Oct. 23, 1884] 



NA TURE 



627- 



electric current generated through the condensation produced by 

 friction. Prof. Kiessling of Hamburg made some remarks on 

 the diffraction colours in artificially-produced fog and their con- 

 nection with the recent crepuscular phenomena. In the same 

 department papers were submitted by Dr. Miinter of Herford, 

 • n the cause of winds, and by Dr. Koppen of Hamburg, on 

 barometric disturbances during storms. 



In the Chemical Section the chief speakers were : Dr. Frank 

 of Charlottenburg, on the past technical development of the 

 alkali works at Stassfurt, where, in July 1882, 20,000,000 cwts. 

 of carnallite were consumed in the preparation of chloride of 

 potassium ; Prof. Poleck and Dr. T. Schiff of Breslau, on the 

 essential oil of Sassafras officinalis, Neer ; Prof. Poleck, on 

 talapin ; Dr. Arrhenius, on the conductive force of the electro- 

 lyte ; Prof. C. Willbrodt of Friburg (Baden), a contribution to 

 the study of acetonbromoform and acetonchloroform ; Prof. E. 

 Lippmann, on a new method of representing oxygenous com- 

 pounds ; Dr. Leuckart of Gottingen, on a synthesis of aromatic 

 monocarbon acids, dealing with the reciprocal action of aro- 

 matic carburets of hydrogen and cyanates in the presence of 

 chloride of aluminium. 



In the Geological and Mineralogical Section papers were read 

 by Prof. Lossen of Berlin on the peculiar features of the geology 

 of the Hartz Mountains ; by Prof, von Fritsch of Halle on the 

 Cretaceous floras of the Hartz ; by Prof. Nehring on the diluvial 

 fauna of the province of Sachsen and conterminous districts ; by 

 Dr. Wahnschaffe of Berlin on the Quaternary formations in the 

 neighbourhood of Magdeburg ; by Engineer Petsch of Aschers- 

 leben on the subsidence of underground waters during the 

 process of freezing. 



In the Botanical Section Prof. E. C. Hansen of Copenhagen 

 described some new researches on certain fungi of vinous fermen- 

 tation found in cow-dung and on sweet succulent fruits ; A. 

 Zimmermann, on the action of the optical elastic ellipsoid of 

 vegetable tissues in the process of expansion : from a study 

 of the tissues of Nittlla Jtexilis and some other plants, the 

 author concluded against Noegeli that in optical respects no 

 fundamental contrast exists between organic and inorganic sub- 

 stances ; W. Detmer on the formation of muriatic acid in plants ; 

 Prof. Soraner on the action of artificial freezing, describing the 

 conduct of various vegetable tissues under the freezing pro- 

 cess ; Dr. Kaiser on the results of the determination of fossil 

 leafy plants. 



In the Section for Zoology and Comparative Anaton y, Prof. 

 Landois of Miinster spoke on the development of the shell of 

 certain birds' eggs ; Dr. H. F. Kessler of Cassel, on the evolu- 

 tion and life-history of the blood parasite, Schhoneura lanigera, 

 Hausm. ; Prof. Nehring of Berlin, on the skull and skeleton of 

 the Peruvian dogs from the Necropolis of Ancon, with remarks 

 on their origin : on the ground of his comparative studies, the 

 author inferred that these dogs must have sprung from some 

 variety of the North American wolf (Lupus occidentalis) ; Dr. 

 Miillendorf of Berlin, on the importance of the formic acid 

 found in honey : when closing the cells of the lv neycomb, the 

 bees mix the honey with f irmic acid in order to give it greater 

 consistency ; Prof. Leuckart of Leipzig, on a new species of 

 Nema'ode found in the body of Hylobins pier, 3 mm. long, 

 1 mm. thick, and named All-mtiema mirabile ; Prof. W. Blasius, 

 on some fresh data in connection with the remains of Alea 

 mfiennis, Linn. 



The excursions with which the proceedings were diversified 

 included visits to the model Meteorological Observatory of the 

 Magdeburg Zeitung, to the neighbouring chemical works of 

 Stassfurt, to the University of Halle, and to the Hartz Moun- 

 tains. 



It was announced that the Association would hold its next 

 annual meeting at Strasburg. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 

 Jcurnal of the Franklin Institute, No. 3, September 1884. — 

 Synchronous-multiplex telegraphy in actual practice, by Prof. 

 Edwin J. Houston (illustrated). — An extraordinary experiment 

 in synchronous-multiplex telegraphy, by Prof. Edwin J. Houston. 

 — On the application of electricity as an illuminating agent in 

 astronomical observatories, by W. S. Franks. — A metastatic 

 heat regulator, by N. A. Randolph, M.D. (one figure). — The 

 drying of gunpowder magazines, by Prof. C. E. Munroe, 

 U.'S.N.A. — On an explanation of Hall's phenomenon, by Shel- 

 ford Bidwell, M.A., LL.B. (table). — Instruction in mechanical 



engineering, by Prof. R. H. Thurston. — Report on the trial of the 

 " City of Fall River," by J. E. Sague, M.E., and J. B. Adger,, 

 M.E. (concluded from p. 115) (tables and diagrams). — Report 

 of the Board of Experts on Street-paving (tables). — Surveys for 

 the future water-supply of Philadelphia, by Rupert Hering, 

 C.E. (tables). — Methods in physical astronomy. — Solar motor 

 and solar temperature. — Hirn's actinometer. — Soap-roots. — 

 Aluminium and aluminium-bronze. — Palmieri's atmospheric 

 electricity. — New electro-magnet. — Tanning by electricity. — 

 Gases in steel. — The volcanic ashes of Krakatoa. — Papal Ob- 

 servatory. — Origin of volcanic activity. — Balloon photography. 



Verhandlungen des naturkistorischen Veieins der Rheinlande 

 nn.i Westfalens, January-June. — Report on the proceedings of 

 the Society during the year 1S83. — On the recent chalk and 

 diluvium formations of the Miilheim district, by Dr. Deicke. — 

 On the disposition of the stratified rocks and lias in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Herford, by H. Monke. — Report on the fossils of 

 the greensand rocks in the district of Aix-la-Chapelle, by J. 

 Bohm. — On the fishes, crustaceans, and flora of the Upper Chalk 

 system in Westphalia, by Dr. Marck. — On the digestive organs 

 of the spider, by Prof. Bertkau. — On the human skull found 

 Associated with the mammoth, rhinoceros, and reindeer in the 

 1 i Podbaba near Prague, by Prof. Schaffhausen. — On some 



fossil remains from the Devonian rocks of Eifel, by Prof. 

 Schluter. — A contribution to the physiology and anatomy of 

 Dasypoda hirlipes (two plates), by Dr. Hermann Miiller. — On 

 the diorite of the Upper Ruhr Valley and its association with 

 the argillaceous schist of the same district, by Dr. A. Schenck. — 

 On the causes of the great oscillations and disturbances in the 

 crust of the earth, by F. F. von Diicker. — On the occurrence of 

 fossil wood in the region of the Westphalian Coal-Measures, by 

 W. Wedekind. — On the mutual relations of the Middle Eocene 

 formations of Monte Postale, Ronca, and San Giovanni Uarione, 

 by Dr. II. Rauff. 



Rendiconti del R. Istiluto Lombardo, July 31. — Some reflec- 

 tions on the proposed laws for regulating the administration of 

 public and private lunatic asylums in Italy, by Dr. C. Zucchi. — 

 Various researches on the Bacillus of tuberculosis, by Prof. 

 Giuseppe Sormani. — Description of a continuous re 

 electric energy transmitted at any given point of a circuit, by 

 Prof. R. Ferrini. — On the geometrical surface of the third 

 order, by Prof. E. Bertini. — Remarks on the Turin Gloss on the 

 Institutions and Paraphrase of Pseudotheophilus, by Prof. C. 

 Ferrini. — Meteorological observations made at the Brera Ob- 

 servatory, Milan, during the month of July 1884. 



Rivista Scientifico-lndustriaU, August 15. — Results of ex- 

 periments on the variations of electric resistance of argentan 

 wire subject to tension, by Dr. Sebastiano L. Angelini. — Ex- 

 periments on the compressibility of fluids, and especially of 

 water, by Prof. Pagliani and Dr. S. Vicentini. — Observations 

 on the struggle for existence between Staphylinus olens and 

 Lumbricus agrtcola, by Silvio Calloni. 



August 30. — Description of a universal anemometrograph 

 (wind-gauge) recently invented by Prof. Michele Cagnassi. — 

 Remarks on an elementary demonstration relating to the theory 

 of the potential, by Giuseppe Vanni. — Remarks on the varia- 

 tions in the electric resistance of solid and pure metal wires 

 under changes of temperature, by Prof. Angelo Emo. 



Bulletin de la Socie'te des Naturalises de Moscoii, 1883, 

 No. 4. — On the seeming anomalies in the structure of the great 

 comet of 1744, by Th. Bredichin (in French), with plates. It 

 appears from calculations, illustrated by a plate, that the strips 

 observed on this comet correspond to the " synchronal " curves 

 of the author deduced in the hypothesis of repulsive force. — 

 Some remarks on comets, by the same. The initial speed of their 

 appendages towards the sun is approximately deduced at 2000 m. 

 per second. — On the tail of the first type of the comet 1S58 V., 

 by A. Sokoloff (in French), being a calculation of " syn- 

 dynamic" curves according to Bredichin's method.- On Ctesona 

 pinitorquum, A. Br., by Ed. Kern (in German), with 4 plates. 

 — Remarks on the geological map of the Vetluga region, by H. 

 Trautschokl. — A new Pleurotoma (Renardii) from the Miocene 

 of Italy, by De Gregorio. — A new demonstration of the theorem 

 of Lambert, by N. Joukovsky (in French) ; it is based on the 

 formula of variation of action. — Materials for the geology of 

 the Crimea, by W. Sokoloff (in Russian), being notes on the 

 Jurassic and Neocomian deposits in the neighbourhood of Sim- 

 feropol. — On the recent work of the United States geologists,, 

 by H. Trautschold. — Letter from Dr. Regel, from Tashkend. 



