October 19, 1893] 



NATURE 



(yQ-J 



264-273), is afresh treatment of the problem by methods of the 

 theory of invariants. — On certain properties nf symmetric, skew- 

 symmetric, and orthogonal matrices, by \V. H. Metzler (pp. 

 274-282) proves in another way properties of these matrices 

 which have been obtained by Dr. Taber (Z. Math. S. Proc. 

 vol. xxii.), and Mr. Buchheim (Messr. of Math. vol. xiv.). The 

 number closes with a deduction and demonstration of Taylor's 

 formula, by W. H. Echols (pp. 283-4). 



Symons's Monthly Meteorological Magazine for September 

 contains an interesting climatological table for seventeen selected 

 stations in the British Empire, for the year 1892. This valuable 

 summary has now been published for several years, and corre- 

 sponding monthly tables with remarks have been also regularly 

 printed since July, 1881. The highest temperature in the shade 

 was 1 10° '8 at Adelaide on January 20. This station also 

 recorded the highest temperature in the sun, and had the 

 lowest mean humidity. The lowest shade temperature was 

 -44' '4 at Winnipeg, on January iS ; this station had also the 

 greatest yearly and daily range, and the lowest mean tempera- 

 ture. The dampest and most cloudy station was Esquimalt. 

 The greatest rainfall was 95 'i inches at Bombay, and the least, 

 2 1 '3 inches at Jamaica. Attention is again drawn to the fact 

 that the Australian stations record higher temperatures both 

 in shade and in sun than occur at the East Indian stations. A 

 table is given of the absolute maximum temperature in shade 

 and sun for each of the ten years 1883-92, at Adelaide and 

 Calcutta, and shows an average excess at Adelaide of 5°'2 in 

 shade, and 6° '4 in sun ; but the heat is more prolonged in India, 

 and in the hottest months the average maxima in the shade are 

 always higher at Calcutta. 



IViedeinanns Annalen der Physik und Chemie, No. 9. — 

 Luminous phenomena in vessels tilled with rarefied pas under 

 the influence of rapidly alternating electric fields, by H. Ebert 

 and E. Wiedemann. Gas vessels without electrodes were placed 

 between the condenser plates of a Lecher wire combination. 

 The luminous phenomena were investigated and discussed from 

 the point of view of tubes of electric force undergoing displace- 

 ment. It was shown that the portion of energy dissipated by 

 radiation is perfectly commensurable with that occurring in the 

 field generally. The glowing of a gas is therefore a sufficient 

 cause for diminution of pressure in tubes of force, and hence for 

 the displacement of tubes in the field, leading to a dissipation of 

 the energy contained in them. Experiments were also made 

 with tubes fitted with electrodes, one or both of which were 

 attached to an end of the Lecher system. It was shown that 

 any metal plate in contact with a rarefied gas and exposed to 

 slightly damped electric oscillations, shows all the phenomena of 

 a kathode. Also, that at every wall suitably crossing a gaseous 

 space filled with electric oscillations a kathode is produced. — 

 Vapour pressures of aqueous solutions at 0° C. by C. Dieterici. 

 — Thermo-electric studies, by E. Englisch.— Concerning the 

 physical interpretation of thermo-electricity, by F. Braun. — 

 Density of dilute aqueous solutions, by F. Koblrausch and 

 W. Hallwachs. — Solubility of some "insoluble" bodies in 

 water, determined by the electric conductivity of the solutions, 

 by F. Kohlrausch and F. Rose. The determination of small 

 quantities of " insoluble " substances in a large amount of water 

 is subject to many experimental errors due to the necessity of 

 evaporating large quantities of water at the boiling point, 

 whereby the solubility of the material of the dish becomes a dis- 

 turbing factor. As the laws governing the relation between 

 concentration and electric conductivity are fairly well known, 

 it is possible to arrive at an estimate of minute quantities of dis- 

 solved matter by a determination of the electric conductivity of 

 the solution. This method has proved to be very simple, expe- 

 ditious, and accurate. — On heat generated by dielectric polari- 

 sation, by A. Kleiner. — Experiments on the generation of elec- 

 tricity by small drops, by A. L. Holz. A jet of mercury was 

 projected upon an amalgamated copper plate, whence it re- 

 bounded in small globules on to a glass plate, and thence to the 

 electrometer. The increase of potential was found to be pro- 

 portional to the sectional area of the jet, the pressure and height 

 of fall of the mercury, and the size of the saturated glass plate. 

 — Dielectric constants of liquid bodies as dependent upon tem- 

 perature and the Mossotti-Clausius formula, by A. Franke.— 

 Experiments on the interference of electric waves in air, Uy I. 

 Klemencic and P. Czermak. — Notice on secondary heatings of 

 galvanic cells, by H. Jahn. 



NO. 1251, VOL. 48] 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



London. 



Entomological Society, October 4. — Henry John Elwes, 

 President, in the chair. — ^Mr. F. Merrifield exhibited specimens 

 showing the effects of temperature in the pupal stage on several 

 species of Lepidoptera. Vanessa polychloros'via.'i much darkened, 

 especially towards the hinder margin, by a low temperature. 

 Vanessa c-albiim showed effects on both sides, especially in the 

 female ; they were striking on the under side. Some Vanessa 

 io showed the gradual disintegration, by exposure to a low tem- 

 perature, of the ocellus on the fore wing, which in the extreme 

 specimens ceased to be an ocellus, and was a remarkable con- 

 firmation of Dr. Dixey's views of the origin of that ocellus, as ex- 

 emplified in the plate attached to his paper in the Entomological 

 Society's Transactions for 1890. Mr. Goss stated that in his 

 experience of V. c-albttm in Northamptonshire, Gloucestershire, 

 Herefordshire, and Monmouthshire, the form with the pale 

 under side was the first brood, occurring in June and July ; and. 

 that the specimens of the second brood, occurring from the end 

 of July to October, were invariably dark on the under side. — 

 Mr. A. H. Jones exhibited Lepidoptera collected in Corsica 

 in June last, including dark forms of Polyommatus phUas, 

 Lyciena astrarche, in which the orange marginal band is very 

 brilliant on upper and under sides of both wings, Lycana 

 argus, the females of which are much suffused with blue, prob- 

 ably var. caliiopis : a. series of Vanessa uiticir var. ichntisa, bred 

 from larvae, Argynnis elisa, Satyrus semele var. arislieus, Saty- 

 riis neomiris, Ccenonympha corrina, both spring and summer 

 brood, and many others. — Mr. G. C. Champion exhibited for 

 Mr. G. A. J. Rothney, a number of Methoca ichneiimonoides, 

 Latr. (female), taken at Bexhill, Sussex, showing great vari- 

 ation from the usual large black and red form. — Dr. D. Sharp, 

 F.R.S., exhibited a pupa of Galleria me'.onella, on which 

 the eggs of a parasitic Hymenopteron had been deposited 

 while the insect was in the cocoon. He also exhibited thehitherto 

 unique Asprostoma planifrons, Westw. — Mr. J. J. Walker 

 exhibited specimens of the following species, viz. Halobates 

 sericeiis, from the Pacific ; H. sohrinus, and B. wullerstorffi, 

 from Marquesas Islands ; H. princeps, from the China Sea ; 

 and a female of H. wiillerstorffi, with ova attached. — Mr. 

 W. H. B. Fletcher showed a variable series of 75 specimens of 

 Cymatophora or, bred in 1893 from larvae from Sutherland, a 

 series of about 40 C. ocularis bredin from stock from Oundle ; 

 also a series of 33 moths, all females, supposed to be hybrids 

 between C. ocularis male and C. or female, from the above 

 stock in each case, bred as a second brood in August and Sep- 

 tember, 1893. He stated that he placed the reputed parents in 

 a muslin sleeve on a branch of Populus nigra, and did not open 

 the sleeve until the resulting larv£e required fresh food. The 

 supposed hybrids resembled the female parent, except that both 

 orbicular and reniform stigmata were very conspicuous, being 

 pure white filled up slightly with black. — Mr. F. J. Hanbury 

 exhibited a specimen of I.eucania vitellina, taken at Brocken- 

 hurst on August 24, 1893, and another taken at Freshwater, 

 Isle of Wight, on September 7 ; also an extraordinary 

 Gonepteryx rhamni, showing red blotches at the tips of the 

 fore wings, taken at Walthamstow, Essex. — Mr. C. G. Barrett 

 exhibited a gynandrous Argynnis paphia recently taken in 

 the New Forest by Mr. Cardew. — Mr. J. M. Adye exhi- 

 bited a specimen of Deilephila livornica recently caught at 

 Christchurch, Hants. — Mr. Elwes exhibited and described two 

 species of the genus Gineis (Chionobas, Bdv.) CE. beani and 

 G\. alberta, from North America, which had not been pre- 

 viously described, and stated that he had prepared a revision of 

 this very difficult genus, which would be read at the November 

 meeting. — Mr. Osbert Salvin, F.R.S., exhibited a new genus 

 and species of Papilionidas {Baronia brevicornis). He also com- 

 municated a paper entitled " Description of a new genus and 

 species of Papilionidoe from Mexico." — Dr. Sharp read a paper 

 entitled " On the Cost and Value of Insect Collections." Mr. 

 W. F. H. BLindford, Mr. McLachlan, F.R.S., Mr. Jacoby, 

 Mr. Waterhouse, and the President took part in the discussion 

 which ensued. — Prof. Auguste Forel communicated a paper 

 entitled " Formicides deSt. Vincent, recoltecs par Mons. H. H. 

 Smith." — Mr. Blandford read a paper entitled "Description of 

 a New Subfamily of the Scolytidce." The President, Mr. 

 Jacoby, and Mr. Waterhouse took part in the discussion which 

 ensued. 



