April 28, 1870] 
IAT O LTE 
665 
Delaunay presented some remarks upon M. Flammarion’s note 
on the law of the rotatory movement of the planets, by M. G. 
Quesneville. The author maintained that M. Flammarion’s 
numbers were incorrect.—A note on the spectrum-analysis 
of a solar spot, by M. G. Rayet, was also communicated by M. 
Delaunay. The author stated that while observing the spectrum 
of an immense spot in the south-west region of the solar disc, 
he saw the line C become luminous in the portion answering 
to the nucleus. —The greater number of the papers presented to 
the meeting were on chemical subjects. M. Descloiseaux pre- 
sented a note on the clinorhombic form of the red oxide of 
mercury.—M. H. Sainte-Claire Deville indicated some experi- 
ments which he is now completing, upon the decomposition of 
aqueous vapour by iron. The phenomena, according to him, 
resemble in some important points, the mechanical phenomena 
of vaporisation and condensation ; that is to say, they favour 
hygrometric laws.—M. J. P. Prat presented some experimental 
researches upon gold andits compounds. The author described 
the formation of a spongy gold by the addition of bicarbonate 
of potash to a solution of sesquichloride or gold, adding oxalic 
acid to the filtrate, and boiling it for two minutes. The spongy 
gold, heated with a combination of sulphuric and iodic acids, is 
entirely oxydised ; the product dissolves in forming nitric acid. 
The solution, when diluted and heated, gives a precipitate of 
protosulphate of gold. The author noticed further the chlorides, 
iodides, and oxides of gold, two of the latter being new com- 
pounds (Au? O? and AuO?). A current of chlorine passed 
over a heated chloride of gold may produce a volatile chlorine 
superior to the sesquichloride.—M. H. Debray communicated 
a note on the assay of silver containing mercury. After 
noticing and explaining the process of Levol for effecting 
this assay in the humid way, the author described the 
method adopted by him, which consisted in heating a small por- 
tion of the silver, known to contain mercury, in a small crucible 
of gas charcoal for about a quarter of an hour, when the mer- 
cury is driven off and the silver remains as a button,—M. 
Balard presented a note by M. E. Reboul, on the hydriodates 
and hydrochlorates of monobrominated zthylene and propylene. 
—In a note on black phosphorus, M. Blondlot stated that after 
many unsuccessful trials by Thenard’s method, he had prepared 
this substance by distilling phosphorus, or heating it to 212° F. 
under water in contact with mercury. Its colour is due to a 
multitude of black points, which disappear when the substance 
is fused and reappear on its cooling. At first the black phos- 
phorus thus prepared, contained a trace of mercury, but after 
several distillations this disappeared, although the coloration 
was retained. The black material is more volatile than ordinary 
phosphorus, of which the author believed it to be an allotropic 
form.—M. Boussingault communicated a note by M. Musculus, 
on a dextrine insoluble in cold water, prepared by treating starch 
with crystallisable acetic acid. The author considered their in- 
solubility of this dextrine to be due to its retaining the organisa- 
tion of the starch grains. He described its characters and be- 
haviour under various circumstances. —M. L. Henry presented 
two important memoirs, one on the chloronitric and bromonitric 
zthers of glycerine; the other, on the direct combination of 
allylic compounds with chloride of iodine and hypochlorous 
acid. In the former paper he described the action of nitric 
acid upon the halogenated ethers of glycerine, and especially 
the compounds dichloromononitrine (C*H*), Cl (NO), and 
monochlorodinitrine (C3H®), Cl (NO%)?,,—M. A. Béchamp 
communicated a note on the formation of urea by the 
action of hypermanganate of potash upon albuminous matters, 
in which he maintained the correctness of his assertion that this 
reaction takes place, and described his mode of experimentation 
and the results of the analysis of his products.—M. P. Guyot 
communicated the results of his investigations into the toxical 
properties of some products of the phenic group—azuline and 
lydine.—M. J. Cloquet presented a note by M. L. Van Backer, 
containing a list of earthquake shocks and volcanic eruptions 
recorded as having taken place in the Dutch East Indies since 
the commencement of the sixteenth century. This list is derived 
from Junghuhn’s ‘‘ History of volcanoes.” —M. H. Baillon made 
some observations on the crests of ice which have been noticed 
on the stems of plants, and stated that this phenomenon was a 
purely physical one, and had nothing to do with the life of the 
plant.—According to M. Guérin-Meneville, the parasitic insect, 
called zi or oudzi, which attacks the silkworms in Japan, is a 
Dipterous fly, like the Chinese one noticed by M. Castellani, 
and the French fly which has transferred its attentions to the 
Cynthia-silkworm. M. Guérin names the parasite Zachina 
oudji.—M. N. Joly, in a letter to M. Dumas, noticed the 
occurrence of a distinct rotation of the embryos in the eggs of 
the axolot.—Dr. Pettigrew, presented some observations on the 
flight of Insects, with reference to M. Marey’s communications 
on this subject. Dr. Pettigrew claims the priority in determining 
that the wings of insects in movement describe a figure of 8,— 
M. Andral, presented a note on the temperature of new-born 
infants ; M. Moyret proposed the employment of perchloride 
of iron for the purification of the air evacuated from hospitals ; 
and M. Namias forwarded some remarks upon the employment 
of bromide of potassium as a medicine, in reply to which M. 
Balard, made some observations, reccommending the use of 
bromide of sodium. Of the following communications the 
titles only are given:—A note on cholera by M. Levery; a 
note on the movement of liquids by M. d’Estoquois ; and a 
note on vapour in a state of saturation, by M. Leloup. 
VIENNA 
Imperial Academy of Sciences, March 17.—A memoir was 
communicated by Professor V. Graber ‘‘ On the resemblance of 
the structure of the female external sexual organs in the Locustidz 
and Acrydii from the point of view of their developmental 
history.” The author stated that in these two families of salta- 
torial orthopterous insects the external sexual organs of the 
females are exactly similar in number, form, and position in 
their original condition when the young animals leave the egg, 
and that it is only by changes taking place during development 
that the great differences observable in the mature insects are 
brought about. These developmental changes were described by 
the author in detail. 
March 24.—Professor J. Stefan presented a preliminary com- 
munication ‘‘ On a new experimental method of analysing the 
movement of sounding columns of air,” by Professors A Toepler 
and L. Boltzmann ; and also a paper by himself ‘* On the excita- 
tion of longitudinal vibrations by transverse ones.”—Dr. S. Stern 
communicated a memoir ‘* On the resonance of air in free space, 
as a contribution to the theory of sound.”—Dr. A. Boué spoke 
upon the accumulation of erratic blocks in the sedimentary 
rocks, and in tertiary sandstones or conglomerates. He dis- 
cussed the various hypotheses which have been put forward to 
account for these phenomena, which occur in various formations 
from the older carboniferous sandstones to the most recent beds, 
For the Eocene and Miocene rocks the author adopted the theory 
of their having been floated by ice ; he also opposed the notions 
of those geologists who ascribe the excavation of lake-basins to 
the action of glaciers and assume the existence of glaciers at all 
geological periods.—A memoir was communicated by Professor 
Briicke ‘‘ On the physiological significance of the partial decom- 
position of fat in the small intestine.” 
PHILADELPHIA 
American Philosophical Society, March 4.—‘‘On the 
Periods of Certain Meteoric Rings.” By Daniel Kirkwood. 
I. The Meteors of April20. Inthe Astronomische Nachrich- 
ten, No. 1632, Dr. Weiss called attention to the fact that the 
orbit of the first comet of 1861 very nearly intersects that of 
the earth, in longitude 210°; the point passed by the latter at 
the epoch of the April meteoric shower. A relation between 
the meteors and the comet, similar to that recently detected be- 
tween the November meteors and the comet of 1866, was thus 
suggested as probable. Is this hypothesis in harmony with 
facts ? and if not, are our present data sufficient for determining 
with any reasonable probability the true period of the Apnil 
meteors ? 
Dates of the April Shower.—Prof. Newton selects the following 
from Quetelet’s catalogue as belonging to this period :* 
T Ba Ga0o75 4. A. D. 1093, °4 75, and 76 
2. ” 15, 5: ” 1122, 5 
3. A. D. 582, 6 nO 1803, 
Period of the first Comet of 1861.—The elements of this body 
were computed by Oppolzer, who assigned it a period of 415 y. 
4. Now, while it is true that the interval from B. C. 687 to 
A. D. 1803, is very nearly equal to six periods of 415 years, the 
slightest examination will show that this period does not 
harmonise with any of the intermediate dates. This fact, then, 
without further discussion, seems fatal to the hypothesis that the 
period of the meteors is nearly equal to that of the comet, 
*Silliman’s Journal for July, 1863. 
