168 



NA TURE 



[Dec. 15, 1S87 



for large drops and bubbles. On account of the marked diver- 

 gence in the results obtained by Quincke as compared with the 

 older measurements, the speaker was led to subject Quincke's 

 method to a detailed examination. He found that the determina- 

 tion of the height of the drop is exact, but that the measurement 

 of its width by means of the micrometer is too uncertain. In- 

 stead of this method, he therefore employed the reflection of a 

 flame from the side of the drop in order to determine the con- 

 vexity of the same, and using Poisson's method of calculating the 

 results instead of that of Quincke, he obtained as the value of the 

 capillary constant, not 54 as given by Quincke, but 44*5, thus 

 agreeing with the older determinations. The mercury was 

 purified and examined by Quincke's method. In addition Dr. 

 Sieg has determined the capillary constants for water, alcohol, 

 oils, and a series of salt-solutions of varying concentrations. One 

 result may be mentioned as shown by these experiments, that the 

 capillary constant of mercury sinks to forty-two when the 

 mercury has stood for some time, and that the same fall is 

 observed if the mercury is put to earth ; tl^e constant is also 

 altered if the drop is electrified or is impure. With salt-solutions 

 the constants were dependent upon both composition and con- 

 centration. Water was also found to be very sensitive to the 

 presence of any impurities, and while the solution of salts in 

 water was not found to alter its capillary constants, the solution 

 of gases produced a very appreciable alteration 



Physiological Society, November 18. — Prof, du Bois 

 Reymond, President, in the chair. — After the statutory election 

 of the Council, Dr. Benda demonstrated a malformation as occur- 

 ring in a three-months' embryo, in which two strongly marked 

 prominences on the lower portion of the forehead gave to its 

 countenance a curiously contemplative appearance. — Prof. 

 Kossel next spoke on adenin. The most recent researches on the 

 importance of the nucleus to the life of the cell, especially the 

 knowledge that when unicellular organisms are artificially cut 

 into pieces only those parts exhibit a complete regeneration 

 which contain a portion of the nucleus, and the importance of 

 the nucleus in impregnation have given an increased importance 

 to the chemistry of the nucleus. Among the chemical substances 

 which compose the nucleus, adenin, which has recently been dis- 

 covered by the speaker, appears to poi^sess a special importance, 

 since, on account of its composition, CsHsNg, it belongs 

 to the cyanic group of bodies. This substance was obtained 

 from tea-leaves in large quantities, and from it a series of com- 

 pounds were obtained, which were exhibited as extremely fine \ 

 preparations ; namely, the salts with hydrochloric, sulphuric, 

 and nitric acids, as also some compounds with platinum, j 

 Adenin was found to be extremely resistant to feebly oxidizing 

 agents, but on the other hand to be easily acted upon by 

 reducing agents. The substances which are produced by these 

 means were not very well characterized from a chemical point 

 of view. The speaker however thinks that, owing to the ease 

 with which it can be reduced, adenin plays an extremely im- 

 portant part in the physiological action of the nucleus. When 

 adenin is reduced in presence of oxygen, a brownish-black sub- 

 stance is obtained, which appears to be identical with the 

 azocuminic acid which is produced when hydrocyanic acid is 

 exposed to the air for a long time. In conclusion. Prof. Kossel 

 pointed out that adenin makes its appearance in large quantities 

 under certain pathological conditions, and that he has succeeded 

 in detecting it in the urine of persons suffering from leuchsemia. 

 — Dr. Rawitz gave an account of his investigations on mucous 

 cells in Invertebrates. He has found in the mantle of mussels 

 goblet-cells, of which some are small with a large central 

 nucleus and granular protoplasm ; others are large with a small 

 central nucleus, the rest of the cell-contents being uniform in 

 appearance ; and others again are large, with a small nucleus 

 situated at the base of the cell, the protoplasm having oily 

 granules scattered throughout itself. This last kind of cell 

 allows the oily granules and mucous contents to pass out at the 

 apex of the cell into the surrounding water. A careful investi- 

 gation has shown that the above three different kinds of cells are 

 merely different stages in the secretory activity of the mucous cells, 

 and that during this activity the cell-contents not only undergo 

 a change of minute structure, but also of chemical composition, 

 the latter being evidenced by the changed reactions which they 

 give with staining agents. During secretion the cell itself is not 

 broken down, but only a portion of its protoplasm is excreted, 

 in the form of oily drops and mucous threads, the nucleus 

 remaining intact. Dr. Rawitz considers that special importance 

 must be assigned to the nucleus in connection with the nutrition 



of the cell, as during the secretory activity of the cell it under 

 goes changes not only in its shape, but in its behaviour toward; 

 laining reagents. 



Stockholm. 



Royal Academy of Sciences, November 9. — Plants 

 vasculares Yenessenses inter Krasnojarsk urbem et ostiun 

 Yenisei fluminis tracienus lectK, by Dr. N. J. Scheutz. — Oi 

 additive characters of diluted solutions of salts, by Dr. S 

 Arrhenius. — On the theory of the unipolar induction, by Dr. A 

 Koren. — Some formuln? of electrodynamics, by the same.— 

 The phsenogamous plants of Bergjum, enumerated in th( 

 sequence of their inflorescence, by the Rev. B. Hogrell.— 

 On hyalotekit from Ldngbau, by G. Lindstrom, Assist. Min 

 Cab. State Mas. — On the scientific results of the expedition o 

 the Vega, by Baron Nordenskiold. — ^Contributions to the theori 

 of the undulatory movement in a gaseous medium, by Prof 

 A. V. Backlund. — Contributions to the knowledge of tht 

 exterior morphology of the Acridioidere, especially with respeci 

 to the specimens found in Scandinavia, by Dr. B. Haij.— 

 Generalization of the functions of Bernouilli, by Dr. A. F. 

 B erger. 



BOOKS, PAA5PHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Les Ancetres de Nos Anlmaux : A. Gaudry (BailKere et Fils). — British 

 Journal Photographic Almanac, 1888 (Greenwood). — The Elements o 

 Chemistry : Ira Remsen (Macmillan\ — British Discomycetes : W. Phillip.'- 

 (Kegan Paul). — Vaccination Vindicated : J. C. IVTcVail (Cassell). — Flowei 

 Land, an Easy Introduction to Botany ; Rev. R. Fisher (Heywood). — A 

 Course of Quantitative Analysis : W.N. Hartley (Macmillan). — Teneriffe and 

 i's Six Satellites, 2 vols. : O. M. Stone (Marcus Ward). — Annual Report 0.1 

 the Working of the Registration and Inspection of Mines and Mining 

 Machinery Act during the year 1886 (Melbourne) — Digging, Squatting, and 

 Pioneering Life : Mrs. D. D. Daly (Low). — China ; its Social, Political, and 

 Religious Life : from the French of G. Eug. Simon (Low).— Through the 

 West Indies : Mrs. G. Layard (Low). — A Text-book of Paper Making ; 

 Cross and Bevan (Spon). — Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South 

 Wale.s, vol. ii part 2. — Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, vol. xliii. 

 pt. 4, No. 172 (Longmans). — Annals of Botany, vol. i. No. 11 (Clarendon 

 Press). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Horticultural Society 145 



Balbin's Quaternions. By Gustave Plan 145 



Cable-Laying 147 



Text-book of Gunnery 148 



Romantic Love and Personal Beauty. By F. T. 



Richards 149 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Harrison and Wakefield : "Earth-Knowledge". . . 150 



Blackie : " A Dictionary of Place-Names " 151 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Supposed Earthquake in England. — H. George 



Fordham 151 



The Umbria's Wave. — C. E. Stromeyer 151 



The Planet Mercury.— G. F. P 151 



Meteor.^ — M. H. Maw 151 



" Fairy Rings." — ^J. Sargeant 151 



Music in Nature. — W. L. Goodwrin 151 



Who was Mr. Charles King? — S 152 



Note on a Proposed Addition to the Vocabulary of 

 Ordinary Arithmetic. By Prof. J. J. Sylvester, 



F.R.S 152 



Coutts Trotter. By Prof. M. Foster, F.R.S 153 



H. C. F. C. Schjellerup. By J. L. E. Dreyer ... 154 



Notes 155 



Our Astionomical Column : — 



The Natal Observatory 158 



Olbers' Comet, 1887 158 



Probable New Class of Variable Stars 158 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1887 



December 18-24 ^5^ 



Geographical Notes 158 



On the Meteoric Iron which fell near Cabin Creek, 

 Johnson County, Arkansas, March 27, 1886. {Illus- 



irated.) By George F. Kunz 159 



The Royal Horticultural Society 161 



University and Educational Intelligence 162 



Scientific Serials 162 



Societies and Academies 164 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 168 



