April 21, 1870] 
NATURE 
639 
gravity of the oxytribromide at 0° is 2°967.—3.—Vanadium 
Oxydibromide, or Vanadyl Dibromide, VOBr,, molec. wt.= 
227°3.—111.—Vanadium and Jodine.—Iodine-vapour does not 
attack either the trioxide or the nitride at a red heat, both these 
substances remain unchanged, and no trace of vanadium can be 
detected in the iodine which has passed over them.—iv.—The 
Metallic Vanadates.—Sodium Vanadates,—1.—Ortho- or Tri- 
Sodium Vanadate, Na, VO ,+16H, O,.—2.—Tetrasodium 
Vanadate, Na, V,O, 18H, O.—Lead Vanadates.—1.—Tribasic 
or Ortho-Lead Vanadate, Pb, 2(VO,).—2.—Vanadinite, the 
Double Orthovanadate and Chloride of Lead, 3Pb,; VO,+Pb 
C.1y.—3.—Basic Dilead Vanadate, 2(Pb, V,O,) + Pb O.—Silver 
Vanadates.—1.—The Ortho-silver Vanadate, Ag, Voy—2.— 
The Tetrabasic Silver Vanadat, Ag, P, O,. 
Anthropological Society, April 5.—Captain Bedford Pim, 
R.N., V.P., in the chair. A paper, by Mr. Hodder M. West- 
ropp,'wus read, on Phallic Worship. The author, after asserting 
the spontaneity and independence of certain beliefs and supersti- 
tions in the human mind, at all timesand in all climates, pro- 
ceeded to trace out the riseand development of phallic worship 
as one of the most ancient of those religions that have extensively 
prevailed among various sections of the human race. In the ear- 
lier ages the operations of nature made stronger impressions on 
the mind of man than in the later periods of his history. There 
were two causes which must have engaged the attention of the 
savage observer of nature, the generative and the productive, the 
active and passive. The author then described what he con- 
ceived to have been the process of thought, founded on analogies 
from the observation of the great forces of nature by the Egyp- 
tians, Assyrians, Hindus, Chinese, Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans, 
the aborigines of America, Australasia, and Polynesia, and on 
the unquestioned evidence of phallic worship in its various phases 
belonging to those peoples. That worship was always, among 
the ancients, of a purely reverential kind, and partook of nothing 
obscene, either in its teaching or its observance; it was a 
homage paid to the most potent and most mysterious of the 
powers of nature.—Mr. C. Staniland Wake then read a paper 
on the Influence of the Phallic idea in the Religions of Antiquity. 
Chemical Society, April 7.—Prof. Williamson, president, 
in the chair. The {jollowing gentlemen were elected Fellows :— 
F. Andrews, jun., W. Martindale, and A. H. Palmer.—Dr. 
Divers concluded a paper, commenced in a previous meeting, 
“On the combination of carbonic acid with ammonia and water.” 
The elaborate and very extensive memoir does not permit of any 
convenient abbreviation.—Dr. Gladstone communicated a paper 
“On the refraction equivalents of the aromatic hydrocarbons, 
and their derivatives.’”’ In a previous paper it was shown that 
the refraction values of organic compounds may easily be cal- 
culated when the refraction equivalents of the constituent bodies 
are known. The present paper enumerates a large number of 
substances which do not conform to the rule. The so-called 
aromatic hydrocarbons give, by experiment, higher figures than 
required by calculation. Dr. Gladstone accounts for this 
anomaly by regarding the nucleus phenyl, C, H;, as an 
entity having, like some elements (for instance, iron and 
phosphorus), the peculiarity of changing its refraction value. 
—Mr. Hunter, of Belfast, communicated a paper ‘‘ On Deep-Sea 
waters,” a sequel to anote read before the society in December 
Jast.-—Messrs. Bolas and Gloves read a note “ On Bromopicrin” 
and announced also the discovery of tetrabromide of carbon.— 
Prof. How, of Nova Scotia, reports of a feed water occurring at 
Stellarton, N.S., which contains traces of free oil of vitriol. 
For the meeting on April 21st a lecture ‘On Vanadium,” by 
Prof. Roscoe, is announced. 
Ethnological Society, Apri_, 12. — Professor Huxley 
F.R.S., president, in the chair. It was announced that Dr? 
Bonavia had been elected a member of the Society ; Dr. Carl 
Semper, of Wiirzburg, an honorary foreign member ; and Lieu- 
tenant S. P. Oliver, R.A., a corresponding member.—An in- 
teresting paper by Hodder M. Westropp, Esq., described very 
fully the ancient tribal system and land tenure in Ireland under 
the Brehon laws, and gave rise toa spirited discussion which 
was sustained by Mr. G. Campbell, Colonel Lane Fox, the 
president, Dr. Hyde Clarke, and Mr. McLennan.—A commu- 
nication was then read ‘* On the Danish Element in the popula- 
tion of Cleveland in Yorkshire.’’ The author pointed out that 
not only many words in the Cleveland dialect and a very large 
proportion of personal and local names in the district are of 
Scandinavian origin, but also that many of the idioms in use are 
markedly Scandinavian. He also sought to trace an old Anglian 
element in the population. Mr. Jon. Hjaltalin (an Icelander, ) 
Dr. Hyde Clarke, the Rey. Dr. Nicholas, and Col. Lane Fox, 
took part in the discussion which followed the reading of this 
valuable communication. 
Entomological Society, April 4.—Mr. Alfred R. Wallace, 
F.Z.S., &c., president, in the chair. Exhibitions were made of 
Coleoptera by Mr. Jenner Weir and Mr. Janson ; of Lepidoptera 
by Mr. Jenner Weir and Mr. Howard Vaughan ; of Hymenoptera 
by Mr. F. Smith; and Orthoftera by the secretary. —The ravages 
committed in granaries by Calandra granaria and C. oryze, and 
the means of preventing the same, were the subject of a lengthy 
discussion, in which Messrs. Jenner Weir, Vogan, Janson, 
Westwood, McLachlan, F. Smith, and the president took part. 
—Mr. Albert Miiller read a note on the odour of certain Cyzi- 
pide, and Mr. G, R. Crotch communicated some observations on 
British species of Dasyt#de. 
BIRMINGHAM 
Natural History Society.—Geological Section.—A paper 
on the Igneous Rocks of the Midland Coalfields was read by 
Mr. S. Allport, F.G.S. The author had examined carefully 
the mineral constitution of the igneous rocks of the Shropshire, 
Staffordshire, and Warwickshire coalfields, and also the so-called 
loadstone of Derbyshire, and was of opinion that they all be- 
longed to the carboniferous age, and in the case of the traps of 
the coalfields he had no doubt the said traps were contempora- 
neous and not intrusive. These rocks, now found in patches over 
the several coalfields of the Midlands were probably all derived 
from one source, just as the coalfields themselves were probably 
only remnants of a coalfield of great extent. In conclusion the 
author made some reference to the nomenclature of igneous rocks, 
which he said at present was in a very unsatisfactory state. 
CAMBRIDGE 
Philosophical Society, March 21.—Communications made 
to the society: 1. By Mr. Rohrs (Jesus College) ‘On carmine 
and the colouring principles of cochineal.” The author described 
the process which he had followed in some experiments in making 
carmine. He found that the presence of carbonate of lime in 
the water used was essential to success. The hard and shelly 
(Mexican) cochineal, of a colour inclining to foxy red, made the 
best carmine. Whitening was a most important ingredient in 
the process. He then discussed the theory of this, and inferred 
that two colouring principles existed in cochineal—purpureo-car- 
minic and coccineo-carminic acid, whereof the latter was un- 
stable.— 2. By Mr. Lewis (Corpus Christi College), ‘‘On a 
Roman Lanx and other antiques found at Welney.” The lanx 
was found about four feet below the surface. It was a specimen 
of the flat dish bearing this name, which often was of great size. 
Pliny mentions one weighing 5oolbs. The metal of that ex- 
hibited (according to an analysis made by Prof. Liveing) was 
8o per cent. tin, 18°5 percent. lead. In the centre was an elaborate 
pattern in a circle, with letters at equal distances in angles of 
the pattern. This had been read ‘‘ VrERE FELIX.” The read- 
ing, however, was doubtful. The author then commented upon 
other antiques of bronze, stone, and horn, from the same neigh- 
bourhood. 
DERRY 
Natural History and Philosophical Society, March 4. 
—William Harte, C.E., F.R.G.S.L, president, in the chair. 
Mr. Harte communicated some observations on a remark- 
able meteor which passed over Donegal on the night of 
the 27th of December last ; also a notice of a beautiful Aurora 
Borealis. —Mr. C. W. Dugan, M.A., read a paper on the ‘ Gold 
Antiquities of Ireland,” illustrated by drawings. In this paper 
he endeavoured to controvert some views adverse to the very 
early civilisation of Ireland ; also some opinions advanced as to 
the source of gold from which the massive and gorgeous orna- 
ments brought under notice had been fashioned. In connection 
with this paper there were exhibited some specimens of Irish 
ring money, &c., as also some splendid amber beads found on 
the property of Dr. Forsythe, and now in his possession.—Mr. 
Harte exhibited and made a few observations upon some beauti- 
ful cinerary urns found at Grange, near Strabane, and at Malins, 
Donegal. It is remarkable that a large urn and a small one 
were found together. These specimens are in good preservation. 
The black burnt ashes were adhering quite fresh to the sides of 
one of them, 
