36o 



NATURE 



{Feb. 9, 1888 



lai^e and the white ones were reduced to mere threads. The 

 scale of the photograph showed that the effect was not due to 

 the operation of the first diffraction spectrum, and it was still 

 more curious to note that in the case of another positive taken 

 from the same negative and upon the same scale this optical 

 illusion was not observed. 



Anthropological Institute, January 24. — Anniversary 

 Meeting. — Prof. Flower, C.B., F.R.S., Vice-President, in the 

 chair. — The following were elected Officers and Council for the 

 ensuing year: — President: Francis Gallon, F. R.S. Vice- 

 Presidents : J. G. Garson, Prof. A. H. Keane, F. G. H. Price. 

 Secretary : F. W. Rudler. Treasurer : A. L. Lewis. Council : 

 G. M. Atkinson, E. W. Brabrook, C. H. E. Carmichael, 

 Hyde Clarke, A. W. Franks, F.R.S., Lt.-Col. H. H. Godwin- 

 Austen, F.R.S., T. V. Holmes, H. H. Howorth, M.P., Prof. 

 A. Macahster, F.R.S., R. Biddulph Martin, M.P., Prof. 

 Meldola, F.R.S., Rt. Hon. the Earl of Northesk, C. Peek, 

 Charles H. Read, Lord Arthur Russell, M.P., Prof. A. H. 

 Sayce, H. Seebohm, Oldfield Thomas, M. J. Walhouse, Lieut. - 

 Gen. SirC. P. Beauchamp Walker, K.C.B. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, January 30. — M. Janssen in the 

 chair. — Note on the first volume of the Annales de rinstitut 

 Pasteur, presented to the Academy, by M. L. Pasteur. This 

 volume contains the first twelve numbers of a monthly serial 

 established and directed by Prof. Duclaux, of the Sorbonne, and 

 entirely devoted to the progress of the new branch of patho- 

 logical physiology to which M. Pasteur gives the name of 

 " Microby " or "Microbiology." His remarks were mainly 

 confined to the important memoir by MM. Roux and Chamber- 

 land, entitled " Immunite contre la septicemic, conferee par des 

 substances soluble."." In this memoir is contained the rigorous 

 demonstration of the far-reaching fact that the septic vibiion, a 

 living ferment analogous to the butyric vibrion, develops soluble 

 chemical products, which gradually act as an antiseptic on the 

 organism itself. These pi-oducts, introduced in sufficient 

 quantities into the body of the guinea-pig, confer absolute im- 

 munity from the deadly attacks of the virus, to which that animal 

 is specially susceptible. — Note on the total lunar eclipse of 

 January 28, by M. J. Janssen. The observations taken at the 

 Observatory of Meudon were mainly directed towards deter- 

 mining a point of telluric spectroscopy connected with the ab- 

 sorption bands of oxygen. They were necessarily of a somewhat 

 preliminary character, and will be continued during future total 

 eclipses of the moon. — Researches on ruthenium, by MM. H. 

 Debray and A. Joly. The paper deals more especially with 

 hyperruthenic acid, its purification, physical properties, be- 

 haviour in the presence of water, and under varying temperatures. 

 — An apparatus adapted for experiments at high temperatures in 

 the presence of gases under high pressure, by M. L. Cailletet. 

 For this apparatus, which the inventor has had in use for some 

 years, it is claimed that it enables experimenters to raise sub- 

 stances to temperatures near the fusion of platinum while keep- 

 ing them in a gaseous atmosphere, the nature and pressure of 

 which may be varied at pleasure. — On double dielectric re- 

 fraction ; simultaneity of electric and optical phenomena, by 

 M. R. Blondlot. These experiments have been undertaken in 

 order to determine whether the double dielectric refraction of a 

 condenser is produced and ceases simultaneously with the charge, 

 or whether there exists an appreciable interval of time either 

 between the production of the electric phenomenon and that of 

 the luminous phenomenon, or between periods of cessation of 

 both phenomena. The conclusion seems to be that, if there is 

 any difference in point of time between these several manifesta- 

 tions, it cannot exceed 1/40000 of a second. — On the laws of 

 chemical equilibrium, by M. H. La Chatelier, It is shown that 

 the numerical laws of chemical equilibrmm, such as they are 

 deduced from the two principles of thermodynamics, may be 

 expressed in a very simple way by means of M. Massieu's 

 characteristic function H', which may be regarded as the true 

 measure of chemical force. — On cinchonigine, by MM. E. 

 Jungfleisch and E. Leger. The authors describe the process 

 of preparation, the chemical properties, and the salts of this 

 substance, whose composition is expressed by the formula 

 C28H22N2O2. — Persistence of the virus of rabies in dead bodies, 

 by M. V. Galtier. These researches show that the virus retains 

 all its virulence in the bodies of dogs that have been dead seven- 

 teen and buried fifteen days. Inoculation from the bulb produces 



rabies in ten and kills in fifteen days after trepanation. — On the 

 antiseptic properties of naphthol-a, by M. J. Maximovitch. The 

 experiments here described show that, owing to its feebler toxic 

 and stronger anti: eptic properties, this substance is in every way 

 superior as an antiseptic to M. Bouchard's naphthol-j3. — On the 

 presence of primordial fauna (Paradoxidian) in the neighbour- 

 hood of Ferrals-les-Montagnes (southern slope of the Montagne 

 Noire), Herault : (i) stratigraphic study by M. Jules Bergeron; 

 (2) palseontological study, by MM. Munier-Chalmas and J. 

 Bergeron. Considerable interest attaches to the recent discovery 

 of these organism; by M. Bergeron, for the first iime in any 

 part of France. They belong to the earliest forms of the 

 Silurian group, forms which were not known to exist when that 

 group was first established by Murchison in 1835. These first 

 French Trilobites of the primordial fauna, as it was named by 

 Barrande, include soaie exceptionally fine specimens of the 

 genera Conocephalites and Paradoxides, the latter closely allied 

 to the P. rugiilosus of Bohemia, and the P. Pradoamis common 

 in the Cambrian of Spain. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Astronomical Observations and Researches made at Dunsink, sixth part 

 (Hodges, DubHn). — A Student's Manual of Psychology, adapted from 

 Kirchner by E. D. Drought (Sonnenschein). — The Cardinal Numbers : M. 

 Hopkins (Low). — Civilization and Progress; new edition: J. B. Crozier 

 (Longmans). — Lessons on Prescriptions and the Art of Prescribing ; new 

 edition: W. H. Griffiths (Macraillan). — Lehrbuch der Entwicklungsgeschichte 

 des Menschen und der Wirbelthiere. Zweite Abthg. : Dr. O. Hertwig 

 (Jena). — Practical Forestry : C. E. Curtis. — South African Butterflies; two 

 vols : R. Trimen, assisted by J. H. Bowker (Triibner).— Journal of the 

 Society of Telegraph-Engineers and Electricians, No. 69, vol. xvi. (Spon).— 

 Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Decembjr (Stanford). — Annalen 

 der Physik und Chemie, 1888. No. 2 (Leipzig). — Beiblatter der Physik und 

 Cheraie, 1888, No. i (Leipzig). — Brain, parts 39 and 40 (Macmillan). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Messrs. Goschen and Huxley on English Culture . 337 

 The Proposed Teaching University for London . . 339 



Manual of British Discomycetes 340 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Mawer : "Physiography" 341 



Stokes: " Early Christian Art in Ireland " 341 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Duke of Argyll's Charges against Men of Science. 



Prof. T. H. Huxley, F.R.S 342 



An Explanation. — Dr. H. B. Guppy 342 



Snow Crystals. — A. N. S 343 



"The Mammoth and the Flood." — Your Reviewer . 343 j 

 An Incorrect Footnote and its Consequences. — i 



Ralph Copeland 343 j 



A New Historic Comet ?— Prof. Cargill G. Knott . 344 l 



"Is Hail so formed ?"— Dr. J. Rae, F.R.S 344 j 



Modern Views of Electricity. Part III. VII. {lllus- j 



trated). By Dr. Oliver J. Lodge, F.R.S 344 j 



The Birds'-Nest or Elephant Islands of the Mergui I 



Archipelago. By Commander Alfred Carpenter, j 



R.N 348 j 



Prize for Researches in Natural History 348 



Notes 349 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Royal Astronomical Society's Memoirs .... 335 [ 



Publications of the Dunsink Observatory 353 ! 



Rousdon Observatory 353 • 



j3 Delphini 353 j 



Olbers' Comet 353 , 



New Minor Planet 353 ' 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1888 



February 12-18 3 



Geographical Notes 354 



Our Electrical Column 354 



The Institution of Mechanical Engineers 355 ■ 



The National Smoke Abatement Institution .... 35^1 



Scientific Serials 35^ i 



Societies and Academies 35^ ; 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 3^" 



