352 



NATURE 



[Feb. 7, i! 



alministra'iion of chloroform, by M. Richet. — Note on the dis- 

 semination, assimilation, and determination of phosphoric acid 

 in arable lands, by M. P. de Gasparin. — On the mean m >ve- 

 ment of the first satellite of Satnrn (Mimas), based on ninely-oiie 

 observations made at Toulouse since October 24, 1876, by M. 

 H. Uaillaud. — Observation of the Pons- Brooks comet made at 

 the Observatory of Meudon (one illustration), by M. K. L. 

 Tr.nivelot. — On the reduction of a continuous fraction of 

 a fraction satisfying a linear equation of the first order 

 with rational coefticients, by M. l.aguerre. — Further rediic- 

 iion of the limits furnished by Doscarte's rule of signs, by M. 

 D. Andre. — On the distribution of the potential in liquid masses 

 limited by two parallel planes, by M. Appell. — Relation between 

 the power and resistance applied to the two points of attachment 

 in a continuous spring breal;, regard being had to the elasticity of 

 the sprinsr, by M. H. l.eiute. — On the reciprocal action of two 

 electrified spheres, by M. Mascart. — On the Skrivanow electric 

 pile (pocket model), by M. Vi. Monnier. — On the variations of 

 electromotor force in accumulators, by M. E. Reynier. — On a 

 method of determining the longitude of a place, the latitude and 

 astronomic time being known, by the observation of the true 

 altitude of the moon at a given moment beforehand, by M. Ch. 

 Rouget. — Report on the fresh experiments made with the marine 

 gyroscope on board the ironclad Lc Tiitinii^ m the harbour 

 of Brest on November 11 and 16, 1883, by M. Edm. iHibois. 

 — On a new method of preparing the permanganate of barytum, 

 by MM. G. Rousseau and B. Bruneau. — On ^a nitrous colloid 

 derived from amid iben/oic acid, by M. E. Grimaux. — On some 

 remarkable properties of the lutidine derived from coal tar, by 

 M. Oechsner de Coninck. — On the operculum of thegasteropods, 

 by M. Houssay. — On the proportion of incompletely oxidised 

 phosphorus contained in the lu'ine, especially under certain 

 nervous conditions, by MM. R. Lepine, Eymonnet, and Aubert. 

 — Researches on the intensity of the chemical phenomena of 

 respiration in superoxygenised atmospheres, by JI. L. de Saint 

 Martin. — Researches on abnormal menstrual discharges, by M. 

 J. Rouvier. — On the barometric disturbances produced by the 

 Krakatoa eniption (second note), by M. E. Renou. — On the 

 barometric disturbances observed on August 27, 1SS3, at Mont- 

 souris, by M. Marie- Davy. — On the causes (i) of the production 

 of atmospheric electricity in general ; (2) of electricity in thun- 

 derstorms ; (3) of electricity of sheet-lightning, by M. G. le 

 Goarant de Tromelin. — On an auroral and crepuscidar display 

 of light observed at the island of Reunion, in the Indian Ocean, 

 on September 8, 18S3, by M. Pelagaud. 

 Berlin 

 Physiological Society, January 11. — Prof . Kossel discussed 

 the methods which had hitherto been adopted in order to become 

 acquainted with the transformations of nitrogenous substances 

 in the animal body in the course of their passage from the 

 well-known starting point, the albumen, to the likewise well- 

 known final products, urea, uric acid, and creatine. The way 

 which, in the opinion of the speaker, was most likely to lead to 

 good results was to seek in the tissues the chemical combinations 

 which, in accordance with their composition, stood midway 

 between the albumen and its final products. In relation to 

 this point, the analyses of nitrogenous substances occurring in 

 the animal body had already yielded seme definite data to 

 work on. The proportion of carbon to nitrogen (C : N) had, 

 namely, been found to be, in the albumen, 100 : 30 ; in urea, 

 100 : 233 ; in creatine, too : 66 ; in hypoxanthine and xanthine, 

 100:93 ; '"""1 i" guanine, 100 : 116. It appeared evident, 

 therefore, that the substances creatine, hypoxanthine, xanthine, 

 and guanine were mediate products in the process of the trans- 

 mutation of the albumen, with the discoveiy of which in 

 the tissues Prof. Kossel had been busied. The bases hypo- 

 xanthine, xanthine, and guanine were not found ia an isolated 

 state in the tissues, but conqiounded with albumen and phos- 

 phoric acid into the complicate molecule, nuclein, a subject 

 to which the speaker had devoted searching inquiry. There 

 were different forms of nuclein which varied probably accord- 

 ing to the share the bases had in their composition. .■\11 of 

 them, however, .agreed in having common reactions. Nuclein 

 had already, by its discoverer, been brought into close relation- 

 ship with the cell-nucleus, and it would be of great consequence 

 if it could be conclusively proved that the cell-nucleus consisted 

 exclusively of nuclein, as in that case the changes of the cell- 

 nucleus occurring under different physiological conditions would 

 be accomp.anied by chemically demonstrable quantitative changes 

 in this nuclein substance. The quantitative analysis of the 



nuclein could, namely, be worked out by determining the xan- 

 thine or guanine ba-es. In thi; case, however, it was necessary 

 to ascertain b..forehand that the tissue examined contained no 

 free xanthine or guanine besides the nuclein. A second method 

 for determining the quantitative nuclein was through deter- 

 mining the amount of phosphoric .acid in the composition. 

 Phosphoric acid occurred in the b >dy in three different com- 

 binations, namely, as inorganic phosphoric salt, in lecithin, 

 and in nuclein. Inorganic ])hosphoric acid was to be 

 extr.tcted by diluted acids, lecithinic phosphoric .acid by hot 

 alcohol. The phosphoric acid then remaining would belong 

 to the nuclein, and could serve for its quantitative lieter- 

 mination. Prof Kossel had now ascertained that the blood of 

 mammalia contained no nuclein, while on the other hand the 

 blood of birds did. The muscles contained little nuclein, the 

 brain somewhat more ; still more was found in the liver, ami 

 most of all in thespleen. Inallthee successi.'e cases the nuclein 

 substance kept about equal pace with the presence of cell- 

 nucleus. Nuclein was also, however, to be met with in substances 

 which contained no cell-nucleus ; in the yolk, fjr example, and 

 in the milk. Possibly in this case there might be chemical proof 

 of granules without their having come morphologically to view. In 

 pathological processes, by which cell-nucleus becomes excessively 

 developed in tissues which otherw ise contained no cell-nucleus, 

 as was the case in leucaemia or sarcomatous tumours in the 

 muscles, Prof. Kossel had invariably found an increase of nu:'.ein 

 in corresponding qu.intities. — Dr. W. Wolff explained some 

 microscopical preparations which he had set up in the demonstrat- 

 ing hall. In one of these preparations was seen a stage in the 

 development of the nerves in the tail of the larva of a 

 frog. These nerves consisted of primitive fibres ramifying as 

 far as the finest fibrelets. At a farther stage cells were seen 

 attaching themselves to these at the thicker parts. Next ap- 

 peared the nerve-sheath, and finally the marrow. Other prepara- 

 ti'ins demonstrated the growth of the bones of frogs which took 

 place only at the periosteum and at the ends of the diaphyses. 

 By treatment with chromic acid and with two ditferent aniline 

 colours. Dr. Wolff had stained the cartilages a beautiful blue, 

 and the osseous tissue red, and was therefore able readily to 

 follow the development of the latter. 



CONTENTS Page 



Jurassic Rocks under London. By Prof John W. 



Judd, F.R.S 329 



Mental Evolution in Animals. By James SuUy . 330 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Hamblin Smith's "Introduction to the Study of Heat " 333 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



The Ear a Barometer. — C. V. Boys 333 



The Rem.arkable Sunsets.— ^A:. T. T. D. ; Henry 



Cecil ; W. W. Taylor 334 



Christian Conrad Sprengel.- Dr. Fritz Miiller . . 334 



Diffusion of Scientific Memoir-.— R. T. Glazebrook 335 



Brooks' Comet. — W. T. Sampson 335 



" Ment.al Evolution in .\nimals." — F. J. Faraday ; 



George J. Romanes, F.R.S 335 



The Storm of January 26. — David Cunningham . 336 



Ozone at Sea.— Clement L. Wragge 336 



Meteor. — E. Howarth 336 



Ravens in the United States. — Manhattan .... 336 



Unconscious Bias in Walking. — Sara S. Owen . . 336 

 On the Height of the Aurora Borealis. By Adam 



Paulsen 337 



The Effects of the Weather upon DeathRate and 



Crime in India. By S. A. Hill 338 



Algse. r.y Mrs. Mary P. Merrifield 340 



Meteorological Observations from Ben Nevis . . 342 



Notes 343 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Comet of" K 64 345 



Geographical Notes 34^ 



The Origin of the Scenery of the British Islands. 

 By Archibald Geikie, F.R.S., Director-General of 



the Geological Survey 347 



The Monk'Fish 348 



University and Educational Intelligence 34S 



Scientific Serials 349 



Societies and Academies ( With Diagram) 340 



