432 



NA TURE 



[February 28, 1895 



the solid remaining dissolved in the gaseous vapours. Solutions 

 of colouring matter behaved similarly. 



January 25. — Prof, du Bois Reymond, President, in the 

 chair. — Mr. .-Vrchtnhold discussed the principles and advantages 

 of two recently projected telescopes, of which one with a 

 44-inch object-glass and short focal length is to be set up in the 

 Berlin Industrial Exhibition in May 1896, while the second, 

 with a 50-inch object-glass, is to be taken in hand later on. 

 The glass for the first of the two is already cast by Dr. Schott, 

 of Jena, and is to be ground according to scientific principles 

 by Dr. Steinheil. The speaker further discussed a series of 

 fundamental novelties in the mounting of the telescopes, by 

 which the cost of the same would be materially reduced. The 

 discussion, which was then opened by Prof, von Bezold, on 

 behalf of Piofs. .-Vuwers and Vogel, and continued by Prof. 

 Lummer, was adjourned to the next meeting. 



[Notice. — In the report of the meeting of the Physiological 

 Society of December 7, 1S94, Nature, vol. li. p. 2SS, for 

 " Dr. G. Joachim," read " Dr. G. Joachimstal."] 



P.\RIS. 



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

 chair. — On Neumann's method and Dirichlet's problem, by M. 

 H. Poincarc. — On the form of the intrados of arches, by M. H. 

 Resal. — On the kinds of chlorophyll ; remarks a prof os of the 

 note by M. Ktard, by M. .Arm. Gautier. The author claims 

 priority for the proof that several chlorophylls exist, and that 

 chlorophyll contains no iron, but contains organic phosphorus. — 

 On the agricultural value of aluminium phosphates ; remarks 

 apropos of M. Andouard's note, by M. Arm. Gaulier. In 1893 

 the author showed that amorphous aluminium phosphate 

 was of value in agriculture owing to its solubility in the products 

 of decomposition present in soils. This does not exiend to 

 crystallised phosphates of aluminium or of aluminium and 

 calcium. — On the estimation of tannic compounds, by M. Aime 

 Girard. — Remarks on atomic weights, by M. Lecoq de 

 Boisbaudran. The author mentions a method of classification 

 of the elements which enables him to calculate their 

 atomic weights as well as predict their properties ; this 

 system has not yet been published. According to it, argon 

 belongs to a group of elements of which no other members are 

 yet known. They should be octads of atomic weights as follows : 

 200945, 3640 ±008, 8401 ±020, 13271 ±015 ; (O = 16). 

 They should be m.-talloids, the first two members relatively 

 abundant, the others rare. Taken in order, they should 

 respectively be more volatile than oxygen, sulphur, selenium, 

 and tellurium. — The scope and method of a work on 

 the " theory of algebraical functions and their integrals," by 

 M. .\ppell and M. Kdouard Goursat, is explained in a short 

 note by the former. — On the astronomical inscription of Kes- 

 kinto, by M. Paul Tannery. The author draws conclusions 

 with regard to the state of knowledge of planetary periods 

 about 150-50 B.C. — On a surface of the sixth order, allied to 

 abelian functions of the third type, by M. G. Humbert. — On 

 the properties of amorphous silicon, by M. Vigouroux. These 

 properties are very fully given. Speaking generally, amorphous 

 silicon prcjiarcd by reduction with magnesium somewhat re- 

 sembles crystalline silicon in properties. Though somewhat 

 inert at lower lemperatures,, at high temperatures it is chemi- 

 cally very active. — On the oxidation of ihe tannin of the cider 

 apple, by M. L. Lindet. This oxidation appears to be due 10 

 the action of a ferment of the l<ucose type. — On the composition 

 and an.aly5is of eaux-de-vie, by M. X. Rocques. — On the seeds 

 of the .Mc.ibi, by M.\I. II. I.ecomte and A. Hcbert. An account 

 of a tree found in French Congo, and of a fat produced from 

 its seed.'. — On ferrocyatiide, rutheniocyaniilc, and osmiocyanide 

 nf potassium, by M. A. Dufel. A crysialiographical paper giving 

 measurement.s of axial ratios, angles, and optical constants of 

 <i) K,FeCy,.3U,0,(2).K,kuCy„.3H50, (3) KjOsCyo-sHjO- A 

 remarkable similarity is shown by ihcse compounds throughout 

 the extensive .series of mcasuremcnis given. — On moditicaiions 

 of the blood, brought about by the thermal treatment wiih Hour- 

 boulc water from the spring Choussy. Pcrricrc. by M. Ph. 

 Lafon. Conclusions from results of many analyses (quoted) : 

 (I) In cases of chloro-an.xmia there is (.'cnerally a notable in- 

 crease of red corpuscles and oxyhxmoglcbin in the blood of 

 patients, due lo the treatment. (2) In cases of leucocytscmin 

 the treatment produces a diminution of the numbers of white 

 corpuscles. — On the nucleus and nuclear division in the Bent- 

 itnia, by M. Alphonse I^bhc. — On egg-deposition of Vesp>a 



NO. 1322, VOL. 51] 



crabro, L. ; conservation of heat in the nest, by M. Charles 

 Janet.— Observations on the upper Tongrian or Stampien strata 

 in the Chalosse, by M. L. Reyt. — Considerations on conlact- 

 metamorphism, derived from a study of the contact phenomena 

 of Iherzolite in the Pyrenees, by M. .\. Lacroix. — Mineraiogictl 

 composition and structure of the silex of the Paris gypsum, by 

 Ml L. Cayeux. Conclusions : (l) The siliceous nodules from 

 gypsum, known as silex, have an essentially different micro- 

 structure and mineralogical composition Irom silex properly so 

 called. (2) They result from a substitution of silica lor gypsum. 

 (3) The silicificalion of gypsum causes the production o( some 

 one of the arrangements of which quartz is capable. (4) The 

 ultimate term of the series of transformations of saccharoidal 

 gypsum, under the action of silica, is the production of wholly 

 quarlzose plates, having the same structure as quartzites.— 

 Earthquake recorded at Grenoble, a note by M. Kilian, 

 February 3, 6h. 2m. 40s. morning. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



l!ooK?. — Introduction to Physiolocical Psychology : Dr.Th. Ziehen, trans- 

 lated, 3nd edition (Sonnenschein). — .-Vn Elementary Text. Book of Anatomy : 

 IVof. H. E. Clark (BlackieV — Rep irt of Obscr\-ationi of Injurious Insects, 

 &C-, 1394: E. A. Ormerod (Simpkin). — Economic Classics — David Ricardo 

 (Macmillan). — Economic Classics — Adam Smith (.Macmillan). — A Course 

 of Elcmertary Practical Bacteriology ; Drs. Kanthack and Drysdale (Mac- 

 millan).— The Pathology of Mind : Dr. H. Maudsley (Macmiltan).— Notes 

 on a journey on the Upper Mekong, Siaiii ; H. \V. Smyth (Murray). — 

 Das System dcr Ubcrgcwalt Oder das Analytisch-Synthetischc Princip der 

 Natur : K. Itcyrich (Berlin, Oppenheim). 



PAMPHLtiTS.— Revue de TA^ronautique, 1893, -^ Livr. : I.e Travail In- 

 t(5rieur du Vent : S. P. Langley (Pans. Masson). — Tableau Oeconomiquc ; 

 F. Quesnay (Macmillan). — Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society 

 of London, Vol. 185 (iSg.j) .-V, pp 9.l-tat : Propagation of Magnetisation of 

 of Iron as affected by the Electnc Currents in the Iron : J. Hopkinsonand 

 £. Wilson (Dnlau). 



Serials. — Brain, Part 69 (Macmillan). — Royal Natural History, Part 16 

 (Wame). — English Illustrated Mag;izine. M.arch (19S Strand).— Lotidon 

 Home lilonthly, March(Cox). — Journal of the Royal Microscopical Society, 

 February (Williams and Norgate). — Good Words, March (Isbistcr). — 

 Sunday Magazine, March (Isbister). — Chambers's Journal. March (Cham- 

 bers). —Longman's Magazine, March (Longmans). — Lc Monde Modernc, 

 February (Paris, (Juantin). — Century ^lagazine, March (Unwin). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



What does the Chemist mean by " Valency " ? By 



W. A. T 40.? 



Caves and Swallow Holes. {Illustrated.) By Canon 



T. G. Bonney, F.R.S 410 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Favvcelt : "Bulletin of the Botanical Department, 



Jamaica" 412 



Parnicke : "Die Maschincllen Ililfsmitlel der 



Chemischen Technik." — W. T. . 412 



Aikman : "Air, Water, and Disinfectants" .... 412 

 Clark: " .\n Elementary Te.\t-book of Anatomy " . 412 

 Letters to the Editor: — 



Lifjiief.iction of Gases. — Prof. James Dewar, 



F.R.S 413 



On Ccrlain (Juestions of the Theory of Gases. — 

 Prof. Ludwig Boltzmann ... ... 413 



Oysters and Typhoid. — Mrs. Percy FrankUnd . . 415 

 The Occurrence o( very Cold Days, (liilh Dia- 

 gram.) — A. B. M 416 



IIesi>er and Phosphor. — Kumagusu Minakata . . 417 

 The Recent Storm in the United Slates. — Dr. Wm. 



H. Hale 417 



Some Suggestions on the Origin and Evolution of 

 Web-spinning in Spiders By R. I. Pocock . . 417 



New Metric Standards 420 



Notes 421 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Origin of the Lunar Formations 425 



7 Cassiopeix 425 



■I'ht Identity of Dcnning's and Brorsrn's Cornels . . 425 

 The Antitoxic Serum Treatment of Diphtheria. II. 

 By Dr. G. Sims Woodhead ... ... 425 



Dr. Dubois' So-called Missing Link. By Prof. D.J. 



Cunningham, FR.S. (Il'tili Oia-rams.) 42S 



University and Educational Intelligence 429 



Scientific Serials 430 



Societies and Academies 430 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received .... 432 



