144 



NATURE 



[Jim: 6, 1895 



possessed the property of spinning in only one direction ujwn 

 a horizontal surface. — On the formation of cloud in the absence 

 of dust, by Mr. C. T. R. Wilson. The cloud-formation is 

 brought about, as in the experiments of -Aitken and others, by 

 the sudden exjansion of saturated air. .A form of api>aratus is 

 used in which a very sudden and definite increase in volume is 

 produced, and in which the possibility of dust entering from the 

 outside seems to be excluded. If ordinary air is started with, 

 it is found that after a comparatively small number of expan- 

 sions, to remove dusi particles by causing condensation to take 

 place on them, there is no further condensation unless the ex- 

 pansion exceeds a certain definite amount. With exjiansion 

 greater than this critical value condensation invariably takes 

 place, and the critical expansion shows no tendency to rise, how- 

 ever many expansions be made. The latest result for the ratio 

 of the final to the initial volume, when the critical expansion is 

 just reached, is f258 (when initial temperature = 167). This 

 corresponds to a fall of ten>))eralure of 26-' C, and a vapour 

 pressure 4'5 times the saturation pres.sure for a plane surface of 

 water. The radius of a water drop just in equilibrium with 

 this degree of su|iersaturation = 6'5 x 10"* cm., assuming the 

 ordinary value of the surface tension to hold for drops of that 

 size. 



May 27. — Evaluation of an automorphic function, by Mr. 

 H. F. Baker. — On a construction in geometrical optics, by Mr. 

 J. Larmor. — Note on the steady motion of a viscous 

 incompressible ftuitl. by Mr. J. Brill. 



r.vKi^. 



Academy of Sciences, May 27. — M. Cornu in the chair. - 

 On an algebraical prfiblem connected with Fermat's last theorem, 

 by M. de Jonquieres. --.A coniribution to the historj- of (he 

 cerium earths, by M. I'. .Schulzcnl)erger. — (Jn the accumulation 

 in the soil of cupric compounds use<l in the treatment of para- 

 sitic disea-ses in plants, by M. .Ainie Girard. The evidence 

 furnished by the author, in addition to the facts made known 

 by other writers, completely proves that continuous treatment 

 with copper compounds for a long perio<l has no influence 

 either ujwn the quantity or the quality of the crop obtained 

 from the vine or potato. — Dr. Krankland was elected Foreign 

 .As.sociate of the .Academy. — Injection of ethyl alcohol into 

 venous blood, by M. X. drehant. From exjxjriments made on 

 a dog, it is concluded th.tt, after the injection into the blood 

 of a considerable volume of alcohol, the projxirtion of this sub- 

 stance in the blof>d five minutes after the injection and for more 

 than eight hour> afterwarils becomes absolutely constant. - 

 Spectroscopic researches i>n Saturn's rings, by M. II. Deslandres. 

 The rotation of the planet and of its inner and outer rings has 

 liecn measured by the methods used first by the author with the 

 planet Jupiter, and employed by Keeler in his recently pulilished 

 researches on the subject of this pa|)er. The author differs from 

 Kccler in.somuch .ts he does not regard this kind of evidence as a 

 profif of the meteoric nature of the rings. — On the reduction of 

 nitric oxide by iron or zinc in presence of water, by M.M. Paul 

 Saljalier and f. H. Senderens. The reduction of gaseous nitric 

 oxide or nitric oxide disstilved in ferrous sulphate solution results 

 in the prtxluction of nitrous oxide and nitrogen, finally the nitrous 

 oxide is completely reduced also. .A small amount of anniionia is 

 formed, and a consiilerable quantity of hydrogen liberated, when 

 the reaction is )>ermillefl to grj (m for a consitierable time. — On 

 the reduction of silica by aluminium, by M. N'igouroux. Silicim 

 obtained in the cry.italline form by this process is described. — .\ 

 study of some reactions of lead sulphide, by M. .A. Lodin. Mr. 

 fames llannay's conclu.sions concerning the hypothetical com- 

 |iound I'bSjtJ... and the |iart played by it in the metallurgy <if 

 lead, arc controvertetl. It is found that lead sulphide fuses at 

 935', but exerts a consiilerable va|)our pressure at temperatures 

 much lower; hence the explanation of the volatilisation of 

 galena requires no new comp^iuul to \ni sup|>osed to exist. The 

 lr>ng-arlinitted ef|Uations expressing the reactions taking place in 

 the reverlicrator)- furniice are completely verified by the author. — 

 (Jn camijholenic derivatives, by .M. .A. liehal. — On crystallised 

 cinchonicine. by M. Ferdinand I<(X|ues. — Transformation of an 

 aniline salt into an anilidoacid. Pyruvic aciil forms with 

 aniline a conilensation proiluci, CII, . C (NC,II,) . C(JOII. 

 I'hcnylglyoxylir acid, under the same conditions, forms the salt, 

 C,ll, . C'J. CO,M . .MI,. Cnllj. Ondisv.lving this in methyl 

 alcohol, the condensation pro<luct, C^Wt, . (' (NCjII,) . CO,H, 

 separate!) out in the crystalline form in a few minutes in the cold. 

 — On ozolienzcne. by M. Adolphe Kenard. Hy the action of 



NO. 1336, VOL. 52] 



ozone on benzene a white cxjilosive substance is produced having 

 the composition CjIIgOj. — On the fixation of iodine by potato- 

 starch, by M. tiaston Rouvier. — On the elimination of magnesia 

 in the urine of infants suffering from rickets, by M. Oechsner de 

 Coninck. — ( )n the employment of serum from animals immunised 

 against tetanus, by M. L. X'aillard. The antitetaiiic serum is 

 able to confer complete immunity for from two to six w eeks, but 

 if the tetanus has become established, inoculation is not able to 

 prevent progress of the disease. The toxine in tetanus is per- 

 haps the most active of the bacterial poisons, yet the antitoxine 

 of the serum is even more active. — The relation between reliet 

 and the frequency and intensity of earthquakes of any region, 

 by M. de Montessus. — -Atmospheric and seismic perturbations oi 

 the month of M.ay last and their connection with solar 

 phenomena, by M. Ch. \'. Zenger. 



BOOKS AND SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — On certain i*l»t.'noiiit--na belonging to iIk- Clo>t; of tli;; lasi Geo- 

 logical Period and on their Bearing upon the Tradition of the Flood : Dr. J.. 

 Pre-itwich (Macmillan). — Fallacies of Race Theories as applied to National 

 Characteristics: W. D. Babington (Longmans), — A Junior Course of 

 Practical Zoology : Prof. A. M. Marshall and Dr. C. H.'Hur>i, 4th edition 

 (Smith. Elder). — Handbuch fur Botanische Bestimmungsubungen : Dr. F* 

 Niedenzu (Leipzig, Engelmann). — Cours FIrfmeniaire dElectricit^ : M. B. 

 Brunhes (Paris, (iauthicr-V'ilKirs). — Vcrlagskatalog von W'ilhclm Engelmann 

 in Leipzig bis ende des Jahres 1894 (Leipzig, Engelmann). — The Time 

 Machine : H. G. Wdls (Heincmaim). — A Text-Book of Physiology : Dr. 

 NL Foster, 6th edition. Part 2. comprising Hook -2 (Macmillan).— The Lum- 

 leian 1-eciures on certain Points in the .'Etiology of Discx^e, and the 

 Harveian Oration : Dr. P. H. Pyc-.Smith (Churchill). — Meteorological 

 Charts of the Red Sea (Eyre and .Spottiswoode). 



Serials. — Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Vol. xx. 

 pp. ^05-384 (F^dinburgh).— National Review, June(Arnold). — Humanitarian^ 

 June (Hutchinson). — Natural Science, June TRait). — Conicinporary Re\ iew, 

 June (Kl)istcr). — Scribner's Magazine, lunc(Low). — Zcitschrifi fiir Physikal* 

 ischc Chemie, .vvii. Band, i Heft (Leipzig.Engelm.inn). — Fonnigbily Review. 

 June (Chapman). — North American Fauna, No. S (Washington). — Proceed- 

 ings of the American Philosophical Society , May i8g3(Philadclphia). — Ditto, 

 July to December, 1894 (Philadelphia).— Proceedings of the .Vcadeiny of 

 S'atural Sciences of Phil.idelphia, 1894, Part 3 (Philadelphia). — Bulletin 

 from the Laboratories of Natural Historj- of the State Univei-sity of Iowa, 

 Vol. 3, No. 3 (Iowa). — Geographical Journal, June (Stanford). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The "Challenger" Expedition and the Future of 



Oceanography. Kv Dr. Anton Dohrn 121 



Our Book Shelf:— 



TegelnKier and .Sutherland : " Horses, .A.sses, Zebras, 



.Mules, and Mule Breeding." -W. F. G 126 



F.lger : "The Moon" 127 



.Senior: ".Algebra" 127 



Letters to the Editor : — 



.Vrgon and Dissociation.- Prof. Penry Vaughan 



Sevan : Lord Rayleigh. F.R.S 127 



Terrestrial Helium (?). Prof. C. Runge 12S 



The Origin <if the Cultivated Cineraria. — W. T. 

 Thiselton-Dyer, C.M.G., F.R.S. : Prof. W. 



F, R. Weldon, F.R.S 12S 



Some Hililiological DiM-overies in Terrestrial .Mag- 

 netism. Captain Ettrick W. Creak, F.R.S. . . 129 

 Kffects of l!arlhquake in .Sumatra. (With Diai^raiiis.) 



— Th. Delprat 129 



Inslinillmpulse. Henry Rutgers Marshall ; The 



Writer of the Notej 130 



Recent Excavations at the Pyramids of Dahshiir. 



{///usirahd.) I.il 



Notes I i,; 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Ihc Moli'Mi of the Solar Sy.stem ij5 



The Rotation of Mars 13S 



The Sun"s Stellar .M.ignilude IJS 



The Greenwich Observatory Ij6 



The Field Columbian Museum, {/lliislratcd.) ... 137 

 Prize Subjects of the French Soci^tc d'fincourage- 



mcnt I ;S 



Recent Glacial Studies in Greenland, liy H. B. W. 139 



University and Educational Intelligence 140 



Scientific Serials I4> 



Societies and Academies 141 



Books and Serials Received I44 



