2SS 



NA TURE 



[January 17, 1895 



Use of ihe critical temperature of liquids for the recognition of 

 their parity, by M. Raoul Pictet. A convenient method of de- 

 termining the critical points of liquids is described. Any im- 

 purity causes a dilTerence in the critical temperatures in the same 

 sense as the difliirence produced in the boiling points, but in 

 the foiiner case the difference is of far greater mai;oitude than in 

 the latter. — On the qualitative separation of nickel and cobalt, 

 by M. A. Villiers. The author avails himself of the property 

 of sodium tartrate in prevenling the precipitation of nickel 

 sulphide while allowing the complete precipitation of cobalt 

 sulphide. Tartaric acid is added to the clear solution of the 

 two metals, then soda (not potash) in large excess and hydrogen 

 sulphide is passed. The nickel passes into the filtrate as a 

 nearly black solution, mere traces give a brown tinge. The 

 method is not quantitative. — Some points in the spermatogenesis 

 of the Selacians, by M. .-Vrmand Sabatier.— On the genesis of 

 intestinal epithelium, by M. Ktienne de RoaviUe. Observations 

 confirm the author's views that : (l) The conjunctive tissue con- 

 tinues more or less, during life, to be the matrix giving rise to 

 the elements of other tissues ; it is a pjst-embryonic blastoderm. 

 (2) Epithelial tissues are only, in most cases, the forms limiting 

 the free surfaces of conjunctive tissue. — Physiological researches 

 on the Lainellibranchs ( /a/tri dcciissala, Sec), by M. Fieri. — 

 On some lakes in the .\lps and Pyrenees, by M. A. Delebecque. 

 The depths and altitudes of most of the important mountain 

 lakes are given. 



Berlin. 



Physical Society, November 30, 1S94. — Prof, von Bezold, 

 President, in the chair. — Dr. Aschkinass described his experi- 

 ments on the influence of electric waves on the galvanic 

 resistance of metallic conductors. Gratings made of tinfoil 

 when placed near a Hertz exciter showed a diminished resistance 

 which was quite independent of the action of light due to the 

 primary sparks, and was persistent after the cessation of the 

 electric oscillations, but could then be restored to its original 

 value by mere mechanical percussion. A series of experiments 

 proved that it is really the electric waves which altered the 

 resistance of the grating, and the results were extended toother 

 metallic conductors. 1 he speaker drew attention to analogous 

 observations made by English and Swiss physicists who had 

 found that filings of iron and other metals enclosed in glass 

 tubes had their resistances altered by electric sparks discharged in 

 their neighbourhood. In their case, also, the original resistance 

 was restored by mechanical vibration. — Dr. Gross spoke on the 

 electrolysis of a solution of mixed nitrate and sulphate of silver 

 to which a little nitric acid had been added. Silver was de- 

 posited on the kathode, and a black substance on the anode ; 

 the latter he had not as yet obtained free from silver, but it did 

 not ontain any sulphur, although 60 percent, of sulphuric acid 

 had disappeared from the solution. 



Physiological Society, December 7. — Prof du Bois 

 Reymond, President, in the chair. — Prof. L. Lewin gave an 

 account of some experiments made with an alkaloid obtained 

 from a North Mexican cactus called " Peyotl." It is well known 

 that this plant has an intoxicating action, and in larger doses 

 produces sleep and a state of nervous excitation accompanied 

 by a so-called "power of prophesying," similarly attributed to 

 the sulphurous exhalations of the temple at Delphi. Sm.nll 

 doses of the alkaloid when given to frogs produced tetanic 

 cramps and a greatly increased reflex irritability, analogous 10 

 strychnine ; but with this difference, that by carefully apportion- 

 ing the dose the effects were permanent for several days. 

 Similar results were obtained with rahbits, and Prof. Lewin 

 regarded the new alkaloid as specially adapted to further the 

 study of Ihe nature of tetanus. In rabbits it was noiiced that 

 durmg each paroxysm of cramps, the bloixl-vessels of the ears 

 were widely distended. The speaker had also found alkaloils 

 with powerful actions in many specie^ of Cactus hitherto regarded 

 as harmless by botanists, no: alily oneclusely resembling ciir.ire. — 

 Dr. G Joachim had invc-.tiga^ed sphygmcigraphically the effect 

 of suspension by the head on the circulation, and in the case of 

 a number of invalids, of whom some were suffering from heart- 

 disease, had observed only a alighily increased frequency of 

 pulse, which is probably merely a'triiiutabic to psychic 

 excitation. — Prof. Gad communicaied Ihe results of an investi- 

 gation, made by n new method by Mr. .Seelcr, of Cleveland, on 

 the terminations of motor nerve in muscles, which had shown 

 that in addition to the motor fibre a non-medullated fibre leaves 

 the sheath of llcnie, and isilistributed to Ihe capillaries of the 

 muscle-fibre, whereas the medullalcd motor-fibres spread out 

 o the muscle itself. 



NO. 1316, VOL. 51 ] 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Lo^ic ; Dr. C. Sigwart. tr;inslatcii by H. Pendy. 2 Vols., 3nd 

 edition (Sonnen5chcio) — Lcs .\bimcs : E. A. Marlcl (P-iris, Delagrave). — 

 Essays on Rural Hygiene: Dr. G. V. Poorc, rnd edition (Longmans). — 

 AnDuairc de I'.Acadimie Royalc des Sciences. &c., de Belgique. i3<>5 

 (Bnixelles). — .\slroDOmischc Chron-iloEie : Dr. \V. F. Wislicrnus (Leiprig. 

 Teubncr).— Handbuch dtr Theorie dcr Linearen D-fTerenti;«Ul':ichuncen : 

 Dr. L. Schlesinger. Erster Band (I^eij-zig, Teubner). — Laboratory Exer- 

 cises in Botany ; Prof. E. S. Bastin(Philadelphia, Saunders). — Smithsonian 

 Report. iSq5 (Washington). — Geolocical Sirvey, Alabama, Report on the 

 Geology of Itie Craslal Plain of AIaban>a(Montgrmery, ALibama). — 'fables 

 and Directions for the Qualitative Chemical .Analysis ot Moderately Com- 

 plex Mixtures of Salts : M. ^L P. Mtiir (Longmans). 



Pamphlets.— Eighth Annual Report of the Liverpool Marine Biology 

 Committee ard their Biological Station at Port Erin : Prof. HcrdmanlLiver- 

 pool, Dobb). — On the Search for Coal in the Soiith-East of England ; W. 

 J. Harrison (Birmingham).— Eine Discussion i^cr Ki;ifi der Chemischen 

 Dynamilc; Dr. L. Stettinhcimcr (Frankfurt a.^L, Bechhnid).— The Varie- 

 ties of the Huni.-in Species; Prof. G. Sergi (Washington). — Royal Horti- 

 cultural Society Report for 1894-5 t^"ic^o^^a Street). — Ditto, Arraogemenis 

 for 1S95 (Victoria Street). 



Serials.— Geographical Journal, Jantiary (Stanford). — American 

 Journal of Science, January (New HavenV- Catena Chimica Italiana, 

 Anno xxiv. 1804. Fasc. vi. (Roma) —Proceedings of the Physical Society of 

 London, January (Taylor). — Journal of the Chemical Society. January 

 (Gurney). — Ditto, Supplementary Number (Giirney). — Record of Technical 

 and Secondary Education, January (Maemillan). — Beili.'ige zur Petro- 

 graphie dcr OstHchen Centralalpen speclell dcs Gross- Vencd'gerstockes : 

 Dr. E. Weinschenk. I. a nd 1 1. (Munchen). — Morphologisches Jahrbuch, 22 

 Band, 2 Heft (Leiplig , Engelmann).— Jouroa! of the Franklin Institute, 

 January (Pilhadelphia). — Journal of the Royal Hrriicultural Society. 

 January (Victoria Street).— Engineering Magazine, January (Tucker). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Epigenesis or Evolution. By G. C. Bourne .... 265 



Coal- Dust and Colliery Explosions 268 



The Mode of Life of Marine Animals. By VJ. A. H. 269 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Clowes: "Elementary Qualitative Chemical Analysis" 270 

 Muir : " Tables and Directions for the Qualitative 

 Chemical Analysis ofModerately Complex Mixtures 



of Salts" 270 



Francis : " Laboratory Exercise Book for Chemical 



Students" 27° 



Parker: " Elements of Astronomy " 270 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Exploration at Ruwenzori.— G. F. Scott Elliot . . 271 

 The .\lleged Absoluteness of Motions of Uotalion. — 

 A. B. Basset, F.R.S. ; Prof. Oliver J. Lodge, 



F.R.S 271 



The (Quarrying of Granite in India.— Dr. H. Warth 272 



Storm Statistics at Bidston.— William E, Plummer 272 

 Peculiarities of Psychical Research.— Prof. Karl 



Pearson; H. G. Wells 273 



The Sus]iended Animation of Snakes. — S. Garman ; 



W. Kennedy 274 



"Finger-Print" Method.— Kumagusu Minakata . 274 



A While R.iinbow.— Rev. Samuel Barber ... 274 



American Topography. By A. Fowler 274 



Life at the Zoo. {/lluslraleJ.) 2^6 



Intercolonial Astronomy and Meteorology .... 278 



Notes 278 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



SCephci 282 



The V.atican Observ.ttory 282 



An Indispensable Annuaire 282 



The Unification of Civil and Astronomical Days . . 282 

 The Foundations of Dynamics. By Prof. G. F. 



Fitzgerald, F.R.S 283 



Pseudo-Satellites of Jupiter in the Seventeenth 



Century. Hy Charles W. L Johnson 285 



University and Educational Intelligence 287 



Societle^ <nd Academies . . 287 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 288 



