5^4 



NATURE 



\_Oct. ii, 1888 



thal's comet (1888, I.) made with the 038 m. equatorial at the 

 Observatory of Bordeaux, by MM. G. Rayet and Courty. The 

 observations range from April 4 to July 12. — Potential energy 

 of the gravitation of a planet, by M. O. Callandreau. The 

 object of this note is to show that the potential energy of a 

 planet's gravitation— in other words, the power of attraction 

 displayed in drawing the molecules from boundless space to 

 their present position — may be approximately calculated if its 

 dimensions, mass, and angular velocity of rotation be known, 

 irrespective of the law of internal densities. — On actino-electric 

 phenomena, by M. E. Bichat. The passage of electricity of 

 high or feeble tension is known to be greatly facilitated when 

 the electrified body is illumined by very refrangible radiations. 

 In a previous communication it was shown that in Stoletow's 

 experiment the substitution of a sheet of water for the metallic 

 plate produces no deviation of the galvanometer, which seems 

 to prove that the electricity? is not transmitted by conduction. 

 This inference is confirmed by the experiments here described. 

 — On some new electric phenomena produced by radiations, by 

 M. Auguste Righi. In continuation of previous researches, the 

 author here reports a series of further results connected with the 

 same order of phenomena. — On the employment of the sulphite 

 of soda in photography, by M. Paul Poire. The process here 

 described has the advantage of avoiding the cloudiness pro- 

 duced by the prolonged action of the carbonate. Plates left 

 forty-five minutes in the bath acquire a continual increase of 

 intensity without presenting the least appearance of cloudiness. 

 — On the land locomotion of reptiles and four-footed Batrachians 

 compared with that of Mammalian quadrupeds, by M. G. Carlet. 

 The locomotion of frogs, toads, lizards, and the like is de- 

 scribed as a peculiar action, somewhat analogous to the trot of 

 quadrupeds, and exactly like that of two men walking one 

 behind the other with contrary step. It is a sort of slow trot, 

 without any suspension of the body in the air. — M. Carlet com- 

 municates a supplementary paper in illustration of the same 

 subject, on the locomotion of an insect rendered tetrapod by 

 deprivation of the two middle legs. The experiment explains 

 the persistence in all these organisms of the six legs, which 

 appear to be not merely useful, but even necessary to secure 

 stability and rapid locomotion. — A series of papers are con- 

 tributed by MM. Philippe Thomas, P. Fliche, and Bleicher, on 

 the petrified vegetation of Tunis. These fossils are shown to 

 belong to the same Pliocene formation, and to be otherwise 

 closely analogous to the well-known petrified forests in the 

 neighbourhood of Cairo. Specimens of a like character have 

 been picked up in Algeria and other parts of Mauritania, render- 

 ing it highly probable that the whole of North Africa, from the 

 Mediterranean to the verge of the Sahara, was covered with a 

 somewhat uniform vegetation in Pliocene times. 



Stockholm. 



Royal Academy of Sciences, September 12. — Demonstra- 

 tion of a proposition, which touches upon the question of the 

 stability of the planetary system, by Prof. Gylden. — The same 

 exhibited a calculating machine made by Herr Sorensen. — On a 

 paper by Baron von Camerlander in Vienna, on the fall of 

 meteoric dust in some parts of Austria in February this year, by 

 Baron Nordenskiold. — The same exhibited a new mineral from 

 Pojsberg, which he had named Brandtit. — On crystals of 

 native lead from Pojsberg, by Herr A. Hamberg. — On two new 

 chlorides of indium, and on the density of the vapour of the 

 chlorides of indium, gallium, iron, and chromium, by Profs. 

 Nilsson and Pettersson. — On the theory of the numbers and 

 functions of Bernoulli, based on a system of functional equations, 

 by Dr. Berger. — On change of the sea-level at Altenfiord, by 

 Commodore Littiehook. — On some definite integrals, by Dr. C. 

 F. Lindman. — Contributions to the theory of a singular solution 

 of a partial differential equation with two independent variables, 

 by Dr. J. M oiler. — Observations on the condensation of the 

 vapour of water in a humid, electrical atmosphere, by Herr G. A. 

 Andree. — On a species of Annelida living with hermit crabs, 

 by Dr.Wire'n. — On some derivates of a-/3-dichlor-naphthaline, 

 by Herr P. Hellstrbm. — On the former occurrence of Felis 

 catus in Scania, by Prof. Qvennerstedt. — On Dahllit, a new 

 mineral from Bamle, in Norway, by Prof. W. C. Brogger and 

 Herr H. Backstrom. — On the freezing-point of dilute aqueous 

 solutions, by Dr. S. Arrhenius. — Galvanometric measurements 

 on the influence that is exercised by an electric spark on another 

 spark, by Dr. C. A. Mebius. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Untersuchungen zur Morphologie und Systematic derVogel; I. Specieller 

 Theil, II. Allgemeiner Theil : Max Fiirbringer (T. Van Holkema, 

 Amsterdam). — Fossils of the British Islands ; Vol. i. Palaeozoic : R. Ether- 

 idge (Clarendon Press). — A Class-book of Elementary Chemistry : W. W. 

 Fisher (Clarendon Press). — General Report on the Operations of the Survey 

 of India Department during 1886-87 (Calcutta). — Fourfold Root and Will in 

 Nature : A. Schopenhauer (Bell). — University College, Liverpool, Calendar 

 for the Session 1888-89 (Holden, Liverpool). — Papers and Proceedings of the 

 Royal Society of Tasmania for 1887 (Tasmania). — Laboratory Manual of 

 General Chemistry: R. P. Williams (Ginn, Boston). — An Introduction to 

 Practical Inorganic Chemistry : W. Jago (Longmans). — Les Formes du 

 Terrain, Texte et Planches: G. de la Not and E. de Margerie (Paris).— 

 The International A nnual of Anthony's Photographic Bulletin (Green- 

 wood).— A Catalogue of the Moths of India, Part 3 : E. C. Cotes and 

 C. Swinhoe (Calcutta). — Sixth Annual Report of the Fishery Board for 

 Scotland, for the year 1887 ; Three Parts (Edinburgh). — Instruction in 

 Photography ; eighth edition : Captain W. de W. Abney ( Piper and 

 Carter).— The Metallurgy of Gold : M. Eissler(Lockwood). — Key to Lock's 

 Arithmetic for Schools: Rev. R. G. Wavson (Macmil Ian). — Report on the 

 Eruption of Tarawera and Rotomahana, N.Z. : A. P. W. Thomas (Wel- 

 lington, N.Z.). — Die Schwankungen der Hocharmenischen Seen Seit 1800: 

 Dr. R. Sieger (Wien). — Bulletin du Comite International Permanent pour 

 l'Execution Photographique de la Carte du Ciel. 2e Fascicule (Gauthier- 

 Villars, Paris). — Die Fossde Pflanzen-Gattung Tylodendron : H. Potonie 

 (Berlin). — Ueber den Einfluss niederer Sauerstoffpressungen auf die Beweg- 

 ungen des Protoplasmas : J. Clark (Berlin). — Der FeuerstofF: L. Mann 

 (Berlin). — The Minerals of New York County, U.S.A. (New York). — 

 Journal of the Chemical Society, October (Gurney and Jackson). — Bulletin 

 de l'Academie Imperiale des Sciences de St. Petersbourg, tome xxxii. 

 Nos. 2 and 4. 



CONTENTS. page 



The Zoological Results of the Challenger Expedition 56* 

 Our Book Shelf :— 



Sherborn : "A Bibliography of the Foraminifera, 



Recent and Fossil, from 1565 to 1888 " 562 



Harrison and Wakefield: "Earth Knowledge "... 563 

 Jones : " An Introduction to the Science and Practice 



of Photography " 563 



Blaine: " Numerical Examples in Practical Mechanics 



and Machine Design" . 563 



Foster: " A Text-book of Physiology " 564 



Johnson: " The Analyst's Laboratory Companion " . 564 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Prophetic Germs.— The Duke of Argyll, F.R.S. . 564 

 The Geometric Interpretation of Monge's Differential 

 Equation to all Conies. — Prof. Asutosh Mukho- 



padhyay 564 



Upper and Lower Wind Currents over the Torrid 



Zone. — Dr. W. Doberck 565 



The Natural History of the Roman Numerals. — 



Edw. Tregear 565 



Indian Life Statistics. — S. A. Hill 565 



A Shell-Collector's Difficulty. — Consul E. L. 



Layard f. 566 



" Fauna and Flora of the Lesser Antilles. " — H. A. 



Alford Nicholls 566 



Sun Columns. — Hy. Harries 566 



The Report of the Krakatao Committee of the Royal 



Society. II 566 



Foundations of Coral Reefs. By Capt. W. J. L. 



Wharton 568 



Recent Visit of Naturalists to the Galapagos. By 



Dr. P. L. Sclater, F.R.S. ; Leslie A. Lee .... 569 

 The British Association s — 



Section A — Mathematical and Physical Science. 



( With a Diagram. ) ,09 



Notes 573 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Light-Curve of U Ophiuchi 576 



Comets Brooks and Faye 576 



Comet 1888 e (Barnard) 576 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1888 



October 14-20 577 



Geographical Notes 577 



Electrical Notes 577 



Molecular Physics : an Attempt at a Comprehensive 

 Dynamical Treatment of Physical and Chemical 



Forces. III. By Prof. F. Lindemann 578 



Compressibility of Water, Salt Water, Mercury, and 



Glass. By Prof. P. G. Tait 581 



Scientific Serials 582 



Societies and Academies 5^3 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 5 8 4 



