54S 



NA TURE 



[Oct. 31, 1872 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



PlIlLADELrillA 



Academy of Natural Sciences, April 9.— Prof. E. I). 

 Cope read a paper on "Intelligence in Monkeys." "I 

 have two species of L\i'iis in my study, C. capucinns 

 and a half-grown C. apelUi. The former displays the usual 

 traits of monliey ingenuity. He is an admirable catcher, seldom 

 missing anything, from a large brush to a grain, using two hands 

 or one. His cage door is fastened by two hooks, and these are 

 kept in their places by nails driven in behind them. lie generally 

 finds means sooner or later to draw out the nails, unhook the 

 hooks, and get free. He then occupies himself in breaking up 

 various objects, and examining their interior appearances, no 

 doubt in search of food. To prevent his escape I fastened him 

 by a leather strap to the slats of the cag«, but he soon untied the 

 knot, and then relieved himself of the strap by cutting and 

 drawing out the threads which held the flap for the buckle. He 

 tlien used the strap in a novel way. He was accustomed to 

 catch his food (bread, potatoes, fruit, &c.) with his hands, when 

 thrown to him. Sometimes the pieces fell short three or four 

 feet. One day he seized his strap and began to throw it at the 

 food, retaining liis hold of one end. He took pretty correct aim, 

 and finally drew the pieces to within reach of his hand. This 

 performance he constantly repeats, hooking and pulling the 

 articles to him in turns and loops of the strap. Sometimes he 

 loses l)is hold of the strap. If the poker is handed to him, he 

 uses that with some skill for the recovery of the strap. When 

 this is drawn in, he secures his food as before. Here is an act 

 of intelligence which must have been originated by some monkey, 

 since no lower or ancestral type of mammals possess the hands 

 necessary for its accomplishment. Whether originated by Jack, 

 or by some ancestor of the forest who used vines for the same 

 purpose, cannot be readily ascertained. After a punishment the 

 animal would only exert himself in this way when watched ; as 

 soon as an ej^e was directed to him he would cease. In this he 

 displayed distrust. He also usually exhibited the disposition to 

 accumulate to be quite superior to hunger. Thus he always 

 appropriated all the food within teach before beginning to eat. 

 Wlien different pieces were offered to him, he transferred the first 

 to Iris hind feet to make room for more, then filled his mouth and 

 hands, and concealed portions behind him. With a large piece 

 in liis hands, he would pick the hand of his master clean jiefore 

 using his own, which he was sure of." 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, October 14. — M. Faye, President. 

 M. Tresca presented to the Academy the resolutions of the In- 

 ternational Metrical Commision, which will be found in another 

 cjlumu. — M. Yvon Villarceau then read a paper on the 

 constant of aberration and the speed of light, considered in their 

 connection with the absolute movement of translation of the 

 solar system. — ^M. J. Bertrand presented observations on the 

 last number of the "Journal fiir die reine und angewandtc 

 Mathematilv," Berlin (Band 75, P'.rstes Heft); the observations con- 

 sisted of a reply to Helmholtz's answer to the objections raised 

 against his electro-dynamic theory. — M. Max Marie then read, 

 " An extension of the Method of Cauchy to the study of Double 

 Integrals, or theory of elementary contours in space." — A 

 note from M. Ch. V. Zenger, on the action of conductors disposed 

 symmetrically around an electroscope, followed. It was referred 

 to the Commission on liglitning conductors. — Some new docu- 

 ments from M. Buss relative to his governor for motive power 

 engines wcre-referred to MM. Tresca and Morin. A project for 

 military aerostation, from M. J. Boue, and another for aerial 

 navigation from M. H George, were referred to the Commission 

 on .Verostation. — M. E. Guillicr's proposed process for the 

 destruction oi riiylloxtta by the use of a "mixture of the ashes of 

 healthy vine wood, soot, river sand, washing water, essence of 

 turpentine, and ammonia," M. Ajot's proposal for the same 

 purpose, and M. Loarer's* note on the appearance on some 

 exotic plants of certain insects believed te have come from trans- 

 ported riiylloxc-ra eggs, were all referred to the Phylloxera Com- 

 mission. — M. F. Massieu's note on the determination of the 

 maiimum tensions of vapours was then read, and was 

 followed by a note from M. T. du Monccl on the 

 action of carfjou powder rammed down round the nega- 

 tive electrodes of carbon batteries. The author finds that 

 coarse carbon powder thus used greatly diminishes the 



• In tllc report of the meeting for tfie 3otli Septamtier this author pro- 

 posed th« use of sulphide of .irsenic to destroy the Pkythxcra, .ind his name 

 was then wroiigly given " Louvet." 



resistance in the battery. — This paper was followed by one from 

 M.M. Rchiitzenberger and Geradin, on a new process for the 

 estimation of free oxygen. — M. A. Petit's note on "antifermen- 

 tescible substances" followed. By the above name the author 

 means bodies which prevent fermentation, he finds bichloride and 

 binoxide of mercury the most powerful in this w.ay. — M. E.J. 

 Marey then read a note on the paces of horses studied by the 

 graphic method. The author exhibited a number of traces 

 obtained by an instrument which followed the muscular move- 

 meirts and traced them on paper. — Next came M. A. Sanson's 

 paper entitled "Researches on the Fleeces of precocious Merinos." 

 — M. Stan. Meunier then read apaper on the characters of the 

 crust produced on terrestrial rocks by atmospheric agency, com- 

 pared with the black outer crust of grey meteorites. — .\fter which 

 M. Chasles made some remarks on presenting a work entitled, 

 " I1\S. Offizio, Copemico e Galileo," &c., by M. Govi. He was 

 followed by M. Larrey, who addressed the Academy on present- 

 ing the Report of the Director-General of the Medical Department 

 of the English Army, for 1S70 ; and after M. Bouley had made 

 a long and very favourable critique on Mr. Fleming's work on 

 hydrophobia, the session was adjourned. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Enolish —On the Culture of the Observing Powers of Children (You- 

 mans and Payne: (H. S. King and Co), — The English Elocutionist : C. 

 Hartley (Groombrid^e).— Human Physiology : J. L. Nichols, M D. 

 (Trubner). 



FoKEiGN.— Die Sonne: Parts 2 and 3: P. A. Secchi.— Medirinische 

 Jahrbucher : S. Strieker, 1872, Parts 2 |and 3.— Bulletin de la Soci4te Im- 

 periale des Naturalistes de Moscou, 187?, No. i. — Bericht uber die Sen- 

 ckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft, 1871-1872. 



DIARY 



FRIDAY, November i. 



Geologists' Association, at 8.— On the Influence of Geological Reasoning 



on other Branches of Knowledge : Dr. Hyde Clarke. ^ 



SUNDAY, Novemdek 3. 



Sunday Lecture Society, at 4 — On Ancient and Modern Egj'pt ; the 

 Pyramids and the Suez Canal : W. B. Carpenter, M.D., F.R.S. 

 MONDAY, November 4. 



Anthropological Institute, at S.— Man aad Ape ; and The Origin of 

 Serpent Worship : C. StanilanaOWake. 



TUESDAY, November 5. 



Society of Biblical Akch.t=;ology, at S 30. — Adjourned Discussion upon 

 Israel in Egypt : Rev's D. Haigh, M. A.-On an Assyrian Prayer : Henry 

 Fox Talbot.— On the Religious Beliefs of the Assyrians, No. II. : Henry 

 Fox Talbot.— On the Tomb of Jacob at Shechem : Prof. Donaldson.- A 

 T Conjugation such as exists in Assyrian, shown to be a character of early 

 Shemite speech by its vestiges found in the Hebrew, Phenician, Aramaic, 

 and Arabic Languages : Richard Cull. 



Zoological Society, at 8.30- — Report on additions to the Society's Mena- 

 gerie : the Secretary. — On PlatypsyllidiS, a new family of Coleoptera : 

 Dr. G. L. Le Conte.— On Lepidoptera collected by Dr. Van Patten in 

 Costa Rica : Messrs. A. Butler and H. Druce. 



WEDNESDAY, November 6. 



MiCRoscoriCAL Society, at 8, — On the Structure of the Valves of Eupo- 

 disciis Argus and Isthmia eiiervis: H. J. Slack. — Proposal for a standard 

 of comparison of the magnifying powers of Compound Microscopes J. E. 

 Ingpen. 



THURSDAY, November 7. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— On the "Piopio" of New Zealand {Keropiit 

 crassirostris Gmef): T. H. Potts.— On the buds developed on leaves of 

 Afttlaxisi George Dickie, M.D. 



CONTENTS Page 



The Great Circumnavigating Exploring Expedition .... 5x9 



FiGUiSR's Vegetable \^ok\.u {I Yitk III us irat ions) 530 



Letters to the Editor:^ 



Ocean Currents.— Dr. W. B. Carpenter, F.R.S 532 



London University Examinations— Christopher Heath . . . 533 



Caa the Stature be in any way affected by the Will t 553 



Magnetic Storm, Oct. 14— 18.— Rev. S. J. Pekrv, F.R.A S. . . 534 



Circul.-ir Rainbow.— M. Moggridge 534 



Earth Currents and Sun-spots.— W. F. Denning, F.R.A.S, . . 534 



Measurementof Faint Spectra.— H. R. Procter, F.CS. ... 534 



Merrifield on Deviation of Compass.— J. Merrii-ield .... 534 



Rainfall in Bombay— G. Mathus Whipple 534 



The Appeal for Skeletons of Wild Animals. By J. W. Clark . 535 



The Zoological Station AT Naples. By Dr. Anton Dohrn . . 535 

 Vestiges of Glacial Action in North-Eastern Anatolia. By 



W. GiFFoRD Palgrave 53^ 



The Source of Solar Energy. By Capt. J. Ericsson {With 



Dia^ams) 5 19 



Notes 541 



International Metric Commission "'.544 



The Birth OF Chemistry. III. By G. F. Rodwell, F.CS. {lYlf/i 



Illusirations.) 545 



Scientific Serials 547 



Societies and Academies 54' 



Errata. — Vol, vi., p. 459, first colu 



S 7 - 53'8 = 4° "9." read "587 

 imn. line nineteen from top. for 



53-08 



column, line nineteen from top, for most" read 



line sixteen from top, ^for 

 = s'-6a :;" and p. 460, first 



4327 



