248 



NATURE 



\yan. II, 1877 



on the development, reproduction, and surface markings of dia- 

 toms, illustrating the subject by drawings. — An interesting paper 

 was read by Mr. Stephenson descriptive of some very curious 

 diffraction experiments, by Prof. Abbe, from which it appears 

 that the use of " defraction gratings " in connection with stops 

 of various kinds placed above the back combination of the 

 objective were competent to produce precisely the same appear- 

 ances as were observed in certain well-known test objects. — 

 Some mercury globules mounted in balsam were exhibited under 

 the micro-polariscope, by Mr. Stephenson for Mr. Slack, pro- 

 ducing some very curious and interesting optical effects, 



Manchester 

 Literary and Philosophical Society, November 28, 1876. — 

 Edward Schunck, F.R.S., vice-president, in the chair. — The 

 Radiometer, Mr. Harry Grim shaw, F,C. S., communicated the 

 following summary of an extract from the "Panorama of Science 

 and Art," published by Nuttall, Fisher, and Dixon, 1813, 

 2 vols. : — "After alluding to Boerhaave's experiment on the 

 influence of the * burning glass ' on the motion of the ' compass,' 

 the extract goes on to describe a radiometer constructed by 

 Mitchell, which seems to have been constructed as follows : — A 

 thin plate of copper one inch square was attached to one end of a 

 fine ' harpsichord ' wire ten inches long. This was balanced on 

 an agate suspension, and the little copper plate was counter- 

 poised by a grain of shot at the other extremity of the wire. As 

 a result of experiments with the instrument, it was found that 

 the influence of the rays of the sun focussed by a concave mirror 

 two feet in diameter, caused a revolution of one-millionth of an 

 inch in a second. The instrument was protected by some sort 

 of glass shade. The same motion was produced in a vacuum." 

 — Note on a manganese ore from New South Wales, and on a 

 specimen of native silver from New Zealand, by M. M. Pattison 

 Muir, F.R.S,E. 



December 12, 1 876. — E, W. Binney, F.R.S., president, in 

 the chair. — The lowest amounts of atmospheric pressure during 

 the last sixteen years as observed by Thomas Mackereth, 

 F.R.A.S., F.M.S. — O-a. a mineral water from Humphrey Head, 

 near Grangeover-Sands, North Lancashire, by Joseph Barnes 

 and Harry Grimshaw, F.C.S. — On ternary differential equations, 

 by Sir James Cockle, F. R. S., Corresponding Member of the 

 Society. 



■ December 26, 1876. — E. W, Binney, F,R,S,, president, in 

 the chair, — Notice of the " Almanacke for XII Yere," printed 

 by Wynkyn de Worde in 1508, by William E. A, Axon, 

 M,R.S.L. — A notice of some organic remains from the Manx 

 schists, by E. W. Binney, F. R. S., president. — On changes in 

 the rates of mortality from different diseases during the twenty 

 years 1854-73, by Joseph Baxendell, F. R.A.S, 

 Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, December 27, 1876, — Vice- Admiral 

 Paris in the chair, — The following papers were read : — On the 

 analysis of pyrogenic gases, by M. Berthelot. — On some deriva- 

 tives of dialdol, by M. Wurtz. — Note by M. Chevreul on his 

 more recent works. One is a resume of the history of matter 

 from the atomists and Greek Academicians down to Lavoisier. 

 Another relates to experiments meant to show the difference ot 

 absolute black from material black, — On the secular displace- 

 ments of the orbit of the eighth satellite of Saturn (Japhet), by 

 M. Tisserand. — Researches on the velocity of the wind, made 

 at the observatory of the Roman College, by P. Secchi. He 

 gives a table of observations from 1862 to 1876, with Robinson's 

 anemometer and a meteorograph. The general daily mean for 

 the whole year is 197 "5 km. It differs little from month to 

 month, but the horary distribution is very different in the 

 summer and the winter months. The velocity is greatest in 

 March, least in September. But P. Secchi does not take 

 his figures as representing the absolute velocity of wind in 

 the country, as the College is in a low part of the city ; obser- 

 vations on Monte Cavo will be better. He adds tables of mean 

 hourly velocity in the different months. — On the project of 

 an irrigation canal from the Rhone, by M. de Lesseps, The 

 canal (schemed by M. Dumont) is estimated to cost no million 

 francs ; the irrigable surface (in five departments) might produce 

 annually 450,000 tons of hay and support at least 100,000 addi- 

 tional head of large cattle. The scheme would also permit of 

 submersion of the vines. It could be completed in four years. — 

 M, Faye presented the Annuaire du Bureau des Longitudes for 

 1877, and noted improvements in it — New measurement of the 

 meridian of France, by M. Perrier, The operations now ex- 

 tend, in a continuous system, from the frontier of the Pyrenees 



to the Department of Loiret ; there are thirty-nine stations.— 

 On the absorbent power of wood charcoal for sulphide of car- 

 bon, and on the employment of sulphocarbonic charcoal 

 for the destruction of phylloxera, by M. Laureau, M, 

 Kvassery announced that the vhies of Hungary are greatly 

 threatened by Phylloxera.— Study on the reduction of a sys- 

 tem of forces, of constant amount and direction, acting on 

 determinate points of a solid body, when this body changes its 

 orientation in space, by M. Darboux, — New theorems in higher 

 arithmetic, by M. Lucas, — Enumeration of various theorems on 

 numbers, by M. Proth.— Third note on the theory of the radio- 

 meter, by Mr, Crookes.— Researches on the coefficient of capil- 

 lary flow, by M. Guerout. This coefficient is found to be smaller, 

 in the same series, the more of carbon the substances contain. 

 The author proved this before for monoatomic alcohols and 

 homologous derivatives of benzine ; it is here extended to fatty 

 acids and ethers from the same alcohol, and ethers formed by 

 union of the same organic acid with different alcohols of the 

 fatty series. The coefficient for ethers is much higher than that 

 of the alcohols or acids producing them ; the introduction of an 

 organic radical into the molecule of an alcohol raises its fluidity 

 considerably. The detennination of this coefficient establishes a 

 sort of classification among isomerous bodies. — Practical st»dy on 

 gluten and on its determination in the dry state, by M. Lailler.— 

 Researches on the physiological properties and the mode of elimi- 

 nation of bromhydric ether, by M. Rabuteau. This agent has pro- 

 perties intermediate between those of chloroform, bromoform, and 

 ether.— Formation of the heart in the chicken, by M. Dareste. — 

 On a. BalcEnoptera borealis caught at Biarritz in 1874, by M. Fischer. 

 This is the rarest of European species ; only five examples have 

 been known. — On a new globular state of quartz entirely crys- 

 tallised in only one crystallographic direction, by M. Michel 

 Levy. It is probable that the silica of this globular quartz was 

 isolated in the paste before the end of the movement of effusion 

 whicti produced the fluidality. The example furnishes a new 

 combination of the colloid and crystalline states of silica.— Note 

 on organic powders of the air, by M. Marie-Davy. The meteor- 

 ological observatory of Montsouris has been charged by the 

 Municipal Council of Paris to make a regular study of the dust 

 of the air, the ground, and the water in various quarters of Paris, 

 commencing with the new year. The author describes some 

 preliminary observations relating to a recent epidemic. — On a 

 maximum of falling stars, already indicated, in the month of 

 December, by M. Chapelas. 



CONTENTS Page 



Fermentation, I. By Charles Graham 211 



Our Book Shklf : — 



Jordan's "Manual of the Vertebrates of the Northern United 

 States" , 2jg 



Rowan's " Emigrant and Sportsman m Canada " 216 



Lbttkrs to the Editor :- 



On a mode of Investigating Storms and Cyclones.— Dr. Buys 

 Ballot 



216 

 217 

 217 

 217 



Mind and Matter.— T. L. TupPER ........ 



Solar Physics at the Present Time. — Prof. PiAzzi Smyth . 



Towering of Birds.— G. H. Kinahan 



Rooks Building at Christmas.— C. M. Ingleby . . . . 217 



Are We Drying Up ?— George F. BuRDER ". ! 217 



Radiant Pomts of Shooting Stars.— W. F. Denning 218 



Alexander Bain . ' 218 



Photographs of the Spectra of Venus and o Lys^ By" Prof' 



Henry Draper, M.D 218 



On the Study OF Biology. By Prof. Huxley, F. R. S. !'.""* 

 Experiments with the Radiometer, I. By William C 



219 



224 



229 

 233 



-vrciKimc^ , o> vTiin inn. X\.AD10MBTER, 1. iiy WILLIAM Lk;)OKES, 



F.R.S ' 



'^\ t New Astronomical Clock. ' By Sir William' t'ho'ms'on! 



r.R.S. {yvzik Illustration) , 



On the Tropical Forests of Hampshire! By j. "star'kie 

 Gardner, F.G.S. (I'Vttk Illustrations) ... ... 



Geographical Curiosities {IVith Illustrations) ...... 



Temperatures and Ocean Currents in the South Pacific. By 



Herr voN Schleinitz g,. 



On THE Means of Protection in Flowers against Unwklco'me 



Visitors. By M. Kerner 2^7 



The Action of the Winds in Determining the Fo'rm' of the 

 Earth. By Dr. Francis Czerny . . , . . .... 239 



Report of the Underground Temperature Committee of the 



British Association 240 



Our Astronomical Column:— 



The Rotation of Saturn on his Axis 2A-i 



The Nebula in the Pleiades ,','."! 244 



Variable Stars ' " 244 



Meteors of January 7 ',,'..'.'.'.'.'. 244 



Ihe Melbourne Observatory 244 



Meteorological Notes :— 



New Daily Weather Map 24^ 



Low Temperatures . ' 24.4 



Notes '.'.'.','. 245 



Societies and Academies ,*,!.! 247 



