100 
NATURE 
[ Dec. 1, 1870 

DUBLIN 
Royal Irish Academy, November 14.—The Rev. Pro- 
fessor Jellett in the chair. The Rev. Maxwell Close read a 
paper “ On M. Delaunay’s Views relating to the condition of the 
Interior of the Earth.” The paper was referred to the Council 
for publication.—Mr. Samuel Ferguson, LL.D., read portions of 
a paper “On the difficulties attendant on the Transcription of 
Ogham Legends, and the means of avoiding them.” He pre- 
sented the Academy with a series of casts of Ogham Legends, 
and pointed out the advantages of them to students of the subject. 
Dr. Stokes and Professor Ingram congratulated the Academy on 
this important addition to its collection, and Dr. Ferguson was 
invited to consider the expediency of issuing engravings of the 
casts. The reading of the remainder of the paper was postponed 
to a future meeting.—At a meeting of the Council of the 
Academy on-the 9th inst., it was’ resolved to recommend to the 
Academy that Her Majesty’s Government be memorialised to use 
their good offices in order to prevent, as far as possible, any injury 
during the present siege to the collections in Paris, which are 
universally acknowledged to be of inestimable value to science, 
literature, and art. In pursuance of this resolution the following 
memorial to the Government was adopted on the motion of Dr. 
Ingram, seconded by Professor Hennessy :—‘*We, the president 
and members of the Royal Irish Academy, desire to call the 
earnest attention of Her Majesty’s Government to the irreparable 
loss which would be sustained by the whole civilised world if the 
inestimable scientific, literary, and other collections of Paris should 
be destroyed or seriously injured during the siege. That city con- 
tains galleries stored with treasures of art, libraries rich in every 
species of literary monument, and scientific museums which are 
amongst the foremost in their several kinds. These collections 
represent the accumulated labours of many generations, and are, 
in truth, the property not of France only but of the whole civilised 
world. Many of the objects contained in them, if once allowed 
to perish, no subsequent exertion could ever replace. The fate of 
the library at Strasburg shows that these priceless collections are 
in real and imminent peril from the operations of the war. It is 
not for us to pronounce any opinion on the merits of the present 
lamentable struggle, or on the conduct of either of the contending 
parties ; but as members of a body having for its object the 
cultivation of science, literature, and archzeology, we protest, in 
the name of the intellectual interests of humanity, against the 
destruction of these collections ; and we respectfully call upon 
Her Majesty’s Government to use their utmost efforts for their 
preservation, by impressing om the belligerents the duty of taking 
every possible precaution for their protection from the dangers to 
which they are likely to be exposed.” 
Royal Geological Society of Ireland.—W.Stokes, F.R.S., 
in the chair. The Rev. Prof. Haughton, F.R.S., read a paper 
«©On the amount of horizontal thrust produced by the secular 
cooling of the earth, and its effect in producing continents and 
seas.” In the discussion which followed the reading of this 
paper, Professor Hull, Rev. Maxwell Close, and Mr. William 
Ogilby, took part. Professor Macalister, hon. sec., exhibited a 
collection of volcanic rocks and of fossils from South Italy, pre- 
sented by Prof, Guiscardi and Mr. R. Mallet, also a collection of 
fossil Devonian Plants from Noya Scotia, presented by Principal 
Dawson. 
BERLIN 
Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences, July 14.—Dr. A. 
W. Hofmann read a memoir on the Aromatic Cyanates, con- 
taining investigations on derivatives of the phenyle, tolyle, 
xylyle, and naphtyle series. : 
July 25.—M. Kummer read a paper on the Algebraic Systems 
of the third order—.Prof. W. Peters read descriptions of New 
Species of Shrews from the British Museum. The species were 
Crocidura retusa, from Ceylon, C. fetida and C. dorig, from 
Borneo, C. monticola, from Java, C. microtis, from Hong Kong, 
and C. gvacilipes, from Madagascar, and belonging to the sub- 
genus Pachyura, C. zvaldemaris, from Bengal, C. ceylanica, and 
C. media, from Ceylon, C. sumatrana, from Sumatra, C. /us- 
cies, from Singapore and Java, and C. /wzoniensis, from Manilla. 
—Dr. Hofmann read an account of various investigations relating 
to the action of cyanogen upon aniline and triphenylguanidine, 
to a new class of cyanic ethers, toa new mode of formation of 
the isonitriles, to tests for cyanuric acid and chloroform, to the 
diagnosis of primary, secondary, and tertizry amines, to the 
knowledge of phenylxanthogenamide, to the action of acetic 
acid upon phenylsenfol, to the history of the ethylene bases, to 
the knowledge of aldehyde-green, and to the molecular volumes 
of chinone. 


PHILADELPHIA 
American Philosophical Society, Oct. 21.—Prof. Cope 
read a paper “On the Osteology of Megaptera bellicosa.” He 
stated that this species of whale was one of the few whalebone 
whales of economic value found within the tropics, being the ob- 
ject of pursuit in the Caribbean Sea. Having received a skeleton 
from the island of St. Bartholomew, West Indies, he presented a 
detailed account of its structure. He pointed out important 
points by which it differed from the known species of Megapiera, 
among others in the form of the mandible and of the nasal bones. 
—Dr. George Emerson read a paper on the part taken many 
years ago by the American Philosophical Society and Franklin 
Institute of Philadelphia in establishing stations for meteorologi- 
cal observations in Pennsylvania, detailing the arrangements 
adopted by them for procuring a full series of observations at 
fifty-two points in the State. 
BOOKS RECEIVED 
Enciisa.—Odd Showers, or an Explanation of the Rain ; Carriber (Kerby). 
—Our Feathered Companions: Rev. T. Jackson (Partridge). 
Foreien. — (Through Williams and Norgate)—Steinkohlentheer: A. 
Pubertz:—Beitriige zur Histologie des Gehér-organes : Dr. Riidinger.—Die 
Kleinschmetterlinge der Umgegend Miinchens : A. Hartmann —Biologische 
Briefe von Dr. G Jager.—Die Praxis der Naturgeschichte; P. L. Martin. 
—Geometrie der raumlichen Erzeugnisse ein-zwei-deutiger Gebilde: Dr. E. 
Weyr —-Die Geometrie und die Geometer vor Euklides : C A. Bretschneider} 
—Die Pflanzenstoffe, 3° Lieferung : Husemann —Elemente der Mineralogie: 
C. F. Naumann —Beitrage zur Biologie der Pflanzen, 1‘ Lieferung: Dr. F. 
Cohn.—Die Spectralanalyse : Dr. Schellen; 2° Auflage. 



DIARY 
THURSDAY, DecemeeER t. 
Royat Society, at 4.—Anniversary Meeting. 
Lonpon InsTiTuTION, at 7.30.—On Gems and Precious Stones; Prof. 
Morris. 
Linnean Society, at 8. 
Cuemicat Society, at 8.—On some Derivatives of Anthracene: Mr. 
W. H. Perkin. 
SociETY OF ANTIQUARIBS, at 8.30.—Faliscan Inscription: Padre Garucci. 
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4. 
SunpAy LECTURE SOCIETY, at 3.30.—Onthe Telescope and its Discoveries : 
Mr. R. A. Proctor. 
MONDAY, DECEMEER 5. 
Roya InstiruTiony at 2.—General Monthly Meeting. 
Lonpon INSTITUTION, at 4.—On Chemical Action: Prof. Odling. 
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6. 
ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY, at 8.—On the Races inhabiting the British 
Isles: Mr. A. L. Lewis —On Archaic Structures of Cornwall and Devon : 
Mr. A. L. Lewis.—On Forms of Ancient Interment in Antrim; Dr. Sinclair 
Holden. 
WEDNESDAY, D&cEMeBeR 7. 
Society or ARTS, at 8.—On the American System of Associated Dairies, 
and its bearing on Co-operative Farming: H. M. Jenkins. 
GroLocicat Society, at 8.—On Fossils from Cradock, Cape of Good Hope: 
Dr. George Gray.—On some points in South-African Geology, Part 2: Mr. 
G. W. Stow.—On the Geology of Natal: Mr. C. L Griesbach.—On the 
Diamond-districts of the Cape of Good Hope: Mr. G, Gilfillan. 
THURSDAY, DEcEMBER 8. 
Lonpon MaTHeEmaticaL Society, at 8.—Further Remarks on Quartic 
Surfaces: Prof. Cayley.—On the Polar Correlation of two Planes, and its 
Connection with their Quadric Correspondence: Dr. Hirst —On Systems 
of Tangents to Plane Cubic and Quartic Curves: Mr. L. J. Walker.—On 
the Order and Singularities of the Parallel of an Algebraical Curve: Mr. 
S. Roberts. 
Society oF ANTIQUARIES, at 8.30. 
Lonpon InsTiTUTION, at 7.30.—On Count Rumford and his Philosophical 
Work: Mr. W. Mattieu Williams. 


CONTENTS Pace 
MeEpIcat SCHOOLS IN ENGLAND AND GERMANY. III. By S. Stricker 81 
PoLARISATION OF THE Corona. By Prof. E. C. PickeRING . . . 82 
Tue Resources oF La Prata. By the Rey. C. J. Ropinson, F.L.S. 83 
Our Book.SHELF..\icee iseiie te pea Lies ke ls Wan Bienen 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR :— 
The Difficulties of Natural Selection —A. R. Wattace; S. N. 
CARVALHO, jun.'; C. J. MONRO. 1... 2s Se 2 
Dr. Nicholson’s “ Zoology.”—Dr. H. ALLEYNE NicHo.son ; E. 
Rav LANKESTER. «(coe js «ot the a om) SE a 
Glass Floats off the Isle of Lewis.—Col. G. GREENWooD . . . 87 
Tue EnGcuisH GOVERNMENT EcLipsE EXPEDITION . . « « « « « 87 
ENerGy, AND Pror. Bain’s Locic. By Prof. Tair... .. . . 8 
Mounrain Curmpinc. By Prof. W. H. Corrierp. (With [llustra~ 
21) ES ee ro FO DAS 
PNOUIES (5) (Joi! ie “Yodo lel lel cm Whe tinted oo Tes (atl Pte est elo we 
Tue DistriBUTION OF DEER... . 
HEnpDERSON’S PATENT STEEL PROCESS. - - + + + + sw es a 
SocieTIEs AND ACADEMIES. . 2 ss @ woe + 0 3 «'s) wes wy "90 
BROOKS RECEIVED....: 0. 8 ¢)Raetinnls 8 ss ps le Shing mame 
DC PS A Pie dd SRM CER ce 

a 
be G2, 
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Se 

