240 



NA TURE 



[July 3, 1890 



Natural History Museum at Paris by Mr. Gambier Bolton. — A 

 specimen of Pallas's Plover {Aigialitis asiatica), obtained in May 

 last near Great Yarmouth, and now in the Norwich Museum, 

 was exhibited ; and a note upon its occurrence by Mr. T. 

 Southwell was read to the meeting. — A communication was read 

 from Pi of. F. Jeffery Bell containing some notes received from 

 Mr. Edgar Thurston, of the Madras Museum, on the habits of 

 the Perinatulids of the genus Virgularia. — A communication 

 was read from M. P. A. Pichot, containing exact particulars 

 of the locality on the Lower Rhone in which the Beaver is still 

 found in its native state. — Mr. W. Bateson read a paper on 

 some cases of repetition of parts in animals, and exhibited a 

 series of specimens illustrative of this subject. — Mr. Henley 

 Grose Smith gave an account of the Diurnal Lepidoptera 

 collected by Mr. W. Bonny, of the Emin Relief Expedition, on 

 the river Aruwimi, Central Africa. — A communication was read 

 from Mr. W. L. Distant, containing descriptions of some 

 Hemiptera collected by Mr. W. Bonny during the same ex- 

 pedition. — A communication was read from Mr. H. W. Bates, 

 F.R. S., on some of the Coleoptera collected by Mr. W. Bonny 

 during the same expedition. — Mr. Herbert Druce read the 

 descriptions of ninety-five new species of Lepidoptera Heterocera 

 from Central and South America. — Mr. G. A. Boulenger pointed 

 out the secondary sexual characters in the South African Tortoises 

 of the genus Homopus. — A communication was read from Mr. 

 W. L. Sciater, containing a series of critical notes on the Indian 

 species of the family Muridse. — A communication was read from 

 Mr. J. T. Cunningham, containing some notes on the secondary 

 sexual characters of the genus Arnoglossus. The author showed 

 that the so-called Arnoglossus laterna is only the female of 

 A. lophotes. — Mr. R. Bowdler Sharpe read the sixth part of his 

 series of notes on the Hume Collection of Birds. The present 

 communication treated of the Coraciidse of the Indian region, and 

 contained descriptions of three new species. — A communication 

 was read from Miss E. M. Sharpe, containing an account of a 

 collection of Lepidoptera made by Mr. Edmund Reynolds on 

 the rivers Tocantins and Araguaya, and in the province of Goyaz, 

 Brazil. — Mr. Edmund S. Hall gave an account of the occurrence 

 of a persistent right posterior cardinal vein in a Rabbit. — This 

 •meeting closes the present session. The next session (1890-91) 

 will commence in November 1890. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, June 23. — M. Hermite in the chair. 

 — On the partial eclipse of the sun on June 17, by M. J. Janssen. 

 — Theory of the motion of fluids near to the wide opening of a 

 delivery pipe, where the liquid threads have not acquired their 

 normal inequalities of velocity, by M. J. Boussinesq. — Compari- 

 son of the theoretical figure of a storm given in the Comptes 

 rendus of June 9 with the facts known to navigators, by M. H. 

 Faye. — The work and progress of the Arago Laboratory in 

 1890, by M. de Lacaze-Duthiers. — On the visible and photo- 

 graphic spectrum of the great nebula of Orion, by Dr. W. 

 Huggins. — On the distribution of Salmo quinnat on the Mediter- 

 ranean coasts of the south-east of France, by MM. A. F. 

 Marion and F. Guitel. — On the glycolytic power of blood and of 

 chyle, by MM. R. Lepine and Barral.— Observations of Brooks's 

 comet (March 19, 1890) made at Bordeaux Observatory, by MM. 

 G. Rayet, Picart, and Courty. Observations of position are given 

 extending from May 19 to June 20, being in continuation of 

 those published in the Comptes rendus of March 31, April 8, and 

 May 19. — Elements and ephemeris of the new minor planet 

 ■(^ discovered at Nice Observatory on May 20, by M. Charlois. 

 — Partial eclipse of the sun of June 17, in the morning, observed 

 at Nice, by M. Perrotin. — Observatioia of the eclipse of the sun 

 of June 16-17, niade with the Brunner equatorial of Lyons 

 Observatory, by M. Gonnessiat. — On the partial eclipse of June 

 16-17 (Algiers Observatory), -by M. Ch. Trepied. — The solar 

 eclipse of June 17, by M. E. L. Trouvelot. (For eclipse obser- 

 vations see Our Astronomical Column.) — On the international 

 zero of altitude, by M. Ch. Lallemand. — On a direct-reading 

 dynamometer, by M. G. Trouve. — Reciprocal action of alkaline 

 haloid salts and mercurous salts, by M. A. Ditte. — On some 

 phosphates of lithium, beryllium, lead, and uranium, by M. L. 

 Ouvrard. A number of double phosphates formed by the action 

 of molten alkaline phosphates upon the carbonates of lithium 

 and glucinum and the oxides of lead and uranium are described ; 

 among them occurs a double phosphate of beryllium and sodium 

 •corresponding in composition with the recently discovered mineral 



NO. 1079, VOL. 42] 



beryllonite. — Combinations of double chlorides of phosphorus and 

 iridium with arsenious chloride, by M. G. Geisenheimer. By 

 heating the constituents in a sealed tube to 250°, ruby-red pris- 

 matic crystals of 2(Ir2P3Cli,,).5AsCl3 are formed. — On the 

 sub-fluoride of silver, by M. Guntz. The existence of a sub- 

 fluoride of silver was indicated by the analyses of a precipitate 

 produced on the negative pole when subjecting a hot saturated 

 solution of silver fluoride to electrolysis, employing a very strong 

 current and silver electrodes. The pure salt is obtained in 

 quantity by heating finely divided silver with a saturated solution 

 of silver fluoride on a bath to a temperature of from 5o°-90°. 

 Analyses of the product prove it to be the sub-fluoride of silver 

 AgjF. — A contribution to the study of ptomaines, by M. 

 Oichsner de Coninck. — On the preparation of wine ferments, by 

 M. A. Rommier. — On the sense of smell in star-fishes, by M. 

 Prouho. The author concludes that star-fishes excited by the 

 presence of a bait are guided by sensations perceived by the 

 extremities of their arms. The sense of smell is not diffuse in 

 star-fishes, but is localized in the limbs useless for locomotion at 

 the back of the ocellary plate. — The photographic registration 

 of the chlorophyll function by the living plant, by M. Timiriazeff. 

 — On the hypersthene andesites and labradorites of Guadaloupe, 

 by M. A. Lacroix. — On the vertical circulation in the deep 

 ocean, by M. J. Thoulet. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Three Years in Western China: A. Hosie (Philip).— Encyclo^jtedia of 

 Photography, Part I : W. E. Woodbury (lliffe).— Advanced Physiography 

 (Physiographic Astronomy) : J. Mills (Chapman and Hall).— A Manual of 

 Orchidaceous Plants, Part 6 (Veitch).— Text-book of Physiological and 

 Pathological Chemistry : G. Bunge, translated by Dr. L. C. Wooldridge (K. 

 Paul) —In Darkest Africa, 2 vols. : H. M. Stanley (S. Low).— The Abori- 

 gines of Tasmania : H. Ling Roth (K. Paul). — Osteologie Ropuch (Bufo 

 Laur.): Prof. Dr. F. Bayer (V. Praze).— Uhlonosne tTtvary v. Tasmanu ; 

 Prof. Dr. O. Feistmantel (V. Praze).— Abhandlungen der Math. Naturw. 

 Classe der K. B. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, 1889-90, vii. Folge, 3 

 Band (Prag). — Annales de I'Observatoire de iMoscou, ii. Serie, vol. 2, Livre 

 I and 2 (Moscou). — Annales de I'Observatoire de Nice, Tome 3, Texte et 

 Atlas.— Sun-dial, adjustable for all Latitudes ( f hilip).— A Theory of the Sun's 

 Radiation of Heat : W. Goff (Stanford).- Publication of the Leander 

 McCormick Observatory of the University of Virginia, vol. i, Part 4, Double 

 Stars 1885-86 (Virginia).- Mind and Matter : O. Barnard (J. Heywood) — 

 Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, June(K. Paul).— Journal 

 of the Royal Microscopical Society, June (Williams and Norgate). — Records 

 of the Geological Survey of India, vol. xxiii. Part 2.— Annalen des K. K. 

 Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums, Band 5, No. 2 (Wien, Holder). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Life of Sedgwick. I. By Prof. T. G. Bonney, 



F.R.S. 217 



Gerard's "Electricite." ByJ. J. T 219 



The Art of Paper-making 220 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Gresswell : "A Contribution to the Natural History 



of Scarlatina " 220 



Dallet : " Le Soleil ; les Etoiles " 221 



Cortie : " Father Perry, F.R.S. " 221 



Carus : " Prodomus Faunae Mediterranese " .... 221 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Spiny Plants in New Zealand. — Geo, M, Thomson 222 

 Drowned Atolls.— P. W. Bassett-Smith ; Captain 



W.J. L. Wharton, R.N. , F.R.S 222 



The Essex Bagshots. — Dr. A. Irving 222 



A Remarkable Appearance in the Sky. — D. J. 



Rowan 222 



Darkest Africa. {Illustrated.) ByJ. S. K 223 



Problems in the Physics of an Electric Lamp. {Illus- 

 trated.) By Prof J. A. Fleming 229 



Notes 233 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Objects for the Spectroscope. — A. Fowler 235 



Annular Eclipse of June 17 236 



Yarnall's Star Catalogue 236 



Photographs of the Surface of Mars 236 



Lightning Spectra 236 



The Marine Biological Association 236 



University and Educational Intelligence 238 



Societies and Academies 238 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 240 



