408 NAGORE 
[AuGuST 24, 1899 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES, 
EDINBURGH. 
Royal Society, July 17.—The Hon. John Abercromby in the 
chair.—The Keith prize for the period 1895-97 was awarded to 
Dr. Thomas Muir, for his valuable mathematical papers pub- 
lished in the 7yansactéons and Proceedings. The Makdougall- 
Brisbane prize for the period 1896-98 was awarded to Dr. 
William Peddie, for his experimental researches on the torsion 
of wires, his discussion of a unique case of colour-blindness, and 
other investigations in physical science. The Neill prize for 
1895-98 was awarded to Prof. Cossar Ewart, for his important 
investigations bearing on the theory of heredity.— A paper by 
Lord Kelvin, on magnetism and molecular rotation, was com- 
municated, the main conclusion of which was that a gyrostatic 
molecule could not in a strong magnetic field give the Zeeman 
effect. Only a broadening of the lines, not a splitting, could 
occur. This agreed with Larmor’s statement ; and the prob- 
ability was that Lorentz’s theory was essentially true.-——-Sir John 
Murray and Mr. F. P. Pullar read a first instalment of their 
account of a bathymetrical survey of the Scottish fresh-water 
lochs. These could be divided into two great classes, the deep 
and the shallow. The shallow lochs varied considerably in 
temperature throughout the year—a fact which had an important 
bearing on the forms of animal life frequenting these lochs. The 
lochs discussed were Lochs Katrine, Arklet, Achray, Vennacher, 
Drunkie, Voil, Doine, and Lubnaig. 2422 soundings had been 
taken. The greatest depth observed in Loch Katrine was 495 
feet ; and about one square mile of the bottom of this loch was 
below sea level. The portable sounding machine used had been 
designed by Mr. Pullar.—Dr. Hepburn exhibited a new osteo- 
metric board, the idea of which was to keep the vertical sliding 
piece always perfectly parallel to itself. This was effected by 
means of two brass rods parallel to each other and parallel to 
the graduated board. These passed through holes in the vertical 
sliding piece. By this simple device all irregularities in suc- 
cessive measurements of the same bone were quite done away 
with. 
PARIS. 
Academy of Sciences, August 14 —M. Maurice Lévy in 
the chair.—Researches on the metallic derivatives of acetylene, 
by MM. Berthelot and Delépine. Thermochemical experi- 
ments on the compounds of acetylene with silver, silver nitrate, 
silver sulphate; silver chloride and iodide. Dry silver acetylide, 
Ag,C,, detonates when heated in a vacuum with production of 
a reddish flame. The authors discuss the nature of this ex- 
plosion, since the products being solids, silver and carbon, no 
flame would be expected. The conclusion is arrived at that 
the temperature of the reaction is sufficient to volatilise the 
carbon, and that the flame is gaseous carbon at a very high 
temperature approaching 4000" C.—Reaction of argon and 
nitrogen with mercury alkyls, by M. Berthelot. Mercury 
methyl, Hg(CHy)., submitted in an atmosphere of argon to 
the action of the silent electric discharge, forms no compound 
with argon, although when the argon is replaced by nitrogen 
the latter is readily absorbed. With mercury phenyl, 
Hg(C,gH5)o, a slight absorption of argon is noticeable, 
amounting to about 5 per cent. in twenty- three hours. —Observ- 
ations of Tempel’s Comet (1873 II.), made at the Observatory 
of Paris (with the 30°5 centimetre equatorial), by M. G. Fayet. 
The observations were carried out on the nights of July 31, 
August 9 and 10. The comet was at its brightest on July 31, 
although very low down on the horizon.—Observations of the 
Perseids of 1899, by Mlle. D. Klumpke. These observations 
were made under very favourable conditions of sky between 
August 9 and 13.—On the shower of shooting stars (Perseids) 
at Lyons, and a remarkable meteor, by M. Ch. André. The 
August showers of shooting stars were relatively small in number 
at Lyons. On the evening of the 11th a remarkable meteor 
was seen starting at about 10°43 p.m. from the constellation of 
Hercules. It was bluish-white at first, changing abruptly 
in colour to an orange-red. It was under observation 
for four seconds.—On the correspondence between right 
lines and spheres, by M. O. E. Lovett.—On the blacl. pottery 
earths, by M. H. Le Chatelier. The property of producing 
black ware by the action of air charged with tar vapour at a 
high temperature is found to be intimately related with the pre- 
sence of iron in the earth; in the absence of iron, a greyish 
coloration at the most is produced in the interior, nearly all the 
NO. 1556, VOL. 60] 
carbon remaining in the outside crust. The most satisfactory 
results were obtained by acting with acetylene for a quarter of 
an hour at 450 to 480° upon an earth containing about 2 per 
cent. of iron oxide. The objects are then removed to a furnace 
and baked at about 1200°, the hardness thus obtained being 
comparable with that of porcelain.—On Egyptian porcelain, by 
M. H. Le Chatelier.—Action of sodammonium and potassam- 
monium upon tellurium and sulphur, by M. C. Hugot. With the 
alkali in excess the products were NaS, K,S, NasTe, K.Te, all! 
white amorphous substances, soluble in water, but insolublen im 
liquid ammonia, and incapable of absorbing ammonia. With the 
sulphur or tellurium in excess, the products are Na,S;, K,S., 
Na,Te;, K,Te, all crystalline, soluble in water and in liquid 
ammonia, and capable of absorbing ammonia gas.—On the com- 
position of the albumen of the seed of the carob tree, by MM. Em. 
Bourquelot and H. Heérissey. It has been shown in a previous 
paper by the authors that a mixture of mannose of galactose 
results from the careful hydrolysis of the albumen from carob 
seeds. It is now found that four-fifths of this albumen is con- 
stituted by a mixture of the anhydrides of mannose and galactose 
(mannane and galactane). The carob seed isa very advantageous 
source of crystallised mannose.—Detection and estimation of 
free phosphorus in oils and fatty bodies, by M. E. Louise. The 
oil or fat is dissolved in twenty times its volume of ordinary 
acetone, and a concentrated solution of silver nitrate added. 
The silver produced is assumed to be proportional to the 
amount of free phosphorus present.—On the coloration of the 
Tunicates and the mobility of their pigmentary granules, by M- 
Antoine Pizon.—Action of different luminous radiations upon 
silkworms in different stages, by M. C. Flammarion. 
CONTENTS. PAGE 
ithe) Book of thesDeadianiamens -| - « necmemEeS 
Hamilton’s Quaternions, By C. Gok... Spee eee Ong 
Our Book Shelf :— 
Tilden: ‘‘A Short History of the Hircpress of Scientific 
Chemistry in our own Times”. ton yee Sa 
Meunier: ‘‘ La Géologie Expérimentale” cskvi RRR OS 
Forrest : ‘‘ The Fauna of Shropshire.’ "—R.L.. . . , 388 
Lévy: ‘* La Pratique du Maltage.”—A. J. B. 
Bidwell; ‘‘ Curiosities of Light and Sight” ... . 389 
Letters to the Editor :— 
A Curious Salamander. (J///ustrated.)—Dr. Charles 
Minor Blackford . . 389 
Paleolithic Implement of Hertfordshire Conglomerate. 
(Jdustratea.)—Worthington G. Smith .. . 390 
On the Calculation of Differential Coefficients from 
Tables involving Differences ; with an Interpolation- 
Formula.—W. F. Sheppard : 39° 
Apparent Dark Lightning Flashes. __Dr. William ij, 
S. Lockyer . = - 391 
Subjective Impressions due to Retinal Fatigue _w. 
ee Millar eee 395 
Mathematics of the Spinning: Top. ‘Prof. A. G. 
Greenhill, F.R.S... . 391 
On Spectrum Series. \(uasiraied.) noe By Sir 
Norman Lockyer, K.C.B.,F.R.S. ... . 392 
Note on the Discovery of Miolania and of Classe: 
therium (Neonylodon) in Patagonia. (///ustrated.) . 
By Dr. Francesco P. Moreno. ......... 396 
Mryjohn Cordeaux, By AQINGes = - 2 2 | o omemsoS 
Notes) = - : 5 CONOR als Ses 
Our Astronomical’ Column: os 
Holmes’ Comet 1899 a (1892 mE) PE oc COS 
The Paris Observatory ... . Tos 6 fe OZ 
The Bulletin AS Orr i CONES wok lees 
mbhetSun’s Heater .: -aeme 5 OS OMENS Oo o CO 
Iron and Steel Institute... . G5 o wor 
Magneto-Optic Rotation and its Explanation bya 
Gyrostatic System. (J///ustrated.) II. By Prof. 
Andrew Gray, F.R.S._ . Tac «eke eA OF: 
University and Educational Wereiiccnce =. eA O7, 
Societies and Academies.............- 408 
