March 29, 1888] 



NATURE 



525 



after obtaining no increase by the application of 1400 pounds of 

 a fertilizer, over what had been obtained from a dressing of 400 

 pounds per acre, there might appear some cause for complaint. 

 We cannot, however, indorse Dr. Sturtevant's opinions. Plot 

 experiments may be made fairly representative of larger areas, 

 and upon them various treatments of soil and crop may be com- 

 pared. No doubt great care should be taken in carrying out 

 such experiments ; hut surely a series of plots of \, -^^, or ^V ^cre 

 each might be and are made to teach most useful lessons. Dr. 

 Sturtevant might well pause to consider that if such experi- 

 ments are of no value the value of other experiments might be 

 doubted, and the public, to whom he appeals, might think fit to 

 rescind a grant amounting to .1^4000 a year for the purpose of 

 carrying out his researches. The volume abounds in tables of 

 analyses of fodder and grain crops. A large portion (200 pages) 

 of the middle is occupied by a descriptive catalogue of varieties 

 of beet, carrot, radish, turnip, onion, celery, spinach, squash, 

 tomato, &c., mostly very wearisome, and savouring more of the 

 catalogue of the seedsman than of the results of scientific work. 

 Downton. John Wrightson. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS. 



Bulletin de r Academic Roy ale de Belgiquc, January. — 

 Researches on the influence of magnetism and temperature on 

 the electric resistance of bismuth and its alloys with lead and tin, 

 by Ed. van Aubel. These protracted experiments have been 

 undertaken in order to determine the variations of electric 

 resistance due, not only to magnetism and heat, but also to 

 molecular structure, with a view to discovering the causes of the 

 disturbances and completing our knowled'^e of the phenomena 

 first observed by Hall. In the present paper, a first contribution 

 to the study of the subject, the author deals mainly with the 

 diminution of the electric resistance of bismuth and its alloys 

 under increased temperature. He shows that the anomaly 

 cannot be due to the presence in the metal of foreign elements 

 such as arsenic, tin, lead, or iron. The state of greater or less 

 tension of the bismuth itself also seems to have no influence. 

 But the study of some bismuth wire obtained by the soldering of 

 the filings of this metal under a pressure of several thousand 

 atmospheres constantly exhibits a considerable increase of resist- 

 ance when the temperature is raised. — Experimental researches 

 on the vision of the Arthropods, third part, by Felix Plateau. 

 This part deals with the vision of caterpillars, and with the role 

 of the frontal ocelli in the perfect insects. The very numerous 

 experiments here described and carried out under the most varied 

 conditions, tend to the general conclusion that in insects possess- 

 ing both compound and simple eyes (ocelli), the former are of 

 some service, while the latter are quite useless, and should conse- 

 quently be grouped in the category of rudimentary or atrophied 

 organs. In the case of caterpillars the vision is defective, not 

 extending distinctly beyond one centimetre, and is supplemented 

 by the antennae and the fine hairs covering the body. Perfect 

 insects when completely blinded almost invariably fly in a straight 

 line vertically, which, against the opinion of Forel, is attributed 

 to the more intense light of the higher regions, to which the 

 whole surface of the body is susceptible. The primitive "derm- 

 atoptic sensation " is revived, and acts in a feeble way as a 

 substitute for the later developed ocular vision of which the 

 animal has been deprived. — On the molecular -work of the 

 organic liquids, by P. De Heen. It is shown that the author's 

 formula of 1882, that for the organic fluids belonging to one and 

 the same homologous series the molecular work is fairly constant, 

 has been mainly confirmed by subsequent research. — This number 

 of the Bulletin also contains a valuable paper by Louis Henry 

 on the volatility of the carbon compounds, the result of several 

 years' research. 



Rivista Scientifico-Industriale, February 29. — On the perono- 

 spora of the grape-vine, by Prof. G. Cuboni. The two phases 

 of this disease are fully described for the first time, and the 

 disease itself is carefully distinguished from black-rot and other 

 analogous forms of blight with which it is often confounded. A 

 mixture of sulphur with 3 or 4 per cent, of the sulphate of 

 copper is proposed as the best remedy if applied at an early stage. 

 — Prof. E. Canestrini concludes his experiments on some effects 

 produced by induction sparks. In one instance the leaves of 

 some perennial plants were found to be covered with dark spots 

 similar to those frequently observed on plants struck by lightning. 

 But the results of these researches, like others of a similar kind, 



have obviously no more than a relative value, depending as they 

 do on the intensity of the induced currents. 



Journal of the Russian Chemical and Physical Society, vol.'xix. 

 No. 8. — Isomery in the series CnH.2„_2» ^7 A.. Favorsky. — On the 

 laws presiding at reactions of direct addition, by J. Kabloukoff. 

 — Short notes by MM. E. Sokoloff", Joukovsky, and Gorboff. — 

 Experimental researches into the oscillations of electrical force 

 in electrolytes, by A. Sokoloflf; it is the third of a series of 

 elaborate papers on the subject, especially with regard to the 

 capacities of voltameters. — On the measuring of specific heat by 

 the method of mixtures at a constant temperature, by N. 

 Hesehus. — End of a full bibliography of all books and articles 

 printed in Russia on chemistry and chemical technology during 

 the year 1886. 



Journal of the Russian Chemical and Physical Society, vol. xix. 

 No. 9. — On the speed of formation of acetic ethers of monatomic 

 alcohols, by N. Menshutkin, being a first paper of a new series 

 of researches where the compound influence of the surrounding 

 medium in which the reaction is going on has to be studied. — 

 Notes by MM. Matweieff and Spiridonoff. — On the empirical 

 formula of cholic acid, by P. Latchinoff", being an answer to the 

 criticisms against the new formula (C25H42O5) proposed by the 

 author. — On the gelatinous state of albuminoid bodies, by W. 

 Mikhailoff", being the first of a series of papers intended to 

 summarize elaborate researches on the subject, in accordance 

 with the principles laid down by Lieberkiihn and his followers. 

 — On the number of parameters which determine the displace- 

 ment of a kinematic chain, by P. Somoff". Taking up the view 

 of Reuleaux, who recorded each mechanism as a kinematic chain, 

 the author shows the necessity of considering the degree of 

 freedom left to each part of the chain in its displacements in 

 various mechanisms. — On the dependence of the colour of bodies 

 on the angle of incidence of the rays of light, by W. Rosenberg. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 London. 



Royal Society, March 1$. — " Report of the Observations of 

 the Total Solar Eclipse of August 29, 1886, made at Grenville, 

 in the Island of Grenada." By H. H. Turner, M.A., B.Sc, 

 Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. Communicated by the 

 Astronomer-Royal. 



The first part of the paper gives details of the general arrange- 

 ments made for observation — the selection of a site, the erection 

 of the instruments, and a hut to cover them ; and refers to the 

 unfavourable conditions under which the observations were made. 

 The second part gives the results of the observations. These 

 were of two kinds. 



(i) Before and after totality the order of appearance and 

 disappearance of a numbar of bright ^lines in the spectrum of 

 the chromosphere and inner corona was watched. The lines 

 selected were those observed by Mr. Lockyer in the Egyptian 

 eclipse of 1882, and the observations were undertaken with a 

 view to the confirmation of his results. 



The lines are denoted for convenience by small letters as 

 follows : — 



4870-4 



4871*2 



, 4890 o 



4890*4 



e 49I7"9 



/ 49I9"5 



g 4923'! 



A. 



h 4932-5 



i 4933'4 



k 4956-5 



/ 4970'o 



With this nomenclature, a table given by Mr. Lockyer in a 

 short account of his results (Roy. Soc. Proc. , vol. xxxiv., 1883, 

 pp. 291, &c.) shows that lines g and /are seen by Tacchini in 

 prominences, while a, b, c, d, e, f, and k are seen in spots. 



Mr. Lockyer saw g and i 7 minutes before totality, 

 and in addition k and / 3 ,, „ 



and all the lines 2 ,, ,, 



In my own observations I saw^ 3 minutes before fatality, 

 and in addition i 40 seconds ,, 



while the moment of appearance of all the lines was indistinguish- 

 able from the commencement of totality. 



After totality clouds obscured the sun for a short time ; but 

 on their clearing the visibility of g and k was noted ; i could not 

 be seen. 



The three lines ^, i, and k were extremely short, and did not 



