436 



NATURE 



[Mar. 28,1872 



whether Ben Nevis, or any of the mountains of the district, 

 offered a sufficient gathering-ground for any such glacier as that 

 supposed in the freshwater theory, assuming the chmate to liavc 

 been such as would have admitted of a large lake in Glen Roy. 

 He suggested the possibility of the openings through which the 

 sea would gain access to the district having at the time of the 

 last submergence been to some extent choked with ice, which 

 thus checked the tidal action inland from the present coast ; and 

 thought that possiljly both glaciers and the sea had together 

 contributed towards the formation of the terraces. These, he 

 observed, were by no means confined to Glen Roy itself, but 

 were to be seen on a large scale, and at a lower level in the 

 valley of the Speam, if not elsewhere. 

 Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, March 11.— The following mathe- 

 matical papers were read : — On flattened curves, by Mr. A. 

 Cayley, communicated by M. Chasles ; on the determina- 

 ion of the characteristics of the elementary system of cubics, 

 by M. 11. G. Zeuthen, also presented by M. Chasles; and 

 on a change of variables, which renders certain equations 

 with partial derivations of the second order integrable, by 

 M. J. Boussinesq, presented by M. de Saint- Venant. M. 

 de Saint-Venant also presented the continuation of his me- 

 moir on the hydrodynamics of water-courses. — Papers on 

 auroras were communicated by Marshal Vaillant, M. Vinson, 

 M. H. de Parville, and M. H. Tarry. M. Vinson's communica- 

 tion, and two extracts from letters read by Marshal Vaillant, 

 related to a magnificent Aurora Australis observed at the Island 

 of Bourbon (Reunion) on the night of February 4-5. —M. C. 

 Saint-Claire Deville presented a note by M. A. Houzeau on 

 the proportion of ozone contained in the air of the country, 

 and on its origin. — M. W. de Fonvielle presented a note in 

 continuation of that read at the previous meeting on the 

 means of protecting habitations against the perils of light- 

 ning strokes induced by gas-pipes, &c. — A report, by M. 

 Coumbary, on the prediction of earthquakes, was read. - 

 M. E. IJecquerel presented a note by M. A Cazin on the quantity 

 of magnetism of electro-magnets. — M. Delaunay communicated 

 a p.aper by M. A. M. Mayer describing some experiments, show- 

 ing that the translation of a vibrating body gives origin to a wave 

 of different length from that produced by the same vibrating 

 body in a fi.ted position. — A note by M. II. Resal on the geome- 

 trical theory of the movement of the planets was also presented 

 by M. Delaunay. — A paper was read by M. Kolb on the densities 

 of hydrochloric acid ; it contained some useful tables. — M. Blan- 

 chard presented a note by MM. P. Fischer and L. de Folin on 

 their dredgings in the fosse of Cap Breton during the year 187 1. 

 These dredgings were made at depths extending from 24 to 

 250 fathoms. The authors indicate the principal species of 

 animals obtained by them. — M. de (Juatrefages communicated a 

 paper by M. E. Perrier containing a summary of his anatomical 

 investigation upon the earthworm, and M. Coste a note by M. 

 G. Pouchet on changes of colour produced in prawns to 

 accommodate them to the colour of surrounding objects. This 

 change of colour is prevented by removing the eyes of the 

 pravras. — M. A. Leymerie described some geological peculiarities 

 in the lower Pyrenees. 



March 18. — M. Serret presented some remarks on the note 

 by Mr. Boussinesq, read at the last meeting of the Academy, 

 and stated that M. Boussinesq was long since anticipated 

 by Lacroix in the transformation proposed by him. — M. 

 Serret also presented some remarks by M. E. Combescure, 

 upon an analytical memoir by Legendre, on the integra- 

 tion of certain equations with partial differences.— M. de 

 Saint-Venant read a continuation of his memoir on the hydro- 

 dynamics of water-courses.— M. H. Saint-Claire DeviUe com- 

 municated a note by M. D. Gemez, on the absorption spectra of 

 the vapours of sulphur, selenious acid, and hypochlorous acid. 

 The author finds that coloured vapours in general absorb rays of 

 irregularly variable refrangibility. Vapour of sulphur at first 

 produces a gradual extinction of the sjiectrum, except the red 

 part a little beyond line C of the of the solar spectrum ; with an 

 increase of temperature the rest of the spectrum reappears 

 with very distinct bundles of lines in the violet and blue, and 

 returning into the green. Vapour of selenious acids pro- 

 duces a veiy distinct system of absorption-bands in the violet and 

 blue, and the absorption-spectrum of hypochlorous acid is 

 identical with that of hypochloric and chlorous acids.— M. H. 

 Tarry presented a note on the extraordinary extension of the 

 zodiacal light, and its coincidence with the periodical reappearance 



of auroras ; and the aurora of the 4th of February vras the subject 

 of notes by MM. Denza, Mohn, aud Coumbary. — M. Tarry and 

 M. Denza also noticed the sand rains of the South of Europe. — 

 M. C. Sainte-Claire Deville also presented some remarks on a 

 note on the theory of auroras, read at the last meeting by Mar- 

 shal Vaillant. — The papers on chemical subjects were particularly 

 numerous. M. Chevreul read a memoir on a phenomenon in the 

 crystallisation of a very concentrated saline solution. — A paper 

 on the formation of chloral by MM. A. Wurtz and G. Vogt was 

 read. — The question of the preservation of wine by the appli- 

 cation of heat was further discussed by MM. de Vergnete- 

 Lamotte and Pasteur. — M. Wurtz presented a note by MM. C. 

 Friedel and R. D. Silva, on the isomers of trichlorhydrine and 

 the reproduction of glycerine ; a note by M. G. Bouchardat on 

 the transformation of acetone into hydride of hexylene {dipro- 

 pyle) ; and some facts with regard to diphenylamine by MM. 

 C. Girard and G. de Laire. — M. C. Robin presented some ob- 

 servations by M. E. Ritter, on colourless bile, in which the 

 author stated that in] all cases where colourless bile occurred 

 the liver presented more or less fatty degeneration. — A note was 

 read by M. Duclaux on the influence of the cold of winter upon 

 the seeds of plants. — M. Decaisne presented a note by M. E. 

 Bomet, on the gonidia of Lichens, in which the author supports 

 the curious opinion put forward \iy M. Schwendener, that the 

 lichens are complex organisms, formed by the association of cer- 

 tain low algce with fungi or other plants. He regards the con- 

 nection as one of parasitism. — A note was read by M. S. Meunier 

 on the discovery of an abundant deposit of HcmirhyncJuis Dcs- 

 Iiaycsi in the Calcaire Grossier of Puteaux. — M. C. Bernard pre- 

 sented a note liy M. Oilier, on cutaneous grafts, and a note by 

 M. Guibert on the beneficial results obtained by the combined 

 action of morphine and chloroform in surgery. 



BOOKS RECEIVED 



English.— Space and Vision : W. H. S. Monck (Dublin, McGec).— Prac- 

 tical Physiology : E. Lankester ; 5th edition (Harjivicke).— Moth aud Rust; 

 by M. L. (W. Tegg). 

 :. Foreign.— Corso di Geologia, Vol. i. : A. Stoppani (Milan, Beraardoni). 



DIARY 



SATURDAY, March 30. 

 Chemical Society, at 8.— Anniversary Meeting. 

 MONDAY, April i. 

 Entomological Society, at 7. 



Royal Institution, at 2.— General Monthly Meeting. 

 Victoria Institute, at 8.— On Force : Dr. M'Cann. 



TUESDAY, April =. 

 Society of Biblical ARCHyEOLOCY, at 8.30.— Notice of a Curious Myth 

 respecting the Birth of Sargina, from the Assyrian Tablets containing an 

 Account of his Life: H F.lalbot, F.R.S.L.— The Assyrian verbs " Basu," 

 to be, " Qabah," to say, and " Isu," to have, identified as variant forms of 

 verbs having the same significations in the Hebrew language : R. Cull, 

 F.S.A.— On the Origin of Semitic Civilisation, chiefly upon Philological 

 Evidence : Rev. A. H. Sayce, M.A. 



WEDNESDAY, April 3. 

 Society of Arts, at 8. 

 Microscopical Society, at 8. 

 Pharmaceutical Society, at 8. 



THURSDAY, April 4. 

 M Society, at 8. —On the Geographical Distribution of Composite : 



CONTENTS p^e. 



The Iron and Steel Institute 417 



Nicholson'on the Graptolites * .18 



Our Book Shelf ! '. *. 419 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Circumpolar Land. — H. H. Howorth 420 



New Zealand Trees * ' .jz 



Earthquakes in the Philippine Islands.— Dr. A. b'. Meyer ! .' .' 422 



Height of Auroras.— T. W. Backhouse I22 



Eccentricity of the Earth's Orbit — J.Ellis ' 422 



Barometric Depression. — J. J. Murphy, F.G.S. . \ \ \ .' .' 422 

 Further Investigations on Planetary Influence upon Solar 

 Actiyitv. By Warren De La Rue. D.C.L., F.R.S- : Balfour 



Stewart, LL.D,, F.R.S. ; and Benjamin Loewy, F.RA.S a2-x 



Rhinoceroses. ( With Illustrations.) \% 



SciEN-cE in the Navy '. ! ' 428 



Notes ^^^ 



Annual Address to the Geological Society of London, Feb! 



16,1872. By J. Prestwich. F.R.S 431 



Prof. Schiapakelli's Researches \ \ ^33 



Societies and Academies T^c 



Books Received \% 



Diary 1 ^ *. ! * 436 



