Fan. 25, 1883] 
NATURE 
307 
denser so that it can be used for prolonged digestion and sub- 
sequent distillation without shifting.—On two new aluminous 
mineral species Evigtokite and Liskeardite, by W. Flight.—On 
the volume alteration attending the mixture of salt solutions, by 
W. W. J. Nicol. The salts employed were NaCl, KCl, KNO,, 
NaNO , CuSO, and K,SO,. 
Zoological Society, January 16.—Prof. W. H. Flower, 
F.K.S., president, in the chair.—Mr. H. E. Dresser, F.Z.S., 
exhibited and made remarks on a specimen of J/erops philippen- 
sts, which was said to have been obtained near the Snook, 
Seaton Carew, in August, 1862.—Lieut.-Col. Godwin-Austen, 
F.R.S., read the third and concluding of a series of papers on 
the shells which had been collected in Socotra by Prof. J. Bayly 
Balfour. The present portion treated of the freshwater shells 
of Socotra, which were stated all to belong to the genera 
Planorbis, Hydrobia, and Melania. Not a single bivalve was 
obtained. Four species were described as new, namely, P/anor- 
bis socotrensis, P. cockburnt, Hydrobia balfouri, and Méelania 
sclater?.—Prof. E. Kay Lankester, F.R.S., read a paper on the 
right cardiac valves of Echidna aad of O) nithorhynchus. Seven 
additional specimens of the latter animal had been examined 
since the author’s former paper on this subject had been read, 
all of which, whilst showing interesting variations, agreed in the 
absence of the septal flap of the right cardiac valve. This 
character was shown to exist also in Echidna, and was therefore 
presumed to be a distinctive feature in the structure of the Mono- 
tremes.—A communication was read from Mr. F. Moore, 
F.Z.S., containing the descriptions of some new genera and 
species of Asiatic Lepidoptera Heterocera.—A communication 
was read from Mr. G. B. Sowerby, jun., in which he gave the 
descriptions of five new species of shells from various localities. 
Anthropological Institute, January 9.—Mr. A. J. Lewis 
in the chair-—The election of Admiral F. S. Tremlett, F.R.G.S., 
was anncunced.—Mr. Worthington G. Smith exhibited four 
palzolithic implements from Madras. One of them weighed 
4 lbs. 77 0z., and the author believed that it was the second largest 
specimen of the kind extant. —Mr. W. S. Duncan read a paper 
on the probable region of man’s evolution. Starting with the 
assumption that man was evolved from a form lower in organi- 
sation than that of the lowest type yet discovered, and that his 
origination formed no exception to the general law of evolntion 
recognised as accounting for the appearance of the lower forms 
of life, the author said that man’s most immediate ancestors 
must have been similar in structure to that of the existing Anthro- 
poid apes, although it is not necessary to suppose that any of 
the Anthropoid apes at present existing belong to the same family 
as that of man. The science of the distribution of animals 
showed that the higher types of monkeys and apes appear to 
have had their origin in the Old World, the American con- 
tinent being entirely destitute of them, either alive or fossil. 
The distribution of the greater portion of the animals of the Old 
World was shown to have taken a generally southward direc- 
tion, owing to the gradual increase of the cold, which culminated 
in the last Ice Age. This migration was, however, interrupted 
by the interposition of the Mediterranean and other seas, and 
thus, although a few of these animals were enabled to journey 
on until they reached tropical regions, the majority were com- 
pelled to remain behind, where they had to exist under altered 
circumstances. The temperature was much lower, and as a 
result of the consequent diminution of the number of fruit forests, 
a change in the food and in the manner in which it was obtained 
by the apes occurred. A considerable alteration took place also 
in the manner in which they were forced to use their limbs, and 
it was due to the operation of these and other causes that the 
ape form became stamped with human characteristics such as the 
curvature of the spine an] an increase in the breadth of the 
pelvis. For these reasons the author regarded the south of 
Europe as the part in which it was most likely that the evolution 
of man took place. Mr. Duncan concluded by urging the im- 
portance of forming a committee to watch discoveries bearing on 
this branch of anthropology. 
Meteorological Society, January 17.—Annual General 
Meeting.—Mr. J. K. Laughton, F.R.A.S., President, in the 
chair.—The Secretary read the Report of the Council which 
showed that the total number of Fellows was 571, 47 new 
Fellows having been elected during the year.—The President 
then delivered his Address. He referred briefly to the great 
importance of the uniform series of observations now taken 
under the auspices of the Society, and proceeded to speak, at 
greater length, of certain other points in which the Society 
might, by its concerted action, further the interests of meteoro- 
logical science. The first of these was anemometry, which is 
at present ina condition far from satisfactory. We know 
nothing vositively either as to the pressure or the velocity of the 
wind ; there is no exact standard instrument, and observations, 
whatever may be their absolute value, are not comparable one 
with the other. He thought that the Society might properly 
interfere, so far as to regulate the wide diversity amongst the 
instruments now used, in order that when the proper time came, 
and it was known what anemometer could be trusted, the older 
observations might be reduced. The movement of air in the 
upper regions of the atmosphere is not measurable by any 
existing method ; but experiments have been made, at the 
suggestion of the Meteorological Council, in which the drift of 
the smoke-cloud of a bursting shell may be observed and 
measured. The observations of the barometer taken at elevated 
stations in the United States seem to throw considerable doubt 
on the received formulz for the reduction of barometric readings 
to sea-level, and for the calculation of heights. When the 
observations extend over a long period, and are regularly taken 
under all conditions of weather, then no doubt the height of a 
mountain can be calculated with a fair approach to accuracy ; 
but isolated observations, subject to the fluctuations of the 
different readings are extremely wild in their results. In the 
same way, the reduction of the barometer to sea-level is com- 
plicated by many discrepancies which arise between observations 
at the upper and lower stations, which have hitherto been 
ignored. It is impossible to say how far they affect the 
isobars on which our daily weather charts are based ; but it is 
probable that they are at least one additional source of error 
and of difficulty. It is much to be wished that systematic and 
continuous observations at high-level stations could be taken, 
not only on the top of Ben Nevis, but on the top of some others 
of the highest peaks in different parts of the country. In this 
way alone, can these difficulties of reduction be cleared away,— 
The following gentlemen were elected the Officers and Council 
for the ensuing year:—President, John Knox Laughton, 
F.R.A.S., Vice-Presidents : Edmund Douglas Archibald, M.A., 
Rogers Field, B.A., Baldwin Latham, F.G.S., William Marcet, 
F.R.S., Treasurer, Henry Perigal, F.R.A.S., Trustees: Hon. 
Francis Albert Rollo Russell, Stephen William Silver, F.R.G.S., 
Secretaries: George James Symons, F.R.S., John William 
Tripe, M.D., Foreign Secretary, Robert Henry Scott, F.R.S., 
Council: Hon. Ralph Abercromby, William Morris Beaufort, 
F.R.A.S., John Sanford Dyason, F.R.G.S., Henry Storks 
Eaton, William Ellis, F,.R.A.S., Joseph Henry Gilbert, F.R.S.. 
Charles Harding, Robert John Lecky, F.R.A.S., Capt. John 
Pearse Maclear, R.N., Edward Mawley, F.R.1.S., George 
Matthews Whipple, F.R.A.S., Charles Theodore Williams, 
M.D. 
EDINBURGH 
Royal Society, January 15.—Prof. Maclagan, vice-president, 
in the chair.—In a paper on the diurnal variation of the force 
of the wind on the open sea and near land, Mr. Buchan gave 
the first instalment of the meteorological results of the Challenger 
expedition. From fully 1200 observations which had been taken, 
mean diurnal curves were drawn for the different oceans, from 
which it appeared that in the open sea no clear marked diurnal 
variation existed, but that near land a very evident maximum 
showed itself about two in the afternoon, and a much smaller 
maximum at midnight. Also near land the force of the wind 
was distinctly less than in the open sea, a fact readily accounted 
for by the greater friction experienced at the surface in the 
former case. The wind was stronzest in the southern ocean, 
feeblest in the Pacific. Though the temperature observations 
had not been completely reduced, enough had been done to show 
that the surface temperature of the North Atlantic was subject 
to a very small variation of not more than °*75 of a degree 
Fahrenheit.—The Rev. Dr. Teape read a long paper on the 
Semitic and Greek article, in which he pointed out the influence 
of the Hebrew idiom upon the use of the Greek article, both 
in the Septuagint and the New Testament, and maintained, in 
opposition to Prof. Blackie’s views, that the use of the Greek 
article was rezulated by definite grammatical rules.—Mr. W. W. 
J. Nicol, M.A., B.Sc., read a paper on the nature of solution, 
which he regarded from the point of view of molecular attraction. 
Solution took place because the particles of water had a greater 
attraction for the particles of the salt than these had for them- 
selves. The theory was applied to explain various facts 
