I20 



NATURE 



[June i, 1893 



Meteorological Society, May 9.— Dr. Vettin, President, 

 in the chair.— Prof. Hellmann presented the two first numbers 

 of repiintsof important papers on meteorology and terrestrial 

 magnetism, which he is publishing with the support of the 

 German Meteorological Society and the branch society in Berlin. 

 No. t isa/(i(r-.«V«//cof the earliest German work on meteorology : 

 Weather-book by Rynmann, dated 1510. No. 2 is also a /af- 

 simile of BI. Pascal's celebrated research by which the existence 

 of atmospheric pressure was first determined. —Prof. Bornstein 

 spoke on the most recent theories as to thunderstorms, of which 

 none supply a definite solution of the problems involved, atid 

 explained a simple form of apparatus by Elster and Geitel, in 

 Wolfenbiittel, by means of which anybody can make obser- 

 vations on atmospheric electricity, and invited the co-operation 

 of the members. — Dr. Kremser gave some notes on the dryness 

 of last April. Whereas the average fall in Prussia for April is 

 30 to 50 mm., the fall for last month was only 10 mm. in the 

 extreme east, falling to I mm. in the central region, and too mm. 

 in the west and souih-west. In Berlin a measurable amount of 

 rain fell on only one day, the lyih, amounting toO'Smm., sothat 

 this month was the driest recorded since observations were first 

 made in Berlin. Up to the present time the driest month had 

 been October, 1865, with a fall of I mm. The period of 

 drought began as early as March 21 or 22, and in many parts of 

 Prussia had lasted for forty days, being accompanied by absence 

 of clouds and marked temperature amplitudes of 10° to 18°. — 

 Dr. Less gave an account of the barometric conditions over 

 Europe during the drought. They may be divided into three 

 periods. In the first, at the end of March and beginning of 

 April, the highest pressure lay over France and Germany, the 

 lowest over Russia as far as the Ural Mountains. In the second 

 period, the middle of April, the area of high pressure had 

 moved over towards England, while the lowest pressure had 

 extended to the centre of Germany. In the third period a flat 

 area of lowest pressure situated over the Atlantic had driven 

 the area of highest pressure once more towards central Europe. — 

 Prof. Bornstein exhibited samples of the material used in the c^Il- 

 stvnction of the recently-destroyed balloon " Humboldt." This 

 balloon had become ignited, accompanied by a violent explosion, 

 while being emptied, without any definitely ascertainable cause. 

 The speaker demonstrated how readily the outer surface of the 

 material could be electrified by friction, and sug^jested that 

 electricity had thus been generated, and had, as a spark-discharge, 

 igniti-d the gai as it escaped. This source of dinger could 

 probably be removed by placing a few long metallic wires round 

 the valve. 



TUESDA Y, June 6. 

 Zoological Socifty, at 8.30.— Notes on the Anatomy and Classification 

 of the Parrots; F E. Bedd^rd. and F. G. Parsons.— On Two Horns of an 

 African Rhiniceros : Mr. Sclaier.- On some Bird-Bones from Miocene 

 I)epo-its in the Department of Iscre, France : R. Lydekker — On the 

 Osteology of the Mesoz jic Ganoid Fish, Lepidotus : A. Smuh Wood- 



RoVALlNSTiTUTioN, at 3. —The Waterloo Campaign: E. L. S. Horsburgh. 

 WEDNESDA Y, June 7. 



Geological Society, at 8.— 1 he Bajocian of the Sherborne District ; us 

 Relations to Subjacent and Superjacent Strata: S. S. Buckman.—On 

 Raised Beaches and Rolled Stones at High Levels in Jersey : Dr. Andrew 

 Duulop. 



r/iuxsDAy, ]vxK s. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. „ , , j ■ j /■ /l- 



Mathematical Society, at B.- Complex Integers derived from B->- 2-0. 

 Prof. G. B. Mathews.— Pseudo-Elliptic Integrals : Prof. OreenhiU, 



Royal Institution, at 3.— The Geographical Distribution of Birds: Dr. 



R. Bowdler Sharpe. 



FRIDAV.JvtE 9. 

 Physical Society, at 5.— A New Photometer. A. P. Trotter.— Notes on 



Photometry: Prif. S. P.Thompson, F.R.S.— The Magnetic Fieldneara 



Wire : Prof. G. M. Minchin. 

 Royal Astronomical Society, at 8. „ r t 1? 



Roval Institution, at 9. — The Recent Solar Eclipse: Prol. 1. t.. 



Thorpe, F.R.S. 



SATURDAY, June 10. 

 Royal Botanic Society, at 3.45- . „ , , „ . j ,, j- 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Falstaff, a Lyric Comedy by Boito and Verdi 



(with Musical Illustrations) : Dr. A. C. Mackenzie. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES, 



London. 



THURsnAV. June i. 



Royal Society, at 4.30 —On the C lour of Sky-lieht, Sun light, Cloud- 

 light, and Candie-liRht : Captain Abney, F.R.S. —Flame Spectra at High 

 Temperatures ; Part I. Oxyhydrogen Blowpipe Spectra Prof Hartley, 

 F.R.S. —Note on the Flow in Electric Circuits of Measurable Inductance 

 and Capacity : and in the Dissipation of linergy in such Circuits : A. W. 

 Porter.— On the Metallurgy of Lead ; I. B- Hannay.— On the Motion 

 under Gravity of Flu d Bubbles through Vertical Columns of Liquid of a 

 Differ.nt Density: F. T. Trou'on. 



LlNNEAN Society, at 8 —On P dynesian Plants collected by J. J. Lister: 

 W. B. Hemsley, F R.S — On the Anatomy of a New Plant- Melasto- 

 macea; or Gentianace«, Genu« Novum ; Miss A. Lorrain Smith. — Ob- 

 servations on the Temperature of Trees made in Boulder, Colorado : Dr. 



CHEMlCALSnciETY,at8—Azi-Compoundsof the Orlho Series : Prof Mel- 

 dola, F.R.S , E. M. Hawkins, and F. B Burls —The I- luoresceine of 

 Camphoric Anhydride: Dr. Collie -The Action of Phosphoric Chloride 

 on t amphene : J. E. Marsh and I. A Gardner. — The Composition of Jute 

 produced in England : A. Pears, jun. . 



Royal I mstituti n, at 3. — The Geigraphical Distribution of Birds: Dr. 

 R. Bowdler Sharpe. 



FRIDA Y. June 2. 



Geologists' Association, ai 8. — Consideration of the Principal Pheno- 

 mena connected with Volcanoes: Dr J. W. L. Thudichum. 



Royal Institution, at g Snidy of Fluid Motion by Means of Coloured 

 Bands; Prof. I'sborne Reynolds, F.R.S. 



SATURDAY, l\3K'& -i. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — Falstaff —a Lyr c Comedy by B »ito and Verdi 

 (w ih Musical lUustrati'.ns): Dr. AC vlackenzie. 



I.NSTi UTE of Actuaries at 3 — Annual Meeiing, -Report of the Council 

 for the Past Year and Election of Officers and Members of Council. 

 MONDAY Ji NE 5 



Sociktv ok Chemical Industry, at 8.— The Movement of Air as applied 

 10 ' 'hemical Industries : H. G. Watel.— New Cellulose Derivatives and 

 their Industrial Applicati ms C. F. Cross and K. J. Bevau. 



R... L Institution, a. 5. General Monthly Meeting. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books — Vear-Book of the Scientific and Learned Societies of Great 

 Britain and Ireland (Griffin).— Graphic Arithmetic and Statics : J. J. Pniice 

 (Murby).— Erdbebenkunde : Dr. P. Hoernes (Leipzig, Veil).— Introdu.ton 

 a L'EleclriciKi Industrielle— Potential. Flux de Force Grandeurs Klec- 

 triques- Ditto, Circuit Magntitique ;.Induction Machines: P. Mmel(Paris, 

 Gautbier-Villars).— The Theory of Telescopic Vision ; E. M. Nelson 



Pami'HI ets — Wetterbilchlein von Wahrer Erkenntniss des Wetters ; L. 

 Reynman (Berlin, Asher).— RScit de la Grande ExpeVience de l-Equilibre des 

 Liqueurs ; B. Pascal (Berlin, Asher).— The New Priesthood : Ouida (E. W. 

 Allen) 



Serials.— Bulletin of the New York Mathematical Society, vol, 2. No. 8 

 (New York, Macmillan).— Internationales Archiv fiir Ethnographic, Band 6, 

 Heft 2 (K. Paul) —Bulletins de la Societd d' Anthropologic de Pans, tome 

 troisieme, iv. s.Srie, 4e Fasc. ; Ditto, Nos. 2,3, 4 (Paris, Masson). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Modern Meteorology. By William E. Plummer . 97 

 The Transmission of Telephone Currents. By 



Francis G, Baily 99 



Modern Pure Geometry 100 



Our Book Shelf: — 



Sharpe : " An Analytical Index to the Works of the 



late John Gould, FR.S ico 



Russell : " An Elementary Treatise^ on Pure Geo- 

 metry, with Numerous Examples " toi 



Gilberne : "Sun, Moon, and Stars; Astronomy for 



Beginners" "" 



Letters to the Editor :— 



Mr H. O. Forbes's Discoveries in the Chatham 



Islands.— Prof. Alfred Newton, F.R.S. . . , 101 

 The Fundamental Axioms of Dynamics.— Prof. 



Oliver Lodge, F.R.S. ; Edward T. Dixon . . loi 

 On the Velocity of Propagation of Gravitation Effects. 



— S Tolver Preston 103 



Singular Swarms of Flies.— R. E. Froude .... 103 



Popular Botany.— Alfred W. Bennett . . . . 104 



Gaseous Diffusion. — Prof. Herbert McLeod,F,R.S. 104 

 Notes upon the Habits of some Living Scorpions. 



By R. I. Pocock '°4 



Notes •°7 



Our Astronomical Column — 



The Eclipse of April 1893 >" 



Finlay's Comet (i886, VII.) i'2 



Aurora Observations "* 



The Constant of Aberration ■'* 



The Astronomical Day '•* 



Royal Ob-ervatory, Greenwich "2 



Geographical Notes "* 



The Iron and Steel Institute "3 



Royal Geographical Society Anniversary Meetmg 114 



University and Educational Intelligence II4 



Scientific Serials "S 



Societies and Academies .... ... no 



Diary of Societies '*" 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 120 



VO. T23I, VOL. 48] 



