468 
quick growth, are all in favour of operations. The fol- 
lowing are the results of his experiments on the cerebral 
hemispheres ;—“ Very convincing facts are obtained by 
removing the cerebral hemispheres in new-born animals, 
and allowing them to grow up. The result is idiotismus, 
There is also reason to locate the organic conditions of 
voluntary movements in the cortical substance of the 
brain, but there is no reason to accept the corpus striatum 
as a motor ganglion, The hemiplegion following the 
destruction of the nucleus lenticularis can be satisfactorily 
explained by the rupture of fibres passing through the 
internal capsule. But admitting the cerebral cortex as 
the organ for voluntary movements, there is no necessity 
to have another motor ganglion. Indeed, Gudden’s ex- 
periments on new-born rabbits, by removing portions of 
the hemispheres, have demonstrated that the organ of 
voluntary motion is located in the frontal part of the 
cerebral cortex.” 
Dr. Ferrier, whose results are referred to in another 
column, is working in a similar field of observation, with 
the view of elucidating the relations between certain con- 
volution centres, and definite sets of muscles at the 
periphery. 
FRENCH ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCE- 
MENT OF SCIENCE 
of Rea second meeting of the French Association for the 
Advancement of Science was held at Lyons from the 
21st to the 28th of August, under the Presidency of Prof. 
Quatrefages. This Association bids fair to become as 
popular in France as the British Association in this 
country. The work done in the sections which I yisited, 
those of Anthropology and Geology, was, to say the very 
least, as valuable as that done by our own sections. Among 
the papers brought before the former, the pleistocene station 
of Solutré excited considerable interest, and was subse- 
quently visited by the section. The site has been used by 
man for habitation and burial, as late as the Merovingian 
times, in which it was a cemetery, and the strata are toa 
considerable extent vevzanié. The association of remains 
on that spot of varying age, Paleolithic, Neolithic, and 
Frankish, seems to throw a doubt on the precise date of 
the human skeletons, buried at full length, and generally 
believed to be of the same age as the associated imple- 
ments of reindeer, and bones of mammoth. Dr. Gosse 
also read a paper on the reindeer-cave of Veyriers, 
Switzerland, and exhibited carved implements of reindeer 
antler, usually called ‘ batons de commandement,” which 
are of the same form as the arrow-straighteners of the 
Eskimos. Here, as in the caves of Belgium explored by 
M. Dupont, they {presented but one perforation. The 
debates were yery animated, and drew out many valuable 
remarks from the eminent anthropologist, Dr, Paul 
Broca. 
In the Geological section, papers were contributed by 
the Comte de Saporta, MM, Dumortier, Beboux, and 
others, and in the debates Prof, Carl Vogt of Geneva took 
a prominent part. MM. Falsan and Chantre exhibited 
and described an elaborate map of the glacial phenomena 
cf the middle basin of the Rhone, drawn on a large scale. 
They traced the glaciers of the Alps, and of the Jura, 
as far to the west as the Saone, and as far to the south as 
Valence ; and they proved that there were two epochs of 
glaciation, the one during which the area in question was 
covered by a great ice-sheet, conveying Alpine blocks over 
the Jura into the valley of the Saone and middle basin of 
the Rhone, and the other during which the glaciers were 
isolated, and local moraines accumulated in the river 
valleys. ‘These two periods correspond with those which 
have been noted in Great Britain and Ireland, by Prof. 
Ramsay, Hull, and others. The map presented a com- 
bination of artistic skill, with careful work in the field, 
which is very rarely met with, 
NATURE 
| Oct. 2, 1873 
In the evening three popular lectures were given to the 
public, one of which, by M. Janssen, on the Constitution of 
the Sun, was admirably illustrated. i 
The times of meeting of the sections differ from ours, 
the programme of the day being, first, a morning sitting 
from 8.30, or 9 to II A.M.,—dejeuner; and, an afternoon 
sitting from 3 to 5 P.M.—then dinner ; and sometimes an 
evening sitting commencing at eight, when there were no 
lectures going on. The sections were 15 in number, and 
comprised Agriculture and Medicine, as well as those 
represented in the British Association. There were ex- 
cursions down the Rhone, and to Geneva ; a grand feée 
given by one of the merchants, and a magnificent enter- 
tainment given by the City of Lyons in the Town Hall. 
In writing this short notice the extreme courtesy and 
consideration of the French Association to the strangers 
should not be omitted. Their hospitality to the only 
English guest present was too great to flow from any 
personal motive, and evidently was intended as a mark 
of respect to the British Association. W. B. D. 
THE METEOROLOGICAL CONGRESS AT 
VIENNA 
HE Meteorological Congress which met at Vienna 
during the past month worked very hard amid many 
difficulties, and we believe will have good results. The 
Congress sat from Sept. 2 to Sept. 16. The protocols and 
appendices are in the press, and will appear officially in 
French and German; while Mr. R. H. Scott has under- 
taken an English translation, which will appear as soon 
as possible. The following is a list of the delegates 
from the various countries :—Antonio Aguilar, Spain; 
H. Buys-Ballot, Netherlands ; Carl Bruhns, Germany ; 
Alexander Buchan, Great Britain and Ireland; f. D. 
Campbell, China ; Giov. Cantoni, Italy ; Aristide Coum- 
bary, Turkey ; v. Czelechowsky, Austria ; F. Doergens, 
Germany; Prof. Ebermayer, Bavaria; Fradesso da 
Silveira, Portugal ; M. Gloesener, Belgium ; Julius Hann, 
Austria ; Hoffmeyer, Denmark ; Carl Jelinek, Austria ; 
Josef Lorenz, Austria ; Heinrich Mohn, Norway ; Robert 
Miller, Austrian-Hungary ; Albert Myer, United States ; 
Georg Neumayer, Germany; E. Plantamour, Switzer- 
land ; Ernst Quetelet, Belgium; R. Rubenson, Sweden ; 
Guido Schenzl, Hungary ; Julius Schmidt, Greece; H. 
Schoder, Germany; Rebert H. Scott, Great Britain and 
Ireland ; Carl Sohncke, Germany ; H. Wild, Russia ; F. 
Winnecke, Germany ; A. Zamara, Austria. The following 
is the programme of subjects discussed :— ? 
I. Justruments.—1. What is the construction of the 
barometer most suitable for stations of the second 
order? Is the use of aneroids at such stations advis- 
able? 2. What modefof exposure of thermometers for 
the observation of air temperature is the best and most 
suitable for general adoption? 3. What is the best con- 
struction for maximum and minimum thermometers? 4, 
What instruments should be used for determining intensity 
of radiation, and in what way can the comparison of 
the results obtained be secured? 5, What is the 
best apparatus for observing earth temperatures ? 
At what depths ought they to be made, in order that 
the desired agreement may be attained? 6. What 
instruments should be used for ascertaining the state: 
of moisture of the atmosphere? Does the psychro- 
meter suffice for this purpose? Can the hair hygro- 
meter be made applicable, and with what Jimitations ? 
7. In what way can an agreement in the signs for the 
directions of the wind be attained? Is the deduction of 
the mean direction of the wind according to Lambert’s 
formula desirable? Is it desirable or not to in- 
clude very light winds (force o) in constructing wind 
roses for the direction of the wind? 8. What scale is 
to be used for the force of wind where it has to be 
estimated without the aid of an instrument? 9. Is the 
