d8 



NATURE 



\_May 12, 1 88 1 



a precisely equal pressure as it leaves the surface. Hence, in the 

 case of myriads of vortex- rings bombarding such a plane surface, 

 though no individual vortex-rinij leaves the surface immediately 

 after collisi'm, for every vortex-ring that gets entangled in tlie 

 condensed layer of drawn-out vortex-rings another will got free, 

 so that in the statistics of vortex-impacts the pressure exerted by 

 a "a'^ composed of vortex-atoms is exactly the same as is given 

 by°the ordinary kinetic theory, which regards the atoms as hard 

 elastic parlic'es. — Prof. Tait, in a brief paper on the crushing of 

 glass by pressure, indicated certain results he had obtained by 

 experiments, which were in good accord with the mathematical 

 theory of the strains to which a closed cylindrical glass tube 

 under high pressure is subjected. Of the three stresses, radial, 

 tangential, and longitudinal, which may be regarded as acting 

 npon any elementary portion of the wall of the tube, the iwo 

 former have a s/uariug eSec\, to which the crushing of the tube is 

 due. From the few experiments that had been completed it 

 appeared that the shear required to disintegrate ordinary lead glass 

 was about i ± -^jhi- — P''°f- J- Blyth gave an account of experi- 

 ments which he bad made on the cause of the sounds produced 

 in the microphone receiver. He also exhibited another frrm of 

 telephone, in which the vibrating niembraiic uas attached rigidly 

 to a copper wire dipping into a column of mercury which formed 

 along .vith the wire part of the circuit. I'he inductive effect of 

 the cuvrert on itself caused the wire and the attached membrane 

 to vibrate in exact correspondence with the variations of the 

 current. 



Tarts 

 Academy of Sciences, May 2. — M. Wurtz in the chair. — 

 The following papers were read : — Note on a property of the 

 indicatrix, relative to the mean curvature of convex surfaces, by 

 M. Faye. — On the inverse electromotive force of the voltaic arc, 

 liy M. Jamin. With a continuous battery current this inverse 

 force presents a resistance to be first overcome : but with alter- 

 nately contrary currents from a magneto-machine renewed at 

 least 500 times per second, the current at each inversion profits 

 momentarily by the inverse force called forth during the previous 

 .^mission. Hence the possibility of lighting several arcs in the 

 ■ ame circuit of a machine (and the nuaiber increases rapidly with 

 the velocity). -Formation of a marine zoological station in the 

 liastern Pyrenees, by M. de Lacaze-IHithiers. Some proposed 

 harbour alterations at Port Vendres led the author to look about 

 for another suitable locality. Banyuls-sur-Mer made prompt 

 application, with generous offers of help in the case of being 

 chosen. The Fort Vendres authorities were also urgent. At 

 I'erp'gnan the project was cordially received. Thus promises 

 have been made of a capital of 32,000 francs, an annual sum of 

 750 francs, a site, a boat, and the product of a subscription. 

 1 he President expressed the satisf.action of the Academy. — The 

 derangements of pi-ogression, of station, and of equilibration 

 arising in experiments on the semicircular canals or in mala- 

 dies of these canals, are not the effects of these, but 

 of the influence they have on the cerebellum ; note by 

 M. Bouillaud. — On the inequalities with long periods in 

 ilie movements of heavenly bodies, by M. Gylden. — On 

 uie stratigraphic series of rocks which forin the ground in 

 Upper Auvergne, by M. Fouque. Apart from unimportant 

 ilows of Miocene basalt the series of volcanic rocks there com- 

 prises two distinct periods, both commencing with strong projec- 

 tions and eruptions of trachytic and acid Andesitic rocks, and 

 terminating with very basic eruptions, porphyroid basalt and 

 basalt of plateaux. — Examination of some artificial products 

 obtained by James Hall, by MM. Fouque and Levy. Living in 

 the end of last centui'y, he seems to have been the first who 

 artificially reproduced an eruptive crystalline rock (viz., whin- 

 stone). — On salicylic acid and its applications, by M. Schluni- 

 berger. Inter alia, it has been given daily to animals in some 

 places for years as a protective against contagious disease. To 

 preserve beer it is introduced tuice, the first dose being only 

 sufficient to act on lactic ferments, not yeast ; a second dose 

 prevents the alcoholic degenerating into acetic fermentation. 

 The two doses together amount to not more than -j-irsTnt or o'o5 

 gr. per litre. It is estimated that 5,000,000 hectolitres of wine 

 were salicylised in France in iSSo. — Observations of the comet 

 /'iSSo (Pechiile) at Paris Observatory, by M. Bigourdan. — On 

 the principle of conservation of electricity, or second principle of 

 the theory of electric phenomena, by M. Lippmann. The 

 algebraic sum of all the simultaneous variations of charge is 

 always nil. Hence the sum of the quantities of free electricity 

 is invariable, since its total variation is always equal to 



zero. This law extends to all the phenomena hitherto 

 studied. M. Lippmann translates it into analytical language 

 — On the protobromide and protoiodide of chromium, and on thv 

 oxalate and pirotoxide of chromium, by M. Moissan. — On the 

 acelylic derivatives of cellulose, by M. Franchimont. — Action ot 

 sulphuric acid on acetic anhydride, by the same. — On a rengent 

 fitted to distinguish ptomaines from vegetable alkaloids, by MM. 

 Brouardel and Boutmy. This reagent is ferricyanide of 

 potassium, which, in presence of pure organic ba'-es produced in 

 the laboratory or extracted from a body after alleged poisoning, 

 is not any way modified, but when brought into contact witi; 

 ptomaines (cadaveric alkalies) is changed at once to ferrocyanide, 

 and then becomes capable of foi'ming prussian blue with salts 

 of iron. — On a con:bination of iodoform and strychnine, hy 

 M. Lextrait. — On some felspars of the valley of Bagneres-de- 

 Luchon (Haute-Garonne), by M. Filhol. — On the physiologies! 

 and pharmaco-therapic effects of inhalation of oxygen, by M . 

 Hayem. Inhalation of oxygen is a useful auxiliary to treatment 

 of chlorosis with iron. The action is similar to tliat of hydro- 

 therapy, which stimulates the nutritive movement and the forma- 

 tion of red cori uscles, without sensibly modifying the individual 

 alterations of these elements. The method effectually suppresses 

 vomiting when not caused by organic lesion of the stomach. — 

 On an approaching scientific voyage to the whale fishery of 

 Vadso, by Jl. Pouchet. Vadso is on the east coast of Finmark. 

 A steam advice-boat, Zc' Coligny, has been placed at M. Pouchet' : 

 disposal by Government. The marine fauna and flora and the rocks 

 of the Varanger fiord will be studied, and certain questions in 

 the biology of fishes especially. — Migration of the puceron of 

 the poplar (PemphigJi-s Inirsariiis, Lin.), by M. Lichtenstein. — 

 Trichina encysted in the intestinal walls of the pig, by M. 

 Chatin. — Study on some points of the anatomy of Sternaspis 

 scutata, by M. Rietsch. — On two meteors observed at Nouvion- 

 en Thierache, by M. Baudrin. 



Vienna 

 Imperial Academy of Sciences, May 5. — L. Fitzinger in 

 the chair. — The following papers were read : — F. Steindachner. 

 contributions to the knowledge of the river fishes of South 

 America, Part iii. ; ichthyological contributions, Part xi., by the 

 same. — Dr. Karl Richter, contributions to a precise knoviledge 

 of cell-membranes of the fungi. — Dr. R. Benedikt and v. Hiibl, 

 on dinitro- and trinitroresorcin. — K. Fischer, on the salts of 

 resorcinsulphonic acid. — Prof. H. Durege, on bodies (figures) of 

 four dimensions. — A. Brezina, on the meteoi--iron of Bolson de 

 Mapimi. — Dr. T. Domac, on hexylene of mannite. — Prof. 

 Stefan, on the evaporation at a circular or elliptical basin. — T. 

 Holetschek, computation of the orbit of the " Peitho " planet 

 [ii 8), discovered in 1S72 by Dr. R. Luther at Diisseldorf. — Dr. 

 H. Seeliger, on the ratio of motion in the asterism of f Cancri. 



CONTENTS Page 



The Lepidoptera of Switzerland. By R. McLachlan, F.R .S. . 25 



Works or Jambs MacCullagh 26 



UuR Book Shelp:— 



Nicholson's "Structure and Affinities of the Genus Monticulipora 



and its Sub-genera" 27 



Allen's ■' Evoiutinnist at Large" 27 



Worthington's " Elementary Course of Practical Physics '* ... 28 

 Letteks to the Kditor : — 



Hot Ice.— Dr. Herbert McLeod (With Diafrnm) 28 



Sound of the Aurora.— Prof. W. Gkvlls Adahis. F.R S 29 



PalsEolithic Man.— VVorthington G. S.mith 29 



Naval Cadet E.\aminations. — J. L) 30 



Water in Australia.— F. T. Mott 30 



Flame-Length of Coal-Gas.— Lewis T. Wright -^a 



The Glacial Blocks of Zinal.— Marshall Hali 31 



The Krpnch.Association por the Advancement of Science at 



AlCIBRS, III. By G. F. RODWELL 31 



ELEcrKic Lighting, II. (f^jM ///M/m^/ow) 33 



Dr. Holub's African Travels. I. (W/M ///!«/>-«/;>/«) 35 



The New Insectarium IN THE Zoological Society's Gardens . . 38 



Notes 38 



Our Astronomical Column ;— 



The Comet of 1812 40 



Comet 1880, V. (Pechule, December t6) . 41 



The Transit of Venus. 1882 41 



Comet i88j a (Swift, May i) 41 



Chemical Notes 41 



Geographical Notes 41 



The Production of Sound by Radiant Energy. By Prof. 



Alexander Graham Bell 42 



On an Acoustic Phenomenon noticed in a Crookhs Tube. By 



C. R. Cross 45 



University and Educational Intrlltgench 45 



SciF,NTiPfc Serials 45 



S0C1ETIE.S AND Academies 46- 



