2l6 



NATURE 



[December 28, 1893 



Morogues, to M. Millardet \^\\A.&^).—A7tatomy and Zoology. 

 The Prix Thore, to M. Corbiere (Muscinese) — Medicine ajid 

 Surgery: The Prix Montyon was distributed between MM. 

 Huchard (Heart Diseases), Delorme (Army Surgery;, and Pinard 

 and Varnier (Pathological Atlas). The Prix Barbier, 500 fr. each 

 to MM. Sanson (Heredity) and Dr. Mauclaire (Osteo- Arthritis). 

 The Prix Breant, being the interest on a sum of 100,000 francs 

 offered for a cure for cholera, was distributed amongst MM. 

 2.'etter and Thoinot (French Cholera, 1892) and MM. Grimbert 

 and Burlureaux (Treatment of Tuberculosis by Creosote In- 

 jections). The Prix Godard of 1,000 francs, to Dr. Tourneux 

 (Physiological Atlas). The Prix Serres of 7500 francs, to M. 

 Pizon (Blastogenesis), with small portions to MM. Sabatier 

 (Sperui;i!.ogenesis) and Letulle (Inflammation). The Prix 

 Bellioii of 1400 francs, to Dr. C. Chabrie (Physiology of the 

 Kidney) and Dr. Coustan (Fatigue). The Prix Mege to Dr. 

 Herrgott (History of Obstetrics). The Prix Lallemand of 

 1800 francs, to M. Trolard (Venous System). — Physiology: 

 The Prix Montyon of 750 francs, to M. Laulanie (Respiration) 

 and MM. Abelous and Langlois (Renal Capsules). The Prix 

 La Caze, of 10,000 francs, to M. d'Arsonval (Physiological 

 Effects of Electricity). The Prix Pourat to M. E. Meyer 

 (Renal Secretion). The Prix Martin-Damourette, of 1400 

 francs, to Dr. Geraud (Albuminuria). — General Prices: The 

 Arago Medal to Mr. Asaph Hall (Satellites of Mars) and Mr. 

 E. E. Barnard (Jupiter's First Satellite). The Prix Montyon, 

 for improvements in unhealthy industries, was divided between 

 MM. Garros (Porcelain Manufacture) and Coquillon (Fire-damp 

 Meter). The Prix Tremont, of iioo francs, to M. Jules 

 Morin for his useful hydrostatic and other inventions. The Prix 

 Gegner of 4000 francs to M. Serret. The Prix Petit d'Ormoz 

 of 10,000 francs, to M. Stieltjes (Mathematics), and another of 

 the same amount to M. Marcel Bertrand (Physics of the Globe). 

 The Prix Tchihatchef of 10,000 francs, to M. Gregoire Groum- 

 Grschimailo (The Pamirs). The Prix Gaston Plante, of 3,000 

 francs, to M. Blondlot (Electric Interference), Mme. de 

 Laplace's Prize, consisting of Laplace's works, to M. Bes de 

 Berc, of the Ecole Nationale des Mines. 



Berlin. 



Physical Society, December i.— Prof. Schwalbe, Presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — Prof. Neesen demonstrated a method of 

 coating aluminium with other metals. This consists in dipping 

 the aluminium in a solution of caustic potash or soda, or of hy- 

 drochloric acid, until bubbles of gas make their appearance on 

 its surface, whereupon it is dipped into a solution of corrosive 

 sublimate to amalgamate its surface. After a second dipping 

 into caustic potash until bubbles of gas are evolved, the metal is 

 placed in a solution of a salt of the desired metal. A film of 

 the latter is rapidly formed, and is so firmly adherent that, in 

 the case of silver, gold, or copper, the plate can be rolled out or 

 polished. When coating with gold or copper, it is well to first 

 apply a layer of silver. When thus treated the aluminium may 

 be soldered with ordinary zinc solder. — Dr. Wien spoke on the 

 entropy of radiation. 



Meteorological Society, November 7.— Prof, von Bezold, 

 President, in the chair. — Dr. Arendt spoke on the transport of 

 heat by means of aerial currents on the earth's surface, based on 

 calculations derived from material provided by the Hamburg 

 station. He first determined for each month of the year the 

 direction and rate of the wind, from which he calculated the 

 resultant volume of air transported over Hamburg. From the 

 temperature and speed of the winds he obtained, under certain 

 assumptions, numerical values for the amount of heat carried 

 towards Hamburg during each month of the year. 



December 5. — Dr. Vettin, President, in the chair. — Prof. 

 Hellmann presented a book on "Snow-crystals," and gave an 

 account of its contents, during which he discussed fully the 

 structure and classification of snow-crystals. All the crystals 

 belong to the hexagonal system, and are either flat or columnar. 

 The radiating stars, the plates, and mixed forms belong to the 

 first category ; while the prisms and much more rare pyramids 

 belong to the second.— Dr. H. Meyer communicated the results 

 of his observations, made in conjunction with Prof. Koppen, on 

 the cloud-conditions of various climates. They had rejected as 

 valueless mean values based on determinations which are largely 

 influenced by the personal opinion of the observer, and had in 

 preference calculated the frequency of the occurrence of clouds. 

 They had in this, for simplicity's sake, distinguished between three 

 groups : (i) Complete absence of clouds ; cloudiness zero. (2) 



NO. I 26 1, VOL. 49] 



Intermittent occurrence of clouds ; cloudiness i tog. (3) Total 

 cloudiness represented by 10. Taking a series of stations in 

 various climates, they had calculated and graphically represented 

 the frequency of the three groups for the morning, midday, and 

 evening for each month. It appeared that for Hamburg and the 

 whole of middle and north Europe, in passing from the cold to 

 the warm periods of both the day and year, the intermittent 

 cloudiness increases ; while complete cloudiness, which is most 

 frequent in winter, and in the morning and evening, diminishes. 

 Complete cloudlessness is always the most rare condition. The 

 above characters change gradually towards the Mediterranean, 

 even at Lesina, and more markedly at Alexandria. In mid- 

 Asia, East Siberia, China, Batavia, and Rio Janeiro, and on 

 the elevated station of Pike's Peak, and also on the Atlantic 

 Ocean, the change in cloudiness in passing from winter to sum- 

 mer is reversed. 



BOOKS and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — A Text-Book on Gas, Oil, and Air-Ergines : B. Donkin, Jun. 

 (Griffin). — An Elementary Treatise on Fourier's Series : Dr. W. E. Byerly 

 (Boston, Ginn). — Uniplanar Algebra: Dr. J. Stringham (San Francisco, 

 Berkeley Press). — Science and Hebrew Tradition: T. H. Huxley (Mac- 

 millan). — Dictionary of the Active Principles of Plants : C. E. Sohn (Bail- 

 liere). — The Country and Church of the Cheeryble Brothers : Rev. W. H. 

 Elliot (Selkirk, Lewis).— Hints to Travellers, 7th edition (Royal Geo- 

 graphical Society). — The Story of the Sun : Sir R. Ball (Cassell). 



Serials. — Insect Life, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Washington). — Cabinet Portrait 

 Gallerj', Part 52 (Cassell). — Astronomy and Astro-Physics, December 

 (Wesley). — Eccnomic Journal, December (Macmillan). — Journal of the 

 Franklin Institute, December (Philadelphia). — Internationales Archiv fiir 

 Ethnographie, Band vi. Heft6(Kegan Paul). — Journal of the Royal Micro- 

 scopical Society, December (Williams and Norgate). — Royal Geographical 

 Society, Supplementary Papers, Vol. III. Part 5 (Murray). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Quaternions as an Instrument in Physical Research. 



Prof. P. G. Tait 193 



The Manufacture of Painter's Colours and Var- 

 nishes 194 



British Fungus Flora. By Dr. M. C. Cooke .... 195 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Dawson : " Some Salient Points in the Science of the 



Earth." 196 



Cvijic : " Das Karstphanomen." — T. G. B 197 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Origin of Lake Basins.— R. D. Oldham, Dr. 



A. R. Wallace, F.R.S 197 



The Second Law of Thermodynamics. — G. H. 



Bryan 197 



Flame.— Prof. Arthur Smithells . . 198 



The "Zoological Record."— R. I. Pocock; F. A. 



Bather 198 



On the Bugonia-Superstition of the Ancients — Baron 



C. R. Osten Sacken 198 



The Earliest Mention of the Kangaroo in Literature. — 



Baron C. R. Osten Sacken . 198 



On an Unde.^cribed Rudimentary Organ in Human 



Attire. — Prof. Marcus Hartog 199 



Early Asterisms. III. By J. Norman Lockyer, 



F.R.S • 199 



The Secondary Education Movement. By Sir H. E. 



Roscoe. M. P., F.R.S 203 



The Sonnblick Mountain Observatory {Illustrated.) 204 



Notes . . 205 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Small Distances Measured with the Heliometer . . . 209 



The Tail of Comet Brooks {c 1893) 210 



Hydrogen Envelope of the Star D.M. -h 30°3639 . . 210 



L'Aslroiiomie for December 210 



Geographical Notes 210 



Epidemic Influenza. By the Hon. R. Russell . . . 210 

 On a Method of Separating the Mineral Com- 

 ponents of a Rock. {Illustrated.) By Prof. W. J. 



Sollas, F.R.S ... 211 



The Cloudy Condensation of Steam. By Shelford 



Bidwell, F.R.S 212 



Scientific Serials 214 



Societies and Academies 215 



Books and Serials Received 216 



