192 



NATURE 



[June 22, 1893 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, June 12 — M. Loewy in the chair. — 

 Baron von Nordenskiold was elected Foreign Associate. — On 

 the theory of flow over weirs without lateral contraction, taking 

 into account the variations undergone by the inferior contrac- 

 tion of the falling sheet according to the height of fall, by M. J. 

 Boussinesq. — On the heat of combustion of the principal gaseous 

 hydrocarbons, by MM. Birthelot and Matignon. — The dif- 

 ferences of the heat of combustion in the homologues of the 

 formene series are sensibly constant and amount to about 157. 

 — On the modulus function x^> hy M. A. Cayley. — Photo- 

 graphic study of some sources of light, by M. A. Crova. — 

 Presentation of an iconographic monograph upon Biibalus 

 antiquus, Duvernay, by M. A. Pomel. — On a class of surfaces 

 with rational generators, by M. G. Humbert. — On some sur- 

 faces with several modes of generation, by M. G. Scheffers. — 

 A general property of any field not admitting of a potential, by 

 M. Vaschy. The distribution of the force (or vector) / at the 

 various points of the field is identical with the distribution of the 

 resultant of two fictitious forces /i and /„ defined as follows : — 

 The force /i would be developed by a system of masses acting 

 at a distance according to the law of universal gravitation ; f., 

 would be developed by a system of " vectorial masses " acting 

 according to Laplace's law. The density p of the first masses 

 and the components fi.x, y-y, /Uz, of the density yii of the vectorial 

 masses would be given by 



ax ^ 9V ^ 3Z 

 ox dy az 

 and equations of the type 



av az 



4'rM* = a - - Y . 



oz dy 



where X, Y, Z, are the components of /, and the "vectorial 

 mass" contained in an infinitely small volume rfoo \%ijiii<x>, 

 where ;u is the "density." — On terms of a superior order in the 

 deviation of the compass, by M. E. Guyon. — On a remark of 

 M. Guyon relative to the calculus of staliilily of vessels, by M. 

 Ch. Doyere. — On the photographic properties of the salts of 

 cobalt. Hydrated peroxide of cobalt dissolved in oxalic 

 acid gives a solution of very unstable cobaltic oxalate, which 

 is easily reduced to the cobaltous state by the action of 

 light. This action may be utilised to produce photographic 

 prims. A cobaltous salt is precipitated with sodium per- 

 oxide ; the cobaltic hydrate formed is carefully washed in 

 hot water, collected, and treated in the cold with a saturated 

 solution of oxalic acid ; the leaction, which must take 

 place in the presence of an excess of cobaltic hydrate, is 

 finished in several hours, and gives a green solution wiih which 

 gelatinised paper may be impregnated. Printing is done very 

 quickly. After sufficient exposure the proof is developed by 

 means of a 5 per cent, solution of potassium ferricyanide, and 

 fixed by simple washing. The image obtained is pale red. It 

 is intensified and given a more agreeable colour by 

 treating with an alkaline sulphide, which converts the 

 ferricyanide of cobalt into the sulphide. The process is 

 distinguished by its simplicity, rapidity and cheapness. — On 

 Stas's atomic weights, by M. J. D. van der I'laats. — 

 On chromodisulphuric, chromotrisulphuric, and chromosul- 

 phochromic acids, by M. A. Recoura. — Action of oxygen upon 

 sodammonium and potassammonium, by M. A. Joannis. — On 

 soft sulphur moistened in the state of vapour, by M. Jules 

 Gal. — On the estimation of manganese by the nxydimetric 

 methods, by M. Adolphe Carnot. — -On the product of asymetry, 

 by M. Ph. A. Guye. — On the alcoholic fermentation of Jeru- 

 salem artichokes under the influence of pure yeasts, by M. 

 Lucien Levy. — On a new series of colouring mailers, by M. A. 

 Trillat. — On the assimilation of the gaseous nitrogen of the 

 atmosphere by microbes, by M. S. Winogradsky. — Observa- 

 tions thereon, by M. Berthelot. — On the doubling of carbonic 

 acid under the influence of solar radiation, by M. A Bach. — On 

 Micronereisvaricgata, hy M. tmile G. Kacoviiza. — On the oil 

 of the eggs of the Algerian Pilgrim Cricket (Acridium pere- 

 grinnni), by M. Raphael Dubois. — Influence of moisture on the 

 development of the nodosities of the Leguminosa;, by M. 

 Edmond Gain. — On the concordance of the phenomena of 

 cellular division in the lilies and in Spirogyras, and on the 

 identity of the causes producing them, by M. Ch. Degagny. — 

 On the specific gravities of isomorphous crystals, by M. Georges 

 Woulf. — On the axinite of Oisans, by MM. Albert Offret and 

 Ferdinand Gonnard. — On the eruptive rocks of Servia, by M. 



NO. 1234. VOL. 48] 



J. M. Lugovic. — On Polygonum sakhalinense, regarded as 

 fodder for cattle, by M. Doumet-Adanson. — On the toxicity of 

 stereoisomeric acid tartrates, and a general formula for measur- 

 ing iheir toxic power, by M. C. Chabric. — The electric brush 

 discharge as a treatment for refractory cutaneous pruritus, by 

 M. H. Leioir. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Semi azimuths; a New Method of Navigation, Part i: li. W. 

 BuIIer (Norie and VVilsin). — A Dictionary of Birds. Part i : A. Newton 

 (Blacli).— Lehrbuch der Petro^raphie, Ersler Band : Dr F. Zirkel (Leipzig, 

 Engelinann). — Grundzii^e der Physiologischen Psychulogie, Er-^ter Band; 

 W. Wundt {Leipzig, Engelmann). — Lessons in Elementary Bi logy, and 

 edition; Prof. T. J. Parker (;Macmillan).— The Protection of Woodlands: 

 H. Fiirat, translated by J Nisbet (Edinburgh, Douglas).— An Introduction 

 to the study of Geology ; Dr. E. Aveling (Sonnenschein). — The Great 

 Eastern Railway Company's 'tourist Guide to the Continent, new edition 

 (London) —Electric Light Installations. Vol. i : The Management of Ac- 

 cumulators, 7th edition : Sir D. Salom .ns (Whittaker).— The Dynamo ; C. C. 

 Hawkins and F. Waliis (Whittaker).— litude sur les Tremblements de Terre : 

 Ij. Vinot (Paris, Berger-Levrault). — Enunciations in Arithmetic, Algebta, 

 Euclid, and Trigonometry ; P. A. Th.)ma~ (Macmillan).— Decipherment of 

 Blurred Finger Prints ; F. Galton(Macmilan). — An Elementary Treatise on 

 .Analytical (geometry; W. J. John^t in (Oxford, Clarendon Press).— Census 

 of the Colony of Tasmania, 1891, Parts t-8 (Hobart, Grahaine), 



PAMPHt.ETS. — Les Avtronomes ; A. Tischner (Leipzig, Fock). — Prehistoric 

 Naval Architecture of the North f^f Europe : G. H. Boehmer (Washington). 

 — Report on the Bendigo Gold-Field : E. J. Dunn (Melbourne, Brain). — 

 Socictt^ d' Encouragement pour Plndustrie Nationale ; Annuaire pour 

 I'Ann^e 1893 (Paris) — SnI Magnetisms di Monte Dr. E. (Iddore e S. 

 Fr^ncht (Roma). — Ergebnisse der Meteorologischen Beobacht' ngen Im 

 Reichsland Elsass-L.jthringen im Jahre 1891 (Strassburg). — Lines on the 

 View from Peter-ham Hill. Richmond ; W. H. Oxiey and E. Kirk (Rich- 

 mond). — Ueber die Entwickelung der 'I'heerfarben-Industrie : Dr. H. Caro 

 (Berlin. Friedlander). 



Serials. — Journal of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, No. ic6, 

 vol. xxii. (Spon). — Bulletin ol the Geographical Club of Philadelphia, Vol. i. 

 No. 1 (Philadelphia). — Astronomy and Astro-Physics. June (Northfield, 

 Minn.). — Rcndiconto dell'Accademie delle Scienze Fisiche e Matematischc, 

 serie z'S vol. vii. tasc 5° (Napoli). — The Illustrated .Archa; -logist. No. 1 

 (C. J. Clark). — Journal of the Franklin Institute. June (Philadelphia). — 

 Economic Journal, June (Macmillan). — Transactions of the Leicester 

 Literary and Philosophical Society, July and October, 1892, and January, 

 1893 (Leicester). — Lucifer, Vol. xii. No. 70 (London). 



CONTENTS. 



The Theory of Functions. By Prof. W. Burnside, 



F.R.S 



Tinctorial Art and Science. By Prof. R. Meldola, 



F.R.S 



A New Manual of Bacteriology 



Text-Books of Zoology. By Prof. E. Ray Lan- 



kester, F.R.S 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Preyer : "Das Genetische System der chemischen 



Elemente."— J. W. R 



Sheldon : " The Future of British Agriculture " . . 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



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



Islands. — Henry O. Forbes ... 

 The Fundamental Axioms of Dynamics. — Prof. 



Oliver Lodge, F.R.S 



Popular Botany. — John Bidgood 



The Big and Little Monsoons of Ceylon. — E. Douglas 



Arctiibald .... 



Singular Swarms of Flies. — R. E. Froude : Baron 



C. R. Osten Sacken 



Official Catalogue of the Exhibition of the German 

 Empire at the Columbian Universal Exhibition 



in Chicago 



The Rede Lecture 



Notes ... 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



A New Variable u Cygnus 



Finlay's Comet (1886 VII.) 



A Bright Comet ? 



Observations of Nebulce 



The Yerkes Telescope 



The Smithsonian Report for Year ending 1892 . . . 

 The Morphology of the Vertebrate Ear. By G. B. H. 



Perspective and Colour 



The Flora of Greenland 



University and Educational Intelligence 



Scientific Serials ... 



Societies and Academies . ■ 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received . . . - . 



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