1 64 



NA TURE 



[June 12, 1884 



and mode of formation of urea in the animal system, by MM. 

 Grehant and Quinquaud. From these experiments, which con- 

 sisted mainly in making a quantitative analysis of the urea in 

 the blood flowing to and from a given organ, the authors infer 

 that the abdominal viscera are the seat of a continuous forma- 

 tion of urea. — Experimental studies on the anaesthetic properties 

 of the chloruretted derivatives of formine, by MM. J. Regnauld 

 and Villejean. —On the theory of quaternions : a demonstration 

 of Sylvester's proposition that the theory of quaternions is iden- 

 tical with the theory of binary matrices, by M. Ed. Weyr. — On 

 the circulation of the liquid mass of the sun, by M. P. Lame)-. 

 Assuming as a postulate the total fluidity of the solar mass, the 

 author endeavours to show that, in virtue of the continuous cool- 

 ing of the surface layer, the whole volume must be in constant 

 circulation, and that the circuit thence resulting may be repre- 

 sented by a simple geometrical figure, which has several points 

 at a tangent with the surface of the solar globe. — Note on the 

 electric conductivity of the liquid and solid anhydrous salts, by 

 M. Foussereau.— On the gaseous tensions of liquid amalgams, by 

 M. Isambert. — Thermic studies of the alkaline fluosilicates : three 

 methods of obtaining fluosilicates of potassa, soda, and lithia, by 

 M. Ch. Truchot. — Fresh researches on bromuretted carbolic 

 acids — their melting heat, specific heat, and heat of neutralisa- 

 tion, by M. E. Werner. — On some reactions of albumen, by 

 M. E. Grimaux. — Analytical study of the chief mineral fertil- 

 isers contained in arable lands, by M. G. Lechartier. — Note on 

 the alluvial and lacustrine formations of the basin of the She .it 

 Melrirh, Eastern Sahara, by M. G. Rolland.— On the trans- 

 formations of a parasitic Peridinian (Gymnadinium pulvisculus, 

 Bergh.), by M. G. Pouchet. — A contribution to the study of the 

 virulent principle in puerperal septicemia, by M. S. Arloing. — 

 On a new method of transfusion of blood previously subjected 

 to the action of peptone, by M. Afanassiew. — On the exagger- 

 ated statements regarding the intensity of atmospheric evapora- 

 tion during the spring equinox, with comparative readings of the 

 evaporometer during the years 1873-1884, by M. L. Descroix. 



June 2. — M. Rolland, president, in the chair. — Arithmetical 

 commentary on the theorem discussed by Gauss in hi, "Dis- 

 quisitiones," § 357, by M. de Jonquieres. — Note on the theory, 

 of the winding-gear employed in extracting ores from deep 

 mines, by M. Haton de la Goupilliere. — On the mean reciprocal 

 distances of the planets in the primordial state of the solar 

 system ; letter addressed to M. Hermite by M. Hugo Gylden. 

 The respective mean distances, supposed to be far less abso- 

 lutely than at present, are determined as under : — Mercury, 

 0-443; Venus, 0-519 ; Earth, 0-562; Mars, 0-625 ; Jupiter, 

 0-850; Saturn, 0-988; Uranus, 1-177; Neptune, 1-322.— Ex- 

 planation of a method of determining the temperature of the 

 parts of the sun below the photosphere, by M. Hirn. — 

 Fermentation of saccharine juices ; experimental researches 

 on the influence of the pneumatic treatment by a current of 

 purified air at the ordinary temperature, or heated to 65 C., by 

 M. P. Calliburces. — Suggestions for constructing a mercurial 

 galvanometer (hydrostatic galvanometer), by M. J. Carpentier. 

 The paper refers to experiments made as early as January 1881, 

 and are here reproduced as having preceded the apparatus "f a 

 similar character submitted to the Academy by M. Lippmann 

 mi May 19, 1SS4. — On the reaction of fused gold and silver in 

 the vapour of phosphorus, by MM. P. Hautefeuille and A. 

 Perrey. — On the action of the sulphuret of mercury on the sul- 

 phuret of potassium, by M. A. Ditte. — Note on the com- 

 bination of chlorides of gold with chlorides of phosphorus 

 by M. L. Lindet. — On the anatomy and nervous system 

 of the Australasian Gasteropod, Parmophorus australis (Scutus), 

 by M. Boutan. — Contributions to the natural history of the 

 Haliotides, by M. H. Wegmann. The author, who had pre- 

 viously submitted a study of their nervous system, here com- 

 pletes the subject by a full anatomical description of these 

 animals. — Account of the freshwater Lithoderma fontanum, 

 Nob., a species of brown Alga (Melanophyceae) from Mont- 

 pellier, by M. Ch. Flahault. — On a new genus of vegetable 

 fossils discovered by M. Fayol in the coal-mines of Commentry, 

 by MM. B. Renault and R. Zeiller. The authors, who, from 

 their discoverer, propose the generic name of Fayolia for these 

 plants, give full-size illustrations of two species, F. dcntala and /•'. 

 grandis. — On some new types of rocks from the volcanic Mount 

 Dore (Clermont), with a description of the successive formations in 

 that district, by M. A. Michel Levy. — Hydrology of the Ohio 

 Basin, in connection with the recent disastrous inundations in 

 that region, with map, by MM. Fr. Mahan and G. Lemoine. — 



On the pseudo-meningitis (pseudo-meningitis otopiesis) observed 

 in young deaf-and-dumb subjects, by M. Boucheron. 



Vienna 



Imperial Academy of Sciences, May 8. — R. Latzel, on 

 the Myriopoda of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (containing the 

 description of Symphyleoe. Ponropoda, Diplopoda). — K. Desch- 

 mann, on the tumuli of Rovisce in the parish of Briindl in 

 Lower Carniola. — L. Boltzmann, on the possibility of basing a 

 kinetic theory of gases on attractive forces alone. — P. Czermak, 

 on the value of some integrals of Maxwell's theory of gases 

 based on a certain law of forces. — F. Zehden, method for calcu- 

 lating a true moon distance by an observed one. — E. Zucker- 

 kandl, on the apparatus of circulation in the nasal mucous 

 membrane. — F. Rimmer, experiments on nutations and direc- 

 tions of growth of seed-plants. — T. Habermann, on diethyl- 

 alizarin-ether. — F. Fiala, on some mixed ethers of hydroquinone. 



May 15. — A. Rollett, contribution to a knowledge of the 

 process of contraction in striated muscles. — F. Kolacek, on a 

 method for determining the electric conductivity of liquids. — A. 

 G. Nalhorit, remarks on Herr von Ettingshausen's essay, "On 

 the Tertiary Flora of Japan." — C. Langer, on the origin of the 

 internal jugular vein. — D. Lersch, notes on comets. — E. von 

 Hcerdtl, contributions to Assyrian chronology. 



CONTENTS Page 



British Mites. By Sir John Lubbock, M. P., F.R.S. 141 



Injurious Insects 142 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Williamson's "Elementary Treatise on the Integral 



Calculus " 143 



Smith's " Elementary Treatise on Solid Geometry " 143 

 Roberts's " Collection of Examples on the Analytic 



Geometry of Plane Conies " 143 



Collins's "Mineralogy" 143 



Martin and Moale's "Handbook of Vertebrate Dis- 

 section " 143 



Parker's " Course of Instruction in Zootomy " . . . 144 

 Hopkinson, Shoolbred, and Day's " Dynamic Elec- 

 tricity " ; and Thompson's "Dynamo-Electric Ma- 

 chinery" 144 



Swinton's "Principles and Practice of Electric 



Lighting " 144 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Rings of Saturn. — A. Ainslie Common . . . 144 

 An Experiment in Thought-Transference. — Prof. 



Oliver J. Lodge 145 



The Earthquake.— R. Meldola ; Col. H. H. God- 

 win-Austen, F.R.S. ; Mrs. K. M. Bernard . 145 

 Kohlrausch's Meter-Bridge. — Dr. W. H. Stone . . 145 

 Simple Methods of Measuring the Transpiration of 



Plants. — Rev. George Henslow 146 



Worm-eating Larva. — W. E. Darwin 146 



Cultivation of Salmon Rivers. — Mark Heron . . . 146 

 A Rare British Holothurian. By Dr. F. Jeffrey 



Bell 146 



Visitation of the Royal Observatory 147 



The North Cape Whale. By Prof. G. A. Guldberg 148 

 Measuring Earthquakes, I. By Prof. J. A. Ewing. 



(Illustrated) 149 



Notes 152 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Observatory of Paris 154 



The Great Comet of 1882 154 



Geological Notes : — 



Canadian Coals and Lignites 154 



Belgian Erratics 154 



Position of the Callovian Rocks 154 



The Glacial Boundary in Ohio 155 



Hypersthene-Andesite and Triclinic Pyroxene in 



Augitic Rocks 155 



Krakatoa and the Sun-Glows 155 



The Fixed Stars, II. By David Gill, LL.D., F.R.S. 



{Illustrated) 156 



University and Educational Intelligence 159 



Scientific Serials 160 



Societies and Academies 161 



