396 



NATURE 



{March 14, 1878 



moth which exhaled a strong musk-like odour, and called atten- 

 tion to a secondary sexual character observable in some species 

 of Callidryas and other Pierinse, in the serration of the costal 

 margin of the anterior wing. This is confined to the males, 

 though sometimes found in the females of Callidryas Philea, but 

 in a far less degree. — Reference was made to a sphinx-moth, the 

 proboscis of which, measuring 22 centimetres, had been for- 

 warded by Mr. Miiller and was exhibited at the meeting, — 

 Mr. A. G. Butler stated that he had measured the probosces 

 of all the Sphingidse from Madagascar contained in the British 

 Museum, and found that none of them exceeded 5 inches in 

 length. He also stated that the Callidryades in the British 

 Museum with serrated costal margins to the fore-wings, included 

 the males of all the species of the genera Catopsilia, Phoebis, and 

 Callydryas (true), with the addition of one or two other species. 

 The President observed that in the genus Prioneris the serrated 

 costal margin existed in both sexes. — The Secretary, on behalf 

 of Capt. Elwes, exhibited some coloured illustrations of butter- 

 flies which had been taken by a new process of nature-printing. 

 — Mr. G. C. Champion exhibited a specimen of the rare British 

 beetle Antkicus bimaculatus, taken at New Brighton, and some 

 specimens of the genus Cetonia, from the Mediterranean region. 

 — Mr. J. W. May exhibited a specimen of Carabus intricatus, 

 which he described as taken, for the first time, in the neighbour- 

 hood of London. — Mr. H. Goss called attention to the occurrence 

 of sexual dimorphism in Erebia medea, exhibiting specimens of 

 both forms of the female. — Sir John Lubbock read a paper on 

 the colouring of British caterpillars. Accepting the principle 

 laid down by Mr. Darwin and others, that dull-coloured, green, 

 and smooth-skinned caterpillars are eaten by birds, &c., whilst 

 spiny, hairy, and brightly-coloured species are rejected, the 

 author stated that by the statistical method it was shown that no 

 hairy caterpillars are green, whilst, on the other hand, a large 

 majority of black and brightly-coloured species are hairy or 

 otherwise protected. — Mr. Meidola read extracts from a recent 

 communication by Dr. Fritz Miiller in Kosmos on the subject. — 

 The following papers were communicated by Mr. C. O. Water- 

 house : — "Description of a new Dragon-fly (Gynacantha) from 

 Borneo," "Description of a new Species of Chernetidse( Pseu- 

 doscorpionidse) from Spain," " On the Different Forms occurring 

 in the Coleopterous Family Lycida, with Descriptions of New 

 Genera and Species. " 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, March 4. — M. Fizeau in the chair. 

 — The following papers were read : — On the theory of the tele- 

 phone, by M. Da Moncel. The theory of speech being trans- 

 mitted by electro-magnetic action causing the plate of the 

 receiving telephone to repeat the vibrations of the sending one, 

 is, he thinks, untenable. The plate in the receiving instru- 

 ment merely strengthens by reaction the magnetic vibrations of 

 the bar, which seem to be due to contractions and dilatations of 

 the magnetic molecules, through being successively magnetised 

 and demagnetised. Induced currents probably owe their advan- 

 tage for this work to their instantandty. Their greater or less 

 intensity is of small account. —The vibrations of matter and the 

 waves of the ether in photo-chemical combinations, by M. Fave. 

 —Report of Committee on the importance of preservation of 

 certain erratic blocks situated on French territory, and on the 

 work of MM. Falsan and Chautre, on ancient glaciers and the 

 erratic region of the middle part of the Rhone valley, by M. 

 Daubree. — On the telluric etiology of cholera, by M. De- 

 caisne. Cholera appears on all geological formations, but its 

 development and propagation depend largely on the physical 

 aggregation of the ground, its permeability for water and air, 

 and the variable quantity of water it contains. The partisans of 

 the telluric doctrine always suppose a .specific infectious sub- 

 stance or cholera germ, which is propagated from place to place 

 by human communications, not by the atmosphere. — Study of 

 the resistance of the air in the torsion-balance, by MM. Cornu 

 and Bailie. Eliminating accidental perturbations, they have 

 established these two laws : (i) The amplitudes or distances of 

 two successive elongations decrease in geometrical progression ; 

 (2) The epochs of the elongations are in arithmetical progression. 

 One theoretical consequence is that the resistance of the sur- 

 rounding air to the movement of the lever is proportional to the 

 first power of the angular velocity of the lever. — Influence of 

 electricity on evaporation, by M. Mascart. Small basins 

 containing water or moistened earth were placed under 

 conductors (having the form of circular gratings), which were 

 electrified by a Holtz machine driven by a water-motor, and 

 vrere kept in a constant electric state. The evaporation was 



thus constantly increased, sometimes even doubled. Inequalities 

 of temperature, however, veil the influence of electricity ; the 

 basins were inclosed in a large case, the air in which was regu- 

 larly dried, and in winter the operation was performed in a kind 

 of subsoil. — Observations on gallium, by MM. Lecoq de Bois- 

 baudran and Jungfleisch. Inter alia, the authors exhibited 

 anhydrous chloride, bromide, and iodide of the metal. — Dis- 

 covery of a small planet at Clinton, New York, by Mr. Peters. 

 — Theory of Vesta, by M. Perrotin. — On the employment of 

 particular solutions of a differential equation of the first order 

 and the first degree, in the investigation of the general integral, 

 by M. Darboux. — On the fundamental points of the group of 

 plane curves defined by a differential equation of the first alge- 

 braic order, by M. Fouret. — On the suranatory formula of 

 Maclaurin, by M. Callandreau. — On the elastic forces of vapours 

 emitted by a mixture of two liquids, by M. Duclaux. A 

 mode is indicated of calculating beforehand the boiling tem- 

 perature of a liquid of known constitution. — Theory of 

 the new direct-vision spectroscope, by M. Thollon. — On the 

 combustion of gases, by M. Schiitzenberger. This relates to the 

 propagation of combustion in eudiometers. The chief conditions 

 affecting the phenomenon are : pressure of the gas, length of the 

 gaseous column, composition of the mixture, and diameter of the 

 tube. — On two allotropic varieties of magnetic oxide of iron, by 

 M. Moissan. Sesquioxide of iron heated in an atmosphere of 

 hydrogen or carbonic oxide to 350" or 440'', is transformed in a 

 few hours into magnetic oxide ; but this is very different in pro- 

 perties from the magnetic oxide got at a high temperature, by 

 decomposing water with iron at a red heat or burning iron in 

 oxygen, or decomposing sesquioxide at a lively red. — On the 

 action of fluoride of boron on anethol ; study of fluorhydrate of 

 fluoride of boron, by M. Landolph. — New carbonated cupric 

 liquor for determination of glucose, by M. Pellet. — On lactic 

 fermentation, by M. Boutroux. He describes the form of the 

 organism present and its mode of action. — Research ,s on the 

 chemical composition and the functions of the leaves of plants, 

 by M. Corenwinder. The predominance of azotised substances 

 in young leaves indicates that it is these substances which exercise 

 the respiratory function (absorbing oxygen and exhaling carbonic 

 acid). Phosphorus too is in much less quantity in the older 

 leaves, which again are rich in calcareous salts, and the chloro- 

 phyll in them retains and decomposes the CO2 emanating from 

 respiration. — Researches on the maturation of olives, by M. 

 Roussile. — On the mineral water of Challes, in Savoy, by M. 

 Wdlm. — On the frequency of glaucoma on the north coast of 

 Africa, by M. Gayal. 



CONTENTS Pa 



The LoctrsT Plague in America. By Andrew Murray .... 377 



Abnkv's Treatise on Photography 378 



Our Book shklf :— 



Miln's " Archaeological Researches at Camac, in Britanny" . . 379 



Letters to the Editor :— 



The Telephone.— Robert Sabine ; Herbert Tomlinson ; 



AuREL DE Ratti ; A. Percy Smith ; William Stockdalk . 379 



" Mimicry in Birds." — Prof. Alfred Newton, F R S 379 



The '• Geographical " and the Public — X. 381 



Hearing and Smell in Insects. —Henry Cecil 381 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Total Solar Eclipse of July 29 381 



The Star Lalande 31266-7 382 



Minor Planets 382 



Biological Notes: — 



Inland Fisheries, America 382 



The Development of Nerves 382 



French Polyzoa 382 



Structure of Lingula 383 



Geographical Notes ; — 



New Guinea 383 



New African Expedition 383 



African Exploration 38^ 



Captain Elton 3^3 



Ancient Maps of Central Africa 383 



Paris Geographical Society 384 



Note on the Discovery of the Liquefaction of Air and of 

 the so-called Permanent Gases. By Prof. T. E. Thorpe, 



F.RS 384 



Hblmholtz's Vowel Theory and the Phonograph. By Prof. 



Fleeming Jbnkin, F.R.S , and J. A. EwiNG 384 



Electrical Analogies with Natural Phenomena, II. (With 



Illustrations) Z'^i 



On Compass Adjustment in Iron Ships and on Navigational 



Soundings By Sir Wm. Thomson, LL D , F.R.S 3S7 



The Analogies of Plant and Animal Life. By Francis 



Darwin, MB 388 



Notes ; 39i 



University AND Educational INTBLLIGENCB ........ 393 



Scientific Serials ^94 



Societies and Academies 39* 



