9 6 



NATURE 



[May 25, 188: 



1 1. M.S. Knight Errant they had taken a series of soundings 

 and drolgings with the view of testing the truth of the theory 

 that a barrier stretched across between the North- West of Scot- 

 land and the Faroe bank, separting the cold and warm <\- 

 areas which previous exploration had shown to exist in close 

 ignity to each other. In this they had been quite successful, 

 roving that there was a narrow barrier separating the northern 

 cold area from the southern warm area. From the specimens of 

 : nk obtained from the top of this ridge, they concluded that the 

 ridge was in all probability an ancient moraine. The objects, 

 aaimal and otherwise, brought up from the bottom had been 

 examined carefully by various scientific men, and the paper con- 

 sisted in great part of their report — sixteen in all. — Mr. E. 

 Sang, in a short notice of the solar eclipse of May 17, laid 

 before the Society calculations which so supplemented for Edin- 

 burgh the times and 1 hases given in the Nautical Almanac as to 

 make the comparison between calculation and observation more 

 accurate. Should the morning prove favourable for observation, 

 he hoped to be able to lay before the Society the re»ult of the 

 comparison. — Prof. Tail communicated a paper by Mr. A. P. 

 Laurie, on a new secondary cell, with which he had made a long 

 series of experiments. The cell consisted of two copper poles 

 dipping into chloride of zinc, and was charged in the u-ual 

 maimer by running a current through it. Zinc was deposited on 

 the one pole, and cuprous chloride was formed at the other. 

 Even with the small sized cells which were used, the results 

 obtained were tolerably satisfactory. They suffered greatly from 

 1 ' s, however, being in this respect in no way superior to the 

 other known forms of secondary cells. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, May 15. — M. Jamin in the chair. — 

 The following papers were read : — Observations of small planets 

 with the great meridian instrument of Paris Observatory during 

 the first quarter of 1882, by M. Mouchez. — New note on the 

 project of formation, in Algeria and Tunisia, of a so-called 

 interior sea, by M. Cosson. He brings forward a series of 

 objections to the scheme. — Reply to M. Cosson's note, by M. de 

 l.esseps. — M. Alph. Milne-Edwards presented, in his own name, 

 the second volume of text, and vols ii. and iii. of plates (266 in 

 number) of " L'Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux de Madagascar." 

 This raises to 400 the number of plates of birds. — Spiraloid 

 drums for cables of equal resistance, by M. Haton de la 

 (ioupilliere. This relates to extraction from mines. The first 

 part treats of the general properties of every system, of rigorous 

 equilibrium, whatever the form of the cable (cylindrical from end 

 to end, formed of successive cylindrical parts, conical, logarithmic, 

 &c). In the second part, the general properties arrived at are 

 employed to determine the drum of equilibrium in the case of the 

 logarithmic cable, which represents the exact form of equal 

 re-istance. Simple formula; are furnished for the radii or 

 winding. — Synthesis of several organic compounds by means of 

 electrolysis of water, of acid, alkaline, and alcoholic solutions 

 with electrodes of carbon, by MM. Bartoli and Papasogli. They 

 electrolysed distilled water during about six weeks, using a 

 strong battery (1200 D) the first two days, then loo Eunsens 

 for ten days, then twenty Bunsens for thirty, the elec- 

 leing carbon. Mixed with the disaggregated carbon 

 was found a dark matter, which they call mmogen, because, 

 in oxidation, it produces the acids of the benzocarbonic 

 series. Its other properties are described. Using alkaline 

 solutions (hydrates or carbonates) as electrolytes, the authors 

 got a good deal of mellic acid and very little mellogen ; the 

 reverse being the case where the electrolyte was acid. — On the 

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

 conditions of achromatism in phenomena of interference, by 

 M. Ilurion. He gives an experimental verification of a prin- 

 ciple enumerated by M. Coras. In a system of interference 

 fringes from heterogeneous light giving a continuous spectrum, 

 there is always an achromatic fringe which plays the part of 

 central fringe, and is found where the most intense radiations 

 present a maximum or minimum difference of phase. — Aperi- 

 odic galvanometer of MM. Duprez and d'Arsonval. This is for 

 very weak currents. Between the poles of a horse-shoe magnet 

 set vertically, is a rectangular frame wound with fine wire, con- 

 nected by two wires, of silver or copper, with a bent support 

 above, and an ela-tic >lip below. These wires, whose tension is 

 regulated by screws, are axial to the frame, to which tbey also 

 bring the current. The upper wire has a mirror at its lower 

 did ; and within the frame is supported an iron tube to 



strengthen the magnetic field. The authors indicate a metLod 

 of graduating galvanometers. — On the length of sparks of the 

 discharge of an electric condenser, by M, Yillari. When a 

 condenser is discharged by making it produce one spark or two, 

 the length of the first is not equal to the sum of the lengths of 

 the others, and the sum of lengths of the sparks is not always 

 constant. Small sparks have the effect of elongating another 

 produced at the same time in the circuit ; and this influence 

 grows with the charges of the condenser. It is connected with 

 a sensible diminution of the interior discharge, and increase f 

 the exterior. — Exis'ence of lithine and boric acid in notable 

 proportions in the waters of the Dead Sea, by M. Dieulafait In 

 a cubic centimetre there is enough lithine to distinctly show, at 

 least a thousand times, the spectrum of that substance. The 

 boric acid can be practically recognised with the product of a 

 single cubic centimetre. The e facts (contrary to previous idea) 

 prove the-marine origin of the Dead Sea. — On the laws of solu- 

 bility of carbonic acid in water at high pressures, by M. Wro- 

 blewski. The temperature remaining constant, the coefficient of 

 saturation increases much less quickly than the pressure, while 

 tending to a certain limit. The pressure remaining constant, the 

 coefficient increases when the temperature diminishes. — On the 

 mechanism of putrid fermentation of proteic matters, by MM. 

 Gautier and Etard. The acid fermentation which arises in a 

 few days is an epiphenomenon, not nece sary, and not affecting 

 the albuminoid molecules. — On a case of isomerism of bichloro- 

 camphor, by M. Cazeneuve. — On purpurogalline, by MM. de 

 Clermont and Chautard. — On the dimorphism of stannic acid, by 

 MM. Levy and Bourgeois. — On chronic poisoning by arsenic, by 

 MM. Caillot de Poncy and Livon. Cats receiving arsenic 111 

 small doses from time to time, eat more, and fatten, for a tine, 

 showing every sign of good health; but 1 >y and bye they grow 

 lean, have diarrLaea, lose appetite, and become languid ; and 

 they die in an ana;mic and lean state. The autbors describe the 

 changes (fatty degeneration) in the lungs, and mesenteric gan- 

 glions. — On a disease of early beans in the environs of Algiers, 

 by M. Prillieux. A parasitic champignon produces white wad- 

 ding-like tufts on the plant. — M. Laussedat said he had seen 

 Mercury with the naked eye on May u, at 8 p.m. 



Vienna 



Imperial Institute of Geology, April 18. — The following 

 papers were read : — C. Doelter, on pyroxenite, a proposal for the 

 classification of the eruptive rocks. — V. Hilber, geological map- 

 pings of Zolkiew and Kawa-Ruska (Gallicia). — Th. Fuchs, which 

 deposits are to be considered as of deep-sea origin ? 



May 2. — T. N. Woldrich, contributions to the fauna of the 

 Istrian breccia. — R. Zuber, geological notes from the Carpathian 

 Mountains of Eastern Gallicia. 



CONTENTS Pao. 



Charles Darwin, II 73 



The Total Eclipse 75 



Kant's Critique op Pure Reason. By R. B. Haldanb .... 76 

 Uuh Book Shblp: — 



Packard's " bisects Injurious to Fi test and Shade Trees." — R. 



McLachlan, K.R S 78 



Drown 's '" Law of Kosmic Order " T-t 



Wilson's Uganda ind the Egyptian Sudan " 73 



LlITTKKS TO THE EDITOR I 



Dr. Siemens - Solar Hypoihesis.— Prof. Geo. FraS. FiTzGsRALD; 



Iir.C. Wm. Siemens, F.RS 80 



. , (Hodgson).— Sii S So 



Pseudo-Glacial Phenomena.— Rev i I r/ENIS .-Woods . . . 80 

 lity of number of Sepals, Petal., and Anthers in the I 



Of Mrssums minimus.— Dr. HERMANN MiJLLER 81 



"A Dead Heat."— Edward Muybbidoe 81 



Aurora B.realis.— W. Pi lunger 81 



Bright Mete r, -I 81 



Curious Formation of Ice.— H. Warth 81 



tistence of a Voice in Lizards. — £ Micmt Smith . ... 61 



The Eclipse Expedition 82 



Anbmometrical Ob ' ■ Board Ship 8j 



Instantaneous Photography op Birds in 1 ; (\l ith I limita- 

 tions) 84 



Dk. Fritz Miller on -.0:1 lor:. if M.micry. By 



Alfred R. Wallace 86 



Notes 37 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Trapezium of Orion 90 



The Comet 90 



Geographical Notes '. . . . 90 



Foob-Plant Improvement. By Major Hallbtt T* 91 



University and Educational Intelligence 04 



Scientific Sekials 94 



Societies and Academies 04 



