72 



NATURE 



[November 15, 1894 



carbon to be volatilised : the sublimed carbon is always deposited 

 nnder the form of graphite at ordinary pressures, and there is 

 no evidence whatever of the liquefaction of the carbon, for 

 instance the lid of a carbon crucible did not adhere when the 

 whole mass had been converted into graphite, and a carbon 

 needle heated in a carbon tube did nit in any case become 

 attached to the latter. Previous experiments have, however, 

 shown .that under great pressures carbon may be fused, and 

 diamond is then formed. — New observations on the menhirs 

 of the Meudon woods, by M. Berlhelot. — Note by M. Maurice 

 Levy accompanyinc the presentation of his " Study of the 

 mechanical and electrical methods of traction of boats." The 

 author gives a short account of the contents of the first volume 

 of his work dealing with cable traction only. — M. Bouquet de 

 la Grje, in the name of the Bureau des Longitudes, presented 

 the " Connaissance des Temps " for the year 1S97. This volume 

 con!ains, en the maps of solar eclipses, the curves passing 

 through the points on the earth at which the commencement 

 and end of the eclipse are simultaneous. The ecliptic elements 

 of the great planets and their satellites, including their elonga- 

 tions and the elements of Saturn's ring, are also given.- — 

 Observations of the new planet BE, made at Paris Observatory, 

 by M. G. Bigourdan. — The polar snows of Mars, by M. C. 

 Flammarion (see " Our Astronomical Column "). — Relations 

 between the vapour pressures of a body in the solid and 

 in the liquid state : influence of pressure on the temperature 

 of fusion, by M. A. Ponsot. — Influence of form on the 

 sensitiveness to light and aberration of the eye, by M. 

 Charles Henry. — Researches on mercuric nitrates, by >L 

 Raoul Varet. The heats of formation are determined. 

 In the dissociation of mercuric nitrate by water the least 

 endothermic of the possible reactions is the one that 

 takes place. Nitric acid, like sulphuric, picric, acetic, and 

 oxalic acids, is displaced completely from mercuric combinations 

 by hydrochloric and by hydrocyanic acids. — On thecanipholenic 

 acids and the campholenamides, by M. A. Bchal. — On the 

 presence of methyl salicylate in some native plants, by M. Em. 

 Bourquclot. — On the formation of new colonies by Termes 

 lucifugiis, by M. J. POrez. — The defence of the organism against 

 parasites among insects, by NL I.. Cucnot. — External cliaiacicr- 

 istics of chyltidio>isof the vine, by M. A. Prunct. — On a myco- 

 bacterial disease of TrUhohma terreiitii, by M. Paul Vuillemin. 

 — Defence of " Saharien " as a name for the last geological 

 period, by M. Mayer-Eymar. — On the presence and distribution 

 of glycogen in tumours, by M. A. Braull. 



Berlin. 



Meteorological Society, October 9. — Prof. Ilellmann, 

 PrcbiJcnt, in the chair. — After the President had dwelt on the 

 loss sustained by meteorology owing to the death of von Ilelm- 

 hollz. Dr. Schwalbe spoke of his own endeavours to utilise for 

 scieniific purposes the curves of temperature obtained from 

 the " Uranus " pillars. He found am<ng the many meteoro- 

 logical pillars in Berlin which had given continuous records 

 during the years 1892 and 1893, very few whose readmgs corre- 

 sponded with those of control instruments. Taking the month 

 ol July for each year, he had endeavoured to arrive at the mean 

 daily temperature by taking the mean of the temperatures regis- 

 tered every hour of each day in the month. He found this mean 



,. , ,^ , , L 6-f2-(- 10 



temperature tone between the values ol the expressions - - 



and ^"*'*'^ '"*"'.— Dr. Kassner had instituted observations 



4 

 doring ihe year on cloud-waves, to which, since Helmholtz' 

 researches on the formation o( waves when two layers of air of 

 different density and travelling with different velocity move 

 past each other, meteorologists have devoted very special 

 atlcnliuD. From these it appears that the above form of cloud, 

 consisting mostly ol cirius and cirrocuniulus, usually causes 

 deposits. The speaker expressed the wish that thorough and 

 continuous ol»civation of this phenomenon might be made in 

 order to leit it. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Imcgral Calculus: J. EUwards (Macmillan).— A Treatise on 

 Cbcmutry : Sir H. t- Rosto« and C. Sctiorlemmcr, Vol. 1, new 

 cd lion (Macmillan)— KciM nacti Sudindira : E. Schmidt (LcipiiK, 

 Engtimann) — Lihibuch der Ptlrograpliic : Dr. F. Zirkcl, Dfiitcr 



NO. 1307. VOL. 51] 



Band (Lciprie, Engelmann). — Resultatcn dcr Aetzmethodc in der Krys- 

 tallographi^chcn Forschunc : Dr. H. Baumhauer, Text and Atlas 

 (Leipzig, EngelmannV — Electric Lighting and Power Distribution: W. 

 P. Maycock, new edition (Whitiakcr) — Electric Light Installatt ns . Sir 

 D. Salomons, Vol. %: Application, 7th edition (Whittaker). — Forest Birds, 

 their Haunth and Habits: H. F. Witherby(K. Paul).— By Order of ihe 

 SuD to Chile to see his Total Eclipse, April 16. 1893; J. J. Aubertin{K. 

 Paul). — The V.iccination Question : A. \V. Hutton (Methuen). — Reports 

 from the Lab^rator>' of the Royal College of Physicians. Edinburgh. Vol. 5 

 (Edinburgh, Clay). — Dr. William Smellie and his Contemporaries : Dr. J. 

 Glaister (Glasgow, MacLehose) — The Dawn of Civilisation : G. Maspero, 

 translated by M. L. McCIure (SP.CK ).— Preparatory Physics : Prof. W. 

 J. Hopkins (Longmans). 



Pamphlets. — The Maya Year: C. Thomas (Washington).— Tableau 

 Mitrique de Logarithmcs : C. Dumesnil (Paris, H.-^chette). — On Pedal and 

 Antipedal Triangles : A. S. Ghosh (Calcutta, Patrick Press). — VVei-imannism 

 once more: H. Spencer (Williams and Norgate). — On the Use of Detached 

 Coefficients in Elemcntarj' Algebra: J. D. Paul (Bell). — Pearl and chank 

 Fisheries of the Golf of Slanaar : E. Thurston (Madras). — Die Tempera- 

 ture: Dr. A. E. Forster (Wicn, Holzel).— Mean Density of the Earth; E. 

 D. Preston (Washiogton). — Analytischc Theorie der t trganischen Entwick- 

 elung : H. Driesch (Leip/Ig, Engelmann). — Das Veihahnis der Phtlosophie, 

 &c. : D Weiterhan (Leipzig, Engelmann). — Gedii:h[nis*eredc auf Hermann 

 von HelmhoUi : Th. W. Engelmann (Leipzig, Engelmann). — Grundiuge 

 der Mathematischen Chemie : Dr. G- Helm (Leipzig, Engelmann). — Ver- 

 handlungcn der Deutschen Zoologischen Gesellschaft *iuf der vierten 

 JahresversammluDg zu Munchen, den 9, bis 11, April 1S94 (Leipzig, Engel- 

 mann). 



Seriai.5. — Science Progress, November(Scientific Press, Ltd.). — Scien- 

 tific Roll— Climate ; Baric Condition, No. 6(Castlc Printing and Publishing 

 Company). — Medical Magazme, November (Southwood) — Zeiischrift fiir 

 Phvsikalische Chemie, XV. Band. 3 Heft (Leipzig, Engelmann). — Imperial 

 University, College of Agriculture, Bulletin Vol. a, No. 2 (lokyo)— 

 Memoirs and Proceedings of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical 

 Society, Vol. 8, No. 3 (Manchester). — Himmcl und Erdc, November 

 (Berlin) — .American Journal of Science, November (New Haven). — En- 

 gineering Magazine, November (Tucker). — Journal of the Sanitary Insti- 

 tute. October (Stanford). — Portfolios of Photographs: Beautiful Britain. 

 Art Scr.es. No. 1. (Werner Co.). —Journal of the .Asiatic Society of Bengal, 

 Vol. Ixiii. Part 2, No. 2 (Calcutta). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Historical Exposition of Mechanics. By Prof. A. G. 



Greenhill, K.R.S . 49 



Newth's Inorganic Chemistry. By M. M. Paltison 



Muir 52 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Porro : '•Astronomia Sferica. An Elementary Trea- 

 tise" 53 



"The New Technical Educator."— N. J. L 53 



Hooker: "Index Kewensis Plantarum Phanerogam- 

 arum " 54 



Ilardwickc : " Alpine Climates for Consumption " . . 54 

 Letters to the Editor:— 



" Acquired Characters."— Prof. E. Ray Lankester, 

 F.R.S. ; Prof. Edward B. Poulton, F.R.S. ; 



Francis Gallon, F.R.S 54 



Science Teaching in Schools. — W. B. Crump ; Grace 



Heath 56 



Italian Scientific Expedition to Monte Rosa. — Dr. 



Piero Giacosa 57 



Chinese Beliefs about Caves. — Kumagusu Mina- 



kata 57 



■Spots over Dogs' Eyes.— Worthington G. Smith . 57 



Gravitation.— Dr. J. Joly, F.R.S 58 



Homogeneity of Siruciure the Source of Crystal 



Symmetry.- Wm. Barlow 58 



The Present State of Physiological Research ... 58 



Ink Crystals. (IlluslraUJ.) 60 



Notes 61 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



.•\ XcA \'ariahlc Star of the Alg>l Type 64 



The Polar Caps of Mars 64 



l-^ncke's Comet . , .... 64 



Statistical Account of French Forests. By Prof. 



W. R. Fisher 64 



The Properties of Liquid Ethane and Propane. By 



A. E. Tution 65 



The Britisn Central Africa Protectorate 66 



Early British Races. (ilhisliaU.I.) By Dr. J. G. 



Garson . • •67 



University and Educational Intelligence 70 



Scientific Serials 7° 



SocieiicR and Academies 7' 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 72 



