NATURE 



[May 17, 1894 



Entomological Society, May 2. — Captain Henry J. Elwes, 

 President, in ih; chair. — Mr. S. Stevens exhibited a specimen 

 o^ Argynnii aglaia var. charlotla, taken by the late Rev. James 

 Watson in the New Forest in 1S70 — Mr. J A. Clark exhibited 

 a curious variety of Chelonia caj'a, having an extraordiniry 

 wedge-shaped marking extending from the outer margin to the 

 base of the left hind wing, and also, on the same wing, a small 

 spot, which was brown and white in colour, and had the 

 appearance of having been taken from the fore wing and 

 inserted in the hind wing. The specimen was taken at 

 Abbotts Wood, Sussex, in July 1892 — Prof. E. B. Poulton, 

 F.R.S., exhibited living specimens of the larvx of Gaslropacha 

 uuercijolia, surrounded respectively during the early stages of 

 growth by black twigs and lichen-coloured twigs, the food being 

 the same in both cases. All the larva' were shown upon a white 

 paper background, but examples of the surrounding twigs which 

 produced the change of colour were shown beside e.ich batch. 

 Mr. Menifield made some remarks on the subject. — Mr. E. 

 Meyrick communicated a paper entitled "On PyraliJina from 

 the Malay Archipelago." — Sir. C. J. Gahau read a paper 

 entitled" A Supplemental List of the l.ongicorn Coleoptera ob- 

 tained by Mr. J. J. Walker, R.N., duringthe voyage of H. M.S. 

 Penguin." 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, May 7. — On the spectra of oxygen 

 at high temperatures, by M. J. J anssen.^ Researches on the 

 isomeric propylenes and their compounds with sulphuric acid, 

 by M. Berthelot. Trimethylene is rapidly absorbed by pure 

 sulphuric acid forming the normal ethereal salt (CsH-), SO4. 

 On addition of water it separates as a heavy oil which is only 

 very slowly acted on by water and is decomposed by potash 

 slowly in sealed lubes at 100°. Ordinary propylene combines 

 with sulphuric acid in the same way to yield a much less stable 

 derivative. — On Fiabellum anthophyllum from the Gulf of 

 Lyons, by M. de Lacaze-Duthiers. — .\rlicular movements 

 studied by means of photography, by M. Marey. Photographs 

 are taken in successive positions of a bright wire attached to the 

 moving part. The results of a study of human jaw movements 

 a'e given. — Report of M.Darboux on a memoir on the triangle 

 of sequences (presented by M. Desire Andtc). — Azimuth, lati- 

 tude, and longitude, by equal heights without the aid of the 

 chronometer, by M. E. Caspari. The method described is held 

 to have many good characteristics, among which the fact of the 

 same precision being obtained for all latitudes and all zenithal 

 distances is note I. — Experiments on the contraction of liquid 

 jeis and on the distribution of velocities internally: abstractor 

 a memoir by M. Hazin. — Mathematical theory of the Watt indi- 

 cator : abstract of a memoir by M. L. Lecornu. — Observations 

 of the comet Gale, made at Algiers Observatory, by MM. Ram- 

 baud and Sy. M. Tisserand g*ve details concerning a photo- 

 graph of this comet obtained on May 5, at Paris. The photo- 

 graph shows the comet with a tail 4 m length. — Emission of 

 sounds, by M. Henri Gilbaull. —Equality o( the speeds of pro- 

 p.igation of very short electric waves in free space ami in long 

 wire conductors, by M. M. iJufour. The author experimentally 

 demonstrates the extension of M.M. Sirasin and de la Rive's 

 conclusions on the subject to the case of a wave-length of 

 8"5 cm. — Al>sorption spectra of cupric bromide, by M. Paul 

 Sabalier. The spectral absorption of aqueous solutions varies 

 with the concentration ; alcoholic solutions give the same 

 alisorption spectrum as concentrated aqueous solutions, probably 

 the salt here exists in the anhydrous condition. —On the vari- 

 ations of viscosity shown by melted sulphur, by M.M. J. 

 Pirunhes and J. I)ussy. — On the blue lakes obtained fromdibro- 

 mogallanilide and on .some reactions yielding blue products of 

 polyphenols, by M. P. Cazencuvc. — On a new carbon chloride, 

 the dichloride of hexachlorobcnzene, by M. El. liarral. Tne 

 propeities are described of the substance CcCI, obtained from 

 bexachlornphcnol by action of PC1-. — On the aldehyde from 

 cuencc of lemon gr.iss, by MM. Ph. liarbier and L. Houveault. 

 — On the industrial manufacture of products rich in nicotine. 

 by M. Th. Schlocsing. -On the oxidation of beer worts, by M. 

 P. Petit. — kescarches on the chemical transformations of the 

 fundamental sulntance of cartilage during normal ossification, 

 by M. C. Chabric. — On some points in the anatomy of Cryplo- 

 proctus from Ma'laga.scar.by M. H.Eilhol. —The perfume glandi 

 of VivcrriJx, by M. II. llcaurcgard. — The sexual reproduction 

 of Ascomycetes, by M. P. A. Dangtard. — The hcustrine basin 



NO. I 28 I, VOL. 50] 



of Constantine and oligocene formations in Algeria, by M. E. 

 Ficbeur. — Examination of milks by pressure, by MM. R. Leze 

 and E. Hilsont. — On the reclamation, by M. Calmelte, concern- 

 ing the antitoxic blood of animals protected against the poison of 

 seipents, by MM. C. Phisalixand G. liertrand. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Noles on the Venlilalicn and Warming of Houses, &c. *. Prof. 

 E. H. Jacob (S.P.C.K). — Simple Experiments for Science Teaching : J. A. 

 Hower (S.P.C.K.). — Practical Botany for Beginners; Prof. F. U. Bower 

 (Macmiltan) — Alternating Generations; a Biological Study of Oak Galu 

 and Gall 1 lies: Dr H. Adler, tr.'inslated and edited by C. K. Straton 

 (Oxfurd, Clarendon Press).— Lux Natura: ; D. Sinclair (E. Stock).— Mono- 

 graph of the Slalactites and Stalagmites of the Cleaves Cove, near Dairy. 

 Ay^^hire ■ J. Smith (E. Slock).— Fallen .Angels: One of them (Gay and 

 Bird). -The Steam-Engine and other Heat-Engines: Prof. J. A. Kwing 

 (Cambridge, University Press).— Creatures of other Days: Kev. H. N. 

 Hutchinson (Chapman and Hall). — Theorie des Femrohrs auf Grund der 

 Bcugung des Lichis : K. Strehl : i Theil (Leipzig, Barlh). 



Pa.mphlets. — Tertiary Tipulidae : S. H. Scudder — Zweiter Jahres- 

 Bericht des Sonnblick-Vereines fur das Jahr 1S93 (Wien).— Lost British 

 Birds: W. H. Hudson (Society forlhe Protection of Birds).— Tracks for the 

 Times (London). 



Serials. — American Journal of Science, Afay (New Haven). — Bulletins 

 dclaSici6t«i d*.Anthropologie, January (Paris). —Mtimoires de la Social. 

 d'Anthropologie de Paris, tome i (3*^ series), 3*^ fasc. (t'aris).— .\mericaii 

 Meteorological Journal, May (Ginn). — Engineering Magazine, May (New 

 York). — Proceedings of the Chester Society of Natural Science and Litera- 

 ture, No. 4 (Chester). — Memoirs and Proceedings of the Manchester Literary 

 and Philosophical Society, Vol. 8 No. 3 (Manchester). — Psychologic ' 

 Review, Vol. i. No. 3 (SlarmiHan).—Astronomy and Astro-Physics, M.i\ 

 (Wesley).— .Actes de la Socttft«i Scienti6que du Chili, tome 3, 3^ Li. 

 (Santiago). 



CONTENTS. PACK 



Text-book of Cosmical Physics. By W. J. Lockyer 49 

 Alchemy and Chemistry. Bv Prof. Herbert McLeod, 



F.R.S ". 50 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Pratt: " Principia Nova .\stronomica." — W. E. P. . 51 



Oldham: " A Manual of the Geology of India" . . j-' 



Letters to the Editor:— 



The Weight of the Earth. — K.; Prof. A. G. Greenhill, 



F.R.S 52 



The Niagara River as a Geologic Chronometer. — Prof. 



G. K. Gilbert . . . . s( 



The Teeth and Civilisation —Arthur Ebbels . . . . ji 



Johannes Muller and Amphioxus. — J. B 51 



The Scandinavian Ice-Sheet.— Victor Madsen . . 54 

 The Earliest Mention of Dictyophora.— Kumagusu 



Minakata 51 



The Scope of Psycho-physiology. — Prof. C. Lloyd 



Morgan S\ 



The .\urora of February 22.— Dr. M. A. Veeder . . 54 



The Royal Society Selected Candidates 55 



The Arctic Expeditions of 1894. [With a Map). By 



Dr. Hugh Robert Mill 57 



The Crinoidea of Gotland. By G. A. J. C 59 



A Dedicatory Number of the Quarterly Journal of 



Microscopical Science 60 



Notes 60 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



I'lnder-Circles for Equatorials 64 



The 1 larvard Observatory in Peru 64 



The I )iameters of some Minor Planets 65 



Return of Tempel's Comet 6S 



The New Engineering Laboratory at Cambridge . . 65 



Science in the Magazines 6S 



The Science of Vulcanology. By Prof. H. J. Johnston- 



Lavis 66 



University and Educatlonallntelligence . . . . . 68 



Scientific Serials 68 



Societies and Academies 69 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received ^^ 



