NA TURE 



[June 20, 1895 



remarks were criticiseil by Culoncl Swinhoe, who was inclined 

 to confirm this view, and by Mr. Kirby, who referred to the 

 particular species which were found to take part in these so- 

 calle<i '"migrations." — A new Distomtim was described by Mr. 

 G. West, whose obser\'ations were favourably criticised by Mr. 

 W. P. Sladen and Prof. Howes. — On behalf of Mme. van der 

 Bosse, Mr. George Murray communicated a description of a new 

 genus of .\lg.»; (Pseudoioditim), the characters of which were 

 minutely pointed out by means of specially-prepared lantern 

 slides. — \ paper was then read by Mr. .\. Vaughan Jennings 

 on the nature of MMiisispoiigia parasitica, on which critical 

 remarks were made by Prof Rupert Jones and Mr. K. Chap- 

 man. — .\ second [xiiK'r by Mr. X'aughan Jennings contained a 

 description of a new genus of l-oraminifera of the family Astro- 

 rhizidiz, 



P.^RIS. 



Academy of Sciences, June lo. — M. Lcew^ in the chair. — 

 On the Mcudon Physico-.\stronomical Obser\atory, by M. J. 

 Jansscn. \n account of the present state of the Observatory 

 and of the difficulties through which it has pas-sed on account of 

 the reductions made in the State grants and appropriations, 

 tc^ether with some details of the work done since 1S76. — On 

 the necessarily harmonic form of expression, for the displace- 

 ments of each particle in an ocean roller, as a function of the 

 time, by M. J. Boussinesq. — Note on the photographic sur\eys 

 executed in 1894 by the Canadian engineers and the United 

 States Coast and Geodetic .Survey Service for the delimitation of 

 .\laska and British Columbia, by .M. .-V. I-aussedat. This is an I 

 account of the spread of the Canadian method into the United i 

 States Service, and a review of the general adoption of similar I 



S recesses in other countries. — Solar observations made at Lyons I 

 bscr\atory during the first quarter of 1895, by M. J. Guillaume. 

 — On algebraical curves of constant twist and on algebraical 

 minima surfaces inscril>ed in a sphere, by .M. E. Cosscrat. — New 

 theorems in arithmetic, by P. Pepin. — On an explosive system 

 capable of demonstrating the rotation of the terrestrial globe, 

 by .M. Jules Andrade. — S|)ectroscopic study of carbons from the 

 electric furnace, by .M. H. Deslancires. Two carl)on poles used 

 in M. Moissan's electric furnace were examined. Those parts 

 of the carbon removed from the arc showed the usual spectra 

 of impurities, whcrc-as the parts in the arc were free 

 from all impurities except calcium. The growths on the 

 negative pole were of greatest purity, and furni.shed carbon 

 s[)ectra showing wave-lengths (cite<l) much fewer than those 

 recorded for carlion by Hartley and others. The purification of 

 the carUjns by the passage of the current in the arc is due to 

 the volatilisation of the more volatile constituents at the high 

 lem|)eraiure r.btained. — On sen.sitive flames, by M. E. Bouty. — 

 lliysiral |iru])erlies of acetylene ; acetylene hydrate, by M. P. 

 Villard. .\ table of pressures corresponding to certain tempera- 

 tures is given for acetylene, together with a table of dissociatitjn 

 pressures for the hydrate of acetylene. This hydrate resembles 

 the hydrates of nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide, and is rcpre- 

 .scnted as C,Ilr6H,0. Its heat of combination is I5"4 Cal. per 

 molecule, very near to the value, l5'o Cal., obtained for carbon 

 dioxide and nitrous oxide. — Synthetical production of nitro- 

 alcohols, by M, Louis Ilenr)'. — Condensation of aldehydes and 

 siturated ketones, by MM. Ph. Barbierand T^. Bouvcault. The 

 researches detailed apjiear to establish the fact that only ordinary 

 acetone can condense easily with aldehydes ; on the other 

 hand, as the molecular weight of the aldehydes increases, the 

 aptitude for condensation with acetone diminishes, and the 

 principal reaction Ijccomes the condensation of the aldehyde 

 Itself. — On the causes of the colouration and the coagulation of 

 milk by heal, by M.M. P. Cazeneuve and Iladdon. The con- 

 • I • ■•■■ drawn : (I) That the yellowing of milk by heat is 

 ■Ion of lactose in the presence of the alkaline salts 

 ; (2) the oxidation of lactose prmiuces .acids, formic 

 .1 ■ f^, and hence cau.ses coagvd.ation of the milk ; (3) 



li I i-asein is not itself altered, but is merely tinted 



' i'ln prfKlucts of lactose. — Esters of the active 



u . by MNL Ph. .\. (Juye anil Ch. Jordan. — 



' ' ■.,•.! the alkaloids of the l-'umariace-.e and Papa- 



.M. Battandier. — Contribution lo the study of 

 g' ' . by .M. Th. .Schlfcsing. The germination of lupin 



seeds or wheat docs not entail an appreciable loss of nitrogen in 

 Ihc ga.«:ou» slate. — On amylase, by M. Effronl. — The Ceci- 

 domyia of oaU [Cecidoniyia oTfnir, nov. sp. ), by M. Pa\d 

 Marchal.— The epidermal cell of insccls : its iiaraplasm and its 



NO. 1338, VOL. 52] 



nucleus, by M. Joannes, Chalin. — On the relation of the thermal 

 springs of Ncris and Evaux with ancient faults of the Central 

 Plateau, by M. L. de Launay. — On the succession of fauna of 

 the Upper Lias and Lower Hajocien in Poitou, by W. Jules 

 Welsch. — Researches on the modifications of nutrition in jiersons 

 suffering from cancer, byM.\L Simon Duplay andSavoire. The 

 differences observed in amounts of urea and phosphoric acid 

 excreted by cancerous patients, as compared with the normal 

 healthy excretion, are due entirely to defective nutrition, and 

 disappear when a suitable regime is used. These differences 

 cannot be used for purposes of diagnosis. — On the use of 

 chloride of lime and its mode of action against the bite of 

 venomous serpents, by MM, C. Phisalix and Ci. Hertrand. — 

 Storms of five days from May 20 to May 25, 1895, ^^ Bohemia, 

 by M. Ch. V. Zenger. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, SERIALS, &c., RECEIVED. 



Books. — A Chaptt-r on Birds. K.irc British Visitors : Dr. R. B. Sharps 

 (S.P.C.K.).— The iMct.-»nurgy of Iron and Sled. Vol i. The Metallurgy of 

 Iron : T. Turner (Griffin).— The Storj- of the Plants : Grant Allen 

 (Newncs). — England's Treasure by Foreign Trade : T. Mun, 1664 (Mac- 

 millan).— Natural Histor>' of Aquatic Insects: Prof. L. C. Miall (Mac- 

 milian). — Chemistry-, Inorganic .ind Organic : C. 1-. Blo.vam, 8ih edition, 

 rewritten and revised by Thomson and Bloxam (Churchill). — The Great 

 Frozen Land : F. G. Jack.son (M.icmillan). 



Pamphlets.— Report of the Director of the Ol>servalor>' to the Marine 

 Committee. Liverpool Observaiorj*. Bidston, 1S94 (Ltvcrptwl). — Les Varia- 

 tions Piriodiqucs dcs (ilacicrs dcs Alpes, Report, 1S94 : Prof. Forel (Berne), 

 — While Servitude in ihe Colony of Virginia : J. C. Ballagh (Baltimore).— 

 Protection from Lightning: .\. .McAdie (Washington). 



Serials.— Americ.in Naturalist, June (Philadelphia).— Journ.il of the 

 Fr.inklin Institute, June (Philadelphia). — .\bstract of Proceedings of the 

 South London Entomological and Natural Hi>tor\- Society, 1804 (London). 

 — Seismological Journal of Japan. Vol. 4 (Vokohama). — Mathematical 

 Gazette, May (.Macmlllan).— Slimoires dc la Sociit6de Physique et D'His- 

 loirc Naturcile dc Geneve, tome .xxxii. Premiferc Panic (Gcnive). — Kcw 

 Obscrvatorj', Richmond, Report for the Vear 1894 (Harrison).— Bulletin of 

 the Geological Institution of the University of Upsala, Vol. 2, Part i. No. 3 

 (Upsala). — Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, Annual Cata- 

 logue, 1894-95 (Cambridge, Mass.). 



Betts's Chromoscope (Philip). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Atomic Theory and its Author. Hy W. A. T. . 169 



Hydraulic and other Powers. Hy N. J. L 170 



Travels in Tibet. By Dr. Hugh Robert Mill ... J71 



Mind and Body. I'.y Edward T. Dixon 172 



Our Book Shelf:— 



CI odd : " The Stor)' of ' Primitive ' Man" 173 



Williams: " Britain's Naval Power" 173 



" Portraits berlihniter Naturforscher" 173 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Di.scoveryiif .\horii;iiiaI Indian Remains in Jamaica. — 



J. E. buerden' 73 



The .\niii]\iiiv of ihe Medical Profession. — Surgeon- 

 Major VJ'. G. Black 174 



.\ I lislory nf liritish ICartliquakes. — Charles Davison 174 

 Terms of Imprisonment. (//'///; Diagram.) Hy 



Dr. Francis Galton, F".R.S 174 



Professor Franz Neumann 176 



Notes ". 176 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Occiillation of Rc(jiilus iSo 



The Recurrence of Kclipses iSo 



\'arial>ilily of Nehulx 180 



The /i-ka-wei 01»scrvatory 180 



The Royal Society Conversazione 180 



On the Temperature Variation of the Thermal 



Conductivity of Rocks, (ll'il/i Diai^ram). Hy Lord 



Kelvin, P.R.S., .111.1 I. R. Erskine Murray .... 1.S2 



The Relation between the Movements of the Eyes 



and the Movements of the Head. ( /////; /Mapaiii.) 



Hy Prof. A. Crum Brown, F.R.S 184 



University and Educational Intelligence 188 



Scientific Serials 1.S9 



Societies and Academies 189 



Books, Pamphlets, Serials, &c., Received 19- 



