76 



NATURE 



[May 23,187: 



the qimntitalive Jeterminalion of copper by cyanide of potassium 

 was communicated by M. Bii.>sy. This note relates to one en 

 tlic sa!iic suliject l)y M. Lifollyc, read on April 22 ; M. Yvon 

 states that the reaction then empbyel was indicited in 1859 by 

 M. Bu'gnet, points out certain inaccuracies in M. I>afollye's 

 paper, anddesciibes a pocess of his own. — M Wurtz presented 

 a note by MM. C. Girard and G. de Laire on the formation of 

 diphenylamine with reference to a recent note by MM. Dusirt 

 and Bardy. — M. Arrez for*vardcl a letter relatinj^ to his process 

 of treating vines attacked by Phylloxera ''as/alrix, and upon this 

 M. Dumas made some remarks. — Prof. Mdne-Edvvards presented 

 a note by M. A. F. Marion on the reproductive organs of 

 Oria Armaihfi Clap. — M. Bouley presented a note by M. S. 

 Arloing on the nature of the blood-globules ; and M. C. Robin 

 some investigations by M. P. Bouland on the normal curvatures 

 of the rachis in man and animals — M. Ziegler presented a paper 

 on a physiological fact observed in leaves of Dfoscra, containing 

 some very curious observations on the effects produced on that 

 plant by albuminoid substances after contact with the human 

 hand. — M. Paul Gervais described the lower jaw of a new spe- 

 cies of fossil ape from the lignites of Monte Bamboli in Italy. 

 He regards this animal as forming a new genus standing at the 

 end of the series of anthropomorphous apes after the gorilla 

 and before the baboons and macaques. He gives it the name of 

 OreopifluYus Bainliolii — M. Delesse communicated an investiga- 

 tion of tlie deformations which the French geological formations 

 have undergone. — A note on the granite, sand, and clay with 

 flin's of the department of the Seine and Oise, by MM. Potior 

 and Dcnville, was read, as also a paper on the valley of the 

 Vezcre, by M. F. Hement. The latter, communicated by M. 

 de Quatrefages, contains ac;ounts of traces of prehistoric man 

 found in the valley. 



Berlin 



German Chemical Society, May 13. — Dr. Bulk reported 

 on the action of fuming sulphuric acid on .aniline blue. He ob- 

 tained tri-phenyl-rosaniline, in which four molecules of SO3H re- 

 place four atoms of hydrogen, Nicholson's process yielding 

 conjugated .icids with from one to three molecules of .SOjH. 

 Ho.''mann's violet Ijehaves in a similar way to fuming sulphuric 

 acid. — C. Scheibler stated that Erlenmeycr's observations on 

 the non-e.\istence of Gerhardt's para-thionic acid have been 

 previously made by himself — C. Kammelsberg has analysed a 

 beautifully crystallised specimen of cast iron, confirming thereby 

 his view tliat the various commercial grey and white iions are 

 isomorphous mixtures of the pure element with combined carbon, 

 and with non-combined carbon. — Ur. A. W. Hofmann reported 

 on researches made by Dr. Geyger and himself on the action 

 of aniline on azo-diphenyl-diamine (N3(C|.ll5)„H) namely : — 

 Ci.,HjiN.,-|-C|;H.N = C,8Hi.,N3-<-NH3. The body, violetand 

 sohible in alcohol, combines with one atom of HCl. Its formation 

 and constitution correspond to the magdala red which has been ob- 

 tained through the action of naphthyl-amine on azo-dinaphthyl- 

 diamine. The body has the same composiion as violaniline, 

 obtained by oxydising pure aniline, wlien three molecules are 

 condensed into one by losing six atoms of hydrogen. Azo- 

 toluyl-d amine, N.,(C7H-).dI, treated with aniline, gives rise to 

 an analogous compound, having most likely the composition of 

 rosaniline, CnnHjdNj, from which it seems, however, to differ. 

 A colouring matter recently offered in the trade, under the name 

 of saffranine (mixed with large quantities of carbonate of lime), 

 dissolving witli a yellowish red in water, with a violet colour in 

 concentrated hydrochloric, with a green colour in concentrated 

 sulphuric acid, has been obtained in a similar manner ; a mix- 

 ture of aniline and toluidine being exposed to the action of 

 nitrous acid and afterwards oxydised. Its chloride contains 

 CjjlLyNjHCl, the formula of which corresponds in appearance 

 to a salt of amido-rosaniline, although its constitution is most 

 likely very different. Perkins' analyses of mauveine agree 

 with the formula of phenylaled saffranine, C;„H„4N4 ; and some 

 of its reactions, notably its behaviour to hydrochloric and sul- 

 phuric acid, coincide with this suggestion, these acids producmg 

 violet and green colours as with saffranine. But it is not easy 

 to understand how the fourth atom of nitrogen .should enter into 

 mauveine under the ordinary conditions of its formation. — Th. 

 Petersscn published the analysis of a metasilicate of sodium, 

 NajSiO^-l-S aq.— Pari and Hubner found that nil robenzol and 

 similar substances form hydrocyanic acid when fused with potash. 

 A sim lar observation has been publislied by Wuhler in 1S2S. — 

 Geromont ha i obtained isobutyric acid from bibromo-pyrotartaric 



acid. — Michaelis foimd PCl.|Bo., to form unstable combinations 

 with Br,, and Br^, comparable tothe adIi.;ion of water of crystal- 

 lisation to a saturated compound. 



BOOKS RECEIVED 



English.— Conversations on Nttiir.il PJiilosophy, 14th edition: Mrs. 

 Marcet (Longmans). — The Geometry of Conies, Parti.: C Taylor(De'ghton 

 and tjell). — Esse and Poss?, a comparison of Divine eternal laws and powers ; 

 H. T. Braithwaite (Longmans). 



FORKICN.— Deutscher UoiversitiUs Kalender fur das Sommer-Semes'.er, 

 1872: Dr. F. Asch-Tson, Derlin. — Sonnensystems : Meibauer. 



RovAL Institution, : 



London INST1TUTI0^ 



from their Elements : 



DIARY 



THURSDAY, May 23. 

 t 3 —On Heat and Light : Pi of. Tyndall, F.R.S. 



at 7.30. — On the Artificial Formnion of Alcohols 

 Pi of. H. E. Armstrong. 



FRIDAY^ May 24. 



Calculating Machi 



Royal Institution, at 9.— On Babbagi 



Clifford. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 3 p.m. — Anniversary Meeting. 

 Victoria Institute, at 4 p.m. —Anniversary Meeting. 

 QuEKETT Microscopical Club, at 8. 



SATURDAY, May 25. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— On the Chemical Action of Light : Prof. 



Roscoe, F.R.S. 

 Government School or Mines, at 3.— On Geology: Dr. Cobbold, F.R.S; 



MONDAY, May 27. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 1 p.m. — Anniversary Meeting. 

 London Institution, at 4. — On Elementary Botany : Prof. Beniley. 



TUESDAY, May 28. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — On Development of Belief and Custom: 

 E. E. Tylor. 



WEDNESDAY, May 29. 

 Royal Society of Literature, .at 8. 30. —On the Province of Conjecture 

 in Literary Criticism : Dr. C. M. Ing'eby. 



THURSDAY, May 30. 



Royal Society, at 8.30. 

 Society of Antiquaries, at 8.30. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— On Heat and Light: Prof. Tyndall, F.R S. 

 London Institution, at 7.30.— Experimental Evidence a?alnit the Spon^ 

 ' i of Living Things : W. N. Hartley, F C.S. 



CONTENTS Pagb 



The Oxford Scheme of Natural Science t;? 



Madler's History of Astronomy. By Rev. T. W. Webb, F.R.A.S. 5S 



Our Book Shelf 59 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Error in Humboldt's Cosmos.— Maj. -Gen. Sir Henry James ^/r/M 



Diagram) fo 



Fertilisation of Dictamnus. — C. J. Havden 60 



Newspaper Science 60 



The University of Freiberg.— Prof. A. Oppenheim 60 



Denudation of the Mendips.— J. Prestwich, F.R.S 6) 



Volcanoes and Earthquakes. By Prof W. H. Corfield ... 61 



Photographv as an Aid t-q Science. By H. B. Pkitchard. . . 62 

 An Experiment to Illustrate the Induction on Itshlf of an 



Electric Current. By Hon. J. W. Stbutt. {With Diagram.) . 64 

 Some Remarks on the Habits of some Ceylon Animals, and 

 Notes on Methods for Keeping them Alive in Confine- 

 ment. By H. N. Moseley 64 



On the Crystallisation of Silver, Gold, and othe:? Metals. 



By John Hall Gladstone, F.R.S. {lyith liinstrations.) ... 66 



Notes 68 



On the Mineral Constituents of the Breitenbach Meteorite. 



By Prof N. S. Maskelyne, F.R.S 71 



Heat Generated bv Meteoric Stones in Traversing the At- 

 mosphere By Prof. John Le CoNTE 72 



Scientific Serials 73 



Societies and Academies ;3 



Books Received 70 



Diary 76 



NOTICE 



We beg leave to state that we deeline to return rejected communica- 

 tions, and to this rule we can inake no exception. Communica- 

 tions respecting Subscriptions or Advertisements must be addressed 

 to the Publishers^ NOT to the Editor, 



