192 
NATURE 
[ DECEMBER 24, 1896 
radiolaria, all radiolarian rocks at present known in New South 
Wales are of Palezeozoic age, and occur on two geological 
horizons, namely, Carboniferous (? or Devonian), as in the red 
jaspers of Barraba and Bingera, and the claystones and cherts, 
&c., of Tamworth; and Devonian or Silurian as at Jenolan 
Caves, in which locality the radiolaria are best preserved where 
the rocks are in contact with eruptive dykes. The author is led 
to the conclusion that these radiolarian rocks are not necessarily 
of deep-sea origin. In Paleozoic times in New South Wales 
the development of radiolaria both vertical and horizontally was 
very extensive.—Note on traces of Aadzolarza in pre-Cambrian 
rocks near Adelaide, by Prof. David and Walter Howchin: 
The recent microscopic examination of calcareous and cherty 
rocks of undoubtedly pre-Cambrian age from South Australia 
has shown that these rocks, not previously known to be 
ossiliferous, contain abundant remains of radiolaria. 
AMSTERDAM. 
Royal Academy of Sciences, October 31.—Prof. van de 
Sande Bakhuyzen in the chair.—Prof. W. Kapteyn on the 
construction of a curve of the third order, its real foci, its 
satellite-point and a tangent being given.—Prof. van der Waals 
demonstrated that the value of 4 in the equation of fluids which, 
when they are in a state of great rarefaction, is equal to four 
times the molecular volume, decreases with diminishing volume. 
The formula 
b=4m { I-« +) +e ES y &e. | 
represents the variation of 4 with the volume. Of the co- 
efficients €,, €, &c., only the first has been calculated, and 
has been found equal to 43.—Prof. Weber communicated the 
conclusions drawn from 254 determinations of the absolute and 
the relative weight of the brains of mammals. A hippopotamus 
amphibius of 1755 kilogr. had brains weighing only 582 gr. 
Consequently the ratio is I : 3105. This is the most unfavour- 
able one hitherto fixed by weighing. Only the relative weight 
of the brains of the large cetacea presents a more unfavourable 
ratio, which, however, is founded on estimation. In many 
respects the hippopotamus has preserved the character presented 
by the brains of the tertiary mammals.— Prof. Franchimont on 
the fusing point of organic bodies. The speaker dréw attention 
to the variation of the fusing point taking place when hydrogen 
atoms are replaced by other elements or groups of atoms, and 
took it that the latter, though they become united with the same 
atom, do not occupy the same place, so that a change in the 
form of the molecule is brought about, which influences the 
fusing point. This change of form counteracts in some cases 
the effect of the increase of the molecular weight, which consists 
in a rise of the melting point, and seems to be brought about 
principally by the CH, group, which, when in contact with 
oxygen, nitrogen, or carbon, can cause the fusing point to fall. 
To such a change of form the speaker also wished to ascribe the 
phenomenon observed by himself and Zincke in 1872, viz. a 
variation of the fusing point in terms of an homologous series 
with an even and an odd number of C atoms alternately. The 
speaker had met with this phenomenon in other cases also.— 
Prof. Engelmann treated of myogenic self-regulation of the 
action of the heart, and presented a paper on the subject for 
publication in the Academy’s Proceedings.—Prof. Lorentz pre- 
sented a paper to be published in the ‘Academy’s Proceedings, 
entitled ‘‘a universal theorem concerning the motion of a 
viscous fluid with friction, and a few consequences deduced 
from it.”—Prof. Kamerlingh Onnes communicated two papers : 
(a) by Dr. Zeeman, on the influence of a magnetisation on the 
nature of the light emitted by a substance. Pursuing a hint 
given by Faraday, several experiments were tried. The 
principal was this: the light of the electric arc, being sent 
through a heated tube containing sodium vapour, is analysed by 
a Rowland’s grating. The tube is placed between the poles of 
an electro-magnet. When acted on by the magnet, a slight 
broadening of the two sodium lines is seen, tending to show that 
forced vibrations are produced in the atoms by the action of 
magnetism; (6) by Dr. J. Verschaffelt, on capillary ascent 
between two concentric cylindrical tubes, being measurements 
carried out in the Leyden Physical Laboratory. Ina previous 
communication Mr. Verschaffelt, to calculate the capillary 
ascent of liquid carbonic acid, made use of an hypothesis, viz. 
that the meridian section of the surface of the liquid was an 
ellipse. The writer has put this manner of calculation to the 
0. 1417, VOL. 55 | 
test of observation. For this purpose, however, he has not used 
liquid carbonic acid, but methyl chloride, and has found a satis- 
factory correspondence to exist between the value deduced from 
observation and that arrived at by calculation.—Mr. Jan de 
Vries presented, on behalf of Prof. L. Gegenbauer, of Vienna, 
a paper entitled ‘‘Zwei allgemeine Satze iiber Sturm’sche 
Ketten.” 
GOTTINGEN. 
Royal Society of Sciences.—The Nachrichten (mathe- 
matico-physical section, Part 3) contains the following memoirs 
recently communicated to the Society. 
August 1.—Charles A. Noble (San Francisco): Solution 
of the boundary equation for a plane contour composed of 
segments of continuous curvature and without salient angles. 
R. Fricke (Brunswick): Ona simple group of 360 operations. 
W. Voigt: An attempt to determine the true specific electric 
moment of a tourmaline. 
October 24.—J. Orth: (1) On the formation of fibrin on 
serous and mucous membranes ; (2) Researches conducted in 
the Gottingen Pathological Institute. W. Voigt: (1) A new 
method of investigating the thermal conductivity of crystals ; 
(2) On the position of the absorption-brushes in biaxial 
pleochroic crystals. The formal communications (Part 2) in- 
clude the address voted to Lord Kelvin upon his recent 
jubilee, and that to Prof. Wilhelm Hittorf, of Miinster, on 
his doctorjubzlaum. 
é 
BOOKS AND SERIALS RECEIVED. 
Books.—A Treatise on Ore Deposits: J. A. Phillips, 2nd edition, by 
Prof. Louis (Macmillan).—Mensuration for Beginners: F. H. Stevens 
(Macmillan).—Applied Bacteriology: T. H. Pearmain and C. G. Moor 
(Bailliére).—The Story of Forest and Stream: J. Rodway (Newnes).— 
Scritti intorno alla Teoria Molecolare ed Atomica ed Aila Notazione 
Chimica: S. Cannizzaro (Palermo).—The Lepidoptera of the British 
Islands : C. G. Barrett, Vol. 3 (L. Reeve).—This Wonderful Universe : A. 
Giberne (S.P.C.K.).—Elementary Meteorology : Dr. F. Waldo (New York, 
American Book Company) —Obseryations and Researches made at the 
Hong Kong Observatory, 1895: W. Doberck (Hong Kong).—La Structure 
du Protoplasma et les Théories sur I'Hérédité, &c. : Prof. Y. Delage (Paris, 
Reinwald).—Traité de Zoologie Concréte, Tome x : La Cellule et les Proto- 
zoaires: Prof. Y. Delage and E. Hérouard (Paris, Reinwald). 
Ser1aLs.—Good Words. January (Isbister).—Sunday Magazine, January 
(Tsbister).—American Naturalist, December (Philadelphia).—Himmel und 
Erde, December (Berlin). . 
CONTENTS. PAGE 
Petroleum. By E.R. B. . RRO Gc UE, 
The Aim of Biological Teaching 170 
A Study in Symbolism . 171 
Our Book Shelf :— 
Simmons ‘‘ Physiography for Beginners” . 172 
Wagstaff: ‘*The Metric System of Weights. and 
Measures compared with the Imperial System . 172 
Angot : ‘* The Aurora Borealis” . . ii chit /23 
“ Ros-Rosarum ; Dew of the Ever- ‘living Rose” 173 
“Knowledges seen te 173 
Knight: ‘* Hygiene Diagramettes ” 173 
Letters to the Editor :— 
Leonids of November 15, a.m., 1896. (Wzth Dia- 
eram.)—Prof. A. S. Herschel, F.R.S. . 73 
The Force of One Pound. —Prof. Jone Perry, 
ERS: © 176 
The Earthquake of December 17. ‘“_Dr. Charles 
Chree ; J. Lloyd Bozward; E. R. P. : 178 
The Earthquake, By Dr. C. Davison... . 179 
Notes .. Mes oe) 180 
Our Astronomical ‘Column:— 
Mountain Observatories . 183 
Observations of Saturn . 183 
Karlsruhe Meridian Observations 183 
The Western Australia Government Observatory 183 
Opening of New Laboratories at University Col- 
lege, Liverpool . . . 184 
The Anthropological History of Southern Russia , 184 
The Horn Expedition to Central Australia . . 185 
University and Educational Intelligence .... . 187 
Scientific Serials) 5 emememtne ie) © «er ane 188 
Societies and Academiesy. =. . - - = ss 188 
Books and Serials Received ...... 192 
