±^6 



NATURE 



[yan. 24, 1878 



these deposits, and identified by Prof. Rupert Jones. Of the 

 branchipod crustacean both sexes are fossilised and beautifully 

 preserved, the males showing their large clasping antennae, and 

 the females their egg-pouches, with large and very distinct disc- 

 like bodies representing the compressed eggs. Dr. F. Goldenberg 

 notices a fossil from the coal-measures of Saarbriick which he 

 regards as a branchipod, and describes and figures under the 

 name of Branchipusites (recte Branchipodites) anthracinus ; but 

 this interpretation of it is at least doubtful. The author names 

 his species Branchipodites veciensis. The isopods accompanying 

 this species are referred \.o\}[^t^&x\s\% Archceonisctis, M.-Edw., and 

 one of them is identified with the Palaoniscus brongniarti of 

 Milne-EdwarJs. The other is probably a new species, perhaps 

 nearly allied to the existing Sphceroma serratum. — The chrono- 

 logical value of the pleistocene deposits of Devon, by W. A. E. 

 Ussher, F.G.S., of H.M. Geological Survey. 



Entomological Society, January 16. — Anniversary Meet- 

 ing. — Prof. J. O. Westwood, M.A., F.L.S., president, in the 

 chair, — The following gentlemen were elected members of the 

 council for the present year, viz. :— Henry Walter Bates, F.L. S., 

 F.Z.S., G. C. Champion, \V. L. Distant, J. W. Douglas, Rev. 

 A. E. Eaton, M.A., E. A, Fitch, Ferdinand Grut, F.L.S., 

 George Lewis, R. Meldola, F.R.A.S., F.C.S., Ewd. Saunders, 

 F.L.S., Frederick Smith, J. Jenner Weir, F.L.S., Prof. J. 

 O. Westwood, M.A., F.L.S.— Henry Walter Bates, F.L.S., 

 F.Z.S., was elected president, and Messrs. J. J. Weir, treasurer, 

 F. Grut, librarian, and R. Meldola and W. L. Distant, secre- 

 taries. — An address was read by the outgoing president, in which 

 reference was made to many of the less accessible entomological 

 memoirs of the past year. The address was ordered to be 

 printed, and the meeting terminited with a vote of thanks to 

 the officers of the Society. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, January 14. — M. Fizeau in the chair. 

 -The following papers were read :— On the presence of oxygen 

 in metallic silver, by M. Dumas. He shows that in the numerous 

 experiments where silver has been used in determination of 

 equivalents, the chemists who, after careful purification, converted 

 it into minute grains after fusion in presence of borax, nitre, and 

 air, have made it liable to absorb oxygen varying from 50 to 200 

 cubic centimetres per kilogramme. Hence much discrepancy. — 

 On the formation of oxygenated water, ozone, and persulphuric 

 acid during electrolysis, by M. Berthelot. The oxidising sub- 

 stance formed in electrolysis of sulphuric solutions is not oxy- 

 genated water, as commonly supposed, nor ozone in simple 

 solution, but (as proved by the fact of its not being formed in 

 other solutions, and by its reactions positive and negative) 

 persulphuric acid. It is formed with absorption of heat. 

 The three substances named may be simultaneously formed 

 in electrolysis. The ozone may be changed into oxygenated 

 water by means of ether ; the oxygenated water may be changed 

 into persulphuric acid by concentrated sulphuric acid ; and per- 

 sulphuric acid liberates gradually in the cold state the whole 

 of Its oxygen at the ordinary state without presenting any finite 

 tension of dissociation. — On the stability of ozone, by M. Ber- 

 thelot.— Experimental researches on the fractures traversing the 

 earth's crust, especially those known as joints and faults, by M. 

 Daubree. One end of a long rectangular plate of the substance 

 to be examined was seized between wooden jaws, and the other 

 end by a wrench which gave torsion. The nature of the frac- 

 tures (in gypsum and glass) are described ; geological deductions 

 will follow in another paper.— On the recent tornado of Ercil- 

 doun (Chester Co., Pennsylvania), by M. Faye. He finds 

 evidence in it that these great gyratory movements arise in the 

 upper currents and travel with them ; they are propagated 

 downwards to the ground. — On a new bed of Adamine, 

 by M. De Cloizeaux. This hydrated arseniate of zinc, 

 found previously only at Chanarcillo, Chili, and in a mine 

 of the Garonne, has now been found among the zinc 

 ores of Laurium. — Note on the official report of last seance, by 

 M. Pasteur.— The vibrations of matter and waves of ether ; 

 probable consequences of the fact which serves as base of the 

 mechanical theory of Ireat, by M. Fave. Inter alia, the author 

 gives an interpretation of the law of radiation and abiorption, 

 slightly differing from that given by Prof. Stokes.— On tha 

 liquefaction of gases, by M. Cailletet. Inclosing in the glass 

 tjioe dry air freed trom carbonic acid, he cooled with protoxide 

 of nitrogen the upper part of the tube only. When the pressure 

 »ras 200 atmospheres, streams of liquid (air) were seen flowing 



down the lower parts. When they met the mercury they seemed 

 to turn back. At 310 atmospheres, the mercury being in contact 

 with the cooled part of the tube, was frozen, and on quickly 

 removing the refrigerating apparatus it was seen to be covered 

 with what was probably frozen air. — Observations of the solar 

 protuberances during the first six months of 1877, by P. Secchi. 

 The figures are simply tabulated. — P. Secchi presented a copy 

 of his new work (in Italian) entitled *' The Stars ; Essay 

 in Sidereal Astronomy." — On telephony, by M. Breguet. The 

 variations in conductivity of retort carbon have been utilised 

 by M. Salet in a similar way to that of MM. Gamier and 

 Pollard (see last week's report) with graphite, and with 

 better results. — Study of the ultra violet solar spectrum, by 

 M. Cornu. The first part of the memoir presented treats of the 

 ultra violet spectrum from the line Ji! to the line O, observed with 

 ordinary spectroscopes having glass objectives and prisms ; the 

 second part, from O to U, the ultra violet extremity observed 

 photographically with a spectroscope with objectives of quartz 

 and prism of Iceland spar. The limitation of the ultra violet 

 spectrum is found to be caused by, and to vary with, the aqueous 

 vapour in the atmosphere. The maxima viaximorum of extent 

 is at the summer solstice ; but with equal height of the sun the 

 spectrum is incomparably more extensive m winter than in 

 summer. — On the fertility of volcanic soils, by M. Truchot. 

 Phosphoric acid is the chief element of it. — Liquefaction of 

 hydrogen, by M. Pictet. — On the question of the special con- 

 ditions of contour of elastic plates, by M. Boussinesq. — On an 

 industrial application of Gauss's theorem regarding the curvature 

 of surfaces, by M. Levy. — On the function arising from develop- 



— a/+ I 

 ment of the expression (i — 2 a ;«: + a" a^) a , by M. Escary. 

 — On a theorem of M. Chasles, by M. Serret.— On the function 

 of Jacob Bernouilli and on the interpolation, by M. Lipschitz. — 

 On the preparation of curare, by M. Jobert. — Palzeontological 

 contributions, by M. Meunier. — Effect of a low temperature on 

 a mixture of oxygenated water and sulphuric acid, by M. 

 BoiUot. 



CONTENTS Pack 



Rayleigh's "Thborv of Sound." By Prof. H. Hklmholtz, F.R.S. 237 



Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam 239 



Our Book Shklf : — 



Lubavin's " Physical Chemistry '' 240 



Newcomb's " Elementary Theorems Relating to the Geometry of 

 a Space of Three Dimensions and of Uniform positive Curvature 



in the Fourth Dimension " 240 



Malthe- Bruun and C Clone's Four Models representing Deve- 

 lopable Surfaces, &c. ; and Zeuthen's Remarks on Developable 



Surfaces and the Utility of Models . 240 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Glass for Reflectors. — Henry Bessemer 241 



A Telephone without Magnetism. — W. J. Millar 242 



Change of Habits in Toads.— C. A. White 242 



Talking Photographs.— Wordsworth Donisthorpe 242 



Sun-spots and Terrestrial Magnetism.— A. W. Downing .... 242 



Great Waterfalls.— Dr. W. W. Hunter 241 



Mechanical Analysis of the Tievelyan Rocker.— Rev. Samuel H. 



FmsBEK {IVith /ilustraiions) 242 



No Butterflies in Iceland.— Dr. John Rae 243 



The Great Pyramid.— J. G. Jackson 243 



Acoustical Effects of Atmospheric Pressure.— G. Rayleigh 



Vicars 244 



Transatlantic Longitudes 244 



Antoine Cesar Becquerel 244 



Davyum. By Sergius Kern (IVHA IllustraHon) 245 



The Great Detonating Meteor of Novk.mber 23, 1877. By 



Capt. G. L. Tupman 246 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Comets of 1618 . . 247 



Meteorological Notes:— ,,,... t, • , 



Co.itribution to the Climatology of the Spanish Peainsula . . . 248 



Climatology of the Fiji Islands . ........... 248 



Extension of Volunteer Weather Service in the United States . . 248 



High Temperature of November last 249 



Temperature of Vienna 249 



Geographical Notes :— 



Mr Stanley , ^49 



The Marquis Antinori . . « 249 



African Exploration 249 



The Northern Pamir 249 



The " Nerthus " of Tacitus 250 



Venezuela ^^° 



The Indus ... 250 



New Guinea =50 



Notes • ' • ^5° 



New Form of Gas-Holder. By Prof W. F. Barrett (With 



Illustration) =^53 



University and Educational Intelligence 254 



Scikntific Serials ^54 



Societies and Academies • '54 



