536 



NATURE 



[September 28, 1893 



the shower indicates a corresponding increase in the density of 

 the meteorite swarm. The principal radiant was near rj Persei, 

 about R. A, 44°, Decl. + S5°- The steady annual displace- 

 ment of the Perseid radiant and the unusual brilliancy of the 

 swarm makes an interesting subject for future observation. — 

 Circles or spheres " derived " from an envelope, plane or solid, 

 of any class, by M. Paul Serret. — On the periodical maxima of 

 spectra, by M. Aymonnet. It may be assumed that luminous 

 waves comprising an exact number of molecular ranges are 

 propagated with less friction than waves producing nodes in the 

 molecules themselves. If, between two given limits, the in- 

 cident radiation is sufficiently complex and intense, and the solid 

 transmits all the maximum waves possible, these will, in the 

 normal spectrum, differ in wave-length by twice the product of 

 the index of refraction into the sum of the molecular diameter 

 at absolute zero, its expansion at the given temperature, and its 

 lengthening or shortening in the direction of propagation under 

 the influence of ihe wave. — On the development of the pancreas 

 in Ophidia, by M. G. Saint-Remy. The earliest stage observed 

 in the snake, corresponding, as far as the pancreas is concerned, 

 to the fifth day in the development of the chicken, shows 

 distinctly the three markings, one dorsal and two ventral, ob- 

 served in some olher vertebrates. The ventral markings are 

 completely isolated from the intestine, and detach themselves 

 from the hepatic canal, forming two clusters of acini on the two 

 sides. The dorsal marking, which is very voluminous, lies to 

 the right of the duodenum, with which it communicates by a 

 broad canal. It was this that was previously observed. The 

 close connection between the hepatic canal and the pancreas is 

 easily understood by observing the development of the latter 

 from the three markings referred to. — On the coccidia of birds, 

 by M. Aiphonse Labbe. In the course of researches on para- 

 sites of the blood of birds, conducted at Roscofif, the presence 

 of an intestinal coccidium, probably unknown hitherto, was 

 verified in a large number of aquatic birds. It is a very small 

 tetraspore coccidium with exogenous development. The 

 pyriform capsule is not larger than l6 or l8 /n by 14 or 16 11. 

 An interesting characteristic is the frequent presence of two 

 bright granules at the micropylar extremity. The presence or 

 absence of polar granules in Coccidium Roscoidense appears to be 

 determined by the culture in which the cysts were developed. — 

 Vegetable anatomy of Ataccia Cristata, Kunth, by M. C. 

 Queva. 



Sydney. 



Royal Society of New South Wales, June 7. — Prof. 

 T. P. Anderson Stuart, President, in the chair. — The following 

 papers were read : — Flying machine motors and cellular kites, 

 by Lawrence Hargrave. — Notes and analysis of a metallic 

 meteorite from Moonbi, near Tamworth, N.S. W., by John C. 

 H. Mingaye. — Plants with their habitats, discovered to be in- 

 digneous to this colony since the publication of the " Handbook 

 of the Flora of New South Wales," by Charles Moore. — On 

 the whipworm of the rat's liver, by T. L. Bancroft. — Small 

 whirlwinds, by H. C. Kiddle. 



July 5. — Prof. T. P. Anderson Stuart, President, in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read : — On the languages of 

 the New Hebrides, by Sidney H. Ray. — On an approximate 

 method of finding the forces acting in magnetic circuits, by 

 Prof. Threlfall. — Unrecorded genera of the older tertiary fauna 

 of Australia, including diagnoses of some new genera and 

 species, by Prof. Ralph Tate. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES, 



London. 



WEDNESDA K, October 4 

 Entomological Society, at 7.— On the Cost and Value of Insect Collec- 

 tioni; Dr. D. Sharp, F.RS.— On the Ants of the Island of St. Vincent: 

 Prof. AiiEuste Forel. — Description of a New and Remarkable .Sub-family 

 of the Scolytida;: Walter F. H. Blandford. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Bocks. — University College. Bristol, Calendar for the Session 1893-94 

 (Bristol). — The Miner's Handbook: Prof. J. .Milne (Lockwood). — ele- 

 mentary Lessons, with Numerical Examples in Practical Mechanics and 

 Machine Design, new edition: R. G. Blaine (Cassell).— The Orchid 

 Seekers: A. Russan and F. Boyle (Chapman and Hall).— On Sewage 

 Treatment and Disposal; T. Wardie (J. Heywood). -The Cholera Epi- 

 demic of 1892 in the Russian Empire: Dr. F. Clemow (Longmans). — Pro- 

 ceedings and Transactions of the Royal Society of Canr^da, 1892 (Ottaw.t, 



NO. 1248, VOL. 48] 



Dune). — A E C Five-Figure I>ogarithtns for General Use : C- IJ. (Wtiod- 

 ward (J^pon). — Our Household Insects; F. A. Butler (Longmans). — The 

 Essentials of Chemical Physiology : Dr. W. D. Halliburton (Longmans).— 

 The Art of Projection and Complete Magic-Lantern Manual: An Expert 

 {Beckeit). — Songs in Springtime, 2nd edition ; J. C. Grant (E. W. Allen). — 

 Notes on Some of the More Common Di<ieases in Queensland in Relation to 

 Atmospheric Conditions. 1887-91 : Dr. D. Hardie( Brisbane, Beat). — Charts 

 for ditto (Brisbane. Beal). — Manual of the New Zealand Coleoptera, Parts 

 5. 6. 7: Captain T. Broun (N.Z.. Wellington, Costall). — An Examination 

 of Weismannism : Dr. G. J. Romanes (Longmans). — The Science of 

 Mechanics: Dr. E. Mach. translated by T. J. McCormack (Watts).— A 

 Course of Practical Chemistry or Qualitative Chemical Analysis, 8th edi- 

 tion ; W. J. Valentin, edited and revised by W. R. Hodgkinson (Churchill). 

 — Drum Armatures and Commutators; F. W. Weymouth {EUctrkian 

 Company).— Handbuch der Palscontoloeie, I. Abthg., Palaeontologie. 

 iv. Band, 2 Lief: K. A. Z ttel (Williams and Norgate). — Trait6 

 des Gites Min6raux et Mt^talUferes, 2 vols. ; E. Fuchs and L, de 

 Launay (Paris, Baudry). — Abnormal Man, being Essays on Educa- 

 tion and Crime and Related Subjects: A, MacDonald (Washington). — 

 British Commerce and Colonies : H. de B. Gihbins (Methuen). — The 

 Chemistry of Fire : ^L AL P. Muir (Methuen). — A Manual of Electrical 

 Science: G. J. Burch (Methuen) — A Treatise on the Kinetic Theory of 

 Gases, 2nd edition: Dr. H. W. Watson (Oxford. Clarendon Press). — A 

 Handbook of the Destructive Insects of Victoria. Part 2 : C. French (Mel- 

 bourne, Brain). — Glasgow and W»;st of Scotland Technical College Calendar 

 for Session 1893-94 (Glasgow). — SC-cheresse, 1895, pes Causes, Principes 

 G^n^raux de Me-.^oroloeie, 1 Abb6 A. Fortin (Paris, Vic et Amat).— 

 Blackle's Junior School Shakespeare; King Henry V. : W. Barry(BIackie). 

 Blackie's Science Readers, No. VI. : Rev. T. Wood (Biackie). — Hand und 

 Hilfsbuch zur Ausfiihning Physiko-Chemischer Messungen : Prof. W. Ost- 

 wald (Williams and Norgate). — Text-book of Biology ; Part 2, Inverte- 

 brates and Plants : H. G. Wells (Clive). — Certain Climatic Features cf the 

 Two Dakotas : J. P. Finley (Washington). — The Industries of Animals : F. 

 Houssay (W. Scott). — Utility of Quaternions in Physics: A. Mc^^ulay 

 (Macmillan). — Pubblicazioni della Specola Vaticana, fasc. i and 2 (Rona). 



Pamphlets. — A Guide to Stereochemistry : A, Eitoart (N.Y., Wilson). 

 — The Caradoc Record of Bare Facts, 1892 (Shrewsbury). — Cremation and 

 Cholera ; Sir S. Wells (London).— The Prevention of Preventible Disease: 

 Sir S. Wells (Glasgow).— Abstract of the Proceedings of the Linna:an 

 Society of New York for the Year ending March i, 1S93 (New York). — On 

 the so-called Bugonia of the Ancients, and its Relation to Eristaiis Tenax. a 

 Two-winged Insect : C. R. Osten-Sacken (Firenze, Ricci). — Catalogue of 

 the Minerals of Tasmania, with Notes en their Distribution : W. F. Pet- 

 terd (Hobart, Grahame).— The Glacier Epoch of Australasia: R. M. 

 Johnston — Abhandlungen zur Landeskunde der Provinz Westpreussen, 

 Heft 5, Die Tucheler Haide, &c. : R. Schiitte (Danzig, Bertling).— Notes 

 on Marine Laboratories of E irope : B. Dean. 



Serials. — Engineering Magaz ne, September (New York). — Insect Life» 

 Vol. v. No. 5 (Washington) —The American Naturalist, August (Phila- 

 delphia). — Verhandlungen des Deutschen Wjssenschaftlichen Vereines zu 

 Santiago, Chile, ii. Band, sand 6 Heft (Berlin, Friedlander).- American 

 Journal of Science, September (New Haven).— Journal of the Franklin 

 in-'.titute, September (Philadephia). — Quarterly Journal of Microscopicai 

 Science.September (Churchill). — Economic Journal, September (Macmillan). 

 Timehri, June(Stanford).— Proceedings of the Liverpool Geological So<iety^ 

 Session 34, Part 1, Vol. vii. (Liverpool). — Transactions of the Academy of 

 ScienceTSt. Louis, Vol. vi. Nos. 2 to 8 [St. Louis). 



CONTENTS. PAGB 



The Physiological Papers of Prof. Sachs. By 



D. H. S 513 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Emerson: " On English Lagoons." — ^J. S 515 



Tarn: "The Mechanics of Architecture." — G. . . . 515 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Telegony.— Dr. George J. Romanes, F.R.S . . 515 



Quaternions and Vectors. — Prof. C. G. Knott . ■ 516 

 Grasstnann's " Ausdehnungslehre." — Prof. R. W. 



Genese 517 



Astronomical Photography. — H. F. Newall .... 517 

 Hering's Theory of Colour-Vision.— Christine Ladel 



Franklin 517 



"Megamicros."—S. Tolver Preston 517 



Early Asterisms. II. By J. Norman Lockyer, 



F.R.S 51S 



British Association. By Prof. Frank Clowes . . . 520 



Notes 522 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Nova (T) Aurigce Spectrum 5^4 



The Fireball of January 13, 1893 524 



Nitro-Metals, a New Series of Compounds of 

 Metals with Nitrogen Peroxide. By A. [E. 



Tutton 524 



Physics at the British Association 525 



Chemistry at the British Association 529 



Geology at the British Association 531 



Evolution and Classification. By Prof C. E. Bessey 534 



Scientific Serials 535 



Societies and Academies 535 



Diary of Societies 53^ 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 536 



