24 



NA TURE 



\_May 5, i88 



Reaie Istituto Lonihardo di Sciaize e I.etlere, Rencliconti, vol. 

 xiv. fasc. vi. — On Chnstognatha, by Dr. Grassi. — On the strati- 

 graphical position of the phyllitic zone of Rotzo, and the marine 

 limestones which comprehend it, by .S. Taranelli. — On a Cremo- 

 nian quadratic correspondence between the elements of two 

 ruled spaces, by .S. Archieri.' — The last introduction of fishes 

 into our lakes, by Prof. Pavesi. — On a fresliwater spon'^e new 

 to Italy, by the same. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Photographic Society, April 12. — J. Glaisher, F.R.S., 

 president, in the chair. — The following papers were read : — On 

 a Swiss tour with gelatine plates, by W. Dillworth Howard.^ 

 On art and photography, suggestions for bringing them into 

 closer connection, by H. B. Berkeley. — On the natural camera, 

 and on uncorrected lenses in photography, by Capt. Abney, 

 R.E., F.K.S. This paper described the natural camera as being 

 the means of taking a photograph without an optical glass — a 

 pin-hole producing tlie picture, although at a long focus — also 

 that an uncorrected or non-achromatic lens, say an ordinary 

 spectacle lens, if its aperture be reduced to one-fifth of an inch, 

 would bring the wave-lengths of all colours into one perfect 

 focns, but which, being very long, would necessitate prolonged 

 exposures ; at the same time this could be met by the use of the 

 modern rapid gelatine plate. 



Victoria (Philosophical) Institute, May 2.— A paper upon 

 philosophy as advocated by Mr. Herbert Spencer was read by 

 the Rev. W. Ground. The aim of the paper «as to show that 

 the philosophy in question is hopelessly illogical, the "analysis " 

 in direct contradiction to the "synthe-is." 



GOTTINGEN 



Royal Society of Sciences, January 8.— On a proposition 

 of the maintenance of the algebraic relation between the integrals 

 of various differential equations and their difTerentinl quotients, 

 by Herr Konigsberger. — Report on the polyclniic for ear diseases, 

 by Dr. Biirkner. — On the motion of an electric particle in a 

 homogeneous magnetic field and the negative eleciric glow, by 

 Herr Riecke. — On the quantity of electricity furnished by an 

 influence-machine of the second kind and its relation to mois- 

 ture, by the same. — Measurement of the force exerted by earth- 

 magnetism on a linear current conductor capable of rotation, by 

 the same. 



February 5. — Influence of heat on the optical properties of 

 boracite, by Herr Klein.— On electrical shadows (third paper), 

 by Herr Holtz. — New representation of spherical functions and 

 related functions by determinants, by Herr Henn. — Remarks on 

 a memoir, by Herr Warburg, on some actions of magnetic 

 coercive force, by Herr Fromme. — Observations in the magnetic 

 observatory, by Herr Schering. 



March 5. — On the irreducibility of differential equations, by 

 Herr Konigsberger. — Contributions to a knowledge of the 

 optical properties of aualcim, by Herr Ben Saade. 



Academy of Sciences, April 25.— M. Wurtz in the chair.— 

 The following papers were read :— On a question of ancient 

 metrology ; origin of the English mile, by M. Faye. He 

 inquires into the error (long current) of supposing the mile 

 equivalent in length to a terrestrial arc of one minute. The 

 mile has been probably deduced from Ptolemy's measure, 

 and the error of one-sixth seems to arise from the English 

 geographers having supposed that Ptolemy used the Greek foot, 

 which Eratosthenes used 400 years bef ire, whereas he used the 

 Phileterian foot, which is about o-36m., the earlier one being 

 o"27m. Eratosthenes counted 700 stadia to a decree ; Ptolemy 

 only about 500. — Examination of materials from the vitrified 

 forts of Craig Phadrick, near Inverness (Scotland), and Hart- 

 mannswillerkofif (Upper Alsace), by M. Daubree. Like the 

 forts in France, that at Craig Phadrick must have undergone 

 heat intense enough for the mica to entirely disappear and the 

 felspar to be in great part fused. The minerals produced at 

 CDSt of the mica and felspar present evident similarities. The 

 Alsace fort seems to have been composed of brown porphyry, but 

 the crystalline products of heat are similar to those in the other 

 case. The ingenious method of heating was probably transported, 

 not invented independently in ditTerent countries. The pheno- 

 mena elucidate metamorphism. — Meteorite which fell at Louans 



(Indre-et-Loire) on January 25, 1S45, -i"'! "le fall of which was 

 not lublished, by M. Daubree. — Researches on piperidine, by 

 M. Hof mann. — Nodule of chromite in the interior of the meteoric 

 iron of Cohahuila (Mexico), by Prof. Lawrence Smith. He 

 obtained, on analysis, oxide of chromium 62-61, ferrous oxide 

 33 '82. While chromite has long been known in association 

 with meteoric stones, the form of its occurrence here is new. 

 The meteorite contained distinct nodules of two chromiferous 

 minerals. — Observations on phenomena of absorption in lower 

 vegetable organisms, by M. Syrodot. Studying Batrachosper- 

 me^, he has found the organs of absorpticn to present parallel 

 phases to those better known in the higher groups. — M. Sire 

 presented an instrument for demonstrating Foucault's law of the 

 apparent deviation of the pendulum's plane of oscillation. The 

 apparatus may be used in any latitude. — General theory of trans- 

 missions by metallic cables ; practical rules, by M. Leaute. 

 The author determines, iiiUr alia, the coefficient of working 

 j (foHctioniieiiicnt) in telodynamic transmissions, a coefficient which 

 fixes the manner in which a cable behaves under a variation in the 

 force exerted. The idea of equivalence of two transmissions as 

 to working is thus reached. The limits of transmission of force 

 by cables are investigated. — On the essence of licari kanali, or 

 essence of female rosewood, by M. Morin. The composition of 

 this essence from French Guyana appears to be identical with 

 that of Borneo camphor. — On the winter-egg of phylloxera, by 

 M. Mayet. About Montpellier the hatching of the egg has 

 occurred during the whole month of April, and even in 

 the end of March. — Results obtained in phylloxerised 

 vines by a mixed treatment with sulphide of carbon and 

 snlphocarbonate of potassium, by M. Laugier. — M. Faye, 

 presenting the first volume of Annates de V Observatoire de 

 Toulouse, edited by M. Baillaud, said it marked a new era 

 in the history of the provincial observatories, great activity 

 b.ing indicated. The researches of M. Tisserand (predecessor 

 of M. Baillaud) on Saturn's satellites are given. M. Perrotin 

 \\ orks out the theory of Vesta ; while the zodiacal li^ht, the 

 eclipses of Jupiter's satellites, Saturn's rings, &c., are also studied. 

 — On a class of linear differential equations with doubly periodic 

 coefficients, by M. Appell. — Normal production of three systems 

 of fringes of rectilineal rays, by M. CrouUebois. — Causes of 

 disturbance of telephonic transmissions, by M. Gaiffe. Two 

 rods from the same piece of steel (capable of being strongly 

 polarised without being tempered) were placed in a tele- 

 phone circuit, one of them being first magnetised as much as 

 possible. Striking them similarly produced strong currents from 

 the magnetised rod, but very little current from the other. — On 

 the renal origin of nefrogymase, by MM. Bechamp and Baltus. 

 — On the absorption of mineral waters by the cutaneous surface, 

 by M. Champouillon. The absorption of iron and manganese 

 from the waters of Luxeuil was proved in examination of the 

 urine. It is only after a period of mineral saturation that the 

 minerals appear in the urine. — Remarks on the anatomy of 

 pyrosoma, by M. Joliet. 



CONTENTS Page 



Evolution. By George J. Romanes, F.R.S i 



Legge's " Birds of Ce\lon" 3 



UUK Book Shelf : — 



Kiepert's "Manual of Ancient Geography."— Rev. H. F. Tozer . 3 



Barfoed's " Lehrbuch der organischen qualitativen Analyse " . . 4 

 Letters to the Kditor : — 



Hot Ice. — C. J. E. Brutel de la RiviBre ; A. van Hasselt . . 4 



Soundof the Aurora.— Dr. John W. Ogle; Mrs. E. Hubbard . s 



Symbolical Logic. — Hugh McColl 5 



The Formation of Cumuli.— M. A. Veeder 5 



" The Oldest Ocean Post Office." — Arch. Roxburgh 5 



John Duncan, the Alford Weaver-Botanist 6 



Electric Lighting, 1 6 



Weather Warnings 7 



Earo.metric Gradient AND Wind. By Rev. W. Clement Lev . . S 



Science in China, I. By John Fryer ' . . . . 9 



The Great Vienna Telescope {With lUustratiotis) n 



Whewell on Colouring Geological Maps. By Prof. Thos. McK. 



Hughes, F.R.S. (IVitk Diagram) 14 



Notes 15 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Intra-Mercurial Planet Question iS 



The Transit of Mercury, November 7, iSSi . . 16 



A New Comet i8 



Geographical Notes iS 



The Future Development of Electrical Appliances By Pn.f. 



John Perry it) 



Mechanical Research 21 



University and Educational Intelligence 23 



Scientific .Serials 23 



Societies and Academies 24 



