Dec. 21, 1882] 
colour-scale in describing the colours of natural objects.—A 
communication was read from Dr. W. Blasius, of Brunswick, 
containing a description of a small collection of birds made by 
Dr. Platen in the island of Ceram. The collection contained 49 
specimens referable to 21 different species, one of which was 
new to the fauna of Ceram.—A communication was read from 
Mr. E. P. Ramsay containing the description of a new species 
of Monarcha from the Solomon Islands, proposed to be called 
Monarcha (Piezorhynchus) brownt.—Mr. W, Bancroft Espeut 
read a paper on the acclimatisation of the Indian Mungoos 
(Herpestes griseus) in Jamaica, The author explained that the 
object in introducing the Mungoos into Jamaica was the destruc- 
tion of the rats, which had committed serious ravages among 
the sugar and coffee crops. The first Mungooses were intro- 
duced in 1871, and so beneficial was the effect produced, that 
the saving to the sugar and coffee planters now was estimated at 
least at 100,000/. a year.—Lieut.-Col. Godwin-Austen read a 
paper describing specimens (male and female) of Phastanus 
fumie, Hume, which had been obtained by Mr. Ogle on the 
peak of Shiroifurar in North-East Munipur, upon the Naja 
Hills. —A communication was read from Mr. A, Thomson con- 
taining the results of some observations made by him during the 
rearing of a species of Stick-insect (Baci//us patellifer) in the 
Society’s Insect-house. 
Chemical Society, December 7.—Dr. Gilbert, president, in 
the chair.—The following papers were read :—On the conden- 
sation products of oenanthol, by W. H. Perkin, jun. The author 
bas endeavoured to obtain evidence as to the constitution of 
these bodies. By the action of dilute alcoholic potash on 
oenanthol, an acid, C,4H.gO., was formed, boiling at 270°-298°, 
and two aldehydes, C,,H.,0, boiling 277°-279°, and C,,H,,O, 
boiling 330°-340°. Zine chloride forms with oenanthol princi- 
pally C,,H,,0 ; nascent hydrogen converts this last substance 
first into an alcohol, Cy,H,gO, and finally into the alcohol, 
C,,;H3)0. Alcoholic potash converts C,,H.,O into heptylic 
acid and an acid, C,,H.,0,. The author concludes that the 
substance C,,H,,0 is hexylpentylacrylic aldehyd.—On the con- 
densation products of isobutyl aldehyd, by W. H. Perkin, jun. 
Fossek has also recently worked on this subject, but has used 
aque us potash, the action of which seems to be very different 
from that of alcoholic potash. Thus the latter forms an acid, 
C,,H,03, not solidifying at — 10°. Fossek obtained with 
aqueous potash an acid, CsH,,03, melting at 75°. The author 
prepared an aldehyd, C,,H..O,, and from this, by nascent 
hydrogen, analeohol. By the action of strongér potash upon 
isobutyl-aldehyde, higher condensation products were obtained. 
—On a condensation product of phenanthraquinone with ethylic 
acetoacetate, by F. R. Japp and F. W. Streatfield. This sub- 
stance has the formula C,,H,,O,, and erystallises from benzene 
in white silky needles, fusing at 185°; it is ethylicphenanthroxy- 
leneacetoacetate ; by treatment with hydriodic acid it forms 
ethylicphenanthroxylenisocrotonate, fusing at 124°. A new acid 
and a new compound, which the authors believe to be the 
desoxybenzoin of phenanthrene, have also been obtained.—On 
the constitution of lophin, by Dr. Armstrong, The author con- 
siders that the symmetrical formula proposed by Radziszewski is 
to be preferred to that proposed by Dr. Japp.—On the constitu- 
tion of basic ferric sulphate, by S. U. Pickering. By the deter- 
mination of its molecular weight, this salt has the formula 
Fe,(SO,),, 5Fe,:03.—On the chemistry of Hay and ‘‘ Ensilage,” 
by F. W, Toms.—On certain brominated carbon compounds 
obtained in the manufacture of bromine, by S. Dyson. Ina 
bye product the author has detected carbon tetrabromide, brom- 
oform, and chlorobromoformi—Note on the preparation of 
diphenylenketone ether, by W. II. Perkin. 
Anthropological Institute, November 28.—General Pitt- 
Rivers, F.R.S., president, in the chair.—Dr. W. G. Parker 
read a paper on the language and people of Madagascar. The 
language belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian group, being most 
nearly allied to the Malay proper. The various dialects, 
numbering more than sixteen, are essentially only one language. 
It is soft, musical, phonetic, and easily learned by Europeans. 
Until the early part of the present century it was a spoken lan- 
guage only, but the English missionaries reduced it to its present 
form, our own English alphabet being adopted, with the excep- 
tion of the letters ¢, 7, #, w, x, which have no equivalent sounds 
in Malagasy. The vowels are four in number, and the con- 
sonants sixteen, pronounced as in English, with the exception of 
g, which is always hard (as in gaée), and 7, which has the sound 
of dz (as in adge). There are only two real diphthongs. In 
NATURE 
191 
pronunciation every vowel or diphthong must be clearly sounded, 
and the accents properly placed, because often the alteration of 
one vowel, or of the place of the accent, is the only means of 
distinguishing similar sounding words. The author then gave 
the six chief rules of syntax, and explained the grammatical 
structure of the language. In the second part of the paper the 
peculiar geographical position of Madagascar was first noticed. 
Its estimated population (from four to four and a half millions), 
and its chief structural features, with a special notice of the 
central plateau. There are a great many tribes in Madagascar, 
but all are divi-ible into two distinct classes, according to their 
race-origin, Malay and African. Their forms of government 
are (I) petty absolute monarchies over the greater part of the 
island ; (2) among the Hovas tribe it is nominally an absolute 
monarchy, really an oligarchy, the head of which has almost 
regal power. The office of Prime Minister is not peculiar to 
the Hoyas, tribes on the north and west coasts also possessing 
the same institution; but only among the Hovas is the Prime 
Minister not only the factotum, but also the ‘‘ ex-officio husband 
to the queen.” A short sketch of the new code of Hova laws 
was next given, this being the only tribe which possesses 
a code of laws. An outline of the history of Madagascar 
was given, showing the origin of the present form of 
government among the Hovas, the tribe which seeks to possess 
the entire island. Lastly, reference was made to the French 
claims against Madagascar, now being put forward, and their 
effect upon British interests. These claims are: (1) the demand 
that French subjects should be allowed to buy, sell, and own 
land in Madagascar ; (2) the claims of private individuals ; (3) 
the establishment of a French Protectorate over a large part of 
the island. The French are now acting in accordance with a 
preconcerted (and published) plan for invading and conquering 
the whole of the island. As affecting the interests of the British 
Empire, the possession of Madagascar by France will enable 
that Power, if at war with us, to endanger or even stop our lines 
of communication with our Indian, Australian, and other 
colonies, by the Red Sea and the Cape of Good Hope route. 
In the discussion that followed the Rev. James Sibree, the Rev. 
W. C. Picker-gill, Prof. Gustav Oppert, Mr. A. H. Keane, and 
others took part. 
BERLIN 
Physiological Society, November 24.—Prof. Du Bois- 
Reymond in the chair.—Dr. A. Fraenkel read a paper upon the 
further results of experiments which he had made in conjunction 
with Dr. Geppert to determine the influence of a rarefied atmo- 
sphere upon the animal organism. Some of the results of these 
investigations had been brought before the last meeting of the 
Society by Dr. Geppert (aztec, p. 120). Besides the general pheno- 
mena and the behaviour of the gases of the blood in animals which 
breathe ina rarefied atmosphere, investigations were made as to the 
influence of rarefaction upon blood-pressure. The blood-pres- 
sure was read off upon a manometer which was outside the box 
in which the animal, the subject of experiment, was kept ex- 
posed to various degrees of rarefaction. One arm of the mano- 
meter communicated through the side of the box with an artery 
of the animal, while the other arm was in communication with 
the general cavity of the box. When the atmospheric pressure 
sank to half the normal amount, the blood-pressure showed no 
change; when the pressure sank to a third of an atmosphere, a 
small rise took place in the blood-pressure. This rise, how- 
ever, passed away during the sleep that occurred under the 
influence of this amount of rarefaction, and the pressure became 
normal again. When the air was still further rarefied till the 
pressure was as low as one quarter of an atmosphere or less, the 
pulse became weak and small, the blood pressure went down, and 
then if normal quantities of oxygen were not quickly restored, the 
heart stopped. The chief aim of the whole investigation was 
the definite determination of the influence of a rarefied atmo- 
sphere upon metastasis (Stoffwechsel), upon which question, up to 
the present, only few, and even these contradictory, data were 
existent. The authors agreed in general with M, Paul Bert, in 
regarding the effect of a rarefied atmosphere as inducing a chemical 
change which was brought about by a diminished supply of 
oxygen. The amount of urea secreted in the twenty-four hours 
was taken as the measure of metastasis. During a lengthened 
period of observation on those days in which the animals thus 
experimented on had the same amount of food, the quantity of 
urea secreted in the twenty-four hours remained constant. Nor 
was there any alteration in the amount of urea when they were 
exposed to variations of pressure down to half an atmosphere. 
