ig2 



NA TURE 



[December 22, 1892 



by Mr. A. E. Hall from larvae collected near SheflBeld. — Mr. 

 W. Farren exhibited four varieties of Papilio machaon from 

 Wicken Fen ; also a series of two or three species of Nepticulm 

 pinned on pith with the " tninutien Nadeln," for the purpose of 

 showing these pins. — Canou Fowler exhibited specimens of 

 Xyleborus perforans, Woll., which had been devastating the 

 sugar-canes in the West Indies. — Mr. E. B. Poulton, F.R.S., 

 showed, by means of the oxy-hydrogen lantern, slides of various 

 larvae and pupae, in illustration of his paper, read at the October 

 meeting, entitled, "Further experiments upon the colour- 

 relation between certain lepidopterous larvae and their surround- 

 ings." He stated that he believed that nineteen out of twenty 

 larvae of Geometridce possessed the power of colour adjustment. 

 Mr. F. Merrifield, the Rev. J. Seymour St. John, and Mr, 

 Jacoby took part in the discussion which ensued. — Mr. F.' Mer- 

 rifield read a paper entitled, "The effects of temperature on 

 the colouring of Pieris napi, Vanessa atalanta, Chrysophanus 

 phlaas and Ephyra punctata," and exhibited many specimens 

 thus affected. Mr. Poulton, Dr. F. A. Dixey, Mr. Elwes, 

 and Mr. Jenner-Weir took part in the discussion which 

 ensued. — Mr. Kenneth J. Morton communicated a paper en- 

 titled, "Notes on Hydroptilidce belonging to the European 

 Fauna, with descriptions of new species." — Dr. T. A. Chap- 

 man read a paper entitled, "On some neglected points in the 

 structure of the pupa of Heterocerous Lepidoptera, and their 

 probable value in classification ; with some associated observa- 

 tions on larval prolegs." Mr. Poulton, Mr, Tutt, Mr. Hamp- 

 son, and Mr. Gahan took part in the discussion which ensued. 

 — Mr. J. Cosmo-Melvill communicated a paper entitled, 

 " Description of a new species of butterfly of the genus 

 Calinaga, from Siam." — Mr. W. L. Distant communicated a 

 paper entitled, " Descriptions of new genera and species of 

 Neotropical Rhynchota." 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, December 12. — M. d'Abbadiein the 

 chair. — On certain asymptotic solutions of differential equations, 

 by M. Emile Picard. — Description of a, new electric furnace, 

 by M. Henri Moissan. The furnace consists of two bricks of 

 quicklime one upon the other, the lower one of which is pro- 

 vided with a longitudinal groove which carries the two electrodes^ 

 and between them is a small cavity serving as crucible, which 

 contains a layer of several centimetres of the substance to be 

 experimented upon. The latter may also be contained in a 

 small carbon crucible. The highest temperature worked with 

 was 3000° C, produced by a current of 450 amperes and 70 

 volts consuming 50 horse-power. In the neighbourhood of 

 2500°, lime, strontia and magnesia crystallized in a few minutes. 

 At 3000° the quicklime composing the furnace began to run like 

 water. At the same temperature the carbon rapidly reduced 

 the oxide of calcium to the metallic state. The oxides of nickel, 

 cobalt, manganese, and chromium were reduced in a few seconds 

 at 2500°, and a button of uranium weighing 120 gr. was ob- 

 tained from the oxide in ten minutes at 3000°. — Action of a 

 high temperature on metallic oxides, by M. Henri Moissan. 

 In all the experiments, the simple elevation of temperature pro- 

 duced the crystallization of all the metallic oxides experimented 

 upon. — On the existence of the diamond in meteoric iron of the 

 CaRon Diablo, by M. C. Friedel. A careful analysis has placed 

 beyond doubt the existence of diamond in a portion of the 

 Arizona meteorite presented to the Ecole des Mines. It occurs 

 in small grains or a fine powder disseminated through the iron. — 

 On the laws of expansion of fluids at constant volume ; coefficients 

 of pressure, by E. H. Amagat. — On the means of diminishing 

 the pathogenic power of fermented beet-root pulp, by M. Arloing. 

 — On the employment of free balloons for meteorological observa- 

 tions at very great heights, by M. Ch. Renard. — Photographic 

 observations of Holmes's comet, by M. H. Deslandres. — On the 

 locus of the mean distances of a point of an ordinary epicycloid, 

 and of the successive centres of curvature which correspond to 

 it, by M. G. Fouret. — On ordinary linear differential equations, 

 by M. lules Cels. — On the common cause of the evaporation 

 and surface tension of liquids, by M. G. van der Mensbrugghe, 

 — On the relation between the velocity of light and the size of 

 the molecules of refracting liquids, by M. P. Joubin. From a 

 comparison of a large number of substances the following law is 

 deduced : The refraction is proportional to the square root of 

 the quotient of the weight of the molecule by the number of 

 constituent atoms (mean weight of the atom). — On the anomalous 

 propagation of the light waves of Newton's rings, by M. Ch, 

 Fabry. — On transparent diffusing globes, by M. Fredureau. — 



NO. 1208, VOL. 47] 



On a relation between molecular heat and the dielectric constant, 

 by M. Runolfsson. — On the employment of guard-ring con- 

 densers and absolute electrometers, by M. P. Curie.— On the 

 density of oxide of carbon and the atomic weight of carbon, by 

 M. A. Leduc. — Critical reduction of Stas's fundamental deter- 

 minations on potassium chlorate, by M. G. Hinrichs. — On a 

 chloro-iodide of carbon, by M. A. Besson. — Action of anhy- 

 drous hydrofluoric acid on the alcohols, by M. Maurice Meslans. 

 — Action of sulphuric acid on cilrene, by MM. G. Bouchardat 

 and J. Lafont. — Analysis of sulphate of quinine and quantitative 

 determination of quinine in presence of the other cinchona 

 alkaloids, by M. L. Barthe. — On the assimilation of the omasum 

 to the abomasum of the Ruminants from the point of view of 

 the formation of their mucous membrane, by M. J. A. Cordier. 

 — On the diR"erential osteological characters of rabbits and hares ; 

 comparison with leporides, by M. F. X. I.esbre.— Remarks on 

 the preceding communication, by M. Milne- Edwards. — Myxo- 

 sporidia of the bile-duct of fishes ; new species, by M. P. 

 Thelohan.— Method for ensuring the conservation of vitality in 

 plants brought from distant tropical regions, by M. Maxime 

 Cornu. — On the difference of transmissibility of pressures across 

 ligneous, herbaceous, and succulent plants, by M. Gaston 

 Bonnier. — On the structure of the Gleicheniacem, by M. Georges 

 Poirault. — Salivary secretion and electric excitation, by M. N. 

 Wedensky. — Action of the extract of cows' blood on animals 

 affected with glanders, by M. A. Babes.— The blizzard of 

 December 6 and 7, 1892, by M. Ch. V. Zenger. 



BOOKS and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Br.oK<;.— The Elements of Graphic Statics: L. M. Hoskins (Macmillan). 

 — Quahtative Analysis Tables and the Reactions of certain ( »rganic Sub- 

 stances : Dr. E. A. Letts (Belfast, Mayne and B lyd).— L rd Rosse on the 

 Gospel : Modernized by E. L. Garbett (VV. Reeves) —An Alias of Astro- 

 nomy : Sir R. S. Ball (Philip). -Pioneers of Science : Prof. O. Lodge ( Mac- 

 millan).— Collected Mathematical Papers of Prof. A. Cayley : Vol. V. 

 (Camb. Univ. Press). — British Journal Photographic Almanac, 1893 

 (Greenwood).— A Manual of Bacteriology : Dr. G. M. Sternberg (New 

 York, Wood). — La Terre Les Mers et Les Continents: F. Priem (Paris, 

 J. B. Bailliere). 



Skrials. — L'Anthropobgie, Tom. 3, No. 5 (Paris, Masson). — Economic 

 Journal, December (Macmillan and Co). — Journal of the Chemical Society, 

 December (Gurney and Jackson). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Mr. C. Dixon on Bird-Migration 169 



Domestic Electric Lighting 172 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Vasey : "Grasses of the Pacific Slope, including 



Alaska and the Adjacent Islands." — ^J. G. B. . . 173 



Gray: " Aids to Experimental Science " 173 



Allen: " Science in Arcady " I73 



Letters to the Editor : — 



MaccuUoch's Geological Map of Scotland. — Prof. J. 



W. Judd, F.R.S 173 



Glaciers of Val d'Herens. — William Sherwood . . 174 



Ancient Ice Ages. — T. Mellard Reade 174 



The Earth's Age.— Bernard Hobson ; Dr. Alfred 



Russel Wallace 175 



The Colours of the Alkali Metals.— Wm. L. Dudley 175 

 Osmotic Pressures. — Prof. Spencer Pickering.F.R.S. 175 

 On a Supposed Law of Metazoan Development. — R. 



Assheton 176 



Oxygen for Limelight. — T, C. Hepworth 176 



The Star of Bethlehem 177 



Fujisan. (Illustrated) By J. W. J. . . 178 

 The Galileo Celebration at Padua. By Prof. Antonio 



Favaro 180 



Sir Richard Owen 181 



Notes 182 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Comet Holmes (November 6, 1892) 186 



Comet Brooks (November 20, 1892) 186 



Swift's Comet 186 



Ultra-violet Spectrum in Prominences . . 186 



Ephemeris for Bodies Moving in the Biela Orbit . . 186 



Madras Meridian Circle Observations 186 



The Juba River 186 



Breath Figures. By W, B. Croft . . 187 



Scientific Serials 188 



Societies and Academies .... 189 



Books and Serials Received 192 



