56 



NATURE 



\Nov, 15, 1877 



Rubies, as well as a topaz and emerald, were exhibited. Dr. 

 Huggins believes that the colour is imparted by small quantities 

 of metallic oxides, and that the mass is mixed with boracic acid 

 and maintained in a fused condition for a considerable period. 

 M. Feil hopes to obtain larger stones by maintaining the heat 

 constant for several weeks consecutively. — Dr. Lodge then read 

 a communication from Professors Ayrton and Perry, of the 

 Imperial College, Japan, in continuation of one read to the 

 Society on May 26 last, on ice as an electrolyte, and since pub- 

 lished in the Philosophical Magazine, The experiments therein 

 described led them to expect a very sudden rise in the specific 

 inductive capacity as the temperature of the ice increased through 

 zero and it became water. Recent results have shown that, 

 though rapid, this increase is not as great as they anticipated, 

 and, whereas at - 12° C. the capacity is o'oo2 microfarads, at 

 + 5° C. it is o'l 185 microfarads, and after this temperature the in- 

 crease was so rapid as to render exact readings difficult. Referring 

 to Prof. Clerk Maxwell's theory in which he compares electro- 

 magnetic disturbances with light vibrations, they point out that he 

 exclusively regards a conducting medium. But they showed in 

 a former paper that no dielectric can be considered non-conduct- 

 ing, hence they conclude that the measured specific inductive 

 capacity can never be even approximately equal to the square of 

 the index of refraction. Prof. Foster mentioned that he re- 

 cently had occasion to collect as many results as possible on 

 specific inductive capacity and refractive index, and he found 

 that, where these figures were low, the agreement with the law 

 was fairly close, but with greater values the inductive capacity 

 and the square of the refractive index separate very rapidly. — 

 Prof. Guthrie described a simple means for showing the inter- 

 ference between two plane waves by means of two long cords 

 vibrating side by side. If a vibration of considerable amplitude 

 be imparted to them, and the plane in which they travel be care- 

 fully examined, two faint black lines will be seen, which cross 

 and recross each other more rapidly as the cords are less and 

 less in unison, and with perfect unison remain stationary. 



Royal Microscopical Society, November 7. — Mr. H. C. 

 Sorby, president, in the chair. — A paper was read by Mr. 

 Thos. Palmer on the study of evergreens by means of the micro- 

 spectroscope, in which he described the results of his examination 

 of solutions of the colouring matters, oils, &c. , from the leaves 

 in various stages of growth. The paper was illustrated by 

 drawings arid by the exhibition under the micro-spectroscope of 

 some of the solutions referred to. — A paper by Mr. F. A. Bedwell 

 on the building apparatus of Melicerta riiigens, was read by the 

 secretary. It minutely described the structure and functions of 

 those organs, and was an important addition to the number of 

 contributions to the history of this beautiful rotifer. The paper 

 was illustrated by drawings, some of which were enlarged upon 

 the black board by Mr. Charles Stewart. — A paper was taken as 

 read on the lachrymal gland of the turtle, by Mr. Charles 

 Stewart, 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, November 5. — M. Peligot in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read : — On some applications 

 of elliptic functions (continued), by M. Hermite.— i?if«/w/ of a 

 history of matter (third article), by M. Chevreul. This comprises 

 from the thirteenth to the seventeenth century. — On the hydroge- 

 nation ot benzine and aromatic compounds, by M. Berthelot. The 

 experiments show that the action (surficiently intense and pro- 

 longed) of hydriodic acid brings all these carburets to the com- 

 position of carburets absolutely saturated, such as hydride of 

 hexylene, C1.2H14, volatile about 69°. — Reply to a recent note of 

 M. de Parville, "On the semi-diurnal variation of the baro- 

 meter," by M. Faye. — The echidna of New Guinea, by M. 

 Gervais. This animal is very different from the echidna of 

 Australia. Inter alia, it is larger and has darker hair; the 

 claws (which are strong and adapted for digging) number three 

 on the fore as on the hind feet ; and the (black) muzzle is much 

 longer than in E. aculeata, and sensibly arched ; the tongue is 

 also much longer and very slender, and the homy papillae are 

 differently arranged ; the number of vertebras and ribs is dif- 

 ferent, &c. M. Gervais regards the animal as belonging to a 

 separate genus, termed Acanthoglossus. — On a project of an inter- 

 oceanic canal; studies of the international commission of the 

 Isthmus of Darien, by M. de Lesseps. This relates to a report 

 of recent scientific exploration by Lieut. Wyse (of the French 

 Navy), The project comprises a tunnel of about 17 kilometres, 

 the remainder of the length being ^bout $5 kilometres. The 



total cost is estimated at 600,000,000 francs. — Stellar systems 

 formed of stars associated in a common and rapid proper motion, 

 by M. Flammarion. — On the order (or class) of a plane algebraic 

 curve, of which each point (or each tangent) depends on a corre- 

 sponding point of another plane curve and on the tangent at that 

 point, by M. Fouret. — Applications of a mode of plane repre- 

 sentation of classes of ruled surfaces, by M. Mannheim. — On the 

 liquefaction of acetylene, by M. Cailletet. The gas was com- 

 pressed by means of a hydraulic pump through mercury, in an 

 apparatus of special form. Acetylene is liquefied, e.g., at + l° 

 under 48 atm., at 18° under 83 atm., at 37° under 103 atm. The 

 liquid is colourless and extremely mobile ; it seems very refringent, 

 and is lighter than water, in which it can be largely dissolved. It 

 dissolves paraffin and fatty matters. Hydride of ethylene was 

 liquefied in the apparatus at a slightly higher pressure than that 

 of acetylene. The tensions of these two carburets and ethylene 

 are but little different about zero. Reaction of chlorhydric acid 

 on two isomeric butylenes and on olefines in general, by M. Le 

 Bel. The ethylenic carburets combine with cold chlorhydric 

 acid ; on the contrary, the hydrocarbons CHj = CHR and pro- 

 bably those with the formula CHR = CHR' are not attacked, — 

 On the alteration of eggs produced by mould from without, by 

 MM. Bechamp and Eustache. Hen's eggs may remain long in 

 a medium filled with infusoria without these organisms pene- 

 trating. The shell and its lining membrane can be traversed by 

 mucedineoe, which develop abundantly on the inner face of the 

 latter. The yolk-membrane, however, is impenetrable by muce- 

 dinese or any other microzoa or microphytes. The mediate 

 relations of mucedineae with the yolk produce a true fer- 

 mentation apart from any organic ferment except micro- 

 zymas. The acidification of the white is due exclusively 

 to the mycelium of the mould. The production of bacteria in 

 the yolk is due to development of the normal microzymas of the 

 yolk. — On a new function of the genital glands of sea-urchins, 

 by M. Giard. During part of the year these glands play the 

 part both of excretory organs and of deutoplasntiigenic organs. 

 This fact presents a new point of relation between echinoderms 

 and annelids, and even arthropods. — Causes which determine 

 the liberation of agile bodies (zoospores, antherozoids) in the 

 lower plants, by M. Cornu. The exit is not the result simply of 

 a physical phenomenon of endosmose, but is at least partly due 

 to the activity of the corpuscles themselves. This activity re- 

 quires a sufficient temperature, or a certain quantity of oxygen 

 (furnished directly or by oxidation of the green parts), for its 

 exercise. — Meteorological observations made in a balloon, by 

 M. Terrier. This ascent was made on October 18, at 3.30 P,M,, 

 from Paris. It is affirmed that the temperature of the atmo- 

 spheric layers at sunset decreases uniformly with increase of 

 height (the decrease was i° per 100 metres). The lower winds 

 are less stable than the upper, and it is necessary to interpret 

 the latter for weather prognostication. The aerial currents of 

 small height and velocity are influenced and notably deflected by 

 the inequalities of the ground. 



CONTENTS Page 



Brehm's Thierlkben 41 



Our Book Shblf : — 



Loewy's "Heat" 43 



Smith's " Ferns, British and Foreign. The History, Organo- 

 graphy, Classification, and Enumeration of the Species of Garden 



Ferns, with a Treatise on their Cultivation " 43 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Radiometer and its Lessons — Prof G. Carey Foster, F.R.S. ; 



William Ckookes, F.R S. ; Alfred R. Wallace 43 



Experiment on Fluid Films.— Sedley Taylor 44 



Expected High Tides.— B. G Jenkins 45 



The Towering of Wounded Birds. — Charles Dixon 45 



Cruelty to Animals' Act and Physiological Teaching. — Frank W. 



Young 45 



Smell and Hearing in Moths — J. C . 45 



Bees Killed by Tritoma. — Alfred R. Wallace 45 



Lecture Experiment. — W. A. Shen stone 45 



Fownes' " Manual of Chemistry." — The Reviewer 46 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Transit of Mercury, May 6, 1878 46 



Nova Cygni, 1876 46 



Comet 1873, IV. 46 



Minor Planets 46 



The Royal Dublin Society 46 



On the Eocene Flora of Bournemouth. By J. S Gardner . . 47 



The Telephone 43 



African Exploration 49 



Modern Torpedo Warfare (With Illustrations)', 50 



Notes ;...... . . 52 



University and Educational Intelligenck 55 



SoCIBTIKS AND ACADfCMISS i • • • t - 55 



