3^4 



NA rURE 



[Febkuakv 14, 1895 



Cflls only working when one plate w.T illuminated. Mr. 

 Trotter wished to know whether heating the cell supplied energy 

 to it, or simply removed an obstacle in the form of polarisa- 

 tion. Mr. Skinner thought that hea'ing acted by removins; an 

 obstacle. Caplain .\bney : .\nd so djing work. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, February 4. — M. Marey in the 

 chair. — The proceedings were commenced by the announce- 

 ment of the decease of Prof. Arthur Cayley, coriespondent of the 

 Astronomy Section (rom 1S63. M. Hermiie then gave a short 

 .tccoun: of the scientific work of the grea' mathematician. — -On 

 argon, a new constituent of the atmosphere, discovered by Lord 

 Ivayleigh and Prof. Ramsay. An abstract by .M. Berthelol of 

 niattei that has abeady appeared in these columns. He concludes 

 with the observation that, although argon has no action on the 

 higher animaKs, it cannot be predicted that bacteria may not be 

 affected by it, for it is known that thry absorb nitrogen. The 

 suggestion is made that nitrogen obtained from the total 

 destruction of animal or vege'able matter should be examined 

 for argon. — On abelian functions, by M. H. Poincarc. — Pro- 

 pellers with tangential penetration, by M. Guyou. A descrip- 

 tion of .1 mo<iel of a new type of propeller. — The present state 

 of investigations on the vegetation of French colonies and pro- 

 tectorates, by M. Ed. Bureau. — On a passage of the shadow of 

 lupiter's fourth satellite, by M. J. J. Landerer. The calculated 

 time of half-pa'sage is 27m. 9s. ; observation gives the time as 

 2lm. 30s. — Solar observations made at Lynns O iservatory 

 during the fourth quarter of 1894, by M. L Guillaume. There 

 appeals to have been a general decrease of spots and facula; 

 since the llrst quarter of 1893. — On continuous straight 

 beams rigidly connected with their supports, by M. Eugene 

 Lave. — On the nature of the " displacement current " of Max- 

 well, by M. Vaschy. A mathematical paper in which the au hor 

 showsthat certain propenies admitted by Maxwell as hypotheses 

 are mathematically exact, and may he deduced from his theory. — 

 On the anomalous rotatory dispersion of crystallised absorlient 

 media, by M. G. Moreau. — On Fresnel's biprism, by M. 

 < ieorges Meslin. — -Influence of low temperatures on the attrac- 

 tive power of a'tilicial permanent magnc's, by M. Raoul 

 Piciet. The tabulated mean results of lour sets of experiments, 

 agreeing well together, sh w a continuously increasing attrac- 

 tive power as the temperature becomes lower. The range of 

 lempera'ure in these experiments was from -; 30 to 105'. — 

 Moniodamra' nium d'rivalives of hexamelhyltrianidoiiiphenyl- 

 roethane, by M. A. Roscnstiehl. Meihyl iodide forms with 

 the cnmi'lex triamines AjfC.R (where A represents 

 (CHjjj.N.CcHj, and R indicates an electropositive radical 

 such as H, Oil, or OCM3) two series of colourless combina- 

 tions. (1) The first contains one atom of pentavalent nitrogen. 

 Compounds of this class exchange the radical R for an acid 

 radical, and form colouring matters. (2) The second series, 

 formed by the addition of three molecules of methyl iodide, 

 contains three pentavalenl nitrogen atoms. Colouring matters 

 arc not formed in this case, as the radical R cannot be ex- 

 changed for an acid radical. — On laccase ant the oxidising 

 power of this diastase, by M. G. Berirand. — Reactions of 

 chelidonine with the phenols in sulphuric solution, by M. 

 Batlandier. Wiih a drop of guaiacul dissolved in o 5c.c. of 

 concer traled sulphuric acid, chelidiinine moi3tened and exposed 

 to the air gives a fine carmine colourali>n. A list of colour 

 reactions with other phenols is given. — On the development of 

 the liwly in the shrimp {Palcmon serralii, Fa'ir.) and the cray- 

 fish [A'tiuui fluvialilis, Gesn.), iiy M. Louis Route — On the 

 production ol females and ma'es among the Mel pnnas, by 

 .M.J P« rez. — -On the iiiflur nee of climaiological conditions on 

 the gr iwlh of tree«, l>y ^L Kmilc Mer. Ttie author shows 

 that ihe diynen of 1893 caused a diminution in tfie growth of 

 wood in lore*l tree*. A similar effect was producel by the 

 excessive r:iinfall of 1888 — On refi action in polychroic aureoles, 

 by M A Michel Levy. Wh- n Ihe aureoles ar- well developed, 

 with free contours, deeply coloured, the refraction of the pig- 

 mented part is clearly Miprrior to that of the unm idified sulj- 

 slance. The difT--rence b twcen the si nilar indicesof rcfr.iction 

 may amount !■) a decimal of the second ord--r. It 'ollows that 

 ihc cor<st'tutt«in of the mineral is profounrlly modified, as its 

 ellip«oid ol optical elasticitv is different. — On Ihe existencr of 

 numerous remains of sjroniics in Ihe phtaniiti of the Prc- 

 caml'rian of liriilany, by M. L. Caycux. Conclusions: (1) 

 There exist, at the base of the I'recambiian of Brittany, 



NO. 1320, VOL. 51] 



numerous and varied sponge spicules. (2) Almost all, if not 

 all, the orders of .sponges with siliceous skeletons are repre- 

 sented at this earlv epoch. — On the exi>lence of a submarine 

 delta in the Upper Cretaceous near Ch;itillon-en-Diois, by MM. 

 G. Sayn and P. Lory. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



KoOKS. — The Fniindalioiifi of Belief: A. J Balfour (Loncmans). — Cellu- 

 lose : Cross and Bcvan (Longiiianv). — Thoui^hts on Kclij;ion Dr. G. J. 

 Romanes (Longmans). — Elctrentary Lesson% in fc.lcctriciiy .-»t>d Maenctism: 

 Prof. S. V. Toompson. new ediiion ( Macmittan). — Remaikiible Comets: 

 W. 1". Lynn, 3rd edition (Stanlcro) — Varied Occupations in W caving : L. 

 Walker ( VlacmtUan) — I hcoretical Lliemistrv fr-»in the Staiidpoini of Avo- 

 gadro's Kulc and i hermodynamics : Prof. \V. Ncrn-^i, translated by Prof. 

 C. S. Pilmcr (Macmillan) —Atlas of Classical Antiquities : Th. Schrciber, 

 edited for Lngbsh Use by Prof. W. C F. Anoerson (Maimillun) — Annuaire 

 de L'Obscrvatoire Koyale de Be'gique. 1S95 : F. F -lie (Bru-veHes, Hayez). 

 — Alembic Club Reprints ; No. 10, Researches on the .■Vrseniates. Phos- 

 phates, and Modifications of Phosphoric Acid : *!'. Graham (Edinburgh, 

 Ctay). — Die Hearbeitung des Glascs auf dem Bl.iseiischc : D. Djakonow 

 ai'd W. Lennanioff (Berlin. Friedi;inder). — A Treatise on Industrial Photo- 

 metry with Special Appl)C»ti<m to Electric Lighting : Ur- A. Pa'.-i/. trans- 

 lated hyG. W. and i\L R Patterson (Lnw).— Bulktin of the U.S. Fish 

 Commission. Vol. xii. (Washington).— Chem cal LahO'atory Labels. Parts: 

 W, H. Sym-ins (viallenkactnp). — Bra'^ilische Pil/biunirn A. Moller(JeDa. 

 Fischei)— Elliott Brothers' Catalogue : No.| E4 (Elliott). — A Fisherman'-. 

 Fancies F. B. Ot-veton (Stock). — Calendar of the Ueparimcni of Science 

 and An, 1895 (C>re and Spo'tiswoode). 



Pami'IIlets. On the Present Relations of Agriru'tural Art and Natural 

 Science: Prof R. Wanngton (Frowdc).— Uibliography of Accio Acetic 

 Ester and its Derivations: P. H. Seymour (Wa hingtoni. — Geology of the 

 li tston Basin. W. O. Cr »sby. Vol. i, Part r (Bosi.n). — N'orih American 

 Bows. Arrows, and Quivers : O. T. Mason (Washington).— (^uelques 

 Apcrtjus sur rtsthciique des Formes: C. Heorj" (^'af'*. Nimy). 



SEKiAL-i.— Quarterly Journal of ihe Geological b' cit-tv Vol. li. Parti. 

 No. 201 (i* mgman^). — IVansaciions of the English Arboriculiural Society, 

 Vol. 3, Part 4 (Carli>Ie).— Psycholoiiischc Arbciten, Er-^tcr Band, i Heft 

 (t eipzig. Engelmann). — American Journal of Maihcmatics, Vol xvii. No. i 

 (Balti xorej —Bulletin of the American Maihemati>al Socieiv. Januar>- 

 (Ncw York, Macmillan). — Bulletin de la SocicnJ ImpL-r.ale des Natiiraliste> 

 de M iscou, i3j4, No. 3 (.\Iosc ■uK — Pr cecdii-gs ol the Physical Sociei\ 

 of L'lndon. Vol. .xiii. Part 3 (Taylor and Francis) —Procedings of the 

 Academ\ of Nacural Sciences of i'niladelphia, 1894, P-»rt zfPh.ladclphia). 

 — Bulleiin of the BnfTato Society ol Natural ^cl^nces. Vol. v. No. 4 

 (BufTalo). — Bulletin de L'Acadc iiie Impcuale dcs Sciences de St. Peters- 

 bourg, January (St Pctersb..urg). — U.S. Dcparimcnt ol Agricultun- 

 (Divoion of Chemistry), Bulletins Nos. 41-43 (Wa<hingi m) — Proceedings 

 of the Boston S <ci-ty of Natural History, Vol. xxvi Paris 2 and ,^ 

 (Bosiun).— American Journ.ilo) Science, Fcbruarv(Ncw Haven). — Medical 

 Magazine, February (Strand). — Journal ot the Acad«-iuy of Natural 

 Sciences of Philadrlphia. jnd .serie«, V'>l. x. Part 2 (Philxdelphta). — Strand 

 Magazine, February (Newncs)— Strand Musical Maga7ine, February 

 (Newncs). — Pi. lure Magazine, February (NewnrsL— Science Progress, 

 February (Scientific Press, Lid.). — Bulletin of the G-ological Institution 

 of the University of Upsala, Vol. t, Nis. 1 and a (Upsala). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Electric Oscillations. ISy Prof. A. Gray 361 



The Book of the Rose. l!v W 362 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Warner: " L'Induslrie des Araneina." (Illustrated). 



R. I. P 363 



Hewitt : " Elementary Practical Chemistry, Inorganic 



and Organic" ■ 364 



Murray: " 1 1 iw ti Live in Tropical Africa" .... 364 

 Letters to the Editor: — 



The Liipicfaction of (iisc — M. M. Pattison 



Muir; Prof. James Dewar, F. R S 364 



Vertehrate Sc(;mentaii>/n. — P. Chalmers Mitchell . 367 

 The lilack-veiiied White Butterfly.— W. Warde 



Fowler . . .... ... . 367 



Parr.its in the Thilippine Islands. — Prof. Alfred 



Newton, F. R.S. ... 367 



Twenty- five Years of Geological Progress in Britain, 



Iiy Sir Archibald Geikie, F. R.S 367 



Notes 370 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Masiof the Asteroids 373 



The Apparent Uametcri of Mercury 373 



The V.ir ation of Latitude 373 



Th-- Sun's Place in Nature. I. (lUuslralei!.) By J. 



Noiman L^ckyer, C.B., F.R.S 374 



The Itisntution ol Mechanical Engineers 377 



The Advance of Technical Education. By R. A. 



Gregory 379 



Sc ence in the Magazines 380 



University and Educational Intelligence 383 



S icioiieh 4nd >c ••loroies 3S3 



Books, Pampniets, and Serials Received .... 384 



i 





