NA TURE 



[Nov. 29, 1883 



cella, Psiudorca, Globiccpltalus, Grampus, Feresia, Lageno- 

 rhynclnis, Ddphiniis, Ttirsiops, Clymenia, Steno, and Sotalia. 

 Critical remarks were added upon tlie characters and synonymy 

 of the best-known species of each. — Prof. Flower also gave an 

 account of a specimen of Kudolphi's Rorqual, Bahcnoptern 

 borealis. Lesson (= SibbalJius laticeps. Gray), lately captured in 

 the River Crouch, Essex, being the first well-authenticated 

 example of this species met with in British waters. — A com- 

 munication was read from Dr. M. Watson, F.Z.S., containing 

 additional observations on the structure of the female organs of 

 the Indian Elephant {Elcphas itidiciis). — A communication was 

 read from Mr. F. Moore, F.Z.S., containing the descriptions of 

 some new Asiatic Diurnal Lepidoptera. — A communication was 

 read from Mr. K'. Trimen, F.K.S., in which he gave a descrip- 

 tion of a remarkable semi-melancid variety of the Leopard {Felis 

 pardiis) in tlie Albany Museum, Grahamstown, which had been 

 obtained in the east of the Cape Colony. — A communication was 

 readfrom the Ccimt H. von Berlepisch and Mr. L. Taczanowski, 

 in which an account was given of an extensive collection of 

 birds made by MM. Stolzmann and Siemiradzki in Western 

 Ecuador. 



Edinburgh 



Royal Physical Society, November 21. — The first meeting 

 of the 113th session was hekl in the Instituiion Rooms, St. 

 Andrew Square, Dr. Ramsay H. Traquair, F. R.SS. London and 

 Edinburgh, president, in the chair. — A nest of the reed-warbler, 

 found near Combe Abbey, Warwickshire, was exhibited 

 to the Society by Dr. Herbert. — The opening address of the 

 session was then delivered by Dr. Archibald Geikie, F.R.S.S. 

 London and Edinburgh, Director-General of the Geological 

 .Survey of Great Britain and Ireland on "The Relation between 

 Geology and Palccontology." 



Sydney 

 Linnean Society of New South Wales, September 26. — 

 Dr. James C. Cox, F.L.S., in the chair. — The following papers 

 were read : — On a very dolichocephalic skuU of an Australian 

 aboriginal, by Baron N. de Miklouho Maclay. The cephalic 

 index of this skull, which was found in the interior of Queens- 

 land, was only SS'g, calculated on the ophrio-occipital length, 

 and58'3, calculated l.y the glabello-occipital length, an index 

 lower probably than that of any skull hitherto described. The 

 skull was not a deformed one in the ordinal^ sense, but was a 

 fair example of the so-called roof-shaped type of cranium. — On 

 a fossil humerus, by Mr. C. W. De Vis. — Notices of some un- 

 described species of Coleoptera from the Brisbane Museum, by 

 William Macleay, F.L. S. The species described are a few 

 unnamed Coleoptera occurring in a large collection sent by Mr. 

 De Vis to the author for identification. Their names are:— 

 Pamboriis vhidiaitreus, Catascopus laticollis, Eutonta poncti- 

 penne, Careniim teriir-ivgiine, C. ianthinum, C. De Visit, C. 

 piisilhim, Tibarisus robustus, Pacilus Itnis, Diphucephala hii-ti- 

 pmnis, D. carulea, D. latipennis, and Liparelrus convexiuiculiis. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, November 19. — M. Blanchard, 

 president, in the chair. — Kemarks on the recent volcanic dis- 

 turbances in Sunda Strait ; mineralogical analysis of the ashes 

 collected, by M. Daubree. From the examination of these 

 ashes, which fell at Eatavia on August 27, the author considers it 

 liighly probable that the surface waters penetrating deeply into 

 the underground cavities, and there becoming superheated, form 

 the chief agency in such volcanic eruptions as those of Krakatoa 

 and Ischia. — On the velocities acquired in the interior of a 

 vessel by the various elements of a fluid during its discharge 

 through a lower orifice (continued), by MM. de Saint-Venant 

 and Flamant. — On tlie jirocess of purple dyeing amongst the 

 ancients according to a fragment attributed to Democritus of 

 Abdera, by M. Berthelot. — On the production of extremely 

 low temperatures by means of continuous apparatus, liy 

 M. Cailletet. — Report on the French expedition to Cape 

 Horn, by M. Martial. The expedition, undertaken mainly to 

 observe the transit of Venus, embarked on board La Ro- 

 inanche at Cherbourg on July 17, and reached its destina- 

 tion on September 6. Three contacts were observed under 

 favourable conditions by M. Courcelle-Seneuil. A great 

 part of Tierra del Fuego was visited, numerous dredgings were 

 made at various points, and rich collections, especi.ally botanical 

 and ethnological, were brought back These included living 



specimens of most of the Fucgian flora, two native canoes with 

 their full equipment, a com|letehut with all the utsnsils, arms, 

 and other objects in use amongst the aborigines. A cairn twenty 

 feet high was erected in Orange Bay to commemorate the French 

 expedition to Cape Horn. — On the transformations of which 

 certain equations of the second order are susceptible, by M. R. 

 I.iouville. — On the electrochemical energy of light, by M. F. 

 Griveaux. — Observations of the Pons- Brooks comet made at the 

 Paris Observatory (equatorial of the west tower), by M. ti. 

 Bigourdan. — Observations of the same ccmet and of the 

 planet 234 made at the Marseilles Ob?ervatory, by M. 

 Coggia. ■ — Photometric observation of an eclipse of the 

 fir-t satellite of Jupiter, by M. A. Obrecht. — Remarks 

 on a formula of Tisserand connected with celestial me- 

 chanic, by M. R. Radau. — On the resisting power of a 

 ring, by M. J. Boussinesq. — On the curve-lines of wave surface-, 

 by M. G. L'arboux. — Application of a proposition in mechanics 

 to a problem connected with the figure of the earth, by M. E. 

 Brassinne. — Note on the action of carbonic acid on saccharine 

 dissolutions more or less charged with lime, by M. D. Loiseau. 

 — On a new kind of ureometer (one illustration), by M. W. H. 

 Greene. — Experiments on the passage of charbon bacteridasinto 

 the milk of animals affected by charbon, by MM. J. Chamtre- 

 lent and A. Moussous. — On the embryogeny of Saci'ulina car- 

 cini, an endoparasitic crustacean of the order of Kentrogonides, 

 third note, by M. Yves Delage. In this highly important con- 

 tribution to the study of parasitic entomology the author pro- 

 poses to constitute a new order of Kentrogonides, distinct from, 

 but allied to, that of the Cirrhipedes. — Development of the 

 Stylorhynchu--, by M. A. Schneider. — On the genus Ptycho- 

 gaster, Pomel, a fossil Chelonian found associated with the 

 remains of crocodiles in the Saint-Gerand-Ie-Puy formations, 

 by M. L. Vaillant. — On " vaugnerite," a phospbatiferous rock 

 occurring in the Irigny district on the banks of the Rhone, by 

 M. F. Gonnard. — Note on a prehistoric flint mine worked during 

 the Stone age at Mur-deBarrez, Aveyron, by M. E. Carlailhac. 

 — Concluding remarks on the waterspouts observed at Ville- 

 franche-sur-Mer, Maritime Alps, during the month of October, 

 1S83, by M. J. Jeannel. — Note on the effects produced by liyht- 

 iiing during a thunderstorm at Rambouilleton November 10, by 

 M. A. Laugier. 



CONTENTS Page 



Scientific Worthies, XXIII. —Sir Charles William 



Siemens. By Sir William Thomson, F.R.S. . . 97 

 The Forest Lands of Finland. By Prof. W. Fream loi 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Optical Phenomena. — J. LI. Bozward ; Dr. 

 Hubert Airy; A. Tarn; Miss Annie Ley; 



Mrs. M. Carey-Hobson 102 



Pons' Comet and Meteors. — The Quadrantids. — 



Thos. Wm. Backhouse 104 



Meteor.— F. T. Mott 104 



Some H.abits of Bees and Humble-lees. — Miss 



Isabella Herschel 104 



Rudolphi's Rorqual.— Prof. W. H. Flower, F.R.S. 104 



Reflection of Light.— W. J. Trentler 104 



A Lunar Rainbow. — ^J. C. Kernahan 105 



Sudden Stoppage of Clocks. — G. Henry Kinahan . 105 



Fog Bows. — G. H. Kinahan 105 



The Early History of the Herring. By Prof J. 



Cossar Ewart 105 



The Origin of Coral-Reefs. By Arch. Geikie, F.R.S., 

 Director-General of the Geological Survey (With 



Diagram) J07 



Notes no 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Pon-.' Comet 112 



The General Theory of Thermodynamics. By Prof. 



Osborne Reynolds, F.R.S 112 



Professor August Weismann on the Sexual Cells of 

 the Hydromedusae. By Prof H. N. Moseley, 



V.Vi.S. (IVil/i Diagrams)' 114 



University and Educational Intelligence .... 119 

 Societies and Academies 119 



