2 lO 



NATURE 



{Jan. 4, 1877 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include six Greek Partridges {Caccabis saxatilis) from 

 Persia, Naran River, two Black-headed Partridges {^Caccabis 

 nielanocephala), a Hey's Partridge {Caccabis heyi) from Hedyar, 

 near Mecca, presented by Mr. F. M. Burke, Commander S. S. 

 Arcot ; a Yellow-lored Amazon {Chrysotis xantholora) from 

 Central America, purchased. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Po^gendorff^s Annalen der Physik uttd Chemie, Erganzung 

 Band viii., Stiick I. — On the electric conductivity of water and 

 some other bad conductors, by M. Kohlrausch. — The mica- 

 combination of Reusch, and tlie optical rotatory power of crystals, 

 by M. S j'nncke. — On determination of the constants for absorp- 

 tion of light in metallic silver, by M. Wernicke.— The inter- 

 ference of refracted light, by M. Lommel. — The fundamental 

 principles of Edlund's electrodynamics, by M. Chwolson. — 

 Volumetric chemical studies, by M. Ostwald. — On the influence 

 of the funnel-valve on electric spark discharges in air, by M. 

 Holtz." — On an electrical fly-wheel like that of the radiometer, by 

 M. Holtz. — Steam-jet air-pump, by M. Teclu. 



J otirnal de Phyniqtte, December. — Measurement of the calorific 

 intensity of the solar radiations and of their absortion by the ter- 

 restrial atmosphere, by M. Crova. — On various theories given to 

 explain the movements of Crookes's radiometer (second paper), 

 by M. Lippmann. — On the illumination of transparent and 

 opaque bodies (concluded), by M. Lallemand, 



The Jahrbuch der k.k. geologischen Keichsanstalt zu Wien 

 (vol. xxvi. part 2), to which are added Dr. Gust. Tschermak's 

 Ahneralogische Mittheilungcn (vol. vi., part 2\ contain the fol- 

 lowing papers : — Geological survey of the Dutch East Indian 

 Archipelago, by Dr. Schneider — The saline springs of Galicia, 

 by Mich. Kelb.— Report on the volcanic events during the year 

 i^75> by Dr. C. W. C. Fuchs. Of this we publish a detailed 

 account in our "Notes." — On the green slates of Lower Silesia, 

 by Ernst Kalkowsky. — On beryl from Eisvold, in Norway, by 

 M. Websky. — Chemical analysis of the iodiferous saline springs 

 of Darkau, by E. Ludwig. — On the volcanic formations of the 

 Galapagos Islands, by F. A. Gooch. — On a perfect combination 

 of pyrites and haematite crystals, by Dr. C. Hintze. — On some 

 minerals from North-western Silesia, by F. Nenimar. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Chemical Society, December 18, 1876.— Prof. Abel, F.R.S., 

 president, in the chair. — Prof. \V. N. Hartley made a com- 

 munication entitled "a further study of fluid cavities," in which 

 he described the results of his examination of a large number of 

 inpaz and of rock sections, mostly granites and porphyries. The 

 fluid contained in the cavities was almost invariably water, but it 

 was very remarkable that the cavities often took the form of the 

 crystals in which they were contained, and nearly always arranged 

 themselves symmetrically with regard to the 'aces of the crystal. — 

 A paper by Dr. H. E. Armstrong, F. R. S., on thymoquinone, one 

 on high melting points with special reference 10 iho'-e of metallic 

 i-alt.'-, part 2, and another on the determinati( n of urea, by Mr. 

 G. Turner, followed this, after which Dr. G. Bischof called atten- 

 tion to the rapid corrosion of the so-called " compo " pipe em- 

 1 loved by gas-fitters when used to convey water, especially when 

 exposed alternately to the action of air and water. 



Meteorological Society, December 20, 1876. — Mr. H. S. 

 Eaton, M. A., president, in the chair. — Rev. C. C. Chevallier, 

 T. Gordon, and Rev. T. H. Quelch were elected Fellows of the 

 .Society. — The following papers were read :— On observations 

 wi'h the psychrometer, by Dr. R. Rubenson (translated from the 

 Swedish, and abridged by Dr. W. Doberck). This paper con- 

 tains an account of the instructions issued to the Swedish ob- 

 servers in order to obtain trustworthy results from the psychro- 

 meter, or dry and wet bulb hygrometer. These instructions, 

 liowtver, do not differ from those followed by English observers 

 at the present time. — Contributions to hygrometry : The wet 

 bulb thermometer, by WiUiam Marriott, F.M.S. This paper 

 contains the results of observations made with several wet bulbs 

 in different positions and under different conditions, which were 

 carried on ia order to determine what a wet bulb tJurmomtter 

 should be. Ten thermometers were used as wet bulbs and three 



as dry bulbs. With three wet bulbs the water receptacles were 

 placed at different angles ; but it was found that the readings 

 were not affected by the position of the water receptacle. Others 

 were used with different thicknesses of muslin and conducting 

 threads ; but it was shown that the thermometers with the 

 thinnest muslins always gave the lowest readings. Three pairs 

 of dry and wet bulbs were used, one with a closed water reser- 

 voir six inches from the dry bulb, the other two having open 

 reservoirs which were respectively three inches and one inch from 

 the dry bulbs. It was found that the dry bulbs of the two latter 

 read lower than the former in fine dry weather, but when the 

 air was damp and during rain they generally read higher. The 

 wet bulbs of the latter read a little higher than the former ; this 

 was mostly the case in damp weather. In conclusion, the author 

 submitted for adoption certain regulations for the management of 

 the dry and wet bulb thermometers, in order to secure compar- 

 able results. — Visibility, by the Hon. Ralph Abercromby, 

 F.M.S. Visibility, or unusual clearness and nearness of distant 

 objects, is a very trustworthy prognostic of rain in this and 

 many other countries. The usual explanation that much mois- 

 ture increases the transparency of the atmosphere is not borne 

 cut by observation. In this country great nearness occurs on a 

 clear, brisk day, when hard masses of cloud shade the glare of 

 the sky from crossing direct light tent from distant objects, and 

 make clearness so great as to give the impression of nearness. 

 The kind of rain which immediately follows nearness is in short 

 sharp showers, but unsettled v/eather often follows later. The 

 synoptic conditions of nearness in this country are either straight 

 isobars or the edge of anticyclones, neither of which are asso- 

 ciated with settled weather. — Description of a meteorosraphic 

 model, a letter from the late Commodore M. F. Maury, 

 Hon. Mem. M.S., to Capt. H. Toynbee, F.R.A.S. 



Physical Society, December 16, 1876. — Prof. G. C. Foster, 

 president, in the chair. — The following candidate wa=; elected a 

 member of the Society :— Mr. W. Baily, M.A. — Mr. Crookes 

 described some of the most recent results he has obtained in his 

 experiments on the radiometer, and exhibited many beaniifjl 

 forms of the apparatus, most of which have been devised wi h n 

 view to decide on the correct theory of the instrument. We shall 

 refer to the subject of the paper in an early number. — Prof. 

 Dewar exhibited a simple electrometer which he has designed, 

 founded on the discovery of Leipman that the capillary constant 

 is not really independent of the temperature or condition of the 

 surface but is a function of the electromotive force. If a capil- 

 lary tube be immersed in mercury, and dilute sulphuric acid be 

 placed in the tube above the mercury, and a current from a 

 Daniell's cell be so passed through the liquids that the mercury 

 forms the negative pole, the column will be depressed to an 

 extent dependent on the diameter of the tube. In making an 

 electrometer. Prof. Dewar has increased the sensitiveness by 

 connecting two vessels of mercury by means of a horizontal glass 

 tube filled with the metal, except that it contains a bubble of 

 dilute acid. The tube must have an ''nterral diameter of two 

 millimetres, and it is essential that it be perfectly clean, uniform 

 in diameter, and horizontal. The instruments exhibited were 

 constructed by Messrs. Tisley and Spiller, and Prof. Uewar 

 showed that it is possible by means of them to measure an elec- 

 tromotive force equal to xri^tr'^'i t*' 3. Daniell's cell ; forces 

 capable ot decomposing water must be measured by causing tvvo 

 currents to act against each other. The index bubble is brought 

 to zero by uniting the mercury cups by a wire. The apparatus 

 is very convenient, as it requires no preparation and is extremely 

 simple in its action. He then showed an instrument arranged 

 by Mr. Tisley for producing a current by the dropping of mercury 

 from a small orifice into dilute sulphuric acid ; if the vessels 

 containing the mercury and the acid be connected by a wire a 

 current is found to traverse it. He then exhibited a manometer 

 suitable for measuring very slight variations of pressure, and he 

 illustrated the u.se of it for proving Laplace's law that the internal 

 pressure multiplied by the diameter of a soap-bubble is cons'ant. 

 It consists of a U-tube, one arm of which is about 15 inches 

 long, and is bent horizontally and levelled with great care. If 

 the shorter arm be connected with a tube on which a bubble has 

 been blown and the diameter of the bubble be varied, the posi- 

 tion of the extremity of the alcohol column will be found to 

 vary in accordance with the above law. 



Entomological Society, December 6, i876.^Sir Sidney 

 Smith Saunders, C.M.G., vice-president, in the chair. — Prof. 

 Eduard,Grube, Director of the Zoological Museum of the Univer- 

 sity of Breslau, and Dr. Katter of Putbus, in the Island of 



