596 



NA TURE 



[Mar. 14, 1872 



hot springs found in Wheal Clifford," by Colonel Philip Yorke, 

 F. R. S., from which it appears that a gallon of this water con- 

 tains 26grs. of lithium chloride and one million parts 17 of 

 csRsium chloride, or more than ten times as much of the latter as 

 the Diirkheim water, in which, it will he remembered, that 

 element was first detected by Kirchhoffand Bunsen in 1S60. 



Zoological Society, March 5.— Mr. John Gould, F. R.S., 

 vice-president, in the chair. Mr. Howard Saunders exhibited 

 and made remarks on specimens of Falio Inirbarus and Cypselus 

 pallidus, obtained in Southern Spain, being the first recorded 

 occurrences of these species on the continent of Europe. — A 

 letter was re;id from Mr. Walter J. Scott, of Queensland, giving 

 some further information respecting the suppo-^ed existence of an 

 undescribtd large carnivorous animal in that colony. This letter 

 was accompanied by drawings of the impression of the foo' of the 

 animal. — Mr. A. H. Garrod read some notes taken on the dis- 

 section of an ostrich, recently living in the Society's menagerie. 

 The examina'ion of this bird proved that its death wa; due to 

 copper poisoning, a number of copper coins and pieces of coin in 

 a much worn state having been found in its stomach. — Mr. E. 

 W. H. Holdsworth read a paper containing a catalogue of the 

 birds found in Ceylon, with remarks on their localities and geo- 

 graphical distribution ; and gave a description of two new species, 

 which were proposed to be called Zosterops ccyloucmis and 

 Arrcnga blig/ii. The total number of Ceylonese birds included 

 in Mr. Holdworth's list was 323, of which 36 were stated to be 

 peculiar to the island. — A communication was read from Dr. 

 Hermann Lurmeister, containing a list of the species of the 

 Eamellirostral birds of the Argentine Republic, with remarks on 

 \ heir habits and times of occurrence. — A communication was read 

 from Dr. W. Peters, containing a list of a collection of small 

 mammalia recently made by Mr. J. J. Monteiro in Angola. — Dr. 

 J. E. Gray communicated some notes on a new species of tapir 

 ( Tapinis It'iicogL-iiys) from the snowy regions of the Cordilleras of 

 Ecuador, recently obtained by Mr. Buckley ; to which were 

 added some observations on the young spotted tapirs of Tropical 

 America. 



Society of Biblical Archaeology, March 5. — Dr. Birch, 

 president, in the chair. — Mr. J. W. IJosanquet read a paper 

 "Concerning Cyrus, son of Cambyses, grandson of Astyages, 

 who took Babylon ; as distinguished from Cyrus, father of Cam- 

 byses, who conquered Astyages." In this paper, the learned 

 chronologist endeavoured to show that, contrary to the received 

 opinion of historians, Cyrus, son of Cambyses, though leader of 

 tlie Medes as early as the year B.C. 535, was contemporary with 

 tiie early part of the reign of Darius Hystaspes ; having taken 

 the throne of the Persian Empire after the death of his father. 

 This view he believed to be consonant with the results of recent 

 discoveries, and afforded a satisfactory explanation of the con- 

 fessedly difficult chronology of Ezra and the Chaldee writers. 

 IMr. Bosanquet summed up his argument as having proved : — 

 (l) that Cyr-.:s, father of Cambyses, who conquered Astyages, 

 neither conquered Babylon nor reigned in Babylon, as Ptolemy 

 assumes in his Babylonian Canon ; (2) that Cyrus, son of 

 Cambyses, King of Persia, grandson of Astyages, twice con- 

 quered B.abylon ; but did not reign over Babylon till after his 

 father's death in B.C. 51S; (3) that Ptolemy's Canon rests 

 upon no sound authority, either historical or astronomical, as 

 regards placing the reign of Cyrus at Babylon before the reign of 

 'Jambyses ; (3) that the alternative reckoning deduced from 

 Demetrius is to be preferred to that of Ptolemy, as resting upon 

 Vie dates of three solar eclipses. 



Anthropological Institute, March 4. — Mr. G. Harris, 

 vice-president, in the chair. — Mr. Charles F. Tyrrwhitt Drake 

 was elected a member. — Captain Richard F. Burton read his 

 third paper "On Anthropological Collections from the Holy 

 Land." It contained accounts of the Hamath Inscriptions, fac- 

 similes of which were exhibited, and of skulls from Siloam. An 

 interesting discussion was raised on the high antiquity of the 

 Hamath Inscriptions. Dr. Carter Blake described the human 

 remains brought by Captain Burton from Siloam, and by M. 

 Ganneau from the "Tomb of Jesus," near that place; the 

 former were stated to be undoubtedly Jewish, and the latter of 

 modern Turkish origin. Mr. J. Gould Avery read a paper "On 

 Kace-characteristics as related to Civilisation." 



BOOKS RECEIVED 



English.— Dr Pcreira's Elements of Materia Medica : Edited by Eentlcy 

 and Redwood (Longmans). — Sir John Herschel's Outlines of Astronomy, 

 jith edition (Longmans). — .Science Primers : Chemistry, by Prof. H. E. 



Roscoe ; Physics, by Prof. Balfour Stewart (Macmillan).— ^st^onomy and 

 Geology compared : Lord Ormathwaite (1. Murray) — Tlie Higher Ministry 

 of Nature : J. R. Leifchild (Hodder and'S:oughton). 



I'\5REIGN. — Annuaire de I'Academie Royale de Belgique, 1871. (Through 

 Wiltams and NorgateO-Lehrbuch der Botanik : Dr. O. W. Thome, a'^ 

 Aullage. 



DIARY 



THURSDAY, March 14. 



Rov.\L Society, at 3 30.— Contributions to the History of the Opiu-n Alka- 

 loids.— IV. : Dr, C. R. A Wright.- Further Investgations of Planetary 

 Inlluenceon Solar Activity : W. De La Rue, F.K.S., B. Stewart, F.R S., 

 and B. Loewy. — The Decomposition of Water by Zinc 'n connection with a 

 more Negative Metal : Dr Gladitone, F.R S-, and A. Tribe. 



Society of Antiquaries, at 8.30. — Sione Altar and Thurible from Syria: 

 Capt. Burton. Further Facts in the History of the Discover/ of Australia : 

 R. H. Major, FS.A. 



Mathematical Society, at 8.— Shall the Society apply for a Charter? 



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

 Manufacture; Prof. Odling, F.R.S. 



FRIDAY, March 15. 



Royal College of Surgeons, at 4.— On the Digestive Organs of the 

 Vertebrata : Prof. Flower, F, R, S. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— The Alphabet and its Origin : J. Evans, F.R.S. 

 SATURDAY, March 16. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Demonology : M. D. Conway. 



Association of Medical OFFicEks of Health, at 7.30.— Mr. Stansfeld's 

 Pubhc Health Bill: Dr. A. W. Barclay.— On the Criminal Deaths of 

 Inlants. as shown by the Records of the Coroner's Court of Liverpool : 



F. W. Lowndes. 



MOA'DAY, March 18. 



Royal College of Surgeons, at 4. — On the Digestive Organs of the 

 Vertebrata: Prof, flower, F.R.S. 



Anthropological Institute, at 8. — Comparative Longevity of Man and 

 Animals : George Harris. — Physical Condition of Centenaria:is : Sir 

 Duncan Gibb, Bart., M.D. 



TUESDAY, March 19. 



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

 Rutherford. 



ZooLr)GiCAL Society, at 9. — Report on additions to the Society's M-na- 

 gerie in February, 1872 : The Secretaiy. — On a specimen of the broad- 

 fronted Wombat {_Pluiscolomys lati/rons) : Prof. Macatister. 



Statistical Society, at 7.45. 



WEDNESDAY, March 20. 



Royal College of Surgeons, at 4. — On the Digestive Organs of the 

 Vertebrata: Prof. Flower, F.R..':. 



Geological Society, at 8.- On.the Wealden as a fluvio-lacustiine Forma- 

 tion and on the relation of the so-called "Punfield Formation" to the 

 We3ld..n and Neocomian : C J. A. Meyer, FG.S. -Notes on Atolls 't 

 Lagoon IsKands: S. J. Whit.ielt— On the Glacial Phenomena of the 

 Yorkshire Up'ands : J. R. Dakyn.— Modern Glacial action in Canada: 

 Rev. W. Bleasdell, M.A. 



Society of Arts, at 8.— Notes from a Diamond Tour through South 

 Africa ; T. W. Tobio. 



Meteorological Society, at 7. 



THURSDAY, March 21. 



Royal Society, at 8.30. 



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

 facture : Prof Odiing, F. R.S. 



Society of Antiquaries, at 8.30. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— On the Geogr.aphical Distribution of CoraposilK : 



G. Bentham. 

 Chemical Society, at 8. 



CONTENTS Page 



I-A Seine 377 



Our Book Shelf 380 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Placental Classification of Mammals —Dr. Pye-Smith, F.Z. S. 3S1 



Potential Energy.— A. G. Gkeenhill 38a 



Development of Barometric Depressions. — W. Clement Ley . . 382 



A Safety Lamp. — B. G Jenkins 382 



Beautiful Meteor— Lord RossE, F.R.S. ; J. Budd 382 



" Whin."— Rev. Wm. R. Bell 383 



Cuckoo and PiriT 383 



Dr. G. E. Day 383 



Ocean Currents. By W. Ferrel 384 



Fekgusson's Rude Stone Monuments. By Sir John Lubbock, 



Bart., M. P., F.R.S. {IVillt Ulustratlaiis.'] 386 



The Study and Teaching of Mechanics 389 



Notes 390 



Aurora Australis. By A. Meldrum, F.R.A.S 392 



Geology : Supposed Legs of Trilobites. By Prof. J. D. Dana . . . 393 



Physiology : blood Crystals 393 



Scientific Serials 393 



Societies and Academies 394 



Books Received 396 



D'ARV 396 



NOTICE 

 We beg leave to state that we dec! me to return rejected communica- 

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

 ttons respecting Subscriptions or Advertisements must be addressed 

 to the Publisliers, not to the Editor, 



