FEBRUARY 25, 1897 | 
IV ARO RE 
407 
the nuggets being more or less rolled masses of gold which have 
been set free from disintegrated veins.—On the presence of gold 
in natural saline deposits and marine plants, by A. Liversidge. 
Rock salt, sylvine, and other similar saline deposits, bittern, sea- 
weed, kelp, oyster-shells, &c., have been examined for gold ; 
the natural salts contained from I to 2 grains of gold per ton, 
whilst kelp and bittern furnished up to 20 grains of gold 
per ton. ’ 
Geological Society, February 3.—Dr. Ienry Hicks, 
F.R.S., President, in the chair.—The subgenera Petalograptus 
and Cephalograplus, by Miss G. L. Elles. The forms referred 
to in the paper are accepted as subgenera of Diplograptus, as 
defined by Lapworth. The two subgenera have frequently been 
much confused, but examination of specimens preserved in relief 
shows that they have very distinctive characters, especially at 
the proximal ends. The author gave diagnoses of the two sub- 
genera, and detailed descriptions of certain forms.—On some 
superficial deposits in Cutch, by the Rev. J. F. Blake. The 
author arranges the deposits of which he treats under the follow- 
ing heads: (1) Sub-recent Concrete; (2) Boulder Beds asso- 
ciated with the former; (3) Quartzite Reefs ; (4) Infratrappean 
Grits; (5) Laterite ; (6) Alluvium and Rann. In the discussion 
which followed, Dr. W. T. Blanford expressed his satisfaction 
that some of the peculiar formations of Western India had been 
examined by an English geologist of experience. 
Mathematical Society, February 11. — Prof. Elliott, 
F.R.S., President, in the chair.—Mr. F. S. Macaulay read a 
paper on a theorem in non-Euclidean geometry. An animated 
discussion followed, in which the President, Mr. Kempe, F.R.S., 
Mr. Love, F.R.S.,and Lieut.-Colonel Cunningham, R.E., joined 
with the author.—Mr. Kempe made an impromptu communi- 
cation on Prof, Sylvester’s partition theorem, and the President 
and Major MacMahon, R.A., F.R.S., also spoke on the subject. 
The President (Major MacMahon, Vice-President, in the chair) 
gaye a short account of Mr. Segar’s theorem, that the product 
of the differences of 7 unequal numbers is divisible by the pro- 
ducts of the differences of 0, 1, 2, 3,.- . (7-1), and showed, also, . 
that the product of the differences of 7 unequal square numbers 
is divisible by the product of the differences of 0, 1°, 2". 37,... 
(2 — 1)’.—Lieut.-Colonel Cunningham brought forward some high 
primes. They were forty-three in number, the highest being 
25,621,901, and the lowest 9,170,881.—A paper by Mr. H. M. 
Taylor, on the degeneration of a cubic curve, was communicated 
by reading its title. 
Zoological Society, February 16.—Prof. George B. 
Howes in the chair.—Dr. E. C. Stirling, F.R.S., exhibited 
some bones, casts, and photographs of the large extinct 
struthious bird from the D¢zfrofodon-beds at Lake Callabonna, 
South Australia, which had been recently discovered and named 
by him Genyornis newtonz, and gave a history of the principal 
facts connected with its discovery.—Mr. G. E. H. Barrett- 
Hamilton exhibited a pair of Walrus-tusks from the Pacific, 
belonging to the species which has been named 7Z72chechus 
obesus, and gave some account of the Cetaceans and Seals of 
the North Pacific. —Mr. A. Smith Woodward read a description 
of Echidnocephales troscheli, an extinct fish from the Upper 
Cretaceous of Westphalia, proving its identity in all essential 
respects with the existing deep-sea genus Ha/osaurus,—Mr. G. 
A. Boulenger, F.R.S., read a note on Acanthocybium solandr?, 
which recorded the occurrence of this fish in the Arabian Sea. 
A specimen of it, transmitted by Surgeon Lieut.-Colonel 
Jayakar, from Muscat, had recently been received by the 
British Museum, in which the species had been previously 
represented only by a dried head from the Atlantic.—Mr. W. 
E. de Winton made some remarks on the distribution of the 
Giraffe, and gave the synonyms and more definite descriptions 
of the two existing forms. Gzraffa cameloparda/is, Linn., was 
fixed for the name of the three-horned northern form, and 
G. capensis, Less., for that of the two-horned southern species. 
—A communication was read from Dr. Alfred Duges containing 
a description of a new Ophidian from Mexico, which was pro- 
posed to be named Oreophis boulengeré. gen. et sp. nov.—A 
communication was read from Mr. C. Davies Sherborn, con- 
taining a list of the exact dates of the publication of the parts 
of the natural history portion of Savigny’s ‘‘ Description de 
lEgypte.”—Mr. F. E. Beddard, F.R.S., read a paper on the 
anatomy of the Tropic-bird (Phacthon) of the order Stegano- 
podes, amongst which he considered it to occupy a low position 
near /regata, 
NO. 1426, VOL. 55 | 
Royal Meteorological Society, February 17.—Mr. Edward 
Mawley, President, read a report on the phenological observa- 
tions during the past year.—The Hon. Rollo Russell gave the 
results of some observations on haze and transparency which 
he had made at Haslemere, in Surrey. From these it appears 
that the clearest hours, at a good distance from towns, are from 
about noon to3 p.m. The clearest winds are from S. to N.W. 
inclusive, and especially W.S.W., W., and W.N.W.; the 
haziest are those between N. and E. On bright mornings with 
a gentle breeze or calm, from autumn to spring, the -haze or 
fog which has lain on the low ground frequently covers the hills 
in the course of its ascent a few hours after sunrise. At any 
distance within 100 miles of London, or of the Black Country, 
observations requiring clear views are likely to be interfered with 
when the wind blows from their direction, and should, therefore, 
be taken early. 
ParRIs. 
Academy of Sciences, February 15.—M. A. Chatin in the 
chair.—The election of M. Sebert in the Section of Mechanics 
was confirmed by the President of the Republic.—Notice on 
the life and works of General Favé, by M. Sarrou.—Note on 
the third part of the ‘‘ Catalogue of the Paris Observatory,” by 
M. Loewy.—The age of copper in Chaldea, by M. Berthelot. 
The analysis of a spear, carrying drawings and inscriptions, and 
at least 4000 years old, showed that the metal was nearly pure 
copper, neither tin, lead, arsenic, nor antimony being present 
in appreciable quantities. The oxidised portion was nearly 
pure atakamite, 3CuO.CuCl, + 4H,O. The description of 
these and similar objects as bronze is thus shown to be 
erroneous. Copper appears to have preceded bronze in the 
manufacture of tools. —Studies on the methods of manufac- 
turing wine in the southern regions, by M. A. Muntz. 
If the temperature during fermentation is allowed to 
rise to 40° or thereabouts, as will frequently be the case in the 
southern districts, the yeast is killed, fermentation is stopped, 
and the conditions are then favourable for the growth of bacteria 
prejudicial to the wine. At the same time considerable quan- 
tities of ammonia salts are produced. These ill-effects can be 
prevented by artificial cooling with water, in an apparatus: 
nearly identical with that used for cooling beer worts. The most 
favourable temperature at which to commence cooling is about 
34°.—On certain points in the theory of residues of powers. 
Distinctive characters of numbers or roots from which arise 
generating residues, by M. de Jonquiéres.—On the planet Mars, 
by M. Perrotin. An account of observations on Mars made 
chiefly during December last, with the large equatorial at the 
Observatory of Meudon (see p. 401)—Remarks on the pre- 
ceding note, by M. J. Janssen.—Description of some air 
barometers, allowing of the measurement of atmospheric 
pressure with a higher accuracy than with the mercury 
barometer, by M. V. Ducla. A description of a navigable 
aerostat, by M. Dheutte.—On operations in general, by M. C. 
Bourlet.—On a series of primitive groups, isomorphic holo- 
hedrically to multiple transitive groups, by M. Ed. Maillet.— 
On a safe receiver for containing liquefied gases, by M. J.. 
Fournier. —A self-recording apparatus for measuring the move- 
ments of the pendulum, by MM. Jean and Louis Lecarme.— 
Changes of colour in flashes of light of short duration, by M. 
Aug. Charpentier. For short periods, other things being equal, 
the less refrangible colours are the first seen. When the 
intensity diminishes the more refrangible colours predominate, 
according to the law of Purkinje.—On the influence of the 
R6ntgen rays upon the explosive distance of the electric spark, 
by M. Guggenheimer. The experiments showed that keeping the 
sparking distance and potential difference constant, the increase 
of the explosive distance depends upon the intensity of the 
Rontgen rays falling upon the spark gap. If the potential and 
intensity of the rays were kept constant, the increase of the ex- 
plosive distance depends upon the distance of the spark gap from 
the emissive wall of the tube.—On the false equilibrium of 
hydrogen selenide, by M. H. Pelabon.—Action of cuprous oxide 
upon solutions of silver nitrate, by M. Paul Sabatier. The- 
silver is removed from solution, a greyish deposit being formed, 
which, upon a careful examination, was found to consist of a 
mixture of metallic silver and basic copper nitrate.—Action of 
the oxides of nitrogen upon ferrous chloride and bromide, by 
M. V. Thomas.—On some derivatives of salicylic aldehyde, 
by M. Paul Rivals.—On a vegetable lipase extracted from 
Penicillium glaucum, by M. E. Gérard, Cultures of this 
mould have the property of saponifying monobutyrin, 
