288 



NATURE 



[July 23, [891 



A. Chatin. — Onalkyl cyanides, cyanobenzene, and orthocyano- 

 toluene, by M. A. Haller. — Experimental aerodynamic researches 

 and experimental data, by Prof. S. P. Langley (see p. 277).— 

 Observations of solar spots and facalse, made with the Brunner 

 equatorial of Lyons Observatory, daring the first six months of 

 this year, by M. Em. Marchand. — On a modification of the 

 method of supporting railway and tramway vehicles, by M. 

 Feraud.— On the measurement of capacity, self-induction, and 

 mutual induction by experiments on aerial wires, by M. Massin. 

 — On a new copper hydride and the preparation of pure nitrogen, 

 by M. A. Leduc. The new body was discovered in the course 

 of some experiments on the preparation of pure nitrogen by 

 passing undried air deprived of CO2 over copper turnings in 

 a glass tube heated to redness and then reducing the resulting 

 oxide by hydrogen. The composition and properties of this 

 hydride have not yet been studied, but from the fact that it is 

 formed at red heat it appears to differ from the body discovered 

 by Wurtz, which is broken up at about 60° C. — Action of light 

 on silver chloride, by M. Guntz. The experiments indicate that 

 when a layer of silver chloride is exposed to light it becomes 

 divided into three superficial layers, the first of which is metallic 

 silver; the second silver subchloride ; and the third unaltered silver 

 chloride. These three layers have a thickness which is a function 

 of the duration of exposure, and of the primitive thickness of the 

 layer of silver chloride experimented upon. — On a new gaseous 

 compound, phosphorus pentafluochloride, by M. C. Poulenc. 

 The formation of this compound is expressed by the formula 

 PFg + CI2 = PF3CI2, which also indicates that a contraction of 

 volume occurs. This has been proved experimentally. The gas 

 is colourless, and has an irritating odour. Its density is 5'40> 

 and it may be liquefied at ordinary pressures by reduction to a 

 temperature of — 8°. Reactions with sulphur, phosphorus, 

 sodium, magnesium, mercury, and various other substances, 

 are described. It appears to be a much less stable body 

 than Prof. Thorpe's phosphorus pentafluoride. — Compound 

 of boron bromide with phosphoretted hydrogen ; phosphide 

 of boron, by M. A. Besson. Bromide of boron absorbs 

 phosphoretted hydrogen at ordinary temperatures, and the 

 result of the combination is a white, amorphous, very 

 light solid. The composition of this product appears to 

 be represented by the formula BBrgPH.,. At about 300° it 

 changes colour, and hydrobromic acid is disengaged. The dark 

 hrnwn body that remains is found to. contain only phosphorus 

 a il I'oron, the action that takes place being expressed thus — 

 BBrjPHg == PB + 3HBr. Boron phosphide has a density 

 about the same as water, in which it is insoluble. Reactions with 

 various substances have been investigated. — -Researches on the 

 zirconates of the alkaline earths, by M. L. Ouvrard. One interest- 

 ing point brought out by the experiments is that an analogy exists 

 between zirconium, tin, and titanium. — Artificial production of 

 datolite, by M. A. de Gramont. By the action of a solution of 

 borate of sodium on silicate of calcium (formed by the precipitation 

 of calcium chloride by sodium silicate) at a high temperature 

 and under pressure, a hydrated silico-borate of calcium has been 

 obtained, which in composition and physical properties appears 

 to be identical with datolite. This is the first silico-borate 

 of definite composition, and corresponding to a natural product, 

 which has yet been obtained. — Action of boron fluoride on nitriles, 

 by M. G, Patein. — On the acid sulphate waters containing iron 

 and aluminium of the environs of Rennes-les-Bains (Aude), by 

 M. Ed. Willm. — On the formation and oxidation of nitrites during 

 nitrification, by M. S. Winogradski. — On the larva form of 

 Parmophori, by M. Louis Boutan. — On the circulatory and 

 respiratoryapparatus of some Arthropods, by M. A. Schneider. — 

 On the genus Euclea (Ebenacese), by M. Paul Parmentier. — 

 On the structure of the primary libero-ligneous system, and on 

 the disposition of foliary traces in the branches of Lepidodendron 

 selaginoides, by M. Maurice Hovelacque. — On a fall of small 

 calcareous stones which recently occurred in the Department of 

 the Aude, by M. Stanislas Meunier. 



Amsterdam. 

 Royal Academy of Sciences, June 27. — Prof, van de 

 Sande Bakhuyzen in the chair. — Mr. Pekelharing communicated 

 that magnesium-sulphate-plasma or kalium-oxalate-plasma con- 

 tains a substance which has no active power on pure fibrinogen, 

 but acquires by a combination with lime-salts all the properties 

 of fibrin ferment prepared from washed blood-clot This sub- 

 stance is precipitated incompletely by dialysis, and completely 

 by saturation with magnesium-sulphate. Its combination with 



NO. 1 1 34, VOL. 44] 



lime is active also in the presence of ammonium-oxalate. In 

 the formation of fibrin, lime is transferred from the ferment to 

 the fibrinogen. Pepton prepared by neutralizing the hydro- 

 chloric acid of the digesting fluid with calcium-carbonate, 

 injected in the jugular vein of the dog, does n^t prevent the 

 clotting of the blood. Wooldridge's "tissue-fibrinogen," pre- 

 pared from the thymus of the calf, causes coagulation of a pure 

 solution of Hammarsten's fibrinogen when lime-salts are present. 

 — Mr. van Bemmelen communicated a research of Mr. Schreine- 

 maker's on the equilibriuans which are possible between the 

 double salt PbloZKf and water, in the p-esence or the absence 

 of an excess of one of the components, or of the double-salt 

 itself, or of both. The results are in accordance with the in- 

 vestigations of Dr. Bakhuis Rooseboom. — Mr. Suringar pre- 

 sented to the Academy a new (third) contribution to our know- 

 ledge of the Melocacti of the West Indies. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Lifeof Thomas Sopwith, F.R.S. : B. W. Richardson(Longmans). — Plane 

 Trigonometry : Todhunter and Hogg (Macmillan). — Science or Romance? : 

 Rev. J. Gerard (London). — Les Science Naurellei et I'Education : T. H. 

 Huxlev (Bailliere).— Glasgow and West Scotland Technical College Calen- 

 dar, 1891-92 (Glasgow, Anderson). — Dictionary of Political Economy, Part 

 i; edited by R. H. I. Palgrave ( vlacmillan). — The Total Eclipse of 

 the Sun, January i, 1889 ; Report of Washington University Eclipse 

 Party (Camb., Mass., Wilson). — Contents and Index of the first twenty 

 volumes of the Records of the Geological Survey of India, 1886 to 1887 

 (Calcutta). —Natural Religion in India : Sir A. Lyall (Cambridge University 

 Press). — Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, new series, v., Part 4 (Wil- 

 liams and Norgate). — Photographic Quarterly, vol. ii. No. 8 (Hazell). — 

 Photographic Reporter (Hazell). — Memoirs of the Geological Survey of 

 India, vol. xxiv., Part 3 (Calcutta).— Records of the Geological Survey of 

 India, vol. xxiv., Parts i and 2 (Calcutta). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Teaching of Forestry. By Sir D. Brandis, 



F.R.S 265 



The Applications of Modern Chemistry. By Sir H. 



E. Roscoe, M.P., F.R.S .268 



The Fishes of Switzerland. By Dr. Albert Gunther, 



- F.R.S 269 



The History of Marriage, By Prof. W. Robertson 



Smith 270 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Johnston-Lavis : " Geological Map of Monte Somma 



and Vesuvius" , 271 



Huxley : " Les Sciences Naturelles et I'Education" . 272 

 Letters to the Editor :— 



W. E. Weber.— C. Runge 272 



Earthquake Shocks in Italy and Australia. — R, L. J. 



EUery, F.R.S 272 



Force and Determinism.— Prof. Oliver J. Lodge, 



F.R.S 272 



Liquid Prisms.— Prof. W. N. Hartley, F.R.S. . 273 

 The Identification of Templeton's British Earthworms. 



(Illustrated.)— Kcv. Hilderic Friend 273 



Copepoda as an Article of Food.— Prof. W. A. 



Herdman 273 



Are Seedlings oi Hemerocallis fulva specially Variable ? 



-Prof. Marcus M. Hartog 274 



The Green Sandpiper. —The Duke of Argyll, 



F.R.S 274 



Liquids and Gases. {With Diagram.), By Prof. W. 



Ramsay, F.R.S 274 



Experimental Researches on Mechanical Flight. 



By Prof. S. P. Langley 277 



On the Solid and Liquid Particles in Clouds. By 



John Aitken, F.R.S 279 



Old Standards 280 



Notes 280 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



A Cause of Lunar Libration 283 



Double-star observations 283 



Observations of the Zodiacal Counter-glow 283 



The Observatory of Yale University 283 



The Recent Epidemic of Infliuenza. ( With Diagi-am.) 



By Fredk. J. Brodie 283 



The Museums Association 285 



Technical Education in India 286 



University and Educational Intelligence 287 



Societies and Academies ... 287 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 288 



