5i6 



A A TURE 



[September 19, 1895 



ilcserminetl by Or. Auwers from the meridian observations of 

 Bradley and Slayer, and these show in the mean a correction to 

 the helionietrically deduced pro|5er motions of - o'"oo03 and 

 •f o'''0},<) in R.A. and Declination, respectively. This discre- 

 nancy is subsojuently traced to corrections due to the funda- 

 mental catalogues employetl, and the final star places given on 

 pji. 298-9 pjssess an accuracy that will make them of value for 

 many purposes. 



Finally, a comparison is instituted between the proper motion 

 of the group as observed, and the motion that might be ex- 

 pected from the progressive niotii>n of the solar system. The 

 result is not in very satisfactor)' agreement. The ])arallactic 

 displacement of the solar system is 



Aa = -a-oa\b ... AS -o" -020 



Proper motion, .\uwers = -o*"C»44 . . -*-o"oo7 



,, ,, other .sources = -o*"004l ... -o"'032 



The question of absolute parallax enters here, and to this 

 IK.int Dr. Schur promises to return, |x)ssibly in connection with 

 phitcn^raphic researches. W. E. 1". 



UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL 

 INTELLIGENCE. 

 The following appointments have recently been made abroad : 

 — Bale, Dr. K. Metzner, of Freiburg, to the Chair of I'hysiolog)- ; 

 Barcelona, Dr. Gil Saltor Lavali to the Chair of Surgical 

 I'atholog)' ; Breslau, Dr. Jacobi, Professor of Forensic Medicine ; 

 Bonn, Dr. Finkler, Ordinar)- Professor of Hygiene ; Columbian 

 University, Wisconsin, Dr. W. Kecd to the Chair of Bacteriology 

 and Pathologj-, and Dr. M. T. Phillips to that of Hygiene ; 

 (iranada, Dr Kafael Mollci y Rodriguez, of Havana, Professor 

 • if Clinical Surgery; Cienoa, Dr. Canalis, Ordinar)' Professor of 

 Hygiene; Harvard, Dr. H. C. Ernst, Professor of Bacleriolog)' ; 

 New York (Polyclinic) Dr. Wilbur B. Marple Professor of 

 Ophthalmoli^', Dr. W. K. Pryor Professor of Clynrccology, 

 and Dr. W. k. Townscnd, Professor of ()rthopi\;dic Surgery ; 

 Prague (Bohemian I'nivcrsity), Dr. J. V. Rohon Extraordinary 

 Professor of Histology; Tom.sk, Dr. F. Kriiger Extraordinary 

 pMfes.sor of .Medical Chemistry ; Wiirzburg, Dr. K. Rieger 

 Ordinary Professor of P.sychiatry ; Ziirich, Dr. H. von Wyss 

 ICxtraordinar)' Professor of Forensic Medicine. 



Dr. J. H. Hvsi.oi' has been ap|)oinled Professor of Logic and 

 Ethics in Columbia College, New York. Dr. J. Allen (lilbert, 

 of Yale, goes to the University of Iowa as /Vssistant Professor 

 of Psycholt^'. 



According to Science, Dr. Wilhelm Roux, of Innsbruck, has 

 l<een called to the chair of Anatomy in the University of Halle ; 

 Dr. K. Seul)crt, of Tid)ingen. to the chair of Chemistry in the 

 Technical High .School, Hanover, and Dr. Kallius, of Gtittingen, 

 t(j the chair of .Anatomy at Tiibingen. 



Messrs. E. B. Titchenek and J. E. Creh;uton have been 

 made full professors in the Sage School of I'hilosophy in Cornell 

 University. 



pRf)K. Mark W. Harrinoton has accepted the presidency 

 of the University of Wa-shinglon. 



The Alwrdeen To«n Council have agreed to give an annual 

 contribution of £2<x> for the establishment of a department for 

 instruction in agriculture, in connection with the University of 

 .Aberdeen, provided that a similar sum be given by the County 

 Council. 



The prospeclu.s of the Science, Art and Technical .Schools, 

 Plymouth, for the fourth session, 1895 96, has been issued. 

 < •.pies may lie had of the .Secrelar)-. 



We have received a copy of the syllabus of lectures to be 

 'lilivered in the Engineering De|)arlnient of the City of I..ondon 

 '■ llige, M<Kirficlds, iluring the coming se.s.sion. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



Pari^. 



Academy of Sciences, Suplember 9. — M. .Marey in the 



chair — A memoir was prf^ented by M. Wladimir de Nicolaicw, 



'^"''''' " < I' ihc allenipt to show currents of electric 



I on the magnetic induction of iron in the 



-Results of solar ol>sorvati(ms, made at the 



Royal UUxriv.ilory of the Roman College, during the first 



«|U«rtcr of 1895, by M. P. Tacchini. The diminution of 



NO. I 35 I, VOL. 52] 



frequency of spots «as maintained during this <iuarter with a 

 secondar)- minimum in January. Protuberances .showed the .same 

 minimum although the .season was unfavourable for their obser\'a- 

 tion. — On the forces developed by differences of temperature 

 between the two main plates of a beam with continuous trusses, 

 by M. 11. Deslandres. From the experiments made, differences 

 of temperature between the upper and lower plates of a continuous 

 girder cause supplementary ftirces of comj^ression and extension, 

 freipiently reaching in the hot season 2 kg. per millintctre. — 

 Observations on M. Deslandres" note, by M. Sbiurice Levy. An 

 exact demonstration giving the means of deducing the strains in 

 every case. — On a theorem in geometry, by M. Mendelcef. — 

 On nitro-substitutions, by M.M. C. Malignon and Deligny. The 

 conclusions are given : (i) Isomerides of position have always 

 been found to have the same heats of combustii»n within tli< 

 errors of experiment ; one only need he examined from .1 

 number of isomerides. (2) The mean difference in heals of 

 combustion of a compound and its nitro-derivative is 45 Cal. 

 1 Icnce is deduced the equation 



RCH + NO3H lic|. = RCNO.., + IL.O lie). + 367 Cal. 



that is, the exact value found by Berlhelot for the fonnation of 

 nitro-hydrocarbons. — On the explosion of endothermic ga.ses, by 

 M. L. Maquenne. The conditions of prop,igalion of an explosive 

 wave initiated by detonators are gi^■en, and the influence of this 

 explosive character on the industrial applications of acetylene is 

 pointed out. — Influence of the winter 1894-95 "" ^^'^ marine 

 fauna, by M. Pierre Fauvel. — On a gigantic terrestrial tortoise, 

 from a specimen living in Egmont Islands, by .M. Th. Sauzier. 

 Dimensions are given of a specimen of Tcsludo Daiidinii, and 

 compared with the dimensions of other known tortoises and the 

 fossil T. Pcrphitatui. — Results of pakvtmtological excavations 

 in the Upper .Miocene of the " colline de Montredon,'' by M. 

 Ch. Depcrit. — On a superior limit to the mean area affected by 

 an earthquake, by M. F. de Montessus de Ballore. From 

 Japanese observations it is deduced that this higher limit is 1200 

 square kilometres. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLET, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



li.HiKs. — Menial Pliysi.ilogy ; Dr. T. H. Hy-lup (Clu.rchilD.-A Text- 

 Rouk on Applied Mechanics ; Prof. .\, J;iinicsoii, \"oI. r (tiritTrn). — Justus 

 von I.iebi^ ; W. A. Shensionc (C.-rssell)- — The English I^ikcs : Dr. H. R. 

 Mill (Phiirp).— Light : H. P. HiKhron(Rivrngron).— Facts .ibout Processes, 

 Pigments, and Vehicles : A. P Laurie (M.-icmillan). — Ostwald's Kl.issikcr 

 der Kxakten Wisscnsch.iftcn, No 63 to 66 (Leipzig, Engelinann). — Mtiiler. 

 i'oirillet's I.chrbuch der Physik und Meteorologie, new edition, by Ors. 

 Pfaundlcr and Lumnier (Hraunschweig, V'iewcg^. — British Museum (Natural 

 History) Mineral Department: An IntroducTton to the Study of Rocks 

 (London). 



I'AMi'HLET.— The Cost of Warships : Dr. F. Llgtir (Lrstitutton of Naval 

 .\rchitccls). 



Skriai-s. — American Naturalist, September (Philadelphia). — Psycho- 

 logical Review, September (Macmillan).^Slrand Magazine, September 

 (Newncs). — Picture Kfagoxine, September (Ncwnes). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The British Associatioti 489 



Sei'tion C. — Geology — Opening Address by W. 



Whitaker, F.R.S 490 



Seclion D. — Zoologj'. — Opening Address by Prof. 



William A. Herdman, F. R.S. ( IVilh VMipaiii.) 494 

 Seclion G. — .Mech-iiiicil .Science — Opening Address 



by L. F. Vernon-Harcourt 501 



American Association for the Advancement of 



Science. By Dr. Wm. H. Hale 506 



Letters to the Editor:— 



August Meteors. — Red Spot on Jupiter. — W. F. 



Denning . 507 



Curious I )plical Phenomenon. — R.A. F 508 



A Kemarkabk- Flii^ht of Birds.— J. Evershed ... 508 



The Woburn Experimental Fruit Farm . . yi& 



The Revision of the " British Pharmacopoeia" . . 510 



The First Meridian 511 



Notes 511 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



The Spcriruni .if Mars 514 



,\p|i:>raUis li. llliislraU- I )np|iler's Principle 5'5 



The Pracscpe Cluster, liy W. E. P 515 



University and Educational Intelligence 516 



Societies and Academies 5'^ 



Books, Pamphlet, and Serials Received 516 



