NATURE 



[jWarc/i 28, 1889 



■sent in the atmosphere the heat of the sun is greatly absorbed. 

 Hence it seems probable that dust particles may aid in the 

 formation of fogs in another way than by acting as nuclei. Their 

 great radiating power will cause rapid cooling of the air, and so 

 produce saturation. — Dr. Sims Woodhead communicated a paper, 

 by Mr. R. W. Gray and himself, on the stomach of the narwhal. 

 — Dr. Crum-Krown read the third part of a paper, by Dr. A. B. 

 .Griffiths, on micro-organisms. — A second note by Prof. Tait, on 

 the virial equation, was read. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, March 18. — M. Des Cloizeaux, 

 President, in the chair.— On the fixation of nitrogen during the 

 ■process of slow oxidation, by M. Berthelot. The object of these 

 .researches is to determine the fixation of nitrogen during the 

 slow oxidation especially of those principles that give rise to 

 certain intermediate oxides endowed with mixed oxidizing and 

 •oxidizable properties which temporarily fix free oxygen, after- 

 wards transforming it to an almost indefinite extent to other 

 bodies capable of definite oxidation. Such are ordinary ether, the 

 essence of terebenthine, various aromatic hydrocarbons, and other 

 substances capable of producing those effects which their dis- 

 coverer, Schoenbein, attributed to ozone. — On the heat of forma- 

 tion ofantimoniuretted hydrogen, by MM. Berthelot and P. Petit. 

 The formation of this extremely unstable compound is described, 

 and its heat of formation determined by six experiments at 

 - 84*5 calories. — On the essays that have been made to explain 

 ■the fundamental principles of thermodynamics by mechanical 

 laws, by M. H. Poincare. The paper deals mainly with the 

 views developed by Helmholtz in his memoirs on the statics of 

 the monocyclic systems, and on the principle of least resistance 

 {Crelle' s Journal, vols, xcvii. and c). M. PoLncare accepts the 

 mechanical explanation as satisfactory for the reversible pheno- 

 mena, but shows that it is not applicable to those of the irrevers- 

 ible order. — On certain fourfold periodical expressions depending 

 on two variables, by M. E. Picard. In this note the author 

 indicates certain series depending on two independent complex 

 variables, and possessing in relation to them four couples of 

 -conjugated periods. — On the movement of a material point on a 

 sphere, by M. Gustave Kobb. In his treatise on some applica- 

 tions of the elliptical functions, M. Hermite has reduced the 

 integration of the equations in the movement of the conic 

 pendulum to the integration of Lame's differential equation. 

 Here M. Kobb shows that there also exists another kind of 

 movement of a material point on a sphere which leads to a 

 similar application of Lame's equation. — On the elastic equili- 

 brium of arches forming arcs of circles, by M. Ribiere. Two 

 typical cases are worked out mathematically, which offer a 

 complete solution of the problem of the elastic equilibrium of 

 ■circular vaults.— On the solubility of salts, by M. H. Le Chate- 

 lier. The author replies to some critiques on his own researches 

 {Comptes rendus, vol. c. p. 50), made by M. Bakhuis Rooze- 

 boom, in the remarkable work recently published by him on the 

 solubility of salts. — On the chloride and bromide of copper, by M. 

 Deniges. The author describes a simple process for preparing 

 these substances by means of the haloid salts of the alkalies and 

 the sulphate of copper. The same chemist indicates a new and 

 characteristic reaction of the salts of copper, the principle of 

 which rests on the easy transformation of these salts into cupric 

 bromide under the influence of potassium bromide, and on the 

 dehydratation of the resulting salt by means of sulphuric acid. 

 — Researches on the saccharine substances contained in certain 

 species of mushroom, by M. Em. Bourquelot. These researches 

 have been made on eight species belonging to the genus 

 Lactarius of Fries, and to Sowerby's Boletus aurantiacus. 

 The proportion of mannite was found to vary from 1-90 to 

 15 per cent., according to the different species, and sometimes 

 in the same species from season to season. From Lactarius 

 piperatus a substance was obtained identical with M. Berthelot's 

 trehalose, the presence of which in mushrooms had already been 

 indicated by M. Miintz. — On the physiological and therapeutic 

 action of orthomethylacetanilide, by MM. Dujardin-Beaumetz 

 and G. Bardet. This substance, which has recently been pre- 

 pared by M. Brigonnet under the name of exalgine, with formula 

 C9H11NO, is toxic, therapeutic, and an£esthetic, according to 

 the_ dose administered. In these respects it greatly resembles 

 antipyrine, but appears to be superior as a cure for all forms of 

 neuralgia. — Thermic classification of fresh- water lakes, by 

 M. F. A. Forel. Lacustrine basins are here grouped as tro- 

 ipical, temperate, and polar, according as the surface waters are 



I 

 always above, about, or under 4° C. respectively. But with 

 this grouping is combined the variation of temperature due to 

 depth, this variation increasing with the shallowness of the lake. 

 Further modifications are caused by special climatic conditions, 

 such as altitude, latitude, aspect, volume, so that from the 

 thermic stand-point every fresh-water basin has its special 

 features. All are comprised in six broad classes, based, however, 

 mainly on the two more important elements of surface temperature 

 and depth. 



Berlin. 

 Physical Society, February 22. — Prof, von Helmholtz, 

 President, in the chair. — Prof. Neesen demonstrated several 

 pieces of mechanical apparatus which he is in the habit of using 

 in his lectures to illustrate and explain the parallelogram of 

 forces, the laws of inertia, and the action of friction with special 

 reference to the slipping of locomotives. He further described 

 several arrangements connected with mei-curial air-pumps by 

 which some of their defects and inconveniences may be avoided. 

 — Dr. Wolff gave an account of the results of a long series of 

 measurements which he had made on galvanic cells, consisting 



I of zinc and zinc sulphate or chloride and a second metal, either 

 copper, silver, or iron. By determining the electromotive force 

 of each cell and the simultaneous heat-production (by means of 

 an ether calorimeter), he endeavoured to prove that the source 

 of the current-energy in each case is due to the combining of 

 oxygen with the .several metals, copper, silver, or iron. He 

 hence considered himself justified in giving the name " oxygen- 

 elements " to the above class of galvanic cells. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Chemical Lecture Notes : P. T. Austen (Wiley, New York).--The Scien- 

 tific Transactions of the Royal Dublin Society, vol. iv. (series 2), ii. A 

 Monograph of the Marine and Fresh-water Ostracoda of the North Atlantic 

 and of North-Western Europe; Section 1., Podocopa : G. A. Brady and 

 Rev. A. M. Norman ; iii. Observations of the Planet Jupiter : O. Boed- 

 dicker ; iv. A New Determination of the Latitude of Dunsink Observatory : 

 A. A. Rambaut (Williams and Norgate). — The Patents, Designs, and Trade 

 Marks Acts, 1883-88, consolidated, with an Index : L. Edmunds (Stevens). 

 —Longmans' New Atlas : edited by G. G. Chisholm (Longmans). — British 

 Dogs, Nos. 27, 28, 29 : H. Dalziel (U. Gill). -Travel-Tide : W. St. Clair 

 Baddeley (Low). — Naturalistic Photography : P. H. Emerson (Low). — 

 Stellar Evolution and its Relations to Geological Time : J. Croll (Stanford) . 

 — Naturalist's Voyage round the World: C. Darwin (Murray, 3^. 6<^.), -^North- 

 ern Afghanistan : Major C. E. Yate (Blackwood). — Modern Cremation : Sir 

 Henry Thompson (K. Paul). — Cosmic Evolution : E. A. Ridsdale (Lewis). 

 — Physical Geography and the Climate of New England : W. M. Davis 

 (Camb., Mass.). — Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of 

 Philadelphia, October-December 1888 (Philadelphia). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The New Traveller's Guide to Scientific Inquiry . . 505 



Plant Life 507 



Practical Electrical Measurements 508 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Wegg-Prosser : " Galileo and his Judges " 509 



Bruce: " Observations on the Embryology of Insects 



and Arachnids " 509 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Satellite of Procyon.— J. M. Barr 510 



"Les Tremblements de Terre." — F. Fouque . . . 510 



Finding Factors. — Prof. W. H. H. Hudson . . . 510 

 Dolomedes fifubriatus, Clerck, at Killarney. — A. G. 



More 511 



Beech-wood. By Prof. H. Marshall Ward, F.R.S. . 511 

 Spectroscopic Researches at the Norwegian Polar 



Station 515 



Notes 516 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Observations of Jupiter 519 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1889 



March 31— April 6 519 



Geographical Notes 519 



Electrical Notes 520 



On the Confluences and Bifurcations of Certain 



Theories. By Sir James Cockle, F.R.S 521 



Exhibition of Meteorological Instruments, By 



William Marriott • 523 



University and Educational Intelligence 525 



Scientific Serials 525 



Societies and Academies 526 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials. Received 528 



