio Lombardo di Scienze i Leltere, Rendiconti, vol. xi. 

 fasc. X.— We note the following papers in this number :— Critical 

 annotations on duodenal anchilostoma, by Prof. Sangalli,— 

 Causes and circumstances which influence hereditary transmis- 

 sion in animals (continued).— Hereditary transmission in the act 

 of fecundation ; note by Prof. Lemoigne.— Cure of varicocele 

 by means of the temporary sub-cutaneous elastic ligature, by 

 Prof Scarenzio.— First lines of a cardiographic study designed 

 for clinical purposes, by S. de Giovanni.-On the electromotive 

 force developed from saline solutions of different degrees of con- 

 centration, with metals which do not form the base, by Prof. 

 Cantoni.— /?/j«w^ of meteorological observations at Milan, in 

 the Royal Observatory of Brera in 1877, by S. Fisiani, Jun. 



The Journal of the Russian Chemical and Physual Societies 

 (vol X No. 6) contains the following more important papers : 

 On the action of iodide of butyl upon isobutylene in the presence 

 of metallic oxides, by Miss Julie Lermontoff.— On quinine 

 and cinchonine, by A. Wischnegradsky and A. Boutlerow.— On 

 the fatty acids which are formed by the action of alkali upon 

 cinchonine, by M. Lubavin.— On the hexylenes resulting from 

 tertiary hexylic alcohols, and on their condensation, by L. 

 Tavein.— On the preparation of bromide of trimethylene, by T. 

 Boo-omollez.— On the structure of the hydrocarbon CjgHii 

 resSltino- from chloride of triphenyl-carbinol, by V. Hemilian. 

 —On the anhydride of glyceric acid, by N. Socoloff.— On the 

 formation of albumen from one of its products of decomposi- 

 tion, by A. Danilewsky.— On the action of bromine upon the 

 compound homologues with benzol in the presence of bromide 

 of aluminium, by G. Gustavson.— On diallylpropylcarbinol, by 

 P and A Saytzeff.— On the conversion of primary alcohols into 

 ethers by N. Menschutkin.— On the theory of the current, by P. 

 Van der Vliet.— On the resistance of steel, by M. Picatscheff. 



NATURE 



[_August 8, 1878 



April 6. — On the vegetative repetition of cerebral fissures, by 

 Dr. A. J. Parker. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, July 29. — M. Fizeau president, in 

 the chair. — New communication on the subject of the notes on 

 alcoholic fermentation found among the papers of CI. Bernard, 

 by M. L. Pasteur. M. Pasteur finds that the notes, as printed 

 in the Revue Scientifique, are in several places incorrect j M. 

 Pasteur intends to repeat Bernard's experiments. M. Ber- 

 thelot made a few observations on M. Pasteur's communication. 

 — On the variations of the intensity of currents transmitted across 

 mediocre contacts, according to the pressure exercised upon 

 them, by M. Th. Du Moncel. — Absorption by the living 

 organism, of carbonic oxide introduced in determined propor- 

 tions into the atmosphere, by M. N. Grehant. — On the rdle of 

 coal dust in the production of explosions in mines, by M. L. 

 Simonin. — New theory of the alterations caused by the phyl- 

 loxera on the roots of the European vine, by M. Millardet. 

 — Observations of the periodic comet of Tempel, made with 

 the equatorial of the garden of the Paris Observatory, by 

 M. Pr. Henry. — On the covariants of binary forms, by M. C, 

 Jordan. — Note on a theorem on relative movements, by M. 

 Laisant. — On the non- existence of the lengthening of a con- 

 ductor traversed by an electric current, independently of calorific 

 action, by M. R. Blondlot.— New observations on the sub- 

 nitrates of commercial bismuth, by M. A, Carnot. — Thermic 

 formation of phosphoric hydrogen and of arsenious hydrogen, by 

 M. J. Ogier. — Researches on amylic alcohol (continued); 

 dextrogynous alcohol, by M. J. A. Le Bel.— On the identity of 

 the inulines of various origins, by MM. Lescoeur and Morelle.— 

 On the diffusion of salicylic acid in the animal economy (pre- 

 sence in the cephalo-rachidian liquid), by MM. Ch. Livon and 

 J. Bernard. — On the anatomical characters of the Aye-Aye, by 

 M. Edm. Alix. — On the influence of leaves in the production 

 of'suo-ar in beet-root, by MM. B. Corenwinder and G. Con- 

 tamine.— Age of the bed of Mont Dol (Ille-et-Vilaine), by M. 

 Sirodot. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



Philadelphia 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, January 29.— On the mode 

 of recoo-nition among ants, by Rev. H. C. McCook.— Notes on the 

 natural" history of Fort Ma9on, North Carolina, by Dr. Elliot 

 Cones and Dr. H. C. Yarrow.— Description of new invertebrate 

 fossils from paleeozoic rocks of Illinois and Indiana, by Dr. 



C. A. White. , ^ • r . T>r o. 



February 5'.— Note on Calycanthus Jloridus, by Mr. 1. 



Meehan. ^ .^ .. ,. 



February 26. -On the alkali of the plains in Bridger Valley, 

 Wyoming, by E. Goldsmith.— On the mechanical genesis of 

 tooth-forms, by J. A. Ryder, an important paper on mammahan 



March 26.— On the electric constitution of the solar system, 



by Jacob Ennis. ^^ ^ ,, ^ ^ 



April 2.— On the toilet habits of ants, by Rev. H. C. McCook. 

 —On the Basilica spider and her snare, and on the probable 

 geographical distribution of a spider by the trade winds, by 

 same author. — Notes on Acer rubruni, by Mr. T. Meehan. 



CONTENTS Page 



The Journal OF Physiology 377 



A Universal Ghographv 378 



Our Book Shelf:— , ., , . , ,, , rr^ 



Russell's "Geometry in Modern Life, being the bubstance ot 1 wo 

 Lectures on Useful Geometry, given before the Literary Society 



of Eton „ 380 



Cotta's " Die Geologic der Gegenwart 300 



Elwes' " Ocean and Her Rulers " 380 



Gray's "Under the Red Ensign" ,.-••,• • 38o 



"Memoir of the Late Alfred Smee, F.R.S., by his Daughter. 



With a Selection from his Miscellaneous Writings ' 380 



Letters to the Editor: — 



An Intra-Mercurial Planet.— Sir G. B. Airy 301 



Floating Magnets.— C. S. PiKRCE . . . : •„ • V ;^.- • * 3^° 

 Mons A. Cavaille-Coll on Musical Pitch, the French Diapason 

 Normal, Scheibler's Tuning-Forks, &c.— Alexander J. Ellis, 



F R S 381 



Peaucellier Cell.— Horace Darwin {With Illustration) . . . 383 

 The Microphone.— Prof. Wm. LeRoy Broun ; Gerald B. 



Francis ^'■^^'-.-t A • • • • 3|3 



A Simpler Form of the Phoneidoscope.— J. E. H. Gordon ... 303 



Scectrumof the Electric (Jablochkoff) Light. -E. Walker ... 384 



The Meteor Showers of July.— W. F. Denning ••••••• 384 



The Rainfall of Brazil and the Sun-spots.— Orville A. Derby . 384 



The Cell of the Bee.— Edward Geoghegan (tVM Illustratton) . 385 

 Our Astronomical Colu.mn : — 



The Reported Observation of " Vulcan 3o5 



The Lunar Eclipse on August 12 3oS 



The August Meteors 305 



Tempel's Comet 3»S 



Biological Notes : — . . ^ , ,, , j t- 1 



The Primary Germ-Layers and the Origin of the Male and t emale 



Reproductive Elements.— E. R. L 3°° 



The Toilet Habits of Ants 3Ho 



The Mode of Recognition among Ants 3°° 



The Snare of the Basilica Spider 3o7 



Sexual Conditions in the Red Maple 3o7 



Geographical Notes • 3 7 



The Elasmotherium {IVii/t Illustrations) 3°? 



Underground Monsters 3 9 



Two Australian Geologists 3 y 



The British Association ! 392 



THrPHONOGRAPH AND VOWEL SoUNDS, H.' By^rof. FlEEMING 



Jenkin, F.R.S., and Prof. J. A. Ewing (mt/i Illustration). . • 394 



EXPERIMENTS ON THE RELATIVE SPECIFIC GRAVITIES OF SoLID AND 



Melted Materials at the Temperature of Fusion. cy ^^^ 



Joseph Whitley •„ " ' ' ' t5 , 'nl? Arthur 



The Influence of Light upon Bioplasm. By Dr. /vkihu^ 



DowNES and T. P. Blunt, M.A .399 



University and Educational Intelligence • ' | _' | [ . . 399 



Scientific Serials 4°° 



Societies and Academies 



