May 23, 1872J 



NATURE 



75 



CNchanges of heat are most efficient in giving structure to the 

 forming body. The actions of heat and cold, having a dircclive 

 influence in the formation of hexagonal basaltic columns, were 

 shown in the illustrations. In thetoncludingpait of the paper the 

 large suiface coniact of the ocean wiih the bed on which it rests, 

 and the contact of the atmosphere with the land and water sur- 

 faces, were adverted to as areas where the exchanges of heat 

 had done and were now doing much work in producing struc- 

 tures. Jointage, cleavage, and various other rock structures 

 are ascribed as being mostly due to such work. Ice structure is 

 another marktd example. It be.irs a striking analogy to the 

 hexagonal columnar stiucture of basalts, inasmuch as it often 

 breaks up into columns by ^low melting. The ice of a lake 

 sometimes shows such a breakage when it melts in the spring. — 

 " On a visit to the Diamond Fields of South Africa, with notices 

 of geological phenomena by the wayside," by Mr. John 

 Paterson. On the geological questions connected with tli 

 diamond fields the author propounded some new views 

 based on a minute and careful examination of the ap- 

 pearances which presented themselves to him on his visit 

 to the diamond-fields. He discredits the theories which 

 would refer the presence of diamonds in Grequaland West to any 

 distant sources ; and thinks the evidence incontestable that the 

 marl soil, as he named it, in which the gems are now found, is 

 the true matrix soil of the diamond. Ihis marl soil he con- 

 siders to be the metamorphosed carboniferous shales of the 

 country, and the change w hich has worked upon these shales, 

 by which they have been trans-formed from the black carbon- 

 iferous shale into the whitish ashy marl in which the diamonds 

 are found, he attributes to intrusions of greenstone trap, which 

 traverse that country from N. E. to .S.W. in continually recurring 

 dykes. Mr. Paterson gave some very interesting details of the 

 extent and lichness of the diamond diggings in South Africa, 

 and in his picture of the Gong-Gong and Delport Diggings as 

 " (Ireat Rushes " in digger's phrase, resembUng in extent and 

 richness Colesberg Kopje, but now nearly worked out, not by 

 the hand of man in a few years, but by the angry waters of the 

 Vaal River through many age.-, he found much groundwork of 

 hope that the diamond discoveries of South Africa are to be no 

 fleeting passing industry, but a continuous emplo)ment, not only 

 for many years but for many ages. 



Society of Biblical Archseology, May 7. — Mr. R. Cu;I, 

 F.S. A., in the chair. — " On Underground Jerusalem ; more par- 

 ticularly in reference to the Plateau of the Haram es Shereef." 

 By Mr. William Simpson. The paper described Omar's search 

 under the guidance of Sophronius, the patriarch of Jerusalem, 

 for the site of the Temple, as one of the first explorations into 

 the topography and archeology of the Holy City. The trans- 

 ference ol holy places from one point to another was explained 

 as involving confusion and adding to the difficulties of arriving 

 at reliable lacts. The principal theories respecting the site of the 

 Temple and the Holy Sepulchre were defined, and their merits 

 touched upon so far as to indicate the progress of the questions 

 connected with them. The importance of a careful study of the 

 various styles of building in the Haram Wall was pointed out 

 so as to get a date, if possible, as a ground upon which to start. 

 A most interesting part of the paper was a description of the 

 Great Sea, excavated out of the solid rock, under the Temple 

 site, and the supply of water to it from the pools of Solomon 

 near tcthlehem. The great importance of the water system for 

 the Temple uses having an essential bearing on the question of 

 the topography, and the question was still one which rec[uirtd 

 further knowledge and study to arrive at a definite result. — "On 

 the so called Moabite Stone, described in a late Letter to the 

 Times." By Mr. B. G. Jenkins. The author considered that 

 the letter and the inscription bore their own condemnation ; for 

 the stone could not be Moses' memento of the conquest ol a land 

 lie never attacked. — " Obsen'ations on the dimensions of the 

 Great Pyramid and the Royal Coffer." By Solomon M. Drach. 



Academy of Sciences, April 29.— M. Chasles read a paper 

 containing theorems relating to the obliques drawn through the 

 points ot a curve under angles of the same size. — .M. F. Lucas 

 communicated some ger.eral theorems on the equilibrium and 

 movement of material systems.— M. L. Melsens presented a note 

 en some effects of the penetration of projectiles into various 

 media, and on the imi^os-ibililv of the fusion of leaden bullets in 



the wounds produced by fire-arms. — A memoir was read on the 

 electrical jet in rarefied gases, and especially on its mechanical 

 power, by MM. A. de la Rive and Sarasin. Their experiments 

 showed that the velocity of rotation of the jet diminishes as the 

 density of the gas is incieased, but not in the same proportion, 

 and that the jet possesses considerable mechanical force. — MM. 

 P. A. Favre and C. A. Valson presented a continuation of their 

 memoir on crystalline dissociation, containing the second part of 

 their investigation of the alums. — M. Fizeau presented a report 

 on a memoir by M. Croullebois on the elliptical double refraction 

 of quartz. — A continuation of M. P. Desains' researches upon 

 the reflection of heat was read, and a note by M. D. Gernez on 

 the absorption-spectra of selenium and tellurium, their proto- 

 chlorides and protobromides, and of the protobromides of iodine 

 and alizarine were presented by M. H. SainteClaire Deville. — 

 Several papers and notes on auroras were read, including the 

 continuation of M. J. Silbeimann's memoir on the causes and 

 laws of auroras, a note by Father Denza on auroral phenomena 

 observed in Italy in March and April 1872, and a note by M. 

 Guillard on indications of an aurora borealis observed at Lyons 

 on April 8. — A second note by M. W. de Fonvielle on the hypo- 

 thesis of the magnetisation of the sun was also read. — M. De- 

 launay presented a note by M. G. Heraud on the tides of lower 

 Cochin China, with especial reference to the determination of the 

 diurnal and semi-diurnal waves. — A note by M. Chapelas on a 

 meteor observed at Rheims on the night of April 19-20, and one 

 by M. Perris on a meteor seen at Agde on the evening of April 

 24 were read. — M. Aime Girard presented an investigation 

 of the salt marshes and salt industry of Portugal, in which he 

 describes the details of the extensive manu acture of sea-salt 

 carried on in that country. — M. Bussy presented a note by M. J. 

 Personne on the presence of selenium in the sulphuric acid 

 manufactured in France. — A note by the Abbe Laborde on the 

 action of oxygen upon certain vegetable infusions was communi- 

 cated by M. Pasteur. The author, after hermetically sealing a 

 vegetable infusion in a glass vessel, and keeping it for a month 

 unchanged, produced from it successive small quantities of 

 oxygen by electrolysis. The infusion still remained unaltered, 

 notwithstanding the replacement of the vacuum by an atmosphere 

 of oxygen ; but when the vessel was opened to the air vegeta- 

 tion soon made its appearance. — M. Pasteur also communicated 

 a note by M. Griessmayer on the question of the assimilation of 

 ammonia by yeast. — A note by M. H. By.isson on the physio- 

 logical action of formic cether was presented by M. Robin. — M. 

 Blanchard presented a note on the appearance of unusual numbers 

 of Bibio Iwiiulanus, a dipterous fly, in Paris. — A paper by M. 

 P. de Gasparin on the constitution of clays was read. This 

 paper contained an analysis of a very fertile clay soil from near 

 Nimes.— M. de Quatrei'ages communicated a note by M. E. 

 Riviere on the humair skeleton discovered in the caverns of 

 Bousse-Rousse, in Italy, on March 26, 1S72. This skeleton, 

 which was associated with unpolished flint implements, presents 

 no simian characters, and the cranium most nearly resembles 

 those of Cro-Magnon. 



May 6 — M. Chasles presented a note by M. H. Durrande on 

 the general properties of the displacement of a figure of variable 

 form. — A rote by M. T. D'Estocquois on the movement of 

 water in drains was read. — M. J. Bourget read a memoir on the 

 economic coefficient in the thermodynamics of permanent gases. 

 — M. Wurtz presented a note by M. G. Salet on the light 

 emitted by the vapour of iodine, in which the author stated that 

 that vapour may be heated to redness. — A letter from M. 

 Tacchini to M. Faye, with regard to the Scciety of Italian Spec- 

 troEO'pisis, and a reply to some of the statements contained in it 

 by M. Faye, were read. They contained a discussion of various 

 matters connected with our .knowledge of the .sun. — A note on 

 atmospheric ozone by M. L. Palmieri was jnesented by M. C. 

 Sainte-Claire Deville. The author stated that air, by passing 

 through a glass tube, ceases to colour iodi;ed starch paper. M. 

 Sainte-Ciaire Deville confirmed this statement Irora M. Houzeau's 

 observations. — A letter from M. Donati on auroras was commu- 

 nicated by M. Delaunay. — M. Le Verrier presented a note by 

 Father Denza on a sand-.shower ^^hich fell in Italy during the 

 night of the 19-20 April. — A letter by M. Silbermann on the re- 

 lations between meteorological piheromcna and volcanic erup- 

 tions was read. — A note \\as rearl by M. C. Daniel on a process 

 of decorative painting upon tin, and on this M. Dumas made 

 some remarks. — M. Fremy presented a note by M. Prinvault on 

 the transformation of pyrophosphates into phosphates by the 

 action of boracic and sulphuric acids. — A note by M. Vvon on 



