300 



NA rURE 



\_Fcb. II, 1875 



the coast, and the westward movement ceased about Bridport, 

 teyond which point the shingle travelled in the opposite direc- 

 tion, viz., from west to east, or from the coast of Devon to that 

 of Dorset; the quartzite pebbles from the conglumerate beds of 

 Budleigh Salterton, which travelled from that part of the coast 

 eastward to and beyond Sidmouth, gradually diminishing in 

 numbers as they approached Lyme, very few, if any, reaching 

 Bridport. This conclusion was in accordance with the facts— 

 (l) That the pebbles of the Devonshire and Dorset strata, 

 which formed the shingle of the " raised beach," constituted 

 also the bulk of the Chesil Bank ; (2) That there were also, in 

 that bank, pebbles of the rocks and Hint of Portland itself; 

 (3) That the largest pebbles occurred at the Portland end of the 

 bank, the pebbles decreasing gradually in size to Abbotsbury. 

 The large dimensions of the bank he attributed (o the great 

 accumulative and small lateral action of the waves. Prof. 

 Prestwich next discussed the questions connected with the 

 shingle of the south 'coast generally, and showed that the 

 greater part of it was derived indirectly from beds of quaternary 

 gravel and debris, from the wreck of the "raised beach," and 

 partly from the strata of the chalk and other cliffs, and not alto- 

 gether or directly from the present cliffs. He noticed, also, the 

 westward movement of the shingle from Lulworth towards 

 Weymouth, owing to the interference of the Isle ol Portland 

 with the force of the S.S.W. wind-waves, and considered that 

 none of the Devon and West Dorset shingle beach now passed 

 the Bill of Portland, and that other such breaks might e.\ist to 

 the eastward whenever similar conditions were repeated. He 

 explained the origin of the Fleet, like that of the Weymouth 

 backwater, and of the Lodmore Marshes, by the growth of the 

 Chesil Bank on the one hawd, and of the Ringstead and Wey- 

 mouth Beach on the other, gradually damming in portions of the 

 old coast line. Those beaclies themselves travelled on a line 

 along which the opposing forces of the wind-waves and tidal 

 currents and the inertia of the mass to be moved were balanced. 

 These views were stated to be in conformity with the theoretical 

 opinion expressed on abstract grounds by the Astronomer Royal, 

 and with the experience of practical persons residing on the spot. 

 The paper was illustrated by sections and diagrams, showing the 

 position and range of the " raised beach " along ^the coasts of 

 Dorset and Devonshire. 



Royal Microscopical Society, February 3. — Anniver- 

 sary Meeting.— Mr. Charles Brooke, president, in the chair, 

 — The Annual Report of the Council was submitted, and 

 showed that the library, cabinet, and instruments were in 

 a satisfactory condition ; tliat seventeen new fellows, one 

 honorary fellow, and one corresponding fellow had been elected 

 during the year, and that ten liad been removed by death. — 

 The President read the annual address. — The result of the ballot 

 for officers and Council for tlie ensuing year was as follows : — 

 President, Mr. C. H. Sorby. Vice-Presidents: Dr. Robert 

 Braithwaite, Mr. Chas. Brooke, Dr. J- Millar, and Dr. W. 

 B. Carpenter. Tieasurer, Mr. John W. Stephenson. Hon. 

 Sees., Messrs. H. J. Slack and Charles Stewart. Council : 

 Messrs. Frank Crisp, J. E. Inkpen, S. J. M'Intire, Heniy Lee, 

 W. T. Loy, Dr. Lawson, Dr. j- Matthews, Messrs. George 

 Shadbolt, Chas. Tyler, F. II. Ward, F. H. Wenham, and Chas. 

 F. White. Assist, Sec, Walter W. Reeves. 

 Pai^is 

 Academy of Sciences, Feb. i. — M. M. Fremy in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read :— On the physico- 

 chemical forces and their intervention in the production of 

 natural phenomena, by M. Becquerel. — A note by M. Yvon 

 Villarceau, relating to the discussion of the observations of the 

 transit of Venus. — M. Leverrier then presented to the Academy 

 a new part of tlie " Alias ccliptiqui- dc I'OlncrL'atoirc de Paris." 

 This atlas represents a circular zone of 5 degrees breadth (25° 

 each side of the ecliptic), and on each map contains a space of 

 20 min. of R.A. .Seventy-two maps will thus complete it, but 

 it will doubtless contain several more for the vicinity of the 

 equinoxes ; all stars visible in a telescope of 24 centimetres 

 aperture (about gj in.), down to the 13th magnitude inclusive, 

 will be carefully mapped in it. Four plates of the new part 

 just published are by MM. Paul and Prosper Henry, and con- 

 tain 7,655 stars. — M. Leverrier then made some remarks on the 

 results of the observations of the transit of Venus.— The 

 Academy elected as candidates for the chair of Natural History of 

 Inorganic Bodies, at tlie College de France, rendered vacant by 

 the death of M, Elie de Beaumont, in the first place, M. 

 Ch. St. Claire-Deville, and in the second, M. Fouque. — 



The remaining papers read were the following : — On an 

 "anallatic" telescope and its application to a levelling com- 

 pass and a " tacheometer," by M. C. M. Goulier. — On the 

 general theory of percussions and the manner to apply it 

 in the calculation of the effect of shots, and the different 

 parts of the gun-carriages, by M. H. Putz. — A note on 

 magnetism, by M. J. M. Gaugain. Another one on the same 

 suljject, by M. A. Treve. — On the magnetic anomaly of 

 peroxide of iron prepared from meteoric iron, by M. L. Smith. 

 — On the artificial reproduction of monazite and xenotime, by 

 M. F. Radominski ; these minerals are the very rare phosphates 

 of cerium, lanthanum, and didymium. — On the pulverisation of 

 manures and the best means to increase the fertility of soils, by 

 M. Menier. — A note by M. H. Tarry, on the possibility of pre- 

 dicting for some days in advance the arrival in Europe of cyclones, 

 which cross the Atlantic ; these remarks were based on the fact 

 that M. T.arry received telegrams on Jan. nth from Boston and 

 .St. Pierre Miquelon, stating that a great cyclone had its centre in 

 Newfoundland on Jan. loth, and was taking its course eastward^ 

 that it was calculated to arrive in Europe by way of Ireland in 

 four or five days. The cyclone actually reached Ireland on Jan. 

 15th, and progressed in an easterly direction for several days 

 after. — MM. J. B Schnetzler, Rohart, and Le Breton made some 

 communications on Phylloxera. — On " viridic " acid, by M. CO. 

 Cech. — On a case of recovery from aneurism of the right external 

 carotid artery through digital pressure, by M. J. A. Marques. — • 

 On the analysis and classification of cements, by M. Ducournau. 

 — A note by M. Bonne^, on aerial locomotion. — A memoir by 

 M. Maillird, on the treatment of cholera. — M. Gruey commu- 

 nicated the provisional elements of Comet VI., 1874, Borrelly. 

 — M. Stephan transmitted an account of new observations 

 of the comets of Encke and Winnecke. — M. Genocchi 

 made some observations regarding M. Darboux' paper on 

 the existence of the integral in equations with partial deri- 

 vatives, containing any number of fanclions and independent 

 variables. — M. Darboux mar'e a communication on the same 

 subject. — On hydrogenated iron, by M. L. Cailletet ; account 

 of experiments made by the author, showing that iron will absorb 

 on the average 240 times its own volume of hydrogen, but after 

 heating will not again absorb hydrogen, as Graham showed to 

 be the case with palladium ; the experiments gave results in 

 accordance with those obtained by St. Claire-Deville, Troost, 

 and Hautefcuille, in their researches on the passage of hydrogen 

 through homogeneous bodies, and the compounds'of hydrogen 

 with alk.iline metals. — On the molecular equilibrium of a solu- 

 tion of chrome alum, by M. Lecoq de Boisbaudran. — On perbro- 

 mide of bromo-acetylene, by M. E. Bourgoin. — On the improve- 

 ments in the quality of beetroot, by M. Ch. Viollette. — On a 

 special butyric fermentation, by M. P. Schiitzenberger. — On the 

 dilating action exercised by the glosso-phaiyngian nerve on the 

 vessels of the mucous memlirane at the base of the tongue, by 

 M. A. Vulpian. — On a new historical document relating to 

 Salomon ile Cans, by M. G. Depping. — A note by M. Neyre- 

 neuf, on the combustion of explosive mixtures. — A note by M. 

 J. Kordon, on the composition and dislribution of printing 

 type. 



CONTENTS Pagb 



Hancock's " Birds OF Northumberland AND Dl'rham " . ; . . 281 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Moore's "Physiological Chemistry" 283 



Cai'pL-nter's '* Microscope" 283 



Mathematical Works by Dr. Weyr 283 



Dr Just's '■ Botanic Year-Book" 284 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Siib-Wealden Exploration— W. ToPLEV 284 



Gaussian Constants —Count O. F.eichenbach 2S5 



Columnar Formation in Mud Banks.- Dr, J, W. Black .... 285 



F.owers and Bees 285 



Iron Pyrites , 285 



■the Microgiaphic Dictionary— Pollen Grains.— W. G. Smith . . 286 



The Phvlloxeia.— G. H. WoLLASTON 286 



Thermometer Scales.— TiroMAS Southwell 2S6 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The next return of Halley's Comet 2S6 



Encke's Comet 287 



Antares 287 



Lalande's " Etoile Singuliere " 287 



News from the "Challenger." By Prof. Wyvillh Thomson, 



F.R S 287 



The MoAS OF New Zealand (W;//i ////w/ra^iwj) 289 



The Recent Storms IN THE Atlantic. By W. de Fonvielle . . ago 

 '1'hs Past and Future Work of Geology. By Prof. Prestwich, 



F.R.S 290 



Notes , . 292 



Scientific Serials 295 



Societies and Academies 296 



