August 19, 1886] 
new freezing-machines. Notes on industrial applications of a 
new liquid, namely a mixture of sulphurous acid and carbonic 
acid obtained on the commercial scale by the action of sulphuric 
acid on carbon.—J. Maurer, influence of altitude on diurnal 
variations of declination.—H. Schneebeli, absolute value of 
coefficient of friction of air. The results, which agree with 
Obermeyer, were made by Graham’s methol.—H. Schnzebeli, 
experimental researches on the impact of elastic bodies. 
Bulletins dz la Société d’ Anthropologie de Paris, tome ix. fase. 
2.—Continuation of M. Topinard’s paper on the cephalic index. 
In his revised system of nomenclature M. Topinard virtaally 
rejects Broca’s method in favour of the quintuple division 
adopted by Prof. Flower, and generally followed by English 
and American anthropologists. For his old terms of ‘‘ sas” 
and ‘‘souvs” he further adopts those of “‘ultra” and ‘‘ hyper.” 
Thus, for example, while he considers that the true dolicho- 
cephalic group is represented by the index of 70-74 inclusive, 
his ultva- and hyper-dolicho- subdivisions exhibit respectively 
the indices of 60-64 and 65-69. The medium group standing 
between the dolicho- and the brachy-cephalic limits he character- 
ises as ‘‘ mesaticephalic,” with an index of 75-79 inclusive ; 
while his brachycephalic divisions range from 80, beginning with 
the mean representatives of the groups, to 94 as the extreme 
limit of the ultra-brachycephalic index.—At a later meeting, M. 
Topinard drew attention to the neces-ity for using greater ex- 
actitude in the definition of the methods to be employed in 
making anthropometric determinations, those of M. Bertillon 
as set down in his instructions regarding anthropometric identifi- 
cation being, in his opinion, at once complex and inexact.—On 
the so-called ‘‘ Lenape” stone, by» M. de Nadaillac, whose 
opinion of the possible genuineness of the stone is, as he informs 
us, based only on the testimony of others. —On the occurrence 
of amber in the prehistoric graves of the Département des Basses 
Alpes, by M. Bonnemére. These finds were formerly so frequent 
that the peasants in some districts used amber for lighting their 
dwellings, and hence it was locally known as ‘‘ peira cremarela,” 
or burning stone. This name is still applied to it at Salignac, 
where many of the villagers are in possession of amber, all of 
which is more or less red in colour.—At a later meeting, M. 
Bonnemere described to the Society some curious bronze disks 
found by M. Ollivier in graves near Salignac, and which appear 
to have been used to strengthen the outer surface of cuirasses 
and other forms of protective armour, Ina cemetery in Carniola, 
belonging to the early Iron Age, a helmet has been found 
composed of similar bronze knobs fastened in rows to an inner 
skin lining. —Anthropology ‘and philology, by M. Beauregard. 
The object of the writer is to show the importance of the com- 
parative study of languages to determine the usages, and moral 
and mental status of various nations. He specially passes in 
review the languages of Egypt and South Africa, Mexico, Peru, 
and the Red Indians, indulging in many fanciful deductions re- 
garding assumed ethnic affinities. —On the origin of life, by M. 
Fauvelle. The author believes that modern science justifies the 
theory that the simplest forms of green Algz represent the 
earliest manifestations of organised beings, in which chlorophyll 
was the active 'agent.—On impregnation, and the influence 
exercised on subsequent offspring by the first conception, by M. 
Fauvelle.—On the effects of long and short periods of military 
service in the French army on the health and physical develop- 
ment of the men, by M. Lagneau.—On the origin of 
the fabrication of glass, by M. Mortillet-—Morphological 
description of the brain of Gambetta, by MM. Chudzinski and 
Mathias Duval. This extremely minute report of the fast- 
mortem examination, undertaken at the instance of the Society, 
is illustrated by numerous sectional drawings of the various con- 
volutions, which exhibit a remarkable degree of complexity, 
and an unusual regularity in the arrangement of the folds.—M. 
Beauregard laid before the Society various objects obtained from 
the Gauchos of the Pampas, including the curious ‘‘ botas de 
potro,” or boots made from the skin of the hind legs of horses, 
mules, or oxen.—On the exploration of the tumulus of Kergouret 
at Carnac, in 1885, by M. Gaillard. A few implements and a 
diorite hatchet are almost the only finds yielded by the recent 
explorations of these dolmens, which were nearly destroyed, 
and their contents almost wholly removed at the time of their 
original discovery about twenty years ago.—Report, by M. 
Hamy, of the results of the explorations, conducted by M. 
‘Charney, in the mountainous region of Popocatapetl, in Mexico. 
Unusual interest attaches to these researches, which have brought 
io light the existence of two ancient Mexican cemeteries, in one 
NATURE 
379 
of which the remains belonged exclusively to young children. 
Among the numerous fragments of bones were a great mass of 
broken jars and vases decorated with various emblems of the 
divinities Ch uchiutlicue and Tlaloc, to the latter of whom young 
children were sacrificed on high places to secure rain. 
Bulletin de ? Académie Royale de Belgiguz, Juane.—On_ the 
origin of the phosphate of lime in the brown chalk phosphatic 
beds of Ciply, by F. L. Cornet. These beds, which have a 
mean thickness of a1 metres, and about 18 per cent. of phos- 
phate, are shown to be undoubtedly of animal origin, as attested 
by the large proportion of nitrous organic substances contained 
in them. The brown chalk appears to have been deposited in a 
shallow sea inhabited by a numerous fauna of invertebrates, fishes, 
and large Saurians. The deposits were slowly formed in tranquil 
waters during a long geological epoch, as shown by the great 
thickne-s of the phosphatic beds, the perfect regularity of the 
layers, and the state of the fossil shells fovndin them. These 
deposits, which occur nowhere else, may have been caused by 
the periodical destruction of fish, such as at present occurs an- 
nually in the Gulf of Aden.—Note on the parallelism between 
the Carboniferous Limestone of North-West England and Bel- 
gium, by L. G. de Koninck. It is pointed out that the syn- 
chronism of these various systems is far from being fully esta- 
blished. The Tournai formation would appear to be older than 
the English fossiliferous mountain limestone, while the Visé 
rocks may be contemporary of the Yoredale series. On the 
other hand, the zone of Productus giganteus seems to have ac- 
quired a far greater development in the north of England than 
in Belgium.—Remarks on the law regulating the tension of 
fluids, by P. de Heen. The formula recently announced by the 
author is here shown to apply not only to stable fluids, but also 
to those whose physical constitution varies with the temperature. 
SOCIETIES AND.ACADEMIES 
SYDNEY 
Linnean Society of New South Wales, June 30.—Prof. 
W. J. Stephens, F.G.S., President, in the chair.—The follow- 
ing papers were read:—Note on Cvenodax wilkinsont, by 
William Macleay, F.L.S. It is here explained that the fish 
described by Mr. Macleay under the above name has been 
acertained by Dr. Ramsay, of the Australian Museum, to be 
closely allied to Zetvagonurus cuvieri, of Risso. Some remarks 
are also made on the habits and affinities of the fish.—Notes 
on the recent eruptions in the Taupo Zone, New Zealand, by 
Prof. Stephens, M.A., F.G.S. In this note the author gives 
particulars of the late volcanic disturbances, and such informa- 
tion as to the geographical and geolozical features of the district, 
as may perhaps enable those living at a distance to understand 
more clearly the accounts of the recent outbreak which have 
already appeared in the newspapers.—Notes on Australian 
earthworms, Part L, by J. J. Fletcher, M.A., B.Sc. Up to 
the present time but three Australian earthworms have been 
described, Lumbricus nove-hollandie, Kinberg, and Digaster 
lumbricoides, Perrier, from N.S.W., and Afegascolides australis, 
McCoy, from Victoria. In this paper a fuller account is given 
of Kinberg’s species, and descriptions are given of six new or 
undescribed worms from the rich volcanic soil of Burrawang and 
of Mt. Wilson. Of these, two species (P. coxit and P. australis) 
are referred to Schmarda’s genus Pertcheta; two others (NV. 
camdenensis and N. grandts, are included in a new 7tra- 
clitelhan genus Notoscolex ; a fifth (Didymogaster silvaticus) also 
is intraclitellian, but differs from MWotoscolex: and the sixth 
(Cryplodrilus) is postclitellian, with eight rows of setee, but is 
different from Digaster. Three of these, as far as is known at 
present, occur only at Burrawang, one at Mt. Wilson only, one 
is common to both localities as well as Sydney, and one occurs 
at Burrawang, Springwood, and Jervis Bay. Mr. Fletcher has 
heard of the occurrence of worms, some of them very large, in 
the Hunter and Manning River districts, and probably these, as 
wellas Illawarra, the Richmond and Clarence districts, and other 
parts of the colony will yield, when systematically searched, a 
good harvest of earthworms. He therefore appeals to the 
members of the Society resident in these or other locali- 
ties, either for information or for specimens put alive into 
good methylated spirit, or sent alive packed in a tin box 
or large bottle, with a little earth and plenty of damp moss. 
Information as to the existence or otherwise of earthworms in 
