i68 



NATURE 



[December 19, 1895 



to the Myoxidae, but rather to the Sciuridte, unless it were neces- 

 sary to assign it to a family apart. He proposed for its reception 

 the new generic term Leithia. — A communication was read from 

 Mr. W. E. Jennings Bramley, giving an account of the mode of 

 capturing Loder's Gazelle [Gazella loderi), used by the Arabs 

 of the Western Desert of Egypt. — Mr. G. A. Boulenger gave 

 descriptions of a new snake ( Ty plops nigricauda ) and of a new 

 frog (Chiroleptes dahlii) from Northern Australia. — A second 

 paper by Mr. Boulenger contained an account of the type- 

 specimen of Boulengerina stormsi — an Elapoid Snake from 

 Lake Tanganyka, recently described by M. Dollo. 



Geological Society, December 4.— Dr. Henry Woodward, 

 F. R.S., President, in the chair.^On the alteration of certain 

 basic eruptive rocks from Brent Tor, Devon, by Frank 

 Rutley. The author gave a detailed account of the micro- 

 scopic characters of sections of rocks from Brent Tor, 

 and discussed the liistory of the rocks, comparing them with 

 Tertiary basic glass, and with the Devonian rocks of Cant Hill, 

 which he described previously. He brought forward evidence 

 in favour of the view that the original alteration of both the 

 Brent Tor and Cant Hill rocks was palagonitic, and that while 

 in the Brent Tor rocks the subsequent alteration of the palagonite 

 into felsitic matter, magnetite, secondary felspar, epidote, and 

 probably kaolin, and some serpentine and chlorite was complete, 

 it was only partial in the case of the Cant Hill rocks.— The 

 Mollusca of the Chalk Rock (part i.), by Henry Woods In the 

 introductory part of the paper, the author gave an account of the 

 characters, distribution, and literature of the Chalk Rock. The 

 main part of the paper was devoted to the consideration of the 

 cephalopoda, gasteropoda, and scaphopoda. Some new species 

 were described, and the synonymy and distribution of the others 

 treated in detail, figures and descriptions being given of the 

 forms not previously well known. The account of the 

 lamellibranchs and the general conclusions were reserved for 

 part ii. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, December 9. — M. Marey in the 

 chair. — M. Marey gave an account of his visit to the Royal 

 Society, London, in his official capacity as President, on the 

 occasion of the celebration of the anniversary of the foundation 

 of that Society. — Analysis of aluminium and its alloys, by 

 M. Henri Moissan. — Morphological study of the lymphatic 

 capillaries of Mammifers, by M. L. Ranvier. — Valuation of meals 

 as regards their value for baking purposes ; estimation of the 

 waste due to the husk and germ which may lower the quality of 

 the bread, by M. Aime Girard — On the variations of the ratio 

 of the specific heats of fluids— carbonic acid, by M. E. H, 

 Amagat. — On the analysis of soil by plants, by M. G. 

 Lechartier.— Resistance of straight beams fixed on elastic 

 supports, by M. Paul Toulon.— Application of integral invariants 

 to the reduction to the canonic type of any system of differential 

 equations, by M. G. Koenigs.— On the number of classes of 

 quadratic forms of negative determinant, by M. Matyas Lerch. 

 • — On the varieties of unicursals of three dimensions, by M. 

 Autonne. — On orthogonal systems, by M. E. Goursat. — On the 

 photography of stationary luminous vyaves, by M. Izarn. — 

 Absorption of nitrogen by lithium in the cold, by M. H. Des- 

 landres. — On a possible process for the separation of argon and 

 atmospheric nitrogen, by M Claudius Limb.— Action of alcohol 

 on mercurous iodide, by M. Maurice Fran9ois. Boiling alcohol 

 decomposes mercurous iodide. The decomposition ceases when 

 100 grams of liquid contain, in round numbers, 0*220 grams of 

 mercuric iodide in solution. This action is reversible, and the 

 inverse action stops at the same limit. The quantitative separation 

 of mercurous and mercuric iodides by alcohol is not exact. — 

 New synthesis of parafuchsine and its mono-, di-, tri-, and tetra- 

 alkoyl derivatives, by M. Maurice Prud'homme. — On a mode of 

 decomposition of some organic substances with amide or imide 

 functions, by M. Oichsner de Coninck. — On the approximate 

 limits of the accuracy of the estimation of marsh -gas by means of 

 the platinum- or palladium-thread grisoumeter, by M, J. 

 Coquillion. — On the distribution of boric acid in nature, by 

 M. H. Jay. Boric acid is very widely spread, is absorbed by 

 plants but rejected by the animal economy. — Solubility and 

 activity of soluble ferments in alcoholic liquids, by M. A. Dastre. 

 —Experiments on the "blanc de champignon" obtained by 

 germination in a sterilised medium, by MM. J. Costantin and 

 L. Matruchot. — On the mechanism of muscular contraction, by 

 M. A. Imbert. — Experimental researches on the silent electric 

 discharge, by M. Henry Bordier.— On the constitution and 



NO. 1364, VOL. 53] 



structure of the osseous spine of the dorsal fin in some malacop- 

 terygian fishes, by M. Leon Vaillant.— On the metamorphism of 

 the Cambrian of the " Montagne Noire," by M. J. Bergeron. — 

 On the measurement of the intensity of perfumes applied to 

 biological researches, by M. Eugene Mesnard. — Fixation of 

 tannic acid and gallic acid by silk, by M. Leo Vignon. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books.— Euclid's Elements of Geometry : H. M. Taylor (Cambridge 

 University Press).— La Topographie : Prof. P. Moessard (Paris, Gauthier- 

 Villars).— Beitrage zur Geophysik, 2 Band, 2-4 Heft (Stuttgart, Koch).— 

 Rambles and Studies in Bosnia, Herzegovina, and Dalmatia : Dr. R. Munro 

 (Blackwood).— Lehrbuch der Botanik fCir Hochschulen, Strasburger, Noll, 

 Schenck and Schimper, Zweite Umgearbeitete Auflage (Jena, Fischer). — 

 Handbuch der Polaarktischen Gross-Schmetterlinge fiir Forscher und 

 Sammler : Dr. M. Standfuss (Jena, Fischer).— Peru : E. W. Middendorf, 

 3 Band (Berlin, Oppenheim). — Public Health in European Capitals : Dr. 

 T. M. Legge (Sonnenschein). — Problems in the Use and Adjustment of 

 Engineering Instruments : W. L. Webb (Chapman and Ha 1).— Rope Driv- 



ing : Prof. J. J. Flather (Chapman and Hall).— Elementary Principles of 

 Mechanics : Prof. A J. Du Bois. Vol. 3. Kinetics (Chapman and Hall).— 

 A Treatise on Hydraulics : Prof. H. T. Bovey (Chapman and Hall).— Mis- 

 souri Geological Survey, Vols. 4 to 7 (Jefferson City). — Smithsonian In.stitu- 

 tion, Report of the U.S. National Museum, 1893 (Washington). — Geological 

 and Natural History Survey of Minnesota Reports, 1893-4 (Minneapolis). — 

 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Report of the Chief of the Weather Bureau, 

 1893 (Washington). — Les Cavernes et Leurs Habitants : Prof. J. Fraipont 

 (Paris, Bailliere).— Mammals of Land and Sea : Mrs. A. Bell (Philip).— 

 Handbuch der Mineral Chemie : Dr. C. F. Rammelsberg, Zweite Auflage, 

 I and 2 Theil, and Erganzung.sheft zur Zweiten Auflage (Leipzig, Engel- 

 mann). — Object Lessons for Infants : V. T. Murche, Vol. i (Macmillan). — 

 Practical Plane and Solid Geometry : J. Harrison and G. A. Baxandall 

 (Macmillan). — Elementary Mensuration : F. H. Stevens (Macmillan).— 

 British Guiana and its Resources (Philip).— The Physiology of the Carbo- 

 hydrates : Dr. F. W. Pavy (Churchill). 



Pamphlets. — Ueber einige Probleme der Physiologic der Fprtpflanzung : 

 Prof. G. Klebs (Jena, Fischer). — Grundziige der Marinen Tiergeographie : 

 Dr. A. E. Ortmann (Jena, Fischer). — Reconnais.sance of the Gold Fields of 

 the Southern Appalachians : G. F. Becker (Washington).— Health Notes 

 for the Seaside : A. C. Dutt (Whitby).— Common Sense in Chess : E. 

 Lasker (Bellairs). 



Serials. — Journal of the Franklin Institute, December (Philadelphia). — 

 American Journal of Science, December (New Haven).— Engineering 

 Magazine, December ( Tucker).- Contributions from the U.S. National 

 Herbarium, Vol. 3, No. 4 (Washington).— Proceedings of the Calcutta 

 Academy of Sciences, 2nd series, Vol. v. Part i (San Francisco). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Origin of Plant Structures. By C. A. Barber . 145 



Solution and Electrolysis. By J. W. Rodger . . , 146 



The Theory of Algebraic Forms. By G. B. M. . . 147 



Surface-Colours. By E. H. B 148 



Our Book Shelf:— 



" Studies from the Biological Laboratories of the 



Owens College " 149 



Smart: " Studies in Economics " 149 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Intensity and Quantity of Sunheat at Different Zones. 



— E. P. Culverwell .... 150 



The Discovery of the Anti-Toxin of Snake-Poison. — 



Prof. Thomas R. Eraser, F.R.S 150 



Pithecanthropus erectus and the Evolution of the 

 Human Race. i^With Diagram.)— 'Pxoi. W. J. 



Sollas, F.R.S 150 



Globular Lightning.— Prof. O. C. Marsh .... 152 

 Large Human Femora in the Church of S. Eustachius, 



Tavistock.— Worthington G. Smith 152 



A Lecture Experiment in Surface Tension. — Douglas 



Carnegie 152 



An Examination Question in Physics.— E. F. Herroun 152 



Linotatiia maritinia (Leach). — Henry Scherren . . 152 

 The Transformations of Insects. By Prof. L. C. 



Miall, K.R.S. • 152 



Ludwig Rutimeyer .... • 158 



Notes 158 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Comets Brooks and Perrine 162 



A New Observatory 162 



Photography of Minor Planets 162 



Short Period Variability 162 



The New Mineral Gases. By J. Norman Lockyer, 



C.B., F.R.S 163 



The Duke of Devonshire on Education 164 



University and Educational Intelligence 165 



Scientific Serials 166 



Societies and Academies 167 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 168 



