120 



NA TURE 



[May 3 i, .88; 



not the chief, of the difficulties the meteorologist has to contend 

 with, is the enormous amount of preliminary labour which has 

 to be expended in the not very pleasing task of forming the 

 observations he may wish to discuss into tables, casting the 

 ■columns of figures so obtained, and then computing the means. 

 With the view of arriving at results by a shorter cut, the author 

 has been led to consider the possibility of employing a method, 

 suggested by a consideration of the highly ingenious system of 

 composite portraiture, invented by Mr. Francis Galton, F.R.S., 

 and utilised in his anthropological studies. — Note on atmospheric 

 pressure during the fall of rain, by H. Sowerby Wallis, F.M.S. 

 The author discusses the condition of atmospheric pressure while 

 rain was falling, during 1882, and finds that, out of a total of 

 136 rainy days (which were available for his purpose), on 54 

 per cent, the rain was accompanied by diminishing pressure, on 

 27 per cent. I y increasing pressure, and on 19 per cent, by 

 steady pressure. — New method of reading a thermometer and 

 hygrometer at a distance by means of electricity, by Arthur W. 

 Waters, F.G.S. — An integrating anemometer, by W. F. Stanley, 

 F.M.S. — Observa'ions on the force of the wind at sea, by 

 D.W. Barker, F.M.S. — Meteorological observations at Zanzibar, 

 east coast of Africa, during 1880 and 1SS1, by Surgeon-Major 

 C. T. Peters, M.B. — Diurnal rainfall at Bangkok, Siam, by 

 Capt. G. H. Inskip, F.R.G.S. 



Berlin 



Physiological Society, April27. — Dr. Mendel read a paper on 

 the anatomy of the corpus striatum and lenticular nucleus. The 

 older view, which was supported by the valuable anatomical re- 

 searches of Prof. Meynert, was that the relation of the corona 

 of radiating fibres above the lateral ventricle ("Stabkranz") 

 to the lenticular nucleus and corpus striatum consisted in this, that 

 in it ran bundles of nerve-fibres, which arise from the brain 

 cortex and end in the large ganglia, whereas Dr. Wernicke 

 three years ago propounded the view that a connection did not 

 exist between the brain cortex and the corpus striatum and 

 lenticular nucleus, but that these latter were bodies of the same 

 range as the cortex. Dr. Mendel has for some years past studied 

 the anatomy of the^e parts of the brain very attentively, and has 

 been brought back to the older view by a series of sections (of 

 the brain) of dogs, monkeys, and men, which series he laid 

 before the Society. He found not only the bundles of out- 

 streaming fibres, which alone were acknowledged to exist by Dr. 

 Wernicke, but also a larger number of in-streaming bundles of 

 fibres which show the connection of these brain-nuclei to the 

 cortex. In the discussion Dr. Wernicke stated that he was not 

 convinced by the paper or preparations of the correctness of 

 the view propounded by Dr. Mendel, whereas Prof. Munk 

 believed that hi* not -yet-completed physiological expeiiments 

 afford grounds for Dr. Mendel's view. 



Physical Society, May 4. — Prof. Hauck laid before the 

 Society a model of a mechanical apparatus which solves the 

 problem of combining drawings and photograms, which are 

 drawn in two planes into a combination figure in the third 

 plane. Pr. if . Hauck then explained the principle of the appa- 

 ratus, and p linte 1 out by means of geometrical figures the con- 

 ditions which must be fulfilled in order to project any given 

 points of tw i planes in common points of a third plane. He 

 then proceeded to the complicated problem of bringing points of 

 three planes, which meet in a corner, to a common projection, 

 and applied these figures to the special case of projecting the 

 perspective drawing of a building from its ground-plan and ele- 

 vation. The model was calculated and arranged for this case, 

 but the apparatus, in which the motions are produced by means 

 of polished lineals, each running upon two pins, can be put to 

 manifold uses in physical space investigations. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, May 14. — M. Blanchard, president, 

 in the chair. — The follow ing papers were read : —On the pyro- 

 electricity of quartz, by C. Friedel and J. Curie, second part. — 

 On the cultivation of the cacao plant, with an analysis of the 

 constituent elements of the cacao and chocolate berries, which 

 were shown to contain in various proportions albumen, legumine, 

 phosphates, fat, starch, sugar, theobromine, besides the mate- 

 rials entering into the formation of bone. — On the action of birds 

 in flight studied by means of photography, with figures showing 

 the successive positions of a pigeon on the wing at intervals of 

 one-ninth and one-eighth of a second, and a closed curve repre- 

 senting the trajectory of the tip of the wing obtained by means 



of a special contrivance, by M. Marey. — On a double sulphate 

 of iridium and potassium, by M. Lecoq de Boisbaudran. — On 

 the diminution of virulence in carbon bacterides and their spores 

 under the influence of antiseptic substance*, by MM. Chamber- 

 land and Koux. — On iidine associated with the sedative alkaloids 

 of opium treated both as a preventative and curative in the case 

 of typhoid fever, by A. Delbovier. — On the immunity against 

 attacks of Phylloxera enjoyed by the vine cultivated in the 

 sandy soil of Algeria, by MM. F. Convert and L. Degrully. — 

 Observations on the new planet 233 Borelly made at the 

 Paris Observatory, by G. BTgourdan. — On the determination 

 of the meridian in low- latitudes, such as that of Rio 

 de Janeiro, by M. Cruls. — On the conservation of energy 

 and periodicity of the solar spots, by A. Duponchel. — On the 

 liws of coincidences between the reductions of periodical frac- 

 tions of the "two modes," by E. de Jonquieres (continued). — 

 On the generalisation of Thermat's theorem of numbers due to 

 M. Serret, by M. Picquet. — On the possibility of extending to 

 any electrolytic field the electrochemical method in the figura- 

 tion of potential distribution, by A. Gueohard. — On the in- 

 fluence of atmospheric pressnre on the eruptions of gas ami 

 water in the Montrond Geyser (Loire), by F. l.aur. — On the 

 differences in the temperature of the <ea and air, by M. Semmola. 

 — On the quantitative analysis of sulphur and carbon in sulpho- 

 carbonates, by A. Miintz. — On the regular surface-fissures in 

 certain rocks, such as the hard eocene limestone used in the con- 

 struction of the old ramparts of Genoa, by Ch. Contejean. — On 

 new physiological studies of the torpedo, by M. Marey. — On the 

 functions and organs of suction and deglutition in the leech, by 

 G. Carlet. — On a case of purulent ophthalmia produced by the 

 infusion of the seeds of the liquorice plant, .by 1.. de Wecker. — 

 On the fundamental principle of the electric log now in use in 

 the French fleet, by M. G. Le Goarant de Tromelin, who 

 claims priority of invention over the electric log invented by 

 M. Fleuriais. 



CONTENTS p AGE 



Human Faculty and its Development. By George 



J. Romanes, F.R.S 07 



The Geological History of Britain 99 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Taschenberg's " Die Verwandlungen der Tiere " . . iro 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Natural Selection and Natural Theology. — George J. 



Romanes, F.R.S 100 



Carson Footprints. —Prof. Joseph Le Conte . . . 101 

 Cloudiness of Aquarium. — X. ; W. Saville Kent . 102 

 Singing, Speaking, and Stammering. — Alex. Mel- 

 ville Bell | 02 



On thr Cold in March, and Absence of Sunspot< — 



Dr. C. J. B. Williams, F.R.S 102 



The Soaring of Birds. — Dr. Hubert Airy .... 10? 



The Zodiacal Light. — E. R. Turner 103 



Sheet Lightning. — Fred. Pratt 104 



Pocky Clouds. — Fred. Pratt 104 



Clerk Maxwell's " Devil on Two Sticks." — Denny 



Lane r04 



The Centres of a Triangle.— W. H. H. H. ... 104 



The Royal Geographical Society 104 



The True Orbit of the Auroral Meteoroid of 



November 17, 1882. By Dr. H. J. H. Groneman 105 

 The Aurora Borealis, II. By Prof. Selim Lem- 



Strom 107 



The Flora of Ancient Egypt. By Dr. G. Schwein- 



furth ( Willi Illustrations) 109 



On the Chemical Characters of the Venom of 



Serpents. By Sir ]. Fayrer, F. R. S n 4 



Notes 114 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Minor Planet, Andromache 116 



The Great Comet of 1S82 n6 



The Obliquity of the Ecliptic 116 



Geographical Notes u6 



A New Form of Seismograph. By Charles A. 



Stevenson, C.E. (With Diagram) 117 



University and Educational Intelligence .... 118 



Scientific Serials It g 



Societies and Academies no 



