264 



NATURE 



{July 14, 1887 



Geodetic Association has decided to hold the next session of its 

 Permanent Commission in October of this year at the Observa- 

 tory of Nice. — General method for determining the constant of 

 aberration, by M. Loewy, In this concluding paper the par- 

 ticular process is described by means of whicli the research 

 may be made independent of the errors due to the action of the 

 screw in the apparatus already described. — On some double 

 phosphates of thorium and sodium, or of zirconium and sodium, 

 by MM. L. Troost and L. Ouvrard. After examining the 

 action of the metaphosphate, of the pyrophosphate, and ortho- 

 phosphate of potassa on thorine, zircon, and their salts, the 

 authors here describe the action of the meta-, pyro-, and ortho- 

 phosphate of soda under analogous conditions. From the study 

 of the double phosphates formed by these bases with soda and 

 phosphoric acid, they are unable to derive any argument in sup- 

 port of the theory that has been advanced on the relation of 

 zircon to thorine in order to justify the formula of a bioxide 

 given to the latter substance. In a future communication the 

 reactions will be described which separate both of these compounds 

 from each other, and bring thorine more into relationship with 

 the protoxides. — Remarks accompanying the presentation of two 

 works on subterranean waters in the present and former geological 

 epochs, by M. Daubree. In the first of these works, relating to 

 the present epoch, the author describes the manifold action of 

 water in its passage through the rock on the constitution of the 

 terrestrial crust. The underground waters are studied from the 

 several stand-points of their regime, their temperature, and their 

 composition. The second work, dealing with past epochs, 

 studies the action of these waters in modifying the original sub- 

 stance of the crust of the earth, and especially in connexion with 

 the distribution of minerals. It is shown generally that the 

 superheated water, whose presence is betrayed by thermal 

 springs and igneous exhalations, slowly and silently brings about 

 great and permanent effects in the interior of the globe, at all 

 times giving rise to mineral deposits of all kinds. By its 

 incessant subterranean circulation, and especially by its chemical 

 work, it accomplishes a sort of vital action, which is perpetuated 

 from age to age. — On an atlas of marine meteorology presented 

 to the Academy by M. Mascart. A limited number of copies of 

 this work have been issued by the Central Meteorological Bureau 

 in connexion with the Exhibition at Havre, and at the expense 

 of a person who desires to remain anonymous. It has been 

 prepared by M. Leon Teisserenc de Bort, and comprises thirty- 

 two charts based on the best published and inedited materials. 

 The first series deals with the mean distribution of pressure, and 

 of the prevailing winds during the different seasons on the 

 surface of the globe. The second is more especially devoted to 

 the study of the Atlantic Ocean, indicating the atmospheric 

 systems, the temperature of the sea, the position of the Arctic 

 and Antarctic floating ice, the line of equal declination, &c. 

 According to the donor's intention the work will be distributed 

 gratuitously to all captains of the mercantile marine who have 

 by their personal observations contributed in any way to the 

 progress of meteorological studies. — Fluorescences of manganese 

 and bismuth (continued), by M. Lecoq de Boisbaudran. In 

 this paper the author deals (i) with two solid solvents, one of 

 which, in the presence of the other, plays the part of a moder- 

 ately active body, and an active substance fluorescing energetic- 

 ally with one only of these solvents ; (2) with two solid solvents, 

 the first of which (a) plays the part of a moderately active body 

 and two active substances fluorescing energetically, one with 

 the two solvents a and 3, the other with & alone. — Elements 

 and ephemeris of the planet 267, by M. Charlois. These ele- 

 ments have been calculated by three equatorial observations 

 made at the Observatory of Nice on May 27 and June 9 and 27, 

 1887. At the instant of opposition on June 5 the planet was of 

 magnitude 13 "5. — On the position of the foci in a tangential 

 bundle of plane curves, byM. G. Humbert. From various con- 

 siderations deduced from Leguerre's theorem, the author arrives 

 at the general proposition that the poles of any three series are 

 the foci of three algebraic curves of the same class, belonging to 

 the same tangential bundle ; inversely the real foci at a finite dis- 

 tance from a curve of this bundle constitute a system of poles. 

 — On the synthesis of pilocarpine, by MM. Hardy and Calmels. 

 The synthesis of this substance has been obtained by means of 

 ;3-pyridino o-lactic acid. It takes place in two phases : (i) 

 transformation of this acid into pilocarpidine ; (2) transforma- 

 tion of pilocarpidine into pilocarpine. — On the origin of the 

 striated Bilobites, by M. Ed. Bureau. These tracings, occurring 

 on certain sandstones, are referred to the footprints of some 



Crustacean of the order of Phyllopods, which cannot at presen 

 be more accurately determined. — Observations on the meteor o 

 June 17, 1887, by MM. Waltner and Didier. This meteor, seei 

 at an altitude of about 45° above the horizon near the Mont 

 Parnasse railway-station at 7.45 p.m., was especially remarkabh 

 f«r its extraordinary brilliancy. It disappeared in about fiv( 

 seconds, without any noise or explosion, before reaching the toj 

 of the houses. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Matter and Energy (Kegan Paul). — My Microscope : by a Queket 

 Club Man (Roper and Drowley). — Exercises in Practical Chemistry 

 vol. i. 4th edition: Harcourt and Madan (Clarendon Pressl. — Bibliographit 

 Gen^rale de Astronomic, vol. i. : Houzeau and Lancaster (Hayez, Brussels) 

 Four-Figure Mathematical Tables : J. T. Bottomley (Macmillan). — Hand 

 book of Fern Allies : ;j. G. Baker (Bell). — Jahrbuch der Meteorologischei 

 Beobachtungen der Wetterwarte der Magdeburgischen Zeitung, Jahrgang iv. 

 1885 (Magdeburg). — Actes de la Societe Helvetique des Sciences Naturelles 

 CompteS Rendu, 1885-86 (Geneve). — Compte Rendu des Travaux de 1; 

 Society Helvetique des Sciences Naturelles, 1886 (Geneve). — Mittheilungei 

 der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Bern ans dem Jahr 1886 (Bern).— 

 Foods and Food Adulterations: part i, Dairy Products (Washington). - 

 Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, July (Williams and Norgate). — Mind 

 July (Williams and Norgate). — Journal of the Society of Telegraph-Engi 

 neers and Electricians. No. 67, vol. xvi. (Spon). — Folk-Lore Journal, vol. v 

 part 3 (Stock) — Zeitschrift fiir wissenschaftliche Zoologie, xlv. Band, 3 Hef 

 (Engelmann, Leipzig). — Bcrtanische Jahrbiicher fiir Systematik, Pflanzen 

 geschichte, und Pflanzengeographie, Achter Band, v H eft (Engelmann 

 Leipzig). — The Indian Forester, April, May, and June 18B7 (Roorkee). 



CONTENTS. PAGi 



Elementary Practical Physics 24 



The Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta 24 j 



Our Book Shelf :— 



"Year-Book of Pharmacy for 1886," and "General 



Index to Year-books of Pharmacy, 1864-85". . . 24 



Woodward : "ABC Five-Figure Logarithms " . . 24 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Lighthouse Work. — D. A. Stevenson 21 



The Use of Flowers by Birds. — J. M. H 2. 



Spawn of Sun-fish (?).—W. S. Green 2. 



After-Glows. — J. Lloyd Bozward 2^ 



The Cuckoo in India. — F. C. Constable 2. 



Luminous Boreal Cloudlets. — D. J. Rowan .... 2 



The Migrations of Pre-Glacial Man. — Glaciator . . 2 

 On the Pliocene Deposit of Marine Shells near 

 Lattakia, and a Similar Deposit in the Island of 



Zante. — Dr. George E. Post 2 



The Perception of Colour. — C. E. Stromeyer ... 2 

 Breeding for Intelligence in Animals. — Dr. H. 



Rayner 2 



The 'H eTph.xidi& oi Lanice conchilega. — ^J. T. Cunning- 

 ham 2 



The Parietal Eye in Fishes. By J. Beard. {Illus- 



trated) 2 



The Jubilee Anticyclone 1 



No Language without Reason — No Reason without 



Language. By Prof. F. Max Miiller ; 



On the Presence of Bacteria in the Lymph, etc., of 



Living Fish and other Vertebrates. By Prof. J. C. 



Ewart 



The Progress of Scotch Universities. {Illustrated) . 



Notes i| 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Researches on the Diameter of the Sun jS 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1887 



July 17-23 7 



Geographical Notes 7 



The Progress of Geography. By General R. ' 



Strachey, F.R.S J8 



University and Educational Intelligence jl 



Scientific Serials [a 



Societies and Academies \% 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received m 



Jfa 



