24 



NA TURE 



{May 3, 1883 



fact established by Messrs. Gladstone and Tribe, that in the cell, 

 consisting of two plates in diluted sulphuric acid, the electric 

 current changes the sulphate of lead generated at the positive 

 pole into peioxide of lead, PbS0 4 + il,U + = l'bO„+ H„S0 4 , 

 whereas at the negative pole the sulphate of [lead is simply de- 

 composed into sulphuric acid and disintegrated lead. Hence, 

 after charging, the cell consists of Pb | H„S0 4 | PbO„ | Pb, a 

 combination which yields a very powerful discharge, available 

 al o for a protracted period. To this theory it lias been objected 

 that at the negative pole the sulphate of lead cannot be decom- 

 posed into lead and sulphuric acid. But Dr. Aron has satisfied 

 himself that, under the influence of the hydrogen beginning to be 

 general ed, very thin layers of sulphate of lead become so reduced, 

 thicker layers alone resisting decomposition. The process at 

 the positive electrode being really such as is described by Glad- 

 stone and Tribe, the above theory of accumulators may, broadly 

 speaking, be accepted as correct. As regards the peroxide 

 of lead, the speaker pointed out that this combination is ad- 

 mittedly of a brown colour, whereas the substance deposited on 

 the positive plate is black. From a more searching examina- 

 tion of this substance, it resulted that it is not the peroxide, but 

 a hydrate of the peroxide of lead. And Dr. Aron suspects that 

 there is here le s question of a hydrate Pb0 2 H s O than of a 

 combination of the oxide of lead with peroxide of hydrogen. A 

 series of theoretically interesting isolated phenomena may 

 possibly be produced by following up the processes here in 

 question. But in the present conditions Dr. Aron holds the 

 practical application of the accumulators to be hopeless. — Prof. 

 Neesen briefly described a slight improvement in the quicksilver 

 air-pump, illustrating it v. ith a diagram. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, April 23. — M. Blanchard in the 

 chair.— The death of Prof. Kocbe of Montpellier, Correspon- 

 dent in A-tron 'my, was announced. (A report on his work by 

 M. Tisserand is inserted in Comptes Rcndus.) — A new method 

 for determination of the right ascension of polar stars, and of 

 the inclination of the axis of a meridian above die equator 

 (continued), by M. Loawy. — On some relations between the 

 temperatures of combustion, the specific heats, the dissociation, 

 and the pressure of explosive mixtures, by M. Berthelot. — Note 

 on the inland African sea, by M. Cosson. — On a manner of 

 determining the angle of position of a point of the surface of a 

 star with the aid of a horizontal telescope, by M. Trepied. — On 

 the use of the horizontal telescope for observations of solar 

 spectroscopy, by M. Thollon. His apparatus is essentially a 

 horizontal telescope deprived of the tune and reduced to its 

 most simple expression. It is more easily managed than an 

 equatorial. The mirror used is guided by the two hands, and 

 the solar surface is explored at will. The author shows how he 

 solved the difficult problem of determining position. — Determin- 

 ation of a particular class of surfaces with plane lines of 

 curvature in a system, and isotherms, by M. Darboux.— On the 

 reduction of ternary positive quadratic forms, by M. Minkow- 

 ski. — Law of periods (concluded), by M. de Jonqnieres.— On 

 a relation of involution, concerning a plane figure formed of two 

 algebraic curves, one of which has a multiple point of an order 

 of multiplicity inferior by unity to its degree, by M. Fouret. — 

 Study of infra-red radiations by means of phenomena of phos- 

 phorescence, by M. Becquerel. He indicates the results of his 

 method with telluric bands, the absorption spectrum of water 

 and of some earthy metals, and the emission spectrum of 

 metallic vapours. — On the specific heat of some gases at high 

 temperatures, by M. Vieille. He verifies, for the ga-es II, O, 

 N, and CO, the identity of the molecular heats with constant 

 volume up to 2700°. The mea-urement of pressures leads him 

 to attribute to certain reactions temperatures much higher than 

 have been supposed practically realisable. — On the variation of 

 indices of refraction of water and quartz under the influence of 

 temperature, by M. Dufet. He indicates a new application of 

 Talbot's fringes in measurement of this variation. The number 

 for quartz is almost identical with that obtained by M. Fizeau. — 

 Experimental studies on the production of vowels in whispered 

 speech, by M.Lefort. Air is blown intoacavity of variable capacity, 

 open and cl .sable at the upper part. The sounds characteristic 

 of vowels are thus produced. The author claims to prove that 

 the v wels are not timbres (as generally taught) ; they are notes 

 of different heights of the instrument of speech (quite distinct 

 from the vocal instrument). Various timbres may be commu- 

 nicated to them by action of the muscle, of the organ of 

 voice.--On the liquefaction of nitrogen, by MM. Wroblewski 



and Olszewski. Nitrogen cooled in a glass tube to - 136 C, 

 and under a pressure of 150 atm., does not liquefy. On sudden 

 release there is tumultuous ebullition. Gradual release, not 

 passing 50 atm., yields the liquid, clear and colourless, with a 

 distinct meniscus ; it evaporates very quickly. The liquefaction 

 of CO under like conditions on April 21 was announced.— On 

 iodised apatites, by M. Ditte. — Action of water on Theil's lime, 

 and the existence of a new hydraulic compound, pouzzo-porlland, 

 by M. Landrin. The composition of this compound is silica 

 4455, lime 5545. It is the principal element of all Theil's 

 compounds. — On some phenolic derivatives, by M. Henry. — 

 Jurassic Echinida of Algeria, by M. Cotteau. Of the 47 species 

 found, 28 occur in Europe about the same stratigraphic levels. 

 Some curious species peculiar to Algeria are noted. — Clayballs 

 of Macaluba, by M. Contejean. These were found (of all sizes from 

 a cannon-ball to a boy's marble) in the dried bed of a ravine, near 

 the mud volcano named. They are of coarse clay, » ith small 

 crystals of gypsum, giving a rough surface. It is thought they 

 are formed by the autumn rains, and are dissolved by the heavier 

 winter rains. — The perception of white and of complex colours, 

 by M. Charpentier. His curves show, inter alia, that what 

 artists term warm colours are distinguished from a colourless 

 ground more easily than white, the cold colours less easily. — On 

 the functions of pyloric appendices, by M. R. Blanchard. These 

 appendices digest effectively cooked starch, less effectively raw 

 starch, and transform albuminoids ; as they do not effect emul- 

 sion and decomposition of fats, they are but imperfect repre- 

 sentatives of the pancreis.— On the bite of the leech, by M. 

 Carlet. He detached the animal from the shaved skin of a 

 rabbit at different stages. Suppose a scarifier, with three toothed 

 and equidistant bladrs withdrawing from one another while they 

 press into the skin, and operating several times successively in 

 the same place : this gives a pretty exact idea of the mechanism. 

 — Comparative study of the bacteria of leprosy and oftuberculosi-, 

 by M. Baber. The differential properties indicated by Koch do not, 

 he holds, exist ; but there are others,' bearing on chemical and 

 molecular reaction, on form, and on arrangement in the tissues. 

 — Influence of sensitive (nerve) roots on the excitability of 

 motor-roots', by M. Canellis. Section of the sensitive root in- 

 creases considerably the excitability of the motor nerve. — Im- 

 munity of workers in copper during the last epidemic of typhoid 

 fever; confirmation of anterior observations, by M. Burq. — In- 

 fluence id altitudes on phenomena of vegetation, by M. Angot. 

 The harvest-time for inter wheat is retarded in France on an 

 average four days where the altitude is increased about 100 

 metres. 



CONTENTS Page 



Life of Sir William Rowan Hamilton 1 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Sheet-Lightning.— Rev. W. Clement Ley .... 4 



St. Andrews. — X • S 



Cape Bees and " Animal Intelligence." — Hon. Sir 



J. H. de Viliiers, K.C.M.G 5 



The Metamorphic OrWin of Granite.— Wm. Muir . 6 



Helix pomatia — Paul Henry Stokoe 6 



TheZo-iacal Light (?)— William Lawton ; H. B. P. ; 

 G. J. Symons (With Illustration); R. P. Greg; 



R. V. D 6 



Mock Moons. — Sm 7 



The Freshwater Medusae.— W. Sowerby .... 7 



The Circles of a Trianyle.— W. H. H. H 7 



Flight of Crows.— Joseph John Murphy . . , . 7 



Metamorphic Rocks of Scandinavia and Scotland . 7 

 Observation of the Great Comet of 1882. By Frof. E. 



Frisby 8 



Anthropology, I. By E. B. Tylor, D.C.L., F.R.S. . 8 



Professor Arthur Roche Si 



The Late Mr. W. A Forbes 12 



Recent Influence-Machines (With Illustrations) . . 12 



The Zeni Narrative. By Baron Nordenskjold . . 14 



Notes '5 



Chemical Notes 18 



On the Supposed PreCambrian Rocks of St. David's. 



By Archibald Geikie, F.R.S 18 



Solar Physics. By Sir William Siemens, F.R.S. . 19 



University and Educational Intelligence 21 



Scientific Serials 21 



Societies and Academies 21 



