jSS 



NA TURE 



[July i8, 1S95 



solutions. — On diphenylanthrone, by MM. A. Mailer and A. 

 Guyol. The researches detailed prove that the substance CojIIijO 



is diphenylanthrone, CjH,^'''^^'^ ^CjH^. From this 



established constitution, the phthalvl tetrachloride melting at 



Sy C. must have the dissymmetrical formula, CjHX (-.qq. — .\ 



new lymphatic gland in the European scorpion, by M. .\. 

 Kowalewsky. The gland described has already been made 

 known by J. Muller, who, in 182S, termed it a s;>livary gland. 

 — On the laws of friction in sliding, by M. I'aul Pain- 

 leve. The conclusion is deduced, from the singularities 

 developed in the paper, that the empirical laws of friction 

 are logically inadmissible (even for ordinary pressures 

 and velocities) so soon as the friction becomes at all noticeable. 

 — On the mirage effects and differences of density observed in 

 Xatterer's tubes, by M. P. \illard. — On explosive statical and 

 d}'namical potentials, by M. R. Swyngedauw. — On direct 1 

 speclroscopical analysis of minerals and of some fused salts, by ' 

 M. A. de Gramont. — Determinations of the solubility, at very . 

 low tenifieratures, of some organic compounds in carbon ' 

 disulphide, by M. Arctowski. Ktard found the solubility of 

 substances to be represented for other solvents than water by 

 cur^■es practically of hyperbolic form of which the branches 

 respectively directed themselves towards the jxiints of fusion of 

 the solvent and of the dissolved substance ; he even ailmitted 

 that the solubility would be zero at the point of congelation of the 

 solvent, and infinite at the point of fusion or ebullition of the 

 dissolved substance. The author finds, with carbon disulphide, 

 that the point of fusion of the solvent appears not to be an 

 essential point on the curve ol solubilities ; and it is 

 otherwise known that the property of dissolving is not an 

 exclusive property of the liquid state of matter. — On some 

 oxidising properties of ozonised oxygen and of oxygen in 

 sunlight, by M. .\. Besson. — .Action of nitric oxide on some 

 metallic chlorides : ferrous, bismuth, and aluminium chlorides, 

 by M. V. Thomas. A fine red ferrous compound has been 

 obtained of the formula 5Ke.jCI4.NO. By decomposition of this, 

 ot by suitably healing anhydrous Ke-jCU in a current of nitric | 

 oxide, yellowish l)rown KeoCI4.NO is obtained. A fine yellow , 

 bismuth compound and a pale yellow aluminium com|Kiund have 

 also been obtained. They are very hygroscopic substances, and 

 have the composition Bids- NO and .VlXIfi.NO respectively. — 

 .Action of halogens on methyl alcohol, by .M. .A. Brochet. — -On 

 a physical theory of the perception of colours, by M. (leorges 

 Darzens. — On the presence and the roU of starch in the em- 

 bryonic sac of Cacti and Mesembryanthema, by M. K. d'lluberl. 

 The obser\ations favour the view that starch serves to preserve 

 the embryonic sac in these plants in that state w hich characterises 

 the ripe and readily fertilised sac. — On the tectonic characters of 

 the north-west part of the Al|jes-Maritimes department, by M. 

 Leon Bertrand. — .An inferior maxillary human bone found in a 

 grotto in the Pyrenees, by MM. Louis Koule and Kelix Kegn.iult. 

 Krom the characters of the bone described and other similar 

 remains it is concluded that : In the lime of the great Cave-bears, 

 France was inhabited by a human race of normal height with a 

 flat and powerful lower jaw . 



New SotTii Wales. 



Linnean Society, May 29. — Mr. P. N. Trebeck in the 

 chair. — Oological notes (continued), \rj A. J. North. — Note on 

 the correct habitat of Patella (SctiUllasIra) kerniadeieiisis, 

 Pilsbry, by T. K. Chccseman. — On two new genera anri species 

 of fishes from Australia, by J. Douglas Ogilby. — Descriptions of 

 new species of Australian Coleoptera, Part 11., by .Arthur .M. 

 I,ea. This paper comprises descriptions of over one hundred 

 .species, for the most part referable to the families Afalato- 

 atrmuitt, Mordellidit, Aiilhiddii, and Corylopliid,,-. — Life- 

 histories of Australian Coleoptera, Part III., by \V. W. K'rog- 

 '■ ription of a giant Ataiia from the Hrimswick River, 

 Wales, by j. II. .Maiden. This .Acacia was col- 

 1^ Mr. W. Bauerlen on Tergoggin .Mountain and on 



Mullumbimby Creek, Brunswick River, N..S.\V. As far as 

 known, it is confinc<l to brushes, as <lislinguished from open 

 forc?t. It attains a height of 120 fee*, and a diameter of 5 feci ; 

 it is therefore one fif the largest of the genus. Its closest affinity 

 is with A. I'iiicnala, from which it differs in the structure of the 

 flowers, seeds, and |kk1, and in other less iniiM)rlanl particulars. 

 The inflorescence is in loose, elongated |>anicles or racemes, 

 with peduncles in clusters. The flowers are few — never more 



NO. 1342, VOL 52] 



than twenty — with villous petals and sepals, which are spalhu- 

 lale and tetranierous. The pod is nearly six lines broail, thin 

 and straight. The author proposes the name of Aiacia Balcri 

 ior the species, in honour of his colleague. Mr. R. T. Baker. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Hooks.— Open-.-\ir Studies : Prof. G. .\. Cole (Griffin).— A Garden of 

 Pleasure (K. Stock).— Ur. Schlich's Manual of Forestry, Vol. 4 (Bradbur>-). 

 —The Alps from End to End : Sir W. M. Conway (Constable). — Nature 

 vrr.fus Natural Selection : C. C. Coc (Sonncnschcin). — Microbes and 

 Disease Demons : C. Herdoe (Sonnenschein).— The Climates of the Geo- 

 logical Past : E. Dubois (Sonncnschcin). — Ph>-sikalisch-Chemische Propae- 

 dcntik Krsic Halfte : Prof. H. Griesbach "(Leipzig, En gel m an n).— Die 

 Phj-siolocie der Gcruchs : Dr. A. Zwaardemaker (Engclmann). — Experi- 

 mental Plant Physiolog>- : D. T. Macdougal (Holt and Co., New York). 



Pamphlets.— Static and Dynamic Sociology: L. F. Ward (Boston, 

 Ginn and Co.). — On Kaloxylon Hookcri and Lyginodendron Oldhamium : 

 T. Hick. — On the Structure of the Leaves of Calamites (Manchester). — Re- 

 port of the Trustees of the South African Museum for 1S94 (Cape Town). — 

 Returns of Agricultural Statistics of British India, &c., 1893-4 (Calcutt.i). — 

 Studies on the Dissemination and Leaf Reflexion of Yucca Aloifolia : H. 

 J. Webber (Missouri Hot.-inic G.irden). — On the Osteology" of Agriochreus: 

 ), L. Woriman (New York). — Fossil Mammals of the Uinta Basin Expedi- 

 tion of 1894 : H. F. Osborn (New York). 



Sekials.— Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, June (Stanford).^- 

 Record of Technical and Sccondarj- Education, July (Macmillan and Co.). 

 — .\merican Journal of Science, July (New Haven).— Psychological Review, 

 July (Macmillan and Co.). — Engineering ^L1gaz^nc, July (Tucker). — 

 Medical Magazine, July. — Natural History of Plants, Part 14 (Blackie). — 

 Tokyo Sugaku — Butsurigakaukwal Kizi ^laki. No. vi. Dai 1 and 2 (Syup- 

 pan).— Journal of the Franklin Institute, July (Philadelphia).— Bullctm of 

 the American Mathematical Society, June (Macmillan and Co., New 

 York), — Bulletin of the Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 

 Analysis of Oils, Fats, and Waxes. I'.y L. Arch- 

 butt 265 



Traces of a Deluge 266 



An Eclectic History of Science 267 



Microscopic Study of Rocks. Hy G. T. P 267 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Wright : " Garden Flower.s and I'lanls : a Primer for 



Amateurs" 268 



Wells: " The Time Machine " 268 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Teaihing I'niversity fi)r London.— Right Hon. 



Sir John Lubbock, Bart., F.R.S 268 



The Density of Mollen Rock.— Prof. Oliver J. 



Lodge, F.R.S 269 



The Karlicst Magnetic Meridians. — Dr. L. A. Bauer 269 

 Curious Habit of the SpoltL'd Flycatclur.— Rev. W. 



Clement Ley 269 



A lirillianl Meteor.— Charles B. Butler 269 



Newton and Huygens. {IVs'lA Diai^am). — A. Huet 269 



The International Catalogue of Scientific Papers . 270 



Science Scholarships at Cambridge 271 



Scale Lines on the Logarithmic Chart. {Il't/li 



Diajciam.) »y C. V. Boys, F.R.S 272 



Notes 274 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



The New Madras Observatory 277 



Star Catalogues 278 



The Place of Argon among the Elements 278 



Pocket Gophers of the United States 778 



Colour Photography 279 



The Slate Mines of Merionethshire 279 



The Relation of Biology to Geological Investiga- 

 tion. II. ( ;(■;//; /V.i.^T.iw.) Hy Charles A. White 279 



University and Educational Intelligence 2S4 



Scientific Serials 2S4 



Societies and Academies 2S5 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 2S8 



