380 
NATURE 
[August 19, 1886 
the plains of the interior would also be very valuable. —Notes 
on the distribution of Ceratella fusca, Gray, from the coast of 
New South Wales, by John Brazier, C.M.Z.S. A number 
of instances are given of the occurrence of this Hydrozoon near 
the Heads of Port Jackson. Mr. Braziec also mentions that a 
specimen sent from the British Museum to the Australiaa 
Museum as Ceratella fusca, Gray, is really Dehitella atrorubens, 
Gray, from Algoa Bay. 
PARIS 
Academy of Sciences, August 9 —M. Emile Blanchard 
in the chair.—On the problem of Gauss concerning the 
attraction of an elliptical ring, by M. Halphen. Although 
a clear demonstration of this well-known problem has lately 
been made by G. W. Hill (Simon Newcomb’s “‘ Astronomical 
Papers,” vol. i. 1882), a fresh solution is here proposed, which 
has the advantage of not requiring the preliminary resolu- 
tion of an equation of the third degree.—Observations on the 
oldest sedimentary formations in North-West France (con- 
cluded), by M. Hébert. It is shown that the clay-slates of 
Saint-L6, which are pre-Cambrian or Archzean formations, 
were deposited in horizontal layers in a marine basin, which 
stretched from Wales southwards to Quimper and Alencon, and 
which was broken only by a few isolated masses of granite and 
crystalline schists. This oldest of oceanic waters lasted for a 
long geological epoch, as attested by the thickness of these 
deposits, and the transformation of the muddy sediment into hard 
clay-slates. The present vertical position of these rocks, which 
were antecedent to all animal life, was evidently due to contrac- 
tion of the terrestrial crust, by which were determined the fold- 
ings, faults, and ruptures, and probably the general upheaval of 
the whole region.—Reply to M. Hugoniot’s note on the pressure 
that exists in the contracted section of a gaseous vein, by M. 
Hirn. To M. Hugoniot’s objection the author replies that he 
has shown by experiment that the gas flowing through a cylin- 
drical tube into a reservoir, where it becomes very rarefied, falls 
gradually from the pressure 2, which it possesses in the gaso- 
meter, to a pressure P,, which is almost exactly that of the 
rarefying reservoir.—On the velocity of the flow of fluids, by 
M. Th. Vautier. Having in a previous communication ex- 
plained his graphic method, the author here shows the process 
by which he has successfully applied the revolving mirror to the 
measurement of the velocity of fluids: —Spectrum of the negative 
pole of nitrogen: general law of distribution of the rays which 
appear in the bands of the negative pole, by M. H. Deslandres. 
In the luminous region, which alone has hitherto been studied, 
the spectrum of the negative pole is accompanied by faint traces 
of positive bands. But in the ultra-violet region it is prolonged 
only by a small number of bands, and becomes, so to say, 
smothered amid the powerful and numerous positive bands, 
The rays of the band A 391 are disposed according to the follow- 
ing simple law: The intervals from one ray to another, calcu- 
lated in numbers of vibrations, are arranged as nearly as possible 
in arithmetical progression, This appears to be a general law, 
not merely an isolated fact, as observed by Piazzi Smyth 
and Herschel between sixteen rays of the green band of the 
oxide of carbon.—On the temperatures and critical pressures of 
some vapours in liquids, by MM. C. Vincent and J. Chappuis. 
In a previous communication the authors announced their re- 
searches on the temperatures and critical pressures of two series 
of gaseous bodies at the ordinary temperature. Here they give 
the result of their experiments with liquid bodies at the ordinary 
temperature—the chloride of propyl, the series of the three amines 
of ethyl, and the two first normal amines of propyl. —Researches 
on the variations of solubility of certain chlorides in water in the 
presence of hydrochloric acid, by M. Guillaume Jeannel. From 
his experiments with the chloride of potassium the author infers 
that the variations of solubility of this salt are not subjected to 
the law recently announced by Engel. He arrives at the general 
conclusion that the solubility of the chlorides precipitated by 
hydrochloric acid varies in the presence of the acid, so that the 
sum of the equivalents of water, salt, and acid forming the 
solution remains constant at the same temperature, whatever be 
the chloride and whatever be the proportions of the mixture.— 
Combinations of ammonia with the metallic permanganates, by 
M. T. Klobb.—Chemical and thermic study of the pheno- 
sulphuric acids: paraphenosulphuric acid, by M. S. Allain- 
Le Canu. This paper is devoted to a fresh study of the three 
phenosulphuric acids (oxyphenylsulphonic) Cy,H,S,0-—On the 
presence of lecithine in vegetation, by MM. Ed. Heckel and 
Fr, Schlagdenhauffen. The authors’ researches confirm the 
conclusion already arrived at by Hoppe-Seyler and Kreetzschmar 
that this substance, known to exist in many of the animal tissues, 
distilled from the grape-cake of white wine, by M. Alph. Rom- 
mier.—Fresh researches on the axial nervous current, by M. 
Maurice Mendelssohn. It is shown that the axial current possesses 
the same physical and physiological properties that M. E. 
Du Bois-Reymond has discovered in other nervous currents ; 
also that its direction is in the closest relation with that of the 
stitution of the blood by the action of the sulphuret of carbon on 
the animal system, by MM. Kiener and R. Engel.—On the 
atmospheric agencies and of heat, by MM. Cadéac and 
Malet. 
destroyed rapidly in warm and dry, slowly in cold and moist. 
weather,—On the disposition of the limestone breccias of the 
Alpujarras Range, Andalusia, and their resemblance to the 
carboniferous breccias of Northern France, by MM. Ch. Barrois” 
and A. Offret.—On a method of volumetric analysis for the 
E - F : 
sulphates, by M. H. Quantin. 
BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED 
‘Life and Labours of John Mercer,” by E. A. Parnell (Longmans).— 
“Arc and Glow Lamps,” by J. Maier (Whittaker).—“ Fourth Report of the 
U.S. Entomological Commission,” by N. Riley (Washington) —‘ List of 
(Washington).—“ List of Institutions in the U.S. Receiving Publications of 
the Smithsonian Institution” (Washington).—‘‘ Bulletin ofthe U.S. National 
Museum,” No. 30, ‘‘ Bibliographies of Amer. Naturalists,” iii., “* Publi. 
cations relating to Fossil Invertebrates,” by J. B. Marcou (Washington). 
“ Quarterly Juurnal of the Geological Society,” vol. xlii. part 3, No. 16 
(Longmans) —‘ Catalogue of Birds of Suffolk,’’ by Rev. C. Babington (Van 
Voorst). —’* Elements of Plane Geometry,” part 2 (Sonnenschein).—‘‘ A Ne 
Physical Truth,” by E. J. Goodwin.— Progress in Zoology, 1885,” by 
Prof. Gill; ‘Progress in Chemistry, 1885,’’ by H. C. Bolton; “ Progress in. 
Geography, 1885,” by J. K. Goodrich: “ Progress in Astronomy, 1885,"" 
by W. C. Winlock ; ‘Progress in Anthropology, 1885,” by Prof. Mason > 
“Record of North American Invertebrate Palzontology, 1885,” by J. B. 
Marcou; ‘f Progress in Vulcanology and Seismology, 1885,” by a | 
Rockwood (Smithsonian Institute, Washington). 
a2 
5 
CONTENTS PAG 
Physical Hypotheses. By Miss A. M.Clerke . . 35) 
A Manual of Mechanics. By Prof. George M. z 
Minchin... fy teow sok e Be 
Our Book Shelf :— 
Kopp’s ‘‘ Mémoire sur les Volumes moléculaires des 
Liquides, avec un Avant-propos” . . . +s 
Letters to the Editor :— 
Organic Eyolution.— Dr. 
Meteorology and Colliery Explosions. —Hy. Harries 
Railway Weather Signals.—Chas. Harding . . . 
Tornaria and Actinotrocha of the British Coasts.— 
Ja De Cunningham 23.0. 20-82 
Mock Suns.—Robert H. F. Rippon ...... 
Physiological Selection: an Additional Suggestion 
on the Origin of Species, III. By Dr. George J. 
Romanes, PeRtS. foe een 5 
The Woodend Colliery Explosion .......-. 
On the Differential Equation to a Curve of any 
Order, By Prof. J. J. Sylvester, F.R.S. 
Capillary Attraction, III. By Sir William 
FIR:S: \(dustrated))- = = ee ee 
Our Fossil Pseudo-Algze. By Prof. W. C. 
SOMMERS: teenie eine teh (ets) os P : 
Notes) a cd fear Spe tes te et ee soto Vie nr 
Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1886 
August)22-28)) 27 5 2) ee ny adem! (omen 
Geographical Notes... .-- + +--+: ses 25 
The August Perseids. By W. F. Denning... - 
The Swiss Society of Natural Sciences .... + 
The British Medical Association at Brighton. . . 
On the Connection between Chemical Constitution 
and Physiological Action. By Dr. Thomas Lauder 
Brunton: FORYS 3.7 0 age) i ce oe. eee 
Scientific Serials . 
Societies and Academies ...++++++2+ 8 
| Books and Pamphlets Received... 1... s 
George J. Romanes, 
Thomson, 
‘William- 
function of the nerve.—On the alterations produced in the con- 
resistance of the virus of glanders to the destructive action of — 
is found also in numerous plants. —Note on fine-flavoured brandy — 
It is shown that this virus loses its virulence in humours — 
exposed to the open air after complete desiccation ; also that itis — 
Foreign Correspondents of the Smithsonian Institution,” by G. H. Boehmer — 
