Dec. 24, 1874] 



NATURE 



159 



venting vertical diflfusion in the above described manner. Column 

 IV. shows a return, in the southern hemisphere, to a state of 

 things similar to that which obtains in the North Atlantic. 



We have seen that the effect of climate in equatorial regions 

 is to render the sub-surface water much colder than it is in tem- 

 perate regions ; let us consider what would be the effect of a 

 polar climate on the sea-water. It must be observed that the 

 effect of the atmospheric temperature on the sea is determined 

 by the temperature assumed by the surface-water; now the 

 lowest temperature which surface-water can attain is its freezing- 

 point. As the temperature oi the air when the Challenger was 

 beyond the 60th parallel was almost constantly below 32° F., 

 freezing must go on to a very great extent in winter, and the 

 effect of freezing such water is, in the end, similar to that of 

 evaporating it ; it is separated into lighter ice, and denser 

 mother-liquor, which sinks, leaving ice on the surface. This ice 

 I found to be a mixture ; and on determining the melting-point 

 of some in crystals, which had formed in a bucketful of sea-water, 

 I found it began to melt at 29 'S' F., the water produced by it 

 being almost fresh, in comparison with sea- water. The lowest 

 temperature of surface-water registered was 27° F. ; this happened 

 on two occasions, but was quite exceptional, the usual surface- 

 temperature varying from 32° to 34° F. At this temperature a 

 sensible quantity of ice would melt, giving very light surface 

 water. On two occasions the specific gravity of the surface water 

 was found between i '02400 and i •02410. The specific gravity 

 increased rapidly up to a depth of 100 fathoms, when it remained 

 pretty uniform to the bottom. Here, as at the equator, it is in 

 winter that the sub-surface water perceives the effect of the 

 change of season, the mother-liquor of the forming ice diffusing 

 in its descent the temperature of its formation. 



In the discussion of oceanic phenomena too much attention is 

 usually paid to the great currents. When it is wished to study 

 the phenomena due to temperature, or to any single cause, the 

 effect of the winds, which is seen in its most intense form in the 

 ocean currents, should be eliminated as far as possible ; which 

 in this case can only be done by selecting comparatively motion- 

 less seas, like the one which I have mentioned in the North 

 Atlantic* When the effect of atmospheric climate has been 

 studied on the ocean at large, it would then be proper to apply 

 the experience gained to the consideration of the more compli- 

 cated phenomena of the currents. 



I am at present engaged in a detailed consideration of the 

 temperature and specific gravity results, principally in the direc- 

 tion above indicated, and hope shortly to be able to send it home 

 for publication. 



" On Polishing the Specula of Reflecting Telescopes," by W. 

 Lassell, F.R.S., V.P.R.A.S. 



The object of this paper is to describe a method of giving a 

 high lustre and true parabolic curve with ease and certainty, by 

 appropriate machinery, to the surfaces of the specula of large 

 reflecting telescopes. 



Linnean Society, Dec. 17. — Dr. Allraan, president, in the 

 chair. — Dr. Allman read a paper on "The diagnosis of new 

 genera and species of hydroids," which we will give next week. 

 — iVlr. Daniel Hanbury exhibited specimens of an African 

 Kleinia which had flowered at Mentone. — Mr. Pryor exhibited 

 branches of the famous "Glastonbury Thorn," noted for 

 always flowering in December, — Sir J. Lubbock, Bart., F.R.S., 

 read "Observations on Bees, Wasps, and Ants." In this paper 

 the author continued the observations read before the Linnean 

 Society last year. In order to test the power of communication 

 whicli they possessed, he placed various bees on honey, but found 

 that if the honey was out of sight and in a place not frequented by 

 bees, lew, if any, others came. For instance, he brought a bee to 

 a honeycomb, weighing 1 2i lbs., placed on his writing table ; she 

 returned over and over again, but no other bee came. Other ex- 

 periments of the same kind convinced him that some bees at any 

 rate do not communicate with their sisters, even if they find an 

 untenanted comb full of honey, which to them would be a perfect 

 Eldorado. This is the more remarkable because these bees 

 began to work in the morning before the rest, and continued to 



• It will be seen that the principle, that the depth to which the effect of 

 the sun's rays penetrates depends on the yearly range of temperature of the 

 water at the surlace, explains the presence of the large body of comparatively 

 warm water in the North Atlantic, the existence of which has been usually 

 ascribed to an assumed reflux or back water of the Guli Stream. The warm 

 water is due to no extraneous cause, but is the natural effect of the condi- 

 tions of climate at the surlace ; and the effect of these conditions of climate 

 are so apparent in the temperature of the water, just because it is free from 

 the influence of oceanic currents, and exposed to the effects of climate 

 alone. 



do so even in weather which drove all the rest into the shelter of 

 the hive. That a few strange bees should have found the honey 

 is natural enough, because there were a good many bees about 

 in the room. With reference to the affection which bees are 

 said to feel lor one another, he observes, that though he had 

 repeatedly seen them hck a bee which had smeared herself in 

 honey, he never observed them show the slightest attention to 

 any of their comrades who had been drowned in water. Far 

 indeed, from having b^en able to discover any evidence of affec- 

 tion among them, they appear to be thoroughly callous and 

 utterly indifferent to oncjanoiher. As already mentioned, it was 

 necessary for him occasionally to kill a bee, but he never found 

 that the others took the slightest notice. Thus, on the nth of 

 October he crushed a bee close to one which was feeding, in 

 fact so close that their wings touched ; yet the survivor took no 

 notice whatever of the dea h ol her sister, but went on feeding 

 with every appearance of composure and enjoyment, just as if 

 notliing had happened. Wlicii the pressure was removed, she 

 remained by the side of the corpse without the slightest appear- 

 ance of apprehension, sorrow, or recognition. It was, of course, 

 impossible for her to understand his reason for killing her com- 

 panion, yet neither did she feel the slightest emotion at her 

 sister's death, nor did she show any alarm that the same fate 

 should befal her also. In a second case exactly the same 

 occurred. Again, if while a bee is feeding, a second bee is held 

 by tlie leg close to her, the prisoner, of course, struggles to 

 escape and buzzes as loudly as she can, yet the selfish (?) eater 

 takes no notice whatever. So far, therefore, from being at all 

 affectionate, he doubts whether bees are in the least fond of one 

 another. Their devotion to their queen is generally quoted as a 

 most characteristic trait ; yet it is of the most limited cha- 

 racter. For instance, on one occasion he changed his black 

 queen for a Ligurian, and placed the old queen with some workers 

 in a box containing some comb. Sir John was obliged to leave 

 home on the following day, but when he returned on the 20th 

 he found that all the bees had deserted the poor queen, who 

 seemed weak, helpless, and miserable. On the 31st the bees 

 were coming to some honey at one of his windows, and he 

 placed this poor queen close to them. In alighting, several of 

 them even touched her, yet not one of them took the slightest 

 notice of her. The same queen, when afterwards placed in the 

 hive, immediately attracted a number of bees. Althougli the 

 experiments on colour which Sir John has already recorded are 

 tolerably conclusive, still he thought it would be worth while to 

 make some more. For instance,;he brought a bee to some honey 

 wliicli he placed on blue paper, and about three feet off he placed 

 a similar quantity of .honey on orange paper. After the bee 

 had returned twice he transposed the papers, but she returned 

 to the honey on the blue paper. After she had made three 

 more visits, always to the blue paper, he transposed them 

 again, and she again followed the colour, though the honey was 

 left in the same place. The following day he was not able to 

 watch her, but on the 14th she returned to the honey on tlie 

 blue paper. He then again transposed the papers. At S'5she 

 relumed to the old place and was just going to alight, but ob- 

 serving the change of colour, without a moment's hesitation 

 dashed off to the blue. No one, he says, who saw her at that 

 moment could have entertained the slightest doubt about her 

 perceiving the difference between the two colours. He then 

 proceeded to recount some experiments on the sense of smell 

 possessed by bees, on their power of recognising their own com- 

 panions, and on the ditferenT occupations of different bees, men- 

 tioning observations which seem to show that the bees act as 

 nurses during the first few weeks of their life, and only subse- 

 quently take to collecting honey and pollen. He then proceeded 

 to mention some experiments on wasps, which show that they 

 possess the power of distinguishing colour. In conclusion he 

 recortled a nu i.ber of experiments on ants, which certainly 

 seemed to show that, whatever may be the case with bees, ants 

 do possess the power of communicating detailed facts to one 

 another. It is remarkable, however, how much individual ants 

 appear to differ from one another in character. 



Chemical Society, Dec. 17.— Prof. Gladstone, F.R.S., 

 vice-president, in the chair. — A paper On Groves' method of 

 preparing chlorides, by Dr. Schorlemmer, F.R.S., was read. 

 He nnds that the process does not answer well for the higher 

 primary alcohols, although secondary chlorides can readify be 

 prepared by it. The other papers were : On the precipitation of 

 metals by zinc, by Mr. G. L. Davies ; Researches on the 

 paraffins existing in Pennsylvanian petroleum, by M. T. M. 



