420 



NATURE 



[August 23, 1894 



situations. (2) Plantations have not usually been formed of 

 the best degree of density for the given kinds of trees selected 

 for planting. (3) A sufficient density of crop has not always 

 been maintained during the subsequent periods of the natural 

 development of the trees. It is finally concluded that — " Better 

 results than can at present be reasonably expected would 

 probably be obtained if State aid were freely granted towards 

 the dissemination of sound instruction concerning sylviculture ; 

 and the only proper places for bringing this within the reach of 

 the future landowners, and of young men of good education, are 

 undoubtedly the great Universities." 



Messrs. T. G. Allen and W. L. Sachtleben continue, in the 

 Ctntury, the description of their journey "Across Asia on a 

 Bicycle." from Constantinople to Pekin. Dr. \V. T. G. 

 Morton's claims to the discovery of anxslhesia are championed 

 by Mr E. L. Snell. It will be remembered by readers of this 

 monthly summary that the January number of the Century con- 

 tained an article in which iliss E. B. Simpson told the story of 

 her distinguished father's discovery of the anaesthetic properties 

 of chloroform in 1847. It is now shown that, in the pre- 

 ceding year. Dr. Morton publicly demonstrated the use of 

 sulphuric ether in producing anasthesia, at the Massachusetts 

 General Hospital. 



A passing mention will suffice for the remaining articles of 

 scientific interest in the current magazines. Mr. .\. H. Savage- 

 Landor describes a visit to Corea, in the Forlnii;htl}'. Some 

 of the possibilities of the phonograph are foreshadowed in 

 Scribncr, by Octave Usanne. Longman' s Magazine contains 

 "While Sea Letters, 1893," by Mr. K. Trevor- Battye. 

 Naturalists will find the letters interesting. Under the title 

 "Land Crabs," Mr. E. Step contributes to Good Words a 

 popular description 1 f such terrestrial crustaceans as Geearcinus 

 riiriccla and various members of the genus Gelasimus. Tinally, 

 the vivisection controversy is continued in the Humanitarian, 

 and the man-like apes in the Gardens of the Zoological Society 

 are described in the English Illustrated. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 London. 



Royal Society, June 21. — "Researches on the Structure, 

 Ori;anisalion, and Classification of the Fossil Replilia. 

 Part IX. Section 4. On the Gomphodontia." By H. G. 

 Seeley, F.R.S. 



" On .an Instrument for Indicating and Measuring Difference 

 of Phase between E.M.F. and Current in any Alternating 

 Cuirent System." By Major P. Cardew, R.E. 



" On the Difference of Poltnlial that may be established at 



the Surface of the Groimd immediately above and at v.irious 



Distances from a Kuiitd Mass of Melal Charge from a High 



Pres.sure Electric Light Supply." By Major Cardew, R.E., 



and Major Bagnold, R.E. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, August 13. — M. Loewy in the 1 

 chair. — The death of M. Gustave Cotleau (August 10) was 

 annoii need : the deceased correspondent was an authority on sea- 

 iirchina. — Note on the long-period meteorograph to be placed 

 in Mont Blanc Observatory, by M. J. Janssen. A description 

 is given of the arrangements for automatically registering during 

 eight months the indications of the barometer, thermometey, 

 and hyKnimctcr, and the speed and direction o( the wind. — 

 New researches on the infra-red region of the solar spectrum, 

 by M. Langli y. The author shows that a peifecled arrange- 

 ment of the bolometer is able, by means of automatically photo- 

 itra^hing the movements of the galvanometer needle, to furnish 

 lete record in an hour of the infra-red region of the solar 

 m with very great accuracy. Tlie accuracy obtained is 

 illu "inicd by the case of the D lines in the visible part of the 

 spectrum ; the method indicates very clearly the Nl line 

 • ■'■' -'fig between D, and D,. Crystals collect at the 

 .art of a less dense solution, by M. Lecoq de Bois- 

 If a saturated solution of carbonate and thio- 

 >ul|>lir>le of sodium be s.aturated with sodium sulphide 

 (Na,S. 911,0) and a quantity of the latter placed at the bottom 

 of the solution .ind a small fragment supported near the surface, 

 io the course of a few days or weeks the additional sodium 



NO. 1295, VOL. 50] 



sulphide is found collected round the fragment on the support. 

 By the solution of the crystallised sulphide the bulk 

 of the solution increases in a grciter ratio than the 

 weight, and hence its specific gravity is lowered. — .\ 

 new use of Pliicker's conoid, by M. A. Mannheim. — 

 New arithmetical theorems, by Pcre Pepin. — Remarks on the 

 electrochemical graphic method of studying alternating currents, 

 by M. .•\. Blondel. — .Application of auto-collimation to the 

 measurement of indices of refraction, by M. Fery. — On the 

 specific heat of liquid sulphurous anhydride, by M. E. Mathi.as. 

 A general method is described. The true specific heat of liquid 

 sulphur dioxide is always positive and increases constantly and 

 indefinitely with the temperature. A table is given showing 

 the value of m between - 20° and -r 1 55 '5°. Between - 20° 

 and -r 130°, m — 0'3i7i2 + 00003507/ -I- o '000006762/-'. At 

 I55'5°t '" = 2'98o. — CJn benzoylquinine, by M. \. Wunsch. 

 The base has been obtained in clear, colourless prisms, insoluble 

 in water. It dissolves easily in alcohol, benzene, chloroform, 

 petroleum ether, carbon bisulphide, and ether. It has the com- 

 position C2(,H„3(C|jIl5C0)Nj02, and melts at 139^ without de- 

 composition. The following salts have been examined : the 

 basic and normal hydrochlorides, and the basic salicylate, tar- 

 trate, and succinate. — On the heart in some orthoptera, by M. 

 A. Kowalevsky. — On the peritheca; of the vine mildew 

 {Uncinula spiralis), by M. Pierre Viala. The abundance of 

 peritheca; found in 1893 fully confirms the identity of Erysiphe 

 Tuckeri with Uncinula spiralis. The parasite noted by bary 

 on the conidiophores of mildew, Cicinnobolus Cesatii, was 

 abundantly developed in 1S93 in the perithecje of Uncinula 

 spiralis. The author also describes a peculiar parasitic 

 bacterium. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SBRIALS RBCEIVBD. 



Books. — Alembic Club Reprints. \o. 7 — The Discovery of Oxygen, 

 Pan I : Dr. J. Priestley (Edinburgh, Clay).— Annual Report of the Depart- 

 ment of Mines and Acricviliure, New South Wales, 1893 (Sydney, Potter).— 

 Hygiene: Dr. J. L. Notter and R. H. Firth (Longmans). 



Pamhilets. — Ueberden O,>motischen Druck von LOsunKcn von endlicher 

 Konzentrniion : T. Ewan (Leipzig).— The Glaciaiion of the West of Scot- 

 land : D. RcU (Glasgow). — On the Selection of suitable Instrumenls for 

 Photographing the Solar Corona during Total Solar Eclipses: A. Taylor 

 (Dublin).- Les Grands Instruments dc L'Avcnir par ^L Alvan Clark et la 

 Fabrication des Grands Objcctifs d'Astroaomie par M. Mantois (Pahs). 



Serials. — Journal of the Franklin Institute, August (Philadelphia). — 

 Michigan State Agricultural College Experiment Station, Horticultural 

 Department, Uullctin 3 (Michigan). — Journal of the College of Science, 

 Imperial University, Japan, Vol. 6, Part 4. and Vol. 7, Part i (Tr.kyr').— 

 Mittheilungcn der Deutschen Gesellschaft fiir Natur und Vilkerkundc 

 Ostasicns in Toki^. Supplement, Heft t./u Band 6(Tokio). — Roy»l Natural 

 Historj*, Part 10 (Wamc).— Journal de Physique, August (Pans).— L' An* 

 thropologie, tome 5, No. 4 (Paris). 



CONTENTS. PACE 



The Physiology of the Carbohydrates 397 



Ptolemy as a Philosopher and Astrologer. By 



W. T. L 398 



Letters to the Editor: — 



I'laiinum Resistance-Thermometers. — Prof. G. Carey 



Foster, F.R.S 399 



International Courtesy.— Prof. Oliver J. Lodge, 



F.R.S • . • 399 



A Remarkable Meteor. — Edward Wesson .... 399 



Height of Barometer. — Henry McUish 400 



The British Association 400 



Section 1 — Physiology. — Opening Address by Prof. 



E. A. Schafcr, F.R.S., President of the Section . 401 



Physics at the British Association 406 



Chemistry at the British Association 409 



Geology at the British Association 411 



Notes 4'3 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Solar Electrical Energy 4'^ 



Tcmpd's Periodic Comet 4'^ 



A New Variable Star 4'7 



On the Newtonian Constant of Gravitation. III. 



(Itlustraltd.) liy Prof C. V. Boys, F.R.S 4'7 



Science in the Magazines > • 4I9 



Societies and Academies A'^° 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 420 



