236 
WATORLE 
[ Fan. 4, 1883 
December 26.—M. Jamin in the chair.—The following papers 
were read :—Observations of the transit of Venus at the Naval 
Observatory of Toulon, by M. Mouchez. M, Rozet observed 
the black drop at second contact.—On two objections of Prof. 
Young of New Jersey, to the cyclonic theory of sunspots, by M. 
Faye. These are, the absence of visible traces of rotation in 
most spots, and the small difference of angular velocity in succes- 
sive zones of the photosphere. M. Faye holds the unequal 
velocity sufficient to cause vortical movements of any calibre ; 
and the general absence of agitation at the border of spots he 
attributes to the slowness of gyration there (our cyclones seen 
from above would show the same), He cites a number of 
positive indices of gyration.—Theory of the resistance of woven 
materials to extension, by M. Tresca. Such stuffs suffer elonga- 
tions which increase less rapidly than the weights; and with 
equal weight, they show much greater elongation than those of 
the warp-threads composing them. The mode of interlacing of 
the threads explains these differences.—On the necessity of 
introducing certain modifications into the teaching of mecha- 
nies, and of banishing certain problems ; ¢.g. the motion of the 
solid body of geometers, by M. Villarceau.—Considerations on 
the general theory of units, by M. Ledieu.—Separation of 
gallium (continued), by M. Lecoq-de-Boisbaudran. — Herr 
Bunsen was elected Foreign Associate in room of Wohler, 
deceased.—Chemical studies on maize, &c. (continued), by 
M. Leplay.—Evolution of microscopic organisms in the living 
being, and in the dead body and morbid products, by M. Colin. 
Microbes are nowhere absent in the respiratory and digestive 
apparatus, and at many points they are prodigiously numerous. 
In normal conditions the liquids holding them are harmless, but 
they become dangerous after putrid alteration. —The first number 
of a new mathematical journal, Acta Mathematica, published at 
Stockholm (M.Mittag-Leffler, editor), was presented.—A telegram 
from Montevideo announced success of the transit observations 
at Santa Cruz.—Observation of the transit of Venus at Nice 
Observatory, by M. Mouchez. Five photographs were had, 
under difficult conditions.—Observation of the transit at Avila 
(Spain), by M. Thollon. They sought to observe Venus’s 
atmosphere spectroscopically at a height of 1200m., but bad 
weather prevented their getting any satisfactory results.—Photo- 
graphs of the great comet of 1882 taken at the Observatory of 
the Cape of Good Hope, by Mr. Gill. Spite of long exposure 
(140 minutes for the sixth and last photograph), the stars at the 
centre of the image are remarkably distinct. More than fifty 
stars are seen through the tail, Mr. Gill does not doubt that 
stellar maps might be produced by direct photography of the 
heayens,—On the formula recently communicated to the Academy 
regarding prime numbers, by M. de Jonquiéres.—On the same, 
by M. Lipschitz.—Reply to a recent note by M. Lalanne on the 
verification and use of magnetic maps, by M. de Tillo.—Electro- 
dynamic method for determination of the ohm ; experimental 
measurement of the constant of a long coil, by M. Lippmann. 
—Measurement of the photometric intensity of spectral lines of 
hydrogen, by M. Lagarde. The curves from the values obtained 
show the inequality of intensity of the three lines, inequality 
variable with the induced discharge. With diminution of pres- 
sure, the curve straightens ; at 6°5 mm., that for red isa straight 
line.—On the instantaneous pressure produced during combus- 
tion of gaseous mixtures, by MM. Mallard and Le Chatelier. 
With mixtures of H and O, the interior pressure exceeded by 
more than 2 atm, that corresponding really to the temperature 
of combustion ; and this occurred in less than a ten-thousandth 
of asecond. An explanation is offered.—On bisulphhydrate of 
ammonia, by M. Isambert.—On a case of physical isomerism of 
monochlorinated camphor, by M. Cazeneuve.—Biological re- 
searches on beet, by M. Corenwinder.—On the reduction of 
sulphates by sulphuraria, and on the formation of natural 
metallic sulphates, by M. Plauchud.—On the transformation of 
nitrates into nitrites, by MM. Gayon and Dupetit. They have 
isolated four distinct microbes capable of the action; one can 
live in chicke broth even when this is saturated with nitrate of 
poten, and decompose 10gr. of the nitrate per litre daily. 
he microbes of chicken cholera, the bacterium of charbon, 
and the septic vibrion, effect denitrification much less easily. 
—On the poisonous principles of edible fungi, by M. Du- 
petit. Injecting, subcutaneously, the fresh juice of several 
such fungi into rabbits, &c., he observed symptoms of poisoning, 
followed by death, The chemical properties of the active prin- 
ciple recall those of soluble ferments, rather than of known 
alkaloids. A temperature of 100° renders the juice harmless.— 
| tone.” 
Researches on the production of a general anzesthesia or a spe- 
cially unilateral anzesthesia by a simple peripheric excitation, by 
M. Brown-Séquard. Irritation of the laryngeal mucous mem- 
brane with a current of carbonic acid will produce anzsthesia in 
all parts of the body, without passage of this gas into the 
blood.—On the physiological action of coffee, by M. 
Guimaraeo. The experiments (made on dogs at Rio) prove 
that coffee is at once a stimulant and a repairer. By per- 
mitting a greater expenditure and consumption of argotised 
substances, it evidently increases the power of work.—On 
the structure of cells of the mucous bodies of Malpighi, by 
M. Ranvier.—On the foetal envelopes of Chiroptera of the 
family of Phyllostomides, by M. Robin.—On an usteria from 
great depths of the Atlantic, provided with a dorsal peduncle, 
by M. Perrier. This is a ‘‘ find” of the Zravai/leur cruise, 
and is named cazlaster pedunculus.—On the suctocitiates of M. 
de Merejkovsky, Fy M. Maupas. The type deseribed, he says, 
has been long known,—Mineralogical analysis of the rock 
impasted in the meteorite of Atacama, by M. Meunier. 
BERLIN 
Physical Society, December 15, 1882.—Prof. Helmholtz 
in the chair.—Prof. Christiani demonstrated some acoustic 
experiments which he had incidentally made, In renovation of 
the Koenig tuning-forks injured by the fire in the Physiological 
Institute, and which had to be freed from their coating of rust, 
and mounted on new resonance cases, one fork of the series, the 
fork m7,, showed after tuning and sounding, when one side of it 
was turned towards the closed end of the case, a maximum of 
tone; it did not matter in which direction (right or left) the 
fork was turned round into the position referred to. Another 
fork mz, of the physical Institute in unison with the first, did 
not present the phenomenon, and when the forks and cases were 
exchanged, it appeared that the effect was connected with the 
new case. It was not explained. A second experiment, made 
by Prof. Christiani, was named by him ‘‘total absorption of 
Aj singing flame was tuned approximately to the tone 
mis, and the resonance case bearing the tuning-fork mz, was 
held with its open end horizontal near the upper end of the 
chemical harmonica. The tone was unaffected. When, how- 
ever, the same case, without tuning-fork, was brought to the 
same position relatively to the sounding chemical harmonica, 
the sound immediately ceased, and the flame burned quietly in 
the tube. Each time the tone of the flame ceased, when the 
mouth of a resonator adapted to the pitch was brought to the 
upper end of the tube, whereas the flame sounded again when 
the resonator was tuned to a different tone, or was loaded with 
a tuning-fork. Prof. Christiani means to investigate the 
phenomenon further. 
CONTENTS Pace 
AuGusTus DE Morcan. By R. TucKER . . ~. + «© «© - « « « 227 
FisHes OF SWITZERLAND . a!) "e, quf trey ye, ake coat, os jo > oe eee 
Our Boox SHELF :— 
Douglas’s “S@hina??. 2 <.45) fal (efi) fe sue! “ey Gwe) atte) oa 
LETTERS TO THE EpITOR :— 
On the Occurrence of Great Tides since the Commencement of the 
Geological Epoch-—J. G. GRENFELL. . + + + 6 « + + + 222 
Sir George Airy on the Forth Bridge.—B. BAKER. . . . . + 222 
Altitude and Weather.—Dr. A. WoEIKOFF . . +. - «© + « 223 
The Fertilisation of the Speedwell—ArTHUR RANSOM . =. « . 223 
Tue SacrEp TrEE oF Kum-Bum. By W. T. TuisetTon Dyer, 
F.R.S;5' CMG a, seytyey, so) eo) bwigiesis han snl pianae ane aaa ae 
NorwecIan GEODETICAL OPERATIONS » « + © «© + © © «© « «© 224 
ELEMENTS OF THE GREAT CoMET OF 1882. By Prof. E. Frispy . . 226 
Tue Dumas Mepat (With Illustrations) . . + » «© «© © + « = 227 
Prorgssor VON GRAFF’S MONOGRAPH ON THE TURBELLARIANS. By 
Prof..H. N. Mosetey, F.R.S. - 2. - - = + + © = @ ies 
IN yn Le CI SMM CEAQe OMrOmer i Gn 225 
Brorocicat NoTrEes:— 
On a New Genus of Cryptophycew . . + + © + + «© + © + 230 
Female Flowers in Conifere . . +. + + + + © + 231 
The Tracheez in Lampyride . +... ~« 5 . 231 
The Stones of Sarepta (Asiatic Russia) . + - + + + «© + + + 23% 
AMERICAN RESEARCHES ON WATER ANALYSIS + + + + 6 © + = 
Lockyer’s DissoctaTIoN-THEORY. By Herr HERMANN W. VOGEL. 233 
ONIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE Sa elem oi es eee 
SocreTigs AND ACADEMIES . «+ + ger emget ce Yoyo" /e 
