December 6, 1900] 



NA TURE 



147 



the world, and this is proved by the relatively low rate shown 

 in these curves. A pleasanter climate may well be found, but 

 the majority of health resorts to which Englishmen resort in the 

 winter have a higher death rate than London has at the same 

 season, and a far higher rate than any of the country districts 

 of the British Isles. — Mr. H. Mellish also read a paper on the 

 seasonal rainfall of the British Islands. After referring to what 

 had already been written on the subject by others, he proceeded 

 to discuss the data contained in the "Tables of Rainfall, 

 1866-90," published by the Meteorological Council. He con- 

 cluded by saying that, as regards the relation between the 

 amount which falls in the wettest and the driest month at any 

 station, it seems to be generally the case that the range is larger 

 for wet stations than for dry ones. 



Entomological Society, November 21. — Mr, G. H. Ver- 

 rall. President, in the chair. — Mr. H. W. Andrews exhibited 

 Atherix crassipes, Mg., a Dipteron new to the British list, 

 taken near Ticehurst, Sussex. Mr. Verrall remarked that it 

 was a distinct species, and, like Leptis, affected the leaves of . 

 alder. — Colonel Yerbury exhibited Anthrax paniscus and 

 Tabanns bromitis, bred from a lepidopterous pupa found in 

 sand at St. Helen's, Isle of Wight, and a new species of Cordy- 

 lura, taken at Aviemore in July 1899 and June 1900. — Mr. 

 L. B Prout exhibited three male specimens of Proutia betu- 

 litia, Z , and two of P. eppingella, Tutt, bred from larvae taken 

 this season in Epping Forest. He remarked that both species 

 occurred in the same part of the forest, and the larvae appeared 

 to be attached chiefly to old hawthorns. Excepting in the 

 smaller size of P. eppingella, no superficial difference was ob- 

 servable between the two species. The specimens of P. betulina, 

 however, emerged about ten days earlier. — Dr. Chapman ex- 

 hibited some specimens of considerable interest in relation to 

 the question of correspondence or otherwise of the pupal and 

 imaginal wings of Aporia crataegi, showing that at this par- 

 ticular stage the imaginal wings presented the markings of the 

 pupal wing, a set of markings which are in a way the reverse of 

 those of the mature imago. He also exhibited specimens of 

 the wings at a later stage, showing the true imaginal markings 

 developed. With regard to these effects. Dr. Chapman explained 

 them to some extent as analogous to photographic effects. It 

 was quite possible, he thought, that light and heat caused a 

 differential effect through the different coloured areas of the pupa. 

 — Papers were communicated on contributions to a knowledge 

 of the Rhyncota, by Mr. W. L. Distant, and an account of 

 a collection of Rhopalocera made at Zomba, British Central 

 Africa, by Mr. P. T. Lathy. 



Manchester. 



Literary and Philosophical Society, November 27. — 

 Mr. J. J. Ashworth, Treasurer, in the chair. — Dr. Wilson 

 mentioned a peculiarity to which his attention had been called 

 in reference to the bursting of gauge glasses on the engines in 

 the laboratory at the Owens College. It appears that an in- 

 terval of perceptible length occurs between the first appearance 

 of a longitudinal crack in the glass, from which the steam issues, 

 and the actual burst. The interval was sufficiently long on one 

 occasion to allow the fireman .to shut off the steam before the 

 tube collapsed. If the interval be found to occur generally, it 

 is of obvious importance. 



Dublin. 



Royal Dublin Society, November 21. — Prof. G. F. Fitz- 

 Gerald, F.R.S., in the chair.— Prof. J. Emerson Reynolds, 

 F.R.S., presented notes on some recent advances in chemical 

 science illustrated at the Paris Exhibition.— Mr. J. R. Wigham 

 described a method of burning petroleum under pressure for 

 lighthouses and other places where an extremely powerful light 

 is required, and exhibited a working model of the apparatus. — 

 Prof. J. Emerson Reynolds exhibited a series of photographic 

 slides showing various parts of the Paris Exhibition. — Dr. W. E. 

 Adeney exhibited and described the Michelson Echelon spectro- 

 scope. — Mr. R. M. Barrington showed a collection of the wings 

 of birds killed by striking Irish lighthouses in their flight. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, November 26. — M. Maurice Levy in 

 the chair. — Action of the earth's magnetic field upon the be- 

 haviour of a magnetised chronometer, by M. A. Cornu. As the 



result of the experiments cited, the conclusion is drawn that it is 

 possible to correct the action of a magnetic field upon a mag- 

 netised chronometer, either by a correction formula or by the 

 use of compensators. — On the existence of the nitrides of neody- 

 mium and praseodymium, by M. H. Moissan. A claim for 

 priority against M. Matignon. — M. Haller was elected a member 

 of the section of chemistry in the place of M. Ed. Grimaux. — 

 On the definition of certain surface integrals, by M. H. Lebesgue. 

 On fundamental functions and the problem of Dirichlet, by 

 M. W. Slekloff.— On orthogonal systems admitting a continuous 

 transformation group of Combescure, by M. Maurice Fouche. — 

 Solution of a problem of elastic equilibrium, by M. Ivar Fred- 

 holm. — On the study of distant storms by means of the telephone, 

 by M. Th. Tommasina. By the use of a coherer and a tele- 

 phone each change of sign of atmospheric electricity shown on 

 the electro-radiograph of M. Boggio Lera is shown to be accom- 

 panied by a sound in the telephone, giving rise to the illusion 

 that the storm is quite close. The apparatus may possibly be of. 

 use at sea. — Actinometric measurements at Pamir, by M. B. \y. 

 Stankewitch. Observations were made at the passes of Taldik 

 (3590 metres), Kisil Art (4220 metres), and Ak Uaital (4650 

 metres). — On the magnetisation of electrolytic deposits of iron 

 obtained in a magnetic field, by M. Ch. Maurain. Two curves 

 are given, one showing the ordinary magnetisation curve of a 

 deposit obtained as little magnetised as possible, the other the 

 intensities of magnetisation of deposits obtained in constant fields 

 up to 800 C.G.S. units. — Apparatus for localising despatches 

 in wireless telegraphy, by M. Paul Jegou. — Cryoscopic researches, 

 by M. Paul Chroustchoff. The measurements were made with 

 a Callendar and Griffiths electrical thermometer, reading to 

 o°"OOOi C. Experimental results are given for salt, sugar, 

 potassium bromide and sulphate.— New method of estimating 

 arsenic, by M. O. Ducru. In a solution containing ammoniacal 

 salts, and slightly alkaline with ammonia, arsenic acid is com- 

 pletely precipitated by cobalt salts. The precipitate may be 

 treated in one of three ways, dried at 100", ignited at a low red 

 heat, or the cobalt determined electrolytically, of which the 

 first and third appear to give the best results. — On a general 

 method of separation for the metals of the platinum group, by 

 M. E. Leidie. Metals other than those belonging to the 

 platinum group are eliminated, and the remaining metals trans- 

 formed into double nitrites. Soda is added to the liquid, and 

 the osmium and ruthenium distilled oft' in a current of chlorine. 

 The iridium and rhodium are precipitated as double nitrites 

 with ammonium nitrite, and the residual palladium and platinum 

 separated in the usual way. — Direct combination of hydrogen 

 wiih the metals of the rare earths, by M. Camille Matignon. 

 Neodymium, praseodymium and samarium combine rapidly and 

 completely with hydrogen, the hydrides being dissociable. — On 

 some chlorobromides of thallium, by M. V. Thomas. A de- 

 scription of the method of preparation and properties of the 

 chlorobromide, TlCljBr^.— On the selenide of cadmium, by 

 M. Fonzes-Diacon. Crystallised cadmium selenide, CdSe, is 

 rhombohedral, and isomorphous with zinc selenide obtained 

 under similar conditions. — Examination of mineral waters for 

 metals present in minute proportions, by M. F. Garrigou. — On 

 the nitration of di-substituted derivatives of benzene, by M. Ch. 

 Cloez. — Action of nitric acid upon tribromoguaiacol, by M. 

 H. Cousin. Nitric; acid gives a quinone, which is the 

 result of a simultaneous condensation and oxidation. — 

 On the presence of seminase in seeds containing horny albumen, 

 by MM. Em. Bourquelot and H. Herissey. Experiments were 

 made on the seeds of lucerne {Medtcago saliva) and indigo 

 {Indigofera tinctoria). These contain, before germination, a 

 small proportion of a soluble ferment, seminase, capable of 

 liquefying their horny albumen and transforming it into assimil- 

 able sugars, these sugars forming the first nutriment of the 

 embryo at the commencement of its development. — Osmotic 

 communication in the normal marine invertebrate, between the 

 internal and external media of the animal, by M. R. Quinton. — 

 The adipose body of the Muscides during histolysis, by M. F. 

 Henneguy. — Experiments on teleogony, by Mile. Barthelet. — 

 On polymorphism of stems in a single species, by M. Marcel 

 Dubard. The Miocene basalts in the neighbourhood of Cler- 

 mont, by M. J. Giraud.— The effects of working certain groups of 

 muscles, upon others which do no work, by Mile. I. loteyko. 

 A discussion of the previous note of MM. Kronecker and 

 Cutter upon the same subject. — Seasonal variations of tempera- 

 ture at different heights in the atmospheres,by M.Leon Teisserenc 

 de Bort. 



NO. 1623, VOL. 63] 



