284 
NATURE 
[ Fan. 18, 1883 
Phosphorography of the infra-red region of the solar spectrum ; 
wave-lengths of the principal lines, by M. Becquerel. He gives 
a determination of new lines of the solar spectrum and their 
wave-length, {and he has observed in the infra-red spectrum, 
maxima and minima of extinction proper to different phosphores 
cent substances manifested by various luminous sources, and 
similar to phosphorogenic maxima and minima in the other end 
of the spectrum.—On solar photometry, by M. Crova. Correct- 
ing a numerical error, he obtains 8,500 carcels for the sun’s 
luminous intensity in a clear sky, and so removes the inexplicable 
discordance of his former figures with those of Bouguer and 
Wollaston.—Manganese in dolomitic strata ; origin of the nitric 
acid, which often exists in natural bioxides of manganese, by M. 
Dieulafait. There are two classes of ores of manganese ; those 
of the first class are directly derived from action of sea-water on 
primordial rocks, and they are deposited but a short distance from 
their place of extraction. Those of the second class have been, 
since the origin of seas, in complete solution in their waters, 
and have been deposited at allepochs, where chemical conditions 
have been favourable.—On the existence of the genus Zodea in 
Jurassic strata, by M. Renault.—On a trombe observed at sea, 
by M. de Tromelin.—A work by Prof. Inostranzeff, of St. 
Petersburg, ‘‘ On the prehistoric man of the stone age of Lake 
Ladoga,” was presented by M. Daubreée. 
BERLIN 
Physical Society, January 5.—Prof. Helmholtz in the chair. 
—Prof. Spérer, of Potsdam, first communicated the results of 
an investigation of the sun-spot observations in the twenty years, 
1861 to 1880, with a view to settlement of the question whether 
movements of the spots indicated surface-currents on the sun. 
It appeared that such currents, towards the pole, or towards the 
equator, were not demonstrable. Herr Sporer further spoke at 
length on a quite peculiar phenomenon he had noticed on ob- 
serving the transit of Venus on December 6. He premised that 
the phenomenon might be explained in two ways; either it 
might be regarded as an effect of fatigue or over-stimulation of 
the eye (though he had not marked other signs of such ex- 
haustion), or it might be connected with a very cloudy atmo- 
sphere of Venus, whose presence is supposed to be indicated by 
the glow which some astronomers have seen to extend along the 
Venus-crescent over the whole planet. The phenomenon itself 
was as follows: the transit of Venus was observed in Potsdam 
with a 10-foot telescope; the sunlight was reduced to a 
degree of brightness bearable by the eye by means of a polar- 
ising arrangement (two pairs of parallel mirrors). The sun’s 
limb was much agitated, and the first contact could not be 
observed. When the planet had made a distinct indentation on 
the sun, it was considerably blacker than the ground of the 
heavens; and the part of the planet lying outside the sun was 
invisible. After more than half the disc had entered the sun, it 
was observed that the borders of the black-planet disc was still 
at right angles to the sun’s border, and the two sun-points were 
absent. Later, when Venus was further advanced, the whole 
disc, and even the small part lying outside, appeared brighter 
than the ground of the heavens, and with a dull grey light. 
Another minute later a small interrupted line having previously 
been seen outwards and upwards from the planet's disc, on 
the ground of the heavens, there appeared, out from the grey 
disc, a dark crescent-shaped segment, which, above and below, 
was distinctly defined, and in the middle merged indefinitely in the 
similarly coloured ground of the heavens. The grey disc with the 
dark crescent advanced onthe sun, so that it was not possible to 
distinguish precisely the planet’s disc. At about 3h. 11jm. the 
outer border of the grey disc was in the connecting line of the 
two solar horns, and so in the first internal contact ; one minute 
later, an alteration (not more exactly describable) had occurred 
in the aspect of the planet’s disc, and about 3h. 134m., at the 
time of the previously-calculated first internal contact, the outer 
border of the dark segment had entered; one saw a fine lumi- 
nous line on the sun without black drop. One minute later the 
sun disappeared behind a bank of clouds.—Dr. Herz communi- 
cated the results of calculations he had made with a view to 
answering the question, whether the tidal action of the moon is 
capable of producing currents of water-masses on the earth of such 
an order of magnitude, that the ocean-currents observed might 
be explained by this cause. Proceeding on the assumption of a 
water channel running round the equator, he found for liquids 
with friction, that the tide must indeed produce a current; and 
for a whole series of such channels reaching from the equator to 
the pole there appeared currents, which in their co-operation 
would present the form of the great ocean currents, but their 
order of magnitude was such, on the assumption at the outset, 
that the actual ocean currents cannot be due to this cause. Herr 
Herz then, conversely, calculated from the astronomically-proved 
retardation of the earth’s rotation, the tangential force, which 
can produce such a retardation, and determined the differences 
of the water-levels on the east and west coast of a very narrow 
dividing ridge of land, which would produce such a pull; these 
differences of level were deducible from the tidal action of the 
moon.—Prof, Ostwald, from Riga, reported, on his experi- 
ments for measurement of the chemical forces of affinity. As 
is usual in physics, he measured these forces by mass and 
velocity of the reactions, or by the force with which equilibrium 
is maintained. Two acids were each brought into contact with 
a base, and the salts formed were determined ; in all cases, the 
affinities were found proportional to the reacting mass and the 
square of the velocity of the reaction. The formula construteed 
a few years ago by Herren Guldberg and Wage for affinity, has 
been confirmed by the author by numerous experiments. 
VIENNA 
Imperial Academy of Sciences, November 30, 1882.— 
V. Hausmaninger, on the variability of the coefficient of diffu- 
sion between carbonic acid and air.—P. Kowalewsky, on the 
relation of the nucleus lentiformis to the cortex of brain in 
man and animals.—V. Hilber, on recent land-snails and land- 
snails found in the loess from China (part 1). containing a 
description of Helix species collected by L. v. Loczy during the 
Asiatic Expedition of Count Szecheniji. E. Stefan, on the 
experiments made by Boltzmann on sound-vibrations. 
December 7, 1882.—V. v. Lang, on his capillary balance.— 
ee Niederriss, on trimelhene-glycol and the bases of trimel- 
ene. 
December 14, 1882.—F. Streintz, on the usefulness of the 
method of Fuchs.—Tg. Klemencic, on the capacity of a _plate- 
condenser.—A Wassmuth, on the internal connection of some 
electro-magnetic phenomena resulting from the mechanical 
theory of heat.—V. Gruber, fundamental experiment on the 
cutaneous sight of animals.—G. Vortmann, on the separation of 
nickel from cobalt.—R. Canaval, on the earthquake at Gmiind 
(Austria) on November 5, 1881.—E. Weiss, communication on 
the observations of the transit of Venus in Austria.—H. Weidel 
and M, Russo, studies on pyridine. 
CONTENTS 
Gerkie’s Grotocy, II. By G. K. Girsert, U.S. Geological Survey 
Sacus’s Text-Boox oF Botany. By Prof. E.P.WricHT .. .« 
RecenT ELECTRICAL PUBLICATIONS . . - 2 + © = «© e © = = 
Our Boox SHELF:— 
Aldis’s ‘‘Introductory Treatise on Rigid Dynamics”. . - 
PaGE 
261 
263 
264 
265 
““Encyklopzdie der Naturwissenschaften ’” . . - « + » + « 265 
L&TTERS TO THE EpiToR:— 
Pollution of the Atmosphere.—H. A. Poiturrs . . «. « » + - 266 
A “Natural”” Experiment in Complementary Colours.—Cuas. T. 
WHITMELE.© 5 cuss oe, eu tel Fe) cel tele nwt tal (ots aan Ome 
The Comet.—W. T. SAMPSON - © © © © © © 2 ee - 266 
The Transit of Venus.—Prof. EDGAR FRISBY. . . - + « + 266 
Early Coltsfoot.—R. McLacHLAN . - - + « «© © © = « » 266 
Baird’s Hare.—T. MARTYR» - 2 «© + 0 eo © sb ee 200 
The Projection of the Nasal Bones in Man and the Ape.—J. Park 
HARRISON . Hae ee ere Merete Oe eyo MO Og 
Tue Comet. By Dr.B.A.Gourpd . . - + + + + © © 2 + + 267 
Destruction oF Lire 1n Inp1A BY Witp Antmats. By Sir J. 
Fayrer, F.R:S., K.C.S.I.. 2. 2 + + + ee ee ew 2 + 268 
Pavzouituic IMPLEMENTS OF NorTH-East Lonpon. By Wor- 
THINGTON G. SMITH (With Jilustrations) . . « + « + «© « +» 270 
Lever’s Arc Lamp (With Illustration) « . « + + 6 © © «© © «© 274 
NoTes. - +--+ «© © « 0 er adel tee: Geahediube at ten ame omIS7S 
APPROXIMATIVE PHOTOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS OF SuN, Moon, 
Ctoupy Sky, AND ELECTRIC AND OTHER ARTIFICIAL LicHTs. By 
Sir Writtam’THomson, F.R.S. - 2 2 - © 2 © © © © = = = 2977 
Tue Hypornests OF ACCELERATED DEVELOPMENT BY PRIMOGBNI- 
TURE, AND ITS PLACE IN THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION. By Prof. 
Aj BR. Wit OBRECH INS fen Se De ee) oe. eine) <eeenz 
UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE . se + + + + + 28F 
SCTENTIFIC'SERIALS s 0 0 “ee ce 0) 0, es 28r 
s 282 
SocrgtrES AND ACADEMIES . + «+ + 
