ioo 



NATURE 



\7idy 5, 1877 



man Hill, Timberwood Hill, and the Monastery, a third ; and the 

 quartzose rocks of Charley Wood, Charley, the Old Reservoir, 

 and Blackbrook, a fourth. Hence they showed that the beds 

 are considerably dislocated near tlie syenites, which rernovesthe 

 main objection which previous writers have urged against tliese 

 being intrusive ; and they described the evidence they have 

 obtained as to this beinc; their real nature. This evidence in- 

 cluded the description of actual contacts of igneous and sedi- 

 mentary rock seen at two points in the wood south of Bradgate 

 House, and at a third in ISradgate Park. They propose, in a 

 continuation of the paper, to touch upon the faults, and to de- 

 scribe in greater detail the microscopic structure of the rocks. 



Photographic Society, June 12. — J. Glaisher, F.R.S., 

 president, in the chair.— A paper was lead jjy Mr. J. R. Sawyer 

 on the action of light, temperature, and atmosphere upon pig- 

 mented sensitive tissues ; showing that when once the action of 

 light had been set up upon the sensitive pigmented tissue (used 

 in carbon work) the same action was cniit'nnied in darkness and 

 exclusion from the atmosphere ; by this action an increased 

 power and facility of producing large numbers of the same sub- 

 ject was obtained ; as also the possibility of producing different 

 tones of coloured pigments, by this important discovery, which 

 the paper described. — A paper by Mr. Herbert B. Berkeley- 

 notes on the theory and practice of emulsion processes- -was 

 read, relating to the use of zinc Ijromide in emulsions. — Capt. 

 Abney, R.E., F.R.S., followed with a note giving the details 

 and results of his own investigations upon the same subject. — 

 Mr. R. W. Thomas, F.C.S., read a note on the nitrate of silver 

 bath. 



Vienna 

 Imperial Academy of Sciences, March 8. — On some 

 reactions of amido-acids : on the copper salts of leucin, tyro- 

 sin, asparagin acid, and glutamin acid, on the dissolving power 

 of amido-acids for cupric oxide in alkaline liquid, by M. 

 Hofmeister. — On a modification in the determination of vapour 

 densities, by MM. Goldschmidt and Ciamician. — Further ex- 

 periments on galvanic expansion, by M. Exner. The elon- 

 gations through the galvanic current were not markedly dif- 

 ferent from those which would arise from lieat developed by the 

 current ; the differences did not amount to three per cent, of the 

 whole expansion, and were partly positive, partly negative. 

 Hence the author pronounces against a galvanic expansion. — On 

 the teeth-apparatus in frogs and their larvce, by M. Wajgel. — 

 Description of a steerable flying machine in form of an eagle, by 

 M. Grois. — The fossU bryozoa of the Austro- Hungarian miocene, 

 by M. Manzoni. — On cosmic vulcanisni, by M. Tschermak. He 

 thinks the hypothesis most applicable to it is that which explains 

 volcanic phenomena on the earth by gases and vapours, which 

 have been held absorbed in the supposed liquid interior, but 

 developed in the gradual solidification.— On point systems in 

 rational space curves of the fourth order, by M. Weyr. — On 

 polypes and jelly fishes of the Adriatic, by M. Claus.— On 

 Sagartia troglodytts Gosse, by M. v. lleider. — On diffusion of 

 gases through clay cells, by M. Fuluj. He finds, inter alia, 

 that water vapour diffuses more quickly than air (and here con- 

 tradicts Dufour's statement that dry air diffuses more quickly 

 than moist). Vapours iliffuse approximately in inverse ratio of 

 the fourth root of their densities. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, June 25. — M. Peligot in the chair. — 

 The following papers were read : — On the heat liberated by 

 chemical combinations in the gaseous state ; anhydrous acid 

 and water, by M. Berthelot.— On the equivalent of organic 

 compounds, by M. Berthelot. — On a new anthophyllite of 

 Bamie, in Norway, by M. Des Cloizeaux. Anthophyllite (in 

 this specimen) presents new similarities to amphiboles ; like 

 them, it may contain a laige proportion of aluminium (twelveper 

 cent.) in varieties of homogeneous appearance, and it has a 

 marked tendency to pseudomorphism. — Reply to observa- 

 tions of M. Mouchez (continued), by M. Villarceau.— On an 

 apparatus called a central obturator-inflamer, capable of adapta- 

 tion to all cartridges, by M. Cosson. The inflamer is a cjlindro- 

 conical case forming an air-chamber, in which the priming 

 explodes; the gases are distributed by slits in the top of it. The 

 obturator is a convex sheet iron shield with seirated border, and 

 a central hole for the inllamer. The combin.ation is placed in 

 the socket of the cartridge, and the obturator then flattened, 

 so as to firmly and hermetically close the base. Among other 

 advantages, it is claimed to improve the range, increase the 

 penetration, diminish recoil, and preserve the [cartridge-sockets 



intact. — H. M. Don Pedro d' Alcantara was elected foreign 

 associate in room of the late M. Ehrenberg. He obtained 

 thirty-nine votes, M. Van Beneden one. — On the state of the 

 vines of Mezel, near Clermont Ferrand, according to a report 

 of M. Truchot, by M. Aubergier. — Anthogenesis in subterra- 

 nean pucerons of the Graminea;, by M. Lichtenstein. — On a 

 means of avoiding the resonance of the seventh minor harmonic 

 of the fundamental in the series of grave cords of the piano, 

 by M. IJien. The damper (which is the cause) is allowed to 

 act in its ordinary place, but it moves, simultaneously, a lever 

 having at its upper end a second damper, which touches the 

 cord at a quarter of its length, and causes resonance of the 

 double octave, destroying completely that of the defective 

 triple minor seventh. — Historical remarks on the theory of 

 motion of one or several bodies, of constant or variable 

 forms, in an incompressible fluid, &c. (continued), by M. 

 Bjerknes. — New method of elimination of arbitrary func- 

 tions, by M. Minich. — On a solar spot observed during the 

 month of June, 1877, by M. Tacchini. — On the 3rd a small spot 

 (the only one) appeared in the east, and gradually enlarged to 

 40s., by the 7th continuing of this size (some small spots which 

 presently appeared with it ever changing) till it w.is near the 

 border on the 13th. On the 14th, when projection and photo- 

 graphy revealed hardly a trace of the group, the spectroscope 

 discovered very lively chromospheric flames ; higher up, several 

 oblique fragments, evidently from violent eruption, eruption 

 flames on the right, and lastly, a nebulous chromospheric mass, 

 well illuminated and slightly divergent. There was constant 

 commotion of matter. The case is cited as against M. Janssen's 

 view. — On a glass of phosphate of lime, by M. Sidot. It is per- 

 fectly transparent, very refringent, (index i '525), can be cut like 

 ordinary glass, is dissolved by oxides of cobalt and chromium, is 

 not attacked by cold acids, but is attacked by boiling acids and 

 by potash, is not attacked by hydrofluoric acid. — On the dis- 

 sociation of carburets by means of palladium wire, and on the 

 relation of these facts with actions of presence or catalytic phe- 

 nomena, by M. Coquillion. To analyse carburets with palladium 

 wire there must be enough oxygen to work complete combustion of 

 the constituent carbon and hydrogen. — On the determination of 

 potash, by M. Carnot. — On the nickelised iron of Santa Catha' 

 rina, in Brazil, by M, Guignet. The bed is now exhausted; it 

 is thought to have been a meteorite with weight not under 25,000 

 kilogs. (theOvifak block was 20,000 kilogs. , and so was that of 

 Durango, Mexico, found in 1805). The last portions had very 

 little nickel. — Description of several minerals, by M. Pisani, — 

 Reply to objections raised by M. Naudin against the project of 

 an interior sea in Algeria, by M. Roudaire. — Investigation ol the 

 free acids of gastric juice, by M. Richet. Pure gastric juice con- 

 tains almost only mineral or similar acids ; oig.anic acids in- 

 crease when, left to itself, it ferments. Aliments increase by 20, 

 50, and even 70 percent., the acidity of liquids in the stomach. 

 The mineral acid continues predominant so long as there is no 

 putiefaction. — On lymph as an agent of propagation of vaccinal 

 infection, by M. Raynaud. The observations are somewhat dis- 

 cordant, but the virulence of lymph from a vaccinated region is 

 demonstrated. — On the pebbles of a hill near Vailly, in the 

 department of Aisne, by M. Robert. 



CONTENTS pI^ 



Tur. Caxton E.xhibition 177 



The Dsvelopmbnt of the Ovum By the Rev. \V. H. Dallinger 



and Dr. J. Drvsoalk 178 



The Alkali Trade By M M. Pattison Muik 180 



Our Book Shelf : — 



Greenwoods " Rivei Terraces" 181 



Letters to the Editor : — 



T:iit on Force.— Francis E. Nipher 182 



On Time —Joseph John Murphv 182 



The Antiquity of Man. -Rev. O. Fisher 182 



Museum Reform— J P 183 



Taunton College School.— Hknrv J. EoBV 183 



Hog Wallows.— William M. Gabb 183 



Fertilisation of Salix repens.—H. H 184 



The Future of Sanitary Science— Political, Medical, Social. 



By Dr. IS. W Richardson, F R S 184 



Peru. By Edward B. Tvlor, F.R S ( (F/M///iM/ra/wK) . ... 191 



The Mhteorologv OF THE Kuturk 193 



The Spectra OF Chemical Compounds. By Dr. Arthur Schuster 193 

 Our Astronomical Column : — 



The late Prof. Santini 194 



The DoubIe-.star 72 Ophiuchi 194 



A Reported Occultation of Mars by Venus, a.d. 368, July 30 . . 195 



The Prehistoric Steppes OF Central Europe i95 



The Colorado Beetle (Wj/A/Z/iM/raft'o/M) "0 



Notes 196 



University and Educational Intelligence '98 



Societies AND AcADEiMiEs '99 



