284 



NATURE 



\_Aug. 5, 1875 



Dominica, accompanied by an excellent series of specimens of 

 the minute moth ( Cemiostoma coffeella) which injures the leaves of 

 the coffee plant in Dominica.— Dr Masters exhibited a flower of 

 a hybrid Tacsonia in which the anthers were replaced by petals, 

 while from the apex of the tube formed by the filaments, a 

 second corona of blue threads proceeded. Dr, Masters also 

 exhibited a flower of a Cattleya, in which there were three equal 

 sepals and four petals all lip-like. From the arrangement of 

 the parts Dr. Masters concluded that there was in this specimen 

 a passage from the whorled to the spiral arrangement. 



General Meeting. — Hon. and Rev. J. T. Boscawen in the 

 chair.— The Rev. M. J. Berkeley commented upon the objects 

 exhibited and also upon Mr. W. G. Smith's further observations 

 upon the resting spores of the potato-disease fungus. — Prof. 

 Thiselton Dyer made some observations upon a fine pan of 

 Droseras from the New Forest, exhibited by the Chairman. — Dr. 

 Masters commented on the splendid pitchers of Nepenthes sent 

 by Mr. D. Thomson, gardener to the Duke of Buccleugh at 

 Drumlanrig. 



Quekett Microscopical Club, July 23.— Annual Meeting. 

 — Dr. Matthews, president, in the chair. — The report showed 

 that the club had completed the tenth year of its existence 

 and that it continued to make most satisfactory progress ; the 

 meetings had been well attended, excellent papers had been 

 read and useful work accomplished, whilst the library and 

 cabinet were in good order, and the field excursions had been 

 very successful. The treasurer's statement showed that the 

 year's income from all sources amounted to 291/. 13^'. \id., and 

 that there was a balance in hand of 73/. 9^. ()d. Votes of thanks 

 to the president and officers were duly passed, as was also a 

 Special vote of thanks to the Council of University College for 

 their continued kindness in allowing the meetings to be held in 

 the library of that building. — The annual address was delivered 

 by the President, and upon its conclusion a ballot took place for 

 the election of officers and committee for the ensuing year. Dr. 

 J. Matthews was re-elected President. Messrs. J. Crisp, R. T. 

 Lewis, B T. Lowne, and T. C. White, Vice-Presidents. As 

 Hon. Sec, Mr. Ingpen ; as Treasurer, Mr. Gay. Hon. Sec. 

 for Foreign Correspondence, Dr. M. C. Cooke. And to fill the 

 four vacancies on Committee, Messrs. M. H. Johnson, F. Oxley, 

 T. Rogers, and Joseph A. Smith. 



Berlin 



German Chemical Society, June 28. — A. W. Hofmann, 

 president, in the chair. — Messrs. von Dechen and Wichelhaus 

 have studied the action of nitrobenzole on aniline. They obtain 

 an amorphous violet colouring substance to which they give the 

 formula (C6H4)3"N2 ; explaining its formation by the equa- 

 tions — 



1, CgHslNOs) -t- 2C6H5NH2 = H2O -h {C6H5)3N3 

 Nitrobenzole. Aniline. Violaniline. 



2. {C6H5)3N3 = NH3 -f (C6H,)3"N2 



(new substance). 



Messrs. Oppenheim and Pfaff have continued their researches on 



(OH 

 oxyuvitinic acid, CgH, \ CH3 . They have prepared the 



( (CO,H), 

 methylic ether and the first anhydride of this acid, which they 

 have found to be produced not only by the action of chloroform 

 but also by that of chloral, of trichloroacetic ether, and of the 

 chloride of carbon C CI4 on the sodium- compound of acetic 

 ether. They have prepared 150 grammes of pure cresol from 

 this acid and by transforming this cresol into cresotinic acid, 

 methylic and ethylic ethers, methyloxy benzoic, ethyloxybenzoic, 

 and oxybenzoic acids, and studying the properties of these 

 bodies they have determined the cresol obtained to be metacrtsol. 

 This leads them to allege the following position to the lateral 

 groups of oxyuvitinic acid — 



CH3 : OH : CO2H : COgH =1:3:4:6. 



The same chemists have found anisic acid to have the melting- 

 point 184* -2 and methyloxy benzoic acid 106-107°, the melting- 

 points formerly given bemg 10° too low. — P. Griess has trans- 

 formed diazocyanobenzol into cyanophenol, by heating its 

 sulphate with water — 



C8H3CN N2 + HgO = CgHiCN OH. 



Hydrochloric acid splits it into ammonia and meta-oxybenroic 

 acid. The cyananiline necessary for preparing the diazo com- 



pound had been prepared by heating uramidobenzoic acid with 

 phosphoric anhydride — 



_NH-C0-NH2 _phCN ,ro-^HO 

 C6H4_c00H -^6^4 NH2 + ^"2 ^ ^^O. 



— A. Ladenburg has repeated Mr. Fittica's experiments without 

 obtaining a trace of his presumed and inexplicable isomers of Ni- 

 trobenzoic acid. — O. Witt, by treating diphenylamine with nitrous 

 ether has transformed it into yellow brilliant crystals of diphenyl- 



nitrosamine N— NO . —A Pinner has transformed C3H2Cl2into 



\C«H5 

 a nitrochloroallylene, which, with tin and hydrochloric acid 

 yields C3II4CI3NH2 trichloropropylamine. Sodium acts on 

 C3H2CI2 m a peculiar way. It forms with it a solid compound 

 decomposed by water into chloride of sodium and CgHg a gas 

 forming the bromide C3H2Br.2. — A. W. Hofmann has distilled 

 the compound ammonium (CH3)3NC2H30H, hoping to obtain 

 vinylic alcohol ; he obtained, however, trimethylamine, water, 

 and acetylene. 



Paris 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, July 26. — M. Fremy in the 

 chair. The following papers were read : — Researches on the theory 

 of aberration, and considerations on the influence of the proper 

 motion of the solar system in the phenomenon of aberration, by 

 M. Yvon Villarceau.— Onthe latitude of Abbadia near Hendaye 

 (Basses Pyrenees), by M. A. D'Abbadie.~On the distribution of 

 magnetism in compound bundles of very thin bars of finite length, 

 by M. J. Jamin. — Note by M. Chevreul on the Compte Rendu 

 of the meeting of July 19- — Complementary notice on the con- 

 temporaneous formation of minerals by the thermal springs of 

 Bourbonne-les- Bains (Haute Marne) ; production of phosgenite, 

 by M. Daubree. — Researches on the phenomena produced by 

 electric currents of high tension, and their analogy with natural 

 phenomena, by M. G. Plante. — Action of electrolytic oxygen on 

 glycerine, by M. Ad. Renard. The author finds as the result of 

 this action formic and acetic acids and the first glyceric aldehyde. 

 — Study of the pyrites employed in France for the manufacture 

 of sulphuric acid, by MM. A. Girard and H. Morin. — On the 

 toxic properties of the fermentation alcohols, by MM. Dujardin- 

 Beaumetz and Audige.— On amyloxanthate of potassium (for the 

 destruction of Phylloxera), by MM. Zoeller and Grete. — On the 

 thermal phenomenon accompanying inversion, by M. G. Fleury. 

 The author concludes that the inversion of sugar by acids is an 

 exothermal phenomenon. — Note on a substance serving to 

 adulterate guanos, by M. F. Jean. — New researches on germi- 

 nation, by M. P. P. Deherain. — Experiments showing that the 

 mammae removed from young female guinea pigs are not repro- 

 duced, by M. J. M. Philipeaux. 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED 



British.— British Wild Flowers. Parts 14 and 15: J. E. Sowerby (Van 

 Voorst).— Sound. New Edition : J Tyndall, D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S. (Long- 

 mans).— Six Lectures on Light, delivered in America, 1872-73. New Edition : 

 J. Tyndall, D.C.L., LL.D., F.R.S. (Longmans).— Geometrical Contributeins 

 to the Educational Times : T. Archer Hirst, F.R.S. (Hodgson and Son).— 

 Report of the Inspectors of Irish Fisheries for 1874 (Dublin, Thom).— 

 Insectivorous Plants : Charles Darwin, M.A., F.R.S. (John Murray). 



CONTENTS Page 



American Geological Surveys. By Prof. Arch. Gkikie, F.R.S. . 265 



Fiske's " Cosmic Philosophy." By Douglas A. Spalding ... 267 

 OuK Book Shklf : — 



Wilson on ' Fertilisation of the Cereals " 270 



Oliver's "Official Guide to the Kew Museums" 270 



Letters to the Editor : — 



On the Mechanical Work done in exhausting a Muscle —Prof. 



F. E. Nipher (IVit/i Ittustration) 271 



Domestic Economy of Blackbirds— E.R.W 272 



Scarcity of Birds — Joseph John Murphy 272 



Hay Crops of 1875 —Dr. C. M. Ingleby 272 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Variable Stars 272 



The Great Cluster, Messier 11 272 



New Minor Planet 272 



The Great Comet of 1843 272 



Comet 1874 (II.) 273 



Prof. LooMis ON THE U.S. Weather Maps 273 



On the Horizontal Photographic Telescope of Long Focus . 273 

 On the Cardiograph Trace. By Prof. A H. Garrod, F.Z.S. , . 27s 

 Sir James Kav-Shuttleworth on Scientific Training .... 276 

 The International Geographical Congress and Exhibition . 278 

 Notes .... . ■ . ■ • ■ 279 

 The Mortality of the Large Towns of the British Islands in 

 Relation to Weather. By Alexander Buchan (With Illus- 

 trations) • • 281 



Scientific Serials 282 



Societies and Academies 283 



Books and Pamphlets KECKrvED 284 



