March 17, 1870] 
NATURE 
521 
paper ‘‘On the natural ropes used in packing cotton bales in 
Brazil.”—Mr. J. Sidebotham exhibited some photographs of 
Pholas-bored Rocks, and said in reference to a paper by Mr. R. 
D. Darbishire on rocks bored by Pholas at the Little Orme’s 
Head, that last spring he found many rocks so bored on both 
the Great and Little Ormes. The holes are most abundant nea 
the tops of the mountains, and none whatever are met with very 
low down. At first sight the holes on the surface of the rocks 
having been weather-worn, and sometimes connected by channels 
with the natural fissures in the rock, it is difficult to say which 
or whether any of the holes have been caused by boring shells. 
—An interesting collection of Australian plants from Dr. Mueller, 
of Melbourne, was exhibited by Mr. H. A. Hurst. 
EDINBURGH 
Royal Society, March 7.—William Forbes Skene, vice- 
president, in the chair. The following communications were 
read: ‘*On the Rate of Mortality of Assured Lives as experi- 
enced by Ten Assurance Companies in Scotland from 1815 to 
1863,” by James Meikle, actuary to the Scottish Provident 
Institution, communicated by Prof. Tait. In 1863 ten assurance 
companies contributed their mortality experience, embracing 
nearly 12,000 deaths, and published the result in May last. 
The present paper contained observations on the nature of that 
experience. After comparing the mortalities of the male popu- 
lation of England and Scotland, in which the mortality of males 
in Scotland was greater than in England up to about the 
age of thirty-five, the mortality of assured males was com- 
pared therewith, and also with the expectations of the Carlisle 
and the Actuaries’ tables, the most general bases of life assur- 
ance computations. Assured life experience was shown to be 
greatly more favourable than the Carlisle up to about the 
age of fifty, thereafter less favourable; it was slightly more 
favourable than the Actuaries’ at nearly all ages. Similar com- 
parisons were made of the mortality of females. The whole 
observations on the lives were then thrown into various forms, so 
as to exhibit the effects of the selection exercised by the offices 
in assuring only healthy lives ; and, after casting out the experience 
of the years when selection has its greatest force, comparing the 
remaining observations with the mortality of the population. 
The rate of mortality on policies effected ‘‘ zh participation in 
profits”? was shown to be very much /zg/er than on policies 
effected ‘‘ zwithout participation.” ‘The mortality on imperfect 
lives (those not assured at ordinary rates) was also discussed, and 
the amount of annual premium required to assure roo/. at death 
given for several classes of diseased lives. Interesting compari- 
sons were also given of the causes of death of assured lives and of 
the population. It appears that assured lives have died in greater 
proportion from zymotic complaints, diseases of the brain, heart, 
and liver ; while the populations have died in greater ratio from 
tubercular and lung diseases. The paper concluded with a de- 
scription of the manner in which some of the results were adjusted 
and interpolated. The whole wasvery fully illustrated by diagrams, 
and called forth an interesting discussion.—‘‘ Brief Notes on In- 
dian Society and Life in the Age when the Hymns of the Rigveda 
were composed,” by John Muir. After stating that although the 
religious conceptions of the Indians of the Vedic era were ina 
comparatively simple and undeveloped stage, it would be a mis- 
take to suppose that they had not made considerable advances in 
civilisation, the writer proceeded to give some account of the 
country which they occupied, and of the amount of opulence 
possessed by their kings, and to adduce a variety of particulars 
illustrative of their social and domestic relations and manners, 
their dress, food, drink, professions, relating to the tame and wild 
animals known to them, to their wars, armies, armour, and 
weapons, and to their poetry and incipient speculation. Some 
of the topics treated of were illustrated by metrical translations 
from the hymns of the Rigveda—(1) in praise of charity and 
liberality, (2) relating to the variety of men’s tastes and pursuits, 
(3) satirically comparing the Brahmins with frogs reviving at the 
beginning of autumn, (4) descriptive of the miseries of gam- 
bling, (5) in celebration of warlike prowess and its instruments, 
and (6), containing a specimen of early speculation. 
DUBLIN 
February 28.—Sir Robert Kane, vice-president, in the chair, 
Professor J. P. O'Reilly exhibited a model and described a plan 
of a moveable barometer. ‘The secretary read a note supple- 
mentary to their former paper ‘‘ Zozoon Canadense, a mineral 
Pseudomorphite,” by Professors W. King and T. H, Rowney, 
of Queen’s College, Galway. 
Natural History Society, March 2.—Rey. Professor 
Houghton, in the chair. Professor Houghton read a paper on 
the “ Pathological lesions observed in the stomach of a lioness.” 
—Professor Traquair exhibited fie specimens of Calamosictiys 
from Old Calabar, and Professor Macalister exhibited a specimen 
of Ameida vulgaris, from Mangerton, county Kerry. 
PARIS 
Academy of Sciences, March 7.—M. de Saint-Venant read 
a memoir on the establishment of the equations of the interior 
movements effected in solid ductile bodies beyond the limits at 
which elasticity can restore them to their former state. Papers 
were also communicated by M. Brioschi on the bissection of 
hyperelliptical functions, by M. Bourget on the algebraical de- 
velopment of the perturbative functions, and by M. Lucas on 
the calculation of the physical parameters and principal axes in 
a certain point of an atomic system.—M. Becquerel communi- 
cated a memoir on the electromotive forces of various substances, 
such as pure carbon, gold, platinum, &c., in the presence of 
water and of various liquids, in which he described the effects 
produced by plates of the substances above mentioned in 
contact with distilled water and various solutions.—M. Du- 
brunfaut presented some remarks upon the colours of rarefied 
gascs submitted to spectrum analysis. He remarked upon the 
luminosity of hydrogen in Geissler’s tubes at various degrees of 
tenuity, and stated that at its maximum attenuation a blood-red 
colour is characteristic of pure hydrogen, and that it communi- 
cates a similar coloration to the gas surrounding it. He also 
noticed the variation in the intensity of coloration of hydrogen, 
according to the calibre of the tubes through which the current 
passes. The purest nitrogen was stated to give a yellow tint, 
but usually the peculiarities of this gas are masked by the presence 
of water or mercury. The Torricellian vacuum was said to furnish 
the spectra of hydrogen, nitrogen, and mercury. The author 
also remarked upon some recent communications to the Academy 
on this subject.—A note by M. J. M. Gaugain on the electro- 
motive force developed by platinum when in contact with various 
liquids was presented by M. E. Becquerel. The author stated 
that when one of two plates of platinum is taken out 
of acidulated water, washed in distilled water and restored to 
its place, a current is developed, which he ascribed to the 
presence of the water. He discussed the probable modes of 
action of this water, and inclined to the opinion that the plate 
still plunged into acidulated water forms a coat more positive 
than the platinum itself, which combination is destroyed by the 
water. He stated, however, that the electro-motive force is greatly 
increased by the exposure of the washed plate toa temperature of 
150° C (=302° F.)—In a note on the illumination of transparent 
bodies, M. Soretadduced a further evidence in favour of his opinion 
that the presence of suspended particles takes a preponderant part 
in these phenomena.—M. Leroy de Boisbandeau communicated 
some remarks, illustrated by sketches, upon some curious icicles 
observed by him on the sides of a stone tank.—M, Aug. Hou- 
zeau noticed the absence of oxygenated water in the snow which 
fell at Rouen on several days during the past winter.—A note 
by Mr. Thudichum was presented, in which the author described 
an acid which, he stated, exists normally in the urine, and which he 
proposed to name A7vyprophanic acid.—M. Jouglet communicated 
anote on the action of ozone upon nitro-glycerine and other 
explosive compounds. He found that nitro-glycerine, dynamite, 
iodide and chloride of nitrogen and some other bodies exploded 
when put into a vessel containing ozone, whilst picrate of potash 
was slowly decomposed, and gunpowder was sensibly altered in 
six weeks. —A note by M. Sacc on the distillation of tartaric acid 
was presented.—Notes on earthquake shocks observed at Lima 
and Ancona wete communicated by the Minister of Public 
Instruction. —M. H. Sainte-Clair Deville presented a note by 
Father Denza, giving an account of a storm of sand accompany- 
ing rain and snow, which occurred in various parts of Italy on 
the 13th and 14th of February. he author remarked upon the 
periodicity of the phenomenon, and noticed its occurrence in 
various places ; the sand, in all cases, appeared to be identical, 
and was considered by the author to come from the African deserts. 
—A note by M. H. Magnan on the cretaceous formation of the 
French slope of the Pyrenees and of Corbiéres, and especially 
on the Neocomian, Aptian, and Albian strata of that region, 
was presented by M. Daubrée—MM. A. Roujou and P. 
A. Julien communicated a note on striz observed on blocks 
of Fontainebleau sandstone and other rocks imbedded in the 
diluvyium of the neighbourhood of Paris. These weré stated to 
