work, ‘ De Plantis,” published at Florence in 1583, which his 
biographer states to contain the essential features of the classifi- 
cation propounded by A. L. Jussieu two centuries later. 
Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie, February, 1873. The 
number commences witli a paper on a new derivative of sulpho- 
carbamic acid, by H. Hlasiwetz and J. Kachler. The new 
body is obtained by the action of carbonic disul»hide on cam- 
phor in the presence of ammonia. Measurements of its crystals 
are given. The numbers obtained by an analysis agree well with 
the formula C,, Hy, , Ny, 5S»; this is regarded as an ammonia 
salt ; a copper compound C,, H, Ng, Ss, Cu, has been obtained, 
but the acid cannot be isolated from it, as SH, refuses to pre- 
cipitate the copper. Several other compounds of the body are 
described. —The next paper is a short note by M. Berthelot on 
the formation of Acetylen by the silent electric discharge. 
Messrs. R. Boettger and Theodor Petersen contribute a paper 
on the Nitro-compounds of Anthrachinon. The following bodies 
are described: « Mononitroanthrachinon, a Monamidoanthra- 
chinon, and a Diazoanthrachinon Nitrate ; the behaviour of these 
a bodies with concentrated sulphuric acid is then described,—On 
the Vanadates of Thallium, by Thomas Carnelly. The author 
describes the method of preparation and properties of the salts 
in question ; this paper has already appeared in the April num- 
ber of the Chemical Society’s journal, as also has the next, on 
Ethyl-amyl, by Harry Grimshaw, and Schorlemmer’s paper on 
the Heptanes from Petroleum.—Crystallographic Notices, I. by 
C. Klein, is a long paper on the measurement, &c. of crystais ; 
a contribution to our knowledge of Neurin, by Julius Mauthner ; 
‘Remarks on my Water Air-pump,” by N. Jagn ; and a paper on 
Excretin from Human Excrement, by F. Hinterberger. The 
author has established the formula Cy), H3gO for this body, and 
has obtained a Brominated derivative C,), H5,, Br.. O. 
Bulletin de la Société de Géographie.—The first article in the 
March number is by the Abbé Durand, formerly a missionary in 
Brazil, on the Solimoes, the name given to the Amazon from its 
junction with the Rio Negro upwards, this being the name of the 
most powerful tribe on its banks. The Abbé gives an account 
of his journey up the river as far as Peru. His article contains 
many valuable facts as to towns, and people, and products of the 
district through which he passed. The next article is the last of 
Capt. Derrégagaix’s papers on the South of the Province of 
Oran ; the present one treating of the Geology and Meteorology 
of the district. This is followed by a translation of part of 
Col. Yule’s essay on the geography of the Oxus prefixed to 
Wood’s ‘‘Journey to the Source of the Oxus.”—M. N. de 
Khanikoff contributes a paper on our knowledge of the Khanate 
of Khiva. 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
LONDON 
Royal Society, April 24.—On the Durability and Preservation 
of Iron Ships, and on Riveted Joints, by Sir William Fairbairn, 
Bart., F.R.S. ; 2 ay 
On the employment of Meteorological Statistics in deter- 
mining the best course for a Ship whose sailing qualities 
are known, by Francis Galton, F.R.S. 
Zoological Society, April 29.—Anniversary Meeting.— 
Viscount Walden, F.R.S.,. president, in the chair.—After some 
preliminary business the report of the Coun-il was read by the 
Secretary, Mr. P. L. Sclater, F.R.S. It stated that the number 
of ordinary members of the Society on January I last, was 3,050, 
of Foreign members, 25, and of Corresponding members, 197. 
The total income of the Society in 1872 was 26,728/., being 
2,017/. more than that of 1871, and exceeding the income of any 
previous year, except that of the year 1862, when the Inter- 
national Exhibition was held. The total expenditure of 1872 
had been 26,900/., and a balance of 1,956/. had been carried 
forward for tne benefit of the current year. The assets of the 
Society on December 31, 1872, were calculated at 10,532/., 
while the liabilities were reckoned at 5,490/. The Reserve-tund 
consisted of a sum of 8,000/. Reduced 3 per Cents. The Scien- 
tific publications of the Society for 1872 had consisted of the 
usual volume of “ Proceedings,” four parts of “ Transactions,” a 
Revised List of the Vertebrated Animals, now or lately living 
in the Society’s Gardens, and a General Index to the ten years 
of the Society’s ‘* Proceedings,” from 1861 to 1870. The most 
important work undertaken in the Society’s Gardens in 1872 had 
been the bridge over the Regent’s Park Canal, intended to connect 
the Society’s new grounds on the north bank, with the present 
This had been completed in October last ata total cost 
Gardens. 
of 1,333/. The new Lodge and Entrance-gates in Primrose-hill 
Road had likewise been finished, and the new entrance opened to 
the public for the first time on Easter Monday. 
number of visitors to the Society’s Gardens in 1872 had been 
648,088, being 52,171 more than the COrresponding number in 
1871. The greatest number of admissions in any one day in 
1872 had been 44,608, which took place on May 20 (Whit 
Monday). The number of animals in the Menagerie on Dec. 31, 
1872, was 2,010. Many of the laccessions during the year had 
consisted of specimens of rare or little known animals, of which 
full particulars are given. The Report concluded with a long 
list of donors, and their several donations to the Menagerie. y 
The Meeting then proceeded to elect the new Members of 
Council and the Officers for the ensuing year, and a ballot 
having been taken it was found that Viscount Walden, F-.R.S., 
had been elected President, Mr. Robert Drummond, Treasurer, 
and Mr. P. L. Sclater, F.R.S., Secretary of the Society. The 
new Members of Council elected were Francis Galton, F.R.S., 
John P. Gassiott, Jun., St. George Mivart, F.R.S., George 
Russell, and Richard H. S. Vyvyan. 
Geological Society, April 9.—His Grace the Duke ot 
Argyll, K.T., F/R.S., president, in the chair. The following 
communications were read :—‘‘ Lakes of the north-eastern Alps, 
and their bearing on the Glacier-erosion Theory,” by the Rev. 
T. G. Bonney, F.G.S. The purpose of this paper was to test, 
by the lakes of the Salzkammergut and neighbourhood, the. 
theory of the erosion of lake-basins by glaciers, which has been 
advanced by Prof. Ramsay. The author premised (1) that an ex- 
tensive glacier could not exist without a considerable area to sup= 
port it ; (2) that under no circumstances could a glacier excavate 
a cliff of considerable height (say 1,000 ft.) approximately verti- 
cal ; (3) that owing to the proximity of the regions, a theory of 
excavation which applied to the Western and Central Alps ought 
to be applicable also to the Eastern Alps. He then proceeded 
to examine a number of lakes in detail. The K6nigsee lies in 
a remarkably deep, steep-sided valley, terminated by a cirque, 
with cliffs full a thousand feet high, and has no large supply area 
behind. The Hallstadtersee is similarly situated, has a cirque at 
the head, and two lateral valleys nearly at right angles to the 
lake, up which arms of it have formerly exteuded. These are 
not likely to have furnished glaciers which could have excavated 
the lake ; and above the cirque there is no large supply area. — 
The Gasauthal consists of lake-basins separated by valleys of — 
river-erosion. The Fuschelsee and Wolfgangersee, on the south 
side of the Schafberg, are separated by a narrow sharp ridge of 
hills, incapable of nourishing glaciers large enough to grind 
them out; there are no signs of glaciers from other directions 
having eroded them. The Mondsee and Attersee (once one 
lake) on the north lie under the steep cliffs of the Schafberg, 
which could not have nourished a large glacier ; and the ri 
of the Schafberg is too sharp to admit of the supposition that a 
great glacier, coming from the south, has passed over it to ex- 
cavate the Jake ; yet the Attersee, in a position least favourable 
to glacial action, is the largest and deepest lake in the Salzkam- 
mergut. The head of the valley in which these lakes lie is 
realiy among low hills, in the direction of the Austro-Bavarian 
plain. The Traunsee was shown to give no evidence in fayour © 
of a theory of glacial erosion. Since then these lakes either had 
at their heads preglacial cirques (the very existence of which 
was incompatible with much erosive power on the part of a 
glacier), or were beneath sharp and not greatly elevated ridges 
of rock, the author concluded that they had not been excavated 
primarily by glaciers. He considered a far more probable ex- 
planation to be, that the greater lake-basins were parts of ordi- 
nary valleys, excavated by rain and rivers, the beds of which had 
undergone disturbances after the valley had assumed approxi- 
mately its present contour. He showed that the lakes were in” 
most cases maintained at their present level by drift ; and that, 
while in a region so subject to slight disturbances as the Alps, 
positive evidence for his theory would be almost impossible to 
obtain, no lake offered any against it, and one, the K6nigsee, 
was very favourable to it.—‘* On the Effects of Glacier-erosion 
in Alpine Valleys,” by Signor B. Gastaldi. The author de- — 
scribed the occurrence in the valley of the Lanzo and other 
Alpine valleys, at heights between 2,000 and 3,000 metres’ 
The total % 
(6,700 and 10,000 feet), of large cirques, in two of which, inthe —_ 
valley Sauze de Césanne, the bottom was occupied in the autumn 
