Z7^ 



NAIURE 



{August 1 8, 1887 



China it can lay claim to no such foundation. The Taoists 

 adopted the practice at a very early period to ward off and cure 

 disease ; but in later times charms, incantations, and magic 

 seem to have taken its place. Dr. Dudgeon described the 

 general principles of the art, including active, passive, and 

 breathing movements, and the rationale of the Chinese system 

 of medicine on which it is founded. The life of man depends 

 upon the existence of air circulating throughout the system. The 

 vital principle is supposed to reside at a point one inch below the 

 navel j from here the two principles of nature emanate. Thence, 

 according to Chinese notions, proceeds the breath in expiration, 

 and thither it goes in inspiration. The great object of life and 

 also of Kujig-fu is to nourish this original air, and avoid disease 

 by preventing the admission of depraved air. Dr. Dudgeon gave 

 a description of the various movements prescribed for various 

 diseases. Some of these are complicated, and many ridiculous, 

 but the practice appears to hold its place still in Chinese 

 medicine. 



At a recent meeting of the French Societe d'Encouragement, 

 M. Grosfils, of Verviers, described a new method he had hit upon 

 for preserving butter. The principle of it is, to hinder the 

 crystallization of salicylic acid added to the butter, and so maintain 

 its antiseptic power indefinitely. This he effects by means of lactic 

 acid, which is a pretty strong solvent of salicylic acid. The 

 composition he had arrived at consists of 98 parts of 

 water, 2 parts of lactic acid, and s^^Vu of salicylic acid. This 

 will preserve good butter indefinitely, even at high temperatures 

 and in hot countries. M. Grosfils estimates that the butter, sup- 

 posing it retains 5 per cent, of its weight of liquid, will retain 

 I part of salicylic acid to 100,000. Lactic acid beyond 2 per 

 cent, gives a slightly acidulated taste which might affect the 

 saleability of the butter : this may be removed by simple 

 washing with water, or, better, with skim-milk containing a little 

 bicarbonate of soda. The preparation of a kilogramme of 

 butter by M. Grosfils' process does not cost more than one or 

 two centimes. 



It appears that, after some years' experiment, M. Jovis, Director 

 of the Aeronautic Union of France, has found a satisfactory 

 varnish for textile materials. It is of great flexibility, contains 

 no oleaginous base, and, while adding little to weight, confers 

 great impermeability. A piece of calico coated with it will 

 retain hydrogen several days, and is not only not disaggregated 

 by the matters applied, but even by use increases their dynamo- 

 metric force ; a matter of great importance for marine cordage, 

 sails, tents, &c. The varnish is also suitable for paintings, 

 wainscoting, &c., and it is exempt from mouldiness. It can be 

 exposed to very varied temperatures without alteration. Lastly, 

 the sub-products can be utilized for coating walls, railway- 

 sleepers, &c. Such is the account presented to the Societe 

 d'Encouragement, to which the Aeronautic Union has applied 

 for help to give this new industrial branch a worthy development. 



We have received the Transactions of the Norfolk and Nor- 

 wich Naturalists' Society for 1886-87. This is the eighteenth 

 annual volume issued by this flourishing Society. The papers 

 are numerous and varied, beginning with the presidential address 

 of Sir Peter Eade, which is devoted to the subject of germ life, 

 more particularly as it affects human and animal life. Mr. See- 

 bohm follows witli two papers on the birds of the Lena 

 Delta and of the extreme north of Alaska, and Mr. 

 Harvie-Brown contributes a paper on the birds of Priest's 

 Island. Sir Peter Eade gives an accoixnt of two land tortoises 

 {TesluJo grceca) in confinement; and there are two papers on 

 new or rare Norfolk plants. Mr. J. W. Gurney, Jun., has a 

 paper " On the Periodic Movements of Gulls on the Norfolk 

 Coast," and the Rev, H. A, Macpherson writes on "Hybrid 

 Finches." Mr. Francis Day gives descriptions of some remark- 



able forms of eels found in Sahara Mere, Norfolk ; and Mr. 

 Southwell has a paper on the " Smelt Fishery in Norfolk," as 

 well as his annual report on the herring fishery from the ports 

 of Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Mr. A. W. Preston continues 

 his meteorological notes. Two papers of more than local 

 interest are contributed by Lieut. -Colonel Feilden and Mr. 

 Herbert Geldart, the former on zoological, the latter on 

 botanical, researches carried on during a voyage to Hudson's 

 Bay on board the Alert, which, in the summer of 1886, visited 

 and relieved the various meteorological stations in that locality. 

 There are some interesting communications in the form of 

 " Miscellaneous Notes and Observations " ; and last, but by no 

 means least, is Part li of the "Fauna and Flora of Norfolk," 

 being Section II. of a list of the birds observed in the county by 

 Messrs. Gurney and Southwell. 



The journal Caucase states that the Imperial Society of the 

 "friends of natural science, ethnography, and anthropology" 

 are devoting particular attention to the zoology of the Caucasus. 

 In 1885 the Society sent a mission to study the fauna of Erivan 

 and of the coast of the Black Sea, and this year it has sent out 

 two expeditions, one to study the fauna of the coast of the 

 Caspian, the other that of the environs of Tiflis and the Lakes 

 Gotchka, Paleoston, and others. 



The death is announced of Dr. Johann Krejci, Professor of 

 Geology at the University of Prague and a member of the 

 Bohemian Parliament. 



The Imperial Leopold-Caroline Academy of Naturalists, at 

 Halle, celebrated its two -hundredth anniversary on August 7. 



A VOLCANIC eruption lately occurred in the Island of Galita, 

 on the Algerian coast. The streams of lava were numerous, and 

 the light of the fire was visible for forty miles around. 



On July 26 a severe shock of earthquake was felt at Obernzell, 

 Wegscheidt Messnerschlag, in Lower Bavaria. 



A SEVERE earthquake was noticed in Ecuador on August 2, at 

 6.29 p.m. Great damage was done in many cities, but Cuenca 

 suffered most, many of the houses falling in, and others being 

 seriously damaged. Shocks of earthquake were also felt in 

 several places in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and on the 

 eastern banks of the Missouri. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Red and Blue Macaw {Ara macao) from 

 Central America, presented by Dr. and Mrs. T. W. Allright ; 

 a Carrion Crow [Coi'vus corone), European, presented by Mr. 

 George Nicholson ; a Fieldfare {Turdus pilaris), presented by 

 Colonel Verner ; a Hive of Bees, presented by Mr. T. 

 Bates Blow ; four Geckos, four Frogs from Italy ; two 

 Lineated Chalcis {Ckalcides lineatus) from the South of 

 France ; two Dark-green Snakes {Zanteuis atrovirens), two 

 Natterjack Toads {Bufo calamitd) from Germany, purchased; a 

 Bennett's Wallaby {^Halmaturus bennetti), two Viscachas [Logo- 

 stomus trickodactyhis), three Wood Hares {Leptis sylvaticiis), 

 born in the Gardens ; a Bronze-spotted Dove {Ckalcjpelia 

 chalcospilos), two Hybrid Spotted Zenaida Doves (between 

 Zenaida maculata 6 and Z. auriculata 9 ), bred in the Gardens. 



OUR AS TRONOMICA L COL UMN 



New Variable of the Algol Type. — Mr. E. Sawyer 

 announces in No. 159 of Gotild's Astronotnical Journal h.xs dis- 

 covery that the star 155 {Uran. Argent.) Canis Majoris is a 

 variable of the Algol type. A diminution in the light of the 

 star was first observed on March 26 ; the star was then observed 

 again on March 29 and 30, and April 6, 7, 9, and 10, and 

 appeared on each occasion to be of about its normal brightness. 

 On April 11 at 8h. 15m. it was again found to be faint, but had 

 recovered brightness by 9h, On April 19 another minimum was 



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