134 



NATURE 



{June 14, 1877 



proportion of the papers are by members of the Society, as are 

 also several of the illustrations. The papers are on very varied 

 subjects and all up to a creditable standard. The preface com- 

 plains that so few members take an active part in the Society's 

 proceedings, but, in this respect, the Society is no worse than 

 others of much greater pretension. Still it would be to the 

 advantage of the youthful members if the patrons and office- 

 bearers made every effort to increase the number of actual 

 workers. We regret that our space prevents us making special 

 reference to any of the papers. The Botanical Section has 

 issued a list of local plants, by H. W. Trott, the result of many 

 years' observation ; this last, we daresay, may be obtained by 

 any one desiring it. The price is only <jd. 



Lc^DON ScHOOL-BoARD DISTRICTS. — Mr. Stanford is pre- 

 paring for the School-Board of London a series of maps of the 

 various School-Board districts of the metropolis, which are likely 

 to possess considerable interest. These maps are on the scale of 

 six inches to a mile, show the various School-Board subdivisions, 

 the positions of the schools which have been erected by the 

 Board, and, in a different colour, of those which are under the 

 Board's inspection. We have seen the sheet of the Hackney 

 dis'rict, and no better evidence could be produced of the tho- 

 roughly good work done by the Board since its institution. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Memorie della SociitH de^li Spcttroscopisti Italiani, January. — 

 Note from Prof. Draper on photographing the spectra of Venus 

 and a Lyrie ; a 2S-inch reflector and a 12-inch refractor are the 

 instruments used, and an exposure of from ten to twenty minutes. 

 In the photograph of the spectrum of a Lyrae bands or broad 

 lines appear in the ultra-violet region totally different to anything 

 in the solar spectrum. 



February. — Letter on the comet Borelly, 1877, Brorsen- 

 Bruhns, 1857, and the eclipse of the moon of February 27, 1877. 

 The spectra of the first appears, according to him, to consist of 

 some carbon compound. — Tables of statistics of protuberances 

 and spots observed at Rome in the months of January and Feb- 

 ruary, 1S77. — List of positions on the solar limb in which the 

 vapour of magnesium was observed from February 20, 1876, to 

 July 4 of the same year. — In the appendix to this number ap- 

 pears an ariicle explaining the construction of the several dif- 

 ferent forms of aneroid barometers. 



March. — List of positions on the solar limb in which the 

 vapour of magnesium was observed from July to November, 1876, 

 by Prof. Tacchini, and a table for the year showing the frequency 

 of visibility of the b-\\ixt and 1,474-line, from which it appears 

 that the latter line is more frequently visible than the former. 

 Table of positions and size of protuberances observed at Rome 

 in 1876, by Father Secchi. — Some observations of the zodiacal 

 light, by Prof A. Serpieri. — Note by Prof Tacchini on Mr. Le 

 Verrier's researches on the intra- Mercurial planet. — Drawings of 

 chromosphere for September and October, 1875, made at Rome 

 and Palermo. 



April. — Spots and facula observed spectroscopically and 

 directly at Palermo in 1S76. This paper consists of the daily 

 notes of observations of the chromosphere for last year. — Pable 

 of spots and faculce observed in February and March, 1S77, by 

 Prof. Tacchini. — Drawings of the chromosphere for October, 

 November, and December, 1S75, by Secchi, Ferrari, and Tac- 

 chini, observed at Rome and Palermo. 



Journal de Physique, April. — On the cause of the motion in 

 the radiometer, by M. Gaffie. — On the capillary theory of Gauss 

 and its extension to the capillary properties of liquid lines, by 

 M. Lippmann. — New electric lamp, by M. JabloschkotT. — On 

 the quadrant electrometer of Sir W. Thomson, by M. Benoit. 

 — Complement to the theory of th« microscope and the dark 

 chamber, by M. Neyreneuf. — Experiments of static electricity, 

 by M. Grisson. 



May. — On the observation of the infra-red part of the 

 solar spectrum by means of the effects of phosphorescence, by 

 M. Edm. Becquerel. — Determination of the polar distance in 

 magnets, by M. Benoit. — Electric variation produced by con- 

 traction of the heart in the living man, by M. De la Roche. — 

 On a new industrial application of heat, called the thermo- 

 dynamic motor, by M. Ferd. Tommasi. — On the absorbent 

 power of moist air, by M. Hoorweg. — On refrigerating mixtures 

 of snow and sulphuric acid, by M. Pfaundler, 



Morphologischts Jahrbuch, vol. iii. Part I. — Oscar Hertwig, 

 contributions on the formation, fertilisation, and cleavage of the 

 animal ovum, part second {Hcimopis, Nephdis, Kana teniporaria, 

 and R. isculenta), 86 pages, 5 plates. — A. Rauber, the fixation 

 of long bones in joints, and the form of the bones. — W. Molden- 

 hauer, the development of the middle and outer ear, 56 pages, 

 4 plates. 



Rsale Istituto Lombardo di Sclent! e Lettere, Rendiconti, vol. x. 

 Fasc. vii. — Two new myceles parasitic on vines, by M. Cattaneo. 

 — On a cause little estimated in the pathogenesis of some female 

 diseases, by M. de Giovanni. — The molecular velocity of gas 

 and the corresponding velocity of sound, by M. Brusotti. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Chemical Society, June 7. — Dr. Gladstone in the chair. — 

 The following papers were read : — On the gases inclosed in 

 lignite coal and mineral resin from Bovey Ileathfield, by J. W. 

 Thomas. Four samples were examined, two of which contained 

 much hydrated oxide of iron in the cleavages. The gases con- 

 sisted chiefly of carbonic acid, carbonic oxide, nitrogen, and sul- 

 phuretted hydrogen. In one case sulphur sublimed off in yellow 

 crystals ; organo-sulphur compounds, mercaptan, sulphide of 

 allyl, &c., were also present in the gases. The lignites resemble 

 cannel coal more than any other of the true coals as regards the 

 occluded gases, but are far less stable, decomposing, in -jacuo, 

 below 200° C, whilst the true coals resist a temperature of 300" 

 C. It seems probable that the iron pyrites of true coal have 

 derived their sulphur from that existing in organic combination 

 in the plants from which coal is produced. — On apparatus for 

 gas analysis, by Dr. Frankland. The author proposes to substi- 

 tute for the india-rubber cork, which has several disadvantages, 

 at the bottom of the water-cylinder, a cast-iron base through 

 which the two glass tubes pass, and are firmly clamped by a 

 wooden clamp ; the latter is screwed to the cast-iron base. The 

 most important improvement is, however, the removal of the 

 steel clamps which connect the laboratory and measuring tubes. 

 These are replaced by a glass cup at the top of the measuring 

 tube into which fits the drawn-out end of the laboratory tube, 

 covered with thin sheet-india-rubber ; this flexible joint, when 

 wetted and covered with mercury, is quite air-tight. — On narco- 

 tine, cotaminc, and hydrocotarnine. Part V., by Dr. Wright. 

 The preparation of bromhydrocotarnine hydrobromide, bromo- 

 cotarnine hydrobromide, and tribromhydrocotarnine hydrobro- 

 mide is described ; the second of these bodies, when heated to 

 200° splits into a new base, tarconine, and a large amount of an 

 indigo-blue substance ; the latter body is very insoluble, but dis- 

 solves in strong sulphuric acid, forming a magnificent intense 

 purplish solution. Bromocotarnin crystallises in fine scarlet 

 crystals. Noropianic acid and other substances were also pre- 

 pared and their properties examined. — On otto of limes, by 

 C. H. Piesse and Dr. Wright. A terpene-Iike body boiling at 

 176° C. was obtained which yielded but little cymene. The 

 residue in the retort, after standing two to three months, formed 

 a quantity of crystals. These crystals were investigated and 

 their composition determined. — On primary normal heptyl alco- 

 hol and some of its derivatives, by C. F. Cross. Pure cenanthol 

 was prepared with a specific gravity of 0'823 at 16° C. Pure 

 heptyl alcohol is colourless, has an agreeable odour, sp. gr. at 

 0° o'833, boils at 175°. Heptyl chloride, bromide, iodide, 

 acetate, and tenanthylate were prepared and examined ; their 

 boiling-points closely agree with those calculated by Schor- 

 lemmer. — On the transformation of aurin into rosanilin, by 

 Messrs. Dale and .Schorlemmer. The authors find the spectra 

 of the hydrochlorides of their new base, and rosaniline quite 

 identical ; they have also prepared from their base Hofmaim's 

 violet, aniline blue, and aniline green. 



Geological Society, May 23.— Prof. P. Martin Duncan, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — Richard George Coke, Robert 

 Slater, and William Swanston were elected fellows of the 

 Society. — The president read a letter from Mr. C. J. Limbert, 

 announcing that he had allotted the sum of 500/. to the Geologi- 

 cal Society out of the 25,000/. left by his father for distribution. 

 The president further announced that the sum of 500/. had 

 already been paid to the Society, and would be invested for its 

 benefit. — The following communications were read ; — Remarks 

 on the coal-bearing deposits near ErekU, the ancient Heraclea, 

 Pontus Bithynia, by Rear- Admiral T. A. B.Spratt, C,B., F.R.S, 



