412 



NATURE 



{Sept.d, 1877 



and directing its education into useful cliannels ; on the other 

 in giving general information and providing recreation and 

 amusements of a social character. He endeavours to point out 

 the improved prospects of mechanics' institutes in the future, and 

 appeals to public spirit for the erection in many towns of more 

 appropriate buildings. He suggests the propriety of establishing 

 day schools as nurseries for the rudimentary teaching of science, 

 and refers to the help from national and other sources that may 

 be obtained by taking up this work systematically. He urges 

 the vast importance of scientific knowledge for our artisans, the 

 equal importance of a training for girls in the matters apper- 

 taining to their welfare, and points out the great need for 

 making classes more attractive. He speaks of the value of 

 penny banks for promoting thrift. Finally, he tries to show the 

 necessity of making the institute more popular as a place of 

 resort for the people of our towns, as a safeguard against per- 

 nicious attractions, and for the supply of information, entertain- 

 ment, and recreation. 



In connection with Capt. Howgate's scheme of Polar explora- 

 tion, the Florence, under Capt. Tyson, of Polaris fame, left New 

 London on August 16, lYi; Cumberland Coast, for whaling pur- 

 poses. It will then proceed to Greenland to engage Esquimaux 

 families. This pioneer party will meet at Disco, next August, 

 the main Polar expedition under Capt. Howgate. The expe- 

 dition, it is expected, will be fitted out by the United States 

 Government as soon as Congress meets, and will have voted 

 the requited subsidies for establishing a scientific colony at Lady 

 Franklin Bay. The use of balloons having been suggested, 

 Capt. Howgate has written the following letter to M. W. de 

 Fonvielle, who has offered to become a member of the scientific 

 stafTof the expedition. It is dated from the " War Department, 

 Office of the Chief Signal Officer, Washington, D.C., August 16, 

 1877." — "Your valued favour of the l6th June, addressed to 

 Capt. Tyson, was forwarded to me for reply. This reply has 

 been necessarily delayed by the amount of work thrown upon 

 me during the fitting out of the Florence. But I avail myself of 

 this first opportunity to say that, should Congress, as I hope, 

 legislate favourably for the proposed Arctic colony at its next 

 session, it is my intention to try the value of balloons as an 

 agent of exploration ; and your services, so courteously offered, 

 will be thankfully accepted. Your reputation as a man of 

 letters and science is too well known to render such references as 

 you allude to necessary." 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Barbary Ape {Macaciis iiititis) from North 

 Africa, presented by Mr. E. Barclay ; a White-fronted Capuchin 

 (Cebus allnfrons) from South America, presented by Mr. Ship- 

 man ; a Pig-tailed Monkey {A/acaeus nenieslrinus) from Java, 

 presented by Mrs. Rintoul ; a Leadbeater's Cockatoo [Cacatua 

 hadbeiiteri) from Ausiralia, presented by the Rev. S. J. Whitmee, 

 C.M.Z.S.; an American Tantalus {Tantalus loculator), two 

 Prmce Albert's Curassows {Crax nlberti), three Black-faced 

 Spider Monkeys (Aides aler) from U.S. Columbia, a Kinkajou 

 (Cercoleplts caudrjolvulus) from Honduras, deposited ; a Taman- 

 dua Ant-eater {Taiimndiia telradactyla), an American Darter 

 {Flatus anhinga), an Ashy-headed Gull {Lams cirroeephalus) 

 from South America, a Brazilian Motmot (Atomotus bnisiliemis) 

 from Brazil, a Sorry Thrush {Turdiis tristris) from Mexico, 

 purchased. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, August 27.— M. Fizeau in the chair. 



— The following papers were read : — Note on M. Lavy's 

 catalogue of stars of longitude and lunar culmination, by M. 



Faye. This catalogue of 521 stars is recommended as a work 

 of precision which should be of real service. — Two general laws 

 of geometric curves of order and cla-s, m and u, by M. Chasles. 

 — On the relation which should exist between the diameter of 

 cores of iron and the thickness of their magnetising helix, by 

 M. Du Moncel. It is shown from experiment that there is 

 advantage in winding electro-magnets so that the thickness of 

 the coil-layers is equal to the diameter of the cores ; and for this 

 law to be well applied, the diameter of the cores should naturally 

 be proportioned to the electric intensity which is to act on them, 

 and chosen so that this intensity develop in them a quantity of 

 mat;netism pretty near the point of saturation. — On an example 

 of reduction of Abelian integrals with elliptic functions (con- 

 tinued), by Prof. Cayley. — Observations of the planets 173 and 

 174, and remarks on the discovery of this latter planet, by M. 

 Stephan. On August 8 Mr. Watson observed a star of the tenth 

 magnitude not marked on his maps, but it was not till the i6th 

 that it was recognised as a planet. M. Borrelly first perceived 

 the star on the lOth, and next day its planetary character was 

 ascertained; priority is thus claimed for M. Borrelly. — Pro- 

 visional geographical map of the planet Mars, by M. Flam- 

 marion. In this work (commenced in 1S63) the author has 

 aimed at givinij a general ensemble of observations from the 

 beginning. — Observations on a recent note of M. Du Moncel, 

 on the best conditions of employment of galvanometers, by M. 

 Raynaud. — Reply to a recent communication of M. Angot, on 

 the evaporation in the region of the Algerian chotts, by M. 

 Roudaire. — On the termination of the nerves in the electric 

 apparatus of the torpedo, by M. Rouget. In opposition 

 to MM. Boll, Ciaccio, and Ranvier, M. Rouget observes 

 constantly, and reproduces by photography, a network iu the 

 ventral face, formed by the divisions of the last branches of 

 the pale ramified fibres. The appearances of termination in 

 buttons or free extremities, which show here and there in all the 

 preparations, are manifestly connected with the network, in the 

 enlarged photographs, by prolongations which escape direct 

 observation. — Variations of the temperature during the total 

 eclipse of the moon on August 24, 1877, by M. Berigny. There 

 was a very marked cooling at to o'clock, and this had a per- 

 ceptible effect on the minimum. M. Berigny asks did this arise 

 from the astronomical fact, or was it a mere coincidence ? M. 

 Faye was nut disposed to attribute it to the eclipse, and for two 

 reasons : First, the sky was that night exceptionally clear, so 

 that the terrestrial radiation must have been very active, giving 

 a notable fall in the thermometer ; second, physicists have had 

 the greatest difficulty in rendering perceptible heat from the 

 moon, even with the most delicate apparatus. So that when we 

 are deprived of this radiation for an hour or two this can hardly 

 affect our thermometers, still less our senses. 



CONTENTS Pagb 



Nature and Constitution or Man 393 



bciENCB IN THE Argentine Republic 39s 



Our Book Jihhlf : — 



"United States Commission of Fish and Fislieries.^ Part III.— 



Report of the Commission for 1S73-74 and 1874-75 " 395 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Indian Rainfall and Sun-spots — E. D Archibald 396 



Greening of Oysters. -Prof. W. T. Thiselton DVER .... 397 



Reproduction by Conjugation. — Rev. George Hbnslow . , , 397 



St.ange Dream Phenomenon.— W. J. S 397 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Satellites of Mars 397 



The D'Angos Comet of 17S4 398 



The First Comet of 1877 (Borrelly, Febiuary 8) 398 



Biological Notes : — 



New Work on Birds 399 



The Body-Cavity in the Head of Vertebrates 399 



Fish-eating Birds 399 



Ants' Domestic Animals 399 



A Whale in the Mediterranean 399 



The Late Mr. Gassiot 399 



The Spectrum or Nova Cvgni. By Herr Vogel (With Itbistra- 



tions) 4C0 



The Telephone. By W. H. Preece, M. Inst. C.E. (IVith Illustra- 

 tions) 403 



The British Association ; — 



Reports 404 



Section A. — Mathematical and Physical ' . . 405 



Section C. — Geology 405 



Section D. — Biology. — Department of Anatomy and Physiology. — 



Address to the Department by Prof. MacAUster, Vice-President 406 



Section E. — Geography . . 409 



The French Association at Havre 409 



Notes 4i'3 



Societies AND Academies 41= 



