li6 



NATURE 



\May 29, 1879 



dibris that must have been scattered over the surface of the ice 

 during its melting by streams and rivailets, or spread out in the 

 temporary lakes which were formed at all levels, and may have 

 given rise in many instances to sand and gravel terraces of vari- 

 able extent. But though true beaches may be deposited in other 

 glacial lakes, for ledges or shelves such as constitute the 

 Parallel Roads to be formed, a number of conditions must have 

 concurred — such as suflFicient slopes, a detrital covering, barriers 

 at the mouth of the glens, and cols of escape at their upper end. 

 As the barrier ridges on the old ice-sheet melted, or burst, the 

 waters escaped to lower levels, carrying with them, on or beneath 

 the ice, a large portion of the surface detritus. Formed at all 

 levels up to 2,000 feet or more, these glacial lake waters, in 

 descending to lower levels, met with yet larger bodies of water, 

 and the transporting forces increased in power till the last stage 

 was reached and open channels formed in the distant plains, 

 leaving as marks of their passage down the valleys -here great 

 banks of gravel — there deep beds of sand, according to the dis- 

 tance from the point of outburst. To these floods, combined 

 with river inundations, and with the modifications wrought by 

 subsequent fluviatile action, are due various forms of escars, ter- 

 races, and other less defined detrital accumulations. 



Meteorological Society, May 21. — Mr.C. Greaves, F.G.S., 

 president, in the chair. The following were elected Fellows of 

 the Society :— A. C. Bamlett, C. Browne, H. Burkinyoung, 

 \V. Radford, F. Ramsbotham. The adjourned discussion on 

 the Rev. W. Clement Ley's paper on the inclination of the axes 

 of cyclones was resumed and concluded. The object of this 

 paper is to call attention to the evidences recently afforded by 

 the results of mountain observations to the theory that " the axis of 

 a cyclone inclines backwards." The author first reviews the state 

 of the question up to the present time, and details his own in- 

 vestigations chiefly founded upon the movement of cirrus clouds ; 

 he then refers to Prof. Lcomis's recent " Contributions to Meteoro- 

 logy," in which is discussed the observations at the summits and 

 bases of several high mountains, the results of which confirm the 

 theory that the axis of a cyclone inclines backwards. The 

 f ollow ing papers were read :— On observations of the velocities of 

 the wind, and on anemometers, by G. A. Hagemann. — On the 

 relation between the height of the barometer and the amount of 

 cloud, as observed at the Kew Observatory, by G. M. Whipple, 

 F.R.A.S. The author shows that the average amount of sky 

 clouded at Kew is a little less than seven-tenths of the whole, 

 and that the amount covered varies inversely as the barometric 

 pressure between the limits of 29-0 and 30-3 inches, the variation 

 being the most rapid between ag'S and 30-1 inches. Also that 

 above 30*3 inches cloud increases with increasing pressure, 

 attaining the mean about 30-5 inches, and rising above it at 30'6 

 inches. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, May 19. — M. Daubrde in the chair. 



The following papers were read : — Meridian observations of 



small planets at the Greenwich and Paris Observatories during 

 the first quarter of 1879, communicated by M. Mouchez. — On 

 the resistance of elliptical boilers, by M. Resal. — On a new 

 derivative of nicotine, by MM. Cahoiu-sand Etard. This is got 

 by heating nicotine (100 parts) and sulphur (20 parts) together. 

 The sulphur acts first by removing hydrogen from the nicotine. 

 When at 160° to 170" the mass lias become fluid and chrome- 

 green in colour, the heating is stopped ; and in a few days 

 yellow prismatic crystals are formed of the new substance. 

 Sundry reactions are described. The authors consider nicotine 

 ns probably a combination of dipyridine and hydrogen. Sulphur, 

 acting on 2 molecules of nicotine, transforms it, with separation 

 of'.sulphydric acid into tetrapyridine. — Formal reasons of the 

 economical superiority of the Woolf or compound engines, by M. 

 Ledieu. These are shown in tabular form.- — Researches on the 

 proportion of carbonic acid in the air, by M. Reiset. He 

 operate! with large aspirators, of about 600 litres capacity, 

 movable to various parts. He finds that free atmospheric air 

 contains, on an average, 2*942 vol. carbonic acid per 10,000 vol. 

 (The common statement is that the quantity in atmospheric air 

 varies between four and six ten-thousandths in volume.) In very 

 diverse conditions the extreme variations did not exceed 3 

 per 100,000. Comparative observations in woods and in fields 

 showed small differences, the numbers being 2"9I7 COj and 

 2*902 COj respectively, for the same hour. Other cases were ; 

 Over a field of red flowering clover in June, a'SgS COj ; over 

 one of barley with luzeme, in July, 2*829 CO,. Among a flock 



of 300 sheep in pasture, 3* 178 COj (showing a considerable in- 

 crease) ; at Paris, in May, near the Pare Monceaux, 3*027 COj. 

 — M. Daubree communicated news of M. Nordenskjold. Whalers 

 had seen what was probably the Vega, blocked in ice near 

 Behring Strait, not far from East Cape. — Mr. A. Hall was 

 elected Correspondent in Astronomy in room of the late M. 

 Santini. — On the transparence of the media of the eye for ultra- 

 violet rays, by M. Soret. He operated with the eyes of oxen, 

 calves, and sheep, using his spectroscope with fluorescent eye- 

 piece. It is shown that the absorption by the \\ hole of the 

 media must render impossible the perception of rays whose 

 refrangibility exceeds that of the extreme radiation of the solar 

 spectrum, or the line U. The absorbent properties of the 

 vitreous and aqueous humours are attributed to presence 

 of albuminoid substances. The limit of transparence of the 

 two humours is indicated by curves. — Independence of changes 

 of diameter of the pupil and of variations of the carotidian cir- 

 culation, by M. Fran9ois Franck. The iris may be dilated or 

 contracted independently of modifications of the circulation. — A 

 letter from Buffon to Laplace in 1774 was communicated by the 

 Marchioness de Colbert-Chabanais. — On the characteristics of 



functions 0, by M. Jordan. — On functions such as i^(sin — jr) = 



2 

 F{x), by M. Appell. — On a property of entire functions, by M. 

 Picard. — On the functions introduced by Lame in the analytical 

 theory of heat relating to ellipsoids of revolution, by M. 

 Escary. — Preliminary study of the action of acids on salts, with- 

 out intervention of a solvent, by M. Lorin. The results indicate 

 in general a chemical action more or less marked, and which for 

 fatty acids decreases from formic acid to each of its successive 

 homologues. Applications : — I. Crystallisable acetic acid may 

 be obtained with acetate of baryta and sulphuric acid. 2. Formic 

 acid may be had, very concentrated, with sulphuric acid and 

 formiate of ammonia. — On the presence of mercury in the 

 mineral waters of Saint-Nectaire, by M. Willm. He confirms 

 M. Garrigou's conclusion. (which had been denied), though the 

 quantity of mercury he got was much less. — On the changes of 

 volume of the spleen, by M. Picard. The dilatation of this organ 

 results from dilating nervous actions exercised on the digestive 

 organs, while its contraction results from a special well-deter- 

 mined nervous action, — Researches on alterations of the blood 

 in ura;mia, by MM. Morat and OrtiUe. Carbonate of ammonia 

 is always found in the blood, unless death come before the end 

 of the second day. Its presence there is posterior to its presence 

 in the alimentary canal. — On the mode of combination of iron in 

 haemoglobine, by M. Jolly. His analyses confirm a former con- 

 clusion, that iron exists in the blood corpuscle only in the state 

 of phosphate. — On hjematoxylic eosine and its employment in 

 histology, by M. Renant. It reveals, by an elective coloration, 

 the two orders of cells which constitute by their union a mixed 

 acinus of the sub-maxillary salivary glands, — On the apparatus 

 of sound in various South American fishes, by M. Sorensen. 

 Vibrations are communicated to the air of the swimming bladder. 

 — On the amyloid appearance of cellulose in champignons, by 

 M, De Leynes. 



CONTENTS pagb 



How TO Learn a Language. By Prof. A. H. Sayce 93 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Spectrum of Brorscn's Comet. — William Marshall Watts 94 



A Universal Catalogue. — Akistides Brezina 94 



Distribution of Mtis raitus. — A. B. R^ever 55 



Insect Galls Buds. — W. Ainslie Hollis 95 



Effects of Lightning. — G, W. Camphuis {}Vith Ilhtsiratton) . , ! 96 



Intellect in Brutes. — G. Bidie '96 



Gbographical Notes 96 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



The Total Solar Eclipse of May 22, 1724 97 



The Migration of Birds. By H. Gatkh 97 



The U.S. National Academy 99 



National Water Supply • loi 



The Audiometer 102 



A Machine for Drawing Compound Harmonic Curves. By Prof. 



E. W. Blake {IViih Illustraticm) 103 



Biological Notes : — 



Museum Pests in Entomological Collections * > . 106 



Effects of Light on Pelomyxa 106 • 



The Ovule 106 ; 



Muscles of Crayfish 106 ; 



Suspended Animation. By Dr. Benjamin Ward Richardson, , 



F.R.S 107' 



Notes io9' 



Uhitkrsitv AND Educational Inthlligbnck 1121 



Societies and Academies ,U2 



