46o 



NATURE 



[April \, 1878 



optera." From a microscopical examination the author found 

 that the presence of branched or plumose hairs is characteristic of 

 the Anthophila, whilst the hairs of the Fossores, of Heterogyna, 

 and of the Diploptera, are all simple, or in some cases twisted. — 

 Mr. A. G. Butler communicated a paper on the natural affinities 

 of the lepidopterous family ^geriidae. From an examination of 

 structural characters, Mr. Butler considered that these insects 

 presented no resemblance to the Sphingidae, with which they had 

 hitherto been allied, but were more related to the Pyrales and 

 the Gelechiidae. The president, in favour of this view, remarked 

 that the whole of the ^geriidae had been made to depart from 

 their congeners in appearance, through the action of mimicry. — 

 The Secretary read a paper, by Mr. A. H. Swinton, on the 

 biology of insecta, as determined by the emotions. The paper 

 dealt chiefly with cases of simple muscular contractions and 

 secretions. — M*-. Ptter Cameron communicated a paper on some 

 new genera and species of Tenthredinidge. 



Zoologxal Society, March 5.— Prof. Newton, F. R.S., 

 vice-president, in the chair. — Mr. Sclater exhibited and made 

 remarks on a second collection of birds from Duke of York 

 Island, New Britain and New Ireland, which he had received 

 from the Rev. George Brown, C.M.Z.S. — Mr. Sclater exhibited 

 and made remarks upon a specimen of Athene variegates, and 

 upon the type-specimen of Fulica gal linul aides of King, beJong- 

 ing to the Museum of Science and Art, Edinburgh. — Prof. 

 Newton, F.R.S., drew attention to the statement of I.egaut that 

 every Solitaire {Pezophaps solitaria) carried a stone in its gizzard, 

 and exhibited one of three stones found by Mr. Caldwell, 

 C.M.Z.S., associated with the remains of as many birds of that 

 species in the caves of Rodriguez. — Mr. T. J. Parker described 

 the stridulating apparatus of Palinurns vulgaris, which consisted 

 in a peculiar modification of the second joint of the antennae 

 working against the lateral surface of the antennulary sternum. — 

 A communication was read from Mr. C. Spence Bate, C.M.Z.S., 

 containing an account of the crustaceans of the Coast of Coro- 

 mandel, collected by Sir Walter Elliot, K.C.S.I.— Mr," A. 

 Boucard, C.M.Z.S., read notes on some coleoptera of the genus 

 Plusiotis, and gave descriptions of three new species from Mexico 

 and Central America. — A communication was read from Mr. 

 Arthur G. Butler, F.Z.S., containing an account of a small col- 

 lection of lepidoptera, obtained by the Rev. J. S. Whitmee, at 

 the Ellice Islands.— A communication was read from Mr. Edward 

 J. Miers, F.Z.S., on the PencEidecs in the collection of the British 

 Museum. — Mr. George French Angas read the description of a 

 new genus of land shells belonging to the family Cyclophoridce, 

 for which he proposed the name of Mascaria. — Mr. Angas also 

 read descriptions of nine new species of land and marine shells from 

 various localities, amongst which was a new Rostellaria, proposed 

 to be named R. luteostoma, and a new Bulimus from Madagascar, 

 proposed to be called B. watersi. — A communication was read 

 from Dr. G. E, Dobson, C.M.Z.S., containing additional notes 

 on the chiroptera of Duke of York Island and the adjacent parrs 

 of New Ireland and New Britain. — A communication was read 

 from Mr. Robert Collett, C.M.Z.S., containing an account of 

 Latrunculus and Crystallogobius, two remarkable forms of 

 gobioid fishes found in Scandinavia. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, March 26. — Mr. Bateman, 

 president, in the chair. — The paper read was on direct acting or 

 non-rotative pumping engines and pumps, by Mr. Henry Davey, 

 Assoc Inst. C.E. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, March 25. — M. Fizeau in the chair. 

 — The following papers were read : — Experiments designed to 

 imitate various forms of foldings, distortions, and ruptures pre- 

 sented by stratified rocks, by M. Daubree. lie used an appara- 

 tus in which vertical and horizontal pressure could be produced, 

 with screws, on sheets of metal of various thickness (especially 

 lead), also sheets of wax mixed with plaster, resin, turpentine, 

 &c. Various effects of a geological character were obtained. — 

 Craniology : the Tasmanian race, by MM. de Quatrefages and 

 Hamy. This relates to the sixth volume of the author's 

 " Crania Ethnica." The Tasmanians formed a race by them- 

 selves, and remarkably homogeneous. Their cranial capacity 

 is considerably over that of the Nubian negroes, yet the latter 

 are socially much above the former. On the whole, the 

 Tasmanian cranium does not present marked signs of inferiority. 

 M. Hamy's measurements were made on at least fifty-four 

 osseous heads and six skeletons. — On the treatment of wounds by 

 occlusion, by M. Ravaisson-MoUien. In the winter of 1869, 



suffering greatly from chapped hands, he filled the wounds with 

 filaments of wadding and then covered them with collodion. This 

 gave relief and speedy cure. He communicated the fact to M. 

 Nelaton, who, with M. Guerin, was then studying the treatment 

 of wounds with occlusion of air. — Observations on the nature of 

 the plants united in the group of Nmgerrathia ; generalities and 

 type of Ncegerrathta foliosa, Sternb., by M. De Saporta.— On the 

 origin of the Phylloxera discovered at Bades (Eastern Pyrenees), 

 by M. Planchon. This outbreak is shown to be due to intro- 

 duction of some 500 vine-stocks from Gard, in France, five 

 years ago. It is a mistake to regard the American vines as 

 alone pestiferous. M. Duval Jouve was elected correspondent 

 for the Section of Botany, in room of the late M. Hofmeister. 

 — On a map of the erratic blocks of the valley of the Arboust, 

 ancient glacier of Oo (environs of Lachon, Haute Garonne), by 

 MM. Trutat and Gourdon. — M Dumas presented fascicle A of 

 Measurements of the photographic negatives of the Transit of 

 Venus. — M. Lecoq de Boisbaudran stated that he had prepared 

 several anhydrous chlorides, bromides, and iodides of gallium. 

 The atomic weight of gallium (according to two experiments) was 

 69 g. — Results of observations in 1877 on the sun's limb on the 

 hnes h and 1474/6, by M. Tacchini, The mean number of posi- 

 tions daily of these lines shows a minimum in agreement with 

 that of the sun-spots. From maximum to minimum the diminu- 

 tion of visibility of b is greater than for 1474 k. Iron has an 

 enormous preponderance at the base of the chromosphere ; mag- 

 nesium comes next. The other substances are of comparatively 

 slight frequency, and they nearly disappear at the minimum of 

 spots. — New considerations on the observation and reduction of 

 lunar distances at sea, by MM. Beuf and Perrin. — On the effects 

 of the rheostatic machine, by M. Plante. Inter alia, the differ- 

 ence in character of the electricity from the positive pole and 

 that from the negative is more marked than with the electric 

 machine or induction coil. (The forms of the sparks are de- 

 scribed.) — On a camera lucida, by M. Pellerin. This describes 

 an arrangement (copying M. Cornu's polariser) which gives 

 two images of the same intensity visible at the same time 

 by the whole pupil. — On a hydrate of ether, by M. Tanret. In 

 filtering an etherised solution in free air, a crystallisation occurs 

 at the upper part of the filter. This, got otherwise in larger 

 quantity, was what the author examined, and found a true 

 combination of ether and water of the nature of cryo-hydrates, 

 — On the constitution of wool and some similar products, by 

 M. Schutzenberger. Wool gives a fixed residue presenting the 

 same elementary and immediate composition as that of albumen ; 

 the proportions of ammonia, carbonic acid, and oxalic acid are 

 considerably higher than with albumen ; acetic acid and pyrrol 

 are in similar proportions. — On the formation of partitions in 

 the stylospores of Hendersonias and Pestalozzias, by M. Crie. — 

 On some new facts of perUtism of rocks, and on the artificial 

 reproduction of perlitic fissures, by MM. Fouque and Levy. 

 This reproduction is by treating hydrofluoiilicic acid with excess 

 of carbonate of lime, filtering the mixture (slightly dilated with 

 water), receiving a drop of the liquid which passes on a piece of 

 glass covered with Canada balsam, and letting dry. — On the 

 period of rotation of solar spots, by Mr. Brown. — M. Gaiffe 

 presented an apparatus which enables one to determine imme- 

 diately, by a simple reading, the electromotive force of any 

 electric generator. 



CONTENTS Page 



The Scottish Universities Commission 441 



Sun-spots and Rainfall 443 



Darwin's "Different Forms of Flowers" 445 



Letters to the Editor :— 



Elements of Articulate Speech. — Dr. W. H. Corfield .... 447 

 Phoneidoscopic Representation of Vowels and Diphthongs. — 



SeDLEY TAYLOR 447 



The Southern Drought. — S. J. Whitmbe 447 



Cumulative Temperatures — Conrad W Cooke 448 



The Wasp and the Spider. — Henry Cecil 448 



Sun-spots and Rainfall By C. Meldrum, F.R.S 448 



Julius Robert VON Mayer 450 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Total Solar Eclipses 452 



Geographical Notes : — 



China 452 



Angola 453 



An Organ-Piano. By E. J. Reed, C.B., M.P., F.R.S 453 



The Coming Total Solar Eclipse 454 



Notes 454 



Fog Signals. By Dr. Tyneall, F R.S 456 



The Iron and Steel Institute 458 



University and Educational Intelligence 459 



Societies and Academies 459 



