NATURE 
29 
Fan. rs! 1882 | 
produced, asin Macropus rufus. (3) The evidence with regard 
to Macropus mayor is conflicting ; in one case the median canal 
has been found open after parturition, and in two others closed, 
(4) In Aypsiprymnus gaimardi (and probably also H. murinus) 
the median canal remains closed, and the young passes down the 
lateral vaginal canals, which present a different structure from 
that found in the other examples of Macropodide.—A commu- 
nication was read from the Rey. Canon Tristram, containing 
the description of a new Fruit-Pigeon of the genus Carfophaga, 
from the Louisiade Archipelago, which he proposed to name 
Carpophaga salvadorit. 
Geological Society, December 7.—Mr. R. Etheridge, 
F.R.S., president, in the chair.—William Ambherst Ty-sen 
Amherst, M.P., Robert Edward Cresswell, W. R. Eaton 
Hodgkinson, Simon D, Macdonald, Rev, Edward Cook Pritch- 
ard, Rev. Alexander Simpson, B.Sc., Prof. William Waagen, 
Ph.D., Frederick John Webb, and Charles Henry Wilson, were 
elected Fellows of the Society.—Mr. W. Topley madea statement 
respecting the International Geological Congress at Bologna,— 
Prof. Judd, at the request of Prof. John Milne, of the Imperial 
Engineering College of Tokio, Japan, called the attention of the 
Members of the Society to the important work now being carried 
on by the Seismological Society of Japan. Geologists could 
become Members of the Seismological Society of Japan (which 
stands greatly in need of help) by an annual payment of 1/., 
which will entitle them to receive the whole of the publications 
of the Society. Prof, Judd was prepared to receive the names 
of Members on behalf of Prof. Milne.—The following commu- 
nications were read:—The zones of the Blackdown beds and 
their correlation with those at Haldon, with a list of the fossils, 
by the Rev. W. Downes, B.A., F.G.S.—Onsome new or little- 
known Jurassic Crinoids, by P. Herbert Carpenter, M.A. Com- 
municated by Prof, P. Martin Duncan, M.B. Lond., F.R.S., 
F.G.S.—Notes on the Polyzoa of the Wenlock shales, Wenlock 
limestone and shales, over the Wenlock limestone. From 
material supplied by G. Maw, F.L.S., F.G.S. By G. R. Vine. 
Communicated by Dr. H. C. Sorby, F.R.S,, V.P.G.S. 
Anthropological Institute, December 13, 18$1.—Mr. Hyde 
Clarke, vice-president, in the chair.—The election of Mrs, C. 
Hancock was announced.—The discussion on the Rey. R. H. 
Codrington’s paper on the affinity of the Melanesian, Malay, 
and Polynesian languages was continued by Mr. A. H. Keane 
and Mr. Hyde Clarke.—Mr. M. J. Walhouse read a paper on 
some vestiges of girl-sacrifices, jar-burial, and contracted inter- 
ments in India and the East. The great megalithic forms of 
interment, consisting of Kistvaens, or sepulchral underground 
chambers, formed of four huge slabs, covered with an immense 
capstone, and surrounded by a circle of standing stones, abound in 
nearly all the provinces of the Madras Presidency ; but beside these 
there is another description of burial peculiar to the region of the 
western coast from Malabar to Cape Comorin. This consists of 
huge mortuary jars or urns, pear shaped, usually about five feet 
high by four feet in girth round the shoulders, and tapering to a 
point at bottom. They are of coarse, thick, red ware, wide- 
mouthed, generally with a rude incised cross-pattern round their 
neck. These great urns are buried upright in the ground, not in 
any cist or chamber, and a large flat stone or slab is laid over 
them, but no circle of stones ever placed around. They are 
filled with earth, and contain at the bottom a quantity of bones 
broken small, some pieces of iron, and occasionally a small urn 
also filled with bits of bone; or sometimes with clean sand, red 
or white, which must have been brought from a distance. —Mr. 
G. Bertin read a paper on the origin and primitive home of the 
Semites, which was followed by a discussion. 
Entomological Society, December 7.—Mr. H. T. Stainton, 
President, F.R.S., in the chair.—Mr, A. J. Scollick was 
elected a Member,—Exhibitions : A variety of Axnomos tiliaria, 
Borkh., by Mr, W. E. Boyd.—Bred specimens of Scenopinus 
fenestralis, Latr., Phora rufipes, Meig., and Oscinis pusilla, 
Latr., by Mr. C. O, Waterhouse.—A larva of an undetermined 
species of ant-lion, from Zante, by Mr. F. P. Pascoe. A Curcu- 
lhonideous larva, found feeding in the bulbs of lilies, probably 
from Japan, by Mr. R. McLachlan.—A specimen of Harpalus 
cupreus, Dej., from the Isle of Wight, by Mr. A. S. Olliff.—A 
supposed new species of Ze/ephorus, from West Wickham, by 
Mr. H. B. Pim.—Communications: a box of locust egg-cases, 
with specimens of the Bombyliid larva found feeding on the 
eggs, transmitted by Sir Robert Biddulph from Cyprus, was 
exhibited by the Secretary, who read a communication received 
therewith from the Colonial Office, and the report of the Com- 
mittee appointed by the Society to investigate the subject.—Sir 
S. S. Saunders read some remarks received from M. E. André, 
relative to a species of Scleroderma.—Mr. C. O. Waterhouse 
read remarks on the types of Cynips psenes and C. sycomori, in the 
Linnean collection.—Mr. W. L. Distant read descriptions of 
new species belonging to the Homopterous family Cicadide ; 
and Mr. A. G. Butler communicated a list of heterocerous 
Lepidoptera collected in Chili by Mr. T. Edwards; Part i., 
Sphinges and Bombyces. 
VIENNA 
Imperial Academy of Sciences, December 9, 1881.—V 
Burg in the chair.—The following papers were read :—Ed, 
Neusser, a contribution to the knowledge of the colouring-matters 
of urine.—Bohuslay Branner (Manchester), contribution to the 
knowledge of cerium metals,—N. v. Lorenz, on the action of 
metallic lead on an aqueous solution of nitrate of lead,—Willi- 
bald Vinier, a sealed packet without inscription.—G, Tschermak, 
on a previously unobserved case of hemhedry of fesseral 
system.—E. Weiss and T. Palisa, computation of the elements 
and ephemeris of the comets probably discovered by Mr. 
Wendell of Harvard College at Cambridge (Mass.).—W. Tinter, 
on the error made on putting the cross-wires into the plane of 
image. 
December 15, 1881.—L. T. Fitzinger in the chair.—The 
following papers were read.—L, Boltzmann, on the theory of the 
viscosity of gases (part 3).—Some experiments made on the 
impact of cylinders, by the same.—Fr. Brauer, on the Diptera 
of the Imperial Museum at Vienna,—A. v. Heider, on the genus 
Cladocera, Ehrenberg.—T. Gaunersdorfer, contributions [to a 
knowledge of the nature of the heart-wood.—O. Tumlirz, on the 
flow of an incompressiole liquid through pipes of circular 
section and of any one shape and situation.—On the rotatory 
movement of a homogeneous liquid around an axis by influence 
of friction, by the same.—Bela Haller, on the anatomy of the 
nervous system of the Afwicida.—T..V. Rohon, researches 
on Amphioxus lanceolatus.—¥. Lorenz, on the skeletons of 
Stringops habroptilus and Nestor notabilis,—L. v. Barth and M. 
Kretschy, on the Piotoxin question.—Sig. Freud, on the struc- 
ture of nerve-cells of the crayfish,—T. Liznar, on the results of 
magnetic measurements made in Moravia and Silesia. 
PaRIs 
Academy of Sciences, December 12, 1881.—M. Daubrée 
in the chair.—The following papers were read :—Surveys and 
itineraries executed in Tunis, by M. Verrier.—Experiments on 
the rapidity of absorption of virus at the surface of wounds, by 
M. Davaine. Small portions of the skin of rabbits were cut 
out with scissors, and fresh virulent anthracic blood was spread 
on the wound. After one hour or more, the wound was deeply 
cauterised. Two-thirds of the animals were preserved (a result 
quite different from those of Renault and M. Colin, who inocu- 
lated animals after making a small sub-epidermic incision, and 
found cauterisation unavailing. An explanation is offered)—On 
groups of binary forms having the same Jacobian, by M. Ste- 
phanos.—Researches with a view to discover organisms parasitic 
on phylloxera, by M. Gayon, He found microscopic organisms 
in a small percentage of phylloxeras examined, and tried to 
cultivate them. Chicken-broth neutralised with potash, and 
having a phylloxera (first scorched in flame), or some liquid 
from its body, put into it, soon swarmed with agile rods 
(bacteria or vibrions), but the author is not sure that the 
alterative germs were always from the insects (the deve- 
lopment being constant). A curious green crystal-yielding 
product of those microbes, is noted, M. Gayon, is pursuing 
— 2x 
Fi (z)dx = 0, 
a 
by M. Laguerre.—On a series of Abel, by M. Halphen.— 
Remarks on the introduction of continuous functions not having 
a derivative, into the elements of mechanics, by MM. Appell and 
Jannand.—On a class of functions analogous to © functions, by 
Mr. Elliott. —On international polar expeditions, by M. Mascart. 
The object is to study, not the formation and course of cyclones, 
but terrestrial magnetism and allied phenomena ; and in this 
respect the importance of polar stations is indubitable-—On the 
methods of comparison of induction coefficients, by M. Brillouin. 
—On the specific heats of gases at high temperatures, by MM. 
Mallard and Le Chatellier, They find the mean specific heat of 
carbonic acid, at constant volume, between 1800° and o° (referred 
| to the equivalent 44), to be represented by 12°6, It increases 
>>) 
his studies. —On equations of the form = é 
