300 



NA TURE 



\A2ig7ist 9, 1877 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



Vienna 



Imperial Academy of Sciences, March 15.— The secre- 

 tary presented the concluding parts (on Lepidoptera) of the work 

 on the Novara expedition. — On the sianificance of Newton's 

 construction of the order of colours of thin plates for the spec- 

 tral investigation of the interference colours, by M. Rollett. — 

 On the singularities of a conic-section system, by M. Igel. — On 

 the development history of equisettim, by M. Tomaschek. — Me- 

 dical observations, researches, and methods of cure, by M. 

 Dyer. — Reciprocal linear surface systems, by M. Weyr. — 

 Studies on the polypes and jelly fish of Trieste, by M. Claus. — 

 Observations on the form and finer structure of the organ in the 

 eel described as a testicle, by M. Frend. — On the central organ 

 of the nerve system of Selachians, by M. Rohon. 



May II. — On the action of bromine on triamidophenol 

 in presence of water, by MM. Weidel and Gruber. — A modi- 

 fication of Sauer's sulphur determimtion, by MM. Weidel 

 and Schmidt. — On refraction and reflection of infinitely thin 

 ray-systems on spherical surfaces, by M. Lippich. — On the 

 discriminants of the Jacobi covariants, by M. Igel. — On 

 the stationary flow of electricity in a plate, with use of 

 straight electrodes, by M. Margules. — On the Turkish rail- 

 ways and their great economical importance, especially for Aus- 

 tria and Hungary, by M. Boue. He prophesies a great future 

 for Salonica when the railway will be completed direct from the 

 Danube along the Morava and from Vrania over Komanova to 

 the Vardar railway. This will afford the shortest way from 

 Austria to the .Egean Sea and the East. — On the influence of 

 low temperatures on the life power of bacteria, by M. Fisch. — 

 Contribution to the cryptogam flora of the Hawaiian peninsula, 

 by M. Reichardt. — Theory and solution of irreducible trans- 

 cendent equations, by M. Grossmann. 



May 17. — On the inability of propylene to combine with 

 water, byM. Linnemann. Even at 100° C. it unites neither with 

 completely formed nor with nascent water. — Contributions to 

 investigation of the phylogeny of plant species, by M. Ettings- 

 hausen. — On the normal surfaces to surfaces of the second order 

 along a plane section of the same, by M. Koutny. — Production of 

 correspondmg points of two rational plane curves, by M. Zahrad- 

 nik. — The northern light observations of the Austro- Hungarian 

 Polar Expedition, 1872-4, by M. Weyprecht. — Free oblique 

 projection, by M. Peschka. — Contributions to a knowledge of 

 Phyllopoda, by H. Brauer. — Free temperature in its connection 

 with external influences, by MM. Breitenlohner and Bohm. 



June 7. — On an earthquake in Crete on the night of 

 May 14, by M. Micksche. This is the most intense in 

 the last three years. For forty-eight hours previously there 

 was great calm in air and sea, and twenty-four hours after, 

 violent thunderstorms occurred. — Observations on the origin- 

 ation of the cell-nucleus, by M. Strieker. — Small contribu- 

 tions to a knowledge of Annelidas : I. The hypodermis of 

 Lumbricida;, by M. Mojsisovics. — On a method of determining 

 the boiling point, by MM. Handl and Pribram.— Direct con- 

 struction of the contours of rotation surfaces in general oblique 

 projection, by M. Kuglmayr. — Theory and solution of irreducible 

 transcendent equations with several unknown quantities and of 

 higher order, by M. Grossmann. — On the distribution of fossil 

 organisms in India, by M. Waagen. It is shown, inter alia, 

 that the fresh-water formations extend far into the highlands 

 towards the north-east. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, July 30. — M. Peligot in the chair. — 

 The following papers were read : — On the cosmic part of 

 meteorology, by M. Faye. He throws doubt on the hypothesis 

 connecting the sun-spots with magnetic variations, &c. , on the 

 one hand, and with actions of planets on the other, and assigns 

 terrestrial causes for the variations. — Consequences to be drawn 

 from experiments on the action of gases produced by dynamite, 

 with regard to meteorites and the various circumstances of their 

 arrival in the atmosphere, by M. Daubree. The (generic name 

 of Piezoglypt is applied to the cavities produced in meteorites by 

 the compressed gases. InUi- alia, the fused external matter of 

 the crust is easily carried, like sand and clay, towards the 

 interior of the bolide, by the gas pressure outside. An ex- 

 tension of cupules over the large part of the suiface indicates 

 rotation of the meteorite. — Researches on the tertiary strata of 

 Southern Europe, second part, — Tertiary strata of Vicentin, by 



MM. Hebertand Munier-Chalmas.— On'an example of reduc- 

 tion of abelian integrals with elliptic functions, by Prof. Cayley. 

 —Third note on the project of formation of a Saharan 

 sea, by M. Cosson. — Organisation of the first scientific and 

 hospital station of the International African Association, by M. 

 de Lesseps. Arrangements have been made for establishing a 

 depot at Zanzibar, and an agency in Unyamwefi, so that the 

 first station (under M. Crespel, accompanied by MM. Cambier 

 and Maes) will be pretty far in the interior, perhaps on Lake 

 Tanganyika, or further. M. Marno goes with the expedition as 

 explorer. — Production of phylloxeric galls on the leaves of vine- 

 stocks in the south of France, by M. Mares. — A message of 

 sympathy was sent to M. Leverrier, who was stated to be getting 

 better. — Observations on chemical equivalents, compared with 

 corpuscular elements, by M. Baudrimont.— On a disease of the 

 grape observed by M. Garcin, in the Narbonnese vineyards, by 

 M. Macagno.— On the spectrum of the electric spark in gases 

 submitted to increasing pressure, by M. Wiillner. Criticisinn- a 

 view wrongly attributed to him by M. Cazin, he distinguishes 

 three modes of apparition of a continuous spectrum, according 

 to the nature of the gas. The first (in hydrogen alone) is 

 by diffusion of the spectral lines of the gas. In the 

 second (in carbonised gases) a continuous spectrum appears 

 between the lines, which finally disappear, without en- 

 largement. In the third (e.g., nitrogen and air), the lines 

 continue visible and distinguishable with the continuous spec- 

 trum. — On the separation of iron from chromium and uranium, 

 by M. Ditte. He recommends a similar treatment to that by 

 which M. H. Sainte-Claire Deville separates alumina from iron. 

 — On some properties of sulphides of platina from the analytic 

 point of view, by M. Riban. — On a new mode of transformation 

 of camphor into camphene, by M. de Montgolfier.— On some 

 compounds of titanium, by MM. Wehrlin and Giraud.— Con- 

 genital ectopia of the heart ; comparison of a graphic examina- 

 tion of the movements of the heart and cardiography in animals 

 byM. Fran9ois-Franck.— On blood whose virulence resist.s the 

 action of compressed oxygen and that of alcohol, by M. Bert. 

 He is led to conclude that the blood in question contained not 

 only bacltriilics but septic vibrions whose corpuscular germs had 

 this power of resistance, though the adult organisms succumbed 

 to one or other of the two agents. — On the mechanism of deglu- 

 tition, by M. Carlet. There is an interval (though very sliort) 

 between the raising of the veil of the palate and the sudden 

 ascent of the larynx. — On some points in the embryology of 

 annelides, by M. Barrois. — A new type is here described, 

 common at Roscoff in April. — On a new genus of the family 

 of Tritoniades, by M. Vayssiere. It differs exteriorly from 

 DendroHslus only in the terminal part of its tentacles ; but there 

 are important internal peculiarities. The name Marionia (from 

 Prof. Marion) is applied to it.— On the determination of potash, 

 by M. Carnot. The special character of the newj method 

 described is isolation of potash at the very first, without precipi- 

 tating the other bases. This is affirmed to economise time, and 

 obviate a loss which is considerable where these bases are in 

 dominant proportions. 



Page 



CONTENTS 



Electricity in War. By H. Baden Pkitchard ^„^ 



The Geology of the Vienna Water Supply. By G. A. Lebour 282 



A Chnturv of Discovery 284 



Our Book Shelf : — 



Gritlin's " Chemical Handicraft " 28- 



Letters to the Editor : — ^ 



Ttie CreUceous Flora of America— J. S. Gardner 285 



Automatisni. — D. Sharp 286 



Local Museums. — A. R , ' 286 



July Shooting Stars — W. F. Denning '. ! .' 286 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Total Eclipse of the Moon, August 23 287 



The Variable Star x Cygni '. '. ' 287 



New Minor Planet '.288 



Biological Notes : 



Temperature of Trees 288 



Laticiferous Vessels in Plants 288 



Flora of Nev/ Guinea \ 2S8 



The Segmentation of the Head 28S 



The Capercailzie in Northumberland ags 



Evolution by Leaps , 288 



The Eucalyptus in the United States 288 



Evolution of Nerves and Nbrvo-Svstems, III. By George I 



Romanes, M. A., FL.S (W'lM/^jM/rrt.lV/M) .289 



Atoms and Equivalents 293 



The Greenland Foehn 204 



Notes .'295 



University and Educational Intelligence 298 



socjbtibs and academies ' ™ 



