January 9, 1896] 



NATURE 



239 



A'apour and ice- vapour at the same temperature. — Meteorol(^y 

 IS a University course, by R. cle C. Ward, Instructor in 

 Meteorology in Harvard University. The author's aim is to 

 how the need of more instruction in meteorology, and to 

 emphasise the fact that instruction is needed in general, rather 

 than in the higher mathematical and physical meteorology; while 

 the investigation of problems in the latter branches should be 

 \mdertaken by eminent physicists who are fitted to do work of 

 such an advanced character. The author considers that, at the 

 present time, Germany takes the lead in the teaching and in 

 t be research of meteorology. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



London. 



Royal Society, December 12, 1895. — "Researches on the 

 structure, Organisation, and Classification of the Fossil 

 Reptilia. Part X. On the complete Skeleton of an 

 Anomodont Reptile (^r/.r/(?a'i?j/«My Riitimeyeri, Wiedersheim), 

 Irom the Bunter Sandstone of Reihen, near Basel, giving 

 new Evidence of the Relation of the Anomodontia to the 

 Monotremata." By H. G. Seeley, F.R.S. 



The author has examined the fossil described by Dr. Robert 

 Wiedersheim in 1878 as Labyrinthodoii RiUinieyeri. The bones 

 ire differently interpreted : — 



The reputed humerus is the interclavicle. 



The reputed right and left coracoids are the pre-coracoid and 

 coracoid of the right side. 



The author regards the Labyrinthodont osteology as demon- 

 -irating close relationship with Ichthyosauria and Anomodontia. 

 The group forms a branchiate division of the reptilian class. 



The fossil now named Aristodesmus is identified as an Anomo- 

 dont reptile chiefly on the basis of resemblances to Procolophon 

 and Paxetasauriis. 



The teeth are in sockets placed obliquely. The proportions 

 of the vertebral column are those of Echidna, though the 

 transverse processes are longer. The ribs are those of a 

 Monotreme. The shoulder girdle resembles Procolophon, and 

 the humerus does not show the peculiar lateral curvature seen in 

 Monotremes. The ulna gives no evidence of an olecranon 

 process ; the pelvic bones are without acetabular or obturator 

 perforations, are not anchylosed together, and the ilium is not 

 expanded transversely. The femur is more slender than in 

 Echidna. The fibula is prolonged proximally beyond the stout 

 tibia, round which it may rotate. The proximal row of the 

 tarsus is one large bone, the blended astragalus and os calcis. 



Monotreme mammals make a close approximation to this 

 fossil and other Anomodontia. A group Theropsida may be 

 made to include Monotremata and Anomodontia. Oruitho- 

 rhynchus shows pre-frontal and p'ist-frontal bones, and has the 

 malar formed as in Anomodonts. 



Aristodesmus is placed in the Procolophonia, which has two 

 occipital condyles, with the occipital plate vertical, without 

 lateral vacuities ; and has the shoulder girdle distinct from 

 Pareiasauria in the separate pre-coracoid extending in advance 

 fo the scapula. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, December 30. — M. Marey in the 

 chair. — Development of the lymphatic vessels, by M. L. 

 Ranvier. The author has examined the development of the 

 lymphatic vessels in the embryo of the pig. By examining the 

 mesentery, hardened in osmic acid and stained with picro- 

 carmine, no lymphatic vessels can be observed in embryos of 

 less than 9 cm. in length, the first signs appearing in those of 

 10 cm. The conclusion is drawn that the lymphatic system 

 may be considered as an immense vascular gland, having its 

 embryological origin in the venous system, and throwing its 

 secretory product, the lymph, into the veins. — On the second 

 scientific expedition of the Princesse Alice, by Albert First, 

 Prince of Monaco. (See pp. 223-225.)— Note on the 

 history of seas, by M. Suess. From the results of 

 geological explorations, by MM. Mojsisovics, Waagen, and 

 Diener, undertaken with special reference to the Trias 

 formation, the conclusion is drawn that at that period the 

 Pacific Ocean possessed two great branches — one (the Arctic 

 branch) stretching over Eastern Siberia as far as Spitzbergen, 

 the other across Central Asia and the Alps up to the Western 



Mediterranean. — On the acoustic analysis of mixtures of two 

 gases of different densities, by M. E. Hardy. The method was 

 capable of detectmg one volume of illuminating gas in 1000 

 volumes of air. — Observations, made at the observatory of 

 Algiers, of Brooks' and Perrine's comets, by MM. Rambaud 

 and Sy. — Observations of Faye's comet and a minf)r planet, 

 made at the Toulouse Observatory, by M. F. Rossard. — C^bscr- 

 vations of the sun, made at the observatory of Lyons, by M. J. 

 Guillaume. — On some problems in variations, by M. (>. Koenigs. 

 —On the summation of divergent series, by M. E. Borel.— On 

 a new transformation of Taylor's theorem, by M. N. U. 

 Bougaief. — ^On the unicursal varieties of three dimensions, by 

 M. Antonne. — New properties of the cathode rays, by M. Jean 

 Perrin. According to the views of Goldstein, Hertz, and 

 Lenard, the cathode rays are due, like light, to a vibration of 

 the ether ; whilst Crookes and J. J. Thomson prefer to attribute 

 the phenomena to matter charged negatively travelling with a high 

 velocity. All the results of the extremely ingenious experiments 

 of M. Perrier tend to show that the latter view is the correct one. 

 — Observations on the zodiacal light, made at the observatory of 

 the Pic du Midi, by M. E. Marchand. — On the elliptic refraction 

 of quartz, by M. G. Quesneville. It is shown by a recalculation 

 of Jamin's experiments, that the formula used by Jamin, calcu- 

 lated from Airy's theory, gives quite erroneous results in the 

 neighbourhood of the axis. — The position in the solar spectrum 

 of the calorific maximum, by M. Aymonnet. A comparison of 

 the results obtained by various workers in this subject, shows 

 that the position of this maximum depends not only on the com- 

 position of the prism, but also on the other parts of the spectro- 

 scope which reflect or transmit the ray. The continual variation 

 in the intensity of the solar radiation is also a source of grave 

 error in these measurements. — On the mechanical production of 

 extreme temperatures, by M. E. Solvay. Remarking on the 

 liquefaction of air in quantity recently achieved by M. Lindc, 

 M. Solvay observes that he used the same principle, the suc- 

 cessive expansions of the same quantity of gas, in 1886, but, 

 having imposed on himself as practical conditions that the pres- 

 sure must not exceed 5 atmospheres, and not take more than 

 15-horse power, the lowest temperature he actually reached in 

 this way was - 95°. It is further pointed out that inversely the 

 same principle would serve to reach extremely high tempera- 

 tures, were it not for the fact that these can be more easily 

 attained by electrical means. — On the combustion of acetylene, 

 by M. H. Le Chatelier. Mixtures of acetylene with air containr 

 ing less than 77 per cent, of acetylene, burn completely to water 

 and carbon dioxide, for proportions of acetylene between 7 7 per 

 cent, and 17 "4 per cent., the products consist of water, carbon 

 monoxide and dioxide, water, and hydrogen, in mixtures con- 

 taining more acetylene than this free carbon and unburnt acety- 

 lene are found. With oxygen, mixtures containing anything 

 between 2 "8 per cent, and 93 per cent, of acetylene will catch 

 fire ; with air the limits are 2*8 per cent, and 65 per cent. In 

 tubes, these limits are narrowed down, until in tubes of 0*5 m.m. 

 diameter or less it is impossible to propagate a flame. — On the 

 fixation of nitrogen by the metals of the alkaline earths, by M. L. 

 Maquenne. After referring to his earlier work on this subject, the 

 author describes a simple lecture experiment illustrating the ease 

 with which nitrogen isabsorbed. Amixture of lime and magnesium 

 powder heated in a hard glass tube over a Bunsen burner will, 

 in five minutes, absorb 96 per cent, of a confined volume of air. 

 — On crystallised titanium and the combinations of titanium and 

 silicon, by M. L. Levy. A silicide of the composition Ti,Si 

 has been isolated. — On the rotatory power of rhamnose in a 

 state of superfiision, by M. D. Gernez. The rotatory power of 

 fused rhamnose diminishes regularly with rise of temperature ; at 

 100° it is only 61 per cent, of its value at 0°, and is in all 

 cases less than that deduced from the rotatory power of its 

 solutions. — On some dithiazolic derivatives, by M. C. Lauth. — 

 Syntheses of acid chlorides and amide hydrochlorides, by M. A. 

 Colson. The following reaction is found to occur. 



RCN -1- Ri.COjH -»- 2HC1 = R.CO. WHj. HCl -1- R'COCl. 



when R, R^ may be methyl or ethyl. This reaction is suggested 

 as a method for preparing acid chlorides without the use of the 

 phosphorus chlorides. If the acid is replaced by its anhydride 

 the yield is improved. — Action of the halogens upon formal- 

 dehyde, by M. A. Brochet. In the case of chlorine, the primary 

 reaction is CH30-HCl3 = CO f 2HCI. The COClj, previously 

 observed, is a secondary product. — On essence of lemon, by 



NO. 1367, VOL. 53] 



