288 



NATURE 



[January 21, 1892 



— A second paper by the same author deals with the shore and 

 deep-sea fishes obtained during the survey, and contains de- 

 scriptions and figures of some of the more interesting forms. 

 The vertical and horizontal distribution is also discussed, and it 

 is pointed out that the west coast of Ireland is to a great extent 

 the meeting ground of the Scandinavian and Lusitanian or 

 Mediterranean fish faunas. An attempt is made to give a com- 

 plete list, with references, of all deep-sea fishes which have been 

 taken in Irish waters. — A paper was then read by Dr. E. J. 

 McWeeney, on a method of preparing Hyphomycetes, Saccharo- 

 mycetes, and Schizomycetes, as museum specimens, with a 

 demonstration of illustrative cultivations. After pointing out 

 that our natural history collections did not, as a rule, contain speci- 

 mens illustrative of these minute organisms, the author showed 

 that the appearances presented by the aggregate masses formed 

 by their cells could in many cases be made perfectly perceptible 

 to the unaided eye. A collection contained in suitable vessels, 

 comprising nearly ninety specimens, and including Actinomyces 

 grown on agar, potato, and turnip, Trichophyton, Acharion, 

 various species of Saccharomyces, Bacillus tetani, and many 

 others, was then demonstrated. The specimens were prepared 

 by Krai, of Prague, and the writer hoped soon to be able to add 

 species from Irish sources. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, January ii.— M. Duchartre in the 

 chair. — On the resistance of coiled elastic springs to small 

 deformations, by M. H. Resal. — On the spontaneous oxidation 

 of humic acid and of vegetable soil, by MM. Berthelot and 

 Andre. If humic acid is allowed to stand in diffused light for 

 a short time, a change of colour occurs, and an appreciable 

 quantity of carbon dioxide is developed. It appears from this 

 that the brown-coloured constituents of vegetable soil furnish 

 carbon dioxide, and tend to become discoloured under the 

 influence of air and sunlight, by oxidizing. The action is said to 

 be purely chemical, and not the result of the growth of microbes. 

 — Some new observations on the estimation of sulphur in veget- 

 able soil, and on the nature of the compounds containing it, by 

 the same authors. — New contribution to the chemical history of 

 the truffle ; analogy between the Terfaz or Kama of Africa and 

 Asia and the truffles of Europe, with regard to the relation be- 

 tween the chemical composition of soils and tubercles, by M. A. 

 Chatin.^ — On the Ecureuil of Barbary, by M. A. Pomel. — On 

 the hypergeometric series, by M. Andre Markoff. — On plane 

 reseaux with equal invariants and asymptotic lines, by M. G. 

 Koenigs. — On series with positive terms, by M. V. Jamet. — On 

 the use of orthochromatic plates in astronomical photography, 

 by MM. Fabre and Andoyer. (See Our Astronomical Column.) 

 — On the theory of regelation, by M. H. Le Chatelier. The 

 consequence which follows from the formulas developed is that 

 compressed pulverulent ice, in contact with a liquid or vapour 

 less compressed, experiences an increase of solubility, fusion, or 

 vaporization that brings about an unstable condition of super- 

 saturation, which disappears by the crystallization of the ice in 

 the interspaces : this solution, followed by crystallization, con- 

 tinues until the spaces have completely disappeared and the 7ieve 

 has become transformed into a block of ice. The mode of 

 hardening is thus comparable to that of cements. — On a new 

 model of a reversible thermometer for the measurement of 

 deep-sea temperatures, by M. V. Chabaud. — New condensation 

 hygrometer, by M. Henri Gilbault. In order to determine 

 absolute or relative humidity with a condensation hygrometer, 

 the moment at which dew is deposited must be observed, and 

 the temperature of the surface upon which it is formed. Many 

 methods have been proposed to perfect the observation of the 

 moment when the dew appears, but only* a few have taken into 

 account the equally important second condition. The author 

 has endeavoured to improve existing methods by causing con- 

 densation to take place on a thin sheet of platinized glass, and 

 measuring the variations of electrical resistance of the metal. 

 He finds it possible to determine the dew-point within ^V of a de- 

 gree by his method. — Loss of the two kinds of electricity brought 

 about by light of high refrangibility, by M. E. Branly. — On 

 metallic borates, M. A. Ditte. — On manganates of potash, by 

 M. G. Rousseau. It appears from the experiments that man- 

 ganate of potash, heated in the presence of a flux, gives rise 

 to two hydrated manganates. About 600° C, the hydrate 

 obtained is K20,i6Mn02,6H20 ; between 700° and 800°, 

 KgOjSMnOg.sHjjO is produced ; and the former compound re- 

 appears between 800° and 1000°. — On the reduction of benzine 



NO. II 60, VOL. 45] 



hexachloride ; condensation of benzine, by M. J. Meunier. — 

 On the formation of dextrines, by M. P. Petit. — On a new un- 

 saturated fatty acid of the series CnH2„-402, by M. A. Arnaud. 

 — Influence, in bare soils, of the proportions of clay and organic 

 nitrogen on the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen, on the pre- 

 servation of nitrogen, and on nitrification, by M. P. Pichard. — 

 On the whistling language of the Canary Islands, by M. J, 

 Lajard. — On the pelagic flora of Naalsoefjord (Faroe Isles), by 

 M. Georges Pouchet. — On the Upper Cretaceous of the Aspe 

 valley, its age and its relations, by M. J. Seunes. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Anthropological Religion : F. Max Muller (Longmans). — 

 Adventures amidst the Equatorial Forests and Rivers of South America: 

 V. Stuart (Murray).— Power and Force : J. B. Keene (Unwin).— British 

 Flies, vol. i. Part 3: F. V. Theobald (Stock.).— Methods of Gas Analysis: 

 Dr. W. Hempel ; translated by L. M. Dennis (Macmillan). — Egypt under 

 the Pharaohs; new edition: H. Brugsch- Bey (Murray).— Life in Ancient 

 Egypt and Algeria : G. Masp^ro ; translated by A. Morton (Chapman and 

 Hall). — List of Snakes in the Indian Museum: W. L. Sclater (Calcutta. — 

 Manipulation of the Microscope : E. Bausch (Collins). — Magnetic In- 

 duction in Iron and other Metals: Prof Ewing {Electrician Office). — 

 The Realm of Nature : Dr. H. R. Mill (Murray). Annuaire de I'Acade'mie 

 Royale des Sciences, Belgique, 1892 (Bruxelles. Hayez).— The Optics of 

 Photography and Photographic Lenses: J. T. Taylor (Whittaker). — New 

 Fragments: J. Tyndall (Longmans).— T he Art and Craft of Cabinet- 

 making : D. Denning (Whittaker).— Electric-Light Cables : S. A. Russell 

 (Whittaker). — Bergens Museums Aarsberetning for 1890 (Bergen, Griees). — 

 Istituto Chimico hicerche, 1890-91 (Regia Universita degli Studi di Roma) 

 (Rome). — Catalogue of Scientific Papers (1874-83). compiled by the Royal 

 Society of London, vol. ix. (C. J. Clay).— Dynamics of Rotation: A. M. 

 Worthington (Longmans).— Christian Doctrines and Modern Thought : Dr. 

 T. G. B. nney (Longmans). 



Pamphlets.— Aids to Natural Philo.sophy : R. S. Trivedy (Calcutta, 

 Auddy).— The Science of Homoepathy : W. B. Picken '(London).— The 

 Glory of the Imperfect: Prof G. H. Palmer (Boston, Heath). 



Serial?. — Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, 3rd 

 series, vol. ii., Part 4, No. 8 (Murray).— Quarterly Journal of Micro- 

 scopical Science, No. 129 (Churchill). — Journal of the Royal Statistical 

 Society, December (Stanford).— Mind, January (Williams and Norgate).— 

 Geological Magazine, January (Kegan Paul).— Physical Society of London 

 Proceedings, vol. xi., Part 2 (Taylor and Francis) —Ann. des k.k. Natur- 

 historischen Hofmuseums, Band 6, Nos. 3 and 4 (Wien, Holder). — Natura 

 ed Arte No. 2 (Milano).— Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, January 

 (Williams and Norgate).— L'Anthropologie, Tome ii., No. 6 (Paris, Masson). 

 -;-Brain, Part 56 (Macmillan).— Mineralogical Magazine, December (Simp- 

 kin). — Journal of the Chemical Society, January (Gurney and Jackgon).- 

 Veroffentlichungen aus dem Koniglichen Museum fiir Volkerkunde, ii. 

 Band, 1-2 Heft (Spemann) — Himmel und Erde, January (Berlin, Paetel). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Parke's Personal Experiences in Equatorial Africa 265 



The Austrian Economists 268 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Bonvalot : " Across Thibet " 269 



Wood : "Light" 269 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Opportunity for a Naturalist. — Dr. P. L. Sclater, 



F.R.S 260 



Dwarfs and Dwarf Worship. — Harold Crichton- 



Browne ■ . . 269 



Sun-spots and Air- temperature. ( With Diagrams.) — 



A. B. M 271 



The Red Spot on Jupiter.— W. F. Denning .... 272 



The Implications of Science. — Edward T. Dixon . 272 

 Fresh Evidence concerning the Distribution of 

 Arctic Plants during the Glacial Epoch. [With 



Map.) By Dr. A G. Nathorst 273 



Cyclones in the Arabian Sea 276 



On Van der Waals's Isothermal Equation. By 



Prof. D. I. Korteweg 277 



Notes 277 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Motion of Stars in the Line of Sight 280 



Orthochromatic Plates for Astronomical Photography 281 

 Dredging Operations in the Eastern Pacific. By 



Prof. Alexander Aga&siz 281 



The Origin of the Ass, the Cat, and the Sheep in 



China. By Dr. Macgowan 285 



Hainan 286 



University and Educational Intelligence ..... 286 



Scientific Serials 287 



Societies and Academies 287 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 288 



