July 15, 1897] 



NATURE 



263 



by talus) are overlain by 500 feet of basalt. At some other 

 localities, however, the basalt is found at the sea-level. It is 

 pointed out that the islands, which make up the archipelago of 

 Franz Josef Land, are fragments of a formerly extensive region 

 of plateau-basalts, similar to that of which the Freroe and the 

 Western Isles of Scotland must have formed a part.— Deposits 

 of the Bajocian age in the North Cotteswolds. I. The Cleeve 

 Hill Plateau, by S. S. Buckman. — Pleistocene plants from 

 Casewick, Shacklewell, and Grays, by Clement Reid. — An 

 explanation of the Claxheugh Section (Co. Durham), by D. 

 Woolacott. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, July 5. — M. A. Chatin in the 

 chair. — The elections of M. Hatt, as Member of the Section 

 of Geogra])hy and Navigation, and of M. de Lapparent, in the 

 Section of Mineralogy, were confirmed by the President of the 

 Republic. — Distribution of the velocities of gradually varied 

 flow in tubes of large section, and the equation of the motion to 

 a higher degree of approximation, by M. J. Boussinesq. — On 

 the explosion of a manometer in a projection apparatus, by M. 

 I de Lacaze-Duthiers. The manometer in question had been 

 used without accident on many previous occasions, and no ex- 

 planation can be offered to account for its bursting, which was 

 attended with serious injury to the lantern manipulator. The 

 question was referred to a committee for investigation. — M. 

 Virchow was elected a Foreign Associate of the Academy in the 

 place of the late IVL Tchebichef. — On the establishment of a 

 general formula of interpolation for functions of any number of 

 variables, by M. Dupont. — On the algebraic surfaces which 

 admit of a skew cubic as an asymptotic line, by M. Ch. Bioche. 

 — On the partial polarisation of luminous radiations under the 

 influence of the magnetic field, by MM. N. Egoroff and N. 

 Georgiewsky. The experiments show that the luminous inten- 

 sity of a Bunsen burner always increases under the influence of 

 a magnetic field. By the aid of a Wollaston prism it was 

 found that a magnetic field partially polarises each of the rays 

 of the sodium spectrum in two perpendicular planes. The fine 

 lines of the metalloids, obtained by M. de Gramont's method, 

 remain unchanged in the magnetic field. — The magnetic devia- 

 tion of the kathode and X-rays, by M. G. de Metz. In a pre- 

 vious paper certain effects were attributed to the kathode rays, 

 which M. Poincare suggested might really be due to X-rays, 

 the latter being possibly produced by the reflection of the 

 kathode rays at a platinum surface. Preliminary experiments 

 upon the behaviour of the reflected kathode rays towards a 

 magnet tended to show that X rays were not produced under 

 these conditions, but further researches seem to indicate that 

 the two classes of rays cannot be distinguished by their behaviour 

 towards a magnet. — On the actino-electric effects of the Riintgen 

 rays, by M. S. Puggenheimer. If two similar electrodes are 

 plunged into a liquid and exposed to the Riintgen rays, a 

 current is set up in the wire joining the plates, the intensity 

 and direction of which depends upon the intensity of the 

 radiation. — On a thermal ammeter containing mercury, by M. 

 Charles Camichel. The bulk of a mercury thermometer is 

 placed concentrically in a glass tube containing mercury ; the 

 current is passed through the latter for a definite time, and the 

 rise of temperature read. It is shown that for a constant current 

 the rise of temperature is constant, moderate variations of the 

 air temperature being without effect upon the readings. — New 

 mercury pump without taps or mobile joints, by M. H. Henriet, 

 The pump figured appears to be practically identical with 

 tlie original form of the Topler pump, except that the side tube 

 for admitting air without bumping to the vacuous vessel is 

 omitted. — Action of tellurium chloride and fluoride upon the 

 corresponding hydracids, by M. R. Metzner. The compounds 

 TeCl,.HC1.5H20, 2TeF,.3Te02.6H20, and TeF4.Te0...2H20 

 were prepared and analysed. — Reduction of molybdic acid by 

 hydrogen, by M. M. Guichard. Below 470° C. the reduction 

 of MoO;, to MoOo is continuous, no intermediate oxide being 

 formed. — On the manganimolybdates, by M. E. Pechard. The 

 potassium, sodium, and ammonium salts of a new complex acid 

 containing manganese and molybdenum are described. — On 

 veratrylenediamine, by M. Ch. Moureu. The new amine con- 

 denses with phenanthraquinone, acetic acid, and benzaldehyde. 

 — On paraxylylacetic acid, by M. Guerbet. — Action of tannin 

 and of gallic acid upon quinoline bases, by M. Oechsner de 

 Coninck. — On a new carbohydrate, caroubinol, by -M. Jean 

 Effront. The new carbohydrate, which possesses the general 

 formula of the celluloses (C„H,oO.'s) is extracted from the grains 



of Ceratonia siliqiia. — On fermentation in media consisting of 

 solid particles, by M. Th. Schloesing, jun. — The potato, by 

 MM. H. Coudon and L. Bussard. — Researches relating to the 

 homology of the shoulder-bone in Batrachians and Saurians, by 

 M. A. Perrin. — On the morphological signification of the hinge 

 teeth in Lamellibranchs, by M. Felix Bernard. — The regenera- 

 tion of the micronucleus in some ciliated Infusoria, by M. Felix 

 Le Dantec. — Evolution of the parasite found in the cielom of 

 the house-cricket, by M. L. Cuenot. This parasite belongs to 

 the genus Diplocystis (Kunstler). Two new species are de- 

 scribed, named D. minor and D. major. — On the morphology of 

 the compound larva of a Synascidian (Diplosomoides Lacazii, 

 Giard), by M. Maurice Caullery. — On the hypodermal nuclei of 

 the Anguillulidne, by M. Joannes Chatin. — The true cause of 

 the disease of the potato known as FrisoUe, by M. E. Roze. — 

 On a layer of syenite in the ground mass of Mount Genevre, by 

 M. W. Kilian. — Remarks by M. Michel Levy on the preceding 

 paper. — Experiments made with an aeroplane moved by steam, 

 Ijy MM. V. Tatin and Charles Richet. — On certain disturbances 

 of the sea-level observed in the bay of Brusc, by M. Barthe de 

 Sandfort. — Account of an apparatus for measuring the speed of 

 boats or of sea-currents, by M. Merlateau. 



New South Wales. 



Linnean Society, May 26. — Prof. J. T. Wilson, President^ 

 in the chair. — Notes on the Fonnicida of Mackay, Queensland, 

 by Gilbert Turner. Nearly one hundred and forty species have 

 been collected, and with the kindly afforded help of Prof. Aug. 

 Forel, of Zurich, identified, except in a few cases still under 

 consideration. A general account of their habits and distribution 

 was given. — Descriptions of two new species of Cyprcea from 

 West Australia, by Agnes Kenyon. — Notes from the Botanic 

 Gardens, No. i., by J. H. Maiden and E. Betche. (a) Notes on 

 rare Port Jackson plants, viz. Siebera Step/iensonit, Benth. , at 

 Botany Bay and La Perouse ; Helichrysttni adnatum, Benth., 

 at Oatley and Hurstville ; Acacia Baueri, Benth., at the Cen- 

 tennial Park, and an almost glabrous form of Eriachne obtusa, 

 R.Br., near Rose Bay. The authors also presented a note on the 

 rare Dodoncea filifolia. Hook. , showing that the doubt cast by 

 Bentham in the " Flora Australiensis " on the correctness of the 

 Sydney locality is now removed. (<5) Plants new for New South 

 Wales. These are Acacia alpina, F. v. M. , from near Kiandra ; 

 Pterigercn dentatifolius, F. v. M. , from Olive Downs, Grey 

 Range; Geodorum picium, hindl., hom Byron Bay. — Descrip- 

 tions of three new Au.stralian plants, by J. H. Maiden and E. 

 Betche. ( i ) Dodomva Camfieldi, a remarkable species belonging 

 to Bentham's section " Cyclopterce," but not closely allied to 

 any described form. The leaves have broad sessile bases which 

 appear to be unique in the genus, and the leaves have large 

 groups of resin-secreting glands which give them a dotted 

 appearance. (2) Helipteruin microglossum (Syn. H. corymbi- 

 Jlorum, var. microglossum), differing in some important parti- 

 culars from its so-called variety, between which there appear to be 

 no intermediate forms. (3) Leucopogon Fletcheri, a species allied 

 to L. juniperinits, from which it is chiefly distinguished by the 

 pendulous flowers, the proportionately longer corolla lobes, and 

 the exserted style. — Descriptions of two new Acacias from New 

 South Wales, by R. T. Baker. Of the two species described, 

 one is allied to A. elongala, Sieb., and the narrow-leaved variety 

 of A. subporosa, F. v. M. ; the other to A. penninet-ins, Sieb., 

 and A. retinotdes, Schl. Both are from the Rylestone Dis- 

 trict, the second of them, however, extending also to Cobar and 

 Tocumwal.— On a larval Teleost from New South Wales, by J. 

 Douglas Ogilby. The form described is conjectured to be the 

 larva of one of the ophisuroid eels. Reference was made to 

 Grassi's important researches on the Mediterranean Lepto- 

 cephali or Glass-Eels ; and to the insuperable difiiculty which, 

 in the absence of any biological station, effectually precludes the 

 possibility of carrying out similar investigations on Australian 

 forms. 



Amsterdam. 



Royal Academy of Sciences, April 21.— Prof, van der 

 Waals presented, on behalf of Prof. Kamerlingh Onnes, two 

 papers by Mr. E. van Everdingen, jun. (a) On the increase of 

 the resistance of bismuth in connection with the dissymmetry 

 of Hall's effect. Experiments with small bismuth bars cut, 

 in different directions, out of the same piece of bismuth, show 

 that the ratio of the amounts of resistance in those directions is 

 modified in the magnetic field. This modification appears to- 



NO. 1446, VOL. 56] 



