550 



NATURE 



[April 9, 1896 



pamphlet should be translated for the use of corresponding 

 English associations. Why should not she undertake the 

 task, if she has the leisure?— Prof. A. S. Chessin gives an 

 abstract of Painlev^'s Le9ons sur I'integration des equations 

 differentielles de la Mecanique et Applications, and of his 

 Le9ons sur le Frottement.— The other articles are a geometric 

 proof of a fundamental theorem concerning unicursal curves, by 

 Prof. Osgood ; Notes on the expression for a velocity-potential 

 in terms of functions of Laplace and Bessel, by Prof. J. 

 McMahon, and an additional note on divergent series by Prof. 

 A. S. Chessin.— In the Notes we are told that the German 

 Mathematical Society, at its meeting held at Liibeck, in Sep- 

 tember last, decided to combine in one volume the official reports 

 of the Vienna and Liibeck meetings.— A list of papers, in 

 addition to that given in vol. i. of the Bulletin, completes the 

 tale of papers read at the Vienna meeting (1894), and the titles 

 and names of authors for the Liibeck meeting are also given 

 here. 



American Meteorological Journal, March.— The diurnal 

 oscillation of atmospheric pressure at the Peruvian stations of 

 Harvard College Observatory, by Prof. S. I. Bailey. (A note 

 upon this paper will be found in our issue of March 26, p. 493). 

 — Cyclones and anticyclones, by Prof. H. A. Hazen. The 

 author gives an epitome of the theories and researches of the 

 principal investigators, and makes a special appeal for further 

 atmospheric exploration. He considers that the most promising 

 line of research is in connection with the observation of atmo- 

 spheric electricity, and some useful hints are given with reference 

 to the most promising means of increasing our knowledge by 

 observations on high mountains and balloons, either manned or 

 carrying recording instruments only. 



Himmel und Erde, March. — This number contains many 

 attractive contributions. — Herr Paul Spies writes on the Rontgen 

 X-rays, this article being the sum and substance of a lecture 

 delivered by him in the Urania at Berlin. Johann Christian 

 Doppler and the "principle" connected with his name is the 

 subject treated of by Dr. Julius Scheiner. That which is 

 generally known about Doppler's life has been drawn from the 

 biographical notice contained in the almanack of the Kaiserl. 

 Akademie der Wissenschaft in Wien, which was written by the, 

 then, general Secretary of the Academy, Prof. Strotter. With 

 the help of Prof. Safarik, Dr. Scheiner is here able to increase 

 our information on many points of interest, by publishing for 

 the first time some characteristic notes gathered from Prof. 

 •Koristka, of the German Polytechnic in Prague. — The Mittei- 

 lungen contain several astronomical notes. A reference, with 

 an illustration, is made to the Fabricius monument which was 

 erected at Osteel last November. This monument consists of 

 the goddess of astronomy in a sitting position, and looking 

 towards the sky, holding in her right hand a small telescope, 

 and supporting with her left a tablet on which in relief is seen 

 the solar disc with some spots on his surface. The time of 

 rotation of Jupiter and the cosmical origin of meteors form sub- 

 jects for the next two notes, the latter referring more especially 

 to Niessl's investigation, which appeared in the Denkschriften 

 der Wiener Akademie. Two other notes refer to the "Inter- 

 nationale Erdmessung " and to the possible inconstancy of the 

 length of a day, this latter having been raised by Prof. Deich- 

 miiller, who considers that very small secular variations may be 

 present, although they have not as yet been detected. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 London. 



Royal Society, March 19. — "On the Spinal-root Connec- 

 tions and Ganglion-cell Connections of the Nerve-fibres which 

 produce Contraction of the Spleen." By Prof. E. A. Schafer, 

 F.R.S., and B. Moore. 



We have investigated, in four dogs, the effects upon the 

 spleen volume of excitation of the thoracic and lumbar nerve- 

 . roots. 



The following are the results which we have obtained from 

 excitation of the nerve-roots from the second postcervical to the 

 fifteenth postcervical inclusive. In none of the four experiments 

 did excitation of the second postcervical (second dorsal) pair 

 produce any contraction of the spleen. In none of the four 

 experiments did excitation of the fifteenth postcervical pair 

 produce any contraction of the spleen. In three out of the 



NO. 1380, VOL. 53] 



four experiments a distinct cimtraction of the spleen was got on 

 stimulation of all the roots on both sides from the third post- 

 cervical to the fourteenth postcervical inclusive. This effect 

 was relatively smaller on stimulation of the third and fourth 

 postcervical nerves and of the eleventh to the fourteenth post- 

 cervical than on stimulation of the intermediate pairs, the most 

 marked effects being obtained from the sixth, seventh, and 

 eighth pairs. In all cases the effect was got, as already stated, 

 from the nerve-roots of both sides, but with each nerve pair it 

 comes out as an almost constant occurrence that a decidedly less 

 marked effect is obtained with the same strength of stimulus 

 upon the right side than upon the left. 



We have found that after intravenous injection of small doses 

 of nicotine, the effect upon the spleen of stimulating the nerve- 

 roots may entirely disappear, while stimulation of the splanchnics 

 is still quite eff"ective. We infer, therefore, that the nerve-fibres 

 which produce contraction of the spleen have a cell station in 

 the prevertebral chain of ganglia. 



" Problems in Electric Convection." By G. F. C. Searle. 



The paper contains an investigation into the distribution of 

 electric and magnetic forces which are called into play when 

 some electro-magnetic systems are made to move with uniform 

 velocity through the ether. Maxwell's theory is employed in 

 obtaining the fundamental equations, and it is found that though 

 the electric and magnetic forces, E and H, have generally no 

 potential, still they can be derived from two functions "V and n ; 

 the differential equations satisfied by these functions are obtained, 

 and are employed to obtain the solutions for various cases and 

 conditions. 



Zoological Society, March 17.— Prof. G. B. Howes in the 

 chair. — Mr. Sclater called the attention of the meeting to the 

 prospectus of the great work of the German Zoological Society, 

 to be called "Das Tierreich," spoken of at the last meeting, 

 and gave some particulars as to the mode in which the plan was 

 intended to be carried out. Mr. Sclater also called attention to 

 the appointment of a Committee on Zoological Nomenclature at 

 the International Zoological Congress held at Leyden last year.— 

 A communication was read from Lieut. -Colonel C. T. Bingham, 

 containing a contribution to the knowledge of the hymenopterous 

 fauna of Ceylon. — A communication was read from Mr. Edward 

 T. Browne, on British Hydroids and Medusae. Mr. A. Smith 

 Woodward read a paper on some extinct fishes of the Teleostean 

 family GonorhynchidiE. 



Entomological Society, March 18. — Prof. Raphael 

 Meldola, F.R.S., President, in the chair.— Mr. C. G. Barrett 

 exhibited a series of drawings of varieties of British Lepidoptera 

 in the collection of Mr. S. J. Capper, of Huyton Park, Liver- 

 pool. The drawings, which were beautifully executed, were by 

 Mr. S. L. Mosley, of Huddersfield, and comprised 389 figures, 

 representing 139 species, of which 33 were butterflies and 50 

 moths. — Mr. J. J. Walker, R.N., exhibited a specimen of 

 Procas annillatus, taken on Durland Hill, near Chatham, 

 during the present month.— Herr Jacoby exhibited a specimen of 

 Loxoprosopus ceramhoides , Guer. , from Brazil. — Mr. E. E. Green 

 exhibited the eggs of some species of Locustidaj extracted from 

 the stem of a young cinchona tree at Punduloya, Ceylon. He 

 said the species of the parent insect was undetermined ; it was 

 possibly either a Cymatoniera or a Cyrtophyllus, both of which 

 possess large sabre-shaped ovipositors. A slit half inch deep 

 and more than two inches long had been cut into the hard wood, 

 in which the eggs had been symmetrically deposited, edge to 

 edge, with the coloured part inwards. The greater part of each 

 egg was of fine texture, and coloured green ; but at the extremity 

 from which the young insect would make its exit the egg-shell was 

 soft, pliant, and beautifully reticulated. Mr. McLachlan and Dr. 

 Sharp, F.R.S., made some remarks on the subject. — Mr. Green 

 read a short paper entitled " Notes on DyscritincL longisetosa, 

 Westw." He remarked that drawings of the species had been 

 exhibited by him at a recent meeting of the Society. Dr. Sharp 

 said Mr. Green seemed to think that the insect was an earwig, 

 but he could not accept it as belonging to the Forficulida;. He 

 thought that further specimens for examination were required 

 before attempting to determine its position, which was quite 

 doubtful at present.— Mr. W. F. H. Blandford communicated a 

 paper entitled " Descriptions of New Oriental Scolytidce." 



Linnean Society, March 19.— Mr. C. B. Clarke, F.R.S., 

 President, in the chair. — Mr. Clement Reid exhibited fruits of 

 Naias marina from a peaty deposit below mean-tide level in the 

 new docks at Barry, South Wales. In Britain it had only been 

 found living at a single locality in Norfolk, but in a fossil con- 



