I20 



NATURE 



\yune 10, 1875 



scale employed for the purpose were placed upon the table for 

 distribution amongst the Fellows, —Mr, Charles Stewart gave an 

 interesting account of the results of an examination into the 

 minute structure of Bucephalus polymorphns, and illustrated his 

 observations by drawings, — Mr. Slack then at some length 

 explained the use and management of Mr. Wenham's reflex 

 illuminator, and pointed out the means of obviating the diffi- 

 culties which were found to arise when it was used in connection 

 with objectives of large angles. 



Victoria (Philosophical) Institute, June 7. — The Pre- 

 sident in the chair. This was the ninth annual meeting, 

 and the report showed that since last year the number of 

 subscribing members had increased by 1 1 6, and now reached 

 601, two-thirds of whom were country and foreign members. 

 Papers had been read during the session by Professors H. A. 

 Nicholson, T. R. Birks, J. Challis, and others ; and the out- 

 side demand for the publications had doubled each succeed- 

 ing year since 1871. The report having ibeen adopted, the 

 annual address was then delivered by the Rev. Robert Main. 

 Radcliffe Observer. The address was of three sections : — I. A 

 sketch of most important discoveries in physics, chiefly astro- 

 nomical, which have been made during the last few years. 2. 

 A slight review of some of the assumptions in two recent publi- 

 cations, namely, Mill's " Essay on Theism," and Strauss's 

 "Old and New Faith." 3. A consideration of the Atomic 

 Philosophy in connection with Dr. Tyndall's Belfast address. 



Berlin 

 German Chemical Society, May 24. — W. Petrieff described 

 the products of the decomposition by heat of dibromomalonic acid, 

 namely an oil, CgHBr^, and dibromacetic acid. — W. Wisth and 

 A. Landolt have transformed bromanilme into parabromoben- 

 zoic acid, by converting it into the corresponding mustard oil 

 CgH4Br — N = C = S, and transforming this into the nitrale 

 CeH4Br — CsN. — A. Weber has studied mononitrodimethylani- 

 line and monobromodimethylaniline. — M. Nencky has trans- 

 formed indol into nitrosoindol-nitrate 



Ci6Hj3{NO)N2.N03H, 

 which sulphide ammonium converts into hydrazindol 



(CieH,3N-NH)2 

 — H. Limpricht retracts his opinion of the existence of four 

 isomeric monobromobenzenesulphonic acids, the fourth being 

 identical with that obtained from sulphanilic acid. — F. Fittica, 

 however, still insists upon the existence of four mononitrc- 

 benzoic acids, but makes it more improbable than ever by stating 

 that the fourth isomeride is transformed by tin and hydro- 

 chloric acid into the body CJ2HJ2N2O ! — H. Hassenpflug has 

 been able to convert nitrobenzene into paranitrobenzoic acid, 

 by treating it with peroxide of manganese and sulphuric acid. — 

 L. Klippert has studied the action of fluoride of silicium on 

 ethylate of sodium. It results in the formation of sodium fluoride, 

 silicium fluoride, and silicic ether. 



Vienna 

 Imperial Academy of Sciences, Jan. 7.— Prof. K. Puschl 

 presented a memoir on the changes in the volume of caoutchouc 

 by heat. The author gives as the results of his experiments, 

 (i) that the density of caoutchouc reaches a minimum at a cer- 

 tain temperature ; {2) that the temperature of this minimum 

 changes according to the mechanical tension, and is the lower 

 the greater the tension ; (3) that with caoutchouc upon which 

 no tension is applied, the temperature of the minimum of den- 

 sity is higher than the ordinary temperature ; {4) that the reverse 

 of this is the case with caoutchouc under strong tension. — Director 

 von Littrowthen made some communications regarding Borrelly's 

 comet.— Prof. E. Suess presented a paper on the volcano Venda, 

 near Padua. — Prof. Dr. Winckler then read a treatise on the 

 integration of two linear differential equations. — Dr. Doelter 

 gave a preliminary account of the geological nature of the Pon- 

 tinic islands. — Dr. von Littrow communicated a paper on the 

 relative capacity of different soils for conducting heat and the 

 corresponding influence of water. — Dr. Lippmann presented a 

 memoir on the action of iodine upon mercuric oxide. The author 

 shows that whenever a hot solution of iodine acts upon mercuric 

 oxide, an iodate always is formed besides the mercuric iodide, 

 and that it is indifferent whether the solution be made in alco- 

 -hoi, benzme, chloride of carbon, butylic alcohol, acetone, or 

 water.— Prof. Schlesinger then presented a memoir on a metallic 

 barometer without mercury. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, May 31. — M. Fremy in the chair. — 

 The following papers were read : — Researches on sulphides, by 

 M. A. Cahours. — A note by M. L. Saltel, on left curves. — 

 On the alterations in the level of the Seine in the environs of 

 Paris, from November 1874 to May 1875, t)y M, A. Gerardin, — 

 On a new method of preparing highly concentrated formic acid, 

 by means of anhydrous oxalic acid and a polyatomic alcohol, by 

 M. Lorin, — A note by M. J. Riban, on the isomerism of the 

 chlorohydrates CjoHjg . HCl. — Researches by M. E. Faivre, on 

 the functions of the front ganglion of Dytiscus marqinalis. — On 

 the organisation and the natural classification of the Acarina of 

 the Gamasea family, by M. Megnin. — Experimental researches 

 on the toxical properties of putrefied blood, by M. V. Feltz. — 

 On chronical aortite, by M. P. Jousset.— On a new method of 

 treating rheumatism of the brain by chloral hydrate, by M, E, 

 Bouchut. — On the improbability of an interior sea or lake having 

 existed formerly on the Sahara desert, by M, Pomel. — On the 

 influence of drought upon Cryptogamoe, by M. E. Robert. — On 

 the origin of Phylloxera at Cognac, by M, Mouillefert. — A note 

 by MM. Ph. Zoeller and A. Crete, on the use of xanthate of 

 potash against Phylloxera. — A note by M. Julien, on the pre- 

 sence of Phylloxera in the Auvergne. — A letter from M. Ville- 

 dieu, on the influence of moisture upon Phylloxera. — A letter 

 from M. Reymonct, on the possibility of grafting vines on little 

 trees the roots of which cannot serve as food for Phylloxera. — A 

 letter from M. F. Moll, on the use of a mixture of soft soap and 

 dead oil (as used for railway sleepers) against the larvte of cock- 

 chafers and snails. — A number of communications of minor 

 interest were then read ; most of them were competition papers 

 for the various prizes the Academy distributes annually. — Re- 

 searches on the rate of magnetisation and demagnetisation of 

 wrought-iron, steel and cast-iron, by M. M. Deprez. — A note 

 by MM. V, de Luynes and A. Girard, on the rotatory power of 

 crystallised sugar and on the polarimetric analysis of various 

 sugars, — Researches on the emissive power of leaves, by M. 

 Maquenne. — Remarks by M, A, Bechamp, concerning a note by 

 M, Gayon, read at the meeting of April 19 last, on the spon- 

 taneous alterations in eggs,— A note by M, A, Gautier, on the 

 production of blood fibrine, — A note by M. Grimaud de Caux, 

 on a case of psoitis. 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED 



American. — Report of the Vertebrate Fossils discovered in New Mexico : 

 Prof. E. D. Cope (WashiDgton).— Eighth Annual Report of the Trustees of 

 the Peabody Museum. — Astronomical and Meteorological Observations 

 made during the Year 1872 at the United States Naval Observatory : Rear- 

 Admiral B. F. Sands, U.S.N. (Washington).— Progress Report upon Geo- 

 graphical and Geological Explorations and Surveys West of the looth 

 Meridian in 1872, under the direction of Brigadier-General A. A. Humphreys, 

 by First Lieut. George M Wheeler ; with Topographical Maps (Washing- 

 ton).— Religion and Science in their relation to Philosophy : Charles W. 

 Shields, D.D. (New York : Scribner, Armstrong, and Co.). — Seventh Annual 

 Report on the Noxious, Beneficial, and other Insects of the State of Mis- 

 souri : Charles V. Riley.— Bulletin of the U.S. Geological and Geographical 

 Survey of the Territories. No. 3, Second Series (Washington).— U.S. 

 Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territory of Colorado : F. V. 

 Hayden (Washington). — Third Annual Report of the Board of Managers 

 of the Zoological Society of Philadelphia, U.S.— On the Devonian Trilobites 

 and Molluscs of Erer6, Province of Para, Brazil : Prof. Ch. Fred. Hartt and 

 R. Rathbun. 



CONTENTS Pack 



The Meteorological Office loi 



Arctic Geography and Ethnology ; , , . . 103 



Vogel's "Light AND Photography" 105 



OuK Book Shelf: — 



Rowley's "Ornithological Miscellany" 106 



Trumbull's " American Indian Numerals " 106 



Letters to the Editor : — 



British Rainfall, 1874.— G. J- Symons, F.M.S 106 



Equilibrium ot Temperature in a Vertical Column of Gas.— S. H. 



BURBURY jQ. 



Primine and Secundine.— Prof. W. T. Thiselton Dyer," F.L.'s. ! 107 



American Indian Weapons.— Otis T. Mason {IVtth Illustrations) 107 



Primroses and Cowslips.— Rev. D. Edwardes . 108 



The Visitations OF Greenwich AND Edinburgh Observatories . 108 



The Progress of the Telegraph, VII. {ikith Illustrations) ... 110 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



The Total Solar Eclipse of 1886, Aue. 20 . . . n. 



The Sun's Parallax .............. \ \ . ^^J, 



The Minor Planets .',,*!.' 113 



Lectures at the Zoological Gardens, VI.: Mr. Flower on Ele- 

 phants jj. 



Science in Germany '..*.',.,'!"' m; 



WOTKS ! ! ! IIS 



Scientific Serials ng 



Societies AND Academies ! ! . ! iig 



Books AND Pamphlets Received 120 



