428 



mATURE 



{Sept. 9, 1875 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



' The first fascicule of this year's Bttlletin de Id SociSte d' Anthro- 

 pologie de Paris gives the new president, M. Dallas' inaugural 

 address, in which he draws attention, amongst other points, to 

 the importance in reference to anthropology of the study of 

 "demography," or that branch of sociology which treats of the 

 influence of prosperity on populations in determining the max- 

 ima and minima of births and deaths. After speaking with 

 just pride of the merit due to the Paris Society of having inau- 

 gurated the systematic study of anthropology, and of having 

 served as the model for similar institutions in all the great cities 

 of the old and new Continent, the President announced that in 

 consequence of the appointment of two new secretaries, MM. 

 Astezat and Gerard de Rialle, and of a general-assistant secretary, 

 M. Magitot, as well as through the adoption of different rules for 

 the transmission of papers, the publication of the Bulletins would 

 no longer be subject to the delay which had of late years marked 

 their appearance. In the discussion which followed M. de 

 Mortillet's paper on the circles drawn on a fragment of a human 

 skull found in the dolmens of Lozere, M. de Leguay took occasion 

 to express his conviction that the men who constructed these 

 megalithic monuments must have been possessed of tools of 

 metal, and provided with textile fabrics such as strong ropes, 

 capable of being used to lift and pull heavy weights. He does 

 not venture to give an opinion as to the probable antiquity of 

 these remains, but he believes that no one acquainted with prac- 

 tical mechanics can attach faith to the commonly accepted 

 theory that these stones have been conveyed from distances and 

 elevated to their present positions by slides or rollers. The 

 speaker, moreover, pointed to the fact that a bronze bracelet of 

 indisputable Gallic fabricition was found below one of the Lozere 

 dolmens ; and he is of opinion that the men who erected the 

 latter used iron as well as bronze. — In discussing the human 

 remains belonging to upwards of aot^ individuals found l^v M. 

 de Baye in the Baye caverns on the Marne, among whicii were 

 skulls having circular lints and perforations similar to those 

 of the Lozere fragment, M. Broca drew attention to the two 

 distinct cranial types which they presented, the one being doli- 

 cephalic, while the other was sub-brachycephalic. — Those in- 

 terested in abnormal types of humanity wiil find much suggestive 

 matter in several papers referring to the so-called Aztecs intro- 

 duced into Europe twenty-five years ago, in whom micro- 

 cephalism — whatever its cause may be — is more strikingly 

 exhibited than in any other known case. — M. Hamy's learned 

 paper on artificially produced microcephalism among the sacer- 

 dotal classes of Central America, gave rise to an animated dis- 

 cussion in which Dr. Broca and Madame Royer took part. — Dr. 

 Mondieres has laid an interesting report before the society, in 

 which he supplies much hitherto unknown information in regard 

 to the prevalent diseases of the natives of Cochin China, the 

 remedies applied, and the practices resorted to by the bonzes 

 for working pretended miracles. The author describes the 

 physical characteristics of the two distinct races, the Ming- 

 huongs and true Cambodians. — M. Broca exhibited the skeleton 

 of a Peruvian mummy-foetus which had been taken from an 

 ancient cemetery near Callao, laid bare by an earthquake. It 

 was found in the portion of the ground appropriated to infants, 

 and where each little body was tied tightly into a cloth and had 

 enclosed with it a number of minute toy- like vessels, utensils, 

 and arms. The fcetal mummy was examined with special 

 reference to the existence of the supernumary cranial bone, 

 which some Spanish writers affirm to be a characteristic of the 

 Inca race. No such bone could, however, be detected in the 

 Peruvian mummy, whose skull was precisely similar to those of 

 Europeans at the sair.e period of foetal existence. 



\, The Journal de Physique thSorique et appliquie for July 

 contains the following original papers : — On the acoustic theory 

 of beats, by Terguem and Boussinesq. — On the use of collodion 

 films in Physics, by E. Gripon. — On the interior double reflexion 

 of uniaxal crystals, by M. Abria. — A note by M. Henri 

 Becquerel, on the action of magnetism upon the induction spark. 

 — On a new method to produce sonorous vibrations and inter- 

 ferences on mercury, by C. Decharme. — On the channelled space 

 spectra of MM. Fizeau and Foucault, by M. Nodot. 



Gazzetta Chiviica Italiana (fasc. vi. 1875.)— This number 

 contains the followmg papers : — Defence of the old theory of 

 electrostatic induction, by G. Pisati. — Chemical dissociation as 

 applied to the interpretation of some volcanic phenomena ; 

 analysis and synthesis of a new mineral from Mount Etna, which 



is of common origin in volcanoes, by Prof. O. Silvestri — 

 Experimental researches by Dr. L. Pesci, on peroxide of iron 

 as generator of nitric acid, and on the origin of nitre in some 

 experiments of Cloez. — Chemical and toxicological researches 

 by Dr. C. Bettelli, on oleandrine and so-called pseudocurarine. 

 — On albumen assisting the solution of the tricalcic phosphate of 

 the blood, by M. Mercadante. — On the presence of leucine in 

 vetches, by A. Cossa. 



The Notizblatt des Vereins fiir Erdkunde zu Darmstadt, 

 series iii. heft xiii. contains but one paper of scientific interest, 

 all the rest of the contents being devoted to statistical reports 

 from the central station for statistics of the Grand Duchy of 

 Hessen, and to tables relating to these reports. " The paper re- 

 ferred to records the meteorological observations of the Kataster 

 Office at Darmstadt during the whole of the year 1873, and is 

 accompanied by a very elaborate table. 



The yourtial de Physique thSoriqiie et appliquee for August 

 contains the following original treatises : — On double spectra, by 

 M. G. Salet. — Exposition of some experiments relating to the 

 theory of induction, by M. Felici. — On a new method to deter- 

 mine quickly the refractive index of liquids, by MM. Terquem 

 and Trannin. — On a new form of electro-magnet, by M. A. 

 Camacho. — On elliptic polarisation, by L. Mouton. — The re- 

 mainder of the journal contains extracts and translations from 

 Poggendnrff's Annalen and from the American yournal of 

 Science and Arts. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, August 30. — M. Fremy in the chair. 

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

 Jupiter's mass and on some new researches on Saturn. — On the 

 formation of hail, by M. Faye. — Tenth note on the electric cor- 

 ductibility of bodies known to be bad conductors, by M. Th. du 

 Moncel. — Report by a commission appointed to examine a me- 

 moir by M. Haton de la Goupilliere, entitled. Direct and Inverse 

 " developpoids " of successive Orders. — A note by M. J. 

 Kiinckel, on Lepidoptera with perforating proboscis as destroy- 

 ers of oranges (Ophidera). — Remarks on the granitic diluvium of 

 plateaus ; lithological composition of the caolinic sand of Mon- 

 tainville (Seine et Oise), by M. Strai. Meunier. — On the ger- 

 mination of Chevalier barley, by M. A. Leclerc. — Researches 

 on the ferments contained in plants, by M. C. Kossmann. — A 

 number of communications of minor interest. — On the formation 

 of aniline black, obtained by the electrolysis of its salts, by J. J. 

 Coquillion. — On the development of unfertilised ova of frogs, by 

 M. G. Moquin Tandon. 



CONTENTS Page 



Thb Science Commission Report on the Advancement of 



Science 389 



The Irish Fisheries 392 



Magnus's "Elementary Mechanics". ; 394 



Our Book Shelf : — 



Game Preservers and Bird Preservers 395 



Books on Bee-keeping 395 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Personal Equation in the Tabulation of Thermograms, &c. — John 



H Plummer 395 



Source of Volcanic Energy.— W. S. Green {With 1 lliistration) . 396 



Sanitary State of Bristol and Portsmouth— Dr. W. J. Black . . 396 



A Lunar Rainbow.— John Allen Broun ; T. W. Backhouse . 397 



The House-fly.— F. P 397 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



M. Leverrier's Theory of Saturn 397 



Mr. De la Rue's Tables for Reduction of Solar Observations . . 397 



Mira Ceti 398 



Science in Germany {With I llnstraiioti) 398 



Historical Note on the Observation of the Corona and Red 



Prominences of the Sun. By Edward S. Holden 399 



Solar Observation in India. By R. Meldola 400 



The Laws of Storms (JFz'M ///?«/r«//(77«) 400 



The British Association 403 



Reports 404 



Sectional Proceedings , 4''4 



Section D. — Opening Address 407 



Department of Anatomy a«d Physiology.— Opening Address (f^»Vy4 



lUustratiom) 4' 3 



Section E. — Opening Address 419 



The French Association for the Advancement of Science . . 473 

 The American Association for the Advancement of Science. -- 



Detroit Meeting. By W. C. W 4^4 



Notes 426 



Scientific Serials 428 



Societies and Academies 428 



