452 



NA TURE 



[March 12, 1885 



of the late M. Duval-Jouve. — Reply to some of the criticisms, 

 formulated in connection with the note of January 5, on the 

 reproduction of phylloxera and the employment of the sulphate 

 of carbon for its destruction, by M. P. Boiteau. — On the spec- 

 trum and formation of the tail of Encke's comet, by M. Ch. 

 Trepied. — On a theorem of M. Darboux in mathematical 

 analysis, by M. E. Picard. — The poles of the gyroscope and 

 rotating solids in connection with Coriolis's theorem, by M. 

 Henry. — On the maxim phase in the diurnal variations of ter- 

 restrial magnetism in 1882, according to the results obtained at 

 the Montsouris Observatory, by M. L. Descroix. — Claim of 

 priority in respect of the process of annulation of the extra cur- 

 rent employed by M. d'Arsonval to avoid the dangers of me- 

 chanical generators of electricity, by M. A. Dmssin. — On the 

 means of counteracting or diminishing the dangersof the extra cur- 

 rent in dynamo-electric machines in case of rupture in the exterior 

 circuit, by M. J. Raynaud. — On the limit of density and atomic 

 value of the gases, and especially of oxygen and hydrogen, by 

 M. E. H. Amagat. — Composition of the gaseous products of the 

 combustion of iron pyrites, and influence of Glover's tower on 

 the production of sulphuric acid, by M. Scheurer-Kestner. — On 

 the separation of alumina and the sesquioxide of iron, by M. P. 

 Vignon. — On some basic and ammoniac nitrates, by M. G. 

 Andre. — On the composition of the glyoxal-bisulphate of am- 

 monia (C 4 H 2 4 , 2(AzH 4 0, S 2 4 ), 2HO), by M. de Forcrand.— 

 Action of the sulphate of cinchonamine on the circulation and 

 secretions, by MM. G. See and Bochefontaine. — On the substi- 

 tution of quinine for creosote and phenic acid in the treatment 

 of typhoid fever, by M. G. Pecholier. — Measure 01 the 

 pressure necessary to determine the rupture of blood-vessels, 

 by MM. Grehant and Quinquaud. — On some peculiarities 

 relative to the connections of the cervical ganglia of the sym- 

 pathic nerve and the distribution of their afferent and efferent 

 branches in Anas hoschas, by M. F. Rochas. — On the 

 nature of the placental neo-formation, and on the unity main- 

 tained in the development of the placenta, by M. Laulanie. — 

 Note on the fcetus and placenta of a gibbon, by M. J. Deniker. 

 — On some points in the physiology of the muscular system of 

 the invertebrates, by M. H. de Varigny. — On Bos triaros, 

 Rochbr., and on preventive inoculation against epizootic peri- 

 pneumonia as practised by the Moors and Fulahs of Senegambia, 

 by Dr. A. T. de Rochebrune. This variety of domestic ox, 

 peculiar to Senegambia, is characterised by a third horn growing 

 from the nasal process and identical in its constitution and deve- 

 lopment to the two frontal horns. The variety, which is of 

 unknown origin, is thoroughly established, and from time 

 immemorial has been inoculated by the natives with the virus of 

 epizootic peripneumonia, a disease prevalent in the country. — 

 On the mosses of the Carboniferous epoch, by MM. B. Renault 

 and R. Zeiller. — Origin of the iron, magnesia, and zinc ores in 

 and at the foot of the Jurassic Limestone hills on the periphery 

 of the central plateau in France, by M. Dieulalait. — On a re- 

 markable deposit of running water in the mines of Carmaux, 

 Tarn, by M. Stan. Meunier. — Destructive effects of a water- 

 spout which recently passed over the Argentan district, Orne, by 

 M. E. Vimont. — A new method of observing stars during then- 

 transit across the meridian, by M. Ch. V. Zenger. 

 Berlin 

 Physiological Society, February 13. — Prof. Fritsch pro- 

 duced a few specimens of Lophius piscatorius, and drew special 

 attention to the two rays situated above the wide gape, and 

 ending in flap-like appendages, which in some had the shape of 

 a fly, in others that of a worm, and were used by the fish as 

 bait to attract its prey. The jaws and fins were likewise covered 

 with flap-like appendages, excre cences of the skin, which 

 rendered the animal, especially in mud, completely irrecog- 

 nisable. The peculiar development of the skin of this fish 

 induced the speaker to search for corresponding peculiarities in 

 its nervous system — peculiarities which he soon discovered in 

 its medulla oblongata. He found there, on the posterior side 

 of the medulla, and quite superficially situated, a group of 

 huge ganglion-cells, recognisable by means of a lens, such 

 as had hitherto .been found only in Malapterurus. While, how- 

 ever, this latter fish possessed but two such gigantic cells, Lophius 

 had a larger number of them, and these offered for study a 

 series of general problems on the structure of ganglion cells. 

 The protoplasm of these colossal nerve-cells was not fibrous, but 

 granular, the nucleus large and bladder-like. The nutriment was 

 provided by a close capillary net which closed tightly around the 

 protoplasm and sent loops into its recesses. The cells were 



multipolar, yet one process, which in every case was the 

 peripherical, preponderated in size over all the others. From 

 these cells there branched off gigantic nervous fibres consisting 

 of powerful fibrous axis cylinders and sheaths. Such gigantic 

 nerves were found partly also in the roots of the vagus and trige- 

 minus, and probably spread to the peculiar cuticular append- 

 ages of Lophius. Altogether Prof. Fritsch believed he was 

 justified in concluding from what he had observed in his investiga- 

 tions of the ganglion-cells of Lophius, that there were neither 

 apolar nor unipolar ganglion-cells, but only bipolar and multi- 

 polar, and that the processes of the ganglion-cells might unite, 

 so that frequently an axis-cylinder would be produced from two 

 ganglia. — Dr. Uhthoff spoke in detail of the experiments carried 

 out by him in the Physical Institute regarding the dependence 

 of visual acuteness on light intensity. By way of supplement to 

 the report on the subject given by Dr. Konig at a recent meet- 

 ing of the Physical Society, be it here observed that difference - 

 among the eyes examined showed themselves specially under 

 weak light intensities, and that the minimum of visual acuteness 

 (i-ioooth of the normal value) was, in particular cases, still 

 observable under an illumination corresponding with the removal 

 of the petroleum lamp to a distance of 360 m. The visual 

 acuteness was further examined under a changing intensity with 

 red and blue light. Red light, just as much as white, showed 

 with increasing intensity a very rapid increase of visual force. 

 The curve in the case of red light was, however, different from 

 that in the case of white light. Under a blue light the visual 

 sharpness very slowly declined with increasing light intensity. 

 Dr. Uhthoff next described an apparatus he had constructed for 

 the purpose of measuring the angle of the visual line with the 

 line perpendicular to the cornea, without the use of the ophthal- 

 mometer. The principle of the apparatus was based on measur- 

 ing the angular displacement of a plane paralleled glass plate, 

 the glass plate standing perpendicular first to the normal and 

 then to the (actual) visual line. Both the apparatus of Dr. 

 Uhthoff and the microscopical preparations of the gigantic 

 ganglion-cells and fibres of Lophius were shown to the Society 

 in the demonstrating hall. 



CONTENTS Pag* 



The Snake Dance of the Moquis of Arizona. By 



Dr. Edward B. Tylor, F.R.S 429 



Scientific Romances 431 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Relative Efficiency of War Ships. — Sir Edward 



J. Reed, K.C.B., F.R.S. , M.P. (Illustrated) . 432 

 How thought Presents Itself among the Phenomena of 



Nature.— The Duke of Argyll 433 



The Compound Vision and Morphology of the Eye in 

 Insects. — Dr. Benjamin Thompson Lowne : 



Sydney J. Hickson 433 



Civilisation and Eyesight.— J. W. Clark 433 



The Forms of Leaves.— Rev. George Henslow . 434 

 The Fall of Autumnal Foliage. — Rev. George 



Henslow. (Illustrated) 434 



Forest-Trees in Orkney. — James Currie ; Cosmo- 

 politan 434 



A Tracing Taper Screen.— Charles J. Taylor 435 



Geoffrey Nevill 435 



Report of the Commissioner of Education in the 



United States for the Year 1882-83. By W. Odell 435 



Birds Breeding in Ants' Nests. By Wm. Davison 438 



A New American Clock. (Illustrated) 43S 



A Cloud-Glow Apparatus. (Illustrated) 439 



Illumination of Microscopes and Balances .... 440 



Notes 44° 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Variable Stars 44 2 



The Occultation of Aldebaran on March 21 .... 442 



The Naval Observatory, Washington 442 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1885, 



March 15-21 443 



Geographical Notes . . 443 



The Scope and Method of Petrography. By J.J. H. 



Teale, M.A. F.G.S 444 



University and Educational Intelligence 448 



Scientific Serials 44 s 



Societies aad Academies 449 



