334 



NATURE 



{Feb. 4, 1886 



rhyitchuin Birmudianum and Bryophylhim calycinutn from Ber- 

 muda. He contrasted the great difference of climate and 

 vegetation of the continent and island, observing that the Gulf 

 Stream doubtless had an important influence on the Bermudan 

 flora ; moreover, it was notable that Bryophyllum, like the 

 maples, put on a brilliant red autumnal tint. — There was ex- 

 hibited for M. Buysman e.xamples of Rudbeckia and Lupinus 

 prepared as teaching specimens of medicinal plants. — Dr. Max- 

 well Masters read a paper, contributions to the history of certain 

 conifers. This comprised the result of observations on the mode 

 of growth and structure of various species of Coniferce, concern- 

 ing which much difference of opinion had previously existed 

 owing to the imperfection of our knowledge. Of late years 

 many of these species had been introduced into cultivation and 

 some of them had produced male flowers and cones, thus 

 affording an opportunity for diagnosing the species and ascer- 

 taining their limitations. The study of the cultivated plants had 

 likewise shown the natural range of variation in a species 

 or individual plant under comparatively uniform conditions. 

 Our knowledge of their geographical distribution has also 

 been extended, altogether thus enabling a fresh revision 

 to be attempted. — Dr. T. Spencer Cobbold read a paper 

 on Strongylus axci, and its affinities. This diminutive maw- 

 worm, obtained from the stomach of a donkey, possesses 

 interest, inasmuch as its structural characters closely correspond 

 with those of the entozoon infesting the ostrich's proventriculus. It 

 also shows affinity with the grouse strongyleand with the stomach- 

 worm of lambs ; while its peculiarities throw light upon other 

 questions of morphology, especially its relations to the singular 

 maw-worm (Simondsia) of the hog. — In exhibiting an extensive 

 series of fossil plants from the Island of Mull, Mr. J. Starkie 

 Gardner gave remarks concerning inferences to be drawn from 

 the well-preserved leaves. He mentioned that this fossil Mull 

 flora comprises but one fern undistinguishable from living 

 OuocUa sensil'ilis of Western America and Eastern Asia. There 

 is an Equisetum. The Conifers are abundant ; a Ginkgo re- 

 sembles existing species, along with numerous firs and larches, 

 a few of these latter being similar to those of Japan. Mono- 

 cotyledons are represented by one having a sword-shaped leaf. 

 There are at least twenty species of dicotyledons. A Platanus 

 obtains, differing somewhat from the recent form, and with 

 resemblances to what is known as Crediui-ia and ProtophyUtiin 

 of Cretaceous age. This Mull flora, though possessing few 

 novelties, is interesting as supplying fresh confirmation of the 

 view first propounded by Asa Gray — that formerly the entire 

 northern temperate regions possessed a very uniform flora. 



Anthropological Institute, January 12. — Mr. Francis 

 Galton, F. R.S., President, in the chair. — The election of Mrs. 

 C. Brooke (H.H. the Ranee of Sarawak) was announced. — Mr. 

 Bryce-Wright exhibited a bronze sword, of the leaf pattern, 

 found by the late Capt. Sir William Peel, R.N., at Sandy, Bed- 

 fordshire. — A collection of flint implements from the junction 

 of the Thames and Wandle was exhibited by Mr. G. F. Law- 

 rence. — Dr. R. Munro read a paper on the arch^ological im- 

 portance of ancient British lake-dwellings and their relation to 

 analogous remains in Europe. The lake-dwellings of Scotland 

 were essentially the product of Celtic genius, and were con- 

 structed for defensive purposes. Dr. Munro believes that those 

 in the south-west parts of the country attained their greatest 

 development in post-Roman times, after Roman protection was 

 withdrawn from the provincial inhabitants, and they were left to 

 contend single-handed against the Angles on the east and the 

 Picts and Scots on the north. He suggested the theory that 

 the British Celts were an offshoot of the founders of the Swiss 

 lake-dwellings, who emigrated into Britain when these lacustrine 

 abodes were in full vogue, and so retained a knowledge of the 

 custom long after it had fallen into desuetude in Europe. 

 Amongst other arguments in support of this hypothesis, Dr. 

 Munro pointed out that the geographical distribution of the 

 lake-dwellings in Europe closely corresponds with the area 

 formerly occupied by the Celts, and that they are identical in 

 structure with the crannogs. — In a paper on three stone circles 

 in Cumberland, Mr. A. L. Lewis showed that in these circles, 

 as in others previously described by him, there is a marked pre- 

 ponderance of outlying stones and prominent hills towards the 

 north-east, and th.at the circle-builders followed the B.abylonians 

 rather than the Egyptians in their rules of orientation. In the 

 relation between stone circles and adjacent hills and outlying 

 stones, suggestions might be found not only of sun-worship, 

 but also of mountain-worship and of phallic worship. 



Royal Meteorological Society, January 20. — Mr. R. H. 



.Scott, F.R.S., President, in the chair. — The Secretary read the 

 report of the Council, which stated that the past year had been 

 one of great activity, as the eight Committees which had been 

 appointed had met frequently, and had done much for the ail- 

 vancement of meteorology. The number of Fellows on the 

 roll of the Society is 537. — The President in his address said 

 that, as he had treated of land climatology in his previous 

 address, he proposed to deal with marine climatology on the 

 present occasion, and to take up the subject at the point where 

 he had left it in his paper, " Rem.arks on the Present Condition 

 of Maritime Meteorology," printed in the Society's Qiiarterlv 

 yotirnal for 1876. He enumerated the various investigations 

 which had been announced to be in progress at that date, and 

 specified the several outcomes of these inquiries v. hich had seen 

 the light during the ten years. The " Meteorological Charts for 

 the Ocean District adjacent to the Cape of Good Hope," pub- 

 lished by the Meteorological Oihce in 1882, were first noticed, 

 and the methods of "weighting" observations of wind, &c. , 

 employed in that discussion were fully explained, as well as the 

 mode of representation of barometrical results. The " Charts 

 showing the Surface Temperature of the Atlantic, Indian, and 

 Pacific Oceans," published in 1884, and those of barometrical 

 pressure, now in the engraver's hands, were next noticed ; and 

 it was announced that the Meteorological Council had decided 

 to undertake the issue of monthly current charts for the entire 

 sea-surface. The wind charts published by the late Lieut. 

 Brault, of the French Navy, were next described, with an ex- 

 pression of the profound regret with which the intelligence of his 

 premature death in August last had been received by all meteor- 

 ologists. The wind charts and pressure tables issued by the Me- 

 teorological Institute of the Netherlands were then explained, and 

 also the publications of the Deutsche Seewarte at Hamburg, "The 

 Atlas of the Atlantic Ocean," &c. The series of " Monthly Charts 

 for the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans " issued by the Hydrographic 

 Office, Washington, were then described, and the present series 

 of " Pilot Charts" issued by the same office were explained. As 

 for projected work in 18S6, Mr. Scott stated that the daily maps 

 of Atlantic weather for the year of the circumpolar expeditions 

 were now complete, and were being engraved, a process which 

 must take several months. The German Office had undertaken 

 the preparation of daily weather maps for the same period for 

 the South Atlantic. The Meteorological Office had also taken 

 up the marine meteorology of the Red Sea. The Dutch Insti 

 tute had announced its intention to publish an atlas for the 

 Indian Ocean. In conclusion Mr. Scott stated that there still 

 existed a lamentable want of data for the Pacific Ocean, but 

 that, thanks to the energy of the Canadian Government in 

 opening up their new Pacific Railroad, it was to be hoped that 

 every year would bring a greater amount of traffic to British 

 ports on the Pacific Coast, and therefore a greater number of 

 observations to the Meteorological Office, while from the exist- 

 ing trade to San Francisco a mass of materials was quickly 

 accumulating for certain routes at least over the vast area of the 

 Pacific. — The following gentlemen were elected the Ofiicers and 

 Council for the ensuing year : — President ; William Ellis, 

 F.R.A.S. ; Vice-Presidents: George Chatterton, M.Inst.C.E., 

 Edward Mawley, F. R.H.S., George Mathews Whipple, 

 F.R.A.S., Charies Theodore Williams, M.D., F.R.C.P. ; 

 Treasurer: Henry Perig.al, F.R.A.S. ; Trustees: Hon. Francis 

 Albert Rollo Russell, Stephen William Silver, F.R.G.S. ; 

 Secretaries ; George James Symons, F. R. S. ; John William 

 Tripe, M. D. ; Foreign Secretary : Robert Henry Scott, 

 F. R.S. : Council: Edmund Douglas Archibald, William Morris 

 Beaufort, F.R.A.S., Arthur Brewin, Frederic William Cor)', 

 M. R.C.S., Henry Storks Eaton, Charles Harding, Richard 

 Inwards, F.R.A.S., Baldwin Latham, F. G. S., John Knox 

 Laughton, F.R.G.S., William Marcet, M.D., F.R.S., Cuthbert 

 Edgar Peek, F.R.A.S., Capt. Henry Toynbee, F.R.A.S. 



Physical Society, Januaiy 23. — Prof Guthrie, President, in 

 the chair. — The following communications were read : — A note 

 on the paper by Prof. W. Ramsay and Dr. S. Young on some 

 thermodynamical relations, by Prof W. E. Ayrton and Prof 

 John Perry. The authors, after referring in the highest terms 

 to the careful experimental work of Messrs. Ramsay and Young 

 in their investigation upon "some thermodynamical relations," 

 the results of which were communicated to the Society at its 

 last meeting, show th.at the four laws stated in their paper are 

 in reality only one, since if any one of them is assumed the re- 

 maining three may be deduced from it. Hence it is sufficient 



