7- 



NA TURE 



[May 1 8, 1882 



ordinary appearance lies in the particular properties of the ecto- 

 derm of the tubercle-Uacilla:, which is penetrable by alkaline 

 fluids, and therefore also for alkaline methyl-blue, whereas it is 

 impenetrable by neutral substances, and especially by acids. 

 Even the application of the strongest mineral acids, such as 

 sulphuric acid, nitric acid, and such like, produced no effect on 

 the Bacilla:. This peculiarity of the tubercle-Bacillce has, be- 

 sides its scientific, also, a remarkable practical importance, as it 

 teaches that no acid fluids are to be use d in disinfection, or for 

 the purpose of killing tubercle- Bacillce, as their ectoderm is 

 impenetrable by such, but that alkaline-solutions are to be used, 

 as they become easily diffused into the interior and destroy the 

 Bacillie. — Prof. Baumann reported on the examination of two 

 pieces of a Termite's nest, which Prof. Kenlau had brought 

 from Australia, The one piece was taken from the outer wall 

 of a structure that was apparen ly inhabited by ants ; the second 

 came from the inner structure of the nest. The first was free from 

 organic matter, and consisted almost entirely of clay containing 

 iron; the sec >nd was of a brownish-colour, perforated in all 

 directions with numerous pas-age-, and consisted almost entirely 

 of organic material. While the most careful microscopical exami- 

 nation dia not reveal any trace of an o-ganic structure, still on 

 the other hand a chemical analysis showed a chemical composi- 

 tion very like that of most woods. Both the proportion of 

 carbon and the amount and composition of the ash showed that 

 this Structureless substance is most nearly allied to wood. Mr. 

 Baumann, consequently, looked for cellulo e in the wall of the 

 nest, and found it present in large quantities, so that there hardly 

 remained a shadow of doubt but that the mass was derived from 

 wood. The specific gravity was found to be 1*36, i.e. greater 

 ■han that of the heaviest woods. The other constituents of this 

 substance, which consisted of 97 tier cent, of organic materials, 

 afforded no assistance in the solution of the que ti m as to 

 whether this structureless mass had been formed out ol wool, or 

 as to how it had been manufactured by the animals. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, May S. — M. Jainin in the chair. — 

 The following papers were read : — On the effects produced in 

 vacuum by the current of Gramme machines, by MM. Jamin 

 and Maneuvrier. In an electric egg, with carbons (vacuum about 

 12mm.), a phenomenon like that of Geissler tubes is produced 

 by the two currents, which contribute equally ; but it is much 

 more brilliant ; the carbons soon get heated to a pale white 

 throughout, and volatilised, giving a blue vapour, which con- 

 denses, and makes the egg opaque. This volatilisation was 

 mostly avoided, in another case, by using two groups of carbons 

 (instead of the pair) diverging from the rheophores towards each 

 other, cone-wise. A large number of effluves here take the 

 place of one. Still brighter effects were had with copper rods 

 so arranged. — General considerations on preventers of fire, or 

 pyroscopes, by M. Ledieu. After noting the faults of some 

 methods, h indicates a system in which a cylinder of strong 

 in-iilui 14 material, holding a liquid which is refractory to elec- 

 troiysati »n, and has good conductivity, increasing decidedly with 

 temperature, is interposed in a single circuit, a platinum rheo- 

 phore ente ing the liquid at either end. Absolute alcohol is a 

 suitable liquid.— M. de Freycinet was elected Free Member in 

 plice of the late M. Bussy. — Report on a memoir relating to albu- 

 min id nutters, was presented to the Academy by M. Bechamp. 

 The author has determined the rotatory power of a large number 

 of the-.e matters, and given elementary analyses of the best 

 characterised species. The power, which fibrine has, of de- 

 composing oxygenated water, resides, M. Bechamp proves, in 

 the granular substance (albuminoid), left as an insoluble resi- 

 due, on treatment of fibrine with weak hydrochloric acid. 

 liaised to b riling in water, this loses its power. Again, M. 

 Bechamp shows that it is a property of all albuminoid matters 

 (a; of albumen), that their oxidation by means of permanganate 

 of potash furnishes a certain quantity of urea. — Report of the 

 Commission charged to examine the work presented by Rear 

 Admiral Serre " On the Athenian Trireme." — Researches on 

 one of the principal bases of doctrines relative to the mechanism 

 of production of voluntary movements and convulsions, by M. 

 Brown-Sequard. It must be allowed that the exdtomotor zone 

 of the cerebral surface and of all excitable parts of the brain can 

 set in moti m the limbs of the corresponding side like those of 

 the opposite side, and this after transverse section of a lateral 

 half of the bridge of Varoli, the bulb, or the cervical cord, or 

 even after t-o sections— one of the right, the other ol the left 

 half of ihe base of the brain — provided there is a certain interval 



between the sections. — On the winter egg of phylloxera, by M. 

 Henneguy. — On the spherical representation of surfaces, by M. 

 Darboux. — On the tides of Campbell's Island, by M. Bouquet 

 de la Grye. Inter alia, the retardation of the tide is twenty- 

 four hours. — Remarks on the velocity of light, on the occasion 

 of two memoirs of Lord Kayleigh, by M. Gouy. Both appear 

 to have come to the same conclusions and formula- independently. 

 M, Gouy obtains the result (among others) that perfectly homo- 

 geneous light is necessarily formed of an indefinite series of equal 

 waves, without perturbations or irregularities of any sort. — On 

 the depression of the zero point in mercury thermometers, by M. 

 Crafts. The greater the interval between the temperature that 

 has produced a depression, and that at which the thermometer is 

 kept to raise it again, the slower is the movement, and it may be 

 incomplete if the interval considerably exceeds 100°. M. Crafts 

 givesa table by which the depressions through heating Paris ther- 

 mometers may be estimated. — On the polarisation of electrodes 

 and the conductivity of liquids (continued), by M. Bouty. He 

 results obtained by the method previously indicated. He gives 

 extends to the case of mixtures M. Berthelot's law for that of 

 simple electrolytes. — Magnetic variations of magnetised bars 

 during thunderstorms, by M. de Lalagade. With a thin iron 

 meoibrane mounted, as in a telephone, at the end of a magnetised 

 steel bar. he heard a small dry sound at each lightning-flash. 

 Better effects were had with twelve horizontal magnets, each 

 having twelve coils at one end, the wires connected with two 

 cjiiductors and two telephones. Sounds were heard before as 

 well as during each flash. — On a balloon ascent at Paris on May 

 7, 18S2, by M. liloy. Starting about midday they rose 300 m. in a 

 s mih eist current, then to 1400 m. in a north-east one, above 

 which a south-east cu rent was met with again. Up to 1400 m. the 

 average fall of temperature was 1° f jr 100 m., but at 1900 m. (the 

 highest point reiched), the thermometer was above the indication 

 at 1400°. — On the composition and the equivalent in volume of 

 pernitric acid, by MM. Hautefeuille and Chappuis. The 

 formula NO e is arrived at. — Action of potash on oxide of lead, 

 by M. 1'iite. — On phosphate of chromium, and its utilisation in 

 chemical analysis and industry, by M. Carnct. — Studies on the 

 photo-chemical reaction of peroxalate of iron, by M. Jodin. For 

 several years he has used the substance in experiments on plant- 

 physiology, to supply C0 2 to plants by decomposition in light. 

 The quantity liberated varies considerably with the composition 

 of the solutions. — On new carbo-siliciated compounds, by M. 

 Colson. — On homologous and isomeric rosanilines, by MM. 

 Rosenstiehl and Gerber. — Chemical composition of the ash 

 thrown out by Vesuvius on February 25, 1882, by M. Ricciardi. 

 — Study on the antiseptic properties of salicylic acid, by MM. 

 Robinet and Pellet. They de-cribe experiments with salicylised 

 must, showing that beyond 0-3 gr. per litre, salicylic acid is a 

 powerful antiseptic, and that at 1 gr. it destroys even the action of 

 yeast. — A claim of priority, in the idea of the photographic gun, 

 was put in for M. Leblond, 



CONTENTS Page 



Charles Darwin, 1 49 



Eclip e Note*, II. By J. Norman Lockyer, F R.S. {V/it/i Mi>) . 51 



The Total Eclipse s = 



The Thkory of Descent. By Alfred R. Wallace sn 



ij,/„ lloox Shelf:— 



"Land and Freshwater Mollu.ca of India" — Dr. J. Gwvn 



Jeffreys. F.k S 53 



" MemoLres de la Socie'te' des Sciences et Naturelles de Bordeaux '* 54 



Oliver's "On and Off Duty" 54 



Jackst-n's " Modem Metrology " 55 



Sun-Spots and Magnetic Storms. — W. H. M. Christie, F.R.S. 



Aslr nnmer Royal 



Hypothetical High Tides.— Prof. J. S. Newberry efi 



B realis.— X. i Prof. J. P. 1 i'Rf.illy 56 



Spectrum of Wells' Comet.— T. W. Backhou-e V> 



The Recent Violent >'t rm. — Nathaniel Waterall -/> 



The Cuckoo.— 1. K. A. Brown 56 



The Swedish Fisheries. — Gerhard von Yhlbz -- 



The Oldest Egyptian Tombs and Ti-nants ; 7 



On somb Recent American Mathematical Text-Books 



R. TUCKER 59 



Electri ityat 1 ibCrvstal Palace, IV. {With Illustrations) . . 60 



The Earliest Use of the Incandescent Electi ic Light ... 62 



The English Eclipse Expedition 63 



Alg.e fi.s 



Notes . , 66 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Comet . . . f,l 



Binocular Perspective. By W. Lb Conte-Stsvems 68 



Scientific Serials 7 -, 



Societies and Academies ... . 71 



