i6o 



NA TURB 



[ytme24, 1875 



air, it is evi'lent that the barometric rise taVes place under an 

 uptake of air. If we consider furthier that a light ascensional 

 current would give rise simply to an overcast sky, a stronger one 

 to rain, while a still more violent one would project the air 

 sudJenly into a region so cold and dry that the resulting elec- 

 tricity would be disckarged disruptively as lightning, the fore- 

 going observations show that the greatest rise is under the 

 greatest uptake. Some meteorologists attribute the low pres- 

 sure at the equator to the ascending current formed at the junc- 

 tion of the trades ; while others attribute the 10 a.m. maximum 

 of the diurnal range of the barometer to the reaction of an 

 ascending column of air due to the increasing heat of the day. 

 The above observations tend to strengthen the view that an 

 ascending column of air gives rise to a reactionary pressure 

 downwards, and more generally to the idea that though the 

 total pressure shown by the barometer is principally statical, or 

 due to the weight of a definite column of air, a small portion is 

 dynamical, or due to the reaction of air motion in that column. 

 — Notes on solar radiation in its relation to cloud and vapour, 

 by Mr. J. Park Harrison.— Mr. Scott also exhibited and de- 

 scribed Lowe's graphic hygrometer. 



Zoological Society, June 15. — Prof. Newton, F.R.S., V.P., 

 in the chair. — A letter was read from Dr. A. B. Meyer, of 

 Dresden, stating that having inquired into the statement made 

 by Mr. Bruyn (P.Z.S., 1875, P- 3o)» that he had specimens of 

 four species of Birds of Paradise alive in his possession at Ter- 

 nale, he had ascertained that the foundation for this statement 

 was that Mr. Bruyn expected to receive specimens of other 

 species, but had only actually obtained examples of one of them 

 {Paradisea papuana). — Mr. George Dawson Rowley exhibited 

 and made remarks on some specimens of two diminutive Parrots 

 from New Guinea {Nasiterna geelvinktana and N. pygmaa). — 

 Sir Victor Brooke exhibited and made remarks on two original 

 drawings by Mr. Wolf of the two species of Koodoo, Tra- 

 gdaphus strepsiceros and T. itnberbis. The latter was taken from 

 a specimen received direct from the Juba River, Somali. The 

 exact habitat of this species had not before been determined. — 

 Prof. Owen, C.B., read a tjaper in which he gave the description 

 of some bones of Ilarpagornis moorei, sent to him by Dr. Haast, 

 which had been found in the turbary deposits of Glenmark, a 

 locality about forty miles from Christchurch, New Zealand. 

 This paper formed the twenty-first part of Prof. Owen's series of 

 memoirs on the extinct birds of the genus Dinornis and its allies. 

 — Mr. G. E. Dobson communicated the descriptions of some 

 new species of bats of the genus Vesperugo. — A communication 

 •was read from Mr. George Gulliver, F.R.S., containing observa- 

 tions on the sizes and shapes of the red corpuscles of the blood 

 of Vertebrates. These observations were accompanied by a 

 series of drawings of these objects, and by extended and revised 

 tables of measurements. —A communication was read from the 

 Rev. S. J. Whitmee, of Samoa, respecting the changes he had 

 observed in the habits of feeding, roosting, and building of the 

 Didunculus strigirostris. — A second paper by Mr. Whitmee gave 

 an account of the times of appearance of the Edible Marine 

 worm {Palola. viridis) in the islands of the Samoan group, 

 together with observations on its habits. — A communication was 

 read from Dr. J. S. Bowerbank, containing the fourth of a series 

 of memoirs on the Siliceo-fibrous sponges. — Sir Victor Brooke, 

 Bart., and Mr. A. Basil Brooke read a joint paper on the large 

 Asiatic Wild Sheep or Argalis. Of these animals they recog- 

 nised eight species, viz. : Ovis amnion, from the Altai between 

 the Sea of Baikal and Thian Shan ; O. karelini, from the Thian 

 Shan ; O.poli, from the Pamir; O. hemsii, from the Alexandrian 

 Mountains ; O. nigrimontana, from the Karatau ; 0. hodgsoni, 

 from Little Thibet ; Ovis nivicola, irom the Stanovoi Moun- 

 tains and Kamschatka ; and Ovis brookei, of which the habitat 

 was unknown. — Mr. Sclater read a paper on the Rhinoceroses 

 now or lately living in the Society's Menagerie. 



Victoria (Philosophical) Institute, June 21. — The Rev. 

 Isaac Taylor, M.A., read a paper on the Etruscan language. 

 After stating the causes which had made this language so long a 

 mystery, the lecturer gave an account of the origin of the Etruscan 

 alphabet, and of the information as to the nature of the language 

 which is supplied by the bilingual inscriptions. He then gave 

 an account of the inscribed dice, which he held to be the key to 

 the Etruscan secret. He fully explained the Etruscan system of 

 numeration, and showed that the numerals, the vocabulary, the 

 grammar, and the mythology of this people all pointed to a 

 Turanian origin. 



Paris 

 Academy jOf Sciences, June 14. — M. Fremy in the chair. —r 

 The following papers were read : — On the discovery of the two 

 minor planets (144) and (145) by Director Peters, and (146) 

 by M. Borrelly.— A note by M. Chevreul, on the explanation 

 of numerous phenomena which appear as a consequence of 

 old age. — Researches on solar radiation (continuation) by 

 M. P. Desains. — On the synthesis of camphors by the oxida- 

 tion of camphenes, by M. Berthelot. — On the water-spout 

 which occurred near Caen in 1849, by M. P'aye. — Some 

 remarks, in complement to his note read before the Academy in 

 May 1873 by M. Weddell, on the part played by the substra- 

 tum in the distribution of Lichens inhabiting rocks. — A note by 

 MM. E. Belgrand and G. Lemoine, on the probable decrease of 

 flowing water in the basin of the Seine during the summer and 

 autumn of 1875. — Report of the Commission which was ap- 

 pointed to examine a proposed new method in the construction 

 of lightning conductors for powder magazines. — On the theory of 

 revolution surfaces which, by way of deformation, can be super- 

 posed on one another, and each on itself in all its parts (second 

 paper), by M. F. Reech. — A note by M. Sekowski, on a system 

 of distribution in steam-engines. — On the synthesis of terpilene 

 or carburetted camphene, by M. G. Bouchardat. — A note by M. 

 Barthelemy, on a process to measure the co-efficient of the abso- 

 lute dilatation of mercury. — A note by M. A, Riviere on the 

 appearance of sedimentary formation in the granitic rocks now 

 used for the pavements in the Paris streets. — A note by M. E. 

 Jourdy on the shape of bays in the Algerian district. — A memoir 

 by M. L. V. Turquan, on the integration of the equation with 

 partial derivatives of the third order, and two independent vari- 

 ables. — A note by M. Lccoq de Boisbaudran, on the theory of 

 dissolution and of crystallisation. — Report of the falling of two 

 meteoric stones in the United States, by M. J. Lawrence Smith, 

 of Louisville (Ky.). The author gives a minute description and 

 an analysis of these two meteorites. — On the influence of forests 

 upon the climate, and on the variation of temperature with the 

 phases of vegetation, by M. L. Fautrat. 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED 



Foreign.— Annales del Museo Publico de Buenos Aires. — Annalen des 

 Physikalischen Central Observat»riums for 1873: H. Wild (Russia).— Mor- 

 phologisches Jahrbuch. Kine Zeitschrift Air Anatomic und Entwickelungs- 

 geschichte : C. Gegcnbaur (Leipzig, W. Engelmann). — Die Neue Schop- 

 tungsgeschichte : Arnold Dodel (Leipzig, F. M. Brockhaus). -Handbuch der 

 ZoDlogie. 3 vols. : J. Victor Carus and C. E. A. Gerstaeker (Leipzig, W. 

 Engelmann)J — Boleiin de la Academia Nacional de C'iencias Exactus exist- 

 ante en la Universidad de Cordoba, Buenos Aires. — Jahrbucher fiir Wissen- 

 schaftliche Botanik : Dr. N. Pringsheim (Leipzig, Wm. Engelmann). — bie 

 Alcundi Principj di Elettrostalica. Serie di Esperienze del Prof. G. Cantoni 

 (Milan, F. Vallardi). — Salla Polarizzione dei Coibenti : Prof. G. Cantoni. — 

 Efficacia dei Vapori nell 'Interns dei liquidi : Prof. G. Cantoni. — Sul limite 

 di resistenza nei Coibenti Elcttrica : Prof. G. Cantoni. — Importante Osser- 

 vazioni di C. B. Beggaria sui Condensatori Elettrica : Prof. G. Cantoni. — 

 Sie Talune particolari Forme di Cirri : Prof. G. Cantoni. — Spen'enze d' Elet- 

 trostalica (two parts) : Prof. G. Cantoni. — Nuvoa Scrie di Sperimenti su 

 TEtevogenia : Prof. G. Cantoni. — Verdhandlungen des Vereins fiir Natur- 

 wissenschaftliche Unterhaltung zu Hamburg, 1871-74: J. D. E. Schmelz 

 (Hamburg, L. Friederischen und C«.)— Jahrbuch der k. k. Geologischen 

 Reichsanstalt. No. i, 1875 (Wien).— Uber die Palaeozoischen Gebilde Podo- 

 liens und deren Versteinerungen : Dr. Alois v. Alth (Wien). — Uber die 

 Triadischen Pelecypodea : Gattungen, Daonella und Halobia : Dr. E. M. 

 V. Mojsvar (Wien).— Die Culm Flora des Mahrisch Schlcsischen Dache- 

 chieffers : Dr. Steer (Wien). 



Pagk 

 141 



CONTENTS 



Croll's "Climate AND Time," II 



Spraguh's Electricity 



Our Book Shelp ; 145 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Peculiarities of Stopped Pipes, Humming-tops, and other Varieties 



of Organ-pipes. — Hermann Smith 145 



Faults and the Features of the Earth —G. H. Kinahan .... 146 



Salaries in the British Museum. — Wm. Daviks . 146 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Double Star 2 2120 147 



The " Mirk-Monday " Eclipse, 1652, April 7-8 147 



Diameters of the Planets 147 



Solar Heat and Sun-spots. By Henry F. Blanford (JVith 



Illustration) 147 



Lectures at the Zoological Gardens, VIII.: Mr. Sclater on the 



Pheasant.-! 148 



The Progress OF the Telegraph, VIII. (*fjV>4///«j/rai;,w«j) . . 149 



Science in Germany 152 



Notes 15a 



Recent Progress in our Knowlkdge of the (Filiate Infusoria, 



11. By Dr. G J. Allman, F.R.S 155 



Scientific Serials 157 



Societies and Academies 157 



Books and Pamphlets Received t6o 



