312 



NATURE 



[January 28, 1892 



Guntz. Pure finely divided manganese, obtained by heating an 

 amalgam formed electrolyticaliy, at 400° completely absorbs 

 pure carbon monoxide as follows : — Mn + CO = MnO + C. 

 The reaction is probably the same in the case of iron. This 

 explains the facility with which C is taken up by iron in the 

 blast furnace. The spongy iron reduces CO, and finely divided 

 C is deposited in contact with the FeO formed ; at a higher 

 temperature the FeO is reduced l)y CO, when the metallic Fe 

 readily takei-up the finely divided C intimately mixed with it. — | 

 Action of carbon on sodium sulphate, in presence of silica, by 

 M. Scheurer-Kestne'. — Lithium nitride, by M. I . Ouvrard I 

 (See Notes. )— Action of phosphorus pentachloride on ethyl \ 

 oxalate, by M. AH. Fauconnier (See Nu^es) — On the thermal 

 value of the substitution by sodium in the two alcoholic 

 hydroxyl groups of glycol, by M. de Forcrand. — An isomeride 

 of camphor, by M. Ph. BarLier — The fixation of iodine by 

 starch, by M. E. Ronvier — The rotilory power of silks of 

 different origin, by M. Leo Vignon. — Action of boric acid on 

 germina'ion, by M. J. Morel. — Contribution to the embryogeny 

 q\ Sinici-a clasipes, by M. L. F. Henneguy. — On some new ' 

 Coccidia, parasites of fishes, by M. P. Thelohan. — On the pre- j 

 vention of hiccough by pressure on the phrenic nerve, by ^L 

 Lelnir. Five years ago the author was consulted by a girl 

 twelve years of age who hiccoughed every half-minute. She 

 was thus prevented from sleeping, or masticating her food, and her 

 life was despaired of. Anti-spasmodic prescriptions were tried 

 in vain. After pressing the left phrenic nerve, however, for \ 

 about three minutes, the hiccoughing disappeared. The method 

 has since been successful in many other cases — On the \ 

 muciferous apparatus of Laminaria, by M. Leon Guignard. — ' 

 On the dorsal insertion of the ovules of " Angiosperms, by M. 

 Gustave Chauveaud. — On chloride of sodium in plants, by M. j 

 Pierre Lesage. It appears that when Lepidium sativum and 

 Raphamis sativus are watered with a solution of sodium 

 chloride the elements of this salt are found in these plants, 

 consequently a certain proportion of each is absorbed by the 

 plants. — Observation of a lunar corona on January 14, 1892, by 

 M. Chapel. 



Berlin'. 



Physical Society, January 8. — Prof. Kundt, President, in 

 the chair. — Dr. Kurlbaum described a surface-bolometer which 

 he had constructed in conjunction with Dr. Lummer. It 

 is cut out of platinum foil whose thickness is o'oi2 mm., 

 and possesses the great advantage of very rapidly coming to 

 rest. It is a trustworthy instrument for the measurement of 

 the differences in luminosity of two sources of light. — Dr. 

 Pringsheim described a lengthy series of experiments made 

 in order to determine whether the emission of light by gases is 

 the outcome of mere elevation of temperature, or whether 

 electrical or chemical processes play a necessary part in their 

 incandescence. Sodium vapours were found to yield their 

 characteristic spectral lines and absorption spectra, when 

 passed through a highly heated porcelain tube, only in the case 

 where chemical processes (of reduction) could be ascertained to 

 take place inside the tube. In the absence of these reduction 

 processes, both the emission and absorption of light by the 

 sodium vapours were wanting. The experiments further showed 

 that Kirchofif's law holds good not only for the emission of light 

 resulting from a rise of temperature, but also for that which 

 results from chemical processes, since in all cases the emission 

 spectrum corresponded absolutely to the absorption spectrum. 



Meteorological Society, January 12. — Prof. Schwalbe, 

 President, in the chair. — Dr. Sprung exhibited his improved 

 sliding-weight balance, demonstrated its mode of action and 

 extreme sensitiveness, and explained its use in the registration 

 of changes of atmospheric pressure, temperature, and humidity. 

 — Prof. Boernstein spoke of a case of extraordinarily rapid 

 evaporation from both the surface of his body and his clothing, 

 which he had recently observed while on a glacier. He 

 expressed his belief that the evaporation was due to the lesser 

 tension of aqueous vapour, for any given temperature, over a 

 surface of ice as compared with its. tension, at the same 

 temperature, over a surface of water. Dr. Assmann put 

 forward the view that the phenomenon was due to the extreme 

 and sudden dryness of the air often observed in elevated 

 regions, and to the powerful effect of solar radiation. — Dr. 

 Andries read a passage from Virgil's "/Eneid" which contains 

 a most clear description of a cyclone. 



NO. 



116 I, VOL. 45] 



Physiological Society, January 15. — Prof, du Bois Rey- 

 mond, President, in the chair. — Dr. Max Levy described his 

 experiments on the influence of blood-supply to the skin on the 

 secretion of sweat as feen in the paw of the cat. He found that 

 bbodonly supplies the material necessary for the secretion. 

 Secretion can be obtained even after complete occlusion of the 

 blood-vessels supplying the glands. After anaemia lasting for 

 35 minutes the sweat-glands are paralyzed, but can recover 

 their functional activity even after having been deprived of 

 blood for five hours. — Dr. Th. Weyl gave an account of the 

 re-ults of his experiments on animals (pigeons and fowls) 

 rendered immune to anthrax. When anthrax spores were 

 introduced on a silk thread under the skin of these animals, the 

 spores retained their full activity at the end of one day's sojourn 

 under the skin. If kept there for a longer period, they lost 

 some of their virulence, and were found to have become quite 

 harmless at the end of six days in the pigeon, and three or 

 more in the fowl. 



Erratum. — In the report of the Meteorological Society for 

 December i, 1891 (see Nature, vol. xlv. p. 168) for "maxi- 

 mum and minimum thermometer" read " sling thermometer." 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Cooley's Cyclopaedia of Practical Receipts, 2 vols., 7th edition ; 

 W. North (Churctiill) — Manual of Chemical Technology : « . von Wagner ; 

 translated and edited bv W. Crookes (Churchill).— The Human Mind. 2 

 vols.: I. Sully (Longmans).— The Rainfall of Jamaica: M. Hall (Stanford). 

 —The "Hor.se: W. H. Flower (Kegan Paul). 



Pamphlets. — A New Departure in Astrononny : E. H. (Chapman and 

 Hall).— Hand-book on Viticulture for Victoria (Melbourne, Brain).— Royal 

 Commission on Vegetable Products: I. Ensilage; II. Perfume Plants and 

 Essential Oils (Melbourne, Brain).— Report upon the Condition and Pro- 

 gress of the U.S. National Museum during the year ending June 30, i889_ : 

 G. B. Go. de (Washington). — List of Institutions and P'oreign and Domestic 

 Librar.es to which it is desired to send future Publications of the National 

 Museum (Washington). — Te Pito te Henua, or Easter Island : W. J Thom- 

 son (Washington). -Aboriginal Skm Dressing : O. T. Mason (Washington). 

 — 'I he Development of the American Rail and Track, as illustrated by the 

 Collection in the U.S. National Museum: J. E. Watkins (Washington).— 

 Preliniinary Hand book of the Depariment of Geology < f the U.S. National 

 Museum: G. P. Merrill (Washington).— Les Odeurs : M. C. Henry (Paris, 

 Hermann). 



Serials.— Zeitschrift fiir Wissenschafiliche Zoologie, liii. Band, 3 Heft 

 (Williams and Norgate). — Morphologisches Jahrbuch. xviii. Band, i Heft 

 (Williams and Norgate).— Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural 

 Sciences, vol. v. No. 3 (Buffalo).- Records of the Geological Survey of 

 India, vol. xxiv. Part 4, 1891 (Calcutta). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Astronomical Theory of the Glacial Period. 



By Prof. G. H. Darwin, F.R.S 289 



Popular Zoology. By A. R. W 291 



Physiological Chemistry for Medical Students . . 292 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Cox: " Problems in Chemical Arithmetic " .... 293 

 Letters to the Editor :— 



The Theory of Solutions.— Prof. W. Ostwald . . 293 

 A Simple Heat Engine. {Illustrated.)— Fx^A^iizk J. 



Smith 294 



The Migration of the Lemming. — W. Duppa- 



Crotch ; W. Mattieu-Williams 294 



The New Forest Bill, 1892.— H. Goss 295 



A Brilliant Meteor.— Thomas Heath 295 



On some Points in Ancient Egyptian Astronomy. 



{Illustrated.) By J. Norman Lockyer, F.R.S. . . . 296 

 On the Number of Dust Particles in the Atmo- 

 sphere of Various Places in Great Britain and on 



the Continent. By John Aitken, F.R.S 299 



John Couch Adams 301 



Walter Hood Fitch 302 



Notes 302 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Wolf's Numbers for 1891 • 307 



A New Journal 307 



Korea. By Charles W. Campbell 307 



The Geology of the Himalayas 308 



Scientific Serials 310 



Societies and Academies 311 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 312 



