548 
NATURE 
| April 5, 1883 
with ink-pads, which mark their positions on the dial, thus indi- 
cating the hour, minute, and second when the circuit was closed. 
The second electromagnet causes a pointer to makea mark on the 
paper receiving the record of the motion. This mark indicates the 
part of the earthquake at which the circuit was closed. The 
duration of the earthquake is estimated from the length of the 
record on the smoked paper and the rate of motion of the 
drum. The nature and period of the different movements are 
obtained from the curves drawn on the paper.—Notes on some 
fossils, chiefly Mollusca, from the Inferior Oolite, by the Rev. 
G. F. Whidborne, M.A., F.G.S.—On some fossil sponges from 
the Inferior Oolite, by Prof. W. J. Sollas, M.A., F.G.S. Some 
fossil sponges have been described from the Inferior Oolite of 
the Continent, but hitherto none have appeared in the lists of 
fossils from this formation in British localities. The collection 
of sponges described by the author was made by the Rev. G. F. 
Whidborne. The author described eleven species (six of which 
he identified with those already described from Continental 
localities) belonging to nine genera, and concluded his paper 
with some general remarks, These sponges are calcareous, but 
are considered by the author to have been originally siliceous, 
replacement of the one mineral by the other having taken place 
_as already noticed by him. The beds in which these sponges 
are found bear all the appearance of being comparatively 
shallow-water deposits—On the Dinosaurs from the Maastricht 
beds, by Prof. H. G. Seeley, F.R.S., F.G.S. 
EDINBURGH 
Royal Society, March 5.—The Right Hon. Lord Moncrieff, 
president, in the chair.—Prof. Turner, in a paper on bicipital 
ribs, described two examples which he had recently come across 
in the human subject. In both of these cases, one of which 
closely resembled a specimen in the Anatomical Museum of the 
University which Knox had explained as due to the fusion of a 
cervical with a thoracic rib, the real cause was the union of the 
two first thoracic ribs. That the former explanation was the 
true one in certain instances was demonstrated by other speci- 
mens; and the distinctive peculiarities of each kind of fusion 
were pointed out.—Sir William Thomson read two papers on 
gyrostatics and on oscillations and waves in an adynamic gyro- 
Static system. The papers were in great part experimental 
illustrations of the theorems regarding gyrostatic stability which 
are laid down in Thomson and Tait’s ‘‘ Natural Philosophy” 
(second edition, vol. i. part i. § 345). It was thus demon- 
strated to the eye that a system when under gyrostatic domina- 
tion is stable in positions for which, statically considered, the 
system is unstable as regards an even number of degrees of 
freedom ; so that, to take a particular case, a gyrostat which is 
unstable, because statically unstable as regards one mode, is 
rendered stable by making it statically unstable as regards two 
modes. Hence also an ordinary spinning top is stable because 
it is statically unstable in two of its degrees of freedom. The 
curious behaviour of a gyrostat resting horizontally on gimbals 
with its axis of rotation vertical was also shown, viz. its in- 
stability as soon as the framework on which it rested was moved 
in the opposite rotational sense to the spin of the gyrostat. The 
author then proceeded to point out that all phenomena of 
elasticity which are ordinarily treated by assuming forces of 
attraction or repulsion between parts or stresses through connec- 
tions can be as readily explained by the as-umption of connecting 
links subject only to gyrostatic domination. The gyrostati¢ 
hypothesis led to other consequences which the ordinary dynamic 
assumption did not involve; but it had not been found as yet 
that elasticity had properties corresponding to these.—Sir 
William Thomson also communicated a paper on the dynamical 
theory of dispersion, which was virtually an application of the 
principle of forced vibrations to a molecular structure, each 
molecule forming the nucleus of a rezion whose density increases 
gradually from without inwards. As bearing upon the same 
kind of problem, a model was shown illustrating Prof. Stokes’ 
dynamical theory of fluorescence, which is that, if the first of a 
connected chain of elements is disturbed by a periodic disturb- 
ance having no close relation to the free vibration periods of 
the chain, the disturbance does not pass along the chain, but 
has its energy stored up in the first few elements, to be given 
back again when occasion offers. 
Paris 
Academy of Sciences, March 19.—President, M. E. 
Blanchard.—The following communications were read :—Sum- 
mary description of a new system of equatorials and its installa- 
tion at the Paris Observatory, by M. M. Loewy.— Observations 
of the Swift-Brooks comet made at the Paris Observatory, by 
M. Périgaud.—Graphic proof of Euler’s theorem on the partition 
of pentagonal numbers, by Prof. Sylvester.—Observations on 
blue milk (second part), by M. J. Reiset.—On the second edition 
of the ‘‘ Pilot of Newfoundland,” of Admiral Cloué, and ona 
question of atmospherical optics, by M. Faye.—Function of the 
lymphatic vessels in the production of certain pathological phe- 
nomena, by M. Alph. Guérin.—The following memoirs were 
presented :—On the possibility of increasing the irrigation waters 
of the Rhone, by means of reserves to be established in the 
lakes of Geneva, Bourget, and Annecy, by M. Ar. Dumont,— 
Determinations of longitudes effected at Chili, by the Transit of 
Venus Expedition, by M. de Bernardieres.—On the number of 
the divisions of an entire number, by M. T. Q. Stieltjes.—On 
the equations to the partial derivatives, by M. G. Darboux.— 
On the application of the elliptic and ultra-elliptic intervals to 
the theory of unicursal curves, by M. Laguerre.—Table of re- 
duced positive quaternary quadratic forms of which the deter- 
minant is equal or inferior to 20, by M. L. Charve.—Method of 
obtaining the formula giving the general integral of the differ- 
ential equation— 
na"y 2 may - Ch ey 
ax” ata VEE Sage 7" “dx” cae 
+... $A, =f (x) 
by means of a definite multiple integral, by Abbé Aoust.—New 
equations relative to the transmission of force, by M. Marcel 
Deprez.—The transmission of force by batteries of electrical 
apparatus, by M. James Moser.—On the maximum yield which 
a steam motor may attain, by M. P. Charpentier.— Influence of 
tempering on the electrical resistance of glass, by M. G. Fous- 
sereau.—On a modification into the bichromate of potassium 
pile to adapt it for lighting, by M. Trouvé.—On the calories of 
combination of the glycolates, by M. D, Tommasi._ On mono- 
nitrosoresorcine, by M, A. Févre.—Contributions to a study of 
the plastering of wires, by M. P. Picard.—Physiological effects 
of coffee, by M. J. A. Fort.—On salmon-breeding in California, 
by MM. Raveret-Wattel and Bartel.—On the solenoconchal 
molluscs of the deep sea, by M. P. Fischer.—Ovogenesis among 
the Ascidians, by M. Ad. Sabatier.—Influence of the wind on 
meteorological phenomena, by M. E. Allard.—On the hailstorm 
of March 9 at the Hyéres Salines, by M. Le Goarant de 
Tremelin.—The Alfianello meteorite, by M. Denza. 
CONTENTS PaGE 
FiRE-ROUNTAINS se, <6) fo) p=) is) sh) fie) sey es) cee eile) ta 
Our Boox SHELF:— 
Macdonald’s ‘‘ Africana, or the Heart of Heathen Affica’’ 526 
LxTTERs TO THE EpITOR:— 
Natural Selection and Natural Theology.—Prof. Asa Gray; 
GsorGE J. ROMANES, FR2S3) <i = eps oe a ee 
The High Springs of 1883.—P. L. Scrater, F_R S. 520 
Scorpion Suicide.—C. Ltoyp Morean . eee Beto eto! 6 530 
Nesting Habits of the Emu.—AtrFrep W. BENNETT . . - « 530 
The Recent Cold Weather.—Witt1am INGRAM. . . . . « 530 
Sap-Flow. —F. M. Burton . EOYs” aP ee ser Sar eae . =) 5g! 
Foamballs.—J. RAND CAPRON. . . » - «= «= « « « Ree fosk 
en Meteor; the Transit ; the Comet.—Consul E. L. Layarp = 53x 
Dicks! —Wy) Micull scrap ce ysae es ul ete) coment net pene SE 
Ignition by Sunlight.—Major W. J. HerscHeELt; Epmunp H. 
VERNEY - svete ts Ab) tele Cevaniliny ne > Oh Mel tisk wt reed Rien 
Mimicry.—H. J. MorcaAN.. . ..... - eo 531 
Braces or Waistband?—R. M.. . - . + Pere ea Oo Le 
Stncinc, SPEAKING, AND STAMMERING, II. By W. H. Strong, 
M-BORERI CoD Ae a) (alte tei tete Oncttie) Meine mS 
PRoressoR SCHIAPARELLI ON THE GREAT COMET OF 1882, By 
Francis Porro Oe dle ee Oe nbc ag en ech es 
Tue SoarinG OF Birps. By Lord Rayreicu, F.R.S. . 534 
Puitip Curistory ZeLteR. By R. McLacuran, F.R.S. os = eG 
Tue Great INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES Exuipition (With Jllus- 
fat) eC en ICMOMo cs Wout ONG Olde 2 
Notges. . eee. “OM wo xe 538 
Our AsrronomicaL CotumMN:— 
The Great Comet of 1882°.. «4 se © © 2 ee 8 ew 540 
Variable Starsic-0 ie of pede’ sok 1 , wees sve, el will lo Mie) Ee Ms ESAs 
The Late Transitof Venus . . - = © « © «© © © « =» « « 54t 
GEOGRAPHICAL NorTEs . SPRY ch wer leh eketee! tal lta ein lo olen 
Facts AND CONSIDERATIONS RELATING TO THE PRACTICE OF 
ScIENTIFIC EXPERIMENTS ON LIVING ANIMALS, COMMONLY CALLED 
VAvISEGTION cetamien a al lol ellie? Yor Cell tel el Melt wy Piet na ee : 542 
Tue BritisH ASSOCIATION AND CANADA . « + +» + © «© « 546 
University AND EDUCATIONALINTELLIGENCE . . » « + = + 547 
SocizT1Es AND ACADEMIES. Pe tar te eer ay ore 547 
