312 



NA TURE 



yuly 28, r>N7 



discussion ensued, in which Prof. Meldola, Mr. Poulton, Dr. 

 Sharp, and others took part. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, July 18. — M. Janssen in the chair. 

 — On the transition between the aromatic and fatty series, by 

 MM. Berthelot and Recoura. By the synthetic process this 

 transition is effected very clearly in the polymeric transformation 

 cf acetylene into benzene, and in the allied pyrogenous reactions. 

 Some light has also been thrown on the more obscure problem 

 of the transition in living organisms by Prunier's experiments 

 with quercite, and Maquenne's with inosite. These studies are 

 here subjected to further investigation by the measurement of the 

 heats of formation of the various principles, themselves deduced 

 from the heats of combustion. In all cases the passage of a 

 body belonging to the fatty series to one of the aromatic series 

 by deshydratation is shown to be accompanied by a considerable 

 liberation of heat ; that is to say, by a loss of energy correspond- 

 ing to the excess of stability acquired by the fundamental hydro- 

 carbonated nucleus. — Comparative locomotion : action of the 

 pelvic member in man, the elephant, and the horse, by MM. 

 Marey and Pages. Their recent researches on the locomotion of 

 the horse and elephant enable the authors to establish certain analo- 

 gies and differences presented by the posterior member of these 

 quadrupeds compared with the movement of the lower member in 

 man. The parallelism, which is illustrated by several diagrams, 

 bears both on the slow and rapid motion (walking and running) of 

 the three types here under consideration. Contrary to the general 

 opinion, there appears to exist in the step or pace of the quadru- 

 peds a period of double rest more prolonged in the hind than 

 in the fore-quarters. It is also shown that the trot in the horse 

 corresponds unquestionably with the running action of man, but 

 that elephants have no such action, just as man lacks the gallop 

 of the horse, which in this respect thus stands at the head of 

 the series. But, when urged to quicken their speed, the ele- 

 phants broke into an action somewhat approaching that assumed 

 by man when passing from a walk to a run. In general, both 

 in slow and rapid motion, the action of the pelvic member 

 remains essentially the same in all three types. The difference 

 between them lies in the action on the concurrent limbs, which 

 is slight between man and the elephant, much greater between 

 these two and the horse. — On the habits of Phylloxera, and on 

 the present state of the French vineyards, by M. P. Boiteau. 

 During the year 1886 the author continued his experiments on the 

 reproduction of Phylloxera, which he has cultivated for six con- 

 secutive years. In 1885 he had reached the nineteenth generation 

 by the parthenogenetic process, all necessary precautions being 

 taken to prevent fertilized insects from coming in contact with 

 those derived directly from the winter egg. At present he has 

 reached a second generation for 1887, or a total of 24 or 25 

 altogether, all these agamous generations being very healthy, 

 lively, and prolific. The condition of the vines, which suffered 

 so much last year, is described as highly satisfactory, with every 

 prospect of a good vintage in most of the wine-growing districts. 

 — Comparison of the energies radiated by platina and silver in 

 fusion, by M. J. Violle. By the process here described the total 

 radiation of platina is found to be 54 times that of silver in 

 fusion. Yet this relation, great as it is, is far less than that of 

 the luminous intensities, which is superior to 1000. — Solidification 

 of liquids by pressure, by M. E. H. Amagat. Theoretically, 

 J. Thomson's formula implies that at a given temperature solidi- 

 fication becomes possible under sufficient pressure, provided the 

 density be greater in the solid than in the fluid state. But no 

 instance has hitherto been known of any liquid properly so 

 called being solidified by pressure alone. Now, however, the 

 author, after numerous experiments, has succeeded in solidifying 

 the bichloride of carbon (C2CI4), obtaining some crystals which 

 are here figured, and which appear evidently to belong to the 

 cubic system. This substance is solidified at the temperatures 

 of - I9°'5. 0°, 10°, and I9°'5C. under the respective pressures 

 of 210, 620, 900, and 1 1 60 atmospheres. This and other results 

 would seem to imply that every fluid has a critical point of solidi- 

 fication ; that is, a temperature above which solidification will 

 take place under no pressure : just as there appears to be a 

 temperature below which the body remains solid under the 

 slightest pressures. — On the calorific conductibility of bismuth 

 in a magnetic field, by M. A. Righi. The considerable increase 

 of electric resistance, and the intense rotation of the equipoten- 

 tial lines (Hall's phenomenon) which occur when bismuth 

 is introduced into the magnetic field, naturally led to 



the inference that a decrease of calorific conductibi' 



and a rotation of the isothermal lines should take pi 



under the same conditions. The author has now comple 



a series of extensive experiments, which completely confirm 



supposition, and the summary results of which have been p 



lished in the Nesocoiiti delV Accadcmia Reale dei Lincei for J 



12 ; that is, eight days before the analogous communicat 



recently sent by M. Leduc to the Comptes rendus. —On 



Chloraina dtijardini and Siphonostoma diplochaitos, by 



Joyeux-Laffuie. In reply to M. Kunstler, it is pointed out t 



there is no ground for supposing that these two organisms 



identical, the former being from 15 mm. to 20 mm., the lal 



8 cm. long. — On the earthquake of June 9, 1887, in Cent 



Asia, by M. Venukoff. A detailed account is given of 



disastrous effects of this disturbance, ' especially in Vernoi 



town of 17,000 inhabitants, where 1700 out of 2500 buildings 



brick and stone were levelled with the ground, while i 



wooden houses remained almost uninjured. As many as i 



persons perished in Vernoi, and over 8oo in the surround 



district, chiefly in the Ala-tau Mountains. The first great she 



of June 9 has been followed by several others, which still contini 



obliging the inhabitants to take shelter under tents on the of 



plains. — On a hailstone inclosing a stony nucleus, by M. 



Tissandier. This specimen fell during a violent thunder a 



hailstorm in the Tarbes district on June 20. The nucleus c( 



sisted of some gypsum, which had clearly been worked, and 



doubt sucked up by a water-spout to a thunder-cloud, when 



became incrusted with ice. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVE; 



Course of Practical Instruction in Botany, part ii. : Bower and Vine (M 

 millan). — The Teaching of Geography : A. Geikie (Macmillan). — Sunhg 

 SecondEdition, 1887 (Triibner).— Morality and Utility : G. P. Best(Trubnf 

 — The Scenery of Scotland, Second Edition : A. Geikie (Macmillan). —T 

 Forms of Nasal Obstruction : G. Macdonald (A. P. Watt). — Report of t 

 Roy.il Commission for the Colonial and Indian Commission, 1887 (Clowes) 

 Smithsonian Report, 1885, part i. (Washington). 



CONTENTS. PA( 



The Geology of Northumberland and Durham. By 



Prof. A. H. Green, F.R.S 2: 



Physiological Psychology 21 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Schafer: "The Essentials of Histology." — Dr. E. 



Klein, F.R.S 2; 



Richards: "Aluminium" 2< 



Young: " Questions on Physics " 2( 



Greenwood: " Eminent Naturalists " 2( 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Carnatic Rainfall.— Henry F. Blanford, F.R.S. 2c 

 The Progress of the Scottish Universities. — M.A. et 



Medicus. {^Illustrated) 2C 



Floating Eggs. — Edward E. Prince 25 



Expression of the Emotions. — J. L 29 



Education in America. By W. Odell 29 



Abstract of the Results of the Investigation of the 

 Charleston Earthquake. II. By C. E. Button, 

 U.S.A., and Everett Hayden, U.S.N., U.S. 



Geological Survey. {Illustrated) 29 



On a Point of Biological Interest in the Flowers of 

 Pleurothallis ornatus, Rchb. f. By F. W. Oliver. 



{Illustrated) 3c 



Cubic Crystals of Graphitic Carbon. By L. Fletcher 3c 



Notes 3c 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Total Solar Eclipse of 1886 3( 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1887 



July 31 — August 6 3c 



Geographical Notes 3( 



The Technical Education Bill 3(1 



Scientific Serials 3 



Societies and Academies % 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received ■ 



i 



