136 



NATURE 



\yune 13, 1872 



Chemical Society, June 6. — Dr. Gilbert, F.R.S., vice- 

 president, in the chair. — " On a Remarkable Salt deposited from 

 tlie Mother Liquors obtained in the Manufacture of .Soda," by 

 Prof. E. T. Thorpe; " On the Compositijn of Ceylon Jargons," 

 by M. II. Cochran; "On a Double .Sulphide of Gold and 

 .Silver," by Mr. I'attison Muir; "On the Solvent Action of 

 various .Saline Solutions upon Lead," by the same author ; " On 

 the Magnetic Sand of Mount Etna," by J. B. Ilannay ; " New 

 Tests for some ( )rganic Fluids," by J. A. Wanklyn ; " Dendritic 

 Spots on Paper," by A. Liversidge ; "On Chinoline and Leu- 

 coline," by C. Greville Wdlianii, F. R. S. A letter from Mr. 

 Uewar of Edinburgh was then read by the secretary on some de- 

 rivatives of chinoline. — Dr. C. R. A. Wright read a paper on 

 the "Action of Pho.sphotic Acid on Morphine," and Mr. \V. 11. 

 Perkin, F. R. S. "A Note on the .Secondary Colouring Matter 

 produced in the preparation of Alizarine from Anthracene;" 

 " On the Effects of Temper.iture on the Absorption of Gases by 

 Charcoal," by Mr. J. Hunter. Dr. Armstrong then brought 

 forn-ard a series of " Communications from the Laboratory of the 

 London Institution, No. V. On the Nitration Products of the 

 Dibromo-phenolsulphonic Acids ; No. VI. On Bromo-phenosul- 

 phonic Acirl ; No. VII. On the Formation of Suljstitutcd Nitro- 

 phenoliulphonic Acids," and finally the secretary read a letter 

 which had been received from M. E. Maumene of Paris. 



Pini.ADELrniA 



Academy of Natural Sciences, October 3, 1S71. — 

 Dr. Ruschenberger, president, in tlie chair. Mr. Thomas 

 Meehan referred to so ne observations made by him last 

 spring before the Academy in regard to the office of bud 

 scales and involucral bracts. Tlie general impression was that 

 they were formed for the purpose of protecting the tender parts 

 beneath. At that time he e.'ihibited the branches of Fraxiiius 

 excelsior on which some of the buds were entirely naked, and 

 others clothed with scales in the usual manner. They could 

 scarcely be for protection in this instance, as both were equally 

 hardy. He now ha i to exhibit an ear of corn which had been 

 produced without the u<uil involucral bracts or husks, and yet 

 was as perfect as if clothed in the usual way, showing that the 

 husk wjs of not much importance as a protecting agent. An in- 

 teresting point was that this ear had been formed on the end of 

 a male panicle or tassel. It was not uncommon to find scattered 

 grains of corn amongst male flowers, but a perfect ear like this 

 he had never before seen. The ear was eight-rowed, and con- 

 tained two hundred perfect grains. It was the variety known as 

 "popcorn." 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, June 3,— Mr. A. Cayley communi- 

 cated a paper on the surfaces divisible into squares by their curves 

 of curvature, and on Dupin's theory. — A memoir by M. Vvon 

 Villarceau on isochronous regidators derived from Watts's system 

 was read.— M. de Pambour read a note on the additional friction 

 due to the load of machines. — M. Le Verrier communicated some 

 observations on magnetic declination made at B.itaviaandBuiten- 

 zorg during the solar eclipse of December 12, 1S71, extracted 

 from a letter from M. Bergsma, in which tlie author stated that 

 this eclipse exerted no influence upon the direction of the magnetic 

 needle either at Buitenzorg, where the eclipse was toial, or at 

 Batavia, where it was nearly so. M. Le Verrier also presented 

 a note by M. C. Gr.ad on the magnetic declination in Algeri.i, 

 containing the results of a series of observations made at four- 

 teen stations during the last winter. — A paper was read by M. 

 Berthelot on the formation of acetylene by the ol^scure electrical 

 discharge ; and another by MM. Berthelot and Bardy on the 

 transformation of ethylnaphthaline into accnaphthene. — A note 

 by the Abbe David, on a new species of Pciradexoniis, was read. 

 This bird was obtained near Shanghai by Father Heude, and is 

 described under the name of/". Ilcudci. — M. C. Robin presented 

 a note by M. A. Dufossi' on the noises and expressive sounds 

 uttered by fishes. — M. Bouillaud presented some considerations 

 on chlorosis and an.-L-mia in the human subject, with reference to 

 M. Boussingault's paper, read at the last meeting, on the iron con- 

 tained in the blood and in food ; and M. .\. Dumont read a note 

 on the distribution of the water of the Rhone at Nimes. 



BOOKS RECEIVED 



EnGlibh.— Michael F.iraday : J. H. GLidstone (.Macmillan and Co.) -My 

 Garden, its Plan and Culture : Alfred Smee (Bell and Daldy).— A Lecture Oil 



Science and Revelation, and edition : Jas. Stuart (Longmans and Co ) — 

 A Discourse on the Inductive Philosophy ; A. C. Finch (Lonjmans). — First 

 Lessons on Health : J. Berners (Macmillan). 



THURSDAY, Ju.NE 13. 



RoVAL Society, at 8.30. — Further Experiments on the EfT.jct of Alcohol 

 and Exercise on the Elimination ol Nitrogen: Dr. Pa.kes, F.K.S.— Onthe 

 bpectnun of the Great Nebula in Orion, and on th« Motions of some Stars 

 towards or from the Earth : \V. Huggins, F. k.S.— On Hlood Kelatiooship : 

 F Galtoii, F.R S. — Report of further Scientific Researches in the Mediter- 

 ranean, Aug.-Oct . 1871 : Dr. Carpenter, F.R-S. 



SociETV OF Antiquaries, at 8.30. — Ancient Rings from Pah; trim : CD. 

 E. Fortnum, F.S A— Polychrome Vitreous Beads : J. Brent, F.SA. 



Mathematical Societv, at 8.— On the Surfaces divisible into Squares by 

 Curves of Curvature : Prof. Cayley. — On Prof. Cremoja's Translorma- 

 tion between Two Planes and Tables relating thereto : Mr. S. Roberts. 

 —On a Manifold Correspondence of Two Plants : Dr. Hirst.— Note on a 

 Special Case of the Anharmonic Ratio Sexlic : J. J. WalKcr. 



Astronomical Socii 



FRIDAY, JuNEi.i. 



MONDAY, Ji;ne 17. 



Anthi;oi'Ological Society, at 8.— The Tribes of North Aracan : .'^t. 

 Andrew St. John. — .\ustralian Languages and Traditions: Rev. W. 

 Ridley. — Indian Picture Writings in British Guiana : C. B. Brown. 

 —Exhibition of Photograph of the Tattooed Man, and Short Description : 

 A. \V. Franks.— The Ainos of Yeso : Commander H. C. St. John. 

 TUESDAY, June 18. 



Zoological Society, at g. — On the Cranial Appendages and Wattles of the 

 Horned Tragopan {Ceriornis satyra, Linn.) : Dr. J. Murie. — On the 

 Cetacea observed during the voyage round the world of H.I. M.S. 

 Magenta, 1S65-6S, wilh the description of several new or little known 

 species, and of a new genus of Fin- backed Whale ; Prof. H. H. Giglioli. 



WEDNESDAY, June 19. 



Gsological Societv, at 8. — On the Discovery of PalacDlithic Implements in 

 association with Elephas primigeniics in the Gravels of the Thames Valley 

 at Acton; Col. A. Lane Fox. — On the Evidence for the Ice-sheet in North 

 Lancashire and adjacent parts of Yorkshire and Westmoreland: R. H. 

 Tiddeman.-Oii a new Species of Coral from the Crag: Pi of. P. Martin 

 Duncan, F.R.S. 



Meteorological Society, at 7. — Anniversary Meeting. 



THURSDAY, June 20. 

 Royal Society, at 8.30. 

 Society of Antiquaries, at 8.30. 

 LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— On the structural peculiarities of the Bell Bird 



KCIuismorhymhus) : by Dr. Murie, F.L.S. 

 Chemical Society, at 8.— Oa Deacon's Method of obtaining Chlorine, as 



illustrating some principles of Chemical Dynamics ; H. Deacon. 



CONTENTS Page 



The British Museum 117 



New Works on Geometry 118 



Our Book Shelf 119 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Oce.an Currents.- W. Ferrel 120 



The Wanderings of the Esquimaux.— H.H. HowonTll .... 120 



Originof Cyclones. -S. J. Whitmee i.-i 



Rain after Fire.— T. H. Potts i-i 



On Adhesion Figures.— J. H. Sl'ALDiNG ;2 



A Sugg-stion to Opticians.— G. Mathus WmrrLE 2j 



The Ferrara Floods.— Colonel G. Grrenwooi) i;.- 



Force and Energy. By Charles B.'^ooke, F.R.S ini 



Spectroscopic Notes. By Prof. J. H. Leach. {U'itk Iliustrations ) 125 

 Ancient and Recent SroNE Monuments. By Lieut. M.T. Sale, 



K.K. (U'lt/i Illustration) 127 



Discovery of Extinct Mammals in the Victoria Caves, Settle. 



By R. H. TiDDEMAN, F.G.S 127 



Notes . 128 



Abnormal Dispersion of Bodies with Surface-Colours. By A. 



KuNDT and J. L. SORET T30 



Anniversary Address to the Linnean Society. By Geo. Ben- 



THAM, V.^.S.fConclndcl) 131 



Scientific Serials .33 



Societies and Academies 134 



Books Received 136 



Diary 136 



NOTICE 



IVe beg leave to state that we decline to return rejected communica- 

 tions, and to tills rule we can make tto exception. Communica- 

 tions respecting Subscriptions or Advertisements must be addressed 

 to the Publishers, not to the Editor. 



