40 



NATURE 



\Nov. 8, 1877 



saccharimeter, by M. Laurent. — Lecture experiment on the 

 colour-chang;e of certain double iodides, by M. Boettger, 



No. 9. — On physical isomerism, by M. Lehmann. — On the 

 elasticity of gypsum and mica, by M. Coromilas. — On the influ- 

 ence of pressure on the temperature at which water shows a 

 maximum density, by M. Van der Waals. — Apparatus for 

 measurement of the expansion of rigid bodies by heat, by M. 

 Reusch. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 



Chemical Society, November i. — Dr. Gladstone in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read : — On some hydro- 

 carbons obtained from the homologues of cinnamic acid, by 

 W, H. Perkin. These hydrocarbons were prepared either by 

 heating the acids or by treating the hydrobromo acids with 

 bases. The following acids were prepared and examined : — 

 Hydrobromocinnenylacrylic, hydrobromocinnenylcrotonic, hy- 

 drobromocinnenylangelic. The following hydrocarbons were 

 obtained : — Isopropylvinylbenzene, isopropylallylbenzene, iso- 

 propylbutenylbenzene, allylbenzene, and butenylbenzene ; the 

 dibromides of these bodies were also prepared and examined. — 

 On anethol and its homologues, by W. H. Perkin. By heating 

 methylparoxyphenylacrylic acid, vinylic anethol was obtained, 

 similarly allylic or ordinary anethol and butenylic anethol were 

 prepared. In conclusion the author discusses the formation of 

 the hydrocarbons from the hydrobromo acids, and concludes 

 that they are formed simply by the separation of hydrobromic 

 acid and carbonic anhydride. — On two new methods for esti- 

 mating bismuth volumetrically, by M. M, P. Muir. To a 

 solution of bismuth in nitric acid an excess of sodium acetate is 

 added, and then a measured volume of standard sodium phosphate 

 solution also in excess ; the bismuth is precipitated, the precipi- 

 tate filtered off, and the excess of phosphoric acid determined in 

 the filtrate by uranium acetate. The other method given does 

 not yield such accurate results. — On the oxidation of ditolyl, by 

 T. Carnelly. By the oxidation of solid ditolyl the author 

 obtained diparatolylphenylcarbonic acid and diparadiphenyldi- 

 carbonic acid ; liquid ditolyl yielded orthoparatolylphenylcar- 

 bonic acid, orthoparadiphenylcarbonic acid, and finally tere- 

 phthallic acid. — On a new manganese reaction, by J. B. Hannay. 

 If a solution of a manganous salt in strong nitric acid is warmed 

 in the presence of an iron salt with some crystals of potassic 

 chlorate, the iron and manganese are precipitated as a double 

 manganate of iron and manganese. The author proposes this 

 reaction for separating iron from aluminium, &c. 

 Paris 



Academy of Sciences, October 29. — M. Peligotin the chair. 

 — The following papers were read : — Resume of a history of 

 matter (second article), by M. Chevreul. — On the solar photo- 

 spheric system, by M, Janssen. — The telephone of Mr. Graham 

 Bell, by M. Breguet. — On the determination of the quantity of 

 mud contained in current water, by M. Bouquet de la Grye. He 

 uses an instrument named a pelometer (tt^Aos, mud), consisting 

 of a V-shaped vessel whose rectangular faces, inclined one-tenth, 

 are of thin glass, while its sides are of copper or white iron. One 

 glass face has a centimetre scale commencing from the angle. 

 The pelometer is filled and held vertical ; it then presents a suc- 

 cession of vertical layers of increasing thickness upwards, and, by 

 comparison with glass-ended tubes containing muddy water of 

 various known densities, the proportion of mud may be ascer- 

 tained. Other methods are given. Experiments made at Rochelle 

 show that the quantity of mud per litre varies from one to ten 

 times according to the depth. He considers regular measurements 

 of the kind on watercourses desirable for agriculture, &c. — 

 On an American vine-stock not attacked by phylloxera, by M. 

 Fabre. This vine belongs to the species Riparia. Among 

 other merits (besides its immunity) it gives cuttings readily, 

 receives grafts from French species better than any other 

 American variety, thrives in most arid soils, compact clays, and 

 soils long exhausted by vine cultivation, and grows very rapidly. 

 — On treatment of phylloxerised vines with sulphocarbonate of 

 potassium applied with the distributing pail, in 1876-77, by M. 

 Gueyraud. — Observations of the planet (175) Palisa, made at the 

 Paris Observatory, with the west equatorial of the Garden, by 

 MM. Paul and Prosper Henry.— Stellar systems of 36 Ophiuchus 

 and 40 Eridan, by M. Flammarion. — General form of coefficients 

 of certain developments, by M. Andre. — New mode of plane 

 representation of classes of graduated surfaces, by M. Mannheim. 

 — Experiments on the disruptive discharge made with the 

 chloride of silver battery by MM. Warren de la Rue and H. W. 



Miiller. — Rheostatic machine, by M. Plante. He combines a 

 number of condensers (made of mica and tin), so as to be 

 easily charged, from a secondary battery, in quantity and 

 discharged in tension. The commutator is a long cylinder of 

 hardened caoutchouc, having longitudinal metallic bands, and 

 traversed by bent copper wire (for the two objects named). 

 Metallic springs are connected with the two armatures of each 

 condenser, and fixed on an ebonite plate on each side of the 

 cylinder, which is rotated. A series of sparks can be got between 

 the branches of the exciter in this arrangement, quite like those 

 from electric machines with condensers. The discharges are 

 always in the same direction, and the loss of force is less than in 

 induction apparatus. A great many discharges can be had with- 

 out the secondary battery being perceptibly weakened, as each 

 discharge removes only a very small quantity of electricity. — On 

 semi-diurnal barometric variations, by M. de Parville. The 

 tropical hours may present, at a few days' interval, divergences 

 amounting, during the great period, to forty-five minutes. The 

 barometric variations in the tropical hours are not uniform ; the 

 maximum of descent of the mercury column occurs about three 

 o'clock. Equality between the periods of day and night has 

 never occurred. The amplitude of the variation is grea'^er by day 

 than by night, and during the dry season than during the wet. — 

 On the action of anhydrous acids on anhydrous bases, by M. 

 Bechamp. They are capable of uniting wholly. — On the deter- 

 mination of reducing sugar contained in commercial products, by 

 M. Girard. — On the reducing sugar of commercial products in 

 its relations to saccharimetry, by M. Morin. He shows the 

 optical inactivity of this sugar. — On the production of racemic acid 

 in the manufacture of tartaric acid, by M. Jungfleisch. — On some 

 physical properties of quercite, by M. Prunier. — Action of solar 

 light with variable degrees of intensity on the vine, by M. 

 Macagno. Diminution of intensity hinders the production of 

 glucose ; the other elements (produced or assimilated) are in 

 direct ratio of the luminous intensity. A portion only of potash 

 is in inverse ratio of the luminous intensity : the contrary occurs 

 in the case of potash combined with tartaric acid. — On the Ortho- 

 nectida, a new class of animal parasites of Echinoderms and 

 Turbellaria, by M. Giard.— On the calcareous algae belonging to 

 the group of verticillate Siphonese (Disycladeas, Harv.), and'con- 

 founded with the Foraminiferse, by M. Munier Chalmas, — Effects 

 of faradisation in a case of hydrophobia in man, by M. Menesson. 

 Considerable sedative effects werertbfained ; the patient, however, 

 died after two days through a sudden stoppage of the heart's 

 contractions. 



CONTENTS Page 



Explosions in Mines By W. Galloway 21 



The Sun's Photosphere By J. Norman Lockvkr . .... 22 



FowNEs' " Manual OF Chemistry" 24 



Our Book Shelf : — 



Bryce's "Transcaucasia and Ararat; being Notes of a Vacation 



Tour in the Autumn of 1876 " 25 



Wormell's "Thermodynamics" 25 



" Simple Lessons for Home Use " 25 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Appunn and Koenig. — Beats in Confined Air — Alexander J. 



Ellis, F.RS 26 



The Radiometer and its Lessons — Dr. W. B. Carpenter, F.R.S. : 



Prof. Osborne Reynolds, F.R.S. 26 



Potential Energy — G. M. Minchin 27 



Effects of Urticating Organs of Millcpora on the Tongue- L. F. 



Pourtales 27 



Drowned by a Devil Fish. — H. N. Moseley, F.R S 27 



The Earthworm in Relation to the Fertility of the Soil. — Rev. 



Henry Cooper Key ; A Stephen Wilson . 28 



M, AUuard's Condensing Hygrometer. — G. J. Symons {IVii/i 



Illustration) ... . . ... .... 28 



Optical Spectroscopy of the Red End of the Solar Spectrum. — 



J. B. N. Hennessey, F.R.S 23 



Singing Mice. — Joseph Sidkbotham ; George J. Romanes . . 25 



Meteor. — Ralph Copeland • '^9 



International Polar Expeditions. By E. J. Rked, C B., M.P. , 



F.R S 29 



The Norwegian Deep-Sba Expedition. By Dr. H. Mohn ( IVitk 



Map) 30 



On the Diffusion oif Matter in Relation to the Second Law 



OF Thermodynamics By S. Tolver Preston . 31 



Music A Science of Numbers. By W. Chappell, F. S A 32 



Robert SwiNHOE, F.R.S 35 



Douglas A. Spalding 35 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Solar Eclipse of 1788, February 2 . . . : 36 



The Minor Planet E.iphrosyne 36 



Comets of Short Period in 1878 36 



Notes . • 37 



American Science 39 



University and Educational Intelligknck 59 



Scientific Serials 39 



socibtibs and academies 4o 



