432 



NATURE 



[Feb. 28, 1889 



the value of certain facts supposed to throw some light on the 

 natural history of micro-organisms in general, with special 

 reference to the question of specific transformation. The main 

 conclusion is that the charbon microbe entirely deprived of its 

 virulence has not become the simple saprogenic niicrobe of 

 ordinary fermentations set up in inorganic centres, for it has still 

 preserved one of the most essential attributes that indicate the 

 infectious nature of the pathogenic microbe ; hence it has not 

 undergone specific transformation. Such at least is the present 

 inference, without prejudice to the question of possible ulterior 

 metamorphoses of which Bacillus anthracis may be capable 

 under the action of compressed oxygen or any other means. In 

 a future communication it will be shown that at this stage the 

 microbe has not even been deprived of the faculty of reverting 

 to its virulent state.— On Egyptian blue, by M. F. Fouque. The 

 author has undertaken a fresh study of this pigment, which was 

 <iiscovered by Vestorius, of Alexandria, but which ceased to be 

 made after the fall of the Western Empire. He finds its formula 

 to beCaO,CuO,4Si0.j, consisting of 637 parts of silica, I4'3 of 

 lime, 21 '3 of copper oxide, with a trace of iron ; specific gravity 

 3*04. — On two fossil Echinodermata from Thersakhan in 

 Turkestan, by M. G. Cotteau. These specimens from the banks 

 •of the Sumbar, an affluent of the Attrek, are identical with the 

 Coraster vilanovce which abounds in the Upper Chalk of 

 Alicante, Spain. Their presence in Turkestan at such a distance 

 from the Pyrenees shows that at one time the Cretaceous seas 

 occupied vast regions stretching eastwards to Central Asia and 

 India. — Summary of the solar observations made at the Royal 

 Observatory of the Collegio Romano during the second half of 

 the year 1888, by M. P. Tacchini. Compared with the corre- 

 sponding period for 1887 and 1886, the solar spots show a further 

 decline in i888, with a maximum of days without any spots. The 

 .protuberances have also decreased, but more irregularly, and at 

 a less rapid rate. — On shooting-stars, by M. E. Minary. It 

 is argued that the incandescence of these bodies cannot be ex- 

 plained by the transformation of motion into heat. The gases 

 ■being perfectly elastic bodies, and in the upper atmospheric 

 regions in an extremely rarefied state, heat cannot be produced 

 by the shock of bodies endowed with great velocity and imping- 

 ing on perfectly elastic molecules capable of receiving the motion 

 and acquiring the velocity of those bodies ; in this case the 

 movement is communicated, not dissipated or transformed to 

 heat. Had such transformation taken place, the velocity of 

 the bodies on their trajectory would be progressively re- 

 tarded, while the incandescence would be proportionately in- 

 creased. But observation shows only luminous flashes, and 

 more or less uniform velocities of translation at least for all the 

 bodies that are not combustible. The reading of the paper was 

 followed by some observations by M. Cornu, who remarked that 

 the illumination of the trajectory of the shooting-stars might be 

 attributed to a development or a discharge of static electricity 

 without any considerable rise of temperature ; as implied by the 

 incandescence of detached particles of meteorites. This would 

 agree with the spectral observations made on the shooting-stars, 

 and would lend support to the view that certain cosmic pheno- 

 mena, such as auroras, the zodiacal light, com-ets, solar protuber- 

 ances, &c., are electric manifestations analogous to those that are 

 so easily generated in rarefied gases. — On a general law relative . 

 to the effects of reversible transformations, by M. Gouy. It 

 has been noticed that the effects produced by mechanical actions 

 are often opposed to those actions (law of Lenz, thermic effects). 

 Here M. Gouy establishes a general law, of which these facts 

 form a particular instance, and which is applicable not only to 

 direct mechanical actions, but also to a large number of rever- 

 sible transformations. — Experimental studies on the dynamic and 

 static elasticity of metallic wires, by M. E. Mercadier. As a 

 complement to various researches in acoustics and thermo- 

 dynamics, the author here determines the velocity of sound in 

 ■metallic wires, first by directly registering their longitudinal 

 vibrations, and then by deducing the velocity from the measure- 

 ment of elastic expansions. His researches extend to copper, 

 steel, platinum, aluminium, silver, and gold wire, varying in 

 diameter from 0*5 to i millimetre. — On the rotatory power 

 of crystallized chlorate of soda, by M. Ch. Eug. Guye. l"he 

 results of these experiments agree fairly well with those obtained 

 by M, Schuke for the visible parts of the spectrum. They may 

 easily be reduced to a uniform temperature by employing the co- 

 efficient given by that physicist. These studies will be continued 

 for the purpose of ascertaining whether the same coefficient is 

 •equally applicable to the ultra-violet radiations. — Tests for 



the mercaptans, by M. G. Deniges. Isatine, already used in 

 sulphuric solution as a test for thiophene, is here shown to 

 be also an excellent test for mercaptan. — On the origin of 

 the eruptive rocks, by M. A. de Lapparent. From the con- 

 stitution of the acid rocks — that is, those charged with silica — 

 a fresh argument is drawn in support of the theory respecting the 

 primordial flui dity of the globe. — Papers are contributed by 

 M. M. Meslans, on the preparation and properties of the fluorides 

 of propyl and isopropyl ; by M. A. Lacroix, on the petrography 

 of gneiss occurring in Ceylon and in Salem (Madras) ; and by 

 MM. G. Weiss and A. Erckmann, on the optical properties of 

 natural and false amber. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Natural Inheritance : F. Galton (Macraillan). — Cactus Culture for 

 Amateurs : W. Watson (U. Gill). — Key to Lock's Elementary Trigono- 

 metry : H. Carr (Macmillan). — Key to Lock's Trigonometry for Beginners 

 (Macraillan).— On Truth: St. G. Mivart (K. Paul).— The History of Ancient 

 Civilization : edited by Rev. J. Verschoyle (Chapman and Hall). — Galileo 

 and his Judges : F. R. Wegg-Prosser (Chapman and Hall). — The Coleo- 

 pterous Fauna of the Liverpool District : J. W. Ellis (Liverpool, Turner). — 

 Prodromus of the Zoology of Victoria, Decade xvii. : F. McCoy (Melbourne, 

 Brain). — Das Kliraa des Aussertropischen Siidafrika : Dr. K. Dove (Gottin- 

 gen). — Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Nos. 126 and 127 

 (Edinburgh). — Report of the Marlborough College Natural History Society 

 for Year ending Christmas 1888 (Marlborough).— Logic : R. F. Clarke 

 (Longmans). — Practical Organic Chemistry : S. Rideal (Lewis). — Element- 

 ary Synthetic Geometry : N. F. Dupuis (Macmillan). — The Mineral Wealth 

 of Queensland : R. L. Jack (Brisbane).— Basic Slag : C. M. Aikman (Edin- 

 burgh). — The Practical Use of the Spectroscope: J. Parry. — Zeitschrift fur 

 Wissenschaftliche Zoologie, Band 31-4S (Williams and Norgate). — Proceed- 

 ings of the Boston Society of Natural History, vol. xxiii. Parts 3 and 4 

 (Boston).— Annalen der Physik und Chemie, 1889, No. 3 (Leipzig, Barth). — 

 Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, No. 177 (Longmans). — Journal 

 of the Bombay Natural History Society, No. 4, vol. iii. (Bombay).— Krypto- 

 gamen-Flora von Schlesien, 3 Band, 5 Liefg. (Breslau). —Tokyo Sugaku 

 Butsurigaku Kwai Kiji, Maki No. 4, Dai 2. — Die Natiirlichen Pflanzen- 

 familien, Liefg. 26, 27, 28 (Leipzig, Engelmann). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Zoological Results of the C/«a//^«ov;;- Expedition 409 



The Encyclopaedic Dictionary 410 



Our Book Shelf:— 



• Wyrouboff: "Manuel Pratique de Cristallographie " 411 

 Forbes : "Assistant to the Board of Trade Examina- 

 tions" 411 



Brigham : " Guatemala : the Land of the Quetzal " . 412 

 Letters to the Editor: — 



Weismann's Theory of Variation. — E. B. Poulton . 412 



A Correction.— Fred. T. Trouton 412 



Temperature Observations in Rivers. — Dr. Hugh 



Robert Mill 412 



" Bishop's Ring." — T. W. Backhouse 412 



Feripatus m AMsiraXiz.. — A. Sedgwick, F.R.S. . . 412 



Anthelia. — Consul E. L. Layard 413 



Mass and Inertia. — E. Lousley 413 



To find the Factors of any Proposed Number. — 



Charles J. Busk 413 



The Formation of Ledges on Mountain-slopes and 



Hill-sides. — Dr. A. Ernst 415 



A Movable Zoological Station. {Illusiraled) .... 416 



Notes 417 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1889 



March 3-9 420 



Geographical Notes ... . 421 



M. Lcewy's Inventions and Researches. By W. 



H. M. Christie, F.R.S., Astronomer-Royal .... 421 

 Structure, Origin, and Distribution of Coral Reefs 



and Islands. By Dr. John Murray 424 



Darwin versus Lamarck. By Prof. Ray Lankester, 



F.R.S 428 



University and Educational Intelligence 429 



Scientific Serials . 429 



Societies and Academies 430 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 432 



