June 21, 1883] 



NA TURE 



191 



unpaid), and Messrs. Langley and Lea, and University recog- 

 nition of their work was asked for. Elementary Biology and 

 Physiology of the Senses were also mentioned as needing a 

 special lecturer. 



With regard to Botany, teaching in Vegetable Morphology 

 and in Physiology is urgently required, with lecture rooms and 

 laboratories. 



It is further asked that University teachers be eventually ap- 

 pointed in Agriculture, Anthropology, Geography, Metallurgy, 

 and Mining. 



In Geology it is pointed out that since Prof. Bonney left Cam- 

 bridge, no College has given any assistance toward> geological 

 teaching, and that Dr. Roberts and the other demonstrators have 

 received no University or College payments for the continued 

 work they have done in lecturing and demonstrating. 



The average number of students at pre-ent in the various 

 departments of Biology and Geology is — Botany, 80 ; Geology, 

 40; Zoology, 75; Physiology, 120; Human Anatooiy, 100 

 each term. 



Donald MacAIister, M.D., M.B., Fell >\v and Medical Lec- 

 turer of St. John's College, Cambridge, was on Thursday, 

 June 14, elected a member of the Council of the College. 



The following awards have been made at St. John's College 

 for proficiency in Natural Science: — Foundation Scholarships to 

 Andrews, Kerr, Phillips (R.W.); Exhibitions to Goodman 

 (already Scholar), Cooke, (E. H.), Fenton, Jones (H. K.), 

 Watts ; a Proper Sizarship to Gepp. Goodman obtains a 

 Wright's Prize with augmentation of emoluments to ioa/., and a 

 Hughes' Prize, as one of the two most di.tingui-hed third-year 

 students in the College. The Open Exhibition was awarded to 

 Rogers. 



Mr. J. V. Jones, Principal of Firth College, Sheffield, has 

 been elected by the Council to be the first Principal of the 

 University College for South Wales and Monmouthshire. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 



Royal Society, May 24. — "The Effects of Temperature 

 on the Electromotive Force and Resistance of Batteries, II." By 

 William Henry Preece, F.R.S. 



In the discussion on the previous paper read on February 22, 

 1883, it was suggested that observations should be made on the 

 influence of temperature to the case of secondary batteries. One 

 of Mr. Tribe's cells was used. 



The negative element of this cell consisted of pure peroxide of 

 lead in the form of a plate 4 inches square carried in a grooved 

 frame, from one end of which projected the necessary conductor. 

 This element was placed between two plates of finely divided 

 lead likewise 4 inches square. These were joined together, 

 and formed the positive element of the cell. Each half of the 

 positive plate was about a quarter of an inch distant from the 

 negative, and all three plates were incased in a thin specially 

 prepared fabric. The elements were contained in a leaden 

 ca*e, and the liquid was sulphuric acid of the strengths given 

 in the various experiments. This cell was placed inside the 

 cylindrical copper vessel used in the previous experiments, and 

 precisely the same method of observation was adopted. The 

 influence of heat on secondary cells was the same in kind as in 

 the Daniell cell, but it differs very much in degree. The electro- 

 motive force practically remains constant for all degrees of tem- 

 perature, but the internal resistance diminishes as the tempera- 

 ture increases at a very steady rate, increasing again as the 

 temperature is lowered. The effect of varying the percentage of 

 acid in solution is not very marked, though as might have been 

 anticipated from Kohlrausch's obsevations, the 30 per cent. 

 proportion gives the lowest resistance. The mean average 

 reduction in resistance between o° and 100 C, is 59/6 per cent. 



Chemical Society, June 7. — Dr. Perkin, president, in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read : — Laboratory notes by 

 J. H. Gladstone and A. Tribe : (1) On the action of light and 

 heat on cane and invert sugars ; cane sugar solution, when 

 heated, forms a small quantity of a substance which is not alco- 

 hol, but which gives the iodoform reaction. (2) On hydroxyla- 

 mine ; the copper zinc couple reduces this substance, ammonia 

 being formed. (3) On the recovery of iodine from organic 

 iodide residues ; the residues are poured on to an excess of the 



couple, and the iodide of zinc formed, extracted with hot water ; 

 iodiue is obtained in the free state by the action of hydrochloric 

 acid and bleaching powder on the iodide. (4) A residual pheno- 

 menon of the electrolysis of oil of vitriol ; the formation of 

 Berthelot's persulphuric acid was noted. (5) On an alleged test 

 for alcohol ; Davy suggests that alcohol can be detected by the 

 blue colour produced with a warm solution of molybdic 

 anhydrid in oil of vitriol. The authors find 'hat other reducing 

 substances and sugar give the same reaction. (6) Reaction of 

 the couple on nitric oxide ; ammonia is formed, but no protoxide. 

 (7) On the reducing action of spongy lead. — Note on a basic 

 ammonio-copper sulphate, by S. U. Pickering. — Notes on Loew 

 and Bokorny's researches on the probable aldehydic nature of 

 albumin, by A. B. Griffiths. — Note on the action of sulphuric 

 acid, sp. gr. 184, upon pota-sium iodide, by H. Jackson. The 

 author hai investigated this reaction quantitatively ; he finds that 

 two reactions occur, one with an excess of sulphuric acid when 

 iodine and sulphur dioxide are formed ; the second when just 

 sufficient sulphuric acid is used to satisfy the potassium iodide ; 

 iodine and sulphuretted hydrogen are then liberated. — The action 

 of nitrous anhydride on glycerin, by O. Masson. The author 

 obtained the trinitrite of glyceryl ; it is an amber-coloured liquid 

 boiling at 150 , burns with a white flame, but does not explode 

 under the hammer. It is dec imposed by water, and cannot be 

 preserved. In sealed tubes it generates sufficient gas to shatter 

 the glass. 



Linnean Society, June 7.— Sir John Lubbock, Bart., 

 president, in the chair. — Mr. R. J. Clarke and Mr. Frank 

 Matthews were elected Fellows of the Society. — Mr. W. T. 

 Thiselton Dyer exhibited a series of Copals : some from Inham- 

 I bane, near Mozambique, the product of Copaifera Gorskiana of 

 ■ various sorts, with a melting point from 310° to 360° Fahr. ; 

 other.-, from Lagos (obtained by Capt. Moloney), used by the 

 natives for burning, and powdered by the women as a body 

 perfume. These last are supposed to be from a species of 

 Daniellia, the native name being "Ogea." — Mr. Hiern drew 

 attend jn to specimens of Quercus Ilex, var. Fordii, from 

 Barnstaple, Devon, showing remarkable alteration in the leaves 

 after pruning. There was exhibited for Mr. Stansfield R. Rake 

 a burdock leaf with numerous excrescences, supposed to be the 

 result of insect irritation. — Mr. G. Murray exhibited specimens 

 of dace killed by the fungus disease (Saprolegma /erax), the 

 result of inoculation, and said to be the first recorded experi- 

 mental proof of the communicability of the disease to those fish. 

 — Dr. Cobbold showed shrimps sent by Dr. Burge of Shanghai. 

 They contained immature flukes, which it was thought might 

 prove to be the larval state of one or other of the three species 

 of human fluke known to infect man in ea-tern countries. He 

 proposed to call the parasite Cercaria Burga. — A paper was 

 read by Mr. H. N. Ridley, on new and rare monocotyledonous 

 plants from Madagascar, among which may be mentioned species 

 of Drimia hitherto only known from Africa, several curi )US 

 orchids, one remarkable for possessing only one or two very 

 large, handsome green, white, and purple flowers. Of Cyperacea; 

 one form well known as an Indian plant, another of the genus 

 Fintelmannia, supposed to be confined to Brazil ; he also de- 

 scribes a new genus, Acriulus, allied in some respects to 

 Cryptangium. — A communication was read from Mr. George 

 Lewis, on Japan Brenthidse and notes of their habits. These 

 beetles form part of the collection made by the author in his 

 visit to Japan during the summers of 1880-81. He observes 

 that there is no geographical barrier sufficient to exclude 

 tropical forms from Japan, but their environment, when they 

 reach it, prevents them from establishing themselves, to any 

 great extent at least, in the northern parts. In the southern 

 islands of the Japanese Archipelago the warmer climate enables 

 a fair number of beetles of a truly tropical type to exist. The 

 fact that each genus is only represented by one species neverthe- 

 less points to some physical check in their spread and numbers. 

 A new genus, Higonius, is characterised, and several species of 

 this and other ge era described and illustrated. — Mr. T. H. 

 Corry read a paper on the fertilisation of the Asclepiads, chiefly 

 bearing out views noticed on a former occasion. — A short record 

 of observations on the White Ants (Termites) of Rangoon, by 

 Dr. Robert Romanis, was read by the Secretary. He details 

 what he saw in what may be termed the swarming of a nest. 



Edinburgh 

 Royal Society, June 4. — Mr. Thomas Gray, vice-president, 

 in the chair. — Mr. Buchan read a second paper on the oscilla- 



