Oct. 19, 1871] 

NATURE 
499 

Letters on these planets by MM. Luther and Peters were also 
communicated by M. Leverrier, and M. Delaunay presented a 
‘determination of the orbit of Lomia by M. Tisserand.—The 
same gentleman a note on the nebule discovered by M. 
‘Stephan at Marseilles, and a note by M. Loewy on a new equa- 
torial instrument. The latter is mounted like a transit instru- 
ment, but its body is bent at a right angle, and the images are 
carried to the eye of the observer by means of prisms or mirrors. 
‘The advantage, according to the author, is that the observer can 
carry on his investigations without changing his place, and that 
the necessity for an expensive revolving dome is done away with. 
—A fourth letter from Father Secchi, on the protuberances and 
other remarkable portions of the surface of the sun, was read. 
It contains a classification of the phenomena in question, and 
notices the chromosphere, protuberances, and clouds. Of the 
second several kinds are described.—M. de Fonvielle presented 
the programme of an intended balloon-ascent for the purpose of 
noticing the meteors of November 1871, and MM. Regnault and 
Elie de Beaumont made some remarks upon the same subject.— 
A letter was read from M. A. Poéy on the law of similar evolution 
of meteorological phenomena, in which he indicates the existence 
of aconnection between the periodicity of meteorological phe- 
nomena and the diurnal and annual movements of the earth.— 
M. G. Lemoine presented a second part of his investigation of 
the reciprocal transformation of the two allotropic states of 
phosphorus, and M. Berthelot a second part of his researches 
upon ammoniacal salts, In the latter the author treats of the 
compounds of ammonia with boracic and carbonic acids.—A 
paper was read by M. C. Mene, giving numerous analyses of 
clays belonging to the carboniferous formation.—The tables of 
meteorological observations made at the Paris Observatory 
during the month of September was also communicated to the 
meeting. 
October 9.—M. Bertrand presented a note by M. Painvin 
on the determination of the rays of a curve at any point 
of a surface defined by its tangential equation.—M. P. A. 
Favre read a continuation of his thermic investigations upon 
voltaic energy, in which he gives the results obtained by him 
in experiments with batteries containing fuming nitric acid, 
permanganic and sulphuric acids mixed, and hypochlorous acid. 
In connection with this subject, M. F. Le Blanc also presented a 
note on the energy of piles with two liquids. Ina note on the 
most economical arrangements of voltaic batteries with regard to 
their polar electrodes, M. T, Du Moncel discusses the question 
of the desirability of reducing the size of the positive electrode, — 
M. Ruhmkorff described an arrangement for obtaining an ex- 
ceedingly intense induced magneto-electric current. — Several 
astronomical papers were read, and among them a notice by 
M. Faye of the history and present state of the theory of comets, 
in which he contends for the existence of a repulsive force (so/ar 
repulsion) manifested in the phenomena of comets. —M. Delaunay 
announced that M. Stephanhad observed Encke’s comet at Mar- 
seilles on the night of the 8-9th October, In searching for this 
comet M. Stephan had’ discovered some new nebule.—M. 
Bertrand presented a reply to the remarks made by M. Chasles 
at the last meeting of the Academy on the determination of the | 
position of the moon by Aboul Wefa, and MM. Leverrier and 
Chasles remarked upon the desirability of searching the Oriental | 
libraries for the astronomical writings of that author. —M. 
Delaunay communicated a note by M. Tisserand containing the 
determination of the orbit of the planet No. 116 (discovered by 
Mr. C.H. F. Peters) —M. Laugier presented a paper by M. Pagel, 
containing observations of the determination of the magnetic needle 
made at the Observatory of Toulon since the year 1866.—M. Roux 
presented an investigation of the artesian water of Rochefort, 
which comes up from a depth of nearly 857 metres. He gave a 
detailed analysis of the mineral contents of this water, and 
noticed the temperatures observed at various depths during the 
boring, which were considerably in excess of those recorded at 
Grenelle.—M. Billebault forwarded a note on the employment of 
gas-tar in the treatment of diseases of the vine, and especially 
against Phylloxera vastatvix. The destruction of this insect was 
also the subject of notes by MM. Peyrat and Deleuze.—M. E. 
Duclaux presented a note on a means of causing at will the 
hatching of silkworm eggs, which consists in exposing the eggs for 
a certain time to the action of cold.—In a note on the time which 
elapses between the excitation of the electric nerve of the torpedo 
and the discharge of its apparatus, M. Marey described some 
experiments made by him, from which it would appear that the 
nervous action is transmitted rather more slowly in the electric 

nerve than in the motor nerve of a muscle.—M. H. Sainte-Claire 
Deville communicated a note by M. A. Sanson on the theory of 
the early completion of the bones, in which the author replied to 
an objection to his theory made by a German writer. 
PHILADELPHIA 
Academy of Natural Sciences, February 6.—The Presi- 
dent, Dr. Ruschenberger, in the chair. Prof. Leidy stated 
that he had recently received a small collection of fossils for 
examination from Prof. J. D. Whitney, who obtained them 
from California. The specimens are as follows:—A frag- 
ment of an inferior molar, apparently of A/astodon ameri- 
canus. Of this specimen Prof. Whitney remarks that it was 
obtained from a depth of 80 feet beneath the basaltic lava of 
Table Mountain, Tuolumne County, Cal., where it was found in 
association with remains of human art. A much worn lower 
molar of a large horse, probably the ZLguss pacificus, from 16 
feet on Gorden Gulch. The triturating surface of the crown 
measures 133 lines fore and aft, and 1o lines transversely, inclu- 
sive of the cementum, Two equine molar teeth, which, accord- 
ing to the accompanying label, were obtained 350 feet below the 
surface, at Soulsbyville, Tuolumne County, Cal. One is an 
unworn upper back molar, apparently of a species of Profohippus. 
It is moderately curved from behind forward and downward, but 
only slightly from within outward. It is 21 lines long in a 
straight line. Its greatest breadth above the middle, fore and aft, 
is nearly 9 lines ; its thickness about 7 lines. The other tooth 
is a lower molar, about one-third worn, probably of the same 
species. The triturating .surface is ro lines fore and aft, and 
nearly 7 transversely. Two teeth labelled ‘‘ Found ten feet be- 
low the surface at Dry Creek, near Bear Creek, Mercer County, 
Cal.” One of the specimens appears to be the portion of a canine 
tooth, and the other is an incisor. They resemble in form the 
corresponding teeth of the lama, and probably belong toa species 
of the same genus. The incisor is about 14 inch in length ; the 
crown externally is 11 lines long and 4} lines wide. 
March 7.—The President, Dr. Ruschenberger, in the chaire 
Mr. Thomas Meehan referred to some observations he made bes 
fore the Academy last autumn in regard to a peculiar storing up 
of turpentine in the common insect, Reduvius novenarius, Since 
then entomologists had been investigating the use for which this 
turpentine was employed, without success. He was now able to 
report that it was for the purpose of fastening its eggs on the 
branches of trees, and for sticking them together ; also, in proba- 
bility, as a means of protection against enemies and the weather. 
The eggs of the Reduvius were inserted in groups, and each set 
upright one against another with the turpentine, like the cell ina 
honeycomb. It had hitherto been supposed by entomologists 
that the matter used for this purpose was a secretion of the insect 
itself ; but so faras he could judge by the senses, the matter used 
was merely turpentine, and no doubt the turpentine he had obs 
served the insect storing up in the fall.—Mr. Meehan exhibited 
some flowers of the common Souvardia /eiantha of the green- 
houses, and of the hardy Dewtzia gracilis, and referred to his 
papers, published a few years ago in the Proceedings of the 
Academy, on practical dicecism in the trailing Arbutus (Zfigea 
repens) and Mitchella repens, in which he pointed out that these 
plants, though apparently hermaphrodite, had the stamens and 
pistils of different characters in separate plants, and were, there- 
fore, subject to the laws of cross-feriilisation as indicated by 
Darwin. He had had his attention called to the Lowverdia by 
Mr. Tatnall, of Wilmington, Del., as furnishing a similar instance 
to that of Zpigwa and AMitchella, to the same natural order as 
which, the Cizchoncous division of Rudiacee, the Bouvardia be- 
longed. These had some plants with the pistils exserted, while 
in others only the stamens were visible at the mouth of the corolla 
tube. Mr. Tatnall had not had the matter suggested to him early 
enough to say that it was so in all cases; but he believed that 
these flowers, which practically might be termed pistillate and 
staminate, were found entirely on separate plants. Thisis avery 
important fact, as the Bowvardia is not raised from seeds in green- 
houses, but from cuttings of the roots, and, therefore, all these plants 
with separate sexes must have been produced from one criginal 
individual, without the iervention of seed, and thus confirm the 
position advanced in a previous paper of the speaker on “‘ Bud 
Variations,” namely, that variations in form, and, by logical in- 
ference, new species, may arise without seminalintervention. In 
the specimens of Deutzia gracilis were two forms of flowers on the 
same plant. Besides the large ones with stamens and pistils appa- 
rently perfect, there were numerous small flowers in which the 
