384 



NATURE 



[Fed. 14, 1889 



free nitrogen, was demonstrated for the first time by M. Reiset 

 in 1856, and confirmed by the subsequent experiments of Messrs. 

 Lawes and Gilbert, and others. Here, M. Schloesing describes 

 the process by which he has endeavoured to determine the 

 quantity of nitrogen dissipated during decomposition under the 

 natural conditions of temperature and the general environment. 

 The results of these researches will be communicated in a future 

 paper. — The Buitenzorg Botanic Garden and Laboratory, by 

 Dr. Treub. From this interesting description of the Buitenzorg 

 institution near Batavia, Java, it appears that it comprises three 

 distinct branches : (i) the Botanic Garden, properly so called, 

 where are cultivated from 8000 to 9000 tropical and sub-tropical 

 plants ; (2) the Tjibodas Garden, situated at an altitude of 1500 

 metres in one of the hilliest districts of the Preang residency ; 

 (3) the Experimental Garden, in the Tjikeumeuh quarter of 

 Buitenzorg, where are grown all the economic plants of the 

 tropical zone. The first comprises a museum, an herbarium, a 

 large library, a phytochemical laboratory, a photographic atelier, 

 and a laboratory for botanic research. This last was established 

 four years ago for the purpose of enabling botanists from Europe 

 to study tropical vegetation on the spot, and is thus somewhat 

 analogous to the Zoological Station at Naples. Buitenzorg is 

 supported by an annual grant of ;^6oco from the Dutch East 

 Indian Government. — Observations of Barnard's Comet, 1888^, 

 made with the west equatorial of the Paris Observatory, by M. 



D. Eginitis. These observations, covering the period from 

 December 7 to January 8, give the positions of the comparison 

 stars, and the apparent positions of the comet. — Observations 

 of the new planet discovered on January 28, at the Observatory 

 of Nice, by M. Charlois. The observations were taken on 

 January 28 and 29, when the planet was of the thir- 

 teenth magnitude. — On the personal equation in astrono- 

 mical calculations, by M. J. J. Landerer. The object 

 of this communication is to show that within somewhat 

 wide limits the personal equation depends on an effect of 

 diplopy which may be easily measured. — Euler's problem 

 on the equation ds^ = dz^ + dy"^, by M. G. Koenigs. In 

 this note the problem in question is extended to the case of 

 any surface. — On homography in mechanics, by M. Appell. 

 It is shown that the method of transforming figures by central 

 projection, which plays such an important part in geometry, 

 may also be employed in mechanics. These remarks may be 

 extended to the movement of a point in space, and even to the 

 movement of several points, on the condition in the latter case of 

 making a general homographic transformation, which shall simul- 

 taneously contain the co-ordinates of all the points. — On the 

 compressibility of mercury and the elasticity of glass, by M. 



E. H. Amagat. In his communication of October 15, 1888, 

 the author gave the results of his studies on the elasticity of the 

 crystal in the cylindrical piezometers of this substance charged 

 with mercury. By simultaneous inward and outward pressure 

 of these cylinders, he obtains the coefficient of apparent com- 

 pressibility, and ultimately that of the absolute compressibility 

 of the liquid metal. The whole series of experiments are now 

 repeated, and the results here tabulated, showing for mer- 

 cury a mean general coefficient of o*ooooo39i8 under pres- 

 sures not exceding 50 atmospheres. Although slightly higher, 

 this may be regarded as in accordance with the coefficient 

 0-0000036, obtained by Prof. Tait, who worked up to a 

 pressure of 450 atmospheres, and who considered his result as 

 somewhat too low, even according to the method adopted by 

 him (" Voyage of the Challenger," Part 4).— On the heat of 

 formation of the bichromate of aniline, by MM. Ch. Girard and 

 L. L'Hote. In a previous note {Comptes rendus, June 13, 1887) 

 the authors showed that the bichromate of aniline might be 

 easily prepared by causing the bichromate of potassa to react 

 on the hydrochlorate of aniline under conditions there specified. 

 In order to complete these researches they here study the thermic 

 conditions of the formation of this salt. — Alcoholic combinations 

 of the glycolalcoholate of soda, by M. de Forcrand. The 

 author finds that the monatomic alcohols combine with the 

 glycolalcoholate of soda, forming with it crystallized compounds 

 analogous to the alcoholic glycerinates of soda. He has prepared 

 and analyzed the following products : — 



C4HgNa04, C2H40„, 

 C4H5Na04, C4H6O.; 

 C4HgNa04, CgHgOJ. 



— On the quantitative analysis of organic nitrogen by the 

 Kjeldahl method, by MM. E. Aubin and Alia. In reply to M. 



L'Hote's objections to this method, experiments are here de- 

 scribed showing that it is both trustworthy and accurate, yielding 

 results fully equal, if not superior, to those of MM. Will and 

 Warrentrapp, During the process the organic matter is com- 

 pletely transformed, and in the end all the nitrogen appears 

 under an ammoniacal form ; the sulphuric liquids obtained are 

 always limpid and colourless, nor is there any loss of ammonia 

 during the operations. — On the cockroaches of the Carboniferous 

 age, by M. Charles Brongniart. Mr. S. H. Scudder, author of the 

 best monograph on these Palaeozoic forms, divides them into the 

 two families of Blattinariae and Mylacridrc, the former common 

 to both hemispheres, the latter, as he supposed, confined to the 

 United States coal-fields. But it is here shown that this is a 

 mistake, and that the Mylacridse are as common as the Blattinarioe 

 in the Commentry formations, France. — M. de Malarce con- 

 tributes a paper on the extension of the metrical system, on the 

 development of uniform monetary systems and of the credit 

 system (cheques, bills, &c.), throughout the civilized world. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



The Scientific Papers of the late Thomas Andrews, M.D.. F.R.S., with a 

 Memoir by P. G. Tait and A. Crum Brown (Macmillan).— The Physician as 

 Naturalist : W. T. Gairdner (MacLehose, Glasgow).— Report on the Pro- 

 ceedings of the U.S. Expedition to Lady FrankHn Bay, Grinnell Land, vol. 

 1. : A. W. Greely (Washington).— Popular Lectures and Addresses, vol. i., 

 Constitution of Matter: Sir Wm. Thomson (Macmillan).— The Philosophy of 

 Mysticism, 2 vols. : C. du Prel, tianslated by C. C. Massey (Redway).— Dr. 

 H. G. Bronn's Klassen und Ordnungen des Thier-Reichs, Erster Band, 

 Protozoa, 53, 54, 55, Liefg. : Dr. O. Biitschli (Williams and Norgate).— Bird 

 Life of the Borders : A. Chapman (Gurney and Jackson). — Report on the 

 Cost and Efficiency of the Heating and Ventilation of Schools : T. Camelley 

 (Dundee).— Yield Tables for the Scotch Pine: W. Weise ; converted into 

 English measure and arranged by Dr. W. Schlich (Allen).— Volkaner i det 

 Nordostlige Island : Th. Thoroddsen (Stockholm).— Journal of the Chemical 

 Society, February (Gurney and Jackson).— Observaciones Magneticas y 

 Meteorologicas del Real Colegio de Belen en la Habana, 4°. Trim. [1886 

 (Habana).— Bulletin de I'Academie Royale des Sciences de Belgique, No. 

 12 (Bruxelles).— Annalen der Physik und Chemie, 1889, No. 2 (Leipzig', 

 Barth).— BeibhHtter zu den Physik und Chemie, 1889, No. i (Leipzig, Barth). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Alpine Physiography. By Prof. T. G. Bonney, 



F.R.S 361 



The Planting and Agricultural Industries of Ceylon 363 



Palaeontology ^64 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Hull: " Text-book of Physiography " 365 



Millar : " The Clyde, from its Sources to the Sea " . 365 



Taylor; " A Playtime Naturalist " 365 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Climate of Siberia in the Mammoth Age. — 



Henry H. Howorth, M.P 365 



Peripatus in Victoria.— Arthur Dendy 366 



Mass and Inertia. — Prof. Oliver J. Lodge, F.R.S. 367 

 The Crystallization of Lake Ice. — ^James C. Mc- 



Connel 367 



Falls of Rock at Niagara.— E. W. Claypole . . . 367 

 Origin of the Radiolarian Earth of Barbados.— J, B. 



Harrison and A. J. Jukes Browne 367 



Natural History in the Field. — Rev. W. Linton 



Wilson 368 



Detonating Meteor. — Maxwell Hall 368 



Memorial to G. S. Ohm , 368 



The Royal Society of Edinburgh 369 



Time. By Sydney Lupton 372 



Notes 375 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



New Minor Planet 378 



Observations of Variable Stars 378 



Winnecke's Periodical Comet 378 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1889 



February 17-23 379 



Geographical Notes 379 



Electrical Notes 380 



On the Intensity of Earthquakes, with Approximate 

 Calculations of the Energy involved. By Prof. 



T. C. Mendenhall 380 



The Royal Horticultural Society •. . 382 



Societies and Academies 383 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 384 



