114 



NATURE 



{Dec. 7, 1 871 



the Greenland coast, and a foot and a half along its opposite 

 margin, and in consequence of this slope proceeds several degrees 

 into the Strait. But as Baffin's Bay and Davis Strait, as h is 

 been said before, are traversed by a polar current descending 

 towards the south-east, it ought to have an inclination in that 

 direction ; and it is on this account that the current from the 

 east coast of Greenland, after advancing for some time into Divis 

 Strait, is forced to run westwards towards the coast of Labrador, 

 along which it then flows southwards after joining the current from 

 Baffin's Bay. The two united polar currents, whose delivery may 

 be estimated at 1,200,000,000 cubic feet per second, have a 

 breadth of fifty miles, a speed of f of a foot per second, and a 

 depth of about 250 fathoms. They flow to the south-east, under 

 the influence of the earth's rotation, which raises them towards 

 the coasts of Labrador and Newfoandlind, and continue their 

 course along the latter towards the Gulf Stream until they have 

 doubled Cape Race, when they bend westward and make for 

 Florida. 



If now we return to the warm current which, from the Gulf 

 Stream, curves round the south of Iceland, and then spreads 

 itself gradually over the cold waters of the Atlantic, we see that 

 on its arrival at the south point of Greenland, it rises from left 

 to right, from the Gulf Stream to Cape Farewell, about 2^ feet, 

 Avhich shows clearly that its course is really to the south. More- 

 over, this elevation from left to right enables us to give a more 

 satisfactory account of the conditions of currents. In short, the 

 western margin of the warm current accompanying the polar 

 current, ought, along the latter, to have a depth of 1,000 feet 

 .and a speed of J of a foot ; and as the speed of the current di- 

 minishes regularly in approaching the Gulf Stream, and as all 

 the parts of the current follow, as far as Cape Farewell, a di- 

 rection nearly parallel, it follows that the speed along the Gulf 

 Stream ought to be at the rate of about i a foot ]ier second. 

 But if the returning branch of the Gulf Stream proceeds to the 

 south-west with a fall of 4 a foot on its west border, it follows 

 that the depth of the current ought to be 76 feet. By determin- 

 ing ir the same way the depth for a certain number of points of 

 a transverse section, and by calculating according to these data 

 the total delivery of the current, we find that it is raised to 

 410,000,000 cubic feet per second, which perfectly accords with 

 the result which we ought to obtain. If next we inquire how 

 the varioui parts of the warm surface current move under the 

 united action of the slope and the earth's rotation, we ascertain 

 that this current ought to follow the course of the polar current 

 which gradually absorbs the waters that penetrate underneath, 

 the water of the current being more dense than that of the polar 

 current, and we find at the same time that in thus flowing towards 

 the polar current the water ought to spread itself all over the 

 Atlantic as far as Newfoundland. 



After having thus shown that the preceding theory accounts in 

 a tolerably complete manner for all the movements of the ocean 

 currents, I shall add, in conclusion, that it is very possible, con- 

 sidering our imperfect knowledge of the progress of currents, 

 that many details may be very different from those which have been 

 expounded above ; but, so far as the main question is concerned, 

 I believe I am entitled to say with confideoce that the laws of 

 ocean currents are pretty much those which I have attempted to 

 establish. 



That these laws are equally applicable to the atmosjiheric 

 currents is evident, and it is scarcely necessary to repeat, that in 

 periods when the differences of temperature on the surface of the 

 globe were greater than at present, all these currents were much 

 stronger, and of a nature otherwise very energetic. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



The Quariaiy Journal of Mkyoscopical Science for October, 

 1871. ''Theoiigin and distribution of Microzymes (Bacteria) 

 in water, and the circumstances which determine their existence 

 in the tissues and liquids of the living body," by Dr. Burdon 

 Sanderson, F.R.S. This paper is occupied chiefly by details of 

 experiments to determine the conditions which are fatal or 

 favourable to the existence of microzymes in the liquid or gaseous 

 fluids by which we are surrounded, in order to apjiroach one 

 degree nearer to an understanding of their influence tm the pro- 

 cesses which go on in the living body. After a definition of 

 " microzymes " the author proceeds to their chemical composition 

 and their relation to the media in which they grow. This portion 

 is brief and incomplete. The remainder of the paper is occupied 



with the experiments, which are grouped under these three 

 sections. (i) Experimental determination of the conditions 

 which govern the development of microzymes in certain organic 

 liquids to be used as tests. Having found in a number of cases 

 that either contact with surfaces which had not been superheated, 

 or the admixture of water which had not been boiled, was the 

 exclusive cause of the growth of microzymes in the experimental 

 liquid, it was inferred that water is the primary source from whence 

 the germinal particles of bacteria are derived whenever they seem 

 to originate spontaneously in organic solutions. A number of ex- 

 periments were made with different varieties of water in ordinary 

 use, in order to confirm the observations already made, and to ascer- 

 tain if all waters possess the properties in question in a like degree. 

 These expeiiments are detailed under the second section (2) 

 l>i5tribution of the Germal Matter of Microzymes in ordinary 

 Water. The results under this head were not deemed satis- 

 lactory. (3) Circumstances which determine the existence of 

 microzymes in organic liquids and tissues, that is, whether the 

 tissues and liquids of the living body participate in the zymotic 

 property which exists in water and moist substances. The con- 

 clusion drawn from the facts is, that " it has appeared certain 

 that there is no developmental connection between microzymes 

 and torula cells, and that their apparent association is one of mere 

 juxtaposition. Thus fungi are not developed, notwithstanding 

 ihe presence of microzymes in the same liquid in which, mi- 

 crozymes being absent, but air having access, they appear with 

 the greatest readiness." Finally, the writer is certain that, 

 although air is the main source of what he calls fungus impreg- 

 nation, as distinguished from impregnation with microzymes, yet 

 the two acts may take place at the same moment, germs of torula 

 being often contained in the same liquid media as the germ par- 

 ticles of microzymes. — " On the Colouring Matter of some 

 Aphides," by H. C. Sorby, F.R.S. — "Observations and Ex- 

 periments on the Red Blood Corpuscles, chiefly with regard to 

 the Action of Gases and Vapours," by E. Ray Lankester. — " On 

 Unduhna, the type of a new group of Infusoria," by E. 

 Ray Lankester. — "On the Circulation in the wings of 

 Blatta Orientalis and other Insects, and on a new method ot 

 injecting the vessels of insects," by H. N. Moseley. After 

 describing the method adopted for preparing and fixing the wings 

 of insects for examination of the circulation, the writer proceeds 

 to his experiences with the cockroach. The corpuscles in Blatla 

 are so large that the circulation may readily be seen with a high 

 power of a simple dissecting microscope. If an insect be carefully 

 tied, the circulation may be observed in action for as long as twelve 

 hours. Abundance of parasites were found in the blood vessels 

 oi Blatta sxii coleopterous insects. The method recommended 

 lor the injection of the circulatory system of insects is through the 

 largest artery on the front border of the wing, and the injecting 

 fluid is indigo cannine. — " On the production of Spores in the 

 Radiolaria," by Prof L. Cienkowski ; translated from vol. vii., 

 part 4, of the "Archiv. fur Mikroskop. Anatomic." The obser- 

 vations on which this paper is based were mainly made upon 

 Collosph.-era and Collozoum. The capsule is the source of the 

 zoospores. In the mature capsule the contents break up into a 

 quantity of little spheroids. — "On the Peripheral Distribu- 

 tion of non-meduUated Nerve-fibres," by E. Klein. The writer 

 purposes treating of the nerves of the cornea, those of the 

 nictitating membrane of the frog, of the canal in the tail of 

 the rabbit, and of the mesentery. The present communication is 

 confined to the nerves of the cornea, the remaining subjects are to 

 be embodied in a second paper. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 



Geological Society, Nov. 22. —The Rev. Thomas Wiltshire, 

 M.A., in the chair. Mr. .Samuel Baillie Coxon was elected a 

 Fellow of the Society. The following communications were 

 read: — i. "Notes on some Fossils from the Devonian Rocks 

 of the Witzenberg Flats, Cape Colony." By Prof. T. Rupert 

 Jones, F. G. S. In this paper the author noticed some Devonian 

 fossils like those of the Bokkeveld, found on Mr. Louw's farm 

 on the Witzenberg Flats, Tulbagh. OrtJioceras vittaliim^ Sand- 

 berger, was added to the South African list of fossils. The 

 fossils under notice were stated by the author to help to sub- 

 stantiate the late Dr. Rubidge's view, that the old schists termed 

 " Silurian " by Bain are of Devonian age, and continuous across 

 the colony. Their presence in the Witzenberg Flats was also 



