I20 



NATURE 



\yime 2, 



o'clock, but this time it coincided with a thunderstorm. The 

 irregularity of the atmospheric pressure on May 3 acquires an 

 especial significance, on account of the telegraphic news of the 

 serious eruptions which took place in Mexico and California on 

 the same day, although the time of the eruption is not yet 

 definitely fixed. As a matter of fact, the barographic curve of 

 May 3 shows a great resemblance to that observed at the time 

 of the outbreak of Krakata~o on August 27, 1883 ; the speaker 

 produced the latter curve for comparison. It is not altogether 

 impossible that the variation of atmospheric pressure on May 3, 

 and possibly that of May 4, may have been in some way con- 

 nected with the eruptions in America at the same time. 



Physiological Society, May 13. — Prof Du Bois-Reymond, 

 President, in the chair.— Dr. Joseph communicated the results 

 of his anatomical researches on the physiology of the spinal 

 ganglia. According to Waller's older experiments, section of 

 the nerves between the spinal cord and ganglion produces a 

 degeneration of the central part of the nerve, whereas 

 section of the nerve on the other side, of the ganglion 

 leads to a degeneration of all the sensory nerve-fibres up 

 to the section. In 1883, however, a pupil of Gudden 

 raised an objection to these experiments, since he found that, 

 by removal of the connecting portion (between the cord and 

 ganglion), not only the central but also the peripheral part of 

 the nerve degenerated. Dr. Joseph has repeated these experi- 

 ments on cats, and has arrived at the following results, which 

 agree with those which Krause has recently communicated to 

 the Society (see Nature, May 12, p. 48). Thus (i) There 

 are a number of nerve-fibres which simply pass through the 

 ganglion without being connected with its cells. (2) The gang- 

 lion is the trophic centre for the larger number of sensory nerves. 

 (3) The ganglion-cells are bipolar. — Dr. Lewin has examined a 

 series of specimens of urine which contained blood, and were 

 obtained from widely different cases, and found that most of 

 them contained methjemoglobin, as shown by its characteristic 

 spectrum. When these specimens of urine were reduced by 

 means of sulphide of ammonium, he did not obtain the well- 

 known s|)ectrum of reduced haemoglobin which is always ob- 

 tained when blood which contains methsemoglobin is reduced ; 

 but in many cases he observed the no less well characterized 

 spectrum of reduced htematin. It seems to follow from this 

 that the urine of certain patients may contain hsematin. — Prof. 

 Zuntz gave an introductory explanation of an experiment which 

 was subsequently carried out by Prof. Wolff, to show, namely, 

 that anyone can diminish his weight by taking a deep inspiration. 

 This experiment is most striking when the subject stands on a 

 decimal balance which is so arranged that it can only give a kick 

 upwards ; in this case the pan with the weights in it sinks when 

 a deep inspiration is taken. The speaker explained this pheno- 

 menon as being the result of the sudden straightening of the 

 spinal column and elevation of the head which occurs when the 

 deep inspiration is taken ; owing to its momentum, the head 

 carries the lower part of the body slightly with it, so that the 

 latter presses less forcibly on its support. 



Stockholm. 



Royal Academy of Sciences, April 13. — On the Lias of 

 the province of Scania, in the south of Sweden, by Dr. J. C. 

 Moberg. — A theory of unipolar induction, by Prof. E. Edlund. 

 — Report on a visit to the United States and Canada for the 

 purpose of studying the fisheries of those countries, by Dr. F. 

 Trybom. — On the structure of the pericarp in the Boraginese, 

 by Miss A. Olbers.— On the development of the secondary fibro- 

 vascular bundles in Dracaena and Yucca, by Miss H. Loven. — 

 A suggestion respecting the theory of the constant electric 

 currents, by Dr. A. Rosen. — A crystallographic study of two new 

 hydro-carbons, by Herr M. Backstrom. — Observations on natural 

 phenomena of corrosion, and new faces of crystals in Adular from 

 Swarzenstein, by Dr. A. Hamberg. — On tetartohedrism in 

 tourmaline, by Dr. W. Ramsay. 



May II.— Contributions to a monograph of the amphipoda 

 Hyperiidea, by Dr. C. Bovallius ; part I, the families Ty- 

 lonidae, Lanceolidae, and Vibilidae. — On the recent Astro- 

 photographic Congress in Paris, by Prof. Hugo Gylden.— On 

 a group of differential equations, the solution of which is 

 combined with so-called small divisors, by Dr. C. Bohlin. 

 — On the results of the determinations of the longitude be- 

 tween Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Lund, undertaken during 

 1885 and 1886, by Prof Rosen.— On the levellings conducted 

 dunng 1886, by the same.— On the interior friction of dilute 



aqueous solutions, by Dr. S. Ai-rhenius. — Contributions to 



knowledge of the changes of steel in physical respects when 



softened, by Herr C. F. Rydberg. — On the diffusion of rai 



ing heat from spherical surfaces, by Dr. K. Angstrom. — On 



electric resistance against conductibility in crystals, by Hen 



Backstrom. — On acollection of Coleopteraand Lepidoptera i 



the Congo, made by Lieut. Juhlin-Dannfelt, and descr 



by Prof C. Aurivillius. — The following papers by I 



Nilsson and Dr. G. Krliss, of Munich, were presented : - 



the equivalent and atomic weights of thorium. — On the ea 



and the niobic acid in fergusonite. — On the product of 



reduction of niobfluorkalium with natrium. — On the Gen 



fluoride of kalium. — Studies on Taphrina, by Dr. C. J. Johans: 



— On the species of Echinoidea, described by Linnjeus in 



work "Museum Ludovicce Ulricse," by Prof Sven Loven.— 



some definite integrals, by Dr. Lindman. — On organic su! 



amido-combinations, by Prof Cleve. — On naphthydroxam ac 



by Dr. A. G. Ekstrand. — On the crystals of some combinat; 



of zirconium, by Dr. M. Weibull. — Lagopus honasioides 



hybrid between Lagopus subalpina and Tetrao bonasia, by F 



G. Kolthoff, Conservator of the Zoological Museum of Upsa 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVE 



Cartilla de Zoologia Evolucionista : M. R. Mexia (Jacobsen, Bu( 

 Aires). — The Health of Nations, 2 vols. : B. W. Richardson (Longmans 

 Proceedings of the Bath Natural History and Antiquarian Field C 

 vol. vi. No. 2 (Bath). — La Matiere et I'Energie : E. Ferriere (Alcan, Pa 

 — Life of Charles Darwin: G. T. Bettany (Scott). — Report of the Com 

 sioner of Education for 1884-85 (Washington). — Illustrations of the Bri 

 Flora: Fitch and Smith (Reeve). — Essays and Addresses: Rev. J. 

 Wilson (Macmillan). — Climatic Treatment of Consumption : Dr. J. 

 Lindsay (Macmillan). — Elementary Practical Histology : W. Feari 

 (Macmillan). — Alcyonida : D. C. Daniel.ssen (Grondhal and Son). — A I 

 Basis for Chemistry : T. Skerry Hunt (Triibner).— Sketches of Life in Jap 

 Major H. Knollys (Chapman and Hall). — Cosmogonie : C. Braun (MiinsI 

 Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Nosean-fiihrenden Auswurflinge des Laac 

 See.s (Holder, Wien). — Annalen der Physik und Chemie, No. 6, 1 

 (Leipzig). 



CONTENTS. PA 



The Pre-History of the North. By Dr. John Evans, 



F.R.S 



Professor Stokes on Light. By Prof. P. G. Tait . . 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Wood: "Our Bird Allies" 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Thought without Words.— Prof, F. Max Miiller ; 



Francis Galton, F.R.S i 



A Use of Flowers by Birds.— J. M. H r 



Earthquakes and the Suspended Magnet. — Dr. M. A. 



Veeder i 



Units of Weight, Mass, and Force. — I. Lancaster; 



Prof. D. H. Marshall i 



Remarkable Phenomenon seen on April 26, 1887. — 



E.J.Lowe, F.R.S i 



Pear-shaped Hailstones. — B. Woodd Smith . . . i 

 " A Junior Course of Practical Zoology." — G. B. H, i 



Bishop's Ring. — T. W. Backhouse i 



A Review of Lighthouse Work and Economy in 

 the United Kingdom during the Past Fifty Years. 



I. By J. Kenward i 



Condensation of Gases. By A. E. Tutton. {Illus- 

 trated) I' 



A Recent Japanese Earthquake. By Prof. J. A. 



Ewing. {Illustrated) i 



Notes I 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Paris Observatory i 



Astronomical Photography i 



Comet 1887 ^ (Barnard, May 12) i 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1887 



June 5-1 1 I 



Geographical Notes i: 



The Iron and Steel Institute i 



The Institution of Mechanical Engineers i 



Note on the Spectrum of Didymium. By Dr. Claude 



M, Thompson i 



University and Educational Intelligence i) 



Scientific Serials i- 



Societies and Academies • . . . . i 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received i: 



