400 
NATURE 

Baker divides the sub-mountainous regions of the North of 
England into four distinct ranges:—the Porphyritic Hills, . in- 
cluding the Cheviots ; the Carboniferous ITills, or that portion of 
the Pennine chain which falls between the Tyne and the Wharfe ; 
the Slate Hills of the Westmoreland and Cumberland Lake dis- 
trict ; and the Oolitic Hills of North-east Yorkshire. The range 
of each indigenous species of sub-alpine plant is traced, anda 
comparative table given of the number of species found in each 
range ; those in the Slate and Carboniferous districts more than 
doubling those in the Porphyry and Oolite. Dr. Trimen con- 
tributes a description, with plate, of Sv/e ¢rilobum, an alleged 
new British plant, the genuinely indigenous character of which 
is, however, questioned. 


SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 
Paris 
Academie des Sciences, September 4.—M. Faye in 
the chair.—M. Bertrand read a long note on the theory of the 
moon. The learned member supported the same theory as the 
one advocated by M. Biot, and contended that the third of the 
three great lunar inequalities had been discovered by Ptolemy. 
M. Sedillot, a learned Arabic scholar, is of the contrary opinion, 
and his views were successively supported by M. Leverrier 
and M. Chasles.—Father Secchi sent from Rome the result 
of observations made with the same instruments as those he 
had previously made, and which, having been executed up to 
the 26th of August, during a period of magnificent weather, 
are of special interest. An engraving, which is necessary for 
their comprehension, is sent for publication in the Comptes 
Rendus. It shows the sun as it was observed on the 23d 
of July from 8.30 to 9.40 at Rome; protuberances are seen, 
as exhibited by spectroscopic observations. They are very 
great in number as well as in dimension, Father Secchi says 
that he is now engaged in making special observation, 
to ascertain if variations observed in the number and form 
of protuberances are not connected with variations in the photo- 
sphere, and, consequently, with the diameter of the sun itself. 
Father Secchi states, moreover, that it is very difficult to account 
for the differences bet ween several accurate observers, whichamount 
to two seconds, without some elements of the kind. He said 
that he will very soon send a special paper on this important 
matter. M. Faye, in review of the paper, said that great dis- 
coveries might be expected very shortly relatively to the constitu- 
tion of the sun, and that the labours of various contributors to 
this subject might be very shortly rewarded.—M. Chasles pre- 
sented to the Academy a book sent by M. Quetelet, Director of the 
Royal Brussels Observatory, entitled ‘‘ Anthropometry ; or Mea- 
surement of the different Human Faculties.” The author tried 
to find curves, exhibiting not only muscular force and vitality, 
but also the vices and virtues, representing the period of life at 
which the proclivities are the strongest for murder, robbery, love, 
&c. &c.—M. de Tastes sent a paper ‘‘On the Atmospheric 
Currents of the Northern Hemisphere,” which, if grounded on 
facts, may help to prognosticate the weather. He supposes that 
the polar regions are not disturbed by storms, but are regions of 
calm. In order to support his theory he quotes a letter sent to the 
Academy in July 1870, in which he wrote these words, ‘‘ the next 
winter, 1870-71, will be one of the coldest in the whole century.” 
—M. Dumas read anote from MM. Troost and Hautefeuille 
founded on the memoir published by M. Morren on the spectrum 
of carbon in the Ann. Phys. et Chemie (4th ser., vol. iv., 
p- 365), and several other accurate spectroscopic determinations. 
‘The authors endeavoured to show that the spectra of carbon, boron, 
silicon, titanium, and zirconium may be derived from each other 
by special and gradual modifications indicative of certain secret 
affinities or rather analogies in the form of the molecules. An 
analogous series was established by M. Ditte for the spectra of 
sulphur, selenium, and tellurium, M. Dumas suggested whether 
each natural chemical family cannot be expected to show some 
spectroscopic affinities for its different members. 
MELBOURNE 
Royal Society of Victoria, April 17. —Mr. Foord read 
some notes on the enhydros or water stones, and described the 
result of experiments upon a sample weighing over 900 grains, 
which he had obtained through Mr. Ulrich from Mr, Dunn, the 
mineralogist, who was the discoverer of these stones in Victoria. 
The sample had for its largest section a form closely approaching 
an equilateral triangle. It clearly included two separate chambers ; 
in fact, during the experiment it was cloven into two separate 
water stones} one of which appeared to be quite filled up with 


quartz crystal; the other containing, besides an inner lining 
quartz, a mobile fluid and a bubble of air. 
a fragment was broken from one of the corners of the stone, 
This disclosed a fine opening or pore in the quartz lining con- 
nected with the inner gravity. The fluid was perfectly pellucid, 
but contained a few minute angular transparent fragments. The 
fluid was water, slightly mineralised. A single drop evaporated 
on glass left a slight residue, forming a gummy annular outline, 
but affording distinct evidence of crystallisation when examined 
under the microscope. When fifteen drops of the fluid were 
evaporated on a watch-glass over oil of vitriol, in vacuo, the 
fluid froze, giving out air bubbles, which vesiculated the icy 
crust ; the ice gradually disappearing left a small residue, nearly 
white in colour, now crystalline and wrinkled onthe surface, A 
few small crystals and some large ones were observed in the mass. 
A small crop of beautiful microscopical crystals were obtained — 
on resolution and spontaneous evaporation, Among them were 
recognised cubic crystals and crystals pertaining to the cubic 
system. On dissolving the crystals a delicate impress of their 
form was left, white on a delicately pale yellow ground, as though 
a deposit of colloidal ferruginous silica remained, with colourless 
cavities where the crystals had occupied position. On testing the 
re-dissolved saline matter, it gave a distinct white flocculent pre- 
cipitate with nitrate of silver, immediately soluble in ammonia. 
It also gave a granular precipitate with chloride of barium, 
With ammonia and oxalate of ammonia a very slight granular 
precipitate was obtained after some time, and with ammonia, 
chloride of ammonia, and phosphate of soda, relativelya bundant 
crystalline precipitate tufts, or stellate groups of acicular crystals, 
were obtained. A drop of the fluid examined in the microscope 
showed vividly the sodium double line, but no indication of 
potassium, lithium, calcium, nor indeed of any other metal, was 
apparent. Having thus described the result of his experiment, 
Mr. Foord endeavoured to show that the wall of the enhydros 
owed its plane form to crystalline silica deposited along with the 
amorphous silica, the two together forming the chalcedony. It 
was also attempted to be shown that there was every gradation 
from agate, in which the deposit was on the wall of the cavity 
like a varnish, up to enhydros, in which the cavity was interlaced 
by planes dividing it into angular chambers. Specimens of thin 
laminz were shown, in which the crystalline character of quartz 
was distinctly observable, resembling the geometric carpet pattern. 
The President again brought under the notice of the Society the 
proposed expedition to Cape York in December next, to view 
the Total Eclipse of the sun, to the preparations for observing 
which we have already alluded. 


BOOKS RECEIVED 
Enc.isH.—Phrenology ; and How to Use it in Analysing Characters : 
N. Morgan (Longmans).—Hints on Shore Shooting: J. E. Harting (Van 
Voorst).—Modern Scepticism: C. J. Ellicott (Hodder and Stoughton).— 
The Pheenix ; vol. i., and vol. ii., No. £3. 



CONTENTS Pace 
Tue ANcIENT GEoGRAPHY OF INDIA. By Prof. Max Mutter . . 381 
Our’ Book ‘SHELR U4) Sy een Recess ol ou le on ee aE 385 
LETTERS TO THE EpiTor :— 
Thickness of the Crust of the Earth—A.H.GREEN. . . «. . . 383 
Temperature of the Sun.—Father Seccut . . . . « . - . « 384 
Neologisms.—R. A. Proctor, F.R.A.S.; Dr. C. M. IncLesy. . 385 
‘The Aurora —A-JSSDAVIS, = he 0 ee) ke eet ate eee ee 
Meteor-—J. M. Witson ... 42. 7 205 2 5 ue 6 2) a 
The Earthquake at Worthing —E. A. PANKHURST. . . . . « 385 
A Fossiliferous Boulder.—J. BrouGH Pow Seo. oO - 386 
A Vital Question.—Epwarp MairtanD . . . . . + + + « 386 
Drainage a Cause of Excessive Droughts.—THomas FawceTT. . 386 
Ath soe CMEC Ce MOeicEer A On 5 Goo GS a a 4 - 386 
Earthquake in Jamaica.—Rorpt. THomsoN ...... - 387 
An Inquiry . ICMR EECICR CIO Oo Of atin a |S 
Pror. HaypEn’s EXPEDITION « . ss so + «1 6 * « 387 
- 387 
_E 7, 2389) 
On Fresu Discoveries oF PLatTyCNEMIC MEN IN DENBIGHSHIRE. 
By. W. Boyp DAWKINS.) BUR. Seeite ole medic ue) P= nike nite ee ee 
METEOROLOGY In America. (With Illustrations) . . « . « « 39° 
EXHIBITION (AT MOSCOW) jaye) jee ee Jel cre sy oo 
Sorar RapIATION TEMPERATURES. By G. J. Symons . 393 
Cy): SE RCM Cenc! no co OMOMEMCOMC eC. cc emo A oc jkr 
Tue British AssociaTION.—EpINBURGH MEETING, 1871. 
Sectional’ ProceedingSigcn nie tite, wv, la) eey te eal tn De 
Maximum VeEtocity or METEORIC STONES REACHING THE SURFACE 
OF THE EarTH. By Prof. Joun A. LE Conte. . .. . . « 208 
AstrRonomy.—The Solar Eclipse of 868. . . . . . « « » + » 399 
Puysics —On a Quanutative Method of Testing a ‘‘ Telegraph Earth” 399 
SCIENTIFIC/SERIALS <|| Syletie) ©\ ie ie: 0, (opis: vei dle\sin, W-urs ite inauEmetaD) 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES @e.* «00s efoes os (neler ms lee 400 
IBDOKS RECEIVED. Se telmet Clite) ccheon ey carte Mtn Lesa een 400 
[ Sepé. 14, 1871 
of 
To extract the fluid, } 



teootee 
