NA TURE 



[Feb. 4, 1875 



than these. May shows no regular retrogression of temperature, 

 as in northern countries, though it is more variable than other 

 months, and there is no Martinn-as summer in autumn ; thus con- 

 firming the doctrine that the Alps divide Europe into two meteor- 

 ological regions. There are also variations coincident v;ith the 

 periods of sun-spots. Thus, from 1763 to 176S, from 1812 to 

 1817, from 1829 to 1S38, (rom 1S55 to 1S5S, the annual tempe- 

 rature was lower than the average; while from 1769 to 1772, 

 from 177S to 1781, from 1790 to 1794, from 1796 to 1798, from 

 1824 to 1S28, from 1S61 to 1872, excluding the years 1S64 and 

 1871, the temperature was constantly higher. — The next paper is 

 by Prof. Gaetano Cantoni, On the direct assimilaticn of nitrogen 

 from the atmosphere. Having compared the production of corn 

 and clovers, the author concludes that the Legummosfe can 

 absorb nitrogen from the air, but that Gramince have not this 

 power.— Prol. Ttdlio Brugnatelli and Dr. Pelloggio publish the 

 results of their examination of the mineral water of Monte 

 Al eo. It is sulphurous, and will keep for months in sealed 

 bottles, but ultimately develops Cryptococcus brumes. Its tem- 

 perature is 13° C. ; it smells like a saturated solution of sulphuric 

 acid, but is not unpalatable. A litre gives a solid residue of 

 3-96 grains, chiefly formed of chloride of sodium and sulphates 

 of magnesia and lime. — Prof. Leopoldo Maggi contributes a 

 note On the distinctions introduced in spontaneous generation,^ 

 and defines clearly and adopts the terms agenia, necrogeniaj. 

 and xenogenia, introduced by Milne-Edwards, and suggests tha^ 

 agenia may be divided into inorganic and organic agenia. A 

 the reading of this paper. Prof. Sangalli remarked that he 

 found long Bacteria and Micrococcus in an ulceration in the 

 throat, and the same organisms in a diseased stomach. — The 

 next paper is by Prof. Achille de Giovanni : Clinical and ana- 

 tomical observations concerning the pathology of the sympathetic 

 system ; in which his researches respecting the infiltration of the 

 intercostal ganglia are contmued. In a former paper he attributed 

 the infiltration to the growth of numerous adventitious vessels, 

 but in a section of a ganglion hardened in a solution of bichro- 

 mate of potash the presence of a very fine connective tissue is 

 easily seen to accompany the nerve-tubes and involve the 

 ganglia, and in this he believes some deposits to take place. 

 —The last paper in Part xi. is by Prof. Sayno, On a machine for 

 drawing spirals, which he figures. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 



Royal Society, Jan. 21. — On the anatomy of the connective 

 tissues, by G. Thin, M.D. 



Transparent animal tissues, when sealed up fresh in aqueous 

 humour or blood-terum, by running Brunswick black round the 

 edge of the cover-glass, undergoes a series of slow changes, by 

 which, mostly within a period of two to five days, anatomical 

 elements otherwise invisible become distinct. The paper is 

 chiefly a record of observations made by this method. The 

 author describes the results of its employment in the case of 

 sections of the cornea, in which the stellate- branched cells are 

 seen, after about twenty-four hours, to consist of masses of proto- 

 plasm, sharply defined. He has also similarly examined ten- 

 don neurilemma, fibrillary tissue, nerve-bundles, and muscular 

 fibre ; and compared the results with those arrived at by other 

 methods of treatment. 



Jan. 28. —On the atmospheric lines of Ihe solar sspectntm, 

 illusttated by a map drawn on tlie same sccile as that adopted by 

 Kirchhoff, by J. II. N. Hennessey, l-'.K.A.S. Communicated 

 by Prof Stokes, Sec. R.S. 



The spectroscopic observations described in this paper were 

 made with instruments belonging to the Royal Society, and in 

 accordance with certain suggejtions which had been made to the 

 author by a committee appointed in consequence of a letttr of 

 his to Sir Edward Sabine, president, dated 13th February, 1S66. 

 In view of his residence at a considerable height above the sea- 

 level, and of the exceedingly clear atmosphere prevailing at 

 some periods of the year, it was suggested that the locality was 

 peculiarly lavourable for a determination of the lines of the 

 solar spectrum due to atmospheric absorption ; and that for 

 this purpose the solar spectrum when the sun was high should 

 be compared with the spectrum at sunset, and any additional 

 lines which niiglil apjiear in the latter case should be noted with 

 reference to Kirchhoff's map. 



Accordingly the author set to work with the spectroscope 



first supplied to him, and in the autumns of 186S and 1S69 

 mapped the differences in question from the extreme red to D. 

 These results appeared in the "Proceedings of the Royal 

 .Society" for June 16, 1870, and the map of the spectra, sun 

 high and sun low, of the region in question forms Plate I. of the 

 nineteenth volume. 



The instrument first supplied to the author was found in 

 practice to be of insufficient power to permit of ready identifica- 

 tion of the lines seen in the spectrum of the sun when high with 

 those represented in Kirchhoff's map ; and a new spectroscope 

 of greater power was supplied to him, which reached him at 

 the end of the year 1871. Observations for a continuation of 

 his map had in the mean time been taken with the old instru- 

 ment in the autumns of iS7oand 1S71, and the spectrum mapped 

 from D to F, in continuation of the former map. But the new 

 instrument proved so superior to the old, that the author deter- 

 mined to map the \\hole spectrum airesh from observations made 

 with it, using the former maps merely as skeleton forms. The 

 observations with the new instrument were carried on in the 

 autumns of 1872 and 1873, and the map now presented is the 

 result. 



Observations were also made to ascertain whether any of the 

 lines which came out when the sun is low, especially those 

 which are also seen, but narrower and less conspicuous, when 

 the sun is high, could be due, not to spicific atmospheric ab- 

 sorption, but to the general weakening of the light, causing 

 parts (jf the spectrum already weakened by solar absorption to 

 appear dark when a general weakening ol the light was super- 

 induced, though they had appeared bright when the light was 

 strong. For this purpose the spectrum of the .sun when high, 

 as seen in the usual way, was compared with the spectrum 

 when the intensity was artificially reduced in various ways. The 

 best comparison was obtained by taking advantage of a natural 

 phenomenon. At Mussoorie, late in the autumn, a haze, visible 

 at sunset, extends over the low country, and grows day by day 

 in heighi, till it causes the sun virtually to set in haze while 

 still 3" or more above the horizon, whereas in the clear season 

 it is visible till it attains a depression of 1^°. The result of 

 the comparison was, that none of the additional lines were dis- 

 covered to have any other origin than selective atmospheric 

 absorption. 



Royal Horticultural Society, Jan. 20. — Scientific Com- 

 mittee.— Dr. J. D. Hoc.ker, C.B., Pic's. R.S., in the chair.— The 

 Rev. M. ]. Berkeley exhibited specimens of vine stems with large 

 burr-like excrescences, which he suggested might be due to ttie 

 attacks of a fungus like Exolhuidium. — Mr. Wurthington Smith 

 exhibited a drawing of the microscopical appearance of the 

 swellings on cucumber root-;, confirming the accuracy of the 

 observation long since made by the Rev. M. J. Berkeley, which 

 connected these swellings with the presence of nematoid worms 

 — probably an undescribed .species of TyIcucIiiis. — Prof. Thiselton 

 Dyer called attention to a communication made to the Ento- 

 mological Society by Prof Forel, in which there was evidence 

 to show that the Ph>lloxera had been introduced into vineries 

 belonging to Baron Rothschild in the commune of Pregny, in 

 the canton of Geneva, from England. The Phylloxera was dis- 

 covered in England in 1863 by Prof. Westwood. — Prof. Thiselton 

 Dyer also called attention to the .statement in the ZJa//y Naus 

 (Jan. 19), that the Imperial Chancellor had introduced at the 

 silting of the Federal Council at Berlin on Jan. 18, an ordinance 

 " prohibiting the importation of potatoes and the refuse and pack- 

 ing materials of potatoes from the United Slates," the object being 

 to prevent the Colorado beetle from being imported into Germany. 

 It was stated that the Engbsh Guvernment had refused to pro- 

 hibit the entry of American potatoes, on the ground that "it 

 does not appear ihat the e^gs or larvre of the beetle have been 

 or are deposited in the tuLer of the potato." Mr. Andrew 

 Murray described from his own observation the ravages eflTected 

 by the beetle in Canada. Mr. McLachlan remarked that the 

 beetle seems to have first spread from Mexico. — Prof Thiselton 

 Dyer stated with reference to the fruiting of llibiscus rosa- 

 siiiL-nsis — which had been said on the authority of Di-. Cleghorn 

 not to take place even in India — that ripe capsules had been ob- 

 tained after artificial fertUisation at Mauldslie Castle, Carluke, 

 N.B., in 1871 and 1S72, and plants raised from the seeds. — Dr. 

 Masters exhibited specimens from Mr. Corderoy, of Didcot, of 

 mistletoe parasitic on itself. 



General Meeting. — Mr. W. A. Lindsay in the chair, — The 

 Rev. M. J. Berkeley commented on the objects exhibited. — Mn 

 Bull showed a fine collection of Cycadaceous plants. — Mr, 



