5o8 



NATURE 



[September 22, 1892 



well as experimental facts show that epilepsy has no 

 special seat in the brain, but that all parts of the nervous 

 system, central or peripheral, may give rise to it. — The 

 meadows in the dry summer of 1892, by M. A. Chatin. — 

 Absolute positions and proper motions of circumpolar stars, by 

 M. F. Gonnessiat. — On a problem of analysis involved in the 

 equations of dynamics, by M. R. Liouville. — On a recurring 

 series of pentagons inscribed in the same general curve of the 

 third order, which can be constructed with the sole help of the 

 straight-edge, by M. Paul Serret.— On the calorific distribution 

 of the heat of the sun at the surface of the northern and southern 

 hemispheres of the terrestrial globe, by M. le Goarant de 

 . Tromelin. It is sometimes thought that the fact of the sun 

 being eight days longer in the northern hemisphere than in the 

 southern, is the principal cause of the inequality of the distribu- 

 tion of heat in the two hemispheres. It can, however, be shown 

 that the quantities of heat received by two symmetrical elements 

 of the earth's surface, or by two caps symmetrical with respect 

 to the earth's centre, are the same during the durations of the 

 earth's journey comprised between two pairs of opposite vectors. 

 Hence the total heat received by the northern hemisphere during 

 spring and summer is equal to that received by the southern 

 hemisphere during autumn and w inter. The true cause of the 

 difference of mean annual temperature in the two hemispheres 

 lies in the difference of loss by radiation. By the law of cooling 

 bodies, if two bodies have the same mean temperature, but 

 different extremes, the one with the greatest extremes will lose 

 most heat by radiation. Thus the southern hemisphere, which 

 is nearer the sun in its summer and further away in its winter 

 than the northern, will lose the greater quantity of heat. — 

 Theory of a condenser interposed in the secondary circuit of a 

 transformer, by M. Desiie Korda. — On the thermal variation of 

 the electrical resistance of mercury, by M. Ch. Ed. Guillaume. 

 The relation between temperature and conductivity was deter- 

 mined by comparing the resistance of a mercury standard of 

 about one ohm at different temperatures with another standard 

 maintained at a constant temperature, with a special arrange- 

 ment to eliminate the resistances of the contacts. The formula 

 deduced was — 



Pt = Po(i + o'ooo88879T + o-oooooio222T-), 

 and the value of the standard mercury ohm — 



106-3- . ^"|: -,Hgato°. 

 (microlitre)i ^ 



— On a ptomaine obtained from a cultivation of Micrococcus 

 tetragenus, by M. A. B. Griffiths. This Micrococcus, found 

 associated with human phthisis, gives rise to a ptomaine if cul- 

 tivated on peptonised gelatine for several days. This ptomaine 

 is a white solid, crystallizing in prismatic needles. It is soluble 

 in water, giving a feeble alkaline reaction. It forms a chloro- 

 hydrate, a chloroaurate, and a chloroplatinate, all crystallizable. 

 Nessler's reagent gives a greeu precipitate, tannic acid a brown 

 one, slightly soluble. The formula appears to be CsHgNOa. 

 It is a poison, and produces death in thiriy-six hours. It is un- 

 doubtedly the product of the decomposition of the albumin by 

 the microbe. — On echinochrome, a respiratory pigment, by 

 M. A. B. Griffiths. Mr. McMunn discovered a brown pigment 

 in the perivisceral fluid of certain echinoderms in 1883. This 

 was separated by desiccating the fluid and dissolving out by 

 chloroform. The formula of echinochrome is CioaHggNiaFeSaOia- 

 It serves a purpose in the body of the echinoderm analogous to 

 that of hsemoglobine in the human body, but is not so highly 

 -developed as the latter. The respiratory pigments in the lower 

 animals not only carry oxygen to the tissues, but also retain 

 oxygen in combination till taken up by the cellules. Hence 

 ■echinochrome, like haemocyanine, chlorocruorine, and similar 

 bodies, is more stable than hsemoglobine. — Physiology of .the 

 pancreas, experimental dissociation of the external and internal 

 secretions of the glands, by M. J, Thiroloix.— Influence of 

 some deleterious gases on the progress of anthrax infection, by 

 MM. A. Charrin and H. Roger.— Contribution towards the 

 a^eptic method in hypodermic therapeutics, by M. Barthelemy. 

 — On the construction of a luminous fountain with automatically 

 variable colours, by M. G. Trouve. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books.— The Locomotive Engine and its Development : C. E. Stretton 

 <Lockwood>.— Universal Atlas, Part 18 (Cassell).— Life Histories of North 

 -American Birds: C. Bendire (Washington).— Traii6 Encyclopedique de 



Photographie : C. Fabre ; Premier Supplement (Paris. Gauthier-Villars). — 

 VL Jahresbericht (1890) der Ornithologi^chen Beobachtungstationen im 

 Konigreiche Sachsen : A B Meyer u. F Helm (Btrlin, Friedlander).— Ele- 

 mentary Physiography: R A. Gregory (Hughes) —Dynamometers and the 

 Measurement of Power: J. J. Flather (New York, Wiley) —A Manual of 

 Veterinary Physiology : Veterinary Captain F. Smith (Bailliere). — Aus- 

 tralische Reise : R. v. Lendenfeld (Innsbruck, Wagner). — Medical Micro- 

 scopy : Dr. F. J. Wethered (Lewis). — A Dictif nary of T erms used in Medi- 

 cine, &c. : R. D. Hoblyn. 12th edition, revised by J. A. P. Price (Whit- 

 laker).— The Sea and the Rod : C. T. Paske and Dr. G. Aflalo (Chapman 

 and Hall). — A Lecture Course in Elementary Chemistry : H. T. Lilley 

 (Simpkin). — Modern Science in Bible Lands, popular edition, revised : Sir 

 J W. Dawson (Hodder).- A Handy Book for Brewers: H. E. Wright 

 (Lockwood). — Reports from the Laboratory of the Royal College of 

 Physicians, Edinburgh, vol. iv. (Pentland) — The Fauna and Floia of 

 Gloucestershire : C. A. Witchell and W. B. Strugnell (Stroud, James). — 

 Observations of Double Stars made at the U.S. Naval Observatory, Part 2, 

 1880-91 : Prof. A. Hall (Washington).— Experimental Evclution : Dr. H. de 

 Varigny (Macmillan).— Oriental Cicadidse. Part 6: W. L. Distant (London). 

 — Paraguay: Dr. E. de B. la Dardye 1 Philip).— Advanced Building Con- 

 struction (Longmans). — Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand 

 Institute, 1891, vol. xxiv. (Wellington). — Sea-sickness, Voyaging for Health, 

 Health Resorts : Dr. T. Dutton. 3rd edition (Kimpton) — BuUes de Savon : 

 C. V. Boys, traduit de I'Anglais par Ch. Ed. Guillaume (Paris, Gauthier- 

 Villars). — Up the Niger: Capt. A. F. Mockler-Ferryman (PhilipV — Earth 

 Burial and Creination : A. G. Cobb (Putnam). — A Vertebrate Fauna of 

 Lakeland : Rev. H. A. Macpherson (Edinburgh, Douglas).— Contributions 

 to Horticultural Literature : W. Paul (Wahham Cross, Paul). 



Pamphlets. — Music in its Relation to the Intellect and the Emotions' 

 J. Stainer (Novello).— Sadi Carnot et la Science de I'^nergie : M. G- 

 M curet (Paris, J. Cane). — Appendix to the Catalogue ol the Flora of 

 Nebraska: H. J. Webber. — Maryland's Attitude in the Strujjgle for 

 Canada (Baltimore). — Memorial of J. Lovering (Cambridge, Massachusetts, 

 Wilson). 



Serials. — Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science, August 

 (Churchill). — Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society, August (Williams 

 and Norgate). — Transactions of the Academy of Science of St, Louis, vol. v., 

 Nos. 3 and 4 (St. Louis). — Notes from the I eyden Museum, vol. xiv. Nos. 3 

 and 4 (Leyden, Brill).— Economic Journal, No. 7 (Macmillan). — Journal of 

 Morphology, vol. vi. Nos. i and 2 (Boston, Ginn). 



NO. I 195, VOL. 46] 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



A 5- Sensation Theory of Vision 485 



Electrical Rules and Tables. By G 486 



The Moths of the World. By Q. F. H 487 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Johns: "Grasses" 487 



Nixon: " Elementary Plane Trigonometry" . . . 488 

 Bourgade La Dardye : " Paraguay : The Land and the 

 People, Natural Wealth and Commercial Capabili- 

 ties" 488 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Thunderstorms and Sunspots. {WitJi Diagram.) — 



A. B. M 488 



The Nova Aurigse.—H. F. Newall 489 



Atmospheric Depressions and their Analogy with the 



Movements of Sunspots. — F. Howard Collins . . 489 

 Direct Determination of the Gravitative Constant by 

 Means of a Tuning-fork. A Lecture Experiment. 



— A. M. Worthington 490 



A Meteor. — Grace E. Chisholm 490 



Crater-like Depression in Glaciers. —Andre Dele- 



becque 490 



Generalization of " Mercator's " Projection Per- 

 formed by Aid of Electrical Instruments, By 



Lord Kelvin, P. R.S 490 



The Active Albumen in Plants. By O. Loew . . 491 

 Discovery of a Fifth Satellite to Jupiter. By W. F. 



Denning 492 



Notes 493 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Proposed School of Practical Astronomy 496 



Double Star Measures 496 



Comet Brooks (1882, August 27) 496 



Nova Aurigae - 496 



Aberration Problems. {Illustrated.) By Dr, Oliver 



J. Lodge, F.R.S 497 



Native New Zealand Birds. By the Earl of Onslow 502 



A Century of Scientific Work .... 504 



The Transmission of Acquired Characters through 



Heredity 504 



Forthcoming Scientific Books 505 



Societies and Academies 507 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 508 



