5i6 



in the subjacent rocks. In the highlands of Scotland, so far 

 as he had observed, there was not a valley, ravine, or lake-basin 

 unconnected with a break or fault in the strata ; and instanced 

 particularly the Caledonian Canal, Loch Awe, Glencoe, Loch 

 Fyne, and Lochlomond. He considered the deep parts of the 

 latter lake were due to the meeting or crossing of two or more 

 breaks, where consequently the rocks were fractured to a greater 

 extent. Some of the dislocations, he was inclined to think, had 

 been post-glacial. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, April 15.— M. de Saint- Venant read 

 a memoir on tlie intensity of the forces capable of deforming 

 ductile cylindrical blocks placed under various conditions. — M. 

 J. Boussinesq read a memoir on the influence of the centrifugal 

 forces upon the varied permanent flow of water in prismatic 

 channels of great width.— M. de Saint- Venant presented a note 

 by M. E. Combescure on a process of integration by successive 

 approximations of the equation 



NA TURE {April 25.1872 



his long-continued investigation. — M. L. V. Turquan submitted 

 to the judgment of the Academy the description of an apparatus ' 

 for indicating the presence of fire-damp in mines. 



BOOKS RECEIVED 



Foreign.— (Throdgh Williams and Norgate.)—Anntomi5chi;.systemat;scKe 

 Beschreibung der Alcyonarien, it" Abtheilung, die Pennatuliden : A. Kblli- 

 ker. -Morphologic u. Entwiokelungs-geschichte des Pennatulidenstamraes, 

 nebstallgeiiieinen BetrachtungenzurDesccndenzIehre: A. Kolliker.— Beitrjige 

 zur Anatomie der Plattwurmer : Sommeru. Landois. — Index der Pctrographie 

 u. Stratigraphie der Schweiz u. ihrer Umgebungen : B. Studer.— Geschichte 

 der Himmelsknnde nach ihrem gesammten Umfange, Parts 1-3 : J. H. v. 

 Madler.— Hydra, eine anatomische entwickelungs-geschi;btliche Unter- 

 suchung: Dr. N. Kleinenberg. 



^cj^^^y-c 



dx- 



!)• 



4A- 



in plastic dynamics. — MM. P. A. Favre and C. A. Valson pre- 

 sented a continuation of tlieir researches upon crystalline disso- 

 ciation. This paper contains the first part of their investigations 

 on the alums.— A note by M. Lecoq de Boisbaudran on the 

 spectrum of the vapour of wafer. The spectrum was obtained 

 by passing an induction current through a tube filled with rarefied 

 aqueous vapour ; the spectrum consists of white stratifications, 

 the light of which is resolved into four principal lines.— 

 Several papers relating to auroras were read, including 

 a note by M. Chapelas on polar lights observed in Paris 

 on the evening of April 10; one by M. Tarry, communi- 

 cated by M. Le Verrier, on the prevision of magnetic 

 auroras by means of terrestrial currents, as applied to the 

 aurora of April 10 by M Bureau ; a general investigation of 

 auroras by M. Heis, including a long list of parallel occurrences 

 of such phenomena in the northern and southern hemispheres 

 during the years 1S70 and 1871 ; and a note by M. Linuer on 

 the theory of auroras, in which the author concludes that they 

 are electro-magnetic phenomena which have their seat chiefly in 

 the upper regions of the atmosphere.— M. Loewy presented a 

 note on the discovery of two new planets, 119 and 120 one 

 observed in Paris on April 9 by M. Paul Henry, the other at 

 Marseilles on April 10 by M. Borelly. The positions of these 

 planets on April II-13 are given. — M. Berthelot read a note on 

 the heat of formation of the oxygenated compounds of nitrogen. 

 — M. A. Gdlot presented a claim of priority with respect to a 

 paper read by M. Gruner on January 22 on the action of oxide 

 of carbon on iron and its oxides. — M. Cahours presented a note 

 by MM. L. Dusart and C. Bardy on the phenoles. — M. Bous- 

 singault presented a note by M. A. Muntz on the statics of the 

 cultivation of hops, containing a statement of the elements 

 assimilated by the hop plants gi'own upon thirty-eight ares, and 

 upon one hectare of land at Worth. — A note by M. C. van 

 Bambekc on the first effects of fecundation upon the ova of 

 fishes and on the origin and interpretation of the mucous or 

 glandular lamella in the osseous fishes was presented by M. de 

 Quartrefages. The author stated, as the result of his researches, 

 that under the influence of fecundation the germinal disc of the 

 egg in osseous fishes divides into two layers, of which the upper 

 one becomes segmented, whilst the lower one forms an interme- 

 diate layer between the segmented blastoderm and the vitelline 

 sphere, and accompanies the former in its development around 

 the latter. He regards the thin central portion of this intermediate 

 layer as the homologue of the mucous lamella. — M. A. Gaudry 

 read a paper on the fossil animals of the Leberon in Vaucluse. 

 These lossils are chiefly mammalian, and present a remarkable 

 anology to those of the Miocene deposits of Pikermi in Attica, 

 investigated some years since by the author. — M. A. Brongniart 

 presented a note by M. de Saporta " On the more precise deter- 

 mination of certain Jurassic Coniferous Genera by Observation 

 of their Fruits." The genera here referred to are Brachvphvllnm, 

 PachyfJ:yllum, Echhioslrohus, Ciinnitighamia, Widdrin«tonin, 

 Palicocyparis (a new genus proposed for some species described 

 as belonging to Tliuyites), and PJiyl'.ostrobus (a new genus allied 

 to T/uijii). — M. de Quatrefages communicated a note by MM. 

 E. Masscnat, P. Lalandc, and Carlailhac "On the Discovery of 

 a Human Skeleton of the Reindeer period at Laugene-Basse in 

 the Dordogne." — M. A. Milne-Edwards read some researches 

 upon fossil birds, containmg a sort of summary of the results of 



DIARY 



THURSDAY, A.TRll.^. 

 Royal Society, at 8,30.— On a Supposed Periodicity in the Elements of 



Terrestrial Magnetism, with a Period of 26^ Days : The President.— Con- 



tnbunonsto Formal Logic: A. J. Ellis, F. U.S. 

 Lo.-JDON Institution, at 7.30.— On the Effects of Certain Faults of Vision 



on Painting, with especial reference lo the Works of Turner and Mulready : 



Dr. Liebreich. 

 Royal Institution, at 3 —On Heat and Light : Prof. Tyndall, F.R.S. 



FRIDAV, April 26. 

 Royal Institution, at 9.- On the Genius and Character of the Modern 



Greek Language : Prof. Blackie. F.R.S. E. 

 Quekett Microscopical Club, at 8. 



SATURDAY, April 27. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— The Star-Depths : R. A. Proctor. 

 Government School of Mines, at 8.— On Geology : Dr. Cobbold. 



SUNDAY, April 28. 

 Sunday Lecture Society, at 4.— On Geographical Influences on History • 

 Prof. John Young , M. D. 



MONDAY, April 29. 

 Zoological Society, at i.— Anniversary Meeting. 



London Institution, at 4.— Elementary Botany, with special reference to 

 the Classification of Plants; Prof Bentley, F.L.S. 

 TUESDAY, April 30. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— On the Development of Belief and Custom 

 amongst the Lower Races of Mankind : E. B. Tylor, F.R.S. 



WEDNESDAY, May i. 

 Royal Institution, at 2.— Annual Meeting. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— On Telegraphy without Insulation, the means of 



cheapening Internal Communication : H, Highton. 

 Microscopical Society, at 8. 



THURSDAY, May i. 

 Royal Society, at 8.30. 

 Society of Antiquaries, at 8.30. 

 LiNNSAN Society, Mi.— On A I iberlin eduHs: Sefior Correade Mello. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— On Heat and Light: Prof. Tyndall, F.R.S. 



CONTENTS p^,;, 



A Physical Observatory .„. 



Lank-ester's Physiology ' '„' 



Our Book Shelf ...'.''. St 



Letters to the Editor: — 



SpectroscopicNomenclature.— Capt. J. Herschel, F.R.S. . . . 490 

 Turner's Vision : W. M, Williams, F.C.S. . ™ 



The Adamites.— C. S. Wake ' ' ' =S 



Meteor-T. Fawcett ^!? 



A Waterspout.— J. Gray „, 



Cuckoo's Eggs — T. H, Potts .'.'.'.'.' .' .' ' |oi 



Sim-spots and the Vine Crop —Arthur Schuster . ..." 501 



Tide Gauge.— Elliott Brothers ' soi 



Colourof the Hydrogen Flame ' ' ioi 



The ''Cheironectespictus."— Lieut. J. E. Mervon.'r.'n.' .' .' ' ?oi 



Ocean Currents. By J. Croll, F.R.S \a\ 



The Fossil Mammals OF Australia. By Prof. Owen. F.R.S. ' .' |oj 

 The Connection between Colliery Explosions and Weather 



By Robert H. Scott, F.R.S., and W. Galloway .... ,04 

 I he Temperature of the Surface of the Sun. By Capt I 



Ericsson. [WW, lUnstratiom.) ^ ^ ■'■ ,,, 



The Cyclone IN THE West Indies. By Bishop Westerby' '. '. 507 



Professor S. F. B. Morse ^ ' 



Notes [ ^^ 



Observations of the Aurora Boeealis of Febru'ar'v 4 and 5", '°' 



1872. By Prof. L. Respighi c.i 



Physiology:- RecurrentVision. By Prof. C. A." Young' ! ' " ' 512 



Scientific Serials ^ 



Societies and Academies .'.'.'.' r, j 



Books Received ^ ,? 



D'*«v ■.■.:::;:::: sis 



_ Erratum.— Mr. J. J. Hall requests us to correct an error in the 

 (..ontents of our last number, whereby he is described as "FRS" 

 instead of F. M.S." . ... 



^0 



&& J, 



>■ po 



