454 
this country last year. We have also a continuation of the 
‘*Insecta Scotica,” in instalments of the Lepidoptera of Scot- 
land, by Dr. Buchanan White, and the Coleoptera of Scotland, 
by Dr. D, Sharp. 
Tue Yournal of the Royal Geological Society of Ireland, 
vol. iii. part 2, N. S. (vol. xiii. part 2) contains :—Reply to the 
observations in Mr. Kinahan’s paper ‘‘On the Carboniferous 
Rocks of Iceland,” by Prof. Ed. Hull, F.R.S. (Abstract) ; On 
Phaneropleuron Andersoni (Huxley) and Uvonemus lobatus 
(Agas.), by Prof. Traquair, M.D. (plate v.) ; Additional Notes 
on the fossil Flora of Iceland ; On Filicites plumiformis (Baily) 
from carboniferous limestone near Wexford, by W. H. Baily 
(plate vi.) ; Notes on the Carrara marble quarries, by Prof. E. 
Hull; On a remarkable fault in the New Red sandstone of Rain- 
hill, Lancashire ; and observations on the results determined by 
the Royal Commission into the Coal Resources of Great Britain 
and Ireland, by Prof. E. Hull; Sketch of the physical geology 
of North Clare, by W. H. S. Westropp; On tertiary iron ore 
in the County of Londonderry, by G, H. Kinahan; and Notes 
on Wood wardite, by Prof. J. E, Reynolds, 
THE Monthly Microscopical Fournal for April is an excellent 
number, containing several valuable papers. Mr. Wenham gives 
his new formula for microscope object-glasses, recently read 
before the Koyal Society. Till recently high objectives have 
been formed of eight lenses, a front and back triplet with a 
middle doublet, consequently the rays of light are subject to 5 
error arising from sixteen surfaces of glass. The author some 
time ago substituted a single thick plano-conyex for the anterior 
triplet, and in so doing reduced the number of reflecting surfaces 
to twelve, improving the instrument so much that his system has 
been generally adopted. In the new object-glass the number of 
lenses is still further reduced to five, and the surfaces consequently 
to ten; init the front plano-convex remains, the back triplet is 
made the centre of the system, and the over corrected rays 
which leave it are rendered parallel at the point of emergence bya 
long focus plano-convex glass. Inthis combination therefore the 
whole correction is performed bya single concave of dense flint, 
and therefore two single lenses of crown, whose foci bear a definite 
relation to each other. Dr. Urban Pritchard’s excellent observa- 
tions ‘* On the structure and function of the Rods of the Cochlean 
in man and other animals” are given 7 exlenso. Dr. E. 
Hofman’s paper on ‘Hair in its microscopical and medico- 
legal aspects” is translated, forming a concise summary for 
the student of forensic medicine. Dr. Maddox makes ‘* Some 
remarks on a minute plant found in an incrustation of car- 
bonate of lime,” which he considers to be of the genus Boty-ydium, 
and names 2. minulunt. 
THE American Naturalist for March contains an article by 
Mrs. Mary Treat, on “Controlling Sex in Butterflies.” The 
authoress, as the result of an accident, observed that the larva 
of Papilio asterias when underfed almost invariably developed 
into male butterflies, but that when freely supplied with their 
favourite diet, they almost as certainly developed into females. 
She repeated these experiments on large numbers with the same 
result, and has verified them on Vanessa antiopa and the moth 
Dryocampa rubicunda. Mr. A. S. Packard criticises these re- 
sults, and shows that the earliest indications of the sexual glands 
appear when the larva is but little developed, and that they are 
often fully formed when it is adult. There are papers by Profs. 
Marsh and Cope on the extinct Ungulata of the Wyoming dis- 
trict, in which some dates of publication are fully discussed. 
Among the other papers are, Prof. Perkins on “The Flying 
Squirrel ;” C, Ran, on “ Indian Netsinkers and Hammer- 
stones;” and R. Ridgway, on “ The Vegetation of the Lower 
Wabash Valley.” 
Ocean Highways, New Series, No. 1.—The new form of this 
valuable journal is a great improvement on the original unhandy 
form, though we do not think the increase in bulk is very great. 
This number is a particularly interesting one. The first article 
is called forth by the Khiva expedition, and gives a summary of 
the commercial and political history of the Caspian, and the 
region to the eastward ; it is illustrated by two good maps. 
“*The Great Rivers of China” is the title of a short article by 
Dr. F. Porter Smith, while Mr. C, E. Austen, C.E., contributes 
a useful article, accompanied by an excellent map, on ‘‘ Railways 
in Asia Minor.” Mr. D, Hanbury has a short article on myrrh, 
the object of which is to induce travellers to coliect data for its 
botanical elucidation. Prof, Mohn describes the origin and 
history of the Meteorological Institute of Christiania ; a map by 
NATURE 
[April 10, 1873 
the same gentleman is given, illustrating the explorations by 
Norwegian Captains about Spitzbergen in 1872 ; accompanying 
which is a short editorial paper on Wiche’s Land, defending the 
name given to it by Edge in 1617. One very interesting paper is 
by Mr. T. F. Hughes, on ‘‘ Formosa and its southern Aborigines.” 
“*TIn this fair island of the distant eastern seas,” he says, ‘‘ there 
is still a mine of discovery and information awaiting the cunning 
hand of the scholar and traveller.” Reviews, notes, reports, 
correspondence, &c., complete this interesting number. 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
LoNnDON 
Royal Society, April 3,—‘‘On the Structure of Muscular 
Fibre,” by E. A. Shafer. 
‘*Note on the Synthesis of Marsh Gas, and the Electric 
Decomposition of Carbonic Oxide,” by Sir B. G. Brodie, 
F.R.S. 
“‘On an Air Battery,” by Dr. Gladstone, F.R.S., and 
A. Tribe. . 
Chemical Society, April 3.—Dr. Odling, F.R.S., &c., 
president, in the chair.—A paper on ‘‘ A method of determining 
with great exactness the specific gravity of liquids,” was read by 
the author, Dr. Sprengel. The instrument, consisting of a 
U-sbaped glass tube terminating in capillary tubes bent at right 
angles, is very delicate when proper precautions are taken. — 
The second paper, entitled ‘* Researches on the action of the 
copper-zinc couple on organic bodies :—No. II. on the iodides of 
methyl and amyl,” by J. H. Gladstone, F.R.S., and A. Tribe, isa 
continuation of the authors’ researches on this subject, an accouut 
of which they communicated to the Society some short time 
ago.—Dr. C, R. A, Wright then read a memoir ‘On Cymene 
from various sources,” in which he gives the results of his exami- 
nation of cymene prepared from eight different sources, showing 
them to be identical.—The last paper was by Dr. H. E. Arm- 
strong, being No. XI, of ‘‘ Communications from the Laboratory 
of the London Institution; action of the acid chlorides on 
nitrates and nitrites—Part I> Acetic chloride.” } 
Zoological Society, April r.—Mr. R. Hudson, F.R.S., vice- 
president, in the chair.—A communication was read from Dr. 
J. S. Bowerbank containing a description of the brain and of a 
portion of the nervous system of Pediculus capitis. —A communi- 
cation was read from Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., containing remarks 
on the genera of Turtles (O/acopodes), and especially on their 
skeletons and skulls.—A second communication from Dr. Gray 
contained the description of the skull of Sternothaerus.—Dr. Ai 
Giinther, F.R.S., read descriptions of three new species of Fly- 
ing Squirrels, proposed to be called Preromys tephromelas, from 
Penang, P. preomelas, from Borneo, and Sciuroplerus pulveru- 
dentus, from Penang and Malacca.—Mr. O. Salvin made some 
remarks on the tail-feathers of the birds of the genus Afomotus, and 
on the mode in which their peculiar form had originally arisen. 
Geological Society, March 26.—His Grace the Duke of 
Argyll, K.T., F.R.S., president, in the chair. The follow- 
ing communications were read :—1. ‘‘ Synopsis of the younger 
formations of New Zealand,” by Capt. F. W. Hutton, F.G.S., 
of the Geological Survey of New Zealand. In this paper the 
author gave a summary of the Tertiary and later Secondary for- 
mations of New Zealand. He stated that he had been able to 
determine 375 species of true Mollusca, 12 of Brachiopoda, and 
18 of Echinodermata from the Tertiaries ; and under each of the 
formations which he recognises he gave the number of species 
of true Mollusca found in it, indicating the number of recent 
species, and of those belonging to other formations occurring in 
each. He also noticed the range and distribution of the various 
formations. ‘The Tertiary groups of strata distinguished by the 
author are, in descending order, as follows :—I, Pleistocene. 
II. Pliocene: 1, the Newer Pliocene or Whanganui group: 2, 
the Older Pliocene or Lignite group. III. Miocene: 3, Upper 
or Arvatere group ; 4, Lower or Kanieri group. IV. Oligocene : 
5, Upper or Hawke’s Bay group ; 6, Lower or Waitewata group, 
V. Eocene: 7, Upper or Ototara group; 8, Lower or Brown 
Coal group. As belonging to the Mesozoic series, the author 
also described beds of Danian age, under the name of the Wai- 
para formation. A species of Aelemnite//a occurs in beds be- 
longing to the Ototara group, and also in the Waipara formation, 
Volcanic action commenced in the North Island during the de- 
position of the Waitewata group, and has since been almost 
continuous in the northern, western, and central parts of the 
