136 



NA TURE 



[y 71 lie 14, 1877 



species found on the Irish coasts — On the substitution of an 

 alkaline base in chlorimetry, by Mr. J. Smyth, KC.S. The 

 author treats bleaching lime with an alkaline carbonate, and thus 

 obtains the chlorine in a more convenient form for tetration. — 

 On a specimen of quartz with a pearly lustre, by Mr. R. J. Moss, 

 F. C. S. The laces of the pyramidal crystals, of which the speci- 

 mens consist, possess a laminated structure, which causes a very 

 perfect rellection of light. The lamina; consist of quartz exclu- 

 sively. Mr. Moss concludes that this novel variety of quartz 

 must be regarded as a modification of cup-quartz, the laminated 

 structure being the result of periodic interruptions in the growth 

 of the crystals. — An account of recent attempts to obtain water 

 by deep wells under London, by Prof. Hull, P'. R.S. The 

 author referred principally to the scientific results of the recent 

 boring at Messrs. Meux's brewery. — On a remarkable action of 

 light on certain organo-metallic bodies, by Prof. J. Emerson 

 Reynolds, M.D. The author described a number of experi- 

 ments with mercuric ethide and its homologues, and showed 

 that the pure ethide when sealed up in a tube and exposed to 

 light for some months is wholly decomposed into mercury and 

 nearly pure liquid hydrocarbon. — On the penetration of heat 

 across Crookes's layer, by Mr. G. Johnstone .Stoney, I''. R. S. The 

 author described the way in which heat is transferred across the 

 vacuous spaces in Crookes's radiometers. He traced the laws 

 under which this transfer of heat takes place, and showed that 

 they are dift'erent from the already-known laws of radiation, 

 convection, conduction, and contact. Mr. Stoney suggests that 

 the newly-discovered mode of conveying heat should be called 

 penetration. He showed that a large body of observations were 

 made more than thirty years ago by De La Provostaye and De 

 Sains upon heat conveyed in this way, but without its theory 

 being understood. Unexplained observations made by Dulong 

 and Petit, Grove, and other physicists also admitted of interpre- 

 tation by the newly-discovered laws. Mr. Geo. M. Fitzgerald 

 vias the first to observe that the important results obtained by De 

 La Provostaye and De Sains were due to this cause, and it was 

 by him that they were brought under Mr. Stoney's notice. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, June 4. — M. Peligot in the chair. — 

 The following papers were read : — Preliminary reply to obser- 

 vations by M. Mouchez on the " Nouvelle Navigation," by M. 

 Villarceau. — On the densities of vapour, by M. H. Sainte Claire 

 DeviUe. — Researches on the law of Avogadro, by M. Wurtz. — 

 On the atomic notation ; reply to M. Berthelot by M. Wurtz.— 

 Atoms and equivalents, reply to M. Wurtz, by M. Berthelot. — 

 Reply to M. Fizeau, by M. Berthelot. — On the parallel striae fre- 

 quently presented by the surface of fragments of diamonds of the 

 carbonado variety, and on their imitation by means of artificial 

 friction, by M. Daubree. These striae seem to show that frag- 

 ments, now sparsely scattered, must have been at one time, before 

 they were thrust up to the surface, in contact with one another and 

 exerting mutual pressure. — On the regeneration of the red blood 

 corpuscles in frogs after considerable hcemorrhage, by M. Vulpian. 

 The corpuscles result from evolution of small colourless spheroidal 

 nucleated cells, which become discoid, then oval, and a little 

 before they reach the size of red corpusles, they produce haemo- 

 globin. — M. Gervais announced the receipt of a fresh batch of 

 natural history specimens (chiefly birds and insects) from the 

 Japanese Government. He remarked on some skeletons of 

 Cetaceans. — On the true number of elementary co-variants of a 

 system of two binary biquadratic forms, by Mr. Sylvester. — On 

 the spectrum of Winnecke's comet, by P. Secchi. His experi- 

 ments lead him to think it similar to that of other comets, and 

 to have for base carbonic oxide. — On some metallic seleniurets 

 and tellurets, by M. Margottet. — Study on oxides of iron, by 

 M. Moissan. He believes the pyrophorus of magnum is formed 

 in great part of pyrophoric protoxide of iron. — On the pre- 

 paration and composition of emetine, by MM. Lefort and 

 Wurtz. Emetine does not form basic salts, at least in the con- 

 ditions in which it is ordinarily obtained. — Reproduction of 

 albite, by M. H autefeuille. Albite may be easily had by heating 

 to a dark red a mixture of tungstic acid and a very alkaline 

 silico-alummate of soda. — Strontian ; its diffusion in mineral 

 and organic nature at the present epoch and in the series of 

 geological limes ; consequences relative to saliferous mineral 

 waters, by M. Dienlafait. Itiler alia, of eight hundred sprmgs 

 coming under the designation of saliferous waters, there are only 

 forty-four in which strontian has not been found. — On the affinity 

 of blood corpuscles for carbonic acid, by MM. Mathieu and 



Urbain. A reply to M. Fredericq, who holds the COj is ex- 

 panded in the plasma, not fixed by the globules. The authors 

 cite figures to show that the globules of horse blood can fix about 

 twice as much COj as the serum. Some substances (as ether) 

 increase the absorbing power for O and CO., ; others (as 

 alum) diminish it. — Experimental studies on regeneration of 

 cartilaginous and osseous tissues, by M. Peyrand. ^Historical 

 remarks on the theory of movement of one or several bodies, 

 of constant or variable forms, in an incompressible fluid 

 (continued), by M. Bjerknes, — Comparative study of experiments 

 by day and by night made by MM. Perrier and Bassot, by M. 

 Perrier. The mean errors of an isolated observation for the day 

 and the night are of the same order of magnitude The errors 

 arising from the atmosphere are compensated better in night than 

 in day observations. — Siphon barometers whose indications are 

 not influenced by variations of temperature, by M. Gautier. — 

 Observations on a note of M. Yvon on nitrates of bismuth, by 

 M. Ditte. — Combinations of quercite with butyric and acetic 

 acids, by M. Prunier. — Investigation of salicylic acid in wines 

 and urine, by M. Robinet. — Observations on M. Bert's experi- 

 ments on anthracic disease, by M. Davaine. — Experiments 

 showing that there is not in toxical putrefied blood, liquid or 

 solid virus without organic ferments, by M. Feltz. — On various 

 specimens of Brazilian clay and coal, by M. Guignet. — Female 

 flowers of cordaites, by M. Renault. — Result of geological 

 explorations in 1875-76 in connection with the channel railway, 

 by MM. Potier and De.Lapparent. — Researches on the vitality of 

 spermatozoids of trout, by M. Ileneguy. They resist the action 

 of alcohol and aniRsthetics in such quantity as would kill e.g. 

 infusoria. — Determinations of ammonia in the air and the 

 meteoric water of Montsouris, by M. Levy. 



Geneva 

 Physical and Natural History Society, April 5. — Pro). 

 Forel gave an account of his observations on the transparency 

 of the waters of the Lake of Geneva. This transparency, much 

 greater in winter than in summer, is modified very suddenly at 

 the two periods of its annual variation. The changes of tempe- 

 rature are insufficient to account for the phenomenon. On filter- 

 ing the water of the lake, M. Forel found in suspension fine 

 particles almost exclusively organic, and proved that their pro- 

 portion increases with the number of strata at different densities. — 

 M. Theod.Turrettini described the discovery which he had made of 

 a freezing mixture of chloride of magnesium and snow, which gave 

 a temperature of - 34° C. — Prof. Wartmann announced a series 

 of researches undertaken by him which enabled him to under- 

 stand the extra-polar-derivation of currents traversing mercurial 

 conductors. — M. Duby spoke of the capture of certain insects by 

 the Pdunia and the part played by the sticky glands in this 

 respect. 



Rome 



R. Accademia dei Lincei, April 8. — Influence of nicotine 

 on the animal organism, by M. Corso. The increase of blood 

 pressure may be obtained without preserving intact the vaso- 

 motor centre. It is not due to reflex action. The first effect of 

 nicotine on the pupil is dilatation. — The president (M. Sella) 

 read a necrological notice on Prof. Panceri. — Considerations on 

 specific heat, by M. Cerruti. — I'he Roman Tuscia and the Tolfa 

 (continued), by M. Ponza. — A memoir by M. Bagnis was pre- 

 sented, containing illustrations of a first hundred cryptogams 

 from the Agro Romano, studied by him. — M. Volpicelli replied 

 to M. Cantoni's recent objections to the electrostatic doctrine of 

 Melloni. 



CONTENTS Page 



IT OF Research 117 



Collections 117 



rvPhvsics. By Prol. p. G Tait 119 



OTHBEniTOE:— 



Nectar-Secreting Glands. — Thomas Belt 122 



OnTime.-Dr. V. A J-JLIUS ij2 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



'1 he D'Angos Comet of 17S4 124 



The Total Solar Eclipse, 18S9, December 22 124 



How to Draw a Straight Link, III. By A. B. Kempe, B.A. (lyitli 



Ilhtsiratiotts) 125 



SroNTANEOUs Generation. By Prof. Tvnuall, F.R.S 127 



Agricultural Experiments at Woburn 129 



Notes 130 



University and Educational Intelligence 133 



Scientific Serials 134 



Societies and Academies 134 



