6oo 



NATURE 



{Ap)-il 2 2, I ! 



relating to the propagation of motion, by M. Hugoniot. The 

 method employed by the author in studying the propagation of 

 motion in fluids is here generalised and extended to all move- 

 ments regulated by the same system of mathematical formulas. 

 — On the thermo-electric jiroperties of iodide of silver, plios- 

 jihuret of zinc, sulphuret of tin, and some other chemical com- 

 ]iounds, by M. G. Chaperon. — On the density and compressi- 

 bility of gases and vapours, by M. Antoine. The compressibility 

 of atmospheric air is shown to approach that of nitrogen, whence 

 an important induction is drawn for the use of automatic torpe- 

 does in marine warfare. — On the optical phenomenon kno\\n as 

 simultaneous contrast, that is, the tendency to produce the 

 sensation of a complementaiy colours in the neighbourhood of 

 any coloured surface, by M. Aug. Charpentier. From his re- 

 searches the author infers that this phenomenon of contrasting 

 colours produced in a region not directly etci'ed is simply a case 

 of itidnced colours in the literal and figurative sense of the e.\- 

 pression. — Transformation of the protochloride of chromium 

 into a sesquichloride : molecular states of the oxides of chro- 

 mium, by M. Recoura. — Onmonochloruretted vinylethylic ether, 

 trichloruretted, pentachloruretted, and some other chloruretted 

 ethers, by M. L. Godefroy. The first-mentioned of these ethers, 

 discovered by the author, has enabled him to jjrepare six olher 

 ethers, some already known, some new, and formmg two distinct 

 series with almost opposite general characterstic properties. — A 

 study of the isomeric naphthylphenylcarbonyls, by M. Ros- 

 pendowski. — On the eleven genera of the land Lumbricus esta- 

 blished by Kinberg, by M. Edm. Perrier. Most of these 

 so-called genera are shown to be mere species, and all the 

 genera known in the time of Kinberg, or down to the year 1872, 

 are now reduced to four. To these are here added eleven others, 

 making fifteen at present known.— On the food of turtles, by 

 MM. G. Pouchet and J- de Guerne. Although usually supposed 

 to be herbivorous, the stomach of some turtles captured in the 

 .Azores waters yielded remains oi Hyalcca Iridentata, Lepas ana i- 

 fera, besides Medusa; and small fishes. — Note on the discovery 

 of a Cenomanian deposit at Pech de Foix, containing Pfffns'cr 

 Intiicatus, Rhynchonella graHaiia, and other fossils of the same 

 epoch, by M. J. Roussel. — Experimental essay on the toxic 

 properties of febrile urines, by M. V. Fellz. — Note on the jiro- 

 ject of a railway from the coast of Syria to the Persian Gulf, by 

 .M. A. Dumont. The projected Euphrates Valley scheme con- 

 necting the Mediterranean with the Persian Gulf is favourably 

 discussed from the engineering and economic standpoints. This 

 alternative overland route is declared to be a necessity in the 

 near future, in consequence of the continually increasing traffic 

 through the Suez Canal. At the conclusion of the paper M. 

 de IjCsseps also spoke in favour of the scheme, which might be 

 carried out for about 10,000,000/. 



GOTTINGEN 



Royal Society of Sciences, Aug. i, 1SS5. — On the theory of 

 liquid jets, by W. Voigt. — Thespectrumof the brush discharge, by 

 E. Hoppe. The lines showed a certain correspondence to tliose 

 of aurora. — On the pyro-electricity of tourmaline, by E. Riecke. 

 The method was to heat a tourmaline a given time in a space of 

 high constant temperature, then hang it by a cocoon fibre to 

 cool near the knob of a gold-leaf electroscope, whose behaviour 

 was then noted. In cooling, the maximum of electric charge 

 occurs if the tourmaline has first taken throughout the tempera- 

 ture of the heating space. The charge corresponding to a 

 regular heating is nearly the same as that with an irregular, if 

 the mean temperature of the latter be equal to the constant 

 temperature of the former. — On Crinoids, by H. von Kbnen. 



November 7. — On a representation of elliptic modulus func- 

 tions, by infinite products, by H. von Mangoldt. — On Mac- 

 cullagh's theory of total reflection for isotropic and anisotropic 

 media, by P. Volckmann. 



SrOCKHOT.M 



Academy of Science, March 12. — Report on a visit to 

 the Continent for the study and research of chemicals 

 by Dr. J. M. Loven. — On Biunclearia, a new genus of Con- 

 fervace^", by Prof. Wittrock. — On Erythra,! exsiccatce, V. B. 

 Wittrock. — Report on a visit to tne province of Jemtland 

 (Sweden) for the prosecution of mycological studies, by Ilerr 

 C.J. Johansson. — Report on a visit to the province of Scania 

 for the prosecution of bryological studies, by Dr. A. L. Grouvall. 

 — On the formation of zoospores and quiescent spores in some 

 species of the genus Conferva, by G. Lagerheim. — On the 

 " Herbarium Ruborum Scandinaviae " of Dr. C. J. Lindeberg, by 



Prof Wittrock. — Report on a visit to Ireland, the North of 

 France, Holland, and Westphalia, in order to study the Cre- 

 taceous formations of these countries, by Dr. J. C. Moberg. — 

 On a discussion with a view to prove the stability of the 

 planetary system, by Prof H. Gylden. — Sur ime formule dans 

 la theorie des fonctions, by Prof Pincherle of Bologna. — Aiino- 

 tations on the mathematician Petnis de Dacia, and on writings 

 (third part), by Dr. G. Enestrom. — On a geological map of 

 Scandinavia, Denmark, and Finland, exhibited and commented 

 upon by Prof O. Forell. — On the classification of tourmaline 

 with the group of the rhombohedric tetartohedric forms of tlie 

 hexagonal system, by Dr. W. Ramsay. 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED 



"The Fresh-water Fishes of Europe," by H. G. Seeley (Cassell).— 

 " Trait.? de la DiSlerraination des Orbites des Cometes et des Planetes," by 

 A. Oppolzer (Gauthier-Villars).— "Templeton's Workshop Companion," en- 

 larged by Hutton (Lockwood).— '■ Report of the Mitchell Library, Glasgow, 

 1885" (Andeison).- " II G.ande Ipnotismo," by Dr. G. Campili (Bocco, 

 Turin.)— " Sound, Light, and Heat," by C. Bird (Relfe).—" Gardens of 

 Light and .Shade " (Stock).— " Encyclopedia Bntannica," vol. xx. (Black). 

 — '■ On Asthma," by Dr. H. Dobell (Smith, Elder, and Co.).— "Journal of 

 the Royal Microscopical Society," April (Williams and Norgate).—" Me- 

 chanics and Faith," by C. T. Porter (Putnam).—" Systematische Ubersicht 

 der FossilenMyriopodenArachnoideen und Insekten" i. Abth.. Bd. ii., by S. 

 Scudder (Mimchen).—" Journal of the Society of Telegraph-Engineers and 

 Electricians," vol. xv. No. 60 (Spon). — " Verhandl.mgen der Naturhistor- 

 ischen Vereines," second year, part 2 (Max Cohen, Bonn).— "The Auk," 

 April (Foster, New York),-" Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal," 

 vol liv. part 2, No. 3, 1885 (Calcutta) —"American Museum of Natural 

 History," Annual Report of the Trustees, &c., for the Year 1885-86 (Martin, 

 N.V.).— "Johns Hopkins University ; Studies from the biological Labora- 

 tory " vol. iii. No. v.— "The Influence of Sewerage and Water Supply on 

 the Death Rate in Cities," by E. T. Smith.—" What is Materialism," by L. 

 Stephen (E. W. Allen).—" Charles Darwin," by H. W, S. Worsley-Bemson 

 (Seers 1 ath).— " Les Orages au Sud de !a Russia," by A. Klossovsky 

 (Odessa). 



CONTENTS PAGE 



Injurious Insects 577 



Across the Jordan 57^ 



Harbours. By Major Allan Cunningham, R.E. . . 579 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Worthington's " First Course of Physical J aboratory 



Practice" S^o 



Wormell's "Lectures on Heat, Sound, and Light " 580 

 Errera's " Experience sur I'Ascension de la Seve chez 



les Plantes " 5S0 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Lost Found— Boole Justified and Monge Reiri- 

 stated in His Rights by Prof Beman of the Uni- 

 versity of Michigan, U.S.— Prof. J. J. Sylvester, 



F.R.S 581 



On the Velocity of Light as Determined by Foucaull's 



Revolving Mirror.— J. Willard Gibbs 5S2 



The Eflect of Change of Temperature on the Velocity 



of Sound in Iron.— Herbert Tomlinson . ... 582 

 Sound-producing Apparatus of the Cicadas. — C. S. 



Middlemiss' 582 



Ferocity of Animals.— F. H. Collins 583 



Tropical Dew.— Lieut. -Col. A. T. Fraser, R.E. . 583 

 The Climbing Powers of the Hedgehog.— Robert H. 



Scott 583 



Stars with Banded Spectra. By Miss A. M. Clerke 5S3 



The Institution of Naval Architects 585 



On the Use of Models for Instruction in the Mag- 

 netism of Iron Ships. {Illustrated) 587 



Notes , 589 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Relation of Asteroid Orbits to that of Jupiter ... 592 

 The Proposed Change in the Astronomical Day . . 592 

 The Pleiades as Seen and as Photographed .... 592 

 Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1886 



April 25— May i 59^ 



Geographical Notes 593 



Some Results of Observations with Kite-Wire 

 Suspended Anemometers up to 1300 Feet above 

 the Ground in 1883-85. By E. Douglas Archibald 593 



Basic Cinder 595 



An Improved Form of Temperature Regulator. By 



Horace Darwin. (Illustrated) 59^ 



Scientific Serials 597 



Societies and Academies 597 



Books and Pamphlets Received 600 



