July 15, 1875] 



NATURE 



221 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Transactions of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists^ Society, 

 vol. ii. part i., 1874-5. — This Society has now been in existence 

 for seven years, and at present numbers 140 members. It 

 endeavours, we beheve, faithfully to carry out one of the main 

 objects of local societies, the study of the natural history of its 

 district. This number of its Transactions contains the first 

 section. Dicotyledonous, of a list of the flowering plants of Norfolk, 

 forming the sixth instalment of the fauna and flora of the 

 county, which the Society is publishing. Mr. John Quinton 

 also contributes "Notes on the Meteorological Observations 

 recorded at Norwich during 1874." A notable and excellent 

 feature in this Society's publications is the miscellaneous notes, 

 in which are briefly recorded new or interesting facts in the 

 natural history of the county. There are several curious papers 

 in this part. Mr. Amyot gives some details concerning a very 

 old oak at Winfarthing Manor. — Mr, J. H. Gurney communi- 

 cates some extracts from the notebook of the late Miss Anna 

 Gurney of Northreps, in which she recorded noteworthy zoologi- 

 cal occurrences in her neighbourhood, between 1820 and 1856.— 

 A reprint of a letter by Sir J. E. Smith, from vol. vii. of the 

 Jrunsactions of the Linnean Society, gives some interesting de- 

 tails concerning several Norwich botanists. — Mr, T. Southwell 

 contributes an analysis of the documents from which the ' ' Indi- 

 cations of Spring," communicated to the Royal Society by 

 Robert Marsham, F,R.S., in 1789, were compiled. — A hst of 

 139 birds observed on the Kimberley estate, by the Earl of Kim- 

 berley. — The wild cattle at Chillingham, by Mr. C. G, Barrett, 

 an interesting account of a visit to those rare animals. 



Journal of the Franklin Institute, May. — The following nre 

 the principal papers in this number: " On the theory of the 

 tension of belts,'* by Prof. L, G. Franck ; the continuation of 

 Mr. C. E, Emery's paper on "Compound and non-compound 

 engines," and of Chief Engineer B, F, Isherwood's paper on 

 "Experiments with different screws;" "On the mechanical 

 equivalent of htat," the translation of a paper by M, Jules VioUe. 

 There is also a description of the Centennial Exhibition Build- 

 ings, with some excellent views, plans, and elevations, 



Zeitschrift der Oesterreichischen Gesellschaft fiir Metcorologie, 

 May 15. — The first paper describes a new kind of thermometer 

 invented by Dr, Wollny, of Munich, for earth-temperature between 

 0'3 and i '8 metres below the surface. — The next is the con- 

 cluding part of Mr. Colding's article on winds. After explaining 

 the effect of the rotation of the eaith on great atmospheric currents, 

 he continues as follows : — Let us consider the case of two winds, a 

 polar and an equatorial, moving side by side in opposite direc- 

 tions, the polar being to the west of the other. Clearly the two 

 will have a tendency to recede from each other, and in conse- 

 quence there will be rarefaction at their neighbouring borders, 

 producing a reaction in the two currents exactly counterbalancing 

 the force due to rotation. Thus pressure diminishes from their 

 outer towards their inner or neighbouring borders, where there 

 must be a valley or depression of their surfaces. Since the 

 magnitude of this valley depends upon the velocity of the winds, 

 any slackening of velocity in one of them must allow it to break 

 into the other by gravitation, and originate a hurricane revolving 

 against the sun. It is the denser polar wind which generally 

 breaks into the equatorial from a N. W, direction. Condensation 

 of vapour follows, and then under certain conditions a hurricane. 

 Now to take the other case — what will happen if the polar 

 current flows on the cast of the equatorial ? The effect of the 

 rotation of the earth will be a heapmg up or condensation of air 

 at their neighbouring borders, and the heavier current as before 

 will invade the lighter from S.E., bringing rahi. Here, how- 

 ever, there can be no hurricane, for gravitation acts dispersively, 

 and the adjustment of level proceeds outwards instead of in- 

 wards. If it were possible for a hurricane to arise on the east 

 side of the equatorial current, it would rotate "with the sun." 

 The reason why all hurricanes rotate against the sun is now 

 obvious, ^Vith these principles in mind, Mr. Colding thus illus- 

 trates the law of Dove : Let us imagine ourselves advancing in 

 a westward direction out of a polar into an equatorial current. 

 The wind turns gradually to E., then it changes to S. and S.W, 

 as we enter the warm current ; then we have it W,, N,W., N., 

 and finally N.E., in the polar current on the othei side. Now 

 at most stations where observations have been made, this direc- 

 tion of shift is the common one. Hence we are led to suppose 

 that the atmosphere as a whole moves sometimes from E. to W, , 

 but more commonly from \V, to E, There is good reason for 



this view. If the atmosphere consisted of air only, there would 

 be no reason for an excess of eastward movement, but the equa- 

 torial current, more than the polar, carries a large quantity of 

 vapour, and this causes an excess of pressure from W, to E. 

 Therefore, concludes the author, Dove's law is a real law of 

 nature. 



June I. — The chief papers in this number bear the follow- 

 ing titles : — " The Climate of the Lower Yenesei," "Co-efficients 

 of Temperature of Naudet's Aneroid," "An empirical demon- 

 stration of the Motive Force of the Equatorial Oceanic Current," 

 "Quantity of Carbonic Acid Gas in Desert Air." The last 

 paper refers to an examination of the air of the Libyan desert, 

 by which it appears that the quantity of carbonic acid gas con- 

 tained by it is about the amount found in other open places, 



Reale Istiluto Lombardo, Rendiconti, t, 8, fasc. ill., iv,, 

 e V. — These parts contain the following papers : — Prof. L. 

 Maggi and G, Canton!, on some new experiments on hetero- 

 geneity and some consequences drawn from previous series 01 

 experiments. — On the modification of the pupil observed in some 

 cardialgies, by Dr. A, de Giovauni. — Researches on the mor- 

 phogeny of alcoholic ferments, by Dr. J, Macagno. — Meteoro- 

 logical observations made at the Observatory of Brera, by 

 Abate G, Capelli. — On some new parasitic fungi found by 

 Dr. A. Cattaneo, of the Cryptogamic Laboratory, on some 

 fruit affected by the so-called rosin disease and gangrene, by 

 Prof. S. Garovaglio; the fungi belonged to the families of 

 Sporocadus spharonema, Echinobotrytwi, and a new kind called 

 Cattanea ; and the part contains some excellent illustrations of 

 the species. — A note by Prof. C. Combroso on the causes of 

 crime, — On the physiological effects of the Jaborandus, a shrub 

 growing in the interior of some provinces of Northern Brazil, 

 and whose leaves much resemble those of laurels, by Dr. Carlo 

 Ambrosoli. — On the correction of temperature in a liquid into 

 which the thermometer cannot be sufficiently immersed, by Prof, 

 Rinaldo Ferrini. — On the centre of gravity in some homogeneous 

 systems, by Prof. G. Bardelli. — Observations of the periodical 

 comet of Winnecke (1819, III,), by Prof, G. V, Schiaparelli, 

 made at the Observatory of Brera. 



Freiburg Naturforschende Gesellschaft. — This Society's Ver- 

 handlungen (vol, vi. Parts I. -HI.) contain .the following more 

 important papers : — On the action of sulphur chloride upon 

 aniline in the presence of carbon bisulphide, by A. Claus and 

 W, Krall. — On the action of solids upon over-saturated solu- 

 tions, by F, C, Henrici. — On the occurrence and some reactions 

 of pjrol, by W, Schlebusch, — On the decomposition of grape 

 sugar by cupric oxide in alkaline solution, by A, Claus, — On 

 some volcanic rocks of Java (with plates), by II, Rosenbusch. — 

 On nitrophenylene, by A, Claus. — Microscopic mmeralogical 

 researches, by H, Fischer (second paper), — On the galvanic 

 ignition of metal wires, by Dr, J. Miiller. — A graphic represen- 

 tation of Ohm's Jaw ; notes on melting points ; both these 

 papers by the same. — On Diiodohydrine, by A. Claus. — 

 Researches on the Lesser Lamprey {Fetromyzon planery), by Dr. 

 P, Langerhans (with plates). 



The Gazzetta Chimica Ilaliana, fasc. iv., 1875, contains the 

 following original papers : — On the hydrate of chlorine Clg -h 

 loHjjO, by U, Schiff. — On the action of aniline on dichlor- 

 hydrine, by the same. — On the supposed transformation of the 

 asparagine of vegetables into an albuminoid, by M. Mercadante. 

 — Besides the above there is a literal translation of Prof. Clerk- 

 Maxwell's paper on the dynamic evidence of the molecular 

 constitution of bodies, as read at the Chemical Society in 

 February last, and a summary of the contents of other journals. 



The "Attnalidi Chimica applicata alia Medicina" (April) 

 contains the following papers: — On chloral-collodion, by C. 

 Pavesi. — On the action of water upon subnitrate of bismuth, by 

 A. Ditte. — On the morphogeny of alcoholic ferments, by Dr. J. 

 Macagno. — On the action of nitrite of amyl upon the blood cor- 

 puscles, and on the temperature of the body during the inhala- 

 tion of this substance, by W, B, Woodmann. — On the origin 

 and propagation of disease (last paper), by Sig. Calton.— On the 

 nature of hydrophobia, by Dr. Brunetti. 



Archives des Sciences Physiques et Naiurelles, No. 209, 

 May 15. — The following are the principal original papers con- 

 tained in this number : — On Anajsthetics, by Dr. J. L. Prevost. 

 Reply to that part of M. Marc Micheli's article on the progress 

 of botany in 1874 whidi concerns plant-motion, by E. Hreckel. 



