624 



NATURE 



\_Aprtl 26, 1888 



F.R.S., and Dr. A. W. Williamson, F.R.S. Vice-Presidents: 

 Prof. G. Carey Foster, F. R. S. ; Mr. David Howard ; Prof. J. 

 W. Mallet, F.R.S. ; Prof. H. McLeod, F.R.S. ; Mr. Ludwig 

 Mond ; and Prof. Schorlemmer, F.R.S. Secretaries: Prof H. 

 E. Armstrong, F.R.S., and Prof. J. M. Thomson. Foreign 

 Secretary: Dr. F. R. Japp, F.R.S. Treasurer: Dr. W. J. 

 Russell, F.R.S. Ordinary Members of Council : Prof. T. 

 Carnelly, Mr. A. H. Church, Prof. Clowes, Prof. Dunstan, Dr. 

 P. F. Frankland, Mr. R. J. Friswell, Mr. C. W. Heaton, Mr. 

 E, Kinch, Dr. H. F. Morley, Dr. R. T. Plimpton, Prof. Purdie, 

 and Prof Ramsay. 



April 5.— Mr. W. Crookes, F.R.S., in the chair.— The 

 following papers were read : — Researches on the constitution of 

 azo- and diazo-derivatives ; part iii., compounds of the naphtha- 

 lene /8-series, by Prof R. Meldola, F.R.S., and Mr. F. J. East. 

 — The action of finely divided metals on solutions of ferric salts, 

 and a rapid method for the titration of the latter, by Mr. D. J. 

 Carnegie. 



Anthropological Institute, April 10. —Francis Galtonj 

 F.R.S., President, in the chair. — Captain Strachan exhibited a 

 young Papuan boy brought by him from the north-west coast 

 of New Guinea. — Mr J. Allen Brown read a paper on some 

 small highly specialized forms of stone implements, found in 

 Asia, Noith Africa, and Europe. — A paper by MM. Henri and 

 Louis Siret, on the eaily age of metal in the south-east of Spain, 

 was read. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, April 16. — M. Janssen, President, in 

 the chair. — On the spectra of oxygen, by M. J. Janssen. Atten- 

 tion is called to Olszewski's recent experiments with liquefied 

 oxygen, which fully confirm the results of the author's researches 

 on the phenomena of elective absorption in oxygen gas. The bands 

 already determined by him have been observed by Olszewski 

 with a thickness of 7 millimetres of liquid oxygen, while a thick- 

 ness of from 4 to 5 millimetres would be required to detect the pre- 

 sence of the strongest band, which occurs in the neighbourhood 

 of D. This is a remarkable confirmation of the law of the 

 product of the thickness by the square of the density regulating 

 one of the two systems of bands described by M. Janssen. — On 

 the relations of atmospheric nitrogen to vegetable soil, by M. 

 Th. Schloesing. This is a reply to the objections recently urged 

 by M. Berthelot against the character of the author's researches, 

 and the general conclusions based on them. He denies the validity 

 of M. Berthelot's criticisms, and insists that he does not deny 

 the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen in vegetable soils. He main- 

 tains, however, that the phenomenon is neither determined by 

 his own experiments nor demonstrated with sufficient accuracy 

 by M. Berthelot's analyses. — On a source of algebraic equations 

 whose roots are all real, by M. G. Fouret. An algebraic pro- 

 cess is explained, by means of which equations, all of whose 

 roots are real, may be combined in such a way as to obtain 

 from them fresh equations possessing the same property. The 

 following theorem is proposed and discussed : If the equation 



¥{x)'^affX!'- + a^ x>i-i + a.^ a"»-2 -f . . . -\- an-i x + an = o 



has all its roots real, then the equation 



<t>{-r) =. ag/{x) + a^f'{x) + a^f"{x) + . .. + a«-i/(«-i)(x) 

 + a,tf{A{x) — o, 



in which y"(.r) represents an entire polynome of equal or higher 

 degree to n, has at least as many real roots as the equation 

 /(x) = o; and if it has more, the excess is an even number. — 

 On Foucault's gyroscope, by M. E. Guyou. An elementary 

 solution is given of the problem connected with the rotation of 

 a solid body suggested by the movement of this apparatus. — 

 Oma new method of measuring the heat of evaporation of lique- 

 fied'gases, by M. E. Mathias. The calorimetric methods usually 

 employed are either those of varial>k temperature or ofthejixed 

 temperature of melting ice. But for the purpose of his re- 

 searches the author has had to employ one of constant tempera- 

 ture, the nature and advantages of which are here described. It 

 is specially applicable in the case of gases which, like ethylene, 

 carbonic acid, and the protoxide of nitrogen, have their critical 

 point at the ordinary temperature. — On a class of electric currents 

 set up by the ultra-violet rays, by M. A. Stoletow. Hertz, 

 Wiedemann, and others having shown the influence of the ultra-, 

 violet/ays on electric discharges at high tension, the author here 

 inquires whether a similar effect may not be obtained with elec- 

 tricity of feeble potential. — On a regulator of electric light, by 

 M. Charles Pollak. In the apparatus here described the move- 



ment required to be communicated to the carbons in order to 

 supply and maintain the electric arc is obtained by the thermic 

 expansion of the conducting wires. This appliance, which regu- 

 lates the electric arc for a period of three hours consecutively, has 

 the advantage of extreme simplicity, dispensing with all intricate 

 mechanism, as well as with electro-magnets.— On a sodico-potassic 

 carbonate, by MM. L. Hugounenq and J. Morel. The authors 

 have obtained this substance by exposing to the open air at a 

 temperature of 12° to 15° C. a solution of carbonate of soda con- 

 taining carbonate of potassa in the presence of a great excess of 

 iodide of potassium mixed with phosphate and chloride of 

 sodium. It approaches the formula — 



C03K2,6H20 -f (COgNaj.eHjO). 



These researches show generally that the carbonates of soda 

 and of potassa may crystallize together, yielding isomorphous 

 mixtures, which can scarcely be represented by definite formulas. 

 — New experiments on inoculation against rabies, by M. G. 

 Galtier. These experiments, made on sheep and goats, show 

 that herbivorous animals may be successfully preserved from the 

 bite of mad dogs by the usual processes of inoculation, whether 

 applied before or immediately after the attack. — A communica- 

 tion was received from the Minister of Public Instruction 

 announcing the results of the measures recently taken to deter- 

 mine the exact superficial area of France calculated by the plani- 

 metric method. This estimate gives 536,408 square kilometres, 

 which is 8012 more than that indicated by the Bureau of 

 Longitudes, and 2929 more than that of the Russian General 

 Strelbitsky. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Outlines of Qualitative Analysis : G. W. Slatter (Murby). — Text-book of 

 Biology : J. R. A. Davis (Griffin).— British Birds : Key List : Colonel L. 

 H. Irby (Porter). — In Pursuit of a Shadow : A Lady Astronomer (Triibner). 

 — A Treatise on Alcohol, 2nd edition : Dr. T. Stevenson (Gurney and Jack- 

 son). — Allgemeine Geologie : Dr. Karl von Fritsch (Engelhorn, Stuttgart). 

 — Arithmetic for Beginners: Rev. J. B. Lock (Macmillan). — Nature 

 Readers, Sea-Side and Way-Side, No. i : J. W. Wright (Heath, Boston). — 

 Mr. Tebbutt's Observatory, Windsor, New South Wales : J. Tebbutt 

 (Sydney). — Bulletin du Mus^e Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique, 

 Tome V. No. i. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Mr. A. C. Smith's " Birds of Wiltshire" 601 



A Hand book for Travellers 603 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Nixon: " Geometry in Space " 603 



" Chambers's Encyclopsedia " , . . . 604 



Graber : " Leitfaden der Zoologie fiir die oberen 



Classen der Mittelschulen" 604 



Letters to the Editor : — 



"Coral Formations." — Dr. H. B. Guppy ; Capt. 



David Wilson-Barker, R.N. ; Robert Irvine . 604 

 Note on a Problem in Maxima and Minima. ( With 



Diagram.) — Edward M. Langley 605 



Self-induction.— Dr. Oliver J. Lodge, F.R S. ... 605 

 Suggestions on the Classification of the Various 

 Species of Heavenly Bodies, II. By J. Norman 



Lockyer, F.R.S 606 



The Hittites, with Special Reference to very Recent 



Discoveries. V. {Illustrated.) By Thomas Tyler . 6o>, 

 Class Experiments. {With Diagrams.) By Magnus 



Maclean 612 



Notes 614 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Photography in the Determination of the Motions of 



Stars in the Line of Sight 616 



The Total Lunar Eclipse of January 28 616 



New Minor Planets 616 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1888 



April 29— May 5 616 



Geographical Notes ... 617 



Antagonism. By Sir William R. Grove, F.R.S, . . 617 



University and Educational Intelligence 622 



Scientific Serials 623 



Societies and Academies 623 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 624 



