48 



NATURE 



[May 14, 189: 



UNI VERSITY A ND ED UCA TIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 



Cambridge.— Mr. J. W. Clark, Superintendent of the 

 Museum of Zoology and Comparative Anatomy, has been 

 elected to the Office of Registrary of the University, vacant by 

 the death of Dr. Luard. r j »«■ 



The degree of M.A. honoris causd has been conferred on Mr. 

 J. Y. Buchanan, F.K.S., University Lecturer in Geography. 



The Electors to the new Isaac Newton Studentships, founded 

 by Mr. F. McClean, are Sir G. G. Stokes, Profs. Darwin and 

 Thomson, Dr. Glaisher, and Mr. Glazebrook. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 London. 

 Zoological Society, May 5.— Prof. Flower, C.B., F.R.S., 

 President, in the chair.— The Secretary read a report on the 

 additions that had been made to the Society's Menagerie during 

 the month of April 1891, and called special attention to the 

 arrival of what appeared to be an adult male example of the 

 Lesser Orang {Simla morio) of Owen, presented by Commander 

 Ernest Rason, R.N., who had obtained it at Sarawak, and to 

 a Great-billed Tern (Phaethusa magnirostris), obtained by 

 purchase, new to the collection. — Mr. Sclater opened a discussion 

 on the fauna of British Central Africa, by pointing out the 

 limits of this new territory, which was computed to embrace 

 some 54,000 square miles of land lying immediately north of the 

 Zambezi and west of Lake Nyassa. Mr. Sclater gave an account 

 of the principal authorities that have already written on the 

 subject. Mr. Sclater was followed by Mr. G. A. Boulenger, 

 who read a paper " On the State of our Knowledge of the 

 Reptiles and Batrachians of British Central Africa." The 

 discussion was continued by Mr. Edgar A. Smith, who read a 

 note on the MoUuscan fauna of British Central Africa ; and 

 by Mr. E. T. Newton, who communicated some general remarks 

 on what is known of the geology of British Central Africa, 

 stating several points to which special attention should be 

 directed. Remarks on various branches of the same subject 

 were made by Dr. Giinther, Mr. O. Thomas, Mr. Stebbing, 

 Mr. Slavin, and Mr. Beddard.— Mr. T, D. A. Cockerell read 

 notes on some Slugs of the Ethiopian Region, based on 

 specimens in the collection of the British Museum. — Dr. C. J. 

 Forsyth-Major read a paper containing a summary of our know- 

 ledge of the extinct Mammals of the family Giraffidse. — A com- 

 munication was read from the Hon. L. W. Rothschild, F.Z. S., 

 containing the description of a new Pigeon of the genus Carpo- 

 phaga, from Chatham Island, South Pacific, proposed to be called 

 Carpophaga chathamensis. — Colonel Beddome read descriptions 

 of some new Land- Shells from the Indian Region. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, May 4.— M. Duchartre in the 

 chair. — On the time of evaporation of water in boilers, by M. 

 Haton de la Goupilliere. The author has mathematically deter- 

 mined the rate of lowering of the level of the water in steam 

 boilers of various forms. — A geometrical theorem, by M. Tarry. 

 — On a class of ordinary linear differential equations, by M. 

 Jules Cels. — On the convergence of recurring simple fractions, 

 by M. H. Pade. — On an induction inclination needle, by M. H. 

 Wild. A short note is given on some measures of magnetic in- 

 clination made with a new form of needle. It appears from the 

 experiments that the inclination at a place can be determined 

 within 4" "5 by a single observation. Skilled observers make the 

 determination within 2" '5. Inclination may therefore now be 

 determined as accurately as declination. — On a process for con- 

 structing screws suitable for the instruments to be used for the 

 measurement of the photographic map of the heavens, by M. P. 

 Gautier. — Quantitative studies of the chemical action of light ; 

 Part ii., reactions with different thicknesses of glass and with 

 different forms of vessels, by M. Georges Lemoine. — On some 

 compounds formed by mercuric chloride, by M. G. Andre. The 

 methods of preparation of the subjoined compounds are given, 

 together with analyses establishing their composition : — 



(i) 4ZnCl2, HgCIa, 10NH3 -1- aHgO ; 



(2) 2ZnCl2, HgClo, 6NH3 -I- JHoO ; 



(3) CeHsNHHgCl ; 



(4) C6H5NH.„HgCl2; 



(5) SCeHgNKHgCl + 2HgCl2 ; 



NO. I I 24, VOL. 44] 



(6) sC^HsNHHgCl -f- 2HgCl2 ; 



(7) C6H5.CH2.NH2, HgCU; 



(8) C6Hg.CH2.NH.HgCl. 



— A general law determining, as a simple function of the chemical 

 constitution of bodies, the temperatures of their changes of state 

 under all pressures, by M. G. Hinrichs. — On boron selenide, by 

 M. Paul Sabatier. The compound is prepared by the action of 

 vapours of selenium upon amorphous boron at a red heat, or of 

 seleniuretted hydrogen on amorphous boron at a bright red heat 

 in a tube of Bohemian glass. The action of water upon the 

 selenide shows it to have the same composition as the sulphide 

 and oxide. Its formula is therefore BaScj, a conclusion supported 

 by the results of a rapid analysis.— On the action of hydriodic 

 acid on boron bromide, by M. A. Besson. At a raised tem- 

 perature the three compounds BBrjI, BBrl2, and BI3, have been 

 obtained. — On the basic chromites of magnesium and zinc, and 

 the neutral chromite of cadmium, by M. G. Viard. — Prepara- 

 tion of disodic erythrate, by M. de Forcrand. — Discussion 

 of the experiments of Biot on aqueous solutions of tartaric 

 acid in presence of potash or soda, by M. G. Aignan. — Forma- 

 tion of dimethacrylic acid in the preparation of the acid amides 

 of isovaleric acid, by M. E. Duvillier. — Methyl-methylcyano- 

 succinate, methylethenyltricarboxylic ether, by M. L. Barthe. — 

 On the "dextrosity " of certain Gastropods called "sinisters " 

 (Lanistes, Peraclis, Limacina, larvae of Cymbuliidae), by M. 

 Paul Pelseneer.— On the structure of the composite eye of 

 certain Crustacese, by M. H. Vaillanes. — Comparative structure 

 of the inflated roots of certain umbelliferous plants, by M. 

 Geneau de Lamarliere. It is shown that the anomaly which is 

 observed in the inflated lateral roots of certain umbelliferous 

 plants (CEnanthe, Carum) is more apparent than real. In plants 

 of the same family an intermediate series should be found between 

 the structure called normal and the structure of a normal inflated 

 root (Daucus, Apium). — On the microscopic structure of the 

 phosphate rocks of Dekma (Department of Constantine), by M. 

 Bleicher. The rocks examined are said to show under the 

 microscope the mixture of a fair proportion of osseous debris, 

 whence it is thought that this is the origin of the phosphorus in 

 rocks rich in calcium phosphate.— Note on the Quaternary 

 strata of I^Lragny and Cergy (Seine-et-Oise), by M. E. Riviere. — 

 On the production of diabetes after the destruction of the pan- 

 creas, by M. E. Hedon. — Meteorological observations on the 

 Pamir, by M. Guillaume Capus. An account is given of thermo- 

 metric observations made between March 13 and April 19, 1887, 

 on the high plain of Pamir, the centre of the highlands of 

 Europasia. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Practical Geology. By Prof. A. H. Green, F.R.S. . 25 



Bacteriology. By F. J. W 27 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Meyer: " Anleitung zur Bearbeitung meteorologischer 



Beobachtungen fiir die Klimatologie " 27 



" Intensity Coils : how made and how used " .... 28 



Calleja: " General Physiology " 28 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Co-adaptation.— Prof. George J. Romanes, F.R.S. ; 



Prof. R. Meldola,F.R.S 28 



Physiological Selection and the Different Meanings 

 given to the Term " Infertility."— Rev. John T. 



Gulick 29 



Propulsion of Silk by Spiders.— S. J 30 



The Crowing of the Jungle Cock.— S. E. Peal ... 30 



Antipathy [?] of Birds for Colour. —T. B.J 31 



The Destruction of Fish by Frost.— F. F. Payne . . 31 

 The Flying to Pieces of a Whirling Ring.— Charles A. 



Carus-Wilson 31 



Hertz's Experiments. Ill 31 



Five Years' Pulse Curves. {With Diagram.) By F. 



H. Perry Coste 35 



The Science Museum and Gallery of British Art at 



South Kensington 37 



Notes 39 



The Iron and Steel Institute 42 



The Royal Society 5'^/r/^ 45 



The Benue and the Kibbe. By Major Claude M. 



Macdonald 46 



University and Educationallntelligence 48 



Societies and Academies 48 



