3i6 



NATURE 



{Feb. 15, 1872 



notes of some further "Researches on Conchosph-als." He 

 pointed out the geometrical properties of the logarithmic spirals 

 of MoUusca, the special form of spiral in Ammonites, and the 

 methods of deducing the individual specific parameters from 

 (a) tangential measurements, (;8) horizontal sections, and (7) ver- 

 tical sections. — The Chairman exhibited a human skull from 

 Swan River, Australia, encrusted with shells and much acted on 

 by water. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, February 5. — -M. Serret presented a 

 note by M. A. Mannheim, containing generalisations of Meu- 

 nier's theorem. — M. H. Resal presented a memoir on the 

 mechanical effects of the American hammer. — A memoir was 

 read by M. E. Duclaux on the laws of the flow of liquids in 

 capillary spaces. — Mr. P. Blaserna presented a note on the 

 solar atmosphere, in which he claims to have arrived at the same 

 conclusions with M. Janssen, from his observations during the 

 eclipse of December 22, 1S70. — M. Renou replied to the ob- 

 servations made by M. Delaunay with regard to the Meteorologi- 

 cal Annual of the Paris Observatory at the last meeting of the 

 Society, and M. Le Verrier suggested the appointment of a com- 

 mittee to revise the meteorological observations presented to the 

 Academy during the last century, and to bring out an autlientic 

 edition of them. — Communications, descriptive of the aurora 

 observed in France and elsewhere on the evening of February 4, 

 from MM, Frou, Sallcis, Laussedat, and Chapelas, were read, as 

 also an extract from a letter from M. Cornu to M. Fizeau upon 

 the spectrum of the same aurora. The most important result 

 obtained by the last-mentioned author was the determination of 

 the existence of a yellowish-green band coinciding with that pre- 

 viously observed by Angstrom in 1S67-6S. — M. Prazmowski 

 also presented a note on the spectral investigation of the aurora 

 of Feb. 4. He described a green band about E of Fraunhofer 

 (seemingly identical with that observed by M. Cornu), a red 

 band near C, and two more very faint bands in the blue and 

 violet, near F and G. — M. Bobierre communicated some chemi- 

 cal investigations on the Landes of Pjrittany, in which he noticed 

 especially tlie constituents of the ashes of plants grown on those 

 soils. They are chiefly remarkable for the gi'eat quantity of 

 silica contained in them and their poverty in alkalme salts. — 

 M. Cahours presented a note by M. G. Chancel, on the con- 

 traction of solutions of cane sugar at the moment of inversion, 

 and on a new saccharimetric process. The author described 

 the method employed by him, and stated that a solution of 

 cane sugar, after inversion, has undergone an appreciable 

 diminution of volume, which increases in proportion to the 

 amount of sugar in solution. Upon this property lie proposes 

 to found a new method of saccharimetry. — M. Sacc presented 

 an analysis of the linseed oil referred to in a recent memoir read 

 to the Academy. — M. Dupuy de Lome read two long and ex- 

 ceedingly interesting papers upon the construction of a screw 

 aerostat invented by him, and on the results of a trial trip made 

 with it. The machine consists of an oblong balloon, with a boat- 

 shaped car ; the author describes it as presenting great stability. 

 The propeller worked by eight men moved the lialloon through 

 the air with a velocity of 2 '82 metres per second, or io| kilome- 

 tres (about i>\ miles) per hour, so that a certain amount of power 

 over the movements of the machine was obtained. — The warm 

 discussion upon heterogeny and the nature of fermentation was 

 continued at this meeting by a second communication on the 

 latter subject by M. Fremy, who denies that the experiments of 

 M. Pasteur have anything to do with fermentation. He also 

 declared that his Iheor)' has nothing in common with that of 

 Liebig, with which it was identified by M. Wurtz. The paper 

 contained accounts of experiments made with malt, yeast, milk, 

 and grape-wort, and upon the decomposition of organic bodies 

 by the action of moulds. — MM. Dumas and Balard made some 

 remarks on this communication, and M. V. Meunier presented 

 a note in which he stated that organic bodies do frequently make 

 their appearance in solutions treated afler M. Pasteur's method, 

 so that, lie thought, the results obtained by that gentleman are 

 not conclusive. — M. de Quatrefages presented a note by M. E. 

 T. Hamy describing the occurrence of brachycephalous negroes 

 among the Gammas on the shores of the Fernand-Vaz River in 

 AVestern Africa. — M. Milne-Edwards described a self-regulating 

 gas-heating apparatus in use in the zoological laboratory of the 

 Museum ; and M. Sichel fih forwarded the description of 

 a new ophthalmoscope for simultaneous observations by two 

 persons. 



BOOKS RECEIVED 



English. — A Treatise on Attractions, Laplace's Functions, anfl tlie Figure 

 oftheEartli, 4th edition : J. H. Pr.-itt (Macmillan and Co.) —Science and 

 Humanity ; Noah Poller (Hodder and Stoughton). — Solid Geometry and 

 Conic Sections : J. M. Wilson (Macmillan and Co.) — Report by the Com- 

 mittee on Intemperance, for the Lower House of Convocation : (Jas. Clarke 

 and Co.)- Our National Resources and how they are reacht'd : W. Hoyle 

 (Simpkin and Marshall).— Consumption, and the Breath re-breathed ; Dr. H. 

 M'Cotmac (Longmans). 



Foreign. — Bulletin de la Societe Imperiale des Naiuralistcs de 'Moscou, 

 1871, Nos. I and 2. 



DIARY 



THURSDAY, February 15. 

 RoVAL Society, at 8.30. — On the Induction of Electric Currents in an Infi- 

 nite Plane Conducting Sheet: Prof. Clerk M.ixwell, F.R.S.— On some 

 Derivatives of Uramido-benzoic Acid : J. P. Griess, F.R.S. 

 Society of Antiquaries, at 8.30. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— On a Chinese Artichoke Gall : A. Miillcr, F.L.S. 

 —On the Habits, Structure, &c., of the Three-banded Armadillo : Dr. J. 

 Murie, F.L.S.- Comparative Geographical Distribution of Butterflies and 

 Birds : W. F. Kirby. 

 Chemical Society, at 8. 



FRIDAY, February ii3. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — On the Crystallisation of Silver f^nd other 



Metals; Dr. Gladstone, F.R.S. 

 Geological Society, at i. — Anniversary Meeting. 



SATURDAY, February 17. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — On the Theatre in Shakespeare's Time ; Wm. 

 B. Donne. 



SUNDAY, February 18. 

 Sunday Lecture Society, at 4. — On the Human Hand, as Illustrating the 

 Scheme of Creation ; LawsonTait. 



MONDAY, February 19. 

 Entomological Society, at 7. 



Anthropological Institute, at 8. — Strictures on Darwinism : H. H. 

 Howorth — Race-Characteristics as related to Civilisation : J. Gould 



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

 TUESDAY, February 20. 



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

 Rutherford. 



Zoological Society, at 9, — Notes upon the Anatomy of the young Hippo- 

 potamus, as observed in the specimen which died in the Society's Gardens 

 on the loth January, 1872 : J. W. Clark.— Contributions to a General His- 

 tory of the Sponglada;. Part II : Dr. J. S. Bowerbank. — On the Spiders 

 of Palestine and Syria ; containing a general 1 st with descriptions of 

 numerous new species and characters of two new genera : Rev. O. P. 

 Cambridge. 



Statistical Society, at 7.45. — On Prison Discipline and Statistics in 

 Lower Bengal : Dr. Mouat. 



IVEDNESDAY, February 2t. 



Geological Society, at 8. — Migrations of theGraptolites : Prof. H. Alleyne 

 Nicholson, F.G.S.— How the Parallel Roads of Glen Roy were Formed : 

 Prof. James Nicol, F.G.S.— Notes on Atolls or Lagoon-islands: S. J. 

 Whitnell. 



Society of Arts, at 8. — On Prison Labour, as an Instrument of Punish- 

 ment, Profit, and Reformation : F. J. Mouat. 



Royal Society of Literature, at 8.30.— On Results of rec:nt Excava- 

 tions in Rome : Mr. Vaux. 



Meteorological Society, at 7. 



THURSDAY, February 22. 



RoY.AL Society, at 8. 3©. 



RovAL Institution, at 3. — On the Chemistry of Alkalies and Alkali 

 Manufacture ; Prof Odling, F.R.S. 



Society of Antiquaries, 8.30. 



CONTENTS Page 



The Position of the Centre of Gravity in Insects. My Felix 



Plateau 297 



On the Colouring-Matters FOUND IN Fungi. H. C. Sordv, F.R.S. 298 



Schmidt's Comparative Anatomy. By Dr. P. H. Pye Smith . . 298 



Our Book Shelf 29J 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Total Eclipse, as seen at Oolacamund.— J. Boesincee . '-. . 300 



Natural Science at Oxford. — Prof. Thiselton Dyer 301 



Auroral Statistlcs.—Prof. C. PlAZZi Smyth, F.R.S 301 



The Aurora of February 4.— Rev. H. C. Key Vnih Diagram): 

 J. J. Hall : T. Fawcett : Rev. T. 'W. Wedd, F.R.A.S : J. R. 

 Capron ; Rev. S. J. Perry, F.R.A.S. ; Sir D. Wedderburn, 



Bart, M.P. ; j. J. MuRPHv, F.G.S 302 



The Great Comet of 1861.— A C. Ranvard, F.R.A.S 304 



On Luminous Matter IN THE Atmosphere. By Henry Wald.ver 304 



The Mongoose and the Cobra. J. W. Edmonds 305 



Haktwig's Subterranean World. (With Ulustrations) ... 305 



Recent Discovery of Pit Dwellings. By J. Stevens .... 30S 



Inauguration of the Observatory at Cordob.\ 309 



Notes 310 



Physics : Preliminary Catalogue of the Bright Lines in the Spectrum 



of the Chromosphere. By Prof. C. A. Young 312 



Scientific Serials 3^3 



Societies and Academies 314 



Books Received 314 



Diary 3'* 



