NA TURE 



\Jafi. 24, 1889 



subjected to a thorough test, and is found to yield results greatly 

 inferior in accuracy to those obtained from the old process by 

 means of sodaic lime. — On the early and late varieties of beet- 

 root, by MM. C. Viollette and F. Desprez. The early maturing 

 plant, although yielding the largest proportion of sugar, is in 

 other respects subject to many drawbacks preventing its general 

 adoption by growers. A series of experiments here described 

 show that a late variety may be obtained, which, while free from 

 these disadvantages, yields an abundant supply of sugar. — M. 

 Hermite has been unanimously elected Vice-President, and MM. 

 Becquerel and Fremy members of the Central Administrative 

 Committee, for the current year. In the present number is also 

 published the list of the members of the Academy on January i, 

 1889. The following are the English and American correspond- 

 ing members -.—Geometry : James Joseph Sylvester, George 

 Salmon. Astronomy : John Russell Hind, J. C. Adams, Arthur 

 Cayley, Joseph Norman Lockyer, William Huggins, Simon 

 Newcomb, Asaph Hall, Warren De La Rue, Benjamin Althorp 

 Gould, Samuel Langley. Geography and Navigation : Admiral 

 G. H. Richards. General Physics : James Prescott Joule, George 

 Gabriel Stokes. Chemistry : Edward Frankland, Alexander 

 William Williamson. Mineralogy : James Hall, Joseph Prest- 

 wich. Botany : Joseph Dalton Hooker, Maxwell Tylden Masters. 

 Rural Economy : Sir John Rennet Lawes, Joseph Henry Gilbert. 

 Anatomy and Zoology : James D wight Dana, Thomas Henry 

 Huxley. Medicine and Surgery : Sir James Paget. Foreign 

 Associates : Sir Richard Owen, Sir George Biddell Airy, Sir 

 William Thomson. 



January 14. — M. Des Cloizeaux in the chair. — On the sola'" 

 statistics of the year 1888, by M. R. Wolf From the various 

 solar and magnetic observations made at the Observatories of 

 Zurich and Milan, M. Wolf has by his well-known method 

 deduced and tabulated for last year the mean monthly values 

 for the relative number r, for the variations in declination v, and 

 for the increase Ar and Az/ that these quantities have received 

 since the corresponding epochs of the year 1887. It results 

 from these tables that both the relative number and the magnetic 

 variation have continued to diminish, and that it is probable the 

 minimum has now been nearly reached. It also appears that 

 the slight anomalies recorded during the previous year have dis- 

 appeared, and that the parallelism between these two series has 

 been almost completely re-established. — Mode of diffusion of the 

 voltaic currents in the human organism, by M. L. Danion. 

 From the series of experiments here described it appears that, 

 excepting the skin and bones, the various tissues and substances 

 constituting the organism have practically the same electric con- 

 ductibility. The skin is in general highly resisting, while the 

 ■conductibility of the bones, which alone affect the diffusion of 

 the current, is perceptibly less than two-fifths of that of the other 

 hypodermic tissues. Under like conditions the diffused intra- 

 polar and extra-polar intensities have the same value. Contrary 

 to the universal opinion, the choice and combination of electrodes 

 of various dimensions does not perceptibly modify the effects of 

 hypodermic electrization. The experiments made on animals 

 and on man confirm those carried out on homogeneous liquid 

 masses, while at the same time showing the extreme diffusion 

 of the voltaic currents, hence the deductions drawn from the 

 latter order of experiments are applicable to the electrization of 

 the animal organism. — Observations of Faye's comet, made at 

 the Observatory of Algiers with the 0*50 m. telescope, by MM. 

 Trepied, Rambaud, and Sy. These observations cover the 

 period from December 28 to January 5. — On the influence of 

 the shock on the permanent magnetism of nickel, by M. G. 

 Berson. These experiments form a supplement to those lately 

 made by the author with a bar of steel. The various phenomena 

 are in both cases strictly analogous, tending to show that with a 

 field of feeble intensity a bar of either metal may be permanently 

 magnetized, provided the shocks be given while the bar is within 

 the field. The vibrations of the apparatus furnished with per- 

 manent magnets should also be carefully avoided, as they tend 

 rapidly to diminish the force of the magnetic momentum. — On 

 the oxidation and scouring of tin, by M. Leo Vignon. In a 

 previous communication (Comptes rendus, November 5, 1888) 

 the author showed that crystallized tin, deposited by the action 

 of zinc and of the chemically neutral solutions of the stannous or 

 stannic chlorides, is capable of high oxidation, and also when 

 heated in contact with the air presents the curious property of 

 combining with oxygen without melting, but burning like tinder 

 {amadou). His farther experiments with this partially oxidized 

 tin have disclosed several facts, which explain the phenomena 



already described, and at the same time supply the elements of 

 the theory on which depend the common industrial operations 

 known as tinning and tin-soldering. In general it may be con- 

 cluded that tin is capable of considerable oxidation in a dry or 

 moist atmosphere, a conclusion which agrees with the compara- 

 tive data already obtained on the heats of formation of the metallic 

 oxides. — On ergosterine, a new immediate principle of the ergot 

 (spur) of rye, by M. C. Tanret. The ergot of 176 contains a 

 crystallized substance, which closely resembles, and may readily 

 be confounded with, cholesterine. But the careful study made 

 by M. Tanret of this fungus shows that it differs in its composi- 

 tion both from animal cholesterine and its isomerous vegetable 

 substances. This new principle is accordingly here described 

 and analyzed under the name of ergosterine. Its composition 

 may be represented by the formula — 



It crystallizes in alcohol in the form of little pearly pellets, and 

 in ether in that of sharp needles, and is quite insoluble in water. 

 Like cholesterine, it is a monatomic alcohol, as appears from 

 the analysis of its formic, acetic, and butyric ethers. — Papers 

 are contributed by M. Hugo Gylden, on the elementary terms in 

 the co-ordinates of a planet ; by M. Maquenne, on the heptine 

 of a perseite ; by MM. Ed. Heckel and Fr. Schlagdenhauffen, 

 on the chemical constitution and industrial value of the gutta 

 yielded by Bassia latifolia ; and by M. Hueppe, on the virulence 

 of cholera parasites. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Annuaire de TAcaderaie de Belgique, i88g (Bruxelles). — Longmans' 

 School Arithmetic with Answers : F. E. Marshall and J. W. Welslord 

 (Longmans). — Biologia Centrali- Americana (Botany): W. B. Hemsley and 

 Sir J. D. Hooker. — Hulfstabellen zur Mikioscopischen Mineralbestimmung 

 in Gesteincn : H. Rosenbusch (Stuttgart, Koch).— Les Min^raux des 

 Roches : A. M. Levy and A. Lacroi.K (Paris, Baudry). — A Course of Easy 

 Arithmetical Examples for Beginners: J. G. Bradshaw (Macmillan). — Solu- 

 tions of the Examples in a Treatise on Algebra: C. Smith (Macmillan). — 

 Calendar and General Directory of the Department of Science and Art for 

 the Year 1889 (Eyre and Spottiswoode). — A Monograph of the British 

 Uredraea; and Ustilagineae : C. B. Plowright (Kegan Paul) — Graphics, or 

 the Art of Calculation by Drawing Lines, Part i : R. H. Smith (Longmans). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Mr. Grant Allen's Notions about Force and Energy. 



By Prof. O. Jf. Lodge, F.R.S 289 



Rocks and Soils. By Prof. John Wrightson . . . 292 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Wardrop : " The Kingdom of Georgia " 293 



"The British Journal Photographic Almanac for 



1889" 293 



" The Photographer's Diary and Desk-book for 1889 " 294 

 Letters to the Editor: — 



The Climate of Siberia in the Mammoth Age. — 



Henry H. Howorth, M.P 294 



The Crystallization of Lake Ice. — Thomas H. 



Holland 295 



Use of the Remora in Fishing. — Dr. P. L! Sclater, 



F.R.S 295 



A Remarkable Rime. — M. H. Maw 295 



Human Variety. By Francis Galton, F.R.S. . . . 296 



Supposed Fossils from the Southern Highlands . . 300 

 The Law of Storms in China. {Illustrated.) By Dr. 



W. D b;rck 301 



The State of Vesuvius. By Dr. H. J. Johnston- 



Lavis 302 



Volcanic Sea Wave. By Captain W. J. L. Wharton, 



R.N., F.R.S 303 



Notes 304 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Discovery of a New Comet * . . . . 307 



Minor Planets 307 



The Observatory of Tokio 307 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week x88g 



January 27 — February 2 307 



Gtograpbical Notes 307 



Electrical Notes 308 



Star Names amongst the Ancient Chiricse. By Dr. 



Joseph Edkins 309 



University and Educational Intelligence 310 



Scientific Serials 310 



Societies and Academies .... 310 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 310 



