3 6 ° 



NA TURE 



\_August 10, 1882 



ficatkm of the Wollaston method of determination for relations 

 of light-refraction, by F. Kohlrausch. — On the setting of an 

 object in the total-reflectorneter, by the same. — On the tensions 

 of saturated mercury-vapour at low temperatures, by E. B. 

 Hagen. — On determination of the constants of internal friction 

 of gases and liquids, by means of oscillating discs, by L. Gross- 

 mann. — Determination of the friction of liquids by Maxwell's 

 method, by Th. S. Schmidt. — Researches on the volume-consti- 

 tution of liquid compounds, by H. Schroder. — On the phosphates 

 of thallium and lithium, by C. Rammelsberg. — On potassium- 

 ditballium-chloride, by the same. — On the electricity of flames 

 (corrections), by J. Elster and H. Geitel. 



Alii della R. Accademia da Lincei. Transunti, vol. vi. 

 fasc. 13. — On Italian emigration in 1SS1 compared with that of 

 the five previous years, and with the emigration from other 

 States of Europe, by S. Bodie. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Royal Horticultural Society, July 25.— Sir J. D. Hooker 

 in the chair. — Hybrid Tacsonia : Dr. Masters exhibited a blossom 

 of a hybrid between T. cxoniensis (itself a hybrid) and Vochsiemi. 

 — Rhododendron camellii florum : Mr. Mangles exhibited a spray 

 of this late-flowering species, which resembled a tea in flower. 

 It bore only one flower instead of two together, as described by 

 Hooker ; and he suggested it might be identical with R. sparsi- 

 fiorum, Booth, of Bhotan. In foliage it agrees with R. Maddeni. 

 — Hollyhock disease : Mr. W. G. Smith gave an account of his 

 planting healthy seeds of the hollyhock and others affected with 

 Puccinia. He planted twenty tainted seeds, one of two only 

 which germinated, survived. This one appears to be quite un- 

 affected. Of fifty healthy seeds, all germinated. After the 

 third week, leaves of common mallow diseased with Puccinia 

 were scattered amongst them. In less than a week forty-six of 

 the seedlings died of the disease. — Rhododendron hybrids: Mr. 

 Veitch sent blossoms of seedlings of a hybrid, to show interesting 

 deviations, a slightly double flower having been artificially "self- 

 fertilUed," twenty seedlings were raised from it. Of these five 

 have blossomed, as follows : a deep rose, a double white, a semi- 

 double yellow, a salmon, and a semi-double rose. The remarkable 

 features about them are that white crossed by orange gives pink, 

 the yellow being eliminated, and that a rudimentary calyx ap- 

 pears on these seedlings, R. Jasminiflorum, one of the original 

 parents, having none. — Mr. Henslow remarked on the general 

 tendency to suppress a calyx in flowers, which are small and 

 massed together, as in Rubiaceae, Caprifoliacese, Umbelliferre, 

 &c, and suggested that its re-appearance was correlated to the 

 enlarged corolla, and less "massing" of the truss- than occurs 

 in R. yasminiflorum. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, July 31. — M. Jamin in the chair. — 

 The following papers were read :— On the period of variable 

 state which precedes the regime of detonation, and on the condi- 

 tions of establishment of the explosive wave, by MM. Berthelot 

 and Vieille. They recorded on a rotating cylinder, the spark 

 causing the initial inflammation at the entrance of the tube, and 

 the di-placement of a very light piston moving freely in the tube 

 at the other end. They study the velocities, the corresponding 

 pressures, and the limits of detonation. — Additional note on the 

 rapid solution of the problem of Kepler, by M. Zenger. 

 — Auxiliary tables for calculating the true anomaly of 

 planets, by the same. — On some theorems of electricity, 

 demonstrated in an inexact way in didactic works, by M. 

 Machai.— On the longitudinal vibrations of elastic wires whose 

 ends are submitted to any strains, by MM. Sebert and Hugoniot. 

 — On the electric resistance ot glass at low temperatures, by 

 M. Foussereau. Using ordinary glass with base of soda and 

 lime, Bohemian glass and crystal, the electric conductivity 

 was found to rise rapidly with the temperature. The method is 

 described, and formula? are given.— On the flow of sound in 

 pipes, by M. Neyreneuf. With a sensitive flame, from a burner 

 like the Bunsen, but having, instead of the lower air holes, one 

 small lateral orifice at about two-thirds of the height, he mea- 

 sured the intensity of a sound (from strokes of a bell) that had 

 traversed tubes of different length and diameter, watching at 

 what distance from the mouth of the tube the flame became 

 insensible. He obtains a formula representing the law. — On the 

 heat of dissolution of some mixtures, by M. Cbroostchoff. — 

 Action of ammonia on oxide of 'copper, by M. Maumene. — On 



the composition of vins de marc, by M. Girard. This name he 

 applies to wines from fermentation of sugar in presence of the 

 residua of vintage. He says they have a pretty regular composition, 

 and have alimentary and hygienic qualities equivalent to two-thirds 

 to half those of ordinary wines. — On the ethers of glycol, 

 C„ 2 H 14 2 , by M. Rousseau. — Preparations of acetylcyanacetic 

 ether and some of its metallic derivatives, by MM. Haller and 

 Held. — On the conditions of formation of rosanilines, by MM. 

 Rosenstiehl and Gerber. — On a new use of electrolysis in dyeing 

 and printing, by M. Goppelsrceder. For example, he impregnates 

 tissues or paper with an aqueous solution of chlorhydrate of 

 aniline, puts it on a non-attackable metal plate, which he con- 

 nects with one pole of a battery or small dynamo. On the tissue 

 or paper is placed a second metal plate having a design in relief 

 and joined to the other pole ; on pressure and passage of the 

 current the design is reproduced. A modification of the method 

 gives chemical discharge of colour. The current, again, is used 

 to prepare vats of indigo, aniline black, &c. ; the hydrogen 

 which arises at the negative pole being utilised. It is also used 

 to prevent oxidation of colours in printing. — On the formation 

 and decomposition of acetanilide, by M. Menschutkin. — Oa the 

 products of distillation of colophany, by M. Renard. — On 

 Crenothrix Kiihniana (Rabenhorst), cause of infection of the 

 waters of Lille, by M. Giard. This gives an iron red scum in the 

 water of the Emmerin springs supplying the town. The evil has 

 been very pronounced this spring. Rains bring it on ; engaging 

 these small organisms, that quickly develop in the moist earth pre- 

 pared by dejections from distilleries, &c. — Structure of the nervous 

 systems of molluscs, by M. Viguel. — On the male sexual organs 

 and the Cuvier organs of Holothurians, by M. Jourdain. — Re- 

 searches on the production of monstres, in the hen's egg, by 

 means of slow incubation, by M. Dareste. — On sexuality in the 

 ordinary system (0. Edulis), and in the Portuguese system (0. 

 Angtt/ata) ; Artificial fecundation of the latter, by M. Bouchon- 

 Brandely. — On the properties of antiseptics, and volatile products 

 of putrefaction, by M. Le Bon. The disinfectant power of any 

 antiseptic is weaker the older the putrefaction. The strongest 

 disinfectants are permanganate of potash, chloride of lime, 

 sulphate of iron acidified with acetic acid, carbolic acid, and the 

 glyceroborates of sodium and potassium. There is no parallelism 

 between disinfectant action of an antiseptic and its action on 

 microbes; nor between the power of preventing putrefaction 

 and that of stopping it when it has begun. Except a very few 

 substances, strongly poisonous (such as bichloride of mercury), 

 most antiseptics, and notably carbolic acid, have very little action 

 on bacteria. There is no parallelism between the virulent power 

 of a substance in putrefactiou and the toxical power of volatile 

 compounds liberated from it. The volatile alkaloids from ad- 

 vanced putrefaction are very poisonous. The air of cemeteries 

 may be very dangerous. — On an observation of diffuse lightning, 

 by M. Rousseau. 



CONTENTS Pagb 



The British Association. By T. Norfolk 337 



The Climate of Alexandria 33° 



Colliery Ventilation. By William Galloway . ; 339 



Our Book Shelf : — 



Krichenbauer's " Theogonie and Astronomic 34* 



Donnelly's "Atlantis: the Antediluvian World " 34' 



Clarke's "Early History of the Mediterranean Populations, &c. 341 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Speechless Man.— A. H. Keane 34' 



The Chemistry of the Plant* and Faure Batteries.— Dr. J. H. 



Gladstone. F.R.S 343 



The Late Prof. Balfour.— Prof. Alfred Newton 342 



M. Raoul Pictet's Corpuscular Theory of Gravitation.— Prof. A. S. 



Herschel 343 



M Cailletet's Pump for Condensing Gas— Robt. J. Lecky . . 343 



Spectrum of the Light of the Glow-worm— John Spiller ... 343 



White Ants' Nests.— S. E. Peal (With Illustrations) .... 343 



Voice in Lizards.— Surgeon 343 



Halo —Prof. J. P. O'Reilly 344 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Spectrum of Wells' Comet 344 



Occupation of a Star by Jupiter 344 



Nova Ophiuchi, 1848 344 



Schroder's Observations of Mars 344 



Korean Ethnology. By A. H. Kbane 344 



The Colours of Flowers, as Illustrated by the British 



Flora, III. (With Illustrations). By Grant Allen 34* 



Note on the History of Optical Glass 35» 



Notes 35° 



The Excitability of Plants. By Prof. Burdon Sanderson, 



F.R.S. With Illustrations) ■ ■ • • 353 



Electric Lighting by Incandescence. By Joseph W. Swan . . 356 



Scientific Serials 359 



Societies and Academies ....!' 3 60 



