90 



NATURE 



\Nov. 23, 187 



French ethnologist, for carrying on some explorations in the 

 vicinity of Tiahuanuco, in Bolivia, a region which abounds in 

 objects of archaeological interest. Mr, Meiggs has arranged that 

 a full series of these objects shall be presented to the U.S. National 

 Museum. 



A VALUABLE entomological collection has been presented to 

 the Oxford University Museum by Mrs. Tylden, the relict of the 

 late Rev. W. Tylden, formerly of Balliol College. The collec- 

 tion numbers 23,518 specimens, arranged in cabinets. 



Prof. Palmieri, Director of the Observatory on Mount 

 Vesuvius, has been made an Italian Senator. 



A DESPATCH received, at Rome from Aden, November 19, 

 states that the Italian African Expedition has arrived in Shoa. 



The Government Resident at Somerset has telegraphed to the 

 Colonial Secretary that Messrs. D'Albertis, Hargrave, and 

 party hrve returned safely from their expedition to the Fly River. 

 They ascended the country a distance of 350 miles above the 

 spot rt ached by the expedition party of lai>t year. They were 

 unable to communicate in any way with the natives who were 

 very numerous and hostile. 



A SIXTH edition of Prof. Page's well-known "Advanced 

 Text-Book of Geology " has been published. The work has 

 been enlarged " to embrace whatever is new and important in the 

 science, to afford space for additional illustration, and to com- 

 bine, as far as possible, the principles with the deductions of 

 geolo2[y." 



We have on our table the following books : — Preliminary " Re- 

 port on the Forests of Pegu," by Sulpice Kurz (Calcutta). " The 

 Aquarium," J. E. Taylor (Hardwicke and Bogue). " Spiritualism 

 and Animal Magnetibm," Dr. Zc-rffi (Hardwicke and Bogue). 

 " The Theory of Colour," Dr. W. von Bezold (Triibner). 

 "The Art of Retouching," Burrows and Colton (Marion). 

 " Science in Sport made Philosopl:y in Earnest," by Robert 

 Routledge (George Routledge and Sons). The ninth edition of 

 " Kirke's Physiology," edited by Morrant Baker (John Murray). 

 " Between the Danube and the Black Sea," H. C. Barkley, 

 C.E. (John Murray). The fourth edition of Wanklyn's " Water 

 Analysis" (Triibner), "Demonstrations of Microscopic Ana- 

 lysis," Harley and Brown (Longmans). " Mushrooms and Toad- 

 stools," Worthington G. Smith (Hardwicke and Bogue). "Geo- 

 logical Observations," Charles Darwin, F.R.S. (Smith, Elder, 

 and Co.). "Lessons in Electricity," John Tyndall, F.R.S. 

 (Longmans). "Our Birds of Piey," The Raptores of Canada, 

 H. G. Vennor (Sampson Low and Co.). 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include two Prussian Carp {Carassius vulgaris), Euro- 

 pean, presented by Lord Arthur Russell, F.Z.S. ; a Bubaline 

 Antelope {Alcelaphus btibalinus), an Addax Antelope {Addax 

 naso-maculatus) from North Africa, a Buff-breasted Partridge 

 {Ptilopachys ventralis) from West Africa, four Brazilian Cormo- 

 rants {Phalacrocorax brasiliensis) from Brazil, purchased ; a 

 Macaque Monkey {Macacus cynotaolgus) from India, a Chilian 

 Sea Eagle {Geranodetus a^uia) from South America, deposited ; 

 a Hairy -rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta prymnolopha), born in the 

 Gardens. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Schriften der physikalisch-oekonomiscJien Gesellschaft zu KbnigS' 

 berg (1875, I ^^^ 2). — These parts, amongst a number of snialler 

 papers and notes, contain the following more important treatises : 

 — On the determinations of temperature in the soil at different 

 depths at the station at Kimigsberg, by Prof. E. Dorn. — Obser- 

 vations on the genera of Nematida:, by C. G. A. Brischke and 

 Prof. Dr. G. Zaddach. This paper occupies more than half of 

 Part I. — On the temperature in the interior of animal bodies, by 

 Dr. Adamkiewicz. — On a new species of Algas, Merismopedium 

 Reitenbachii, Casp., by Prof. Caspary.— On the different forms 



of the stigmatic disc oi Nuphar luleum, Sm., by the same. — C 

 the latest investigations made by M. Lassaulx on earthquake 

 by O. Tischler. — On the so-called " Moosbriiche," specially ( 

 the " Zehlaubruch," near Tapiau, by Herr Stiemer. — On tl 

 courses of rivers," &c., in the North German plains during t: 

 Diluvial period, by Prof. Berendt. — On one of Euler's geom 

 trical problems, by Dr. Saalschiitz.— On the courses of rivers 

 the province of Prussia, by Herr Stiemer. — On the Colora( 

 bet-tie, by Dr. Schiefferdecker. — On refleciors, by Dr. Berth)] 

 — On Gore's rotating ball, by Herr Momber. — On the artifici 

 production of colours from the white of eggs, by Dr. Adai 

 kiewicz. — On Phylloxera, by Dr. Benecke, — On the oscillatio 

 of terra firtna, by Dr. A. Jentzsch. — New list of Prussian beetl 

 (fourth paper), by Dr. Lentz. The author makes the total 

 different species to the number of 3,216! — On old Prussi; 

 " Kjokken Moddings" at the coast of the " Frische Haff," 1 

 Prof. Berendt. — On the conception of value in the differe 

 theories of the same, by Adolf Samter. — On the power of accoi 

 modation amongst plants and insects, by Dr. G. Czwalina. — On 

 erratic block-limestone found near Tilsit, by Dr. Friederici. — ( 

 salicylic acid, by Prof Samuel. — Archaeological researches 1 

 the " Kurische Nehrung," by O. Tischler. — On an alleged pre 

 of the early existence of man in Europe, by Dr. Jentzsch. — ( 

 an unusually large fungus, Agartcus suffructicosus, by Pn 

 Casparv. — The Appendix contains the report sent bytheSocie 

 to the Provincial Landtag on its geognostical researches in t 

 province of Prussia. — The parts further contain a memoir of tl 

 late Prof. Argelander, of Bonn, by Dr. Luther. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Mathematical Society, November 9. — Prof. H. J. 

 Smith, F.R.S., president, in the chair. — Mr. J. W. L. GLaish 

 communicated a note on certain identical differential relations.- 

 Mr. Tucker read parts of papers by Mr. Spottiswoode on curv 

 having four-point contact with a triply-infinite peilcil of curve 

 and by Mr. E. B. Elliott on some classes of multiple defini 

 integrals. — In a paper published in \h& Afathematische Anno.l 

 (vol. iii. p. 459) Brill has investigated the case of curves havi: 

 three-point contact with a doubly infinite pencil of curves ; ai 

 in the same journal (vol. x. p. 221) H. Krey, of Kiel, has appli 

 a method, similar to tbat of Briil, to the next step in the probk 

 proposed in Mr. Spottiswoode's paper. He dees not, howev* 

 appear to have succeeded in completely eliminating the d 

 ferentials which occur in the process ; arid in that respect 1 

 solution is incomplete. Some formuke used in Mr. Spott 

 woode's paper on the contact of carves and surfaces, and in par 

 cular in that on the sextatic points of a plain curve [Phil. Tran, 

 1865, p. 657), prove to be directly applicable to the questio 

 An application of them to Brill's problem will be found in 

 paper in the Comples Rendus (1876). 



Astronomical Society, November 10. — Mr. Huggins, pi 

 sident, in the chair. — The Astronomer-Royal gave a she 

 account of the proceedings of the Royal Observatory during tl 

 recess, describing the lunar and physical observations which h; 

 been assiduously prosecuted and the state of the calculations f 

 his new lunar theory, — A paper by Prof. Langley, of the Allegai 

 Observatory, Pennsylvania, on the measurements of the dire 

 effects of sun-spots on terrestrial climates was read. Prof LangL 

 has made experiments to determine the difference in the amou 

 of heat radiated from the centre of a sun-spot and from an equ 

 area of penumbra and photosphere. Combining these results wi 

 the amount of the sun-spot area given as existing during a peric 

 of maximum of sun-spot frequency in the tables of Messrs. De 

 Rue, Stewart, and Loewy, he calculated that the mean terrestri 

 temperature due to solar radiation at a period of sun-spot min 

 mum would be something between three-tenths and one-tveentie 

 of 1° C. greater than at a period of sun-spot maximum. Tl 

 Astronomer-Royal pointed out that the observations of unde 

 ground temperature made at the observatories at Paris, Edi 

 burgh, and Greenwich showed differences in the mean annu 

 t' mperature of the surface soil which amounted to as much 1 

 6° F. An examination of the temperatures at different deptl 

 showed that the differences of surface temperature hnd the 

 cau!-e in something external to the earth, but he .had i.^; four 

 that the differences of mean surface temperature coincided wit 

 the variations in the amount of the English serial crop as give 

 by the Board of Trade returns or with the periods of sun-spo 

 maxima. Mr. De la Rue said that it did not follow that tl 



