Nov. 19, 1885] 



NA TURE 



71 



otherwise objectionable. — Mr.J. Mayall, jun., described Riddell's 

 binocular microscope, which was exiiibited by Mr. Crisp, and 

 was of considerable interest, as having been the first binocular 

 microscope with a single objective. He pointed out as a note- 

 worthy feature that it was provided with a means of separating 

 the prisms, so as to give to each eye-piece a full field of view. 

 There was also a screw with a riglit- and left-handed thread for 

 separating the tubes to suit the width between the observer's eyes. 

 An ingenious application of reflectors at the topof the eye-pieces 

 effected a perfect inversion of the image, so that the instrument 

 could be used for dissecting purposes. It was also a point of 

 special intere-t in the history of the development of the 

 l)inocular microscope, that so early as this Prof Riddell had 

 applied two mirrors for the purpose of equalising the illu- 

 mination in both fields. — Mr. Crisp exhibited a "twin" 

 simple microscope having two lenses of different powers, 

 also two forms of magnifiers sent by Mr. Hippisley as 

 examples of the capabilities of lenses made out of spherules 

 of glass, and of a simple method of holding them. — Dr. 

 Maddox read his paper, further experiments on feeding 

 insects with the curved or "comma" bacillus. — Mr. Crisp said 

 they had received six slides of material taken from the intestines 

 of Lieut. Kisslingbury, U. S. N. , one of the victims of theunfortunate 

 Greeley Arctic Expedition. When the question of cannibalism 

 was being discussed, his body was exhumed, and a good deal of the 

 flesh was found to have been cut oft' the bones. In order to ascer- 

 tain if possible what was the last food of which the deceased had 

 partaken, and to establish whether the officers had joined in the 

 cannibalism of the men, the contentsof thestomach were submitted 

 for examination. The letter of Mr. C. E. Ailing, accompanying 

 the slides (which were sent by Dr. Mandeville and himself) was 

 read to the meeting. Mr. Groves said that although it might 

 be possible to say, from an examination of these slides, whether 

 the material consisted of the flesh of a mammal, a bird, or a 

 fish, it would be quite impossible to say if it was human 

 flesh or not, unless it happened that some hair had been 

 taken with it. Mr. Crisp said that this ojiinion was confirmed 

 by Prof Stewart of the Royal College of Surgeons, who, how- 

 ever, thought that a means of identification might be found in 

 the small hairs of the general suiface of the body. The slides, 

 however, showed no such hairs. — Mr. P. D. Penhallow's note 

 as to a handle for cover-glasses was read. — Mr. C. Beck ex- 

 hibited a compact form of Mr. Stephenson's catadioptric illu- 

 minator. — Mr. Kitton's and Mr. Kain's notes on balsam of Tolu 

 were read, and Mr. Kitton's note on a new diatom, Navicida 

 Diirrandii.—Mx. J. C. Stodder's note was read, giving the 

 views held by the late R. B. Tolles on the formation of a small 

 .battery of objectives to cover reasonably well all the require- 

 ments of the general microscopist : 3 in., I in. (30°), 4-10 in. 

 (110° dry), I -10 in. (oil-glycerin-water immersion with a balsam 

 angle of not much less than 120° for best results). — Mr. C. D. 

 Ahrens' paper on an improved form of Stephenson's erecting 

 and binocular prisms was read, in which he proposed to unite 

 the lower prisms by a wedge of glass. He also proposed an 

 alteration in the upper prisms (when they are used in place of a 

 plate of glass). — Mr. T. B. Rosseter's paper on the uses and 

 construction of the gizzard of the larva of Cordlira plumicoriiis 

 was read by Prof Bell, and prepared specimens in illustration 

 exhibited. — Mr. Dowdeswell's paper on the cholera comma- 

 bacillus was read. — The President called the attention of the 

 meeting to the death of Mr. Robin, the eminent histologist, and 

 one of the Honorary Fellows of the Society. — Seventeen new 

 Fellows were elected and proposed. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, November 9. — M. Jurien de la 

 Graviere in the chair. — Determination of the mechanical work 

 effected in human locomotion (one illustration), by MM. Marey 

 and Demeny. This is an attempt to estimate the quantity of 

 muscular energy developed by man in the various forms of loco- 

 motion from the physiological standpoint, which is shown to be 

 diflerent from the mechanical. Three chief elements in the 

 measurement of muscular action in horizontal movement are 

 here considered separately : The labour expended along the 

 vertical ; the labour expended along the horizontal ; and the 

 labour required for the oscillation of the lower member during 

 its suspension. — Variations in the mechanical labour expended in 

 the difl'erent attitudes of man during locomotion (three illustra- 

 trations), by the same authors. The estimates here recorded are 

 the results of experiments made on two persons only, walking 



and running on the level. The experiments will require to be 

 repeated on a large number of subjects in order to determine the 

 influence of weight, height, slope of the ground, and thus arrive 

 at a mean average. — On the radicular nature of the stolons of 

 Nephrolepis : a' reply to M. P. Lachmann, by M. A. Trecul. — 

 On the derivation of the solutions in the theory of the Cremona 

 transformations, by M. de Jonqui^res.' — Note on the combe of 

 Peguere, near the thermal station of Cauterets, Pyrenees, 

 by M. Demontzey. The destructive landslips to which this 

 upland valley has long been subject, are shown to be 

 due to denudation and erosive action, hence may be pre- 

 vented by gradually restoring the vegetation along the steep 

 slopes of the surrounding mountains. — Experimental researches 

 tending to show that the muscles affected by rigor mot lis 

 remain endowed with vitality till the appearance of putrefaction, 

 by M. Brown-Sequard. Experiments made on dogs some days 

 after being killed seem to render it probable that muscular 

 rigidity is not a state of absolute death, but a transition from 

 life to death, a transition which may last for weeks. — On the 

 action of a mixture of sulphate of copper and lime on the 

 mildew of the vine, by MM. Millardet and U. Gayon. — 

 Analytical theory of the movements of Jupiter's satellites, 

 second part : Reduction of the formulas to numbers, by M. C. 

 Souillart. — An undated letter of the Countess de Lafayette 

 (reign of Louis XIV.) addressed to Segrais, and inviting 

 him to witness " the experiment with an artificial fire giving 

 warmth the whole day for two sous," by M. Feuillet de Couches. — 

 Application of M. Lcewy's newmethodsforthedetermination of the 

 absolute co-ordinates of the circumpolar star's without the necessity 

 of ascertaining the instrumental constants (right ascensions), by M. 

 Henri Renan. — On the numerical tables intended to facilitate 

 the transformations of co-ordinates in astronomical calculations, 

 by M. Vinot. — On the irregular integrals of linear equations, by 

 M. H. Poincare. — Note on the compressibility of fluids, by M. 

 E. Sarrau. The formula — 



A' T K 



T{v + /3)- 



proposed by M. Clausius for carbonic acid, in which / = the 

 pressure, v = volume, and T = absolute temperature, is shown 

 to be applicable to other gases. The author claims that for 

 these gases he had deduced the elements approaching the critical 

 point before the experiments of MM. Wroblewski and Olszew- 

 ski.— On two new kinds of radiophones, by M. E. Mercadier. 

 ■With these instruments, which he names the " thermo-electro- 

 phone " and the " thermo-magnetophone," the author thinks it 

 will be possible, with an intense solar radiation, to reproduce 

 articulate speech. — An explanation of the anomalous magnetic 

 effects produced by the discharges of condensers, by M. Ch. 

 Claverie.— Note on Schlcesing's law respecting the solubility of 

 the carbonate of lime by carbonic acid, by M. R. Engel.— On 

 a coloured reaction of rhodium, by M. Eugene Demarijay. 

 Certain blue solutions of rhodium yield with potassa a greenish 

 precipitate, which changes to a dark blue in acetic acid. This 

 colouration appears due to the formation of a salt corresponding 

 to the green hydrate of bioxide of rhodium.— On the antiseptic 

 and other properties of rosolene (retinol, CjjHje), by M. Emile 

 Serraut. — On the root of Danais fragrans, Comm. (yellow 

 liane) and its chemical composition, by MM. Edouard Heckel 

 and Fr. Schlagdenhauffen.— On the composition and fermenta- 

 tion of interverted sugar, by M. Em. Bourquelot.— On the 

 hypnotic properties of phenylmethylacetone (acetophenone), by 

 MM. Dujardin-Beaumetz and G. Bardet.— On the nervous 

 system of Phylloxera, by M. Victor Lemoine. — On the Limacioe 

 of the neighbourhood of Saint-Vaast la Hougue, department of 

 La Manche, by M. S. Jourdain. — Variations in the respiration 

 of plants at the different stages of development, by MM. 

 G. Bonnier and L. Mangin,— On a rare amygdaloid granite 

 from the Riaille Quarry, Saint-Hilaire de Loulay, Vendee, 

 by M. Stanislas Meunier.— On some fragments of human 

 skulls and a potsherd found in immediate association with 

 two skeletons of Ursits spdaus in the Nabrigas Cave, 

 Lozere, on August 28, 1885, by MM. E. A. Martel and L. 

 de Launay. The discovery of these remains seems to place 

 beyond doubt the existence of man already possessing a know- 

 ledge of the potter's art at the epoch of the Cave bear in the 

 Lozere district.— On the relation of whirlwinds and waterspouts 

 to cyclones, by M. Ad. Nicolas.— Remarks on M. Jourdy's 

 "Geology of East Tonkin," by M. Albert Gaudry. 



