March i, 1877] 



NATURE 



385 



sented by Mrs. Matbews ; a Common Kestrel ( Tinnunculus alau- 

 darius), European, presented by Mr. W. W. Hughes ; a Rough- 

 legged Buzzard {Archibttteo lagopus), European, presented by 

 Lady Bunbury j a Pa^^serine Owl {Glaticidium passerinum), 

 European, presented by Mr. T. W. Evans ; a Burrhel Wild 

 Sheep (^Ovis burrhd) from India; a Suricate {Suricata ztnik) 

 from South Africa ; two Beautiful Parrakeets (Psephotus ful- 

 cherrimus) from Australia, deposited ; a Common Rattlesnake 

 {Crolalus dttrissus) from North America, purchased. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



American Journal of Science and Arts, February. — Astro- 

 nomical observations on the atmosphere of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains made at elevations of from 4,500 to ii.oco feet, in Utah 

 and Wyoming Territories and Colorado, by Prof. Draper. — On 

 dinitroparadibrombenzols, and their derivatives, by Dr. Austen 

 (second paper). — On the orbit of the planet Urda (167), by C. 

 II. F. Peters. — Principles of compensation in chronometers, by 

 J. K. James, M.D. — Notes on the Vespertine strata of Virginia 

 and West Virginia (concluded), by W. M. Fontaine. — On the 

 chemical composition of the flesh of Hippo^Ussus americaniis, 

 by R. H. Chittenden, — Notice of Darwin on the effects of cross- 

 and self-fertilisation in the vegetable kingdom, by Asa Gray. — 

 Note on Alicrodiscus speciosus, by S. W. Ford. — On water- 

 courses upon Long Island, by Elias Lewis, jun. 



Poggtndorff's Annalcn der Physik und C/iemie, No. 12, 

 1876. — The ball supported on a jet of water, by M. Hagenbach. 

 — On fluorescence, by M. Lommel. — Electromagnetic properties 

 of unclosed electric currents (concluded), by M. Schiller. — The 

 thermomultiplier as a meteorological instrument, by M. Buff. — 

 On the temperature of the electrodes in induction sparks, by M. 

 Herwig. — On an analogy of chromoxide to the oxides of the 

 cerite metals, by M. Wernicke. — On the theory of condensers, 

 by M. Aron. — On the ratio of cross- contraction to longitudinal 

 dilatation in caoutchouc, byM. Rontgen. — On electrical figures in 

 solid insulators, by M. Holfz. — On tbe work to be done in 

 evacuation of a given space, by M. Kola^ek. — Contributions to 

 history of natural sciences among the Arabians, by M. Wiede- 

 mann. — A historical note on Daniel Bernouilli's gas theory, by 

 M. Berthold. [With this number is issued No. I of the Bei- 

 blmtei: It contains twenty-five abstracts of various physical re- 

 searches that have recently been published.] 



The Naturforscher (December, 1876) contains the following 

 papers of interest : — On the action of capillary tubes upon mer- 

 cury, by E. Villari. — On the influence of water upon the tempe- 

 rature of the soil, by E. Wollny. — On boron, by W. Hampe. — 

 On the determination of the vapour-density of substances having 

 a high boding-point, by V. Meyer. — On the polarisation of 

 carbon electrodes, by H. Dufour. — On the relation of the organ 

 of sight to the absence or presence of light, by Herr Joseph. — 

 On the age of cells and the protoplasma currents, by Herr v. 

 Vesque Piittlingen. — On symbiotism (the cohabiting of different 

 species of plants), by A. B, Frank. — On the periodic change in 

 the colour of a Ursas Majoris, by H. J. Klein. — On the depend- 

 ence of the respiration of plants upon temperature, by Adolf 

 Meyer. — On the frequency of shootmg-stars, by J. F. Schmidt. 

 — On the influence of surrounding temperatures upon the circu- 

 ation of matter in warm-blooded animals, by G. Colasanti. 



From the Virhandlungen des naturhistorischen Vereins der 

 preussischen Eheinlande und West/alens (32 Jahrg., Part 2) we 

 note the following papers : — Section for geography, geology, 

 mineralogy, and palaeontology : on the meteorites of the Natural 

 History Museum of the University of Bonn, by Prof, vom Rath. 

 — On the theoretical conclusions drawn from some observations 

 made in a shaft of 4,000 feet depth at Sperenberg, by Prof, von 

 Lasaulx. — On some fossils from the Neanderthal, by Prof. 

 Schaafifhausen. — On the late volcanic eruption in Iceland and the 

 ashes fallen in Sweden, by Prof, vom Rath. — On the cause of 

 the ice-period, by Dr. Mohr. — On the occurrence of olivine in 

 basalt, by Dr. Mohr. —On the most recent eruptions on the 

 Island of Vulcano and their products, by Prof, vom Rath. — On 

 the systems of volcanic crevasses in Iceland, by Dr. Gurlt. — On 

 an investigation of Westphalian caves, by Prof. Schaaffhausen, — 

 On the occurrence of rock salt in the Keuper formation near 

 Hanigsen, by Dr. Gurlt. — On remains of Verlebrata from gravel 

 deposits near Porta (Westphalia), by Herr Banning.— On fulgu- 

 rites, by Herr v. d. Marck.— On fossil fishes from Sumatra and 



from Rinckhore, near Senderhorst, by the same. — Oa the 

 thermal sources of Oynhausen, by Herr Graeff.— On the origin 

 of and changes in Downs, with special reference to those of Uie 

 German coasts of the North Sea, by Herr Borggreve.— On the 

 geology of Eastern Transylvania, by Prof, vom Rath. Botanical 

 Section : On dichogamy and the conditions regulating the pro- 

 duction of blos.^oms in plants which bear fruit periodically, by 

 Herr Borggreve. — On the formation of the primordial tube, by 

 Herr Pfeffer. — On the production of high hydrostatical pressure 

 through endosmotic action, by the same. — On the fruit of Hura 

 crepitans, by Herr Andrac. Section for Anthropology, Geology, 

 and Anatomy : On the palates ol Ptenoglossa, by Prof. Troschel 

 — On a luminous beetle of the Physodora family from Java, by 

 Herr Moknike. — On the fertilisation of the ova oi Araneida, by 

 Herr Bertkau. — On a stone sarcophagus found near Sechtem 

 (on the Cologne-Bonn railway), containing well-preserved red 

 hair of reddish tint, by Prof. Schaaffhausen, — On the various 

 views of different naturalists on the reproduction of eels, by Prof. 

 Troschel. — On the so-called Cribellum of L. Koch, by Herr 

 Bertkau. — On some rare and remarkable Arachnida of the 

 Rhenish fauna, by the same. — On stone implements and other 

 objects found in the Klusenstein and Martin's Caves, by Prof. 

 Schaaffhausen. Section for Chemistry, Technology, Physics, 

 and Astronomy : On the separation of ethyl-b'ses by means of 

 oxalic ether, by Prof. Wallach. — On converting amides into 

 bromides, by V. von Richter. — On indium, by the same. — On 

 some experiments withhydrobenzoines, by Herr Zincke. — On an 

 apparatus for measuring very small fractions of time, by Herr 

 Gieseler. — On a new electro- dynamical law, by Prof. Clausiug. 

 Physiological Section : On the functions of the spinal cord, by 

 Dr. Frensberg. — On the structure of the tissues of blood-veiaels 

 and the inflammation of veins, by Herr Kcister. — On santonine 

 poisoning, by Herr Binz. — ^On the influence of salicylic acid 

 upon the bones, by Herr Koster, The remaining papers are of 

 purely medical interest, 



Reale Istituto Lombardo di Scicuze e Letter e. Rendiconti, 

 December 28, 1876. — On some differential equations with alge- 

 braic integral, by M. Brioschi. — On the electric theory of the 

 radiometer, by M. Ferrini. — On the anti-fermentative action of 

 boric acid, and its application in therapeutics, by M, Polli, — On 

 the sclerotium oryza, a new vegetable parasite which has devas- 

 tated many rice-fields of Lombardy and the Novarese during the 

 past year, by M Cattaneo. — Mildella, a new genus, type of new 

 tribes of Polypodiaceae. — Graeco-lndian studies, by M. Cantor. 

 Relating to geometry, algebra, astronomy ; &c, 



Morphologisches jfahrbuck, vol. ii, part 3. — On the structure 

 of the skin and dermal sense-organs of Urodela (Proteus, Meno- 

 poma, Cryptobranchus, Salamandra, Triton, Salamandrina), by 

 F. Leydig, four plates. — On the metamorphosis of Echiurus, by 

 W. Salensky, four stages figured. — On the exoskeleton of fishes, 

 by O. Hertwig. Part i, sixty-eight pages, six plates, relating to 

 Siluroids and Accipenseroids. The placoid scales of Selachians, 

 the dermal teeth of Siluroids, and the dermal scutes of Accipen- 

 seroids are shown to be homologous. — Contribution to the mor- 

 phology of the limbs of vertebrates, by Prof. Gegenbaur. — The 

 most ancient form of the carpus and tarsus of Amphibia, by R, 

 Wiedersheim. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 



Royal Society, February 8.—" On the Transport of Solid 

 and Liquid Particles in Sewer Gases," By E. Frankland, 

 F.R.S. 



The suspension of vast aggregate quantities of solid and liquid 

 particles in our atmosphere is the subject of daily remark. Cloud, 

 fog, and stnoke consist of such particles, and I have repeatedly 

 seen at a distance of a few feet abundance of snow-crystals float- 

 ing in the air, when the atmosphere was apparently perfectly 

 clear and cloudless by placing the eye in shadow and then look- 

 ing into the sunshine. 



Prof. Tyndall has, I conceive, proved that a very large propor- 

 tion of the suspended particles in the London atmosphere consists 

 of water and other volatile liquid or solid matter by showing that 

 the heat of boihng water is sufficient to dissipate them. That 

 this is the true explanation of the disappearance of such particles 

 by the application of a moderate degree of heat, and that it is 

 not caused by the rarefied air from the heated body ascending 

 and leaving behind the suspended matter, as suggested by 

 Tyndall is, I think, conclusively proved by experiments in which 



