Feb. 14, 1878] 



NATURE 



315 



Communicated by D. Ferrier, M.A., M.D., F.R.S., Professor 

 of Forensic Medicine, King's College, London. 



January 31. — " Further Researches on the Minute Structure 

 of the Thyroid Gland." Preliminary Communication. By E 

 Cresswell Baber, M.B. Lond. Communicated by Dr. Klein, 

 F.K.S. 



" On the Limits to the Order and Degree to the Fundamental 

 Inv.iriants of Binary Quantics," by J. J. Sylvester, M. A., LL.D., 

 F.R.S., Professor in the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, 

 U.S. 



" Remarks connected with the Number of Figures in the 

 Periods of the Reciprocals I'f Prime Numbers," by William 

 Shanks, communicated by Rev. Dr. Salmon, F.R.S. 



Linnean Society, January 17. — Prof. Allman, president, in 

 the chair. — Specimens of Dipterocarpaceae collected by Signer 

 Beccari, in New Guinea, were exhibited and commented on by 

 Mr. Thiselton Dyer. — Attention was drawn by Mr. E. M. 

 Holmes to a Japanese book containing sections of native woods 

 botanically named in English, Latin, and Japanese, — Several 

 examples of fasciated stems of the Fuller's Teazel (Dipsaciis/ul- 

 lorum) were exhibited by Mr. J. R. Jackson, who stated these 

 curiously malformed stems were now successfully introduced for 

 the handles of sunshades ; he also made remarks on a bird's nest 

 formed of wool and cotton-pod, sent by Sir Bartle Frere to the 

 Kew Museum. — Prof. Owen then read a paper on Hypsipryni' 

 nodon, a genus indicative of a distinct family in the Diprotodont 

 section of the marsupials. The animal in question is an in- 

 habitant of the Rockingham Bay district, Queensland, and 

 sparingly frequents the dense, damp scrubs bordering the coast. 

 It is diurnal, and feeds on insects, worms, and tuberous roots, or 

 palm berries, holding these in its fore-paws, and sitting on its 

 haunches, after the manner of the phalangers. They breed 

 during the rainy season, February to May, Both sexes have a 

 musky odour, are nearly alike in size, and somewhat over a foot 

 long. This Rat Kangaroo {//. vioschatus) Mr. Ramsay, of 

 Sydney, first named and gave a short description of, and Prof. 

 Owen now supplements by a fuller account of its skeleton, &c. 

 Besides peculiarities in dentition and skull, the latter dwells on 

 the structural conditions of the hind foot, a modification between 

 that of the Potoroos and Kangaroos, He thereafter enters into 

 comparisons with the feet of the ostrich gioup (Struthionida), 

 and speculates on the modifications of the five-toed feet revealed 

 by palaeontology, and as applicable to the living marsupials &c. 

 — Mr. Francis Darwin's communication, experiments on the 

 nutrition of Drosera rotundifolia, we gave an abstract of in 

 Nature, vol. xvi. p. 222. — Notes touching recent researches on 

 the Radiolaria, was the title of a paper by Prof. St. G. Mivart. 

 In this rJsumeiYiQ history, progress, and present condition of 

 the subject are elucidated. These remarkable marine surface- 

 swimming organisms the author proposes to arrange after the 

 classification adopted by Prof. Ilaeckel, but considerably 

 modified. The primary groups are reduced from fifteen to 

 seven as follows : — i. Discida ; 2. Flagellifera ; 3. Ento- 

 sphorida ; 4. Acanthometrida ; 5. Polycistina; 6. Collozoa ; 

 and 7. Vesiculata. — Mr. J. Kerswill was elected a Fellow of 

 the Society. 



Anthropological Institute, January 29. — Mr. John Evans, 

 D.C.L., F.R.S., president, in the chair.— Anniversary Meeting. 

 — The president, in the course of his address, alluded to the late 

 conference on the "Antiquity of Man," and expressed his opinion 

 that the question might be discussed with as great advantage 

 from a purely English point of view, as from one embracing a 

 larger area, which to some extent held good with regard to the 

 question as to whether the paloeolithic implements of the river- 

 gravel might not be referred to an interglacial period. As to the 

 relics of human workmanship thought to have been discovered 

 in beds of pliocene and even miocene age in Italy, Switzerland, 

 and France, Mr. Evans again on this occasion repeated the 

 words of caution he had previously expressed, but nevertheless 

 believed that eventually traces of man would be found of an 

 earlier date than that which can be assigned either to the cave or 

 river-gravels of Western Europe. These traces were to be rather 

 looked for in the east than in the temperate west or colder north. 

 A strong hope was expressed that Indian geologists would ere 

 long solve in a satisfactory manner the date and origin of the 

 so-called laterite deposits of Madras, but Mr. Evans was able to 

 announce that in Borneo there appeared a chance of some cave 

 explorations being carried on. which will probably throw 

 light on the date of man's appearance in that part of the 

 globe. Mr. Everitt, whose experience in cave explorations 



is well known, has proposed to devote a year to further re- 

 searches, and Mr. Evans having guaranteed the necessary funds 

 appealed to all those who were interested in the early history of 

 man or in palaeontology to assist in raising the by no means 

 inconsiderable amount. The following are the council elected 

 to serve for the ensuing year : — President, John Evans, D.C.L., 

 F.R.S. ; Vice-presidents, Prof. George Busk, F.R.S. , Hyde 

 Clarke, Major-General A. Lane Fox, F.R.S., Francis Gallon, 

 F.R.S., Sir J. Lubbock, Bart., M.P., D.C.L., F.R.S., Prof. 

 Rolleston, xM.D., F.R.S. ; Directors and Hon. Sees., E. W. Bra- 

 brook, F.S.A., W. L. Distant, J. E. Price, F.S.A. ; Treasurer, 

 F. G. Hilton Price, F.G.S. ; Council, J. Beddoe, M.D., F.R.S., 

 James Bonwick, F.R.G.S., C. II. E. Carmichael,M. A., J.Barnard 

 Davis, M.D., F.R.S., W. Boyd Dawkins, F.R.S., Capt. Harold 

 Dillon, P\S.A., Prof. W. II. Flower, F.R.S., A. W. Franks, 

 M.A., F.R.S., Charles Harrison, F.S.A., J. Park Harrison, 

 M.A., Prof. Pluxley, F.R.S., A. L. Lewis, R. Biddulph Martin, 

 F. W. Rudler, F.G.S., C. R. Des Ruffieres, F.R.S.L., Lord 

 Arthur Russell, M.P., Rev. Prof. Sayce, M.A., M.R.A.S., E. 

 Burnet Tylor, D.C.L., C. Staniland Wake, M. J. Walhouse, 

 F.R.A.S. 



Physical Society, February 2. — Annual General Meeting. 

 — Prof. G. C. Foster, president, in the chair. — The pre- 

 sident read the report of the Council for the past year. 

 After pointing with satisfaction to the present condition of 

 the Society, the report goes on to show how it is hoped 

 to extend its usefulness in the future. In addition to a second 

 edition of Prof, Everett's work on the C. G, S. system 

 of units, the Council hopes very shortly to publish Sir Charles 

 Wheatstone's papers in a collected form, and it is making 

 arrangements for the publication, at intervals, of translations 

 of foreign scientific papers, especially such as have had a 

 marked effect on the progress of physical science. A portion of 

 the funds of the Society is to be devoted annually to the forma- 

 tion of a library, and an exchange of publications is already made 

 with various learned societies abroad. Special stress was laid 

 on the distinctive object held in view at the formation of the 

 Society, namely the exhibition, when practicable, of the experi- 

 ments referred to in papers read at the meetings. — The following 

 officers and council were elected for the ensuing year : — Presi- 

 dent, Prof. W. G. Adams, M.A., F.R.S. ; Vice-presidents (who 

 have filled the office of president). Dr. J. H. Gladstone, F.R.S., 

 and Prof. G. C. Foster, F.R.S. ; Vice-presidents, Prof. R. B. 

 Clifton, M.A., F.R.S., W. Spottiswoode, LL.D., F.R.S; 

 W. H. Stone, M.B., F.R.C.P., Sir W. Thomson, LL.D. 

 F.R.S. ; Secretaries, Prof. A. W. Reinold, M.A., W. Chandler, 

 Roberts, F.R. S. ; Treasurer, Dr. E. Atkinson ; Demonstrator, 

 Prof. F. Guthrie, Ph.D., F.R.S.; other Members of Council, 

 Capt. W. de W. Abney, R.E., F.R.S., Prof. W. F. Barrett, 

 F.R.S.E., Major E. R. Festing, R.E., W. Huggins, D.C.L. 

 F.R.S., Prof. A. B. W. Kennedy, C.E., O.J. Lodge, D.Sc, 

 Prof. H. M. McLeod, the Earl of Rosse, D.C.L. , F.R.S., Prof. 

 W. C. Unwin, B.Sc, R. Wormell, D.Sc. Prof. H. L. F. Helra- 

 holtz and Prof. W. E. Weber were elected Honorary Members of 

 the Society. After votes of thanks had been passed to the Lords 

 of the Committee of Council on Education for the use of the physical 

 lecture room at South Kensington, as well as for the other 

 advantages enjoyed by the Society, and to the several officers of 

 the Society, the meeting'was resolved into an ordinary one. The 

 following candidates were elected Members of the Society : — 

 M. T. Cormack, C.J. Faulkner, M. A., E.M.Jones, F.R.A.S., 

 C. L»udesdorf, M.A., and C. E. Walduck.— Prof. S. P. Thomp- 

 son exhibited a method of showing the lines of force due to two 

 currents of electricity running in parallel directions. A plate of 

 glass is perforated by two holes close together, which are tra- 

 versed by one and the same wire, and this may be so arranged 

 that the current traverses the parallel lengths in the same or 

 opposite directions. If now the plate be held horizontally while 

 the current passes, and fine iron filings be sprinkled on the plate, 

 they will arrange themselves in the well-known forms. In the 

 plates exhibited the filings had been fixed by gum, so that their 

 arrangement could be esdiibited to an audience by projection on 

 a screen. 



Chemical Society, February'7. — Dr. Gladstone, president, 

 in the chair. — The following papers were read : — The alkaloids 

 of the aconites. Part II. — On the alkaloids contained in Aconiium 

 ferox, by Dr. Wright and Mr. Luff". The alkaloid pseudaco- 

 nitin from Aconitum ferox forms crystallised salts ^with diffi- 

 culty. Aconitin, from A. napellus, on the other hand, crystal- 

 lises with facility. When acted upon by saponifying agent<», 



