i63 



NATURE 



\Oct. 3, 1872 



known that which we see in the known, when other circumstances 

 are identical. 



Feb. 2. — Prof. Geo. B. Wood communicated further results 

 of his experiments with saUs of potassa on vegetation, and espe- 

 cially on grain and fruits. He stated tliat in a field of grain 

 devoted to the experiment, in which the soil had been previously 

 exhausted by bad culture, one half was enriched by farm-yard 

 manure, the other with the same with wood ashes added. The 

 effects of the latter were especially marked, and much greater 

 than with the former. The most striking results were attained 

 by the use of the ashes of the poke, Phylt^latca dccniiilra. — Prof 

 Cojie read a paper on the " Families of ]''ossil Fishes of the 

 Cretaceous Strata of Kansas." The greater part of these were 

 shown to be J'Jivsosloiiwiis Actinop'.ai, of three families, viz , the 

 Saiirodoiitidu-, the rachyyltizodonticln-, and IheS/ratn/oiiliii.c. Of 

 I he first, four genera and ten species were described, some of 

 them (I'oiilicns sp.) among the most formidablejof marine fishes. 

 The peculiarities of the succession of teeth in Poitlinis and Saii- 

 nvc/lialns respectively were pointed out. Of Pacliyrizodonlidir, 

 one genus and four species were described ; and oi Slratodonlidie, 

 three genera and seven species. Stialodiis was a form provided 

 with mullitudes of minute shovel-headed teeth. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, Sept. 9. — M. Faye, President. — 

 The first paper was by M. P. Duchartrc, on the bulb of 

 Lilimii TJiomsoniaimni, &c. The author finds that this Indian 

 plant seldom flowers in Europe, and traces this to the facility with 

 which it propagates itself by means of off-shoots from the bulb. 

 If it is prevented from doing this it flowers well. — A letter from 

 P. Secchi followed on " C >bserv.ations on the Variation of the 

 Solar Diameter ; Observations of the Protuberances and of the 

 Chromosphere ; Observations on the .Shooting .Stars and of the 

 Aurora Borealis observed at Rome on the loth of August." 

 Father Secchi finds variations of the solar diameter equal to 3, 

 4, and even 5 seconds of arc (error of observation less than o'"5 

 arc). There were minimum epochs in July, the beginning of 

 Sei>tember, the middle of November, and the beginning of March 

 and April, when the mean diameter was 32' l" 5"' ; and maxima in 

 the middle of August, the middle of September, and during the 

 whole of October and December, and the beginning of February 

 when the mean diameter was 32' 4" 5'". The maxima of 

 diameter correspond to the minima of spots and protuberances. 

 The next memoir was by M. Max Marie "On the elementaiy 

 theory of double integrals and their periods " (continuation). 

 A note from M. A. Potier " On the causes of Elliptical Polari- 

 sation by reflexion on transparent bodies." — A note from M. 

 Th. Gaffteld " On the results produced by insulation on various 

 kinds of glass," was then presented Ijy M. Chevreul. — "On the 

 lines of Summit and of Thalweg " an answer to the observations 

 of M. Eoussinesq by M. C. Jordan. — A note was then read on 

 the induction currents developed in the machine of M. Gramme, 

 by M. J. M. Gaugain. — "On Lithurate of Magnesium, a new 

 species of urinary concretion from the ox," was an extract from a 

 note from M. G. Roster. — The empirical formula for the body 

 in question is Cjj Hug N„ Mg. Oj, it is soluble in boiling water, 

 fromw'hich it crystallises on cooling. — A note on the Nutoscope, 

 by M. Ch. V. Zenger, was presented by M. Yvon Villarccau. 

 This was a description of an instrument for illustrating the 

 nature of nutation. — Next followed a note from M. Tarry on the 

 constitution of the stream of August meteorites. — M. Dumas then 

 communicated some observations on the Phvllo.xcia vasiatrix. 



Sept. 16. — M. Faye, President. — The President read a note 

 lelative to a communication from M. Hirn on the conditions 

 of equilibrium in, and the probable nature of the Saturnian 

 rings. — General Morin then read a note on Major General 

 Mayveski's "Treatise on Projectiles." M. Morin states that 

 M. Mayveski, in his eleventh chapter, devoted to the considera- 

 tion of the penetration of solid bodies and armour plates liy pro- 

 jectiles, arrives at the same conclusions as were obtained by the 

 Metz Commission, and by Capt. Nolan in England.— "Observa- 

 tions on the nature of the various parts of flowers," by M. A. 

 Trecul, followed. — A letter from P. .Secchi on the ap]3earance of 

 a meteor in the neighbourhood of Rome, and on stellar spectra, 

 was then read. The latter portion of the letter was an explan.i- 

 tion of the Rev. Father's views on stellar types, which he 

 explained were not the same as those of Mr. Rutherfurd, as had 

 been .supposed by Messrs. Lockyer and Schellcn. — M. le Dr. 

 Nttier then read a paper on the treatment of cholera by the 



administration of enormous quantities of aqueous drinks in suc- 

 cessive doses. — Then followed the concluding portion of M. 

 Marie's paper on the "Theory of double integrals and their 

 periods." — Notes were received from M. Pigeon, on cholera ; M. 

 Charles, on aerial navigation ; M. Pouvard, on the Postulatum of 

 Euclid; M. Ilervier, on Phylloxera ; M. Quattari, requesting 

 the Academy to examine his aerial telegraphic apparatus ; and 

 M. Lc Comte L. Hugo presented the Academy with an engraving 

 entitled, " The sphere is an equidomoid, or a demonstration of 

 the pre-eminence of polygonal figures," which was submitted to 

 the examination of M. Ossian Bonnet. — M. Vvon \'illarceau pre- 

 sented a note l->y M. Prosper Henry, describing the discovery of 

 a new planetoid 125 at the Paris Oljservatory. Observations on 

 the above by MM. Ludinard, Tisserand, Paul Henry, and Pros- 

 per Henry followed. — An extract from a Report by Dr. Andrews 

 on the total eclipse of 12th December, 1S71, observed in the 

 Dutch East Indies, was also read.— A paper, by M. Ch. V. 

 Zenger, "On the rapidity of transmission of light in simple 

 bodies, and on their crystalline form," followed. — "On the 

 changes of phase jiroduced by metallic reflexion," note by M. 

 A. Potier, was next read ; and then an extract from a paper by 

 M. Plateau on the measurement of physical sensations, and on 

 the law which connects the intensity of these sensations to the 

 intensity of the exciting cause, was followed by a posthumous 

 note of M. H. Magnan's, a propos of two notes by M. Cayron on 

 the cretaceous formation of La Calape and Corbieres. — M. Louis 

 Faucon sent some observations on Phylloxera, made by himself 

 and M. Gaston Bazille ; and another note on the same subject 

 and on vine disease by M. Y . E. Gucrin-Meneville, who beUeves 

 that every observation tends to prove that \\\z Phylloxera vastatrix 

 is only a secoiidai'y agent in producing the vine disease now so 

 destructive. —W. \'vun Villarceau then presented a note from 

 M. Fron on tlie atmospheric movements which accompanied 

 the aurorx of September 2 and 6, 1872. — M. Georges sent a note 

 relative to the employment of calcic disulphite to the cure of 

 vines tainted with oidium, which was sent to the Phylloxera Com- 

 mission. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



F.NGLISK\ — Cardiff Natur.ilists' Society Report and Transactions. Vi 

 III., 1S70-71, part I. — Cholera and EiTorts towards Framing an Equiiibriii 

 Theory of Healtli and Disease (Thackerand Co., Calcutta). 



Foreign. — Tableau de I'Ast 

 Do I'Astronomie dans I'Acadcmi 

 —(Through Williams and Norgn 

 Thome.— Dcr Mensch tmd die S. 

 laires du detroit dc Messine: H 



Ed. Mailly (T. Hayez, Brussels).— 

 RoyaledeBelgique: E. Mailly (T. Haycz). 

 ;.)— Lehrbruch der Zoologie : Dr. Otto W. 

 sle: E. Reich. — Etudes surlesAppendicu - 



CONTENTS Pack 



Botanical Museums. By W. Carkuthers, F.R.S. 449 



Fkesenius's Qualitative Analysis 452 



Ou.? Book Shelf 453 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Oceanic Circulation. — James Croll, F.G.S 453 



The Aurora of Feb. 4. — Hon. Rawson Rawson 454 



The Solar Spectrum. — Capt. J. Herschel. F.RA.S 454 



Botanical Terminology. — Prof. W. T. Thiselton Dyer, F.L.S. . 455 



The Ha^slcr Expedition. — Colonel George Greenwood . . . 45s 



An Entomological Query. — W. W. Spicer 456 



Cats' Teeth.— W. G. Ranger 456 



Phosphorescence IN Fish. By John James Hall 456 



On the Retention and Colouring of Eggs, ane the Pro- 

 tective MiMicKV OF Sounds. By.THOMAS H. Potts . . . 457 

 Tim Sun's Radi.\nt Heat (With /lliistmtim). By Capt. J. 



Notes 460 



The Birth of Chemistry. I. By G. F. Rodwell, F.C.S. ... 463 



The American Exi'LOring Exfeditiu.ns 465 



Italian Si'ectroscopy . . 465 



Scientific Serials 466 



Societies and Academies 466 



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