144 



NATURE 



[DhCEMiJER 6, 1894 



markings in the photographic film corresponding to no real 

 object render it essential that the more obscure details shall be 

 fully confirmed by a close correspondence in form and extent on 

 different negatives. Again, the tendency to aggregation of the 

 reduced silver in the negative destroys all value in enlarge- 

 ments carried beyond a certain limit, say thirty or forty 

 times the original size. Certain clear negatives, obtained at 

 Paris on February 13 and March 14, have been enlarged by 

 Dr Weinek and compared with the best maps of the corre- 

 sponding region, with the result that many new details, fully 

 described in the paper, have been added to our knowledge of 

 the moon's surface.— .\ note on the calculation of the orbits of 

 planets, by M. F. Tisserand.— -■^n observation of Wolf s planet 

 (1S94, BE), made with the Bordeaux equatori.-il, by *•• G. 

 Raye,'_On the laws of air resistance, by M. E. \allier. 

 Formula are derived which express the specific resistance of 

 air to a moving body {a) where the velocity is greater than 

 ^',0 metres. (/') where the velocity is between 330 and 100 

 metres, and (c) where the velocity is less than 100 metres per 

 second.— New details concerning the Nympha'in;^ ; tertiary 

 NvmphxinK.by M.G. de Saporta.— The elements of the planet 

 BE by M L. Schulhof.— Observations of Swift's new comet 

 E (1S94 November 20^ from the Paris Observatory, by 

 M G Bigourdan.— On the distribution of planets between 

 Mars and Jupiter, by >I. E. Roger. .\ mathematical paper 

 in which the author endeavours to obtain, from the known 

 distribution of the minor planets, some support for a hypothesis 

 formulated in a previous communication {Comples-rendus, 

 t. cxvi. ).— On the movement of a solid body, by M. G. Kojnigs. 

 —On an application of the principle of areas, by M. L. 

 Lecomn.— On functional equations, by M. Leau.— On Ber- 

 trand's theorem, by M. Cartan.— .\ rklavtation concerning 

 M. P. Siiickel's note' on the problems of dynamics of which 

 the differential equations admit an infinitesimal transformation. 

 M. Quo Staude published a paper on this subject in 1S92. M. 

 Stackel merely extended the theorems therein demonstrated 

 from I wo and three to « variables.— On the tempest of November 

 12 1S94, by M. .\lfred Angot. A tabular comparison is made 

 between data obtained at the Meteorological Bureau and on the 

 Eiffel Tower respectively. Interesting conclusions are drawn 

 from the tower observations, which are free from the disturb- 

 ances ordinarily brought in owing to the nearness of the surface 

 of the soil —On the conversion of propionic acid into lactic 

 acid, by M. Fernand Gaud. By healing a mixture of 10 per 

 ceni of propyl alcohol with Fehling's solution for 200 hours at 

 240°, the author has obtained both the ordinary and isomeric ^ 

 lactic acids. .\s metallic copper is produced on hciting copper 

 propionate with excess of water at 200°, the equation repre- 

 senting the production of the lactic acid must be written 

 2(C,H,0.). L'u -h 2H,0 = 2Cu + ^C^H.O^ -i- 2C3H6O..- 

 On the ethereal salts derived from active amyl alcohol, by M.M. | 

 Ph. A. Guve and L. Chavanne. The specific rotations 

 are given for a number of these esters, the maximum value is 

 obtained for the fatly salts with amyl propionate. The product of 

 asymmetry reaches its maximum with amyl acetate.— On the 

 !to-callcd organic chlorine of the gastric juice, by M. H. 

 Lescocur. A direct method of determining organic chlorine 

 is described, and it is pointed out that the ori^anic chlorine of 

 MM. Ilayem and Winter is partly derived Irom ammonium 

 chloride, which is if.elf partly formed at a high lemperature 

 from the sodium chloride present.— On the composition of 

 the red pigment from Viemyctylui firiJesieiii, by M. A. B. 

 Griffiths The analytical results give the formula C,„H„N;U- 

 for die.nyctyline.— On acid leathers, by MM. Ballaiid and 

 Maljean.— A new cnloptical phenomenon, by M. S. Tchiriew.— 

 The principles of chroology or physiological synthesis of colour, 

 bvM. W. Nicati.— On the effects of ablation of the venom- 

 Rlandt in the viper ( ('//^ni .Upis, Linn.), by MM. C. Phisalix 

 and G. Bertrand.— Contributions to the study uf the cellule 

 conjonctive" in the molluscous Gasteropods, by M.Joannes 

 Chalin.— Anew method for the cultivation offish-ponds, by M. 

 Jouisel de Bellesme.— The reptiles of the upper Jurassic age in 

 the Boulonnais, by M. II. E. Sauvage,— On the new ivory 

 human matuelles from the quaternary station at Brassempouy, 

 by M. Ed. Piette.— Influence of arsenic acid on the growth of 

 alga: by M. Raoul Bouilhac. It is shown that arsenic acid in 

 certain cases acts like phosphoric acid, which it may replace in 

 •omc plant cultivations. -On the age of Lake Bourget and the 

 ancient alluvial deposits of Chamber/ and the valley of the 

 Iscrc, by .M. .\. Dclebecque. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED 



BoOiC^ -The Province of South .\ustrali.i t J. D. Woods (.\delaije, Bri.~- 

 tow).— fh<^ Mechanism of Weaving: T. W. Fox (Macmillan).— Meteor- 

 oloKV, Practical and .Applied: Dr. J. W. Moore (Rebman) — Life of 

 Richard 0«en: Rev. R. 0«en. i' Vols. (Murray).-tlc,nems of Astro- 

 nomy : G. W. Parker (Longmans).— .\ H»nd-book -to the Order Lep.dop- 

 .era. Pan 1. Butterflies, Vol. . : W. F. K.rby (.\Iien).--.\ H.and-book 10 

 the Primates: Dr. H. O. Forbes. 3 Vols. (.Allen).— Ostwald s klassiker der 

 Exakren Wi>sen>chaften : Nos. 54-5y (Lt'PziK. Engelm.alin) — Physikal- 

 ische Kr^■staIl0l!taphie: P. Groth. Dritte .Auflaae. I .ind i Abth?. (Ulpzig 

 En'clm.innl- Grundii^sder P^vcholog.e : O. kiilpe (Leipzig. Engelmann) 

 -Portraits beruhmter Naturforscher (Wien, Richler).-Ihe Iron-bcirms 

 Kockscf the Me,>abi R.aoge in Minnesota: J. E. Spurr (Minneapo is).— 

 Coal Deposits of Iowa : C. K. Keyes (Des Moines).— I .S-Oeologicil Sur 

 vey. Twelfth Annual Rtporl. i5.>o-9i. Part i, Geology ; Part 2 Iirigation 

 (WashiDgton),-Ditto.Thirtcenth Annual Report. Part i, Report of Director : 

 Part 2 Geology: Part ^, Irrigation (W ashington).— N Z. P.ipers and 

 Reports relating to Minerals and Mining (\Ve,lington).-An.maire de 

 I'Observatoire Municipal de .Montsouris, 1S93 (Pans, Gauthier-% lllars).- 

 Kitchen-Boiler ExpK.<ions: R. D. Monro (t^fhn), -The Llememary 

 Properties ol the Elliptic Functions: Prof. .A. C. Dixon (Macmillan).- 

 Birds of the Wave and Woodland: P. Robmson (Isblster).— Llementary 

 Commercial Geography: Dr. H. R. Mill, 2nd edjiion (Cambridge Un,. 

 versity Press).— An Inttodiiciion to the Theory of Electricity . L. Cum- 

 ming. 4th edition (Macmillan).-SymbDlic Logic : Or ). Venn, 2nd ediiioi, 

 (Macmillan).— Farm Vermin, edited by T. Watson (Rider).— The Cyclo- 

 paedia of Names : edited by B. E. Smith (L nwin). 



Pamphlets. -Geological and Natural Hisory of Minnesota : N. H- 

 Winchell (Minneapolis).-Magnetic Observ.a,ions nuiJe at^^he U£_N^^ 

 Obsen-atory durmg ihe\car iSja*. Frof. b.J. 



Brown (Washington). ■ 



Me7.Vrolog1cal Observations and Results. IJ.S. Naval Observatory, .83, 

 (Washington). -The Warble Fly : E. A. Ormerod (S.mpkm) -Amer.can 

 Museum of Natural History, .Annual Report for 1893 (New \Ork). 



Sekial: 



-Archiv fur Entwickelungsmechanik der Organismen : Prof. W. 

 ■ '^ ' n). — Studies from the 



Roux^ ErsterBand. Erstes Heft (Leip/ig, EngelmannJ.-Studies from th 

 Y-tle Psychological Labora.or;-, Vol.2 (New Havenl.-BiologyrNotes, Nos. 



' 1 .^^ . F 1. I, ii_.:_ „f .1 — A ........--in MatKi-niaftr.il Soi-letv. 20 



nd -VChelmifordj.-Burieirnof the American Mathematical Society 

 ""-^x . .. .kr ,-.^1. *f :n.,«\ — '^.-K^ol Review, No 



nd 

 series Vol i. No'.'j (NewVork, M.icmillan). -School Review, November 

 (H.amilton, New York).-Journal oj; the College_o(^Scie_nce, Imp^^^ 



;^"t^'^g;;ar;;;i7^Iou™::i"iV MicrilcJi^cal- Science. NoOeii^r 

 ChurchillX-Forlnightly Review. December (Chapmar,).-Morpho ogischen 

 lahrbuch 22 Band. . Heft (Leipzig, Engelmann).-Zeitschrifl fur Physikal- 

 Sie Chemie, XV. Band, 3 H.f. (Leipzig, Engelmann) -- N..t.onal Review, 

 December (Arnold). -Scriboer's Magaiine, December (Low). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Peculiarities of Psychical Research. By H. G. 



Wells . . . „ 



The Beginnings of History ■ - ■ " 



The Transmission of Power, by G. F iz4 



Our Book Shelf: — , . j n ui- 



Stevenson : "A Treatise on Hygiene and Public 



Health" ; •. ■ • ' ',.' '.' .u. '^^ 



Kalpa : " Involution and Evolution according to tne 



Philosophy of Cycles" -^ • • : „ '^^ 



Muir: "The Mountains of California '-^i 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Origin of Classes among the "Parasol" Anls.- 



Herbert Spencer ■■■■„' i^ 



"Acqui.ed Characters.' -J. T. Cunningham; Prof. 



Eaward B. Poulton, F.R.S ', • ' '^° 



The Homing of Limpets -Prof. C. Lloyd Morgan .27 



Gravitaiion.-Dr.J.Joly. F.R.S. ^ ■.■■■..■ '^^ 

 The Ratio of the Specific Heats of Gases.— S». «- 



Burbury, F.R.S. . . •■■••, 'J, 



An Observation on Molhs.-^Henry Cecil . . . - 27 



Snakes "Pbying 'Possum.' -G. E.Hadow . . . 127 



Volcanic Stalactitef. (lllxstrauJ.) '^o 



Notes 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



The New Comet ^^' 



The Spectrum of Mars • ; • ■ • • ', i " :!,„ ' ' ,^2 



The Anni'versary Meeting of the Rtjyal Society . .3' 



The Battle of the Forests. H. By Prof. B. E. ^^^ 



The^ReUtUin of Energy of Combination to Elec- ^^^ 



University VndEducationkllntelligence Ut 



Scientific Serial j 



Societies and Academies . . • ■ •. , , . 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 144 



NO. I 3 10, VOL. 51I 



