48o 



NA TURE 



[March 17, 1892 



vote of thanks, proposed by the Rev. Canon Carr and seconded 

 by Prof. Groves, was given to the President for his valuable 

 address. — Mr. J. J. Vezey moved that the best thanks of 

 the Society be given to its officers, and also to the auditors 

 and scrutineers for their services during the year. — The Presi- 

 dent declared the motion to be carried by acclamation. — Prof. 

 Bell thanked the Society on behalf of himself and the other 

 officers, at the same time calling attention to the special 

 services rendered by the Treasurer, Mr. Frank Crisp. — The 

 following are the names of the members of the new Council, 

 who met for the first time at this meeting : — President : Dr. R. 

 Hraithwaite. Vice-Presidents : Mr. A. W. Bennett, Prof. J. W. 

 Groves, Mr. G. C. Karop, and Mr. A. D, Michael. Treasurer : 

 Mr. Frank Crisp. Secretaries : Prof. F. Jeffrey Bell and the 

 Rev. Dr. W. H. Dallinger. Ordinary members : Dr. Lionel 

 S. Beale, Rev. E, Carr, Mr. James Glaisher, Dr. R. G. Hebb, 

 Mr, E. M. Nelson, Mr. T. H. Powell, Prof. Urban Pritchard, 

 Mr. W. W. Reeves, Prof. C. Stewart, Mr. W. T. Suffolk, Mr. 

 C. Tyler, and Mr. F. H. Ward. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, March 7. — M. d'Abbadie in the 

 chair. — Fermentation of blood, by MM. Berthelot and G. 

 Andre. The blood of cattle, defibrinated, was fermented for 

 130 days in a water-bath at 35°. The paper contains an account 

 of the products of the fermentation. It will be published in 

 greater detail in the Annales de Chimie et de Physique. — On the 

 distribution in latitude of solar phenomena observed at the 

 Royal Observatory of the Roman College during the second 

 half of 1891, by M. P. Tacchini. (See Our Astronomical 

 Column.) — Phenomena observed at Kalocsa, on the large 

 group of spots of February 1892, by M. J. Fenyi. A promin- 

 ence, 124" high, was observed in the position 220°-230°, as the 

 recent large spot-group was crossing the limb. — On the impossi- 

 bility of certain movements, by MM. A. de Saint-Germain and 

 L. Lecornu. — On the movement of a conical pendulum, by M. 

 de Sparre. — On electro-capillary phenomena, by M. Alphonse 

 Berget. — On the co-existence of dielectric power and electro- 

 Jytic conductivity, by M. E. Bouty. It appears from the ex- 

 periments described that the dielectric constant only varies 

 slightly under conditions which produce an enormous increase 

 of conductivity. Thus, water and ice have sensibly the same 

 <iielectric constant, whilst the conductivity may vary from i to 

 10* or 10". — On the thermal conductivity of crystalline bodies, 

 l>y M. Charles Soret. — Rule for finding the number and nature 

 of accidentals of the gamut in a tone and a given mode, by M. 

 Pierre Lefebvre. — On the density of aqueous solutions, by M. 

 Georges Charpy. The author concludes from his results that 

 I he variation of the density of a solution, as a function of the 

 concentration, is a complex phenomenon, and cannot be used in 

 studying the state of the dissolved body. There is no reason 

 why the solution at which the maximum density is reached 

 should be regarded as corresponding to a definite hydrate. — 

 Compounds of gaseous ammonia with boron iodide and bromide, 

 t)y M. A. Besson. — Synthesis of the minerals crocoisite 

 and phoenicite [phornicoclirdite], by M. C. Luedeking. — On 

 the value of the primary alcoholic function, by M. de 

 Forcrand. — On the production of quinine di-iodomethoxide 

 from cupreine, by MM. E. Grimaux and A. Arnaud. — A study 

 of the velocity of decomposition of diazo-compounds by water, 

 by MM. P. Th. Muller and J. Hausser. The law according to 

 which sulphanilic acid is decomposed is expressed by the for- 

 A 

 A - 



stant, A the total nitrogen that can be evolved, and x the 

 amount of nitrogen evolved. C is independent of the concen- 

 tration.— Action of capryl iodide on trimethylamine in aqueous 

 solution, in equimolecular proportions ; formation, when 

 heated, of dimethylcaprylamine ; • production in the cold 

 of caprylene, by MM. H. and A. Malbot. — New syn- 

 thesis of tartaric acid, by M. P. Genvresse. (See Notes.)— 

 On the pyloric secretion of the dog, by M. Ch. Contejean. — 

 New rings or intercalary rings of nerve-ducts {tubes nerveux), 

 l)roduced by the impregnation of silver, by M. Benjamin 

 Segall.— On two new species of Streptothrix, Cohn, and 

 on the place of this genus in the classification, by MM. 

 C. Sauvageau and M. Radais. — History of the Ganinia 

 of the sub-group Xanthochymus, by M. J. Vesque. — On the 

 magnetic disturbance and the aurora borealis of March 6, 

 1892, by M. Th. Moureaux. Disturbances similar to those of 



February 13-14, but less violent, were registered by the Pare 

 Saint-Maur instruments on March 6-7 — On the magnetic 

 storm of February 13-14, by M. H. Wild. A comparison of 

 the records made by instruments at Pawlowsk with those ob- 

 tained at Pare Saint-Maur shows that, although the recent mag- 

 netic storm commenced at approximately the same time, the 

 variations at the two places were in the opposite directions. 

 Other differences have l)cen observed in the two records.— Qn 

 the atmospheric, magnetic, and seismic disturbances of February 

 1892, by M. Ch. V. Zenger. The author has marshalled facts 

 to show that magnetic storms, cyclones, snow-storms, discharges 

 of atmospheric electricity, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions 

 occur simultaneously. — On three fossil human skeletons found 

 in the Baousse-Rousse grottos, in Italy, by M. Emile Riviere. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Phases of Animal Life : R. Lydekker (Longmans). — Meteor- 

 ological Observations made at the Adelaide Observatory, &c., during 

 the Year 1889 (Adelaide).— The Rationale of Mesmerism: A. P. 

 Sinnett(Kegan Paul).— Zoological Record, 1890 (Gurney and Jackson).— 

 Elements of Economics of Industry: Prof. A. Marshall (Macmillan). — 

 Elementary Mathematical Astronomy : C. W. C. Barlow and G. H. Bryan 

 (Clive).— The Dietetic Value of Bread : J. Goodfellow (Macmillan).— Air 

 and Water : Prof. V. B. Lewes (Methuen).— Le Climat de la Belgique, 

 iSgr: A. Lancaster (Bruxelles, Hayez) — Soils and Manures: Dr. J. M. H. 

 Munro (Cassell). — Longmans' School Geography for North America : G. 

 G. Chisholm and C. H. Leete, 2nd edition (J>ongmans).— Precious Stones 

 and Gems : E. W. Streeter, 5th edition (Bell).— The Oak : Prof. H. At. 

 Ward (Kegan Paul).— The, Labrador Coast : Dr. .A.. S. Packard (Kegan 

 Paul).— Contribution a I'Etude de la Morphologic et du Developpement 

 des Bact^riac^es : A. Billet (Dulau).— Bateaux et Navires : Marquis de 

 Folin (Paris, Bailliere).— Diseases of the Nose : Dr. G. Macdonald, 2nd 

 edition (Watt). — Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta, vol. iii. 

 (Calcutta). —A Short Text-book of Inorganic Chemistry: Dr. H. Kolbe, 

 translated and edited by Dr. T. S. Humpidge, 3rd edition (Longmans).— 

 Laboratory Practice : Dr. J. P. Cooke (Kegan Paul;.— Catalogue of the 

 Specimens illustrating the Osteology of Vertebrated Animals recent and 

 extinct, contained in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons of 

 England, Part 3, Class Aves : Dr. R. B. Sharpe (Taylor and Francis). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Man in Nature. ByJ. G. G 457 



Furniture Woods 459 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Dary : " L'Electricite dans la Nature " 460 



Lock : "The First Book of Euclid's Elements." — W. 460 

 Bothamley : " The Ilford Manual of Photography." — 



W 460 



Hughes and Williams : " The Advanced Class-book 



ot Modern Geography " 460 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Carpenter on Eozoon.— Sir J. William Dawson, 



C.M.G., F.R.S 461 



The Samoan Hurricane.— Everett Hayden ; H. 



F, B 461 



Phoronomy.— Dr. W. H. Besant, F.R.S 462 



On the Terms "Centrifugal Force" and " Force of 



Inertia."— George S. Carr 463 



A Lecture Experiment in Surface Tension. {Illus- 

 trated.)— E.. D. Fridlander 463 



The Orientation of Ancient Monuments. — Rev. 



Fred. ,F. Grensted 464 



The Nickel Heat-Engine.— Rev. Frederick J. 



Smith 464 



The Limpet's Power of Adhesion.— Percy A. Aubin 464 

 On the Variation of Latitude.— Robt. B. Hayward, 



F.R.S 465 



Ornithology of the Sandwich Isles. By Prof. Alfred 



Newton, F.R.S 465 



Prof. Bunsen and the Chemical Society 469 



Notes 470 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Solar Investigations 473 



New Double Star, 26 Aurigse 473 



Rotation of Jupiter 473 



The New Star in Auriga 473 



The Lick Spectroscope 473 



A Bright Comet 473 



Calculation of Trajectories of Elongated Projectiles. 



By Rev. F. Bashforth 473 



Forthcoming Scientific Books 476 



Scientific Serials 477 



Societies and Academies 478 



Books Received 480 



NO. I 168. VOL. 45] 



