IM- 



MATURE 



[Nov. 22, 1877 



terous genus, Callirhipis {Rkipidoceridai), in the British Museum, 

 by C. O. Waterhouse. — Descriptions of a new genus and two 

 new species of Sphingida:, with remarks on the family generally, 

 by A. G. Butler. — Descriptions of Halticince, by J. S, Baly. — 

 Descriptions of new species of Clerida, with notes on the genera 

 and corrections of synonymy, by the Rev. H. S, Gorham. 



Royal Astronomical Society, November 9. — Dr. Hugglns, 

 F.R.S., in the chair. — A very large number of papers were 

 presented. — Lord Lindsay was called upon to read Mr. Gill's 

 report upon the expedition to Ascension to obtain the parallax 

 of Mars, from which it appeared that in spite of meteorological 

 difficulties and many causes of anxiety most satisfactory results 

 had been obtained, and Mr. Gill had gone up a mountain 

 to recruit his health. — Several important mathematical papers 

 were then read ; one by the Astronomer- Royal on the solar 

 parallax, as deduced from telescopic observations of the transit 

 of Venus, 1874. — Next a paper by Prof. Adams on the motion 

 of the moon's node, and a paper by Mr. Neison on three small 

 inequalities in the mean motion of the earth, and a small inequality 

 in the mean motion of Mars. These were followed by three 

 observational papers on the recent opposition of Mars ; one 

 by the Astronomer-Royal, read by Mr. Christie, giving the 

 summary of what was seen at Greenwich both with the telescope 

 and spectroscope ; the next by Mr. N. £. Green, giving an 

 account of his expedition to Madeira and what he saw of Mars 

 with a fine 13 inch reflector. This paper was accompanied by a 

 series of beautiful drawings of the planet by the author. The 

 third paper, on Mars, was by Mr. John Brett, being a discussion 

 of a series of telescopic observations made in Cornwall, the 

 purport of which was to show that the generally received hypo- 

 thesis of the physical condition of Mars was altogether fallacious, 

 neither the snows nor the seas having any foundation in fact. 

 This paper was also illustrated by a series of drawings. — Then 

 followed a y aper by Lord Lindsay, on a new form of spectro- 

 scope, and the meeting adjourned. 



Anthropological Institute, November 13. — Dr. John Evans, 

 r.R.S., president, in the chair. — The Rev. T. A. Bennett and 

 F. V. Dickins were elected members. — An interesting series of 

 casts of skulls made of papier-mache were exhibited, and a 

 special vote of thanks was ordered to be sent to Prof. Bogdanow, 

 of Moscow, by whom they were presented to the Institute. — 

 Major-Gen. A. Lane Fox, F.R.S., exhibited some flint flakes 

 from Egypt, and a note from Capt. R. F. Burton was read on 

 the same. — The director then read a paper by Mr. H. H. 

 Howorth, F.S A , on the spread of the Slaves: Part I., the 

 Croats. —This was followed by a paper on the Castiheri d'Istria, 

 by Capt. R. F. Burton, H.M.'s Consul at Trieste.— Mr. Hyde 

 Clarke, the President, Major-Gen. A. Lane Fox, and Mr. 

 Moggridge took part in the discussions. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, November 13. — Mr. George 

 Robert Stephenson, president, in the chair. — Ihe paper read 

 was a review of the progress of steam shipping during the last 

 quarter of a century, by Mr. Alfred Holt, M. Inst. C.E., of 

 Liverpool. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, November 12. — M. Peligot in the 

 chair. — M. Faye presented the volume of the Connaissance des 

 Temps for 1879. — On some applications of elliptic functions (con- 

 tinued), by M. Hermite. — Resume oi a history of matter (fourth 

 article) by M. Chevreul. This relates to the views of Lavoisier, 

 Stahl, Scheele, Cavendish, and Priestley. — Observations on the 

 principle of maximum work and on the spontaneous decomposition 

 of hydrated bioxide of barium, by M. Berthelot.— On the hmits 

 of etherification, by M. Berthelot. In experimenting en etheri- 

 fication sixteen years ago he put aside a number of mixtures to 

 be kept a considerable time, in order to ascertain the limit of 

 the reactions produced at ordinary temperatures. The mixtures 

 consisted of acetic acid and alcohol (equal equivalents), acetic 

 acid and glycerine, tartaric acid and alcohol, valeric acid and 

 alcohol. He has now examined these. The general laws of 

 eiherification are confirmed, and especially the identity of the 

 limits of combinations betw^een acids and alcohols, from ordinary 

 temperatures up to 260°. — On the order of appearance of the 

 first vessels in the shoots of some Legumlnosse (second part), by 

 M. Trecul. — The Academy elected a commission to present a 

 list of candidates for the vacancy among the Foreign Associates, 

 caused by the death of M. von Baer. — On the numeration of 

 globules of milk for the analysis of woinan's milk, by M. Bouchut. 



A drop of milk is mixed with 100 drops of slightly saline water 

 (distilled). A drop of the mixture is placed under the microscope, 

 whose eye-piece is divided into squares ; the number of globules 

 in each square is counted, and the average taken ; from this may 

 be deduced the number in one cubic millimetri>. The globules 

 were thus counted in milk of 158 nuises, before, during, and 

 after suckling. The average of globules is about l,026,cxx) per 

 cubic millimetre of milk, or a hundred and two milliards six 

 hundred millions per litre ; but between 800, cxx> and one million 

 per cubic millimetre, the milk is considered of good quality. 

 In one table are given the density and the quantity of butter 

 corresponding to given numbers of globules of cow's milk. — 

 New formulae for the study of the motion of a plane figure, by 

 M. Haton de la Goupilliere. — On the migration of the puceron 

 of the cornel tree and its reproduction, by M. Lichtenstein. 

 This puceron comes from the roots of gramineae, and returns 

 to them. Its mode of reproduction is that termed by the 

 author anthogenesis. — Observations on the subject of a recent 

 communication from M. Fabre, by M. Millardet. The secretary 

 announced a new biennial prize, founded by M. Maujean. — 

 Discovery of a small planet at the Observatory of Paris, by M. 

 Paul Henry. — Discovery of a small planet at the Observatory 

 of Pola, by M. Palisa. —Observations of planets 125 and 176 

 made at the Paris Observatory (equatorial of the garden), by MM. 

 Paul and Prosper Henry. — New stellar systems, by M. Flam- 

 marion. — On the equation with partial derivatives of the third 

 order expressing that the problem of geodesic lines, considered 

 as a problem of mechanics, supposes an algebraic integral of the 

 third degree, by M. Levy. — On the evolution of red corpuscles 

 in the blood of oviparous vertebrates, by M. Hayem. The red 

 corpuscles proceed from a peculiar colourless element, which 

 from the first phases of development is distinct from the white 

 corpuscles ; the name of hematoblast is given it. The white 

 corpuscles are foreign to the formation of the red, both in 

 oviparous vertebrates and in the higher animals ; but whereas in 

 the latter the red corpuscles of new formation are coloured, what- 

 ever their minuteness, in the oviparous, the embryonic cor- 

 puscles are at first quite without haemoglobin. — On the spots 

 and crevices of pears, by M. Prillieux. These are due to the 

 growth of a small parasitic champignon. — On the semi-diurnal 

 variations of the barometer, by M. De Parville. He thinks it 

 improbable that aqueous vapour has a preponderating influence 

 in these variations. — On the quantities ot heat liberated in mix- 

 tures of sulphuric .icid anl water, by M. Maumene. Sulphuric 

 acid recently heated does not liberate, with water, the same 

 quantity of heat as the same acid kept several months. This 

 phenomenon, denoted as a tempering of liquids, seems to him 

 a source of error in researches on thermo-ctiemistry not hitherto 

 considered. 



CONTENTS Pagk 



Danish Greenland 57 



Our Book Shklf : — 



Harrison's " Sketch of the Geology of Leicestershire and Rutland " 58 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Expected High Tides —Edward Roberts 58 



Rainiall in the J'emoerate Zone in Connection with the Sun-spot 



Cycle. — Dr W. W Hunter "jg 



Contribution to the Sun-spot Theory of Rainfall. — Dr. E Bonavia 6r 

 The Radiometer and its Lessons — Prof Osbornb Reynolds ; Dr. 



WiLLiAJi B. Carpenter, F R.S. . 61 



Fluid Films —C. ToMn^sov, F.R S 62 



Tuckey and Stanley. — The Yallala Rapids on the Congo — Dr. J. 



Rae 62 



The Future of our British Flora.— A Craig-Christie .... 62 



Selective Discrimination of Insects. — Henry O Forbes .... 62 

 Ths Earth-worm in Relation to the Fertility of the Soil. — Geo. H. 



Phipps 62 



Smell and Hearing in Moths — E. H K 62 



Carnivorous Plants. — Francisco Ginkz 63 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Minor Planets di 



The Comet of 1672 63 



Mr. Darwin at Cambridge 64 



International Geological Congress 65 



The Modern Telescope. By J. Norman Lockyer, F.R.S. {.With 



Illustrations) • 66 



Zoological Gardens 63 



Notes 69 



The Liberty of Science in the Modern State. By Prof Rudolf 



ViRCHow 72 



University and Educational Intelligence 74 



Societies AND Academies 75 



