48o. 



NA 7URE 



March 19, 1896 



mounted on a ferrotype plate no action took place. Prof. 

 Perry said that he, for one, was of opinion that the Rbntgen 

 rays were undulatory. Prof. Larmor has given an explanation 

 which seems to agree with the observed facts. This explanation 

 supposes that the intermolecular spaces respond to vibrations of 

 a certain frequency. The reason no refraction or diffraction 

 effects had been observed was probably because of the extreme 

 smallness of the wave-length of the undulation. — After a few 

 further remarks by some of the members, the Society adjourned 

 till March 27. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, March 9. — M. A. Cornu in the 

 chair. — On the divergence of trigonometrical series, by M. H. 

 Poincare. A reply to some remarks by M. Hill. — On some new 

 properties of the invisible radiations emitted by some phos- 

 phorescent bodies, by M. Henri Becquerel. The rays emitted 

 by potassium uranyl sulphate, which has been kept in the dark 

 for some days, are capable of discharging a gold leaf electro- 

 scope even after passing through a plate of aluminium 2 mm. in 

 thickness. Clear evidence was obtained that these invisible rays 

 are capable of reflection and refraction. — On the use of artificial 

 hexagonal blende in the place of a Crookes' tube, by M. Troost. 

 By means of the light given off by a crystal of artificial blende, 

 rendered phosphorescent by exposure to burning magnesium 

 ribbon, good images of metallic objects upon a sensitised plate 

 were obtained, the rays passing through blackened paper readily. 

 The effects produced are the same as with a Ruhmkorff coil and 

 Crookes' tube. The time of exposure is not given. — On some 

 conditions which govern gaseous combinations. The combina- 

 tion of oxygen and hydrogen at low temperatures, by MM. A. 

 Gautier and H. Helier. By circulating the gaseous mixture 

 through a porcelain tube packed with porcelain rods, kept at a 

 constant temperature, and then passing the products over tubes 

 containing phosphoric anhydride, combination can be shown to 

 occur at as low a temperature as 180° C, explosions not occur- 

 ring until about 840° C. — On the carbides of yttrium and 

 thorium, by MM. H. Moissan and Etard. Yttrium carbide, 

 prepared in the electric furnace, is attacked readily by the halo- 

 gens, with difficulty by acids. With water the carbide yields a 

 mixture of acetylene (72 per cent.), methane, ethylene, and 

 hydrogen, together with a small quantity of liquid hydrocarbons. 

 Thorium carbide, produced by a similar method, forms a crystal- 

 line transparent mass, and gives a mixture of hydrocarbons on 

 treatment with water of the same qualitative composition as that 

 obtained from yttrium carbide. — Aberration and regression of the 

 lymphatics in the course of development, by M. L. Ranvier. 

 The growth of the lymphatics at the time of their formation is 

 often so active that they appear in organs in which they have no 

 functional significance, from which they have to be reabsorbed. 

 Hence occasionally long vessels, closed at both ends, are found, 

 corresponding to portions of the lymphatic system isolated by 

 the atrophy of the intermediate parts. These small cysts may 

 give rise to large cystic tumours. — On malformations of the hip, 

 by M. Lanneiongue. — Influence of vaccinal exanthema on 

 microbial localisations, by M. S. Arloing. — Remarks on 

 communication to M. Hermite, by M. Hugo Gylden. A 

 correction of a previous paper.— Observations of the comets. 

 Perrine (1895, c'), and Perrine-Lamp (1896, a), made with the 

 large equatorial at the Observatory of Bordeaux, by M. L. 

 Picart. — Observations of the sun, made at the Observatory of 

 I^yons, during the last quarter of 1895, t>y M. J. Guillaume. — 

 On asymptotic lines, by M. E. Goursat. — On the determination 

 of the mass of the cubic decimetre of distilled water, free from 

 air, and at its maximum density, by M. J. Mace de Lepinay. As 

 the final result of a series of weighings in water of a quartz cube, 

 the mass of a cubic decimetre of pure water at 4° C. is o'999954 

 kilograms with a possible error of six units in the last figure. — 

 R6le of the different forms of energy in photography through 

 opaque bodies, by M. R. Colson. The actions capable of affect- 

 ing a sensitised plate are classified as mechanical, chemical, 

 thermal, the infra-red rays, and the X-rays. — Electric effects of 

 the Rontgen rays, by M. A. Righi. The X-rays are capable of 

 producing the dispersion of electric charges upon dielectrics. 

 By dusting a mixture of sulphur and red lead, or better, of talc 

 and manganese peroxide over the plate of ebonite, images of 

 interposed objects resembling photographs can be produced. — 

 On some facts relative to the Rontgen rays, by MM. A. Battelli 

 and A. Garbasso. — On some specimens of glass submitted to the 

 action of the X-rays, by M. V, Chabaud. — On the Rontgen 

 rays, by MM. C. Girard and F. Bordas. An experiment 



tending to show that the Rontgen rays proceed from both anode 

 and kathode, and that the fluorescence produced on the 

 walls of the Crookes' tube has only a slight effect 

 upon a sensitive plate. — On the technique of photography by the 

 X-rays, by MM. A. Imbert and H. Bertin-Sans. — Remarks 

 added by M. d'Arsonval on the same. — On the centres of 

 emission of the X-rays, by Prince B. Galitzine and M. de 

 Karnojitzky. — On the direction of the X-rays, by M. A. 

 Buguet. — Photography in colours ; substitution of organic 

 colours for reduced silver in photographic prints, by M. G. A. 

 Richard. — Action of nitrogen peroxide and air upon the chloride 

 of bismuth, by M. V. Thomas. — On the modifications of the 

 grisometer and on the accuracy obtainable with it, by M. J. 

 Coquillion. — On argon in the gas from the swimming bladder ol 

 fishes, by MM. T. Schlcesing, jun., and J. Richard. — Thermo- 

 chemical study of the amides and ammonium salts of some 

 chlorinated acids, by M. P. Rivals. — On the determination ot 

 the acidity of pyroligneous products, by M. Scheurer-Kestner. — 

 On a new series of sulphophosphides, the thiophosphites, by M. 

 Ferrand. — On some derivatives of triphenyl-silico-protane, by 

 M. C. Combes. — On Russian essence of aniseed, by MM. G. 

 Bouchardat and Tardy. This essence contains a large quantity 

 of anethol, together with small quantities of anisic aldehyde, 

 anisic acid, fenchone, and hydrocarbons of the composition 

 C]5H24. — On a case of lumbar spina bifida, by M. V. Menard. 

 — Influence of franklinisation upon menstruation, by M. E. 

 Doumer. — Explanation of the flowers of the Fumariacese from 

 their anatomy, by M. O. Lignier. — On an old schistous 

 synclinal, forming the heart of Mount Blanc, by MM. J. Vallot 

 and L. Duparc. — On the eruptive rocks of the Belledonne chain, 

 by M. Louis Duparc. — On the mode of formation of the 

 auriferous conglomerates, by M. A. Lodin. — Examination of the 

 meteorite that fell at Madrid on February 10, 1896, by M. S. 

 Meunier. The substance of the meteorite appears to be identical 

 with the mineral chantonnite. — On mathematical synthesis, by 

 M. L. Mirinny. — On a point in the kinetic theory of gases, by 

 M. Chapel. — On photography through substances by electric 

 currents, by M. Vaysse. — Remarks by M. Armagnac confirming 

 the preceding. — On a probable cause of the explosion of meteors 

 in the terrestrial atmosphere, by M. E. Hauser. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Physiology of the Excitable Tissues. By Prof. 



F. Gotch, F.R.S 457 



Taxation 458 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Rammelsberg : " Handbuch der Mineralchemie." — 



L- F 459 



Bergen: " Elements of Botany " 460 



Barnes: "Geology" 460 



Chatwood : " The New Photography '' 460 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Dr. Ball's Two Letters on the Ice Age.— Sir Henry H. 



Howorth, K.C.I.E., F.R.S 460 



The Rontgen Rays.— J. William Gifford; Dr. John 



Macintyre; F.J. Reid 460 



The Huxley Memorial.— Prof. G. B. Howes . . . 461 



Natural History Museum. — Bird Gallery. — E. S. . . 461 



The Aurora of March 4. — Prof. Grenville A.J. Cole 461 



Inverted Images.— James Shaw 461 



The Age of the Wealden.— A. C. Seward 462 



The Stress in Magnetised Iron. — L. R. Wilberforce 462 

 Recent Work of the Geological Survey of the 



United States. II. By W. W. W 462 



The Game Fields of the Eastern Transvaal. {Illus- 

 trated.) ByJ. W. G 467 



General J. T. Walker, R.E., C.B., F.R.S. By 



H. H. G.-A 469 



Notes 470 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Variable Star Clusters 474 



The Spots on Saturn • 474 



Computation of the Times of Solar Eclipses and 



Occultations 474 



Pendulum Observations in Germany. By D 475 



Petroleum Lamp Accidents 475 



Forthcoming Scientific Books 476 



University and Educational Intelligence 477 



Scientific Serials 477 



Societies and Academies 478 



NO. 1377, VOL. 53] 



