NA TURE 



\^N0V. 12, T< 



the causes of smell, by A. Valentin. — Mathematical considera- 

 tions on the structure of bees' cells, by A. Jonquiere. — On the 

 inhibitory mechanism of the heart, by A. Clause. — On the 

 separation of manganese and nickel by means of ozone, by V. 

 Schwarzenbach. — On determinate integrals, by J. H. Graf. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Zoological Society, November 3. — Prof. W. H. Flower, 

 F.R.S., President, in the chair. — Mr. Sclater exhibited the skull 

 of a Tapir received by the Society in May, 1878, which was 

 then described as Tapirus roulini, but which had since been 

 found, upon anatomical e-\amination, to be merely a dark variety 

 of Tapirus americanus. — A letter was read from Mr. J. Cald- 

 well, C M.Z.S., of Port Louis, Mauritius, announcing the 

 finding of a new deposit of dodo-bones in a small cavern in the 

 south-west part of the island. — An extract was read from a letter 

 addressed to the Secretary by Dr. F. H. Bauer, C.M.Z.S., of 

 Buitenzorg, Java, containing some notes on the Flying Lizard 

 (Ptychozoon homalocephalnm) of that island. — Prof. Bell exhibited 

 and made remarks on a fine specimen of the Decapod Cnistacean, 

 Alpheiis megachdes, obtained by Mr. Spencer at Herm, Channel 

 Islands. — Mr. Martin Jacoby communicated the second portion 

 of his paper on the Phytophagous Coleoptera of Japan obtained 

 by Mr. George Lewis during his second journey, 1880-81. The 

 present part treated of the Halticinfe and Galerucince of Mr. 

 Lewis's collection. — Mr. A. G. Butler read a paper containing an 

 account of two collections of Lepidotera recently received from 

 Somali Land. Mr. Butler considered that the Lepidopterous 

 fauna of Somali Land was essentially Arabian in character. — 

 Mr. L. R. Lydekker, F.Z.S., described a last upper molar of a 

 Mastodon, which had been obtained by Mr. A. H. Everett, 

 C.M.Z.S., in Borneo, and referred it to a small race of M. 

 latidtns, previously known only from the Pliocene Siwaliks of 

 India and Burmah. The specimen was of much interest, as 

 increasing our knowledge ot the eastern range of the Siwalik 

 mammals. — Mr. W. T. Blanford, F.R.S., read a monograph of 

 the genus Paradoxunis. After a critical examination of a large 

 series of specimens Mr. Blanford came to the conclusion that it 

 would be necessary to reduce the numerous so-called species of 

 this genus to about ten well-marked forms. — Mr. W. T. Blan- 

 ford, on behalf of Mr. J. A. Murray, read a paper containing 

 the description of a new species of Mus from Sind, proposed to 

 he adled Mus g-/miiowi. — Mr. F. E. Beddard, F.Z. S., read an 

 account of the specific characters and structure of some New 

 Zealand earthworms of the genus Acanthodrihis. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, November 2. — M. Bouley, Presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — The Perpetual Secretary announced the 

 death of M. Joly, Corresponding Member of the Section for 

 Anatomy and Zoology, who died at Toulouse on October 17, 

 1885. — Remarks on the subject of M. Hirn's recent experi- 

 ments on the velocity of gases with a view to testing the truth 

 of the kinetic theory of gases, by M. Faye. The author infers 

 from the results of these experiments that the kinetic hypothesis 

 will have to be reconsidered, if not absohitely rejected. The 

 limit which it imposes on the velocity of gases under certain 

 conditions of temperature and pressure is shown to be imaginary. 

 — Fresh researches on the origin of the glandular nervous fibres 

 and of the vaso-dilator nervous fibres which form part of the 

 chord of the tympanum and of the glosso-pharyngian nerve, by 

 M. Vulpian. — Remarks on M. IT. Filhol's new work entitled 

 " Recherches zoologiques, botaniques, et geologiques faites a 

 I'lle de Campbell et en Nouvelle-Zelande," by M. Alph. Milne- 

 Edwards. The researches embodied in this work tend to 

 show that since the Chalk or beginning of the Tertiary 

 epoch Campbell Island can have formed no part of New- 

 Zealand or of any other Australasian region. — Solution of a 

 question of indeterminate analysis constituting a fundamental 

 principle in the theory of the Cremona transformations, by M. de 

 Jonquieres. — Experimental researches on the temperature ob- 

 served in the mother at the moment of delivery and of the child 

 at birth : comparison of these two temperatures, by M. Bonnal. 

 — On the attenuation of the virus of ovine variola, by M. F. 

 Pourquier. From his researches, continued for a period of seven 

 or eight years on the principles established by M. Pasteur, the 

 author concludes that it is possible to attenuate this virus, to 

 transform it into a true vaccine, and thus avoid the serious losse 



hitherto incurred by inoculating sheep against the disease. — On 

 the Cremona transformations in a plane of « order, by M. G. B. 

 Guccia. — On the decomposition of quadratic forms, by M. 

 Benoit. — Note on the theory of M. Helmholtz respecting the 

 preservation of solar heat, by M. Ph. Gilbert. — Note on the 

 doubly-refracted dispersion of quartz, by M. J. Mace de 

 Lepinay. — On the theoric distribution of heat over the surface of 

 the globe, by M. A. Angot. — Combination of the nitrate of silver 

 with the alkaline nitrates (nitrates of potassa, rubidium, am- 

 moniac, soda, and lithine), by M. A. Ditte. — On the anhydrous 

 chloride and silicate of cerium, by M. P. Didier. Having 

 already determined the action of hydrosulphuric acid on the 

 anhydrous chloride of cerium, the author now communicates a 

 process for preparing this substance, and describes' some other 

 compounds obtained by its means by the dry process. — Note on 

 the Asteriadte collected during the Talisman expedition, by M. 

 Edm. Perrier. As many as fifty-four species, represented by 

 nearly 200 specimens, were obtained on this occasion, some 

 fished up from depths exceeding 4000 metres. — On the respira- 

 tion of leaves in the dark: carbonic acid retained by them, 

 second note, by MM. Deherain and Maquenne. — Note <.i! 

 artificial earthy specular iron, by M. Stan. Meunier. — On the 

 zymotic properties of charbon and septicemic blood, by M. A. 

 Sanson. — On the transmission of virulent glanders to the pig, 

 by MM. Cadeac and Malet. — Treatment of mildew in the vine 

 by means of the sulphate of copper, by M. A. Miintz. — The 

 suljjhate of lye-ashes and its employment against animal and 

 vegetable parasitic diseases, by Vl. Duponchel. — Account of a 

 remarkable meteoric phenomenon observed at Pondicherry on 

 June 13, iSSs, by M. C. Andre. 



CONTENTS PAGE 



The International Sanitary Conference of Rome, 



18S5 25 



" Evolution without Natural Selection.' By George 



J. Romanes, F.R.S 26 



Forestry in Poland 27 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Lodge's " Elementary Mechanics" 28 



Jordan's "Ocean" 28 



.Schellen's " Spectrum Analysis " 28 



Jackson's " Practical Arithmetic on an entirely New 

 Method " and Cox's " Principles of Arithmetic " 29 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Recent Total Eclipse of the Sun.— N. A. 



Graydon 29 



Ophthalmologic Education in the United Kingdom. — 



Dr. R. E. Dudgeon 29 



The Helm Wind.— Dr. A. "Woeikof 30 



The Resting Position of Oysters.— Prof 'W. Turner, 



F.R.S 30 



The Australian Lyre Bird. — Alfred Morris ... 30 

 Blackberry Blo.ssoms in November. — ^Joseph John 



Murphy 31 



Explorations in Pahang. By Rev. J. E. Tenison- 



Wood 3' 



The Cretaceous Floras of Canada. F.y Sir William 



Dawson, F.R.S 32 



Radiant Light and Heat, I'V. By Prof. Balfour 



Stewart, F.R.S. (Illtislraled) . .' 35 



Bulletin of the United States Fish Commission for 



1SS4 • 38 



Notes 39 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Rotation Period of Mars 42 



The Spectrum of the Great Nebula in Andromeda . . 42 



'I'he Wedge Photometer 42 



Photographing the Corona in Full Sunshine .... 42 

 Astronomical Phenomena for the Week, 1885, 



November 15-21 4? 



Geographical Notes 4; 



The Scottish Meteorological Society 44 



On the Intelligence of the Dog. By Sir John 



Lubbock. Bait.. M.P., F.R.S 45 



Nitrogen in the Soil 46 



University and Educational Intelligence 47 



Scientific Serials 47 



Societies and Academies A'^ 



