96 



NATURE 



\TSIov. 29, 1877 



birds made by Mr. A. H. Everett in the Island of Luzon, Philip- 

 pines. Three new species were named Megalurus ruficeps, 

 Dic(Bum xanthopyg'mm, and Oxycerca eva'etti. — Mr. D. G. Elliott 

 read some remarks on Felis tig7-ina,YjXX. , and its synonomy, show- 

 ing that F. mitis, F. Cuv., andi^. macrura, Pr. Max., are iden- 

 tical with that species. — Prof. Garrod, F.R.S., read a paper on 

 some points in the visceral anatomy of the rhinoceros of the 

 Sunderbunds {Rh. sondiacus). — A second communication from 

 Prof. Garrod contained a note on an anatomical peculiarity 

 in certain storks. — Mr. Edgar A. Smith read a paper in which 

 he described some shells from Lake Nyassa, and a few marine 

 species from the mouth of the Macusi River, near Quillimane, 

 on the East Coast of Africa. — A communication from Dr. O. 

 Finsch contained the description of a new species of petrel from 

 the Feejee Islands, which it was proposed to name Procellaria 

 albigularis. — A second communication from Dr. Finsch con- 

 tained a report on the collections of birds made during the 

 voyage of H.M.S. Challenger at Tongatabu, the Fiji Islands, 

 Api, New Hebrides, and Tahiti. — Mr. Edward R. Alston read 

 a supplementary note on rodents and marsupials from Duke of 

 York Island and New Ireland. Macropus lugens, Alst., was 

 shown to be a synonym of Helmaturus brownii, Ramsay, while 

 Mr. Ramsay's Mus. echimyoides and M. miisavora were respec- 

 tively identical with Miis. brownii and Uroinys rufescens of 

 Alston. — A communication from Mr. L. Taczanowski contained 

 a supplementary list of birds collected in North- Western Peru 

 by Messrs. Jelski and Stolzmann. Two species were new, and 

 proposed to be called Rallus cvpereii and Penelope albipennis. 



Cambridgk 



Philosophical Society, October 22. — A communication was 

 read by Mr. Balfour, on the development of the vertebrate 

 ovum. The points dealt with in this paper were (i) the nature 

 of the stroma of the ovary, and (2) the relation of the perma- 

 nent ova to the large cells of the germiral epithelium, named 

 primitive ova by Waldeyer. 



October 29. — Mr. Bonney read a paper on the rocks of the 

 Lizard District (Cornwall). The author brought forward evi- 

 dence to prove that the serpentine of this district was clearly 

 intrusive among the hornblende schists. 



November 5. — Prof. Clerk Maxwell communicated to the 

 society an account of the unpublished papers of the Hon. Henry 

 Cavendish, which contain his experiments in electricity. 



Manchester 



Literary and Philosophical Society, October 2. — Rev. 

 William Gaskell, M.A., in the chair. — A case of flowering of 

 Chctmerops fortunei ( Hook) at Alderley, by Arthur W. Waters, 

 F.G. S. The fact of C ha i?ierops fortunei {Yiodk) flowering so 

 far north as near Manchester seemed to the author to be of 

 sufficient interest to be worth mentioning to the Society. — Table 

 of effect of movement of the surface of the globe on the shifting 

 of the axis of the earth,by Arthur W. Waters, F.G.S. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, November 19. — M. Peligot in the 

 chair : — The following papers were read : — Meridian obser- 

 vations of small planets at the Greenwich and Paris Observatories 

 during the third quarter of 1877, communicated by M. Villarceau. 

 — New remarks on the quantities of heat liberated by mixture of 

 water with sulphuric acid, by M. Berthelot. He affirms that 

 sulphuric acid always liberates the same quantities of heat 

 whether it have been recently heated or kept a considerable 

 time. — Resumi of a history of matter (fifth article), by {M, 

 Chevreul. — On the theory and the various manoeuvres of the 

 economising apparatus constructed at the dam of Aubois, 

 by M. de Caligny. — On the use of refined neutral oils 

 for lubrication of pistons in engines with surface con- 

 densers, by M. Allaire. Lime causes decomposition of neutral 

 fatty matters and unites with their acids, the result being 

 a greater deposit than if lime had not been used. Doubt- 

 less the deposit is oleate of lime instead of oleate of iron, and the 

 boiler is preserved from attack ; but the inconveniences in con- 

 densing engines are aggravated, for the condenser ceases to act 

 as the tubes get covered, M. Allaire commends the use of 

 refined neutral fatty matters which are undecomposable under 

 the ordinary pressure of boilers. — Various observations on phyl- 

 loxera, by M. Boiteau. The winter egg is deposited exclusively 

 on the exterior of the stock. — Discovery of a small planet at 



Ann Arbor, by Mr. Watson. — General map of the proper 

 motions of stars, by M, Flammarion. One result of this com- 

 parison is contradictory of some common views as to the distance 

 of stars relatively to their order of brightness ; for the greatest 

 proper motions do not belong to the most brilliant stars, but 

 indifferently to all sizes. Again, the author cannot support Bessel's 

 and Struve's view that double stars are carried through space 

 more rapidly than simple stars. — On the equation with partial 

 derivatives of the fourth order, expressing that the problem 

 of geodesic lines, considered as a problem of mechanics, 

 supposes an algebraic integral of the fourth degree, by 

 M. Levy. — New applications of a mode of plane represen- 

 tation of classes of ruled surfaces, by M. Mannheim. — On 

 the laws which rule the order (or class) of plane algebraic 

 curves, of which each point (or each tangent) depends at once on 

 a variable point and tangent in a given curve, by M. Fouret. — 

 Extract from a letter (mathematical) to M. Her mite, by M. 

 Fuchs. — On the decomposition into first factors of the numbers 

 2" ± I, by M. de Longchamps. — Reproduction of orthose, by M. 

 Hautefeuille. Orthose can be obtained by raising to from 900 

 to 1,000 deg. a mixture of tungstic acid and a very alkaline 

 silico-aluminate of potash containing one equivalent of alumina 

 to six of silica. The tungstic acid forms tungstate of potash, and 

 the silico-aluminate is thus brought to the composition of orthose. — 

 On the composition and industrial use of gases from metallurgical 

 furnaces, by M. Cailletet. These gases, if suddenly cooled, are found 

 to contain an important quantity of combustible principles which 

 can easily be lit again and burnt by passing, e.g., through a grate 

 with burning fuel, and having their velocity diminished. — Forma- 

 tion of iodous acid by the action of ozone on iodine, by M. Ogier, 

 — On the solubility of sugar in water, by M. Courtonne. A 

 saturated solution of sugar at 1 2 "5° contains 66 '5 gr. per cent, 

 of sugar ; one at 45° contains 71 gr. per cent. — On the products 

 of oxidation of camphor, by M. Montgolfier. — Note on the 

 accessory discs of the thin discs in striated muscles, by M. 

 Renaut. Muscular striation is formed of a succession of thick 

 discs alone contractile, and of clear bands traversed each by a 

 thin disc and two accessory discs similar to each other as regards 

 form, and probably having similar functions. — A nalgesia ob- 

 tained by the combined action of morphine and chloroform, by 

 M. Guibert. A subcutaneous injection of chlorhydrate of 

 morphine is made at least fifteen minutes before inhalation of 

 chloroform. — On the causes of violet colour in oysters of the 

 basin of Arcachon, by M. Descoust. The colour is found to be 

 due to the presence of a small algal of the family of Rhodo- 

 spermese and Florideas. This becomes more abundant in time 

 of drought, and probably acts by absorbing moisture. — On the 

 migrations and metamorphoses of the taenia of shrew mice, by 

 M. Villot. — On certain monstrosities of Asterocanthion rubens, 

 by M. Giard. — On the embryogeny of the cestoides, by M. 

 Moniez. — On the bismuth ores of Bolivia, Peru, and Chili, by 

 M. Domeyko. 



CONTENTS Page 



Flora of Mauritius anh Seychelles. By W. R. McNac ... 77 

 Our Book Shklf : — 



Von Hauer's " Die Geologie " 78 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Fritz Muller on Flowers and Insects. — Charles Darwin, F.R. S. . 78 

 The Radiometer and its Lessons. — G. Johnstone Stonev ; Prof. 



G. Carey Foster, F.R.S 75 



Mr. Crookes and Eva Fay. — Dr. VVilliaji B. Carpenter, F.R.S. 81 



Potential Energy. — Prof. H. W, Lloyd Tanner 81 



Smell and Hearing in Moths —George J. Romanes ; J. C. . . . 82 



Meteorological Phenomenon. — Joseph John Murphy .... 82 

 Our Astronomical Column : — 



Stellar Systems 82 



The Minor Planets 83 



The Cordoba Observatory 83 



Carl von Littrow 83 



Bacteria. By J. Burdon-Sanderson, M.D., LL D., F.R.S. . . . 

 Diffusion Figures in Liquids. By Prof. Tito Martini {With lUus- 



iratioiii) 87 



Traces of Early Man in Japan. By Edward S. Morse .... 89 



Notes 89 



The Liberty of Science in the Modern State, H. By Prof. 



Rudolf Virchow 92 



The Meteor 94 



University and Educational Intblugbncb 95 



Societies and Academies 95 



