2 24 



NA TURE 



July 15, 1875 



hitherto been devised, he stated that the new apparatus consists ' 

 essentially of an electro-magnet with shoes forming a groove, in 

 which a Siemens' armature is made to revolve. It differs from 

 the original machines made by Siemens and Wheatstone in the 

 commutator, as two springs conduct the current from the cylin- 

 drical insulator, to which are attached three pieces of metal, 

 one surrounding it for three-quarters of its "circumference, the 

 second for one quarter, and between these is a ring con- 

 nected with the insulated end of the wire from the arma- 

 ture, and bearing two pieces of metal which are so arranged 

 as to complete the circles of the outer pieces of metal. The 

 armature is so constructed that a stream of water may be con- 

 stantly passed through it. A small machine constructed on this 

 principle, which without its driving gear weighs 26 lbs., is 

 capable of raising 8 inches of platinum wire 8 inches long and 

 •005 inches in diameter to a red heat. — Dr. Stone then adjourned 

 the meetings of the Society until November. 



Vienna 

 Imperial Academy of Sciences, Jan. 14.— The following 

 papers were read : — On the tempera- tures arising from the 

 mixing of sulphuric acid with water, with reference to the 

 molecular heats and boiling points of the resulting hydrates, by 

 Dr. L. Pfaundler.— On the occurrence of relatively high tem- 

 peratures of air in the valleys of the Alps, by Prof. Kerner.— 

 On some researches on dinitro compounds of the phenyl series, 

 by Prof. Hlasiwetz. The author shows that phenol can easily be 

 converted into dinitrophenol if treated with nitrous acid when 

 dissolved in ether. At the same time mononitrophenol is formed — 



(1) CfiHj.OH -f N2O, = CgH^NjO -f N2O5 -1- H2O 



(2) 2CeH5 . OH -}- N2O5 = 2CbH4 . NO2 . OH -F HgO. 

 —Prof. "Weiss then gave an account of his observations of the 

 transit of "Venus at Jassy. The inner contact [could not be ob- 

 served through clouds, but the outer one was observed at 

 20h. 25ro. 49s 7 Jassy mean time. Prof. Weiss thinks that 

 through the unsatisfactory state of the atmosphere this result 

 may probably not be quite correct, and that the actual contact 

 took place a few tenths of a second later. The longitude of the 

 observing station was found to be 44m. 49S.7 east of the Imperial 

 Observatory of Vienna (probable error in this — ±os-l). — Prof. 

 Oppolzer gave an account of his observations at the same place, 

 and quoted his results in Paris mean time. In the reports of the 

 Academy for April 1870 he had given the time for the second 

 outer contact i8h. 45m. 25s.- 7 Paris mean time; he found by 

 observation iSh. 44m. 56s. -3 Paris mean time ; difference, 29s. "4. 

 The latitude of Jassy is given as -t- 47° 9' 25"-i (± o"-2). 



Jan. 21. — The following papers were read : — A note on the 

 experimental determination of diamagnetism by means of its 

 electric action of induction, by Prof. Toepler. — On the action of 

 the muscular current upon a secondary circle of currents, and on 

 a peculiarity of currents of induction, induced by a very weak 

 primary current; by Prof. Briicke.— On some Accra and 

 Geophagus species of the Amazon River, by Dr. Steindachner ; 

 in a second paper this gentleman spoke of four new Brazilian 

 siluroids, belonging to Oxydoras, Doras, and Rhinodoras. 



Feb. 4. — On the double refraction of quartz under pressure, 

 by Prof. Mach.— On the latent heat of vapours, by Prof. Puschl. 

 —On the fine structure of bones, by Prof. v. Ebner. — Detailed 

 classification of all known Foraminifera, by A. v. Reuss. — Re- 

 searches on the development of Naiades (freshwater mussels), by 

 W. Flemming. — On the dependence of the coefficient of friction 

 of .the air upon temperature, by A. v. Obermayer, 



Feb. 18.— On phenomena of flexion in the spectrum, by W. 

 Rosicky.— On the temperatures of solidification of the hydrates 

 of sulphuric acid and the composition of the crystals formed, by 

 Prof. Pfaundler and E. Schnegg. 



Feb. 25.— On the Tertiary strata on the north side of the 

 Apeniunes from Ancona to Bologna, and on the Pliocene forma- 

 tions of Syracuse and Lentini, by Th. Fuchs and A. Bittner. 



March II.— On the great ice period, and on some geological 

 theories, by Dr. A. Boue.— On anthracene and its behaviour 

 towards iodine and mercuric oxide, by Dr. H. Hlasiwetz and 

 Dr. O. Zeidler. 



March 18.— On a consequence drawn from Biot-Savart's law, 

 by Prof. A. "Wassmuth. — On the thermoelectric behaviour of 

 n etals during melting and solidification, by A. v. Obermayer. 



Stockholm 

 Korgl. Vetenskaps Akademiens Forhandlingar, Jan. 13. 

 — The loUowing papers were read : — On the'relation of tempe- 

 rature and moisture in the lowest strata of the atmosphere at 



daybreak, by R. Rubenson — On the efflorescence of alum salts 

 and their influence on vegetation, by C. E. Bergstrand. — On the 

 conduction of heat in a cylinder, by G. Lundquist. — On the 

 situation of moraines and terraces on the banks of many inland 

 lakes, by A. Helland (with plate). — Insecta Transvaalensia, a 

 contribution to the insect fauna of the Transvaal Republic, South 

 Africa, by H. D. J. Wallengren.— On the low vegetation of 

 Omberg, by P. G. E. Theorin. These papers are all in Swedish, 

 with the exception of that by A. Helland, which is in the 

 Danish language. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, July 5. — M. Fremy in the chair. — 

 The following papers were read : — A note by M. Chevreul, on 

 the explanation of numerous phenomena which are a conse- 

 quence of old age. This is the abstract of a third memoir 

 on the subject. — On the distribution of magnetism in bundles of 

 an infinite length composed of very thin laminse, by M. J. 

 Jamin. — Second note on tabular electro-magnets with multiple 

 cores, by M. T. du Moncel, — The rain of Montpelier during 

 twenty-three years (1852-74), from observations at the Jardin 

 des Plantes, by M. Ch. Martins. — On the Devonian period in 

 the Pyrenees, by M, A. Leymerie. — A letter was read from P. 

 Secchi, accompanying the presentation of the second French edi- 

 tion of his work on the Sun. — Description of the group of the 

 Pleiades and micrometric measurements of the positions of the 

 principal stars which compose it, by M. "Wolf. The author 

 employed an object-glass of 0*3 im. aperture, the positions 

 being given to one-tenth of a minute of arc. The catalogue 

 comprises 499 stars from the 3rd to the 14th magnitude, con- 

 tained in a rectangle 135 min. long, and 90min. broad, 77 Tauri 

 occupying the centre. All tlie stars in the group are referable 

 to P. Secchi's first type with regard to their spectra. The differ- 

 ences between the author's measurements and those of Bessel 

 seem to point to the conclusion that the group has a proper 

 motion towards the north-west. — Researches on carbon mono- 

 sulphide, by M. Sidot. According to the author, this substance 

 is formed by the prolonged action of light on carbon disulphide. 

 It is described as a reddish brown powder possessing neither 

 taste nor smell. Analyses gave numbers agreeing with the 

 required formula CS.— On atmospheric currents, by M. J. A. 

 Broun. — Phylloxera in the Department of Gironde, by M. 

 Azam.— Planet 146 Lucii.e. Elements of the orbit calculated, 

 by M. E. Stephan.— On the processes of magnetisation, by M. 

 J. M. Gaugain. — The nut from Bancoul. Chemical studies of 

 the oleaginous fruits of tropical countries, by M. B. Corenwinder. 

 — On the gum in wine and its influence on the determination of 

 the glucose, by M. G. Chancel.— Chlorobrominated ethylene : 

 isomerism of its chloride and the bromide of perchlorinated 

 ethylene, by M. E. Bourgoin. — Influence of chalk on the dis- 

 tribution of the so-called "calcifuge" plants, by M. C. Conte- 

 jean. — On the absorption of coloured liquids, by M. Cauvet. 



CONTENTS Pagk 



Scientific "Worthies, "V.— George GAnniEL Stokes. By Prof. P. G. 



'Xt.lT.V'S.^.Y.. {IVith Steel Engraving) 201 



Science Educatio.n FROM Below 203 



Darwin on Carnivorous Plants, I. By Alfred "W. Bennett, 



F.LS. {With Illustrations) 206 



Percy's Metallurgy 209 



Our Book Shelf : — 



Tyndall's " Sound " 211 



Tyndall's " Lectures on Light " 211 



Flagg's " Birds and Seasons of New England " 211 



Jenkinson's " Practical Guide to Carlisle," &c 211 



North Staffordshire Naturalists' Field Club 211 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The India Museum.— P. L. Sclater, F.R.S 212 



Irish Cave Exploration.— G S. Boulger, F.G.S 212 



Sea-power 212 



Sea-Lions.— J. "W. Clark ; 211 



Hereditary Affection of a Cat for a Dog 212 



Scarcity of Birds.— R. M. Barrington 213 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Variable Stars ^13 



The Double-star 2 1785 213 



The Total Solar Eclipse, 1927, June 29 213 



Minor Planets 213 



Science in Germany 213 



New Discovery in connection with the Potato Disease . . . 214 

 History of the Plagiograph. By Dr. J. J. Sylvester, F,R.S. 



\With /llustration) 214 



Charcoal Vacua. By Professors Tait and DewAr 217 



Addition to our Knowledge OF the Termites. By Lady Lubbock 218 



Notes 218 



Scientific Serials • 221 



Societies and Academies 223 



