I20 



NATURE 



[June 4, 1891 



obtains for ths solar constant, reduced to the mean distance of 

 the sun from the earth, the value 3*47 calories. Langley's 

 value, from his Mount Witney observations, was 3-0 calories. — 

 On the fluctuations in the heights of lake waters, by M. P. du 

 Boys. In lakes, and particularly in the Lake of Geneva, the 

 surface of water regularly lises in one part and lowers in another, 

 performing an oscillatory movement. The region where the 

 level is practically constant is called the node, and the move- 

 ments referred to go by the name ol seiches. The author inves- 

 tigates this wave-motion mathematically.— On a new portable 

 sounding-apparatus of steel wire, by M. Emile Belloc. — Study 

 of the barometric gradient, by M. G. Guilbert. Some remark- 

 able relations between the force of the wind and the barometric 

 gradient are given. — Relation between atomic weight and the 

 density of liquids, by M. Al. Moulin. — On the sub-chloride of 

 silver, by M. Guntz. Under the action of heat, the sub- 

 chloride decomposes into silver and silver chloride. This 

 decomposition is easily seen by the change of colours of the 

 sub-chloride. Dilute nitric acid has absolutely no action upon 

 the compound. With hot concentrated nitric acid, chloride of 

 silver mixed with the sub-chloride is obtained. Potassium 

 cyanide rapidly dissolves the compound, and decomposes it. 

 Utilizing this reaction, the author has found that a given weight 

 of chlorine disengages practically the same amount of heat 

 (29 calories), when combining with Ag as when combining 

 with Ag2. — Action of potassium salts upon the solubility of 

 potassium chlorate, by M. Ch. Blarez. — Electrolysis of the 

 fused salts of boron and silicon, by M. Adolphe Minet. Some 

 interesting experiments indicate that, by the electrolysis of white 

 and red bauxites, it is possible to produce a series of alloys of 

 iron, silicon, and aluminium, and, at the end of the operation, 

 to obtain aluminium chemically pure. — On two new crystalline 

 compounds of platinic chloride with hydrochloric acid, by M. 

 Leon Pigeon. The compounds described have the composition 

 PtCl4 . 2HCI . 4H2O and PtCl4 . HCl . 2H2O.— On salicylate 

 of bismuth, by M. H. Causse. — On the heat of solution and the 

 solubility of some bodies in methyl-, ethyl-, and propyl-alcohols, 

 by M. Timofeiew. — On the Stelleridse found in the Bay of 

 Biscay, at the Azores, and Newfoundland during the scientific 

 expeditions of the yacht Hirondelk, by M. Edmond Perrier. — 

 On the equivalence of the bundles in vascular plants, by M. 

 P. A. Dangeard. — On the trappean formation of Toungouska 

 Pierreuse, Siberia, by M. K. de Kroustchoff. — 'Researches on 

 the elimination of oxide of carbon from the syptem, by M. L. 

 de Saint-Martin. 



Melbourne. 



Royal Society of Victoria, March 12. — The following 

 officers were elected for the year 189 1 : — President : Prof. 

 Kernot. Treasurer : C. R. Blackett. Secretaries ; H. K. 

 Rusden and Prof. W. Baldwin Spencer. — The following papers 

 were read : — A new species of Dictyonema, by T. S. Hall. — A 

 preliminary account of Symite pulchella, by Arthur Dendy. 

 This is a new genus and species of calcareous sponge, which is 

 allied to Ute, but in which the individuals are fused together into 

 a common mass. — The geology of the southern portion of the 

 Moorabool valley, by T. S. Hall and G. B. Pritchard. 



April 9. — On the occurrence of the genus Belonostomus in the 

 Rolling Downs formation (Cretaceous) of Central Queensland, by 

 R. Etheridge, Jun., and Arthur Smith Woodward, of the British 

 Museum. This is described as a new species, under the name of 

 Belonostomus sweeti. — Note on a new genus of Chastopod worm 

 parasitic on a sponge of the genus Rhaphidophlus from Port 

 Phillip, by Prof. W. Baldwin Spencer. The worm is remark- 

 able in having the dorsal surface covered with a series of rows of 

 setcE, each row enclosed in a membranous web, the bunches of 

 setae on the feet are also enclosed in webs. 



GOTTINGEN. 



Royal Academy of Science.— In the Journal of the Scien- 

 tific Academy of Gottingen, the following papers of scientific 

 interest appear (July to December, 1890) : — 



July. — Fr. Pockels : On the interference phenomena of con- 

 vergent homogeneous polarized light through twin-plate uniaxal 

 crystals. — Voigt : Determination of the elastic constants of 

 Brazilian tourmaline. 



August. — Julius Weingarten : On particular integrals of 

 Laplace's equation, and a class of fluid motions connected with 

 the theory of minimum surfaces. — Venske : A modification of 

 Hermite's first proof that e is transcendental. — Riecke : Special 

 cases of equilibrium of a system having several phases. — Meyer : 

 Discriminants and resultants of singularity equations (second 



NO. II 27, VOL. 44] 



notice).— Burkhardt : An equation in the theory of the theta- 

 functions. — Klein : On the zero-points of the hypergeometric 

 series. 



October. — Nernst : On the distribution of a substance between 

 two solvents. 



December. — Riecke : The thermal potential of weak solutions. 

 On electricification by friction. — Meyer: On discriminants and 

 resultants of singularity equations (third notice). — Voigt : On 

 the vibrations of strings. — Riecke : Molecular theory of diffusion 

 and electrolytic conduction. — Hurwitz : On the zero points of 

 the hypergeometric series. — Voigt : Determination of the con- 

 stants of elasticity of several non-crystalline minerals. — 

 Auerbach : On hardness and its absolute measurement. 



Stockholm. 

 Royal Academy of Sciences, May 13. — The elements of 

 the hydrography of the Kattegatt and Skagerack, by Prof. O. 

 Pettersson. —Studies on the Solenogastres ; i. monograph of 

 Chatoderma nitidulum, by Dr. A. Wiren. — Researches on the 

 fossil wood of Sweden, by Dr. Conwentz, in Danzig. — Prof. S. 

 Loven gave a report on the work executed during the last 

 summer at the zoological station of Kristineberg in Bohuslan, 

 Sweden, and reviewed a paper by Dr. C. Aurivillius on the 

 symbiosis between Pagurus and Hydractinia as well as another 

 by Dr. Wiren on Chcetoderma niiidichtm. — Researches and ob- 

 servations on the method of Koch in treating tubercular diseases 

 by Prof. Bruzelins. — A copper- plate engraving of a map of the 

 world made in the beginning of the fifteenth century, formerly 

 belonging to the museum of Cardinal Borgia in Velletri, described 

 by Baron A. E. Nordenskiold. — Studies on the brain of teleos- 

 teous fishes, by HerrG. Andersson Malme. — A final contribution 

 to the flora of the Chlorophyllophysse of Siberia, by Herr O. 

 F. Borge. — On phen-ethyl-propyl and phenyliso-propyl-triazol 

 combinations by Dr. T. A. Bladin. — On the specific heat of 

 water between 0° and + 40°, by Herr A. M. Johansson. — A few 

 formulae to calculate the mortality among annuitants of public 

 offices and private societies by Dr. G. Enstrom. — A comparison 

 between the methods of Angstrom and Neuman for determining 

 the conductibility of heat in bodies; ii. experimental researches, 

 by Dr. Hagstrom. — Hydrographical researches in the Gullman 

 fiord during the summer of 1890, by Miss A. Palmqvist. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The British Institute of Preventive Medicine ... 97 

 The Geology and Physical Geography of North 



Syria. By Prof. Edward Hull, F.R.S 99 



European Botany. By J. G. Baker, F.R.S 100 



Our Book Shelf:— 



"The Missouri Botanical Garden." — ^J. G. B, ... loi 

 Herrnite : " Geologic : Principes — Explication de 



I'Epoque Quaternaire sans Hypotheses." — C. R. . 102 

 " Webster's International Dictionary of the English 



Language " 102 



Harrison: "Elementary Chemistry for Beginners" . 102 

 Leffmann and Beam : " Examination of Water for 



Sanitary and Technical Purposes " 102 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The University of London. — Prof. Karl Pearson; 

 Dr. A. Irving; Thomas Tyler; R. D. Roberts; 



G. H. Bailey 102 



Quaternions and the Ausdehnungslehre. — Prof. P. 



G. Tait 105 



The Spinning Ring. — Right Rev. Bishop Reginald 



Courtenay; Prof. Oliver J. Lodge, F.R.S. . . 106 

 The Use of Startling Colours and Noises. — Alfred O. 



Walker 106 



The Formation of Language. — W. J. Stillman . . 106 



Cordylophora lactistris. — ^John Bidgood 106 



On some Points in the Early History of Astronomy, 



IV. By J. Norman Lockyer, F.R.S 107 



Botanical Enterprise in the West Indies no 



Notes Ill 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Meridian Photometer 115 



Report of Harvard College Observatory 115 



The Solar Parallax and its Related Constants ... 115 



Technical Education in Russia 116 



Fossil Fish of the Scandinavian Chalk 117 



Societies and Academies 117 



