260 
habitats in the comparatively shallow water. Although it is 
true that some fisheries—Wick, for instance—have decreased in 
plenty, at the same time other places, ¢.g. Fraserburgh, have 
proportionately increased. The fishery ‘records prove that from 
the beginning of this century onwards there has been a steady 
annual increase of fish taken, though desponding fishermen aver 
to the contrary. At Wick, herring of different ages and con- 
ditions arrive and depart thrice yearly. Dr. Day “recounts the 
results of his dredgings, and describes the Crustaceans and Mol- 
lusks obtained.—An additional report on the Echinoderms col- 
lected by Dr. Day, was made by Prof. F. J. Bell, and of the 
Zoophytes and Sponges by Mr, S. O. Ridley.—Mr. 7 G, Baker 
afterwards read his second contribution on the Flora of Mada- 
gascar. In this paper, upwards of 150 new species of mono- 
petalous dicotyledons are characterised. They were gathered 
chiefly by the Rev. R. Baron, F.L.S., of the London Missionary 
Society. Among others described are four new genera, one 
nearly allied to Cinchona, a second of semi-parasitic Scrophu- 
lariaceze, and two of Acanthaceze ; besides these, many repre- 
sentatives of well-known European genera occur.—Prof. T. S. 
Cobbold read a description of Ligwla Mansonz,a new human 
Cestode. He shows it to be extremely probable that the trout’s 
ligule is the sexually immature state of the great broad tape- 
worm of man. Other interesting genetic relations are established, 
and several important generalisations discussed.—Additions to 
the Lichens of the Challenger Expedition was a short paper by 
the Rev. J. M. Crombie.—Mr. J. G. Baker madea second com- 
munication, being descriptions of about thirty plants from the 
Fiji Islands referred to by Mr. J. Horne in his recent work on 
the economic resources of Fiji. 
Victoria Institute, January 1.—A paper upon “ Design in 
Nature,” was read by Mr. W. P. James. It was stated that 
Prof. Stokes, F.R.S., would read a paper at the next meeting. 
PARIS 
Academy of Sciences, January 2.—M. Blanchard in the 
chair.—M, Rolland was elected vice-president for 1883.—The 
Academy has lost four Members during 1882, viz MM. Liouville, 
Decaisne, Bussy (Free Academician), and Wohler (Foreign 
Associate) ; and six Correspondents, viz. MM. Plantamour, 
Lutke, Billet, Darwin, Cornalia, and Schwann. — Memoir on the 
vision of material colours, &c. (continued), by M. Chevreul.— 
Researches on hyponitrites ; first part, chemical researches, by 
MM. Berthelot and Ogier. They study hyponitrite of silver, 
describing their analyses, and examination of the action of heat 
and oxidising agents, also calorimetric measurements. The 
formula NO; =Ags agrees best with the results,—Ramifications of 
Isatis tinctoria, formation of its inflorescences, by M. Trécul.— 
It was announced that the U.S. Congress had invited the Pre- 
sident of that country to convoke all nations toa conference with 
a view to adoption of a common initial meridian and an universal 
hour.—Reply to the objections presented by MM. Faye and 
Hirn to the theory of solar energy, by Dr. Siemens.—On a 
method of photographing the corona without an eclipse of the 
sun, by Dr. Huggins.—On geodetic circles, by M. Dar- 
boux.—On algebraic integrals of linear differential equations 
with rational ‘coefiicients, by M. Autonne.—On a communi- 
cation of M. de Jonquieres relative to prime numbers (con- 
tinued), by M. Lipschitz.—Remarks on the subject of a note 
of M. Hugoniot, on the development of functions in series from 
other functions, by M. du Bois-Reymond.—Does oil act on the 
swell or on the breaker? by M. Van der Mensbrugghe. His 
theory applied only to two cases: where calm water, covered 
with oil, came to be acted on by wind, and where waves break, 
The relative calm of phosphorescent portions of tropical waters, 
he attributes not to increase of cohesion of the water (Admiral 
Bourgeois), but to the innumerable floating objects forming an 
obstacle to the slip of surface-layers over each other.—Decom- 
position of formic acid by the effluve, by M. Maquenne. The 
results are the same as those got by M. "Berthelot in decomposing 
gaseous formic acid in a closed vessel, by heat alone, about 260°. 
—On the chloride of pyrosulphuryl, by M. Ogier.—On a vibrion 
observed during measles, by M. Le Bel. It is found in the 
urine in the early stages, and disappears with the fever : is a 
slightly curved, very refringent rod, moving very slowly ; con- 
tains oval spores at one- third of its length, in a bag of dead 
protoplasm, which gradually disappears, the spore showing 
then a zone of mucilage around it. Another occurrence of 
spores on the thirty-fifth day was observed in an adult. The 
NATURE 
[ Fan. 11, 1883 
vibrion also may be got from the skin at the time of 
desquamation. M. Le Bel cultivated the vibrion, and injected 
it into a guinea- pig ; ; which, on the tenth day, showed 
small vibrions in its urine, but did not seem incom- 
moded. The urine in scarlatina and in diphtheria shows a 
microbacterium and a micrococcus, respectively, both quite 
different from the vibrion of measles. —Existence of zinc in 
the state of complete diffusion in dolomitic strata, by M. Dieu- 
lafait.—On the Marine Carboniferous of Haute-Alsace ; disco- 
very of culm in the valley of the Bruche, by MM. Bleicher i 
Mieg.—On the excitant property of oats, by M. Sanson. 
has experimented with Du Bois Reymoad’s electrical mE 
on the neuromuscular excitability of horses, before and after 
ingestion of oats, or of an excitant substance, which he isolated 
from oats (from ‘the pericarp of the fruit) ; this is called avenine, 
is quite unlike vanilline. is uncrystallisable, brown in mass, 
finely granular, and has the formula C,,H,,NO,,. All kinds 
of cultivated oats elaborate it, but in different quantity ; as a 
rule the white varieties have less than the dark. ‘The quantity 
seems also to depend on the place of cultivation. Crushing the 
grain weakens the excitant property. The total duration of the 
excitation (which grows to a point, then gradually disappears) 
seemed to be about an hour per kilogramme of oats ingested. 
Errata in last week’s report.—P. 236, top of second column, 
7th line, for ‘‘Guimareo” read ‘‘Guimaraes” oth line, for 
*‘argotised ” read ‘‘azotised” ; 13th line, for ‘‘usteria” read 
“Asteria” 16th line, for ** pedunculus” read ‘ peduncu- 
latus” ; 16th line, for ‘‘suctocitiates ” read ‘*‘ suctociliates.” 
VIENNA 
Imperial Academy of Sciences, November 9, 1882.—The 
following papers were read :—K. Laker, studies on the hematic 
discs (Hayem’s hzematoblasts), and on the so-called dissolution 
of the white blood-corpuscles in the process of the purification 
of the blood.—E. Ludwig, note relating to the chemical compo- 
sition of the damburite from the Scopi Mountain (Graubiindteng). 
—T. Herzig, on guaiaconic acid and guiacic acid.—On the 
action of nitrous acid on guiacol, by the same.—A. Grunow, 
preliminary communication on the Diatomacez collected by the 
Austro-Hungarian North Polar Expedition. 
November 16, 1882.—The following papers were read :—N. 
Polejzff, on the sperm and spermatogenesis of Sycandra 
rajahamus Heckelit,—F. vy. Hauer, new contributions to the 
knowledge of the elder tertiary Brachiuara fauna of Vicenza and 
Verona (Italy).—M. Margules, note on the dynamo-electric pro- 
cess.—A. Tarolimek, contributions to mechanical theory of 
heat.—K. Zelbr, on the comet Schmidt, October 9, 1882.—A 
sealed paper dated from November 6, 1882, was opened and 
read containing a short note by Josef Popper, on the transmis- 
sion of power and the realisation of unused natural powers 
by electricity. 
CONTENTS Pace 
Gerixie’s Grotocy. By G. K. Girsert, U.S. Geological Survey . 237 
Our Boox SHELF:— 
Minchin’s ‘‘ Uniplanar Kinematics of Solids and Fluids” . . . 239 
ESMieiecarer VWestialens saa cl rs)ne) ie tere oneee Smeten for fet nas 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR :— 
Equal Temperament of the Scale— C. B. CLARKE. - . . . . 240 
Animal Intelligence.—Dr. Fritz MUELLER . 240 
The Inventor of the Incandescent Electric Light. —W. Matriev 
WILLIAMS . Piet ') 
The Reversion of Sunflowe ers at “Night. =o “AL Waite ciate Ris CL 
Pollution of the Atmosphere.—JosErH JoHN MurpHy. . . 241 
A ‘Natural’? Experiment in Complementary, Colours.—E. a 
BYES) ois. = ro ay oe PO eon oe a 
Batrps’ HARE AND ITs Hastrs | 5a 241 
Nores FROM THE LETTERS OF CAPTAIN Dawson, RA In Com: 
MAND OF THE BriTIsH CIRCUMPOLAR EXPEDITION . . BR ero 
Tue SWEDISH EXPEDITION TO SPITZBERGEN, 1882 . 243 
THE INCREASE IN THE VELOCITY OF THE WIND WITH THE ALTITUDE. 
By E. DouGtas ARCHIBALD . AeA coy 
Krao, THE “* HumMAN Monkey.’ By. A. “H. Keane * Se 
FIGURE oF THE NUCLEUS OF THE BricuT ComeT oF 1882 (Govrn). 
By Prof. Epwarp S. HotpEN OFS Illustrations). . Sa eecrgc) |e 
Notes. - - ee en A at 
Our ASTRONOMICAL CoLuMN :— 
The Total Solar Eclipse on M aay G.) sip cuitiniets Saw edea ee AS 
The Minor Planets . . Rag sch Cot GOR ie oS 
Comet 1882¢. . - WA ois 
THe Epucation oF ouR INDUSTRIAL CLASsES. "By J. Norman 
LOCKYER; (EARS Sec pel calen oilelis Ben DMs Co si icri, > alle Mee 
Tue TRANSIT OF VENUS. tee ee et oot ©. Xe) eae were 
Exrectric Ramways. By Prof. “Ww. E. Ayrton, F.R.S. (Werth 
Tilustrations) . . aT inh cei) ch Yo es he et PEER 
SociETIES AND ACAORMIES Uc SoM Cee SV 07s Pas Oona aay 
