192 



NATURE 



[Dec. 24, i; 



of the decay of the Australinn forests. Photographs of a tree 

 near the Lane Cove Road, which measured about 25 feet in cir- 

 cumference at a height of 30 feet from the ground, were shown by 

 Mr. H. C. Russell, B.A. He thought that such a rare relic of 

 a past era in the forest-growths of Australia should not be lost, 

 and moved that the Government be asked to reserve the ground 

 on which it stands. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, December 14. — M. Jurien de la 

 Graviere, Vice-President, in the chair. — Movements of the 

 molecules of the so-called " solitary wave " propagated on the 

 surface waters of a canal (conlinued), by M. de Saint-Venant. — 

 On a method of analysis applicable to the study of the hydro- 

 carburet mixtures of the aromatic series, by MM. C. Friedel 

 and J. M. Crafts. By the process here described all the four 

 isomeric bodies answering to the formula CgH,,, (ethylbenzene 

 and the three xylenes) become transformed to substances as 

 easily separable as most bodies dealt with in mineral analysis. 

 Not only is this effected without loss of matter, but the combina- 

 tions when finally analysed are found to possess from five to 

 seven times the weight of the hydrocirburet used in the analysis. 

 — Remarks on the new specimens recently deposited in the 

 Paljeontological Department of the Museum, by M. Albert 

 Gaudry. Amongst these is the entire skeleton of a fossil eden- 

 tate {Scelidotherium leptoci:pJiahim) from the Buenos Ayres dis- 

 trict, apparently a contemporary of the Megatherium and 

 Glyptodon ; also a remarkably well-preserved Mystriosaurus. 

 and castings of a New Zealand Megalania, of a Russian Elasmo- 

 therium, and of some Dinoceras from the Rocky Mountains. — 

 Claim of priority for the use of the sulphate of copper against 

 brown rust vindicated for M. Benedict Prevost, by M. de 

 Lacaze-Duthiers. — On a new theory of algebraic forms, by Prof. 

 Sylvester. — On the propagation of the movement in an inde- 

 finite fluid (second part), by M. Hugoniot. — Remarks on the 

 Anuttaire for the year 18S6, presented to the Academy on behalf 

 of the Bureau des Longitudes, by M. Faye. — Remarks on MM. 

 Faudel and Bleicher's " Materials for the Study of Prehistoric 

 Alsace," presented by M. Hirn. — Observ.ations of Fabry's 

 comet and of Barnard's comet made at the Observatory of 

 Algiers with the o'5om. telescope, by M. Trepied. — Observa- 

 tions of Barnard's new comet made at the Paris Observatory 

 equatorial of the West Tower), by M. G. Bigourdan. — Note on 

 the construction of the large double-meridian circles, by M. 

 Gruey. — On a new class of integrable linear differential equa- 

 tions, by M. Halphen. — On a new method of generating uni- 

 cursal algebraic curves, by M. G. Fouret. — On the movement of 

 a point in a plane and on imaginary time, by M. L. Lecornu. — 

 On certain geometrical surfaces of the third order possessing an 

 infinitenumber of umbilici, by M. A. de Saint-Germain. — On the 

 construction of machines intended for the electric transmission of 

 power in connection with the electric machines at present working 

 between Creil and Paris, by M. Marcel Deprez. — An inquiry into 

 the causes that have momentarily arrested the experiments on 

 the transmission of power between Creil and Paris, by M. A. 

 Sartiaux. The accident, the first recorded for over a month, 

 was shown to be caused by defective isolation along the line of 

 transport resulting from accidental communications with the 

 earth, which may easily be avoided in future. — Note on the 

 relations existing between the absorption of light and the emis- 

 sion of phosphorescence in compounds of uranium, by M. H. 

 Becquerel. The molecular state of these compounds causes 

 them to exercise on light an elective absorption of harmonic 

 radiations, while some of them emit by phosphorescence inferior 

 harmonic luminous radiations of the absorbed rays. The absor]> 

 tion seems due to vibratory motions caused by the influence of 

 the incident radiations, and apparently synchronous with the 

 absorbed rays. — Spectrum of the nitrogen bands : its origin, one 

 illustration, by M. H. Deslandres. With the aid of M. Cornu's 

 photographic apparatus, the author h,as determined beyond all 

 doubt the origin of a whole group of these ultra-violet bands, 

 which form the spectrum of a nitrogen and oxygen compound, so far 

 confirming Angstrom's well-known view. — Note on the diffusion 

 of heat, by M. Leon Godard. — A study of the hydrates of arsenic 

 acid (AsO.„3HO, and AsO.„2HO), by M. A. Joly.— Researches 

 on the formation of the vast deposits of nitr.ate of soda in certain 

 parts of South America, by M. A. Muntz. This nitrate appears 

 to be the result of a double decomposition between the nitrate 

 of lime and marine salt. But it was not formed in the places it 

 at present occupies, where it has been gradually concentrated 



under divers outward influences. — P'resh researches on the 

 various compounds of proteine, by M. Paul .Schutzenberger, — 

 Note on the preparation of benzoylcyanacetic ether and of 

 cyanacetophenone, by M. Haller. — On the accumulation of 

 nitrogen in ground kept constantly under grass, by M. P. P. 

 Deherain. — Note on a microbe whose presence seems to be con- 

 nected with the development of rabies, by M. H. Fol. — On the 

 construction of the jaw-bones of vertebrate animals, by M. A. 

 Lavocat. — On the development of the basin in the cetaceans, 

 by M. H. P. Gervais. — On the development of the horny 

 layer in the gizzard of poultry, and of the glands se- 

 creting it, by M. Maurice Cazin. — On the development of 

 the tonsils in mammalians, by M. Retterer. — Researches 

 on the comparative anatomy and physiology of the trigeminal, 

 facial, and cephalic symp.athetic nerves in birds, by M. Laffbnt. 

 — Remarks on two species of Balanoglossus {B. Jiacksi, from 

 Japan, and 5. talaboti, from the district of Marseilles), byM. \. 

 F. Marion. — On the skeleton of the extinct genus Scelidothe- 

 rium, recently deposited in the Paris Natural History Museum, 

 by M. P. Fischer. — On the action of chlorophyll on the car- 

 bonic acid outside the vegetable cell, by M. P. Regnard. — Note 

 on the stratigraphic structure of the Menez Hills, Brittany, by 

 M. Charles Barrois. — A chemical study of the substances brought 

 up during the soundings of the Travaillcur and Talisman Ex- 

 peditions : constant presence of copper and zinc in these deposits, 

 by M. Dieulafait. — On the non-nitrous or slightly nitrous diet 

 usually recommended in the case of diabetes, by M. Boucheron. 

 — Note on some fresh documents advanced to support the theory 

 of a cosmic origin of the late crepusctilar glows, by M. Jose |. 

 Landerer. 



CONTENTS P,,GE 



The Load-lines of Ships 169 



The Wanderings of Plants and Animals. By Dr. 



Alfred R. 'Wallace 170 



European Butterflies. l!y R. McLachlan, F.R.S. 171 



Analytical Geometry 172 



Two Years in the Jungle 173 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Blanchard's " Traite de Zoologie Medicale " . . . 174 



Haushofer's " Microskopische Reactionen " .... 174 

 Thompson's " Bibliography of Protozoa, Sponges, 



Coelenterata, and Worms " 174 



Sorley's " Ethics of Naturalism " 175 



Clark's " Transit Tables for 1886 " 175 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Late Total Eclipse. — A. S. Atkinson .... 175 



Brilliant Meteor. — John Stevenson 176 



Models Illustrative of Phyllota.xis. — Dr. Maxwell T. 



Masters, F.R.S 176 



The 'Viper (Vipera berus, L.). — R. Morton Middle- 

 ton, Jun 176 



Ventilation.— Col. J. F, Tennant, R.E., F.R.S. 176 



Snails Eating Whitening. — Edward B. Poulton . 176 

 Blackbird with White Feather. — Joseph John 



Murphy 176 



Cycles 177 



Alfred Tribe. By Dr. J. H. Gladstone, F.R.S. . . 180 

 Jordan's Photographic Sunshine Recorder. (Illus- 

 trated) 180 



Meteorology in the New England States 181 



Notes 182 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Total Solar Eclipse, 1SS6 August 28-29 184 



Fabry's Comet 184 



Cygni or 6 Cygni ? 184 



Barnard's Comet 185 



The Pulkowa Observatory 1S5 



Suspected "New" Star 185 



Astronomical Phenomena for the 'Week 1885 



December 27-1SS5 January 2 185 



Geographical Notes 185 



The Paris Academy of Sciences 187 



The New Zealand Institute 187 



University and Educational Intelligence 188 



Scientific Serials 188 



Societies and Academies 189 



