192 
NATURE 
[ Dec. 21, 1882 
On the diminution of the pressure to one third of an atmo- 
sphere, at and under which pres ure the amount of oxygen con- 
tained in the blood is markedly diminished, and the auimal falls 
into a deep sleep, there was, after this clegree of rarefaction had 
lasted several hours, a very remarkable increase in the amount 
of urea. This increase did not occur till the next day in the 
case of animals which had been fed, whereas it occurred on the 
day of the experiment in the case of those animals which were 
kept hungry, but it in all cases lasted over a couple of days after 
the experiment. Dr. Fraenkel’s belief is that the rarefaction 
influences the metastasis by depriving the blood and the tis~ues 
of some of their necessary oxygen, and that this want of oxygen 
entails an excessive destruction of albumen, the constituents of 
which are in part deposited as fat, and in part are changed into 
urinary products. Besides the increased elimination of urea, 
fatty degeneration of tissues (¢.g. of the heart) is observed when 
the system is in want of oxygen. 
PARIS 
Academy of Sciences, I’ecember 11.—M. Jamin in the 
chair.—M. Faye presented the Connaissance des Temps for 
1883, and noted some improvements.—Observation of the 
transit of Venus in the Argentine Republic, by M. Mouchez. 
Good observations were made at the two stations, by MM. Beuf 
and Perrin.—M. Mouchez stated that the weather prevented 
observations on the Pic du Midi.— Installation and preliminary 
operations of the mission for observation of the transit of Venus, 
at Fort-de-France, by M. Tisserand.—Observations of the transit 
at Marseilles Observatory, by M. Stephan. There were five 
observers. The phenomenon was seen through a veil of vapours, 
and M. Stephan does not think this unfavourable ; perhaps, 
indeed, it is the best condition possible (the solar intensity being 
weakened), if the observer do not lose his sazg-froid, through 
fearing too great obscuration. The black drop was not seen. 
(Data for the first two contacts are furnished.)—New facts con- 
cerning rabies, by M. Pasteur, with MM. Chamberland, Roux and 
Thuillier. All forms of rabies come from the same virus, Death 
after inoculation with rabid saliva may be either from a 
microbe found in the saliva, from formation of much pus, or 
from rabies. The virus of rabies is found not only in the 
medulla oblongata, but in the brain and spinal cord. Rabies 
may be produced certainly and quickly, either by trepanation and 
inoculation, or by intravenous injection. The symptoms are 
different in the two cases. Animals sometimes recover after the 
first symptoms of rabies, never after the acute symptosm. The 
authors have now four dogs which cannut take rabies, however 
inoculated. Whether this is from having had a mild form of it and 
recovered, or from being naturally refractory, he cannot at 
present say.—Separation of gallium, by M. Lecoq de Boisbau- 
dran.—New studies tending to establi-h the true nature «f 
glairine or barégine, and the mode of its formation in the thermal 
and sulphurous waters of the Pyrenees, by M. Joly. The con- 
crete glairine of chemists, found in all those waters, consists 
essentially of detritus of a host of animals and plants, with some 
inorganic substances (crystals of sulphur, sulphate of iron, silica, 
&c.), and very often Sw/phuraria, a true Oscillator.—On the 
conservation of solar energy ; reply to Dr. Siemens, by M. Hirn. 
—Examples of black seen as orange red, by M. Trécul. A 
lady’s black veil, in full sunlight, seemed orange red at the nodes of 
the tissue, while the internal parts remained black. The dye in this 
case was a very dark blue; and the orange-red is complementary.— 
Effects of lightning on the top of the Puy-de-Déme, by M. Alluard, 
The ane. ometer cups (of red copper) at the top of an iron mast 
(6 m. high, and having a ladder and stand largely iron; also 
connected with earth plates), all show traces of fusion in their 
upper parts, and the fused matter is raised as a cone. (St. 
Elmo’s frre often appears at the salient points of the mast, &c.) 
— Observations made during the viticolar campaign 1881-82, by 
M. Boiteau.—Factitious purulent ophthalmia produced by the 
liquorice liana, or jequirity, by M. Moura-Brazil—M. de 
Lesseps presented a note on M. Wiener’s explorations in the 
regions of the Amazon.—The Secretary read telegrams from 
Brazil, Washington, Oran, Nice, Bordeaux, &c., regarding the 
transit of Venus.—Observation of the transit at Chatsandun, by 
M. Lescarbault. He describes a greyish yellow luminous fringe 
seen all round the planet when this was three-fourths on the 
sun ; it persisted till entrance was completed.—Observations of 
the transit at the Roman College, by P. Tacchini. He observed 
the contacts successfully with the spectroscope applied to a Merz 
refractor ; while Prof, Millosevich observed in the ordinary way. 
He verified the absorption by the Venus atmosphere, found the 
planet's diameter 67°25, &c.—Observations of solar spots and 
facule during the third quarter of 1882, by the same. The 
spots show a diminuion, with well-marked secondary mini- 
mum in August. The facule had nearly the same ex- 
tension as in the preceding quarter. While their size 
diminishes, that of the spots increases.—On the great solar 
spot of November, 1882, and the magnetic perturbations 
that accompanied its appearance, by the same. It showed 
maximum activity at the middle of the disc, and afforded the 
rare opportunity of distinguishing solar protuberances in the dise 
as easily as on the limb, —Observations of the great Southern 
Comet, by M. Jacquet. A sketch is furnished, taken on board 
the Niger, at the mouth of the Rio de la Plata.—On Fourier’s 
series, by M. Halphen.—On solids of equal re-istance, by M. 
Léauté.—On a communication of M. Deprez, relative to the 
transport of force, by M. Lévy.—Displacements and deforma- 
tions of sparks by electrostatic actions, by M. Righi.—On the 
atomic weight of yttrium, by M. Cleve. He obtains 89°02 and 
88-9, with different values for O and S.—On a fish at great 
depths in the Atlantic, the Zurypharynx pelecanoides, by M. 
Vaillant. This was brought up from a depth of 2300m. off the 
coast of Moroce>, during a cruive of the Zravatieur. It is 
about a foot and a half long, quite black, and remarkable for its 
enormous and disproportionat- mouth (like a pelican’s). It has 
no swimming-bladder and few fins, peculiar branchiz, &c. The 
genus Malacosteus seems the nearest.—On a new fossil in ect of 
the order of Orthoptera, from the coal-mines of Commentry 
(Allier), by M. Brongniart. It is of remarkable size, and is 
named Zitanophasma Fuyoli. The author canot say whether it 
was winged or not.—On the meteorological fauna of the 
Varangerfjord, by MM. Pouchet and de Guerne.—The Sucto- 
ciliates, a new group of Infusoria, intermediate between the 
Ciliates and the Acinetians, by de Merejkowsky.—Influence of 
excitability of mu-cle on its mechan:cal work, by M. Mendels- 
sohn. Fora certain ten ion the mechanical work of a single 
contraction of a more excitable muscle is greater than that of a 
muscle of normal excitability. But the number of successive 
works the former cin do till exhaustion, and their sum total, is 
less ; and the length of time it can perform a series of works 
with a given load, till exhaustion, is less.—Vegetation of wheat 
by M. Risler.—Conditions of production of Epinastia in leaves, 
by M. Mer. 
CONTENTS PacE 
Diseases oF Memory. By Grorce J. Romanes, F.R.S. . . 169 
Eastern Asta. By A. H, KEANE ~- «© - - + © © «© «© = @ 170 
Our Book SHELF :— 
Taschenberg’s ‘‘ Die Insekten nach ihren Schaden und Nutzen’’. 172 
Potts’s *'@utan the Open’... 3. = =; oy ve Cel atl eee 
Anderson's ‘‘Catalogue of Mammalia in the Indian Museum, 
Galeutta? oO Sai he cuictes Pema re cm 172 
Houghton’s Microscope and some of the Wonders it Reveals”. 173 
Robinson's ‘* Flora of Essex County, Massachusetts"’ . . . «+ 173 
Jones's “Catalogue of the Fossil Foraminifera in the British 
Museum (Natural History)”. . . . . «© = « + «© «© = » 173 
LuTTERS TO THE Epiror:— 
The Aurora and its Spectrum.—Hon. RALPH ABERCROMBY. . 173 
Swan Lamp Spectrum and the Aurora.—J. Munro. , oo yet 
The Meteor of November 17.—W. M. F.P.. . . . « + + + 173 
Invertebrate Casts —Dr. H. A. HaGen (With Diagram) . . « 1373 
The Scream of the Young Burrowing Owl sounds like the Warning 
of the Rattlesnake.—S. GARMAN « - «© 6 + e «© @ 8 + 174 
Fertilisation of the Common Speedwell.—A. MaCKRNZIE STAPLEY 174 
Complementary Colours at the Falls of Niagara.—H. G. MADAN. 174 
M:=) Dunas) ete ee en cece ete’ At Kal ts 174 
Tue MergoROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY ON Ben Nevis «' A locptemeskit 
Notes oN THE GEoLtocy oF Honckonc. By F. WarRINGTON 
EASTEAKED fe) See fer cl os ee ee Ss RS Ss See) Sot oom a 
Transit oF VENUS, 1882—BritisH Exrepirions. By E. J. Strong, 
F.R,S.; Prof. S. P. LanGiey; JoHN BirMINGHAM. . «© + + + 177 
NODESiares pie) Retetey Comes) co) tele Met re ete = ee 180 
Our AsTRONOMICAL CoLuMN:— 
Measures of Double Stars . . «© . - « - + = +182 
PHYSICAL NOTES:2 (6) Gy «cs Mepast/ lee Se RR ONEE lao) = 
CuHEemMicaL NoTES. « - - = «© = = © == 183 
M. MiktuKHo-Mactay on New GuINEA . . - - «+ + + «© « «+ 184 
Tue Recent aNp CominG Torat Sorar Ectirses. By J. NorMAN 
Lockyer, F.R.S. (With [dlustrations). 185 
SCIENTIFIC SERIALS) 0: = (ss ein 6 ive ice ius ce Syaletate 189 
Socigtigs AND ACADEMIES « «+ «© «© © - © + © # © «@ 189 
