144 



NATURE 



[Dec. 6, 1888 



Geological Society. November 21. — W. T. Blanford, 

 F.R.S., President, in the chair.— W. Whitaker, F.R.S., who 

 ■exhibited a series of specimens from the deep boring at 

 Streatham, made some remarks upon ihe results obtained. — i'he 

 following communications were read : — Notes on the remains 

 and affinities of five genera of Mesozoic repiles, by R. Lydekker. 

 This paper was divided into five sections. In the first the author 

 described the dorsal vertebra of a small Dinosaur from the 

 Cambridge Greensand, which he regarded as probably identical 

 with the Syngonosaums, Seeley. 'I'he second section described 

 an axis vertebra from the Wealdenofthe Isle of Wight, which 

 is evidently Dinosaurian, and may possibly belong to Megalo- 

 saiirtis. In the third section the femur of a small Iguanodont 

 from the Oxford Clay, in the possession of Mr. A. R. Leeds, was 

 described. The imperfect skeleton of a Sauropterygian from 

 the Oxford Clay near Bedford, which formed the subject of a 

 previous communication, was red escribed. The paper concluded 

 with a notice of the affinities of the Crocodilian genus Geosaurus. 

 — Notes on the Radiolaria of the London Clay, by W. H. Shrub- 

 sole. — Description of a new species of Chipea {C. vcctcnsis) from 

 OHgocene strata in the Isle of Wight, by E. T. Newton. 



Paris. 



Academy of ScienccF, November 26. — M. Janssen in the 

 chair. — On the difficulty of obtaining the exact latitude of the 

 Paris Observatory, by M. Mouchez. In connection with M. 

 Faye's recent communication on this subject, the author states 

 that some improved instruments will soon be fitted up in the 

 Observa ory with a view to overcoming some of the almost 

 insurmountable difficulties attending the accurate determination 

 of the latitude of this spot. But even so, it is feared that per- 

 fect accuracy cannot be expected, the errors of a few tenths of a 

 second being apparently due rather to the irregularity of the 

 astronomic refractions in the Paris atmosphere than to defective 

 instruments and errors of observation. — On the traction of canal 

 and river craft, by M. Maurice Levy. It is shown that in the 

 present state of science the mechanical method of traction by 

 means of the telodynamic cable is preferable to any electric 

 system. Various improvements are also described, by which the 

 author and his associate, M. Pavie, have succeeded in surmount- 

 ing the many obstacles hitherto attending the successful applica- 

 tion of the telodynamic cable to inland navigation. — Fresh ex- 

 periments on the quantitative analysis of the nitrogen present in 

 vegetable soils, by MM. Berthelot and G. Andre. The re- 

 searches here described have been carried out for the purpose of 

 testing the accuracy of the analyses hitherto made by various 

 practised chemists operating at different intervals of time and 

 under diverse conditions. Incidentally an attempt has also been 

 made to determine the degree of stability possessed by the 

 nitrogen present in different soils and exposed to varying influ- 

 ences. — On the results of the fourth scientific expedition of the 

 Hirondellc, by Prince Albert of Monaco. This expedition, like 

 the previous, was mainly confined to the Azore waters, which 

 were explored in all directions during the summer of the present 

 year. Amongst the improved appliances were two detachable 

 bagging nets with 4000 metres of steel wire, a submarine electric 

 lamp of the newest type, a Thibaudier sounding apparatus with 

 8ooD metres of steel wire, special boats and camping fittings for 

 the exploration of inland waters. Besides rich marine captures 

 in depths ranging from 20 or 30 to 2200 metres, fourteen 

 lakelets were visited, of which thirteen had never been explored 

 and five not yet figured on any maps. — On the application of 

 electrolysis to the treatment of tumours, by M. Darin. Since 

 the recent foundation of the Henry Giffard Clinical Establish- 

 ment in Paris, the author has effected several remarkable 

 cures by this process. The apparatus is of a very simple cha- 

 racter, easily controlled, and fitted with the chloride of zinc 

 pile of the Gaiffe system. — On. the determination of the co- 

 efficients of expansion at high temperatures, by M. H. le 

 Chatelier. A new process is described, by means of which the 

 author hopes to overcome the great difficulty attending the exact 

 determination of these coefficients, which, apart from their 

 scientific interest, are of such great importance for industrial 

 purposes. The results of some preliminary experiments are 

 given for Bayeux porcelain, iron, steel, and nickel at temper- 

 atures ranging from 20° to 970° C. — On an astatic electrometer, 

 by MM. R. Blondlot and P. Curie. The instrument here de- 

 scribed is a modification of Sir W. Thomson's electrometer 

 with quadrants, and amongst the various uses to which it is 

 applicable is that of a wattmeter. — Influence of water-surfaces 



on atmospheric polarization, and observation of two neutral 

 points right and left of the sun, by M. J. L. Soret. Marine 

 and lacustrine surfaces are shown to produce important pertur- 

 bations on the phenomena of atmospheric polarization. Under 

 certain conditions the curious phenomenon is also observed of 

 two neutral points at the altitude, ai>d to the ri.^ht and left, of 

 the sun. The polarization is then in a vertical plane between 

 these points, and in the opposite direction beyond them. — On a 

 new process of disinfecting the hands after surgical operations, 

 by M M. Jules Roux and H. Keynes. The process in question 

 is that recently introduced by M. Furbriiiger ; but the experi- 

 ments here carried out for the purpose of testing its efficacy 

 have given unsatisfactory results in the case of microbes depo- 

 sited under the finger-nails. — M. Charles Brongniart communi- 

 cates a paper on Entomophthorae and their ap^.lication to the 

 destruction of noxious insects ; and M. Marcel Bertrand has a 

 note on a new problem in the geology of the south of France, 

 suggested by the appearance of certain Triassic marls crop- 

 ping out above the Cretaceous rocks in the neighbourhood of 

 Marseilles. 



BOOKS. PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Lessons in Elementary Mechanics, ist Sta^e : W. H. Grieve (Longmans). 

 —A Classified List of Mr. S. VV. Silver's Collection of New Zealand Birds 

 (at the Manor Houe, Letcombe Regis) : Sir W. L. Biiller (Petherick).— The 

 Alphabet of Economic Science, Part 1, Elements of the Theory of Value or 

 Worth: P. H. Wick.steed (Macmillan).— The C.vihzatlon of Sweden in 

 Heathen Times : O. Monteliiis, translated by Rev. F. H. Woods (Macmil- 

 lan) — Review of the Plant.ng and Agricultural Industries of Ceylon : J. 

 Ferguson (Haddon).— Electric Bells and All about Jhem : S. R. Bottonj 

 (Whitiaker).— Thirty Thousand Years of the Earth's Past History: Major- 

 General A. W. Drayson (Chapman and Hall) — Practical Electrical Measure- 

 ment : J. Swinburne (Alabaster). — Antisep;ics : A. M. Hewer (Lockwood). 

 — Catalogue of Canadian Plants, Part 4 — Endogens : J. Macoun (Montreal, 

 Dawson). —Kirchoff's Laws and their Applicati n : E. C Rimington (Ala- 

 baster). — Bibliography of Astronomy for the Year 1887: W. C. Winlock 

 (Washington) — Energy and V.sion : S. P. Langley. — Archives Italiennesde 

 Biologie, Tome x. Fasc. 3 (Turin, Loescher). — Procce'iings of the Academy 

 of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, Part 2. 18S8 (Philadelphia).— Annalen 

 der Physik und Chemie, i883. No. 12 (Leipz g, Bar;h). — Brain, Part 43 

 (Macmillan). — Geological Magazine. December (Triibner). 



CONTENTS. Page 



Prjevalsky's Fourth Journey to Central Asia . ... 121 



Flowering Plants of Wilts. By J. G. Baker, F.R.S. 123 



Mr. Dodgson on Parallels 124 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Mawer : " Primer of Micro- Petrology " 125 



Taylor: Theoretical Mechanics" 126 



Abercromby : " Instructions for Observing Clouds on 



Land and Sea" 126 



Williams: "Laboratory Manual of General Chem- 

 istry " 126 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Mr. Komane-i on the Origin nf Species. — W. T. 



Thiselton Dyer, C.M.G., F.R.S 126 



Natural Selection and Useless Structures. — Dr. St. 



George Mivart, F.R.S 127 



A Mussel living in the Branchiae of a Crab. — W. R. 



Pidgeon 127 



The Pasteur Institute.— Ei nest Albert Parkyer . , 128 



The Zodiacal Light.— O. T. Sherman 128 



The " Tamarao " of the Philippine Islands.— Rev. 



P.-M. Heude. S.J 128 



The Earliest Racial Portraits. {Illustrated.) By W. 



M. Flinders Petrie 128 



British Tertiary Volcanoes. {Illustrated.) By Prof. 



A. H. Green, F.R.S 131 



The Theory of Planetary Motion 134 



Notes 135 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Stonyhurst College Observatory . 137 



The Hopkins Observatory 137 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1888 



December 9-15 138 



Geographical Notes . . ... ... 138 



Notes on Meteorites. VI. {Illustrated.) By J. 



Norman Lockyer, F.R.S 139 



The Anniversary Meeting of the Royal Society . . 142 



Scientific Serials 142 



Societies and Academies . 142 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 144 



