212 



NATURE 



\yune 26, 1879 



discovery of oxygen in the sun by bright lines in the solar spec- 

 trum. He said that hitherto he had not been able to find these 

 lines projecting from the limb of the sun, like hydrogen, and his 

 impression is that oxygen resides lower than the reversing layer. 

 He had lately been extending the^dispersion of the spectrimi of 

 terrestrial oxygen, and from a light of maximum intensity of one- 

 candle power had now got a dispersion of eighty inches from A 

 to O. He exhibited two of the original negatives of the solar 

 spectrum showing the bright lines. Mr. J, Norman Lockyer 

 congratulated solar science on having so able a worker as Dr. 

 Draper, and remarked that if Dr. Draper proved i^his case for 

 even two or three O lines it would be sufficient, considering the 

 variability of the spectrum of matter under different physical 

 conditions. He also alluded to the traces of carbon which he 

 himself had found in the sun by the dark flutings in "the spec- 

 trum. Dr. Draper said he did not see why carbon should not 

 give both bright and dark lines. — Mr. Scott exhibited a number 

 of coloured photographs done after the method of M. Albert, 

 of Munich. 



Statistical Society, June 17.— Dr. William A. Guy, F.R.S., 

 read a paper on tabular analysis. Dr. Guy began his paper 1 y 

 stating that its chief object was to call attention to a particular 

 form of tabular analysis first proposed by Dr. Tweedy John 

 Todd, of Brighton. Dr. Guy in the course of his paper men- 

 tioned briefly the inquiries to which he had applied Dr. Todd's 

 method as modified by himself. He had made use of it in the 

 inquiry entrusted to him in 1S62 into the effects of the poison 

 known as emerald-green when used in the arts ; in comparing 

 the statements made in the four gospels ; in contrasting the 

 evidence of different witnesses in the Tichborne case ; in inqui- 

 ries relating to poisoning by arsenic and strychnine ; and in 

 comparing poisoning by strychnine with tetanus. The general 

 use of tabular forms for purposes of illustration was largely 

 illustrated by various specimens which Dr. Guy had used in his 

 lectures at King's College, and former papers read before the 

 Society. They had reference to crime, to fluctuation in recur- 

 rent events, &c., &c. The author finished his paper by stating 

 that he believed he did not attach undue importance to tabular 

 analysis, or the discovery of truth by means of tabular forms, 

 as distinct from tables of record and tables of illustration, when 

 he anticipated from their intelligent and more extended use, not 

 only greater accuracy of statement and completeness of descrip- 

 tion, but important discoveries also. The Statistical Society 

 was dealing with a vast array of facts, into which scientific 

 methods and scientific treatment are ever introducing more and 

 more of order, more and more of light. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, June 16. — M. Daubr^e in the chair. 

 — The following papers were read : — Transmission of the hour 

 at Paris Observatory to commercial ports for regulation of 

 chronometers, by M. Mouchez. He is hoping to accomplish 

 this once a week, at least, by telegraph ; but the expense is at 

 present a difficulty.— On the development of the perturbative 

 function where, the eccentricities being small, the mutual in- 

 clination of the orbits is considerable, by M. Tisserand. — On 

 the spherical regulating spiral of chronometers, by M. Phillips. 

 — Observations on M. Lamarsky's note on Stokes's law, by 

 M. E. Becquerel. The phenomena of fluorescence do not 

 depend on a simple change of refrangibility of luminous rays 

 falling on a body (as M. Lamarsky seemed to say), but on a 

 complete transformation of the vibratory movement. The illu- 

 minated body gives out, by an action proper to it, light whose 

 composition cannot be connected in a simple way w ith the nature 

 of the incident vibrations. — On the density of vapour of 

 bisnlphydrate of ammonia, by M. Sainte-Claire Deville. He 

 gives details of this from old laboratory notes (having been 

 reminded of the omission by MM. Engel and Moitessier). — Deter- 

 mination of the height of mercury in the barometer at the 

 equator ; amplitude of diurnal barometric oscillations at different 

 stations in the Cordilleras (continued), by M. Boussingault. His 

 observations at Bogota did not confirm Mutis's assertion of a 

 lunar influence on the barometric heights, though a very delicate 

 instrument was used. He found the average monthly heights 

 greatest in June and July, least in December and January (when 

 the earth is nearest the sun). He gives meteorological details 

 regarding Antisana Farm, which is at an altitude of 4, 100 metres. 

 — On the last modifications made in the sluice of Aubois, and on 

 the means used in it to deaden the percussions of the movable 

 tubes on their seats, by preventing their rebound, by M. De 



Caligny.— M. Daubree presented the first part of a work entitled 

 "Synthetical Studies of Experimental Geology," being a col- 

 lection of papers published during the last thirty years. — Observa- 

 tions of the planet 198, discovered at Marseilles Observatory, by 

 M. Borrelly. — On the surface of the wave and the transforma- 

 tion of a pencil, by M. Mannheim. — On the employment of 

 elliptic functions in the theory of the plane quadrilateral, 

 by M. Darboux. — Theorems of indeterminate analysis, by M. 

 Pepin. — Experiments on the resistance opposed by the air to 

 movement of a surface, by M. Saint-Loup. A plate, inclined to 

 the direction of motion, and fixed at the head of a horizontal 

 radial bar, was driven round a vertical axis, a special arrange- 

 ment being added to measure the resistance. The resistance for 

 a plane surface of i square decimetre making angle <^ with its 

 path is expressed by the formula — 



P^ = 0-1768 (4s;n« - l) F(ll + l-o6l V). 



— On the electric dilatation of the armatures of Leyden jars, by M. 



Duter. He finds the law verified, which is expressed by the 



equation n ■■ 



KV- 



, where u is the increase of volume of the 



jar, e its thickness, Vihe difference of potential of its armatures, 

 and JiT a coefficient characteristic of the apparatus. He con- 

 siders that electric pressure is not the cause of the phenomenon, 

 but that there is here a new phenomenon of electricity. — On the 

 same subject, by M. Righi. He distinguishes insta)ila/ieoiis 

 dilatation, due chiefly to polarisation of the glass, from persisUnt 

 dilatation, not before observed, and due to development of heat; 

 and he thinks it probable that at the same time the polarisation 

 and perhaps also the attraction between the armatures produce 

 in the glass a diminution of thickness. — On the suspension of 

 clouds and their elevation in the atmosphere, by M. Oltramare. 

 He offers a solution based on the idea that each molecule of a 

 cloud is charged with electricity. — On the basic sulphydrales of 

 ammonia, by M. Troost. — On a new natural sulphate of manga- 

 nese (mallardite), and a new variety of sulphate of iron (luckite), 

 by M. Carnot. These are from the gold and silver mines of 

 Utah. — On the structure of cells of the kidney in the normal 

 state, by M. Cornil. He finds them composed of two substances, 

 the one peripheric and solidified by osniic acid, the other central, 

 containing granulations and the nucleus of the cell. — Action of 

 electric currents on the muscles of the claw of the crayfish, by 

 M. Richet. Excited directly by strong induced currents, the 

 muscle shows a very prolonged contraction, the duration of which 

 is proportional to the intensity of the stimulus. — On the syste- 

 matic position of Volvocineas, and on the limits of the vegetable 

 and animal kingdom, by M. Maupas. He agrees with Cohn 

 and others in classing Volvocineoe among the algje, with Palmel- 

 lacese, &c.— Influence of media on the structure of roots, by JI. 

 Mez. — On a migration of butterflies of the species Vanessa 

 cardui, observed at Angers on June 10 last, by M. Dech-.rmc. 

 — On some modifications in the apparent colours of flowers ly the 

 electric light, by M. Hugo. Such changes were noticed in 

 Nedularium and Caladium. 



CONTENTS Pag 



Historical Sun-Dahkenings. By J. R. Hind, F.R.S i" 



SciHNCB AND Agriculture ■ i? 



The Electric Light i^- 



Indian Geology 191 



Letters TO THE Editor:— 



Prof. Clifford's Mathematical Papers.— R. Twckeb 195 



Pine-Pollen mistaken for Flowers of Sulphur. — P. Herbert 



Carpenter « • « • •.„• '55 



Intellect in Brutes.— George J. Romanes, F.R.S. ; Chas. W. 



Peach ■ Greenock 196 



Aqu.irium Notes.— Dr. Andrew Wilson 196 



Snails I'. Glow-worms.— R. S. Newall, F.R,S 197 



Oxygenated Rain.— R. S. N 197 



Butterfly Swarms.— Dr. F. A. Forkl 197 



Meteor. — C. Armbruster 197 



Joseph Wilson Lowry, F.R.G.S 197 



David Moore, Ph.D 198 



The Recent Eruption of Etna. By G. F. Rodwell ic? 



Messrs. De La Rue and Mull-.; :'s Researches on the Electric 

 Discharge with the Chloride of Silver Baitery, II. (With 



Ilhistratioyts) > ^ 9 



The Royal Society of Edinburgh '- ■■ 



Our Astrono.mical Column: — 



The Saturnian Satellite Hyperion =04 



The Oxford University Observatory =05 



A New Comet =°5 



Geographical Notes =°5 



Notes ^° 



The Natural History Museu.m =°0 



Scientific Serials "^" 



Societies and Academies ^^*^ 



