488 



NATURE 



{Sept. 30, 1875 



the atmosphere, that later in the day we traced the smoke from 

 the steamer's funnel for a distance of nearly fifteen miles. 



The accompanying woodcut is from a sketch which I made on 

 board the vessel at the time, and I doubt not will be interesting 

 to your readers. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Zeilschrift der Oesieyreichischen Geselhchaft fiir Mdeorologie, 

 August 15. — This number contains a description, with dia- 

 grams, of Theorell's printing meteorograph, a very ingenious 

 instrument, likely to be of much service in meteorology. It 

 differs from other meteorographs in this, that instead of tracing 

 curve?, which have to be afterwards translated into figures, it 

 prints the figures at once, thus saving much future trouble. One 

 of the three already made has been in use at the Royal Observa- 

 tory of Vienna since September 1874, and has been so adapted 

 as to record, by electric communication, the state of the follow- 

 ing instruments, placed in any situation : anemometer, vane, 

 wet and dry thermometers, and barometer, once in every quarter 

 of an hour. The moving force is a galvanic current connected 

 with a clock. Dr. Theorell's account of the instrument refer- 

 ring to the plates will be continued in the next number of the 

 Zeitschrift. In the "Kleinere Mittheilungen" Prof. Hoffmann, of 

 Giessen, compares the sum of the daily maxima of solar radiation 

 in several years with the time of the flowering of certain plants. 

 His results in 1875 bear out his expectations derived from four 

 previous years' observations, 1866-69, ^"d in certain cases his 

 forecast of the time of flowering was nearly correct. — There is 

 besides a paper by Dr. Schreiber on a new registering air ther- 

 mometer ; also a letter from Mr. Ferrel on the theory of storms. 



' Jahrhuch der Kais.-kon. Geologischen Rekhs-Anstalt, Band 24, 

 heft iv. — Nearly all this part of the Jahrbiich is occupied by the 

 second part of Dr. Guido Stache's elaborate memoir on the 

 Palaeozoic regions of the eastern Alps. In this part he sum- 

 marises all that is known respectmg the geology of the western 

 slopes (Cadoric Alps) of the area embraced in his review. — The 

 only other paper is one by M. V. Lipoid — " Explanation of the 

 geological map of the environs of Idria, in Carniola." A coloured 

 map and plate of horizontal sections accompany the paper. — In 

 Dr. Tschermak's " Mineralogische Mittheilungen" Dr. R. v. 

 Drasche concludes his paper, entitled ' ' Petrographic-geological 

 Observations on the West Coast of Spitzbergen." The editor 

 describes the Labradorite of Verespatak ; and a notice of two 

 other minerals, Famatinite and Wafplerite, is given by A. 

 Frenzel. 



The Boleiin de la Academia Nacional de Ciencias exadas en 

 la Universiiad de Cordova {South America'), Entrega iii., 1874, 

 contains some papers of interest. We note the following : — 

 On the chemical composition of the water of the La Plata River, 

 by Senor Kyle. — On the formation of saline deposits, by D. Fred. 

 Schickendantz. — On the chemical and physical rction which took 

 place in the formation of the pampas of Cordova, by Dr. A. 

 Doering. — Critical notices on some entomological publications, 

 by Dr. D. C. Berg. 



The Annali di Chiniica appUcata alia Medecina (August) 

 contain the following papers of note :— On salicylic acid, by Dr. 

 D. Gibertini. — Note on chloral-santonine, byC. Pavesi. — On the 

 health of smokers, by Dr. Bertherand. — On the substitution of 

 iron shot for lead shot for the purpose of cleaning bottles in hos- 

 pitals, barracks, &c., by Sig. Fordos. — On the comparison of 

 Innnan milk with cows' milk with regard to the nutrition of 

 infants, by Ph. Biedert. — A number of papers of minor interest. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



Vienna 

 Imperial Academy of Sciences, July 15. — On the solu- 

 bility of calcic chloride in water, by H. Hammerle. — On 

 the decrease in the temperature of the maximum of density 

 of water through pressure, by C. Puscljl. — On the system of 

 vessels of the tube-bones, with notes on the structure and 

 developm.ent of bones, by C. Danger. — Researches on the 

 capacity of gas-mixtures for conducting heat, by J. Plank. — On 

 the theory of the composite eyes and the seeing of motions, by 

 Dr. S. Exner. — On the graduation of induction apparatus, by 

 Dr. E. Fleischl. — Researches on the motion of the imbibition- 



water in wood and in the membrane of the vegetable cell, by 

 Prof. Wiesner. — On the morphology and biology of Lenticellae, 

 by G. Haberlandt. — Meteorological observations made at Hohe 

 Warte, near Vienna. 



July 22. — (Last meeting before holidays).— Remarks on the 

 variations in the velocity of light passing through quartz which 

 is subjected to pressure, by J. Merten. — The Crustacea, Pygno- 



fonida, and Tunicata of the Austro-PIungarian North Polar 

 Expedition, by C. Heller. — On the finer structure of bone sub- 

 stance, by Prof, von Ebner. — On the construction of the rellec- 

 tion goniometer, by Prof, von Lang. — (The next meeting will 

 take plac« on Oct 14.) 



K.K. Geologische Reichsanstalt, May 31. — Report from 

 Dr. O. Lenz on his travels in Africa. — On the occurrence of 



marine petrefacts in the Ostrau layers, by D. Stur. On the 



coal deposits of Drenovec, by Dr. R. Homes. 



June 30. — On the Island of Kos, by Dr. M. Neumayer. — 

 On fresh-water strata amongst the Sarmatic deposits near the Sea 

 of Marmora, by Dr. R. Homes. — On the landslip near 

 Unterstein, on the Salzburg-Tyrol Railway, by II. Wolf. 



July 31. — On some fossil plants from India, by O. Feistmantcl. 

 On the formation of the terra rossa, by Th. Fuchs. — On moun- 

 tain folds, by the same. — On secondary infiltrations of carbonate 

 of lime into loose and porous formations, by the same. — Report 

 by D. Stur on his travels in Silesia. — On the fauna of the 

 Schliers of Ottnang, in Upper Austria, by R. Homes. 

 Stockholm 



Kongl. Vetenskaps Akademiens Forhandlingar, March 

 ID. — The foUowmg papers were read : — Genera et species Litho- 

 bioidarium disposuit, by A. Stuxberg. — Review of all Lithobioidae 

 hitherto known in North America, by the same. — Report on the 

 bryological researches in Norway during 1874, byC. Hartman. — 

 On the moss flora of Lulea (Lappmark), by P. J. Hellbom. — 

 On the observation of two crossing rainbows, by O. Gumaelius, 

 with some remarks on the same, by R. Rubenson. 



April 14. — On the marine Entomostraca collected during the 

 Swedish Scientific Exhibition to Spitzbergen, by W, Lilljeborg. 

 — On the formation of the smaller bays, of the river valleys, of 

 lakes, and of sea banks, by A. Holland. 



GoTTINGEN 



Nachrichten von der konigl. Gesellschaft der Wissen- 

 schaften, Aug. 7. — The following papers were read : — On lens 

 fibres, by Prof. J. Henle. — On the linear differential equations of 

 the second order which possess algebraic integrals, and on a new 

 application of the "invariant" theory, by Prof. L. Fuchs. 



CONTENTS PAr.B 



Thk Science Cojimission Report on the Advancement of 



Science 41^9 



The Government Researches in Pathology and Medicine . . 470 

 The Influence of the Pressure of the Atmosphere on Human 



Life v 472 



Our Book Shelf : — 



The Royal Tiger of Bengal ; his Life and Death 474 



Newton's Introduction to Animal Physiology 474 



Abstracts and Results of Magnetical and Meteorological Observa- 

 tions at the Magnetic Observatory, Toronto, fro:n 1841 to 1871 . 474 

 Letters to thk Editor : — 



" Tone" and " Overtone." — Alexander J. Ellis 473 



Colours of Heated Metals. — Prof. A. S. Herschel 475 



Changes of Level in the Island of Savaii. — Richard Wehb . . . 476 



Origin of the Numerals. — W. Donisthorpe (With Uiusiration) 476 



Pugnacity of Rabbits and Hares. — G. J. Ro.manes 476 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



" 35 Camelopardi," B.A.C. 1924 476 



The Double Star 2 2120 477 



The Minor Planets 477 



The August Meteors 477 



The Clinical Laboratories Annexed to the Paris Hospitals . 477 

 Note ON HvEmatitk Indian Axes from West Virginia, U.S.A. 



By Dr. Charles C Abbott {IVitA I llustratioii) 478 



Dohrn on the Origin of the Vertebrata and on the|Principls 



OF the Succession ov Functions. By E. R L. . . ' . . . . 479 



The New Metal Gallium. By R. Meldola 481 



Unpublished Letters of Gilbert White 481 



Notes 482 



Some Lecture Notes upon INIeteorites 415 



Obsrrvations on a Remark.^ble Formation of Cloud at the 

 Isle of Skve. By Thomas Stevenson, F.R.S.E , &c. {With 



Illustration) 4S7 



Scientific Serials 488 



Societies and Academies 488 



Errata. — Vol. xii. p. 455, col. i, line 8 ftoin bottom, for "time/" read 



"very small time t." V. 463, col. i, lipe 21 from bottom, for " 2n + ^ " read 

 ' 2« + 2." 



