May 27, 1886], 
NALIOR E 
DS 
occurred on the grass on 73 consecutive nights from January 5 
to March 18. The winter of 1885-86 wa; the only one in which 
there was skating on the water of the London Skating Club, in 
Kegent’s Park, in each of the four months December to March, 
since the formation of the Club in 1830, and there are but four 
records of skating in March during the 56 years, and none so 
long as in the present year. With regard to the temperature of 
the water of the Thames at Deptford, it was shown that the 
total range from January 8 to March 20 was only 6°, whilst 
from March 1 to 1g the highest temperature was 36°°5, and the 
lowest 35°. The temperature of the soil at the depth of 1 foot 
was generally only about 2° in excess of the air over the whole 
of England, and from March 1 to 17 the earth was colder than 
usual by amounts varying from 6°°3 at Lowestoft to 8°-5 at Nor- 
wood. The facts brought together showed that the recent 
winter was one of the longest experienced for many years, and 
that in numerous ways it may be characterised as ‘‘ most 
severe.” —Description of an altazimuth anemometer for recording 
the vertical angle as well as the horizontal direction and force of 
the wind, by Mr. L. M. Casella. The author describes an 
anemometer he has made which records continuously on one 
sheet the pressure, direction, and inclination of the wind.—Earth 
temperatures, 1881-85, by Mr. W. Marriott, F.R.Met.Soc. 
This is a discussion of the observations of the temperature of the 
soil at various depths below the surface, which have been regu- 
larly made at 9 a.m. at several of the stations of the Royal 
Meteorological Society during the past five years. The results 
show that the temperature jof the soil at 1 foot at nearly all 
the stations in the winter months is almost the same as that of 
the air, while in the other months of the year the temperature of 
the soil is higher than that of the air at all except that of the 
London stations.—Note on the after-glows of 1883-84, by Mr. 
A. -W. Clayden, M.A., F.R.Met.Soc. The author suggests 
that the after-glows were the result of the water-vapour erupted 
from Krakatdo, and that the dust and other ejecta played but a 
secondary part in the production of the phenomena. 
SYDNEY 
| Linnean Society of New South Wales, March 31.— 
| Mr. William A. Haswell, M.A., B.Sc., in the chair.—The fol- 
lowing papers were read :—On certain Geckos in the Queens- 
land Museum, by Charles W. de Vis, M.A. A new species of 
the very curious genus Vefhrusus is described under the specific 
name of /evis, from its smooth lepidosis, as compared with the 
only other species, 4. asfer. A species of Diplodactylus (D. 
wentcauda) is also described. Both lizards are from Northern 
Queensland.—Description of a new aphanipterous insect from 
New South Wales, by A. Sidney Olliff, F.E.S., Assistant Zoo- 
logist, Australian Museum. The remarkable parasite here 
characterised under the name ZLchidnophaga ambulans was found 
in large numbers on the head and breast of a porcupine ant- 
eater (Achidna hystrix). It differs from the Pulex echidne de- 
scribed by Denny from the same host in habit as well as in 
several important points of structure, and is, therefore, regarded 
as forming the type of anew genus. Unlike the majority of its 
allies this species does not appear to possess the power of 
jumping.—On a microscopic fungus parasitic on the Cu- 
curbitacez, by E. Haviland, F.L.S. In this paper the author 
gives an account of his inquiry as to the origin of a disease 
which has caused much destruction to melon and pumpkin 
plants during the last three months, and which he has identified 
as the micro-fungus Ozdium monilioides. As a preventative he 
suggests greater care in cultivation, and quotes various authors 
proving that old plants will thereby be sufficiently vigorous to 
resist the attacks of the fungus.—Jottings from the Biological 
Laboratory of Sydney University, by William A. Haswell, 
M.A., B.Sc., Lecturer on Zoology and Comparative Anatomy. 
On the myology of the flying squirrel (Petaurista taguanvides). 
In its muscular anatomy the flying phalanger nearly resembles 
_ the vulpine phalanger and the Cwscws, with a few special modi- 
_ fications, of which the chief is the presence of a peculiar ‘‘long 
femoro-caudal muscle.” —Insects of the Fly River, New Guinea, 
“Coleoptera,” by William Macleay, F.L.S., &c. This is the 
second paper communicated by Mr. Macleay on the insects col- 
lected during the recent expedition organised by the Geographi- 
cal Society of Australia for the exploration of the interior of 
British New Guinea. The previous paper dealt with the 
Coleoptera up to the end of the Heteromera. The present one 
deals with the families Curculionide, Brenthide, Anthvibide, 
now described for the first time.—The Mollusca of the Pareora 
and Oamaru systems of New Zealand, by Capt. F. W. Hutton, 
Hon. Member Linnean Society, New South Wales. Capt. 
Hutton’s paper is a contribution towards the correlation of the 
Tertiary rocks of Australia with those of New Zealand, and it 
enumerates 268 species of Mollusca from the Pareora and 
Oamaru systems, which are probably of Miocene and Oligocene 
age, of which 184 species are confined to the Pareora beds, 33 
species to the Oamaru, while 51 species, of which a few are 
doubtful, are common to both. 
Paris 
Academy of Sciences, May 17.—M. Jurien de la Graviere, 
President, in the chair.—Presidential allecution on the occa- 
sion of the homage offered to M. Chevreul at the meeting of 
Monday, May 17, when that illustrious member and doyen of 
the Academy completed his hundredth year. In reply, M. 
Chevreul assured the audience that to be told his long career 
had been useful to science and his country was the greatest 
eulogium he had ever ambitioned.—Observations in reference to 
the quantitative analysis of the ammonia found in the ground : 
a reply to M. Schleesing, by MM. Berthelot and André. The 
authors point out that the note recently published by them in 
the Comptes rendus was not intended to raise any discussion on 
M. Schleesing’s theories regarding the absorption of atmospheric 
ammonia by arable lands. Their main object was to explain a 
special precaution and a common source of error in the quan- 
titative analysis of the ammonia present in the ground. Nor 
did they wish to deny that the ground receives in a general way 
a supply of ammonia from the atmosphere, although they did 
not consider that this fact had been fully demonstrated by M. 
Schleesing’s experiments. —Keply to M. Taurines’s recent obser- 
vations on the communication of March 23, 1885, regarding 
marine engines and the experiments made on board the Przm- 
auguet, by M. A. Ledieu. The author maintains the general 
correctness of his conclusions, which are unfairly stigmatised by 
M. Taurines as ‘‘theories conceived @ priori and at times dan- 
gerous.”—Remarks on the third volume of the Scientific Mission 
to Cape Horn, presented to the Academy by M. Mascart. This 
volume contains all the observations regarding terrestrial mag- 
netism, and MM. Miintz an’ Aubin’s analyses of the specimens 
of atmospheric air collected by Dr. Hyades. The researches on 
terrestrial magnetism were greatly aided by a continuous register- 
ing apparatus, which was set up by MM. Payen and Le Can- 
nellier, and which worked satisfactorily the whole time the 
Mission remained in Orange Bay. Incidental reference was 
made to the subsequent death of M. Payen in France, and of 
M. Martial, commander of the Expedition, in China.—Elements 
of the orbit of Brooks’s comet, No. 1, by M. Lebeuf. These 
elements, deduced from observations made at Kiel on April 30, 
and at Paris on May 4 and 8, are as under :— 
T = 1886 June 7°5158 Paris Mean Time. 
Q = 193 1 29°5 ) 
@= 33 42 71} Mean Eq. 1886-0. 
t= 8747 3457, 
logg = 97439104 
—Observations of Brooks’s comets made at the Observatory of 
Algiers with the o’50m. telescope, by M. Rambaud.—Measure- 
ment of the electric conductivity of the dissolved chloride of 
potassium, by M. E. Bouty. Between the temperatures of 0° C. 
and 30° C. the resistance of the solutions of the chloride of 
potassium is expressed with sufficient accuracy by the binomial 
A) 
I + at 
the specific resistance 7) and the relative values of the molecular 
resistance py, as well as the values of a,.—On the atomic volume 
of oxygen, by M. E. H. Amagat. M. Wroblewski having 
recently announced that the atomic volume of oxygen was con- 
siderably below 16, the author points out that he had arrived at 
the same conclusion early in 1885. In his communication of 
March 2 of that year he stated that under a pressure exceeding 
4000 atmospheres he had succeeded in obtaining oxygen with a 
density higher than 1°25 and at a temperature of 17°.— 
Observations on the deviation from the vertical on the south 
coast of France, by M. Germain. From four determina- 
tions obtained at Nice, Saint-Raphael, Toulon, and Mar- 
seilles, the author infers that on this seaboard the continent 
attracts the vertical, that is to say, repels the astronomic as 
formula 7 = A table is given of the absolute values of 
and Longicornia, comprising in all 96 species, of which 31 are | opposed to the geodetic zenith, and that this attraction 
