i6o 



NATURE 



\Ju-ne 1 6, 1 88 1 



in question home from Bahia.— Mr. G. E. Dobson, C.M.Z.S., 

 read a paper on the pharynx, larynx, and hyoid bones in the 

 Epomophori, indicating some very remarl<able i eculiarities of 

 structure, in which the-e bats appear to differ not only from all 

 other Ch'iroptera, but from all other mammals. Pharyngeal au-- 

 sacs were also described in the males of Epornophori nwnslro'.us, 

 franqueti, and comptus.—yir. J. Gwyn Jeffreys, F.R.S, read 

 the third of the series of his memoirs on the MoUusca pi-ocured 

 during the LigfUning VinA Poraipiize expeditions, 1868-70. The 

 present paper contained an account of the families from Kelliid^v 

 to TelliHidia. Eleven new or hitherto unfigured specie- were 

 described. The geographical, hydrographical, and geological 

 distribution of the species enumerated were fully given.— Mr. F. 

 C. Selous read a paper on the Souih African Rhinoceroses, 

 based upon specimens collected and observations made during 

 nine years' hunting in Southern and South-Central Africa. Mr. 

 Selous had come to tlie conclusion thai in these countries only 

 two well-marked species of Rhinoaros existed— -namely, the 

 square-mouthed Rhinoceros simiis, and the prehensile-lipped R. 

 biconiis. 



Entomological Society, June l. — Mr. H. T. Staiuton, 

 president, in the chair.— Rev. E. N. Bloomfield, M.A., was 

 elected a Subscriber to the Society.— Mr. J. Jenner Weir, i.n 

 behalf of Mr. J. W. Douglas, exhibited, and read remarks on, 

 various British species of Aleuro.lcs and Orthezia, one of whicli 

 was described as new to science under the name of O. Norinani. 

 — Mr. T. R. Billups exhibited specimens of Crabro clavipes, L., 

 and Molorclms minor, L.— Mr. J. Sang exhibited some interest- 

 ing varieties, &c., of British Lepidoptera. — The Secretary read a 

 communication froui Mr. G. E. Piercey respecting a creature 

 stated to be noxii us to travellers in Turkestan. It was suggested 

 that this was probalily identical with the well-known Argas Per- 

 sicus. — The Secretary also read a report from the Committee 

 appointed at the last meeting of the Society to inquire into the 

 supposed presence of Phylloxera on the vines in Victoria ; also 

 a communication from the Colonial Office respecting an insect 

 stated to be destructive to the eggs of locusts in the Troad. — 

 Lord Walsinghara read a paper on the Tortricida, Tindd,e, and 

 Pterophorida: of South Africa.— Mr. A. G. Butler communicated 

 a memoir on the genus Sypna.—Wc. W. L. Distant communi- 

 cated descriptions of Rhynchota from the Australian and Pacific 

 regions. 



PA.RIS 



Academy of Sciences, June 6. — M. Wurtz in the chnir. — 

 The Secretary read telegrams from the Emperor of Brazil (of 

 May 31 and June 2) announcing the discovery of a comet. — On 

 the right ascensions of the moon observed at Algiers by M. 

 Trepied, by M. Faye. Hansen's tables, defective for long-periud 

 inequalities, are shown to be jierfect for ordinary inequalities. 

 Newcomlj's correciion, instead of being too great, has to be 

 increased l''. — Researches on sulphide of nitrogen, by MM. 

 Berthelot and Vielle. Inter alia, it detonates «ith violence 

 under the hammer, but it is less sensible to shock than fulminate 

 of mercury or nitrate of diazobenzol. In heating, it deflagrates 

 about 207°. The heat of formation is negative. The pressures 

 arising from explosion in a closed vessel are very near those from 

 fulminate, but the velocity of deco 11 position is very different. — 

 On the report of M. Roudaire, on his last expedition in the 

 Tunisian Chotts, by M. de Lesseps. Further examination con- 

 firms the feasibility of the inland sea project, the political advan- 

 tages of which (with others) are noted. — On the geological results 

 of M. Roudaire's mis-ion, by M. Hebert. Tunisia seems to have 

 emerged during the long periods between the deposit of the 

 Senonian Chalk and that of the Middle Miocene. The basin of 

 the Chotts, with the Cretacean masses bordering it on either 

 side (their strata anticlinal), are like a button-hole, the Chotts 

 forming the aperture. — New analyses of jadeite and some sodi- 

 ferous rocks, by M. d' Amour. It is proved that beds of jadeite 

 (which is largely used in India and China for ornaments, and 

 found in the form of coins, hatchets, &c., in European dolmens 

 and caves), exist in Asia, especially the Thibet region ; also in 

 North and South A uerica. From analysis of some European 

 rocks the author finds reason to suppose that beds of jadeite 

 may also be found in the Alpine chain, or region near ; thus the 

 prehistoric articles in Europe would be naturally explained, 

 w'thout migration of Asiatic peoples. MM. Bous-ingault and 

 Daubree mide remiks on the subject. — Study of electricity on 

 board modern ships ; ini-idental remarks (i) on the influence of 

 the mode of juncti.jn in complex electric circuits, and (2) on the 



principle of an electric hygrometer and a fire-alarm, by M. 

 Ledieu. The iron hulls of fast ships, sheathed with wood, then 

 copper, both fixed metallically, form a complex pile, which the 

 author studied. Experimenting with a moist piece of wood 

 having copper nails in it, he found a battery current had much 

 greater intensity when the rheophores were applied to the nails 

 than when applied to the wood. Using dry wood with the 

 former arrangement, the inten-ity varied wiih the atmospheric 

 moisture. This mi lit be applied e.g. in measuring dew- forma- 

 tion. For a fire-alarm he would keep the wood slightly moist 

 by means of spongy matter on its surface connected wiiL water. 

 A galvanometer wonld indicate the degree of dryness of the 

 wood, and if a certain limit were reached the needle would 

 cause a bell to ring. — On the role of phosphoric acid in volcanic 

 soils, by M. de Gasparin. Hecontroveits Prof. Ricciardi's view 

 that the fertility of the eruptive strata of Etna is due to 

 presence of this mineral. The concomitance of muddy forma- 

 tions, and the climate, hastening the decomposition of lava, 

 are the chief factors. — The vines of Soudan of the late M. 

 Legard, by M. Planchon. — The solar parallax deduced from 

 American photographs of the transit of Venus of 1S74, by Mr. 

 Todd. — On the functions of two variables arising from the inver- 

 sion of integrals of two given functions, by M. Fuchs. — On the 

 expressions of co-ordinates of an algebraic curve by Fuchsian 

 functions of a parameter, by M. Picard. — On a property of 

 tiniform functions, by M. Poincare. — On the liquid state and the 

 gaseous state, by Mr. Hannay. He claims to have proved, more 

 than a year before, for all pressures, what MM. Cailletet and 

 Hautefeuille have lately established for a single pressure : viz., 

 that the continuity of the liquid and gaseous states (Andrews) is 

 only apparent. — Cyanides of soditim and barium, by M. Joannes. 

 — On the combinations of iodide of lead with alkaline iodides, 

 by M. Ditte. — On the role and the origin of certain microzyma.s, 

 by M. Bechamp. The microzymas in rocks, earth, mould, 

 street-dust, or the slime of marshes, have no other origin than 

 those forming an integral part of every living organism, and 

 whose n;/t' is the total destruction of this after death ; after which 

 they remain in the soil or the air, ready chiefly for transformation 

 of organic m.tter for vegetation. — On the non-existence of 

 Microsyma Creta ; reply to M. Bechamp, by MM. Chamberland 

 and Roux. — On the mechanism of trouViles produced by cortical 

 lesions, by M. Couty. Unilateral and limited cortical lesions 

 involve profound modifications of the various functions of the 

 medulla oblongata and the spinal cord opposite, leaving intact 

 the brain-functions.— On the embryogeny of Ascidians of the 

 genus Lithoiuphora, by M. Giard. — On the stomatorrhiza of 

 SiKculina carcini, Thompson, by M. Jourdain. — On the mor- 

 phology of the fcetal envelopes of Chiroptera, by M. Robin. — 

 Contributions to the cryptogamic flora of Banks's Peninsula 

 (New Zealand), by M. Crie. — Mr. Stone's star-catalogue was 

 presented by M. d'Abbadie. 



The Stop 

 F.R.S. 



El 



CONTENTS 



ic Energy. By SirWii 



Aivi Thoimson, 



The Life OF Wmkwkll. By Prof. T. G. Bonney, F.R S 



(JuR Book Shelf;— 



Kemshead's " Inorganic Chemistrv '* 



Carr's "Notes on the Crania of New England Indians" . . . . 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



The Conservation of Electricity.— G, LiPMANN . 



Apparent Decomposition of Sunlight by Intermittent Reflecting 

 Surf=aces.— Frederick J. Smith 



Symbolical Logic. — J Venn 



Telephones in New Zealand, &C.—WM Lant Carpenter . . . 



Implements at Acton. — Worthington G. Smith 



How to Prevent Drowning. —Dr. W. Henry Kesteven; M. 

 Chatel 



Auroric Light —G. H. Kinahan 



A SinguK-ir Cause of Shipwreck.— Dr. A. WoEiKOF 



ilnsHKVATiONS ON THE Habits OF Ants. By Sir John Lubbock 



F.R.S. 



The Weather and Health of London. By Al 

 ( IVitli Dia£ra>ns) 



: BecHAN. 



Gi-oGRArHiCAL Notes 



Solar Physics — Connexion between Solar 'and Terrestrial 



Phenomena, II. By Prof. Balfour Stewart, F.R.S 



On Gas Supply both •for Heating and Illuminating Purposes. 



By C. W. Sie.viens, D.C.L.. F.R.S ■ • 



Storage OF Electric Enekgv. By Sir WilliamThomson, F.R S. ; 



Pruf. Osborne Kevnolds, F.R.S. : Sir William Thomson, F.R.S. 

 Dr. Miklucho Maclav's Anthropological and Anatomical 



ResKAKCHES IN Melanesia and Australia 



University and Educational Intklligence 



Scientific Serials 



S )ciETrHs ANij Academies 



