528 



NA TURE 



\Oct. 14, 1875 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



The Journal of the Chemical Society, July and August, 1875. 

 — These numbers contain the following papers, besides the usual 

 number of abstracts from other serials : — On Narcotine, Cotar- 

 nine, and I lydrocotarnine (Part I.), by G. H. Beckett and Dr. 

 C. R. A. Wright. The authors first treat of the preparation of 

 cotarnine, then of its conversion into hydrocotarnine, and the 

 action of oxidising agents upon the latter. Finally, there are 

 accounts of the action of nascent hydrogen, of boilmg baryta 

 water, and of ordinary water on narcotine. As an appendix to 

 this interesting paper we have a treatise by Dr. F. Pierce, on 

 the Physiological Action of Cotarnine and Hydrocotarnine. It 

 appears from this that the addition of hydrogen to cotarnine 

 converts a base which is apparently inert into a very active 

 substance, the change in physiological action being far more 

 striking even than the alteration brought about in the physical 

 and chemical properties.— On Andrewsite and Chalkosidehte, by 

 Prof. Story Maskelyne. — An Examination of Methods for effect- 

 ing the quantitative separation ot Iron Sesquioxide, Alumina, 

 and Phosphoric Acid, by Dr. Walter Flight ; this paper is very 

 elaborate and interesting. — On a New Method of Supporting 

 Crucibles ia Gas I'^urnaces, by C. Griffin. — On some points in 

 Examination of Waters by the Ammonia method, by W. II. 

 Deering. — On the Structure and Composition of certain Pseudo- 

 morphic Crystals, having the form of Orthoclase, by J. Arthur 

 Phillips. — On Sodium Ethylthiosulphate, by Wm. Ramsay. — 

 On the Action of Organic Acids and their Anhydrides on the 

 Natural Alkaloids (Part IV.) by G. H. Beckett and Dr. C. R. 

 A. Wright The authors treat of the action of polybasic acids 

 on morphine and codeine, of succinic acid on morphine, of 

 camphoric acid on codeine and morphine, of tartaric and 

 oxalic acids on codeine, and of oxalic acid on morphine. — A 

 note, by the same authors, on the Sulphates of Narceine and 

 other Narceine deiivatives ; giving an account of the action of 

 nascent hydrogen, of acetic anhydride, and of ethyliodide 

 upon narceine. — On the Action of Chlorine on Pyrogallol, by 

 John Stenhouse and Ch. E. Groves ; the authors speak of two 

 substances not described before, with such minuteness, and call 

 them Mairogallol and Leucogallol. —In an appendix Mr. W. J. 

 Lewis gives an account of the crystallographic characters of 

 IMairogallol. — On the Action of Dilute Mineral Acids on Bleach- 

 ing Powder, by Ferdinand Kopfer ; a very elaborate treatise 

 with numerous tables and results of analysis, going far to eluci- 

 date the still somewhat doubtful chemical composition of the 

 substance commonly known as " chloride of lime." 



The most important article in the Journal of Botany for 

 September is by Mr. J. W. Clark, " On the absorption of 

 nutritive material by the leaves of some insectivorous plants." 

 In a veiy carefully conducted series of experiments, a number of 

 llics were supplied to the bases of Drosera rotundifolia and inter- 

 media, Avhcse bodies had previously been soaked in lithium 

 citrate ; care was taken that the salt did not reach any other part 

 of the plant externally ; and after a period of about forty-eight 

 hours the leaf-stalks were incinerated and tested by the spectro- 

 .scope for lithium, a perceptible quantity of which was found ; 

 thus appearing to prove, in opposition to Prof. Morren's view, 

 that the leaf does actually absorb and digest. A few experi- 

 ments were tried on Pinguicula lusitanica with the same result. 

 The plate in this number represents an interesting new lichen, 

 Stigmatidium dindritictun ; and in that for October the mode of 

 germination of Chara, to illustrate a translation of De Bary's 

 important paper on this subject. It also contains a description 

 of a collection of Chinese ferns gathered by Mr. J, Y. Quekett, 

 and other shorter papers. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 

 Royal Microscopical Society, Oct. 6. — Mr. II. C. 

 Sorby, F.R.S., president, in the chair. — A large number of 

 liresents to the Society were announced, and special atten- 

 lion was directed by the Secretary to a turn-table by Mr. 

 Cox, of the U.S. America. — A new microscope was exhibited 

 by Messrs. Beck and Beck, and a new form of hand magnifier 

 by Mr. Browning. — Mr. Slack made some observations upon 

 certain Lepidoptera armed with boring probosces, by which 

 they were said to pierce oranges and other fruit. A comparison 

 bttween drawings of an Australian species appeared to show 



that it was identical with one originally described by Mr. M'Intire 

 at the meeting in April 1874.— Mr. Beck exhibited a specimen 

 of blood discs of the Amphiimta means, which are supposed to 

 be the largest in existence.— A paper by Dr. R. Piggott, on the 

 identical characters of spherical and chromatic aberration, was read 

 by the Secretary.— Dr. C. T. Hudson gave a highly interesting 

 description of a new Melicertian, for which he proposed the 

 name of AI. tyro, 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, September 27.— M. Fremy in 

 the chair. — The following papers were read :— Meridional ob- 

 servations of the minor planets made at the Paris Observa- 

 lory during the first half of the year 1874, by M. Leverrier. 

 — On the formation of hail ; reply to a note by M. Renou, 

 by M. Faye. —Twelfth note on the electric conductivity of 

 bodies which are imperfect conductors, by M. Th. du Moncel. 

 — Irregular variation of hybrid plants and deductions which 

 can be made therefrom, by M. Ch. Naudin.— On the deve- 

 lopment of the pulmonary gasteropoda, by M. H. Fol.— Trans- 

 formation of blood into a soluble powder ; chemical, physical, 

 and alimentary properties of this powder, by M. G. Le Bon. — 

 Notes towards the history of the genus Phylloxera, by M. Lich- 

 tenstein. — On the particularities presented by the phenomenon 

 of the contacts during the observation of the transit of Venus at 

 Pekin ; note by M. Fleuriais. — On the putrefaction produced by 

 bacteria in the presence of alkaline nitrates, by M. Mensel. — 

 Remarks concerning a note by M. F. Glenard on the spon- 

 taneous coagulation of blood removed from the organism, by 

 MM. E. Mathieu and V. Urbain. — Quantities of nitrogen and 

 of ammonia contained in beet-roots, by MM. Champion and H. 

 Pellet. — On the internal structure of the hailstone and its pro- 

 bable mode of formation, by M. A. Rosenstiehl. — Extract from 

 a letter from Colonel Buchwalder on hailstorms, presented by 

 M. Fayc—Letter from M. E. Solvay to M. E. Becquerel on 

 the formation of hail, presented by M. Faye. 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED 



British.— Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute (Spon).~Thermo-Dyna- 

 mical Phenomena; or, the Origin and Physical Doctrine of Life : H. A. 

 Hartley, of Madras (Longmans). — Animal Physiology : E. Tully Newton 

 (Murby).— Figures of Characteristic British Fossils: \V. H. Baily, F.L.S., 

 F.G.S. (Van Voorst).— Proceedings of the Natural History Society of Glas- 

 gow. — On Improved Dwelhngs : Charles Gatliffe, F.S.S. (Stanford).— Mate- 

 rialism : J. M. Winn, M.D., M.R.C.P. (Hardwicke). 



American.— The Recent Origin of Man: J. C. Southall (Philadelphia, 

 Lippincott and Co.) — Preliminary Report upon a Reconnaissance through 

 Southern and South-Eastern Nevada, made in i86g, by Lieutenants Wheeler 

 and Lockwood.— The .Origin of the Sun's Heat (Troy, U.S., Scribner).— 

 Daily Weather Reports, December 1872 and December 1873 (Signal Service 

 U. S. Army, Washington). 



Forf;igm. — ResumC- de quelques Observations astronomiques et meteoro- 

 logiques :J. C. Houzeau (Brussels, F. Hayez).— Materiaux pour servir a 

 I'etudie de la Faune profonde du la Leman : Dr. F. A. Forel (Lausanne, 

 Ronge et Dubois). — Die Fortschritte des Darwinismus : T. W. Spengel 

 (Leipzig, E. H. Mayer).— Culturgeschichte in ihrer Naturlichen Entwick- 

 lung bis zur Gegenwart : von F. von Hellwald (Augsburg, Lampart et Cie.) 

 — Charles de I'Escluse, sa Vie et ses Oiuvres : E. Morren (Liege). — Annaes 

 do Observatorio do Infante D. Luiz Magnetism-j Terrestre, 1870 and 1874 

 (Lisboa). 



CONTENTS Pace 



Thk Inauguration of the Yorkshire College of Science . . 509 



Burton's "Ultima Thule" .- 509 



DuPONT and De La Grye's '" Indigenous and Foreign Woods " . 512 



Our Book Shelf 513 



Letters to the Editor :— 



The Sleep of Flowers. — G. S. Boulger 513 



Dehiscencepf the Capsules of Coltomia.—ALFRi^D W. Bennett, 



F.L.S .'5,4 



Oceanic Circulation. — Prof. G. E. Thorte 1514 



High Waves with a North-west Wind. — Ralph Abercrombv . . 514 



THntoms (ff^iiA/ttusiraiiou).—W W. Wood 514 



Tailsof Rats and Mice.— George J. Romanes 515 



Nev.'comb on the Uranian and Neptunian Systems 515 



Cassowaries. By P. L. Sclater, F.R.S. 516 



Another Monstre Refractor 517 



The Difference of Thermal Energy Transmitted to the 

 Earth isy Radiation from Different Parts of the Solar 



SvRFACK (lyiiA /ttustraiions). By J. Ericsson 57 



Some Lecture ;Notes on ISIeteorites, III. By Prof. N. S. 



Maskelyne, F.R.S 520 



A City OF Health. By Dr. B. W. Richardson, F.R.S 523 



Notes 525 



Scientific Serials 5i;8 



Societies and Academies 328 



Books and Pamphlets JIbcsived 528 



