176 
NATURE 
| une 29, 1871 

Paris 
Academie des Sciences, June 19.—M. Claude Bernard in 
the chair. M. Claude Bernard reada letter from Mr. Alexander 
Herschel, noticing the death of his father on behalf of himself and 
of his eldest brother now in India. The lamented Sir John Herschel 
was the senior foreign associate member of the Institute. The 
foreign associate members are only five in number; it is con- 
sidered the highest honour the Academy can offer to a foreigner. 
The President noticed also the {death of the celebrated General 
Probert, who was an academician of long standing, and had de- 
voted his whole life to the study of projectiles. His memoirs 
are numerous in the Comftes Rendus, but more numerous at the 
War Office. He was of opinion that the Prussian steel gun 
should be adopted by the French artillery, but his Imperial 
Majesty being a great artillerist, his opinion was totally disre- 
garded. The vacancies to be filled amongst members and asso- 
ciates are now six. ‘They have never been so numerous. There 
were twelve correspondents to elect before the investment of 
Paris took place. M. Dumas presented a memoir on the reci- 
epee action of magnetism and electricity circulating in a vacuum. 
The memoir was written by M. De La Rive, a foreign associate 
member of the Academy, and describes experiments tried with 
an apparatus analogous to the magnificent instruments exhibited 
by M. De La Rive at the ‘‘Champde Mars” universal exhibition, — 
M. Elie de Beaumont, the other perpetual secretary, has directed 
public attention to the extraordinary cold experienced on the 18th 
May and 3rd June 1871, and asked for observations relating to it. 
Eyery information must be directed to him, and will be men- 
tioned in the Comptes Rendus. Several other communications are 
duly acknowledged, and will be printed. Some of them relate 
to other seyere depressions of temperature witnessed late in the 
season in former years ; hoar frost was observed as late as in 
July 1802, which appears to have been one of the worst years 
ever known for low temperature in the summer.—M. Grémand 
de Lany, the senior member of the Scientific Staff of the 
Parisian papers, has published an interesting book on the 
Academy of Sciences during the siege of Paris, giving a fair idea 
of the amount of work executed by members resident in Paris 
during that eventful period of its annals. The Academy has to 
appoint a committee for reporting upon the memoirs sent to com- 
pete for the great prize of mathematics proposed by the govern- 
ment. The subject proposed belongs to the theory of elliptical 
functions. No qualification of nationality is required. The 
names of the competitors are kept sealed and opened only if suc- 
cessful. MM. Bertrand, Hermite, Serret, Leonville, and Bonner 
were appointed.—A most interesting discussion took place on a 
paper relating to the treatment of typhus during the Mexican 
campaign, showing that typhus is unquestionably contagious, as 
well as many other diseases of the same kind. The cold and 
moisture is not so much to be feared as stagnant hospital air, and 
treatment under canvas even in cold weather is perhaps the 
best that can be imagined.—M. Campion, the first assistant to 
M. Payen, presented a memoir on the manner of blasting rocks 
with dynamite. That paper is a kind of 7éswmé of M. Campion’s 
experiments during the first investment of Paris. He was closely 
engaged in dangerous operations, practised for protecting the 
town. According to every probability, he will be appointed a 
member to fill the chair of his professor.—Five or six other 
papers were read, too long to report. 
VIENNA 
I. R. Geological Institution, May 2.—Dr. Giimbel, of 
Munich, gave an account of his investigations of the different 
forms of Dactylopora, found chiefly in the Triassic limestones of 
the Alps. Notwithstanding some differences in the structure, 
he recognised in them a strong resemblance to living and tertiary 
Dactylopora. Great and constant varieties in the forms led him 
to distinguish a large number of different species.—Mr. F. 
Pick, who had visited the Isle of Milo in the month of March, 
made a report of the numerous earthquakes which had been 
observed there since the beginning of the year. From the middle 
of January up to the month of March they continued incessantly, 
and during the time between the last days of February till the 
3rd March more than twenty shocks were felt daily, not seldom 
two or three in one hour. The St. George volcano on Santorin 
was seen on March 20 in continuous, but feeble activity.—M. v. 
Lill discovered the rare Ullmannite (Nickel-Antimon-Pyrites) 
at a new locality in Carinthia, the Rinkenberg, near Bleiburg, 
where it is imbedded in slaty schists and crystalline dolomite. — 
Another mineralogical discovery of interest communicated by 

T. Niedzwiedski is the occurrence of Trinkerite at Gams, near 
Hieflau, in Styria. This fossil resin, which contains more than 
4 per cent. of sulphur, was first described a few months ago by Dr. 
Tschermak, of Carpano, in Istria, where it was found in a coal of — 
Eocene age. At Gams it is imbedded ina dark coloured rock, 
which belongs to the Gasau (Upper Cretaceous) formation. —Prof. : 
E. Suess on the Tertiary land fauna of middle Italy. The study — 
of the rich collections of fossil mammalia in the museums in Pisa — 
and Florence enabled the author to parallelise the different 
faunce of the Upper Tertiary beds of middle Italy, which had been 
distinguished quite correctly by Falconer, Lartet, &c., with those 
of Austria. The first mammalian fauna of the Vienna Basin, the 
fauna of Eibiswald, with Amphicyon intermediaries, Hyotherium 
Sommeringi, Palzomerix, Crocodilus, Trionyx, &c., is repre- 
sented in Italy by the fauna of the lignites of Monte Bamboli. 
The second fauna of the Vienna Basin, the fauna of Eppelsheim 
with Mastodon longirostris, Hippotherium gracile, &c., 1s not 
yet known in Italy. The fauna of the Arno Valley, on the con- 
trary, which is represented in a marvellous richness in the 
museum of Florence, seems to be wanting in the Vienna Basin, 
This third fauna is characterised by Zvephas meridionalis, 
Machairodus, Bos etruscus, Hippopotamus major, &c. ; traces ot 
it M. Suess thinks he has recognised in some fossils from the 
caverns of the Karst (Istria). The fourth fauna, with Z/ephas 
primigenius which is to be found everywhere in our loess, has 
been discovered also in some localities of Tuscany in the so- 
called Pauchina, a clay similar to the loess.—M. Schwackhofer 
exhibited a series of rocks rich in phosphoric acid, which occur in 
the Silurian, as well as in the Cretaceous beds of Eastern Gallicia, 
the discovery of which he hopes will be of great use for agri- 
cultural purposes. 


BOOKS RECEIVED 
: EnG.LisH.—The Homing or Carrier Pigeon: W. B. Tegetmeier (Rout- 
edge). 
AmerIcAN.—The Monthly Reports of the Department of Agriculture for 
1868-69 ; The Annual Report of the Commission of Agriculture, 1868; The 
Annual Report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1862: Government 
Printing Office, Washington.—The Elements of Physics: Prof. Hinrichs. 
ForEIGN.—Die Pflanzenstoffe, &c.: Drs. A. and Th. Husemann (Schluss). 
—(Through Williams and Norgate) —Discussion der wahrend der totale Son- 
nenfinsterniss am August 1868 angestellten Beobachtungen und der daraus 
folgenden Ergebnisse: Prof. E. Weiss.—Elektrodynamische Mass-bestim- 
mn gent W. Weber.—Physische Zusammenkiinfte der Planeten: C. von 
ittrow. 


DIARY 
MONDAY, Jury 3 
ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, at 7. 
Royat Institution, at 2.—General Monthly Meeting. 
FRIDAY, Jvry 7. 
Geotoaists’ AssoctaTIon, at 8.—On the Upper Limits of the Devonian 
System: J. R. Pattison. 


CONTENTS Pacz 
RamBies Rounp LonDoN. . . - « « « « PC i, Ceo 
WEINHOLD’s EXPERIMENTAL PHYSICS. . » « + © 2 «© « « . 158 
Our Book SHetr. (With Illustration.) . . « « «© « 159 
LETTERS TO THE EpIToR :— 
The Eclipse Photographs.—D, WINSTANLEY. . . « «2 « « 
The Solar Parallax.—Prof.S. NEwcomB . .....-.. « 
Halo in the Zenith —R. M. BARRINGTON . . . s ae 
What is Yellow Rain?—J. JEREMIAH . . 2... ee ee 
Black Rain(—Ky Erg, (hoLeS) ge 5) shies ae) cee eee ee 
A New View of Darwinism.—Henry H. Howortu . .. - 
Ocean Currents.—J. K. LauGHTon sla, low ae ec feat etre ne 
Alpine Floras.—J. J. Murpny, FG.S.. . ..... + « = ZO2 
A Suggestion.—Lieut. S. P. OLiver, R.A. . . 2... 2 2 
Hyprous SILicaTes INJECTING THE Pores oF Fossits. By Principal 
Dawson, F.R.S. .. .. ec Neprefiep te Cel Paha . 
New Tueory oF Sun-Spots. By J. BIRMINGHAM. . . c 
Proressor TYNDALL ON THEORIES OF DISEASES. «. . : o 
Tue CHESTNUT TREE OF Mount EtNA. (With Jilustration.) ~. . 
Science IN Pain Encuisu. II. By W. Rusoton ..... . 
NOTES 0.0.6, ie |.» ters a RRM ce Mea etd = fe) ie Win) Be’ Neg Dl = ae 
ScIENCE IN AMERICA. . . : =) fail 
Mr. BeNTHAM’s ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS TO THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 
(Continued) < . VS DEO Soe, a) tat een el be) Ca ee 
AstTRonomy.—On the Great Sun-Spot of June, 1843. By Prof. D. 
KEYREWOOD* «5. POR eh eee @ ee mre 
ScrmNTinic'SBRIALS. 4/cijcetet i =| (eile. sa ie Sar We Signe > 
SocIETIBS AND ACADEMIES. « © 2 + + © © © © © e «© © © « 
Booxs RECBIVED: 4) Glick ss 0 ected = Heusen) oie 
DIARY: oe ye, a) weiss ww) tw ie) op Ta) Loe eg eee me eer 
