96 



NATURE 



[May 24, 1894 



stigma, which is p.ipillo?e, grows out, and a bee visiting a flower 

 is struck hy the stigma, when the papilU-e being glutinous receive 

 the pollen. The auihor also noted some experiments and 

 ohservations nn the action of the sensitive column. — Note on 

 Runcwall {Bltchnum serru'alum. Rich.), an aboriginal food, 

 by Tbos L. Bancr)fi. The rhizome of this fern foimed, with 

 the nuts of the Bunya Bunya (.-//•uHfar/a Ijiil-.villi), ihe most 

 important food of the aborigines of Southern Queensland. — On 

 the nests and habits of Australian Vesfidii, by Walter \V. 

 Frocgalt. — Description of Calliostoma purfuno cinc'iiiii, a new 

 Austialian marine shell, by C. Iledley. A small Trochoid, 

 ornamented with beaded sculpture, and coloured orange with a 

 spiral lilac band, was added to the local fauna under the above 

 title. — Note on the habitat of the Naked-eyed Cockatoo {Cacalua 

 g}mnopis,Sc\3\ej), hy Alfred J. North. Living specimens caught 

 near Burketown in North Queensland, now on view in Sydney, 

 bav^ been examined ; and there are specimens in the Macleay 

 Museum from the Gulf of Carpentaria and from Port Uarwin, 

 and in the Australian Museum from Cambridge Gulf. The 

 note of inierrogation in the record of the habiint for this species 

 given in the British Museum Catalogue of Psittaci ["South 

 Au'tialia (and also Northern and North-west Australia?")] may 

 therefore be dropped. — Oological notes, by Alfred J. North, 

 (l) Plilotis analuga ; {2) Lamprococcyx ;«<j/flyij««f.— Observa- 

 tions upon the anatomy of the "dumbbell-shaped bone" in 

 Ornithorhynchus, with a new view of its homology, by Prof. 

 I.T.Wilson. The " dumb-bellshaped " bone is not confined 

 to the palatine region, but both dorsally and posteriorly it is in 

 intimate relation to the nasal septum. From the dorsal part of 

 its hinder extremity it sends backwards a distinct vomerine spur, 

 about 3 mm. in length, which is bifuica'ed posteriorly and 

 grooved along its dorsal border, forming a splint for the ventral 

 edge of the cartilaginous nasal septum. The tips of this bifid 

 spur are connected with those of the anteriorly bifid end of the 

 true vomer by means of a strong " vomerine ligament," varying 

 in length from about 2 mm. downwards. In coronal sections 

 this ligament is seen to possess the same sectional shape as the 

 vomerine spurs, and to be structurally and morphologically con- 

 tinuous with the bone at either end. The vomeiine spur lies 

 quite dorsal to the palatine plate formed by the maxilla?, and it 

 extends backwards to a plane from 2-3 mm. behind the tip of 

 the anterior median process of the latter, from which it is 

 separated by an interval. This interval forms a wide passage 

 of communication (i mm. vertically), below the nasal septum, 

 between the nasal cavities of opposite sides, and it is lined by 

 columnar epithelium like the neighbouring parts of these cavities. 

 The "dumb-bell-shaped bone is a tiue "anterior vomer" 

 formed by the fusion of bilaterally symmetrical halves ; and 

 both in its nasal and in its palatine relations it resembles the 

 palatine lobe of the vomer in Caiman tiigir. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



London. 

 THURSDAY, Wi^y ^t. 



RoVAL SociBTV, al 4 30.— On the Dynamical Theory of Incompressible 

 \ licoui Fluids, and the relermination of ihe Crileri"n ; Prof. O. Rey- 

 nnlils, F.R.S.— Measurements of ihe Absoliile Specific Resistance of Pure 

 Electrolytic Copper; J. W. Swan and J. Rhodin-Oii some Voltaic 

 l.'omliinalion< with .i Fused Electrolyte anda Gaseou> Deimlariscr : J. W. 

 Sujn— On certain Functions connected wiih Tes>er.-il H:irinonics, with 

 Apfli'^aiions ; Prof. A. H. Leahy— On the Measurement ol the Mai-nelic 

 Pi.jicrtiesof Iron: Prof. T. Gray.— Researches on the Electrical Proper- 

 CKs .( Pure Suhslantes — No- I the Electrical Pnperties of Pure 

 Si.iphiir: Prof. Threlfall, J. H. D Urearley, and J. I). Allea.- Onihe 

 Infldcnce o( certain Natural Agents on the Virulence of the Tubercle 

 llaflllus: Dr. A. Ransome, F R S.. and Dr. DeKpine. 



RnvAL IssTiTOTloN, at 3.— Egyptian Decorative Art: Prof. W. M. 

 Fi nders Petrie. , r- r i?i _i 



iNsTiTutiriN or Electrical Enginrkrs, at 8.— The Cost of Electrical 

 Energy : R. E. Cromplon. (Continuation of Discussion.) 

 FRIDA I', May 25. 



RoTAL ImTlTUTION, at 9.— The De»elopment of the Ailroooinical Tele- 

 scopes; Sir Howard Grubb, F.K-S. 



PiiTMCAl. Soci«Tv, at 5.— On ihc Passage of Hydrogen through Pal- 

 ladium ; Prof. W. Ramsay, F R.S. 



SATURDAY, Mav 36. 



CloLOGlsTs' Associatiom. — Excursion to Luton, CaddinKton. and Dun- 

 stable. Uireclori: Mr. John Hopkinson and Mr. Worlhinglon C. 

 Smith. 



RovAL Botanic Socibtv, at 3.45- 



MOSDAV, May a8. 



RoTAt- GBOCRArillCAL SociKTV. at a. 30. — Anniversary Meeting. 

 TUESDAY, Mavj!). 



RnvAL iMSTlTtrriOH, >l 3.— The Sfodem Microscope: Rev. \V. H. 

 Ilallingtr. F.R.S. 



Institution or Civil Encinkriis. at 8. — Anotial General Meeting. 



SociHTr or Auts, at 8.- Black and While in Africkanderland .^W. A. 



Wilb. 



NO. 1282, VOL. 50] 



WEDSESDAY. May 30. 



Hritish .Astronomical .\ssociation (University College), at 5. 

 THUKSDAY. May jt. 



Royal Society, at 4 30 —The f"llo>ving Papers will />ro/*aW^ be read;— 

 Propagation of Maj^nctisation of Iron a< affected by the ElecricC'irrent* 

 in the Iron : Dr. J. Hopkins <n, F.R.S. , and E. Wilson —On thelElrctri- 

 fication of Air ; Lord Kelvin, P.R.S, and Magnus Maclean.— Note on 

 the Possibility of obtaining a Unidirectional Current to Earth from the 

 Ntains of an .Mternsting Current System; P. Cardew.— The Effect of 

 Mechaniral Stress and of Magnetisation on the Physical Properties of 

 Alloys of Iron and Nickel and of Mang.tnese Steel; H. Tomlinson, 

 FRS. — Trie Root of Lvgino !endr.in Oldhamia (Williamson): W. C. 

 Williamson. I'.R S., and D H. Scott. 



RovAi. l\sriTUTic.v, al 3. — Egypti.in Decorative -Art: Prof Flinders 

 Petrie. 



Camera Club, at 8.30.— Twenty Thousand Feet over the Sea: Mr. Edward 

 Whyniper. 



FRIDAY. JtNE t 



Royal Institution, at g. — The Work ol Hertz: Prof. Oliver Lodge. 

 F.R.S. 



Geologists' Association (Universitv Colleee), at 8. 

 SATURDAY, June 2. 



Geologists' Association. — Excursion to Finchley and Whetstone Park 

 Director: Dr. H. Hick.s, F.R.S. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Twelve Charts of the Tidal Streams on the West Coast of Scot* 

 land : F. H. Colliiis(Potler).—Thr Tidal Streams of the Isle of Wight: F. 

 H. Collins (Potter)- — 'the Starry Skies : A. Giherne (^eelev). — This Great. 

 Globe; A. Seelcy (Seeley). — Year-Hook of the Scientific and Learned' 

 Societies of Great Britain and Ireland, nth Annual Issue (Griffin). — The* 

 Metallurgy of Gold : T. K. Kose (Giiffin). — Materia Medica, Pharmacology,, 

 and 1 herapeutics. Inor>:anic Substances ; Dr. C. D. F. Phillips, znd edt> 

 lion (Churchill). — Journal of ihe Iron and Steel Institute. Vol. xliv. (Spon). ■■ 

 Manual of PraclicBl Logarithms; W. N. Wilson (Rivington). — Die An- 

 f.iiige dcr Kunst ; Dr. E. Grosse (Ficibiirg i. B., .Mohr). — Flora dcr Nonl' 

 westdcutschcn Tiefebene : Piof. Dr. F. Buchcnaii (Leipzig, Engelinann\— 

 The Lowell Lectures on the .*\scent of Man : Henry Drummond (Hodder)i 

 — Royal University of Ireland. Examination Papers, 1S93 (Dublill, 

 Ihoiii). 



Pami'Hlets. — Botanical Charts and Defioitions; A. E. Brooke and A. 

 C. Brooke (Philip). — The Ethnography of Inishbofin and Inishshark, co. 

 Gal«ay : Dr. C. B. Browne (Dublin) — Scientific 1 axiderniy for Museums : 

 Dr. R. W. Shufeldt (Washington) —Kew Observ.atory Report, i89j(H.irri- 

 .son). — A Su-'imary of Progress in Mineralogy and Petro_;;raphy in 1893 ; W. 

 S. Bayley (Waierville, Me.). 



Serials. — Materials for a Floraof ihe Malayan Peninsula : Dr. G. King,. 

 No. 6 (Calcutta). — Journal of the Franklin Institute, May (Ptiiladetphia) — 

 American Naturalist, May (Philadelphia). — Journal of the Chemical 

 Society, May (Guroey and Jackson). — Journal of the Polynesian Society,' 

 Vol. 3. .Vo. I (Wellington. N.Z ) — Journ.il of ihe Institution of Electricali 

 Kngincers, No. 3, Vol. xxiii. (Spon). — Vcroffenllichungcn aus dcm KOotg-j 

 lichen Museum fiir Viilkerkundc, iii. Band, 3/4 Heft (Berlin, Speiiiann). 



CONTENTS. PACK 



Practical Paper Making 73 



The Theory of Optical Instruments. By/:' ... 74 



Chemistry applied to Agriculture. By E. K. . . 75 



Latitude by Ex-Meiidian Altitude 76 



Perfumery 7* 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Dodge : " Introduction to Elementary Practical 



Biology " 77 



Jacob: "Notes on the Ventilation and Warming of 



Mouses, Chuiches, Schools, and other Buildings" . 78 

 Letters to the Editor: — 



Uotaiing Shafts. —Charles Chree ; Dr. J. Hopkin- 

 son, F.R.S 7* 



The North Sea Ice Sheet.— Sir Henry H. Howorth, 



K.C.I.E., M.P., F.R.S 7? 



Kestoon Cumulus or "Pocky" Cloud.— H. N.Dick- 

 son 7! 



(^uramaba.— Wm. L. Poteat 7? 



An InlelliKcnce of the Frng. — Kumagusu Minakata 71 

 Perennial Irrigation in Egyyt. [IViiAa Map). By J. 



Norman Lockyer, CB., F.R.S « 



The Centenary of the Paris Polytechnic School . . 8i 



Notes 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Recent Observations of Jupiter's Satellites 8; 



The Mass of the Asteioids JJ 



Kphemcris of (bale's Comet 8; 



Some London Polytechnic Institutes. (Illustrated) 



Hy R. A. Gregory 8; 



Exploration of the Hadramut 9" 



University and Educational Intelligence 9 



Scientific Serials 9 



Societies and Academies 9 



Diary of Societies 9 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 9 



