Z7(> 



NATURE 



[Feb. 14, I J 



was 4000 square cubits. The inscriptions described the restora- 

 tion of the famous temple of Belus, which was made " bright as 

 the beauty of heaven," with gold, silver, crystal, and precious 

 stones; the roof of the "house of the oracle" was of cedar 

 wood, plated with gold. The King recorded the restoration of 

 many other public and sacred edifices, and among other.; the 

 Tower of Hor.'iippa, known as the Tower of Babel, acco'ding to 

 Babylonian tradition. In concluding the inscription, the King, 

 in a most beautiful jMayer, commended his pious works to the 

 keeping of " Merodach, King of Heaven and Earth," to whom 

 he prayed " for long life, fullness of glory, and a widespread 

 dominion." 



El^INBURGH 

 Mathematical Society, February S. — Mr. A.J. G. Barclay, 

 vice-president, in the chair. — A presidential address was delivered 

 by Mr. Thomas Muir, F. R.S.E., on the promotion of research. 

 Attention was drawn to the backward state of mathematical 

 research in Scotland, particularly when compared with the 

 activity of Germany in the same department. Some of the causes 

 of this were discussed, and methods were suggested for bringing 

 about a reforrti. — Mr. H. II. Browning, Glasgow, contributed a 

 paper on illustrations of harmonic section ; and Mr. Muir com- 

 municated a theorem regaiding the area of a polygon of 211 

 sides. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, February 4. — M. Holland in the 

 chair. — Note on the necessity of establishing a branch of the 

 Observatory outside of Paris, by Admiral Mouchez. — On a new 

 application of the mercurial level suggested by M. Renouf for 

 calculating the altitude of the stars at sea when the horizon is in- 

 visible, by Admiral Mouchez. This ingenious contrivance, which 

 is available on land as w'ell as on sea, almost completely removes 

 the difficulties hitherto experienced in obtaining altitudes within 

 4' or 5' at night or in foggy weather. The apparatus, made by 

 M. Hurlimann, mechanician, has been for some time in use on 

 board the Transatlantic steamers plying between France and the 

 United States. M. Mouchez describes it as much simpler and 

 more exact than any other system hitherto invented. — On an 

 optical phenomenon observed during a fire that broke out at 

 Joly en January 31, by M. E. Chevreul. For three-quarters of 

 an hour the light of the street gas presented the complementary 

 colours of the light of the fire, that is, from yellow-green 

 to green and bluish, the sensations being referable at once 

 both to the simultaneous and successive contrast, accord- 

 ing as the observer beheld bDth lights simultaneously, or 

 one only at a time. — On Faraday's law regarding an electric 

 current traversing a series of electrolisable salts during the same 

 time, by M. Berthelot. The author argues that Faraday's law- 

 is in general more simply expressed by means of the equivalents 

 than by the .atomic weights, both for the electro-positive and for 

 the electro-negative elements. — Reply to M. Richet's remarks on 

 the method of ana;sthesis by means of the titrate mixtures of 

 chloroform and air, by M. Paul Bert. — Curves registered by the 

 mareograph established at Colon (earthquakes at Santander, 

 Guayaquil, Chios, &c.), by M. de Lesseps, The curves recorded 

 on October 13 and 14, 1883, appear to have indicated the under- 

 ground disturbances caused by the earthquakes that occurred on 

 those dates at Santander on the Atlantic, Guayaquil on the 

 Pacific, Chios in the Mediterranean, and elsewhere. Vet 

 nothing abnormal was registered by the mareograph of 

 the island of Naos, Gulf of Panama. — On the quantities 

 forming a group of nonions analogous to the quaternions of 

 Hamilton, by M. J. J. Sylvester. — Rc'stimi ol the meteorological 

 observations made during the year 1SS3 at four points in the 

 Upper Rhine and Vo.sges districts (Colmar, Munster, Schlucht,and 

 Thann), by M. G. A. Hirn. Referring to the recent twilight 

 effects observed at these stations, the author feels justified in con- 

 cluding that the particles, whether gaseous or in the form of dust, 

 lit up by the solar rays, were situated, at least to a large exten>, 

 beyond the terrestrial atmosphere, in any case at elevations 

 where no traces have ever been observed either of cirrus or 

 vapour of water. — On the late twilight phenomena, by M. de 

 Gasparin. The author considers that the chief features of these 

 phenomena were their rapid appearance from fifteen to sixteen 

 minutes after sunset, and their constant recurrence in a given 

 place for a period of sixty-six days. — On an instrument capable 

 of producing in the same telescope the images of two stars at 

 the moment when they are at the same altitude, and of fnrthe 

 determining by a single observation the astronomic time o 



the place, its latitude, and exact position for the whole 

 horizon, by M. Ch. Rouget. — On biquadratic involutions, by 

 M. C. Le Paige. — On a class of abelian functions and on 

 a hyperfuchsian group, by M. E. Picard.— Note on the 

 exact number of variations obtained in the multiplication 

 of the integral polynome /(;r) by the binome x -f a, by M. D. 

 Andre. — Transelementation of glyoxal into glycolic acid, by M. 

 de Forcrand. — On the thermal properties of the numerous oxi- 

 chlorides of mercury, by M. G. Andre. — Researches on the 

 formation of the crystallised fluoride of antimony and its disso- 

 lution either in pure water or in solutions of fiuorhydric acid, by 

 M. Guntz. — On the heat of tran-.formation of the prismatic 

 oxide of antimony into octahedric oxide, by M. Guntz. — On the 

 liquefaction of hydrogen, by M. S. Wroblew.-ki. From the 

 results already obtained, the author supposes that the tempera- 

 ture required for the complete liquefaction of hydrogen is about 

 that which may be obtained by means of boiling oxygen. — On 

 a case of isomerism of chloronitrous camphor, by M. P. 

 Cazeneuve. — On the segmentary organs and the podocyst of the 

 embryos of the slug family, by M. S. Jourdain. — On the 

 Tongrian deposits at Longjumeau, Department of Seine-et- 

 Oise, by M. Stan. Meunier. — On some freshwater formations 

 of the Tertiary period in Algeria, by M. Ph. Thomas. — On the " 

 influence of oxygen under increased pressure on the cultivation of 

 Bacillus anlhracis, by M. J. Wosnessenski. — On the cause of 

 the twilight effects of 1SS3, by M. G. Tissandier. Accepting 

 M. Angot's assumption that hypotheses inapplicable to the year 

 1831 must be rejected for 18S3, the author shows that the 

 atmospheric conditions of both years resembled each other in 

 every respect. The circumstances attending the eruptions in the 

 Sicilian waters in 1831, when the volcanic island of Pautellaria 

 made its appearance, were completely analogous to those of the 

 Kj-akatoa eruption in 1883. On both occasions the optical 

 phenomena were iinmediately preceded by igneous disturbances 

 ejecting into the atmosphere vast quantities of gaseous products 

 and fine dust. Hence the probability that to volcanic eruptions 

 were due the optical manifestations in both yeirs. — On the 

 twilight effects of the last few months, by M. Perrotin. This 

 author also argues that the twilights of 1831 prove nothing 

 against, but rather confirm, the volcanic theory adduced to 

 account for those of 1883. 



CONTENTS PAGE 



Mr, Ruskin's Bogies. By Rev. W. Clement Ley 353 



Spinoza. By R. B. Haldane 354 



Letters to the Editor :— 



The Krakatoa Eruption.— G. J. Symons, F.R.S. . 355 



The Remarkable Sunsets.— Prof. O. N. Stoddard 355 



Unconscious Bias in Walking. — W. G. Simpson . 356 

 The Ear a Barometer.— Dr. 'W. H. Stone ; George 



Rayleigh Vicars 356 



Diffusion of Scientific Memoirs.— Prof. P. G. Tait 357 



Wind Sand Ripples.— Dr. John Rae, F.R.S. . 357 



Animal Intelligence.— J. M. Hayward 357 



Circular Rainbow seen from a Hill-top. — J. M. 



White; T. R. Maynard 357 



The Storm of January 26. —G. Henry Kinahan 



[,lVith Dhgyaiii) 35!> 



Earthquake Disturbances of the Tides on the 

 Coasts of India. By Lieut. -General J. T. Walker, 



C.B., F.R.S Zi'i 



The Indian Survey 360 



Zoology and Botany of Alaska 362 



Sound-Mills. By Prof. Silvanus P. Thompson 



( With Illustrations) 3^3 



Notes 364 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Pons' Comet 3^7 



The Glasgow Catalogue of Stars 368 



The Variable Star U Geminorum 36S 



The Late ]. F. Julius Schmidt 36S 



The Royal Society of Edinburgh 368 



Instinct. By C Lloyd Morgan . . . . ■ 370 



A New Observatory for Paris 374 



University and Educational Intelligence 374 



Scientific Serials 375 



Societies and Academies 375 



