_on the one side.—Dr. John Barker read a paper on the 
Fan. 20, 1870] 
over China and Central Asia. One of their great princes, 
Yelintashe, was identified by the author with the celebrated 
Prester John or Presbyter Johannes. Dr. Oppert referred to the 
use of the names of metals by the Tatars as proper names and 
“titles of dynasties—such as the Iron dynasty, Golden dynasty, 
&e. According to their own historical records, the Tatars had 
come from a district abounding in gold and iron. Dr. Hyde 
Clarke contrasted the valuable philological arguments brought 
forward in the present paper with the frivolous mode in which 
comparative philology is often employed. He alluded to the 
ethnological cause of the decline of the great empire of the | 
Kitai, and referred it to the inability of any small dominant race 
to hold in subjection a large population composed of mixed races. 
Royal Microscopical Society, January 12.—The Rev. 
J. B. Reade, F,R.S., president, in the chair, Mr. J. Browning 
read a paper on a new mode of measuring spectra bands. 
Mr. Browning described an adaptation, by himself, of the micro- 
meter screw. to the microscope, which afforded an easy and 
accurate method of measuring the bands of the absorption spec- 
trum, and the invention was accepted as a valuable improvement 
on the method hitherto employed for the purpose.—Mr. W. 8. 
Kent, F.Z.S., of the British Museum, read a paper on ‘‘the 
Calcareous spicule of the Gorgonanee, their modification of | 
form, and the importance of their characters as a basis for 
genuine and specific diagnosis.” ‘This paper was illustrated by 
an elaborate series of drawings of the animals and the spicula of 
the various species.—In consequence of the time occupied by the 
reading of the previous papers, a contribution from Mr. A. 
Sanders, M.R.C.S., ‘‘ On an undescribed stage of development 
of Tetrarhynchus corallalus” was taken as read, 
DUBLIN 
-Royal Irish Academy, January 10.—Sir Robert Kane in the 
chair. The Rey. Dr. Dickson read an account of some portions 
of the ‘‘ Ars moriendi,” preserved in the manuscript room of the 
College Library, and compared it with the photographs of the per- 
fect copy of this work in the collection of Herr Weigel, of 
Leipsig. It is an excellent specimen of block-printing. The 
fragments in the library appear to have been portions of an early 
printed volume, as well as of one printed with great care, and 
belonged to the edition in small folio of twenty-four leaves printed 
“illumi- 
nation of microscopic objects.” One of the most important im- 
provements of late years in object-glasses of high powers has 
been the immersion of objectives of a particular construction into 
a film of water placed on the glass covering the object, whereby 
it is found that the definition, light, magnifying power, and 
working distance are each much increased. The object of the 
paper was to show how the present principle could be 
applied with great advantage to the general illumination of 
objects. The results of some experiments were then detailed. 
Wenham’s paraboloid was altered as follows : the tip was ground 
flat, and a film of water was introduced between it and the under 
surface of the glass slide containing the object, free action of the 
stage movements being thus allowed, and no light was lost. This 
form of illumination is suitable to all kinds of axial illumination, 
though it is but right to add that it has only practically been tried 
in a form corresponding to Wenham’s paraboloid. Details of the 
construction of the paraboloid, its size, and curvature were given; 
and the paper concluded by the author claiming for this mode of 
illumination the following advantages :—1. Objects are seen by 
light reflected from their surfaces, and, if transparent, from their 
interiors. 2. No disturbing light impinges on the retina. 3. All 
shadows are avoided. 4. The oblique rays of light are econo- 
mised. 5. The light is purely achromatic. 6. The interior of 
partially transparent objects can be lit up. 7. Definition is im- 
proved. 8. It is easy of application ; and, lastly, it is not ex- 
pensive.—Dr. Stokes presented, on behalf of W. T. De Visme 
Kane, Esq., a large stone celt found in Ireland. A copy of the 
second volume of the ‘‘ Brehon Laws,” just published, was laid 
on the table. The following were elected members :—W. Archer, 
Professor R. Ball, R. Day, Sir T. Esmonde, Bart., T. A. Jones, 
Rey. J. P. Mahaffy, and J. P. O'Reilly. 
PARIS 
Academy of Sciences, January 10.— M. Delaunay com- 
municated a memoir on the physical constitution of the moon, 
and Father Secchi one on the constitution of the solar corona, 
and some peculiarities presented by rarefied gases when ren- 
dered incandescent by electric currents: we shall return to 
these papers.—M. Becquerel presented the second part of his 
NATURE aan 
eighth memoir on electro-capillary phenomena, in which he 
treats of the muscular, nervous, and other currents.—M. E. 
Becquerel communicated a note on the determination of weak 
electromotor forces, in which he described a method of deter- 
mining the amount of force deyeloped in organic bodies and 
their parts.—M. Piarron di Mondesir communicated the second 
part of his paper on a new method for the solution of problems 
in mechanics, and M. Verdeila note indicating two experiments 
to be made, by means of the pendulum, to determine the varia-- 
tion of the resistance of the air with the velocity.—A Gis- 
cussion on the proposed demonstration of Enclid’s postulate 
of parallel lines, by M. Bertrand, was raised by the open- 
ing of a sealed packet deposited by M. Lionnet on the 27th ~ 
December last. M. Boillot maintained that it is impossible to 
get rid of the idea of infinity when we attempt to demonstrate 
Kuclid’s postulate; and M. J. Hoiiel, the impossibility of demon- 
strating the principle of the theory of parallels by means ofa plane 
figure. M. Fuix called the attention of the meeting to a demon- 
stration of the postulate, independent of the idea of infinity 
given by him in a published work.—In a memoir on nitrous acid 
by M. E. Frémy, the author stated that pure nitrous acid dis- 
solves without decomposition in a great excess of cold water, 
but that it is split into nitric acid and dentoxide of nitrogen by 
the addition of pulverulent bodies. He also referred to the 
reducing properties of nitrous. acid, and to its behaviour and 
modification by substitution under the influence of hydrogenated 
bodies. —MM. Odet and Vignon presented a paper on the action 
| of dry chlorine upon dry nitrate of silver, in which they described 
an experiment confirming their previous supposition that in the 
preparation of anhydrous nitric acid by this means, the reaction 
combines two phases, namely: 1. Production of chloride of 
| azotyle with evolution of oxygen; and 2. Reaction of the chloride 
of azotyle upon the excess of nitrate of silver.—A memoir was 
also presented by M. A. Boillot, on the synthesis of -hydro- 
sulphuric acid by exposing flowers of sulphur to the action of 
the electric spark in contact with hydrogen; and one by M. T. 
Schleesing, containing analyses of the mineral contents of the 
waters of arable lands.—M. Feil addressed a reply to a previous 
note by M. Gaugain on the manufacture of artificial gems; and 
MM. A. Riche and P. Champion a memoir on the manu- 
facture of tom-toms and cymbals.—Of biological papers only 
few were communicated, the chief one being a continuation of 
M. Lacaze-Duthier’s researches upon the morphology of the 
Mollusca, in which the author treats of the Lamellibranchiate 
Acephala, or ordinary bivalved molluscs. —M. Colin discussed 
the question whether there is any relation between the intelligence 
of animals and the development of the nervous centres, and 
showed by numerous tables that there is no exact relation between 
the size of the encephalon and the observed intelligence. —M. 
Bergeon noticed the purpose of the lachrymal glands, which he 
considered to be chiefly the moistening of the air passages, and of 
the air passing through these to the lungs, so that they are really 
comected with the function of respiration,—M. Drouyn de 
Lhuys communicated an extract from a letter noticing the attacks 
of an Acarus upon the grape-vines at the Cape of Good Hope. 
The parasite is said to live upon the roots, and between the bark 
and wood of the plants. 
VIENNA 
Imperial Academy of Sciences, December 9, 1869.— 
Dr. L. J. Fitzinger communicated the first part of a critical 
revision of the Rhinolophous family of Bats. It treated of the 
genera Calops, Phyllorkina and Asellia.—Director Tschermak 
presented a memoir on the form and composition of the Felspars. 
—Dr. J. Peyritsch communicated a memoir on abnormities of 
structure in the Umbelliferze, containing the description of a 
series of malformations of the flowers in Cavum Carui, Daucus 
Carota, Torilis anthriscus, and Peucedanum Chabrai.—In con- 
nection with these the author discussed the axial or carpellar nature 
of the fruit of the Umbelliferze, and remarked that such cases 
show that the distinction between leaf and axis is not well founded 
in nature.—M. Schrauf noticed the occurrence of Brookite in 
iron-glance from Piz Cawradi, to the south of Chiamut in the 
Tavetsch valley of Graubiindten.—The table of observations at 
the Central Meteorological Observatory, for the month of 
November, was communicated. 
December 16, 1869 —Prcfessor Reuss communicated a 
memoir by Dr. Manzoni “On the Italian Fossil Bryozoa,” in 
continuation of previous papers by the same author. The 
present paper related exclusively to the genus Lepralia, of which 
the author described and figured 21 species, 15 of them as new 
