5^8 



NA TURE 



lApril I, i! 



of herbivorous animals. — On a new organ of sense in Mesostoma 

 lingua, Osc. Schm., by M. Paul Hallez. The organ liere 

 described as a median ventral fosse would probably seem to be 

 the seat of the sense of smell in these organisms. — Chlorophyll 

 and the reduction of carbonic acid by plants, by M. C. 

 Timiriazeff. — Note on some xylenic derivatives, by MM. Albert 

 Colson and Henri Gautier. — On the o.xidation of the acids of 

 fatty substances, by M. H. Carette. — On a synthesis of the 

 cyanide of ammonium by effluvium, by M. A. Figuier. — Fresh 

 researches on the toxic or medicinal substances by which ha:mo- 

 globin is transformed to metha;moglobin, by M. Georges Hayeni. 

 — Description of the excreting apparatus and nervous system i if 

 Duthicrsia expansa, Edm. Perrier, and of So^anophorus nicga!i>- 

 cfp/niliis, Creplin, by M. J. Poirier. — On the selenides nf 

 potassium and of sodium, by M. Charles Fabre. The formul.is 

 are given for the heat of formation and the Iieat of dissolution of 

 these selenides. — On Sigillaria Mcuardi, in reply to the 

 strictures of M. Weiss, by M. B. Renault. — On the disposition 

 of the crystallised and archasan rocks in West Andalusia, by 

 MM. Michel Levy and J. Bergeron. — On the slope of the iso- 

 thermal layers in the deep waters of the Lake of Geneva, which 

 are shown to be inclined at an angle and not superimposed hori- 

 zontally, as hitherto supposed, by M. F. A. Forel. — On the 

 probable origin of earthquakes, by M. Ch. Lallemand. The 

 author reverts to Elie de Beaumont's theory of a central fluid, 

 which, in combination with Lowthian Green's more recent views 

 on the chilling process (" Vestiges of the Molten Globe "), sup- 

 plies, he thinks, an adequate explanation of all the underground 

 phenomena and igneous eruptions. 



Berlin 



Physical Society, January 8. — Dr. Lummer had subjected 

 De Lalande's element to an examination, and communicated 

 some provisional results of this investigation. The element 

 consisted of an iron vessel, the bottom of which was covered 

 with peroxide of copper ; the neck was closed by an india-rulilier 

 stopper, through which a zinc cylinder passed ; the fluid witli 

 which it was filled was potash lye. The chemical process in 

 the cell consisted in the formation of zincate of potassium 

 {Kaliujiizinkiii) and of metallic copper. The electromotory force 

 of the element was found to be equal to from o'5 to o'8 Daniell. 

 In one case, however, there were two elements which appeared 

 perfectly alike, one of which yet showed an electromotory force 

 ofo'S Daniell, the other of more than i Daniell, though no 

 ground for this difference was perceptible. The internal resist- 

 ance of the element was found to be equal to about o'l Siemens, 

 and the intensity of the current, the external resistance being 

 1 Siemens, was about I Ampere. Permanently closed with I 

 Siemens, the element kept the same intensity for six full days. If 

 the element was exhausted, tlie passage of a vigorous current 

 from the dynamo-machine sufficed, according to the statements 

 of the discoverer, to completely restore the element. This, 

 however, could only happen, as Prof, von Helmholtz set forth 

 at large in the discussion following the address, when such 

 strong currents were applied that the iron became passive, and 

 only the copper again got oxidised. — Prof. Bbrnstein reported 

 on the sleety squall which blew through Berlin on January 5, 

 at 2.20 p.m. He laid before the Society the curves marked at 

 that time by the registering apparatus of the Agricultural 

 High School of Berlin. The barograph first showed a sudden 

 rise of about imm. in the pressure of the atmosphere. The ther- 

 mograph marked just as sudden a depression of temoerature. 

 The anemograph indicated a sudden increase in the strength of 

 wind, and at the same time a shower of sleet fell to the earlli. 

 The same da)', at about 11.30 a.m., a squall was observed in 

 Hamburg, which also coincided with a sudden rise in the pres- 

 sure of the atmosphere and diminution of temperature. It was 

 hardly to be doubted that this was the same squall which reached 

 Berlin at 2.20 p.m., and which accordingly had overtaken the 

 distance from Hamburg to Berlin in about 2| ho\ir5. In regard to 

 the nature of these squalls, the speaker set forth the theory that 

 they represented the state of the atmosphere after the occur- 

 rence of a small minimum with ascending current of air. On the 

 back of this minimum the air fell to the ground, and produced 

 both sudden rise of pressure and abatement of temperature, 

 seeing that the upper cold air descended with its icy precipitate. 

 The most important phenomena of the squalls — increase in pres- 

 sure and in the strength of the wind, decrease of temperature 

 and the precipitates — were in this way very readily explained. 



The somewhat lengthy discussion with which this address was 

 followed up dwelt on the necessity of quite precise determina- 

 tions of the time of each particular phenomenon embraced in 

 the course of such a squall, in order to be able to distinguish 

 the primary from the secondary phenoviena, as also on the 

 necessity of exactness in respect of the barographs, both quick- 

 silver and aneroid. 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED 



Books :— * ' Atlas de 1.-1 De^icription Physique de la Republique .\rgentinc ; " 

 DeiLxieme Section: Mammiferes, by Dr. H. Burmeister (Buenos Aires).— 

 "Calendar, Royal University of Ireland, 1886 " (A. Thorn).— "A Short 

 Manual of Chemistry ;" Vol. I. Inorganic Chemistry, by Dupre and Hake 

 (Griffin).—" Burma," by J. G. Scott (Shway Yoe) (Redway).— " Upland and 

 Meadow," by C. C. Abbott (Low).— " Manual of Surg.ry," 3 vols., edited 

 by F. Treves (Cassell).-" Electricity," by L. Gumming (Kivingtons).— 

 "(Observations of the Southern Nebulae made with the Great Melbourne 

 Telescope from 1869 to 1S85." Part I., by R. L. J. Ellerv (Ferres, Mel- 

 bourne).— " Mineral Resources of the United States 1883-84," by A. W. 

 W.lliams, Jnn. (Washington).—" The Fisheries and Fishery Industries of 

 the United States ; " Section I. Text and Plates, 2 Vols , by G. B. Goode 

 (Washington). — "A Catalogue of the Library of the Chemical Society" 

 (Harrison).— "Report of the Commissioner of Education, 1883-84" (Wash- 

 ington). -"The Cornell University Register, 1885-86" (Ithaca, N.Y.). 

 —"A Treatise on Nature," by H. Collins (White).— " Euclid Revised." 

 by R. C. J. Nixon (Clarendon Pres3).-PAMPHLETS :— " A New Graphic 

 Analysis of the Kinematics of Mech.anisms," by Prof. R. H. Smith. 

 — " Die Ursache der Secularen Verschiebungen der Strandlinie," by Dr. 

 F. LSrol (Prag)—" Goitre in the Himalayas," by W. Curran (Falconer, 

 Dublin) — "Loss of Life and Property by Lightning at Home and 

 Abroad," by W. McGregor (Robinson. Bedford).— 'Report of Experi- 

 ments on the Growth of Wheat." by Sir J. B. Lawes and J. H. Gilbert 

 (Clowes) — " On the Valuation of Unexhausted Manures," by Sir J. B. 

 Lawes and J. H. Gilbert (Murray). — "Experiments on Ensilage, Season 



Bodis 



by Sir J B. Lawes and J. H. Gilbert (Harrison).- ^'Gyr 

 by C. B. Warring.-" Liste Gene'rale des Observatoires et des 

 es, des Societes et des Revues .'\stronomiques," by A. Lancaster 

 iruxelles). 



CONTENTS p.^GE 



A Fishery Board for England 505 



Electric Lighting Legislation 507 



Electro-Deposition 510 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Hepworth's " ' Weatherology ' and the P'se of 



Weather Charts."— Robert H. Scott, F.R.S. . 512 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Residual M.agnetism in Diamagnetic Substances. — 



Prof. J. A. Ewing 512 



Ferocity of Rats. — Dr. George J. Romanes, 



F.R.S 513 



The Recent Weather. — Capt. Henry Toynbee . . 513 



Variable Stars. — Edmund J. Mills 514 



Colours in Clouds.— Col. J. F. Tennant, R.E., 



F.R.S 514 



The Distribution of Appendicularia. — Prof. W. C. 



Mcintosh 514 



The Technical Institute 514 



Exhibition of Barometers 515 



Sonnet 516 



Notes 516 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Binary Star /3 Delphini 518 



The Velocity of Light and the .Solar Parallax . . . 518 



Fabry's Comet 5'S 



Barnard's Comet 518 



The Nebula round Maia 51S 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1886 



April 4-10 519 



Biological Notes : — 



Crayfish 519 



Habits of the Cuckoo 519 



The Torture of the Fish-Hawk 520 



The Sensibility and Movements of Plants 520 



Heredity 520 



Geographical Notes 520 



Universal or World Time. Py W. H. M. Christie, 



F.R.S., Astronomer- Royal 521 



Scientific Serials 523 



Societies and Academies 525 



Books and Pamphlets Received 52S 



