48o 



NATURE 



[March i6, 1893 



brium and to effect the decomposition of the aluminate, the 

 rapidity of the reaction being increased by well stirring. In 

 the industrial process of obtaining aluminium from bauxite, 

 these crystals are provided by adding to the sodium 

 aluminate a little of the deposit obtained by treating it with a 

 current of carbon dioxide in the cold, a deposit which consists 

 of crystallised aluminium hydrate. The gelatinous hydrate has 

 no such effect. The alumina precipitated is very pure. Sub- 

 stances such as silica and phosphoric acid, dissolved out of the 

 bauxite by the caustic soda employed, remain in solution. — On 

 the isomerism of the amido-benzoic acids, by M. Oechsner de 

 Coninck. — On the dimorphism of the chloroplatinate of di- 

 methylamine, by M. Le Bel. — On inuline and two new 

 proximate bodies — pseudo-inuline and inulenine, by M. C. 

 Tanret. — Absorbing action of cotton on dilute solutions of sub- 

 limate, by M. Leo Vignon. — Remarkable resistance of animals 

 of the genus Capra against the effects of morphine, by M. L. 

 Guinard. — Alterations of molecular tissue in the barbel due to 

 the presence of myxosporidia and microbes, by M. P. Thelo- 

 han. — On the maxillary apparatus of the Eunicidse, by M. Jules 

 Bonnier. — On the perfume of orchids, by M. Eugene Mesnard. 

 — Experimental researches on the mole and on the treatment of 

 this disease, by M. Julien Constantin. — A disease of the endive, 

 by M. Prillieux ; remarks by M. Arm. Gautier. — On the 

 morphology of the cellular nucleus in the Spyrogyras and the 

 resulting phenomena in this plant, by M. Ch. Decagny. — Dis- 

 covery oi Mastodon Borsoni at Rousillon, by M. A. Donnezan. 

 — On the use of soluble cartridges in oceanographic measure- 

 ments and experiments, by M. J. Thoulet. — Temperatures ob- 

 served in the winter of 1789 at Montbeliard, by M. Contejean. 



Berlin. 



Physical Society, January 20. — Prof. Kundt, President, in 

 the chair. — Dr. Haentzsch spoke on the potential equation, 

 gave an historical account of researches bearing on it, and added 

 a communication on the results of his own investigations. 

 Prof. Planck explained the arrangement and principle of a truly- 

 tuned harmonium, built on the system of C. Eitz, and bequeathed 

 to the Physical Institute. The instrument includes four and a half 

 octaves, and possesses special notes, arranged in several rows 

 and distinguished by four different colours, for the fifths, the 

 major and minor thirds, and the major and minor sixths. The 

 pure intonation of the harmonium enables it to be used with far 

 greater success than one which is "tempered," for demon- 

 strating that our ear accommodates itself to concords which are 

 not quite pure, and is influenced in its discrimination of concords 

 by the recollection of tones heard previously. The instrument 

 is not suited for concert purposes. 



Physiological Society, February 3. — Prof, du Bois Rey- 

 mond. President, in the chair. — Prof. Gad opened a discussion 

 on the communication made by Prof Behringat the last meeting 

 of the Society (see Nature, vol. xlvii. p. 336). The dis- 

 cussion turned chiefly on the applicability of the results of Prof. 

 Behring's experiments to the treatment of tetanus in man. Dr. 

 Wernicke exhibited diphtheritic cultures which had been kept 

 for more than a year, and still developed rapidly in either agar, 

 gelatine, or broth. He then demonstrated on dissected guinea- 

 pigs the more important symptoms of diphtheritic infection, 

 viz. oedema at the place of inoculation, hypersemia of the liver, 

 kidneys, and adrenals, serous exudations in the abdomen and 

 thorax. He next exhibited some guinea-pigs which, after 

 inoculation with the bacilli of diphtheria, had been treated with 

 blood-serum from other animals immune to diphtheria and had 

 been thereby cured. It was found that the longer the interval 

 which elapsed after inoculation before the curative serum was 

 administered, the greater was the dose of the serum required to 

 effect a cure. He finally reported on experiments on dogs in 

 which immunity and recovery after inoculation had been 

 similarly attained. 



Meteorological Society, February 7. — Prof, von Bezold, 

 President, in the chair. — Dr. Schubert gave an account of recent 

 researches on the influence of forests on the temperature and 

 humidity of the air, with special reference to certain forests in 

 Austria. So far only the experiments made in Podolia in a 

 leafy forest on level ground have led to uniformly positive 

 results. From these it appears that the forest lowers the mean 

 temperature of the air, but only in so far that the temperature at 

 8 p.m. is much lower than that existing in the open country, 

 that at 2 p.m. it is higher than in the open, and that the daily 



NO. 1220, VOL. 47] 



amplitude of variation is greater in the forest. The speaker had 

 however found, from a careful perusal of the existing data, and 

 from comparative determinations made in the forests near 

 Eberswalde, that the results so far obtained are markedly 

 affected by radiation. The true temperatures of the air inside 

 and outside the forest have not yet been measured, and for this 

 purpose it would be necessary to use an aspiration-thermometer. 

 Determinations of humidity are similarly adversely affected by 

 wind and by evaporation due to air-currents. In this case 

 accurate results would be obtained by means of an aspiration- 

 psychrometer. Prof Sprung communicated an observation he 

 had made at the Potsdam meteorological institute on the recent 

 coldest day in January. While endeavouring to find the most 

 suitable position for a thermometer, he observed, while using 

 similar aspiration-thermometers, the following simultaneous 

 temperatures at four different places, viz. -23°, -23°, - lS°, 

 and - 17°. The four places were : (i) in an adjoining meadow 

 two metres above the ground ; (2) at the north side of the ob- 

 servatory two metres above the ground ; (3) two metres above 

 the platform of the tower ; and (4) at the cage of the anemo- 

 meter seven metres above the platform. Hence the temperature 

 at the comparatively slight elevation of the anemometer was 6° 

 higher than at the ground, whereas usually the same four 

 thermometers showed a slight fall of temperature at the greater 

 elevation. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



L'Art de Chiffrer et D^chiffrer les D6sp6ches Secretes : Marquis 

 de Viaris (Paris, Gauthier Villars).— Traits Pratique de Calorim^trie 

 Chiraique: M. Berthelot (Paris, Gauthier-Villars).— The Poets and Nature : 

 P. Robinson (Chatto and Windus).— The Evolution of Decorative Art : H. 

 Balfour (Percival). — Discussion of the Precision of Measurements : S. W. 

 Holman (K. Paul).— Report of Observations of Injurious Insects and 

 Common Farm Pests during the Year 189J : E. A. Ormerod (Simpkin).— 

 Some Lectures by the late Sir G. E. Paget, edited from MSS., with a 

 Memoir by C. E. Paget (Cambridge, Macmillan and Bowes).— Catalogue of 

 the British Echinoderms in the British Museum (Natural History): F. 

 Jeffrey Bell (London). — Lehrbuch der AUgemeinen Chemie, 2 vols. : Dr. O. 

 Ostwald (Leipzig, Engelmann).— The Mechanics of the Earth's .Atmo- 

 sphere : C. Abbe (Washington).— Das Horizontalpendel : Dr. E. von 

 Rebeur-Paschwitz (Halle).— A Manual of Ethics : J. S. Mackenzie (Clive). 

 — Notes on Astronomy: S. P. Johnston, edited by J. Lowe (J. Heywood). 

 —L' Aquarium d'Eau Douce: H. Coupin (Paris, J. B. Bailliere).— Les 

 Lichens: A. Aclocque (Paris, J. B. Bailliere).- Elements de Pal^ontologie, 

 premiere partie : F. Bernard (Paris, J. B. Bailliere).— Der Nord-Ostsee 

 I Kanal : C. Beseke (Kiel, Lipsius and Tischer).— Catalogue of American 

 I Localities of Minerals : Prof E. S. Dana (Gay and Bird). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Macpherson's Fauna of Lakeland 457 



The Evolution of Double Stars. By Prof. G. H. 



Darwin, F.R.S 459 



Magnetic Induction in Iron and other Metals. By 



E. Wilson 460 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Zacharias : " Forschungsberichte aus der Biologischen 



Station zu Plon "... 461 



Taylor : " The British Journal Photographic Almanac 



for 1893" 462 



Barry: " Studies in Corsica " 462 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Luminous Earthworms. —Rev. Hilderic Friend . . 462 

 Quaternions and the Algebra of Vectors. — Prof J. 



Willard Gibbs 463 



Glacial Drift of the Irish Channel.— Prof. Grenville 



A. J. Cole 464 



The Sacred Nile. By J. Norman Lockyer, F.R.S. . 464 

 The Landslip at Sandgate. {With Diagram.) By 



Prof. J. F. Blake 467 



Notes 469 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Comet Holmes (1892 IIL) 473 



The Sizes of Jupiter's Satellites • . . 473 



Observations of the Zodiacal Light 473 



Weinek's Lunar Enlargements 473 



L'Astronomie for March 473 



Bermerside Observatory . 473 



Geographical Notes 473 



The Chatham Islands and an Antarctic Continent 474 



Archaeological Work in America. By Prof. Putnam 474 



University and Educational Intelligence 476 



Societies and Academies 476 



Books Received 480 



