236 



NATURE 



\yan. 1 8, 1872 



Decaisne presented a note by M. A. F. Marion on the fossil 

 plants of Ronzon in the department of the Haute Loire. The 

 flora of the mirly limestones of Ronznn includes only fifteen 

 species belonging to tlie same number of genera ; eleven of the 

 species are said to be new. These belong to the g-;nera 

 Equisclitm, PoJostachys, Myrica, Celtis, Litsiza. Bumelia, 

 Myrsinc, Pisiacia, Mimosa, Echilciiium, and Romocarpitm. 

 The facies of the flora is African or Asiatic. — A note by M. 

 Bleichen on the discovery of Posidonia miniita in the Trias of the 

 department of the Gard, and on a deposit of schists containing 

 Walchia in the Permian formation of Aveyron, was presented by 

 M. de Verneuil ; and a note by M. Sanson on an equine sVuU 

 from the turbaries of the Somme by M. de Quartrefages. The 

 author of the last-mentioned paper refers the skull obtained by 

 Boucher de Pertlies from the ancient turbaries of the Somme to 

 the African variety of the common ass. 



January 8. — M. Martin de Brettes presented a memoir on the 

 motion of oblong projectiles in resisting media, and on the expla- 

 nation of the wounds produced in living creatures by the oblong 

 balls of rifled guns. — M. E. Rolland read a memoir on the effects 

 of variations of work transmitted by machines, and on the means 

 of regulating them. —Three letters from M. Janssen were read, 

 giving an account of tlie position selected by him at Sholoor, in 

 Neilgherry Hills, for the observation of the solar eclipse of Dec. 

 12, and a brief statement of his results, the latter will be found 

 in another column. — M. S. Meunier read a note on the transi- 

 tion types in meteorites. In this paper the author indicated cer- 

 tain transitions between the constituents of meteorites analogous 

 to those occurring in terrestrial lithology — namely, between luceite 

 and montrejite, mesminite and canellite, montrejite and lime- 

 rickite, montrejite and stawoopolite, and between aumalite and 

 tadjerite. — A memoir was presented by M. C. A. Valson on a 

 relation between capillary actions and densities in saline solu- 

 tions, in which he showed by a table of results that in nearly 

 all cases the amount of capillary action is dependent on the 

 density of the fluid. — M. H. Sainte-Claire Deville presented a 

 note by MM. Troost and P. HautefeuiUe on the action of heat 

 upon the oxy-chlorides of silicium. — M. Berthelot read the con- 

 clusion of his memoir on the state of bodies in solutions, which 

 related to persalts of iron. — M. S. de Luca communicated some 

 investif^ations of a complex alum, obtained from the thermo- 

 mineral water of the Solfatara of Puzzuoli ; it consists of sul- 

 phuric acid combined with alumina, ammonia, protoxide and 

 sesquioxide of iron, lime, magnesia, and potass, with traces of 

 soda and manganese. — A note by M. D. Tommasi on the action 

 of iodide of lead upon some metallic acetates was read. — M. 

 Dubrunfaut pre.'-ent'^d a note on the combustion of carbon in 

 carbonic acid in pre-ence of water, in which he indicated the im- 

 portance of the presence of aqueous vapour in many phenomena 

 of combustion. M. Dumas spoke in opposition to to the views 

 of Dubrunfaut. — M. Pasteur communicated a note by M. J. 

 C. de Seynes on the asserted transformations of Bacti-ria and 

 Mucediiiex into alcoholic ferments ; and M. F. Bechamp 

 a paper on the development of alcoholic and other ferments 

 in fermentescible media, without the direct intervention of 

 albuminoid substances. — M Boussingault presented a note on 

 saccharine matter which appeared in the leaves of a lime 

 tree. — The author stated that the saccharine fluid observed 

 by him was not, as is generally supposed, the production 

 of Aphides, but apparently a morbid secretion of the tree ; 

 it was found to be identical in saccharine constitution with the 

 manna from Sinai analysed by Berthelot — M. C. Dareste read a 

 note in which he described the presence of bodies presenting the 

 characters of starch grains in the testes of birds, before the ap- 

 pearance of the spermatozoids. — M. Decaisne presented a note 

 by M. J. E. Planchon, on the characters and systematic position 

 of the Chinese spiny elm (Hcmipleha Davidii) ; and M. Daubree 

 some observations by M. II. Magnan, on two recent notes by M. 

 Cayrol, on "The Lower Cretaceous formation of La Clape and 

 Les Corbieres." 



BOOKS RECEIVED 



English.— Text Books of Science : Arittimetic and Mensuration: C. W. 

 Merrifield (I-ongmans).— The Elements of Plane Geometry, 2nd eaition : 

 R. P, Wright (t^ongmins)-— Concerning Spirinialism : Gerald Missey 

 (Bums).— Catalogue of Transactions, &c , RadclifTe Library, Oxford. 



American. — Approved Plans and Specifications for Ports, Hospitals, &c. . 

 :^Reports on Barracks and Hospitals, &c. — Elements of Chemistry and 

 Mineralogy, Vol. ii. : J. Hinrichs. 



DIARY 



THURSDAY. January 18. 

 Royal Society, at 8.30. — Investigations of the Currents in the Strait of 

 Gihraltar, made in August 1871, by Capt. Nares, of H M S. Shearwater: 

 Admiral Richards, F.R S.— On the Absolute Direction and Intensity of 

 the Earth's Maijnetic Force at Bombay, and its Secular and Annual 

 Variations: C. Chambers, F.R.S. 



Chemical Society, at 8. 



Royal Institution, at 3— On the Chemistry of Alkahes and Alkali 



Manufacture; Prof Odhng, F.R.S. 

 LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— On the Anatomy of the American King-Crab 



(Limuluspolyplnmus, Lat.) : Prof. Owen. F.R.S. (Continued.') 



FRIDAY, January 19. 

 RoyalInstitution atg.— On the new metal Indium: Prof. Odling, F.R,S. 



SATURDAY, January 20. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — On the Theritre in Shakespeare's Time : Wm. 

 B. Donne. 



SUNDAY, January 21. 



Sunday Lecture Society, at 4. — On King Arthur; the legend and its 



significance in relation to English life, past and present : Sebastian Evans. 



MONDAY, January 22. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. 



Victoria Institl-tf, at 8.— On the Influence of Colloid Matters upon Crys- 

 talline Form : Dr W. M. Ord. 

 Ento.mological Society, at 7. — Anniversary Meeting. 

 London Institution, at 4. Elementary Chemistry : Prof. Odling, F.R.S. 



TUESDAY, January 23. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — On the Circulatory and Nervous Systems : Dr. 

 W. Rutherford. F.R.S. E. 



WEDNESDAY, January 24. 



Geological Society, at 8,— On the Foraminifera ol the family Rota'injc 

 (Carpenter) found in the Cretaceous formations, with Notes on their Ter- 

 tiarv and Recent Representatives: Prof. T. Rupert Jones, F.G.S., and 

 W. K. Parker, F.R.S —On the Infra-Lias in Yorkshire : Rev. J. F. Blake, 

 F.G S.— Further Notes on the Geology of the Neighbourhood of Malaga : 

 M. D. M. d'Orueta 



Society of Arts, at 8. — On Improvements in the Process of Coining: 

 Ernest Seyd 



Royal Society of Literature, at 8.30 —On Excavations at the Site of 

 the Homeric Pergamus : Dr. J. G. Von Hahn. 



THURSDAY, January 25. 

 Roval Society, at 8.30. 

 Society of Antiquaries, 8.30. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— On the Chemistry of Alkalies and Alkali Manu- 

 facture : Prof. Odhng, F.R.S. 



CONTENTS Page 



The Solar Eclipse. By J. Norman Lockyer, F.R.S 217 



Captain Maclear's Observations. By J. P. Maclear, Com. R.N. 219 



Morse on Teredratulina. By E. Ray Lankester 221 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Solar Eclipse.— R. N. Taylor 222 



The Rigidity of the Earth. Prof. Sir William Thomson, F.R.S. 223 



The Kiltorcan Fossils— Wm. Hellier Baily, F.G.S 224 



Circumpolar Lands.— I. J. Murphy, F.G.S 225 



English Rainfall.— G. V. Vernon 225 



Wanted, a Government Analyst 225 



Earthquake in Celebes. — Dr A. B. Meyer 225 



Electrophvsiologica. — HI. By Dr. C. B. Radcliffe 226 



Mercury Photographs. By H. Baden Pritchard 230 



Notes 231 



The Foundation of a Technological Education. By E. C. H. Day 233 

 Mechanism of Flexion and Extension in Birds' Wings. By Dr. 



Elliott Coues 233 



Scientific Serials 234 



Societies and Academies 234 



Books Received 236 



Diary 236 



NOTICE 

 We beg leave to state that we decline to return rejected communica- 

 tions, and to this rule we can make no exception. Communica- 

 tions respecting Subso iflions or Advertisements tnust be addressed 

 to the Publishers, NOT to the Editor. 



