4. .^2 



NA rURE 



[March 3, 1892 



use in theories of the rolling of surfaces and gearings without 

 friction, by M. A. Resal. — On the theory of elasticity, by M. 

 H. Poincare. — On the magnetic disturbance of February 13 14, 

 by M. Mascart. It is stated that the instruments at the meteoro- 

 logical stations of Nice, Toulouse, Clermont, and Besan9on 

 were disturbed during the recent magnetic storm in the same 

 manner as those at Perpignan, Lyons, Nantes, and Pare Saint- 

 Maur. An account is also given of an aurora observed on 

 February 14 by M. P. Lefebvre atTroyes, and M. de Roquigny- 

 Adanson at Parc-de-Baleine. — Note on a sun-spot observed at 

 Meudon Observatory from February 5 to February 17, by M. J, 

 Janssen. — On the measurement of high temperatures ; reply to 

 some remarks made by M. H. le Chatelier, by M. Henri Becque- 

 rel, — Preparation of amorphous boron, by M. Henri Moissan. 

 (See Notes.) — On an improvement of automatic arrangements 

 for lifting water to great heights, employed in irrigation, by M. 

 Anatole de Caligny. — Researche; on ethyl monochlor-, mono- 

 brom-, and monocyanacetoacetate, by MM. A. Haller and A. 

 Held. The monohalogen derivatives of ethyl acetoacetate react 

 sometimes as o and sometimes as 7 derivatives, and sometimes 

 as a mixture of a and 7 derivatives. — On the deformation of the 

 earth's ci-ust, by M. Marcel Bertrand. — Photographs of the star 

 Nova Aurigse, taken at the Vatican Observatory, by M. F. 

 Denza. Two negatives were taken of the region about Nova 

 Aurigae on February 7. The telescope was moved slightly in 

 declination between successive exposures, so that each of the 

 negatives obtained showed five images of the Nova. The star 

 on the date of observation was said to be undoubtedly of the 

 fifth magnitude. Its image is not so clearly defined as are the 

 images of other stars on the same plates. Careful measurements 

 of position made with the meridian instrument of the Observatory 

 give the values R.A. 5h. 25 m. 3 •4s., Decl. 30*^ 21' 42" "o. 

 — On algebraic integrals of differential equations of the first 

 order, by M. Leon Autonne. — On maximum elastic deforma- 

 tion of metallic arcs, by M. Bertrand de Fontvioland. — Relation 

 of the magnetic disturbance of February 13-14 to solar pheno- 

 mena, by M. E. Marchand. — Researches on the realization of 

 the spheroidal state in boilers, by M. A. Witz. Experiments 

 have been made by the author to determine the duration of 

 evaporation of water on heated metals. — On the solubility of 

 tricalcic phosphate and hydrogen bicalcic phosphate in solutions 

 of phosphoric acid, by M. H. Causse.— On the stereochemistry 

 of diacetyltartaric acid ; a reply to a communication by M. Le 

 Bel, by M. Albert Colson. — Thermal study of sodium isopro- 

 pylate, by M. de Forcrand. — Tartronic acid and the tartronates 

 of sodium and potassium, by M. G. Massol. The heat of com- 

 bination of tartronic (oxymalonic) acid is greater than that of 

 malonic acid under the same conditions. This result is similar 

 to that obtained with oxysuccinic and succinic acids. — The 

 specific gravities of textile fibres, by M. Leo Vignon. — On the 

 vitality of germs of microscopic organisms in fresh and salt 

 waters, by M. A. Curtis. — On some points in the embryology 

 of Oniscus murarius, Cuv,, and Porcellio scaber. Leach, by 

 M. S. Jourdain. — Structure of the nervous system of the larva 

 of Stratiomys strigosa, by MM. F. Henneguy and A. Binet. — 

 On nutrition during diabetes, iiy M. Hanriot. — Researches on 

 the fall of the leaves of the vine and the ripening of grapes, by 

 M. A. Muntz. — Remarks on a recent communication by M. J. 

 Passy, as to the minimum perceptible quantity of some odours, 

 by M. Charles Henry. 



Berlin. 

 Physical Society, January 29. — Prof. Schwalbe, President, 

 in the chair. — Prof. Lampe gave an account of the life and 

 work of the late Prof. L. Kronecker ; and Dr. Buddean address 

 in honour of the late Astronomer- Royal, Prof. Airy. — Pi-of. 

 Konig described experiments, made chiefly in collaboration with 

 Dr. Ritter, on the luminosity of spectral colours under very 

 widely different intensities of illumination. Special attention 

 was directed to the curves of luminosity under very feeble 

 illumination, a condition under which only the outermost red of 

 the spectrum is visible. 



Meteorological Society, February 2. — Dr. Vettin, Presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — Dr. Arendt spoke on the relationship of the 

 electrical phenomena of the atmosphere to terrestrial mag- 

 netism. Neither the aurora nor the sudden discharges during 

 thunderstorms have exhibited any regularity in their relation- 

 ship to vai-iations of terrestrial magnetism. The speaker's 

 observations at the magnetic observatory of Potsdam, extend- 

 ing over a whole year, have shown that sudden luminosities in 



NO. I 166, VOL. 45I 



the sky, which differ from ordinary sheet-lighting, but are 

 certainly due to electrical discharges, and are most prevalent in 

 winter, are always accompanied by changes of terrestrial 

 magnetism. In connection with the above, Prof. Spoerer 

 pointed out that the solar activity had undergone a sudden 

 reversal in April 1891, in so far as since 1883 the southern 

 hemisphere had been more active than the northern, in the ratio 

 of 15 and 18 to 10, whereas since April the activity had markedly 

 increased in the northern hemisphere, so that it had exceeded 

 that of the southern in the ratio of 34 to 10, — Dr. Assmann 

 gave a preliminary short account of some observations made in 

 a captive balloon in January last during a dead calm and the 

 lowest temperature of the winter. The balloon ascended 

 slowly at I o'clock, and was slowly pulled down at 5 p.m. ; 

 and since it was found that the self-registering apparatus 

 was in perfect working order, it was again allowed to 

 ascend, and remained up until 11 p.m. During the whole 

 afternoon the cable hung perfectly vertical, so that the 

 balloon reached its full elevation of 750 metres. In the 

 evening a slight south-easterly wind blew aloft, although the calm 

 was continuous below. The temperature at midday at the 

 earth's surface was- 12" C. ; a few metres above the surface it 

 rose o°'6, and was then constant up to a height of 250 metres, 

 and as far as the fine mist extended. At greater elevations it 

 rose rapidly, and at an elevation of 750 metres stood at - 4°. 

 That this considerable elevation of temperature at the higher 

 altitude was not due to solar radiation was shown by the fact that 

 in the evening the temperature at an elevation of 700 metres 

 was as much as 12° above that at the earth's surface. The data 

 as to humidity and barometric pressure were less trustworthy. 



Physiological Society, February 5.— Prof, du Bois Rey- 

 mond, President, in the chair. — Dr. Rene du Bois Reymond gave 

 an account of hisresearches with chloroform purified by crystalliza- 

 tion at - 100°, and compared its action with that of ordinary 

 chloroform and of the mother liquor from the crystals. Experi- 

 menting on frogs and rabbits, he found their action was practi- 

 cally identical. — Prof. H. Munk made a short communication on 

 the function of the superior laryngeal nerve, on extirpation of 

 the thyroid gland, and on a centrally blind monkey. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Deep-Sea Deposits. By Prof. John W. Judd, F.R.S. 409 



Parasitic Fungi and Moulds 4" 



Our Book Shelf:— 



M'Clelland: "A Treatise on the Geometry of the 



Circle" 412 



Lucas : " Kalm's Account of his Visit to England on 



his Way to America in 1748" 412 



Letters to the Editor:— 



The University of London. — Prof. E. Ray Lan- 



kester, F.R.S 413 



Superheated Steam. (With Diagram.)—}. Macfar- 

 laneGray; Prof. James A. Cotterill, F.R.S.; 



G. H. Bailey 413 



Poincare's "Thermodynamics."— Prof. H. Poincare 414 

 The Theory of Solutions.— Prof. W. Ostwald - . 415 

 A Lecture Experiment on Sound. {Illustrated.)— 



Reginald G. Durrant 415 



The Formation and Erosion of Beaches, &c. — A. R. 



Hunt • 415 



Torpid Cuckoo. — A. Holte Macpherson .... 416 

 A Swan's Secret.— Mrs. Jessie Godwin-Austen . 416 

 A Simple Heat Engine.— Prof. Konstantin Kara- 

 mate 416 



New Extinct Rail.— Prof, Henry O. Forbes ... 416 

 On a Recent Discovery of the 'Remains of Extinct 



Birds in New Zealand. By Prof. Henry O. Forbes 416 

 The Blue Hill Meteorological Observatory .... 418 



Gustav Plarr 419 



Notes • . 419 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



The Warner Observatory 422 



Measurement of Solar Prominences 422 



The Australasian Association for the Advancement 



of Science 422 



The Draper Catalogue of Stellar Spectra. By A. 



Fowler 427 



University and Educational Intelligence 428 



Societies and Academies 429 



