220 

NATURE 
[ Fan. 12, 1871 

measurement of high temperatures. (3 and 4.) Note on Linear 
Differential Equations in Quaternions, and Note on some Qua- 
ternion Integrals, by Prof. Tait. (5.) Note on an Ice Calo- 
rimeter, py Prof. Crum Brown. The author had, some years 
back, ordered the construction of an instrument on the same 
principle as that lately described by Bunsen. It is not yet 
completed, and he sent this note, not of course to claim 
priority, but to reserve to himself the right to use his own instru- 
ment, 
Royal Physical Society, December 21.—Mr. R. F. Logan 
in the chair. The office-bearers for the session were elected as 
follows :—Presidents: R. F. Logan, C. W. Peach, Dr. Robert 
Brown. Council: James M‘Bain, M.D., R.N. ; Stevenson 
Macadam, Ph.D.; Andrew Wilson, Robert Scot Skirving, 
David Grieve, Professor Duns. Secretary: John Alexander 
Smith, M.D. Treasurer: Henry Budge, C.A. Assistant 
Secretary : James Boyd Davies. Honorary Librarian: Andrew 
Taylor. The Secretary exhibited the head of a roedeer, with 
the upper part of each horn bent backwards into a hook shape, 
or rather a complete loop ; probably due to an injury when the 
horns were growing. He also exhibited a curious large speci- 
men of a pigeon, with a bluish-grey head, mottled with white, 
and rest of plumage nearly white, the back and wings mottled 
wth a few darker feathers ; tail large, nearly white; the breast 
and abdomen show traces of the reddish colour of the cushat, 
and the sides of the neck also showed the bright white spot, 
slightly bordered with green and red reflections, as in the cushat. 
Tt was shot in company with a flock of wood pigeons at Ald- 
rught, near Elgin, in December, 1869. The bird has been sup- 
posed to be probably a hybrid between the cushat, or wood 
pigeon, and a fancy domestic pigeon, as a pouter, being rather 
larger in size than the cushat. If this were so, it is perhaps the 
first instance of the kind that has been observed ; but probably a 
much more simple explanation may be given by considering it 
simply an albino cushat, or variety showing the plumage much 
changed to white. Very little variety occurs in the plumage of 
the cushat, so that the specimen is a rare one. The secretary 
also exhibited a specimen of the Ladrus mixtus, or cuckoo wrass, 
taken on a long or hadock line in the Firth of Forth, in Sep- 
tember, 1870. It is common on some rocky coasts, and speci- 
mens have been taken acording to Mr. C. W. Peach, at Wick, 
Iverach, and Kirkwa, in Orkney, but has apparently not before 
been recorded as taken in the Firth, The Zadras trimaculatus, 
or three-spotted wrass has, however, been taken oncee or twice 
in the Firth of Fourth ; and, according to Dr. Giinthr, in his 
valuable ‘‘Cataloge of Fishes,” the latter is not a distinct- 
species, but simply the female of the Ladrus mixtus.—Mr. 
Robert Brown, Ph. D., M.A., submitted some recent observa 
tions regarding the Arctic marine currents. The author consi- 
dered that there, were three main currents, which traversed th 
Arctic, American and European seas, exclusive of those of Asiae 
and Behring Straits. hese were:—1. The current sweeping 
out of the Kara Sea to the westward, getting deflected against 
the Greenland coast ; sweeping down that coast at the averag 
rate of eight knots an hour, varying according to the season, 
doubles Cape Farewell, and then runs north along the western 
shores of Greenland, decreasing in rapidity and in breadth from 
about 100 miles, to which it stretches at Cape Farewell, until its 
force is exhausted at near Disco Island. ‘This current jams up 
the eastern shores of Greenland, within which it is always on the 
moye summer and winter, and as seen rounding Cape Farewell | 
is known to Davis Strait navigators as the ‘‘Cape Ice.” It 
brings into Davis Straits great quantities of driftwood and Polar | 
bears. 2. A current down Davis Strait, About Rifkol it is 
deflected off to the westward, and flows down the western shores 
of Davis Strait, carrying down great quantities of icebergs, 
which strand and melt on the banks of Newfoundland, there 
depositing their loads, others helping to form these banks. Here 
it meets with the Gulf Stream—the meeting of the cold and warm 
currents giving rise to the fogs so characteristic of that locality. 
At the mouth of Davis Strait there is an indraught of the Gulf 
Stream, which joins the Cape ice on the Greenland coast. It is 
also to this indraught that the drift mahogany logs, now and then 
picked up on the Greenland coast, are due. 3. The Gulf 
Stream, with the exception of the indraught already mentioned, 
does not enter Davis Strait, but sweeps across the Atlantic, re- 
taining some degree of warmth as far as Novai Zemlai, and 
landing tropical products on the shores of Iceland and Spitz- 
bergen. It is to this current that is due the freedom of the har- 
bours of Norway and South-Western Iceland from ice. 

BOOKS RECEIVED 
EnciisH.—The Heavens; A. Guillemin, 4th edition, edited by J. N. 
Lockyer (Bentley).—Travels in the Air: Jas. Glaisher, C. Flammarioa, W. 
de Fonvielle, and G. Tissandier (Bentley).—A Treatise on Magnetism: G. 
B. Airy (Macmillan).—Th+ Student’s Elements of Geology : Sir C. Lyell 
(Murray).—The Marvels of the Heavens : C. Flammarion, translated by Mrs. 
Lockyer (Bentley).—Elementary Natural Philosophy: J. Clifton Ward 
(Triibner).—The Duke of Edinburgh in Ceylon (Provost and Co.). 
ForeiGN.—Jahrbuch der k. k. geologischen Reichsanstalt zu Wien, 1870. 
(Through Williams and Norgate)—Die Mineralien ; J, C. Weber.—Die Fische 
Deutschlands und der Schweiz: J. C. Weber. 



DIARY 
THURSDAY, JANUARY 12. 
Royat, at 8.30.—On Fluoride of Silver, Part 11. : G. Gore, F.R.S,—Polari- 
sation of Metallic Surfaces in Aqueous Solutions ; Some Experiments on 
the Discharge of Electricity through Rarefied Meda: C. F. Varley. 
Society oF ANTIQUARIES, at 8. 30.—Electioa of Fellows.{ 
Lonpon MATHEMATICAL Sociery, at 8.—On Systems of Tangents to Plane 
Cubic and Quartic Curves: J. J. Walker.—On the Order and Singulari- 
ties of the Parallel of an Algebraical Curve: S. Roberts. 
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13. 
Roya ASTRONOMICAL Society, at 8. 
QuvueEKETT MICROSCOPICAL SOCIETY, at 8. 
TUESDAY, JANuary 17. 
Zo LOGICAL SocieTy, at 9—On a Skull of a Narwhal with two tusks, in 
the Cambridge University Museum: John W. Clark.—Descriptions of 
some new species of Australian Land Shells: Dr. James C. Cox.—Notes 
on some points in the Osteology of Rhea Americanaand Rhea Darwinit + 
Dr. R. O. Cunningham. 
Royat InstirTuTION, at 3.—Nutrition of Animals; Dr. M. Foster, 
SrarisTicaL Society, at 7.45—On the Comparative Taxation on Real 
Property, Personality, and Income: R. Dudley Baxter, M.A. 
ANTHROPOLOGICAL SOCIETY, at 4.—Annual Meeting. 
WEDNESDAY, Janvary 18. 
METEOROLOGICAL SociETy, at 7.— Heights and Velocities of August Meteors 
in 1870: Prof. A. S. Herschel.—Lunar Influence upon Rainfall: John C, 
Bloxam.—On Prof. Poey’s new Classification of Clouds: Dr. RK. J. Manu. 
Society or Arts, at 8. 
Roya Society oF LITERATURE, at 8.30.—On Prospero’s Clothes-line (by 
A. E. Brae): Dr. C. M. Ingleby. 
THURSDAY, Janvary 19. 
Roya Society, at 8.30. 
Society OF ANTIQUARIES, at 8.30. 
Linnean Society, at 8.—On the Vegetation of the Solomon Islaids: Mr. 
Atkin.—Note on Byrsanthus (Homalinee): Dr. M. T. Masters, F.R.S. 
F.L.S.—Historical Notes on the Radix Galanga of Pharmacy: Daniel 
Hanbury, F.R.S., F.L.S. 
CHEMICAL SOCIETY, at 8. 
RKovat InstiTuTIoN, at 3.—Davy’s Discoveries: Dr. Odling. 


CONTENTS Pace 
Tur New Hosritat or St. THomas. (With Plan.) . . « « « + 20% 
Tue CoLtection oF INVERTEBRATE ANIMALS IN THE FREE PUBLIC 
Museum, Liverroot. By Rev. Henry H, HicciIns .. . » - 202 
UTILISATIONOF SEWAGE «© . «J« i « «he © 5 @ =) ©) etiam 
Our \BooX'SHELF 5/0 a ee 0 ee ce es) ae 
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR :— 
Professor Max Miiller and the Insulation of St. Michael’s Mount, 
Cornwall.— W. PENGELLY, F.R.S.. . . . » » 2 + 0 « @ 
Glycerine Solutions of Pepsin and other Substances —Dr. LionEL 
Ss BEALE, FaRS. | jee) ee ie 0, os = is! ce, fe Let (sl ete ok Se 
Tails of Comets, Solar Corona, and Aurora.—Dr. J. BEnFoRD. . 207 
The Artificial Introduction of Plants . . . . + « « + «+ + + 208 
Science Teaching.—Samuet H. MILLER . «. . . + « « « « 208 
The Frost —JoHN Carey; Joun James Hatt. . . . . . ~ 208 
Sharks announcing their own Capture.—G, F. McDouGAul. . . 208 
Extraordinary Meteor.—RosertT GRYSON. . . . = + « © + 209 
NATURAL SCIENCE AT CAMBRIDGE . 2. «0 6 «ie 0 8 9s © © «© 9 SOD 
EXPLORATION OF THE PERENE {AMAzoNS) River. By Dr. Hype 
CLARKE. 6 os es ee ge fee (6 Lil Aie> 0 ee SN a 
BRITISH DIATOMACE#: 2. 2 + + ss » ce © © © «© © se 6 mene 
Parrers on [Ron AND STEEL. II, THe BesseMER Process. (With 
Diagram.) By W. Martieu WILLIAMS, ¥.C.S. . - ee 
NOTES sje 2 wet Met for ee ie ee Tote) a) Moin tc 
On THE GeoLocy or Nova ScoTIA . + . + ee «© = 2 8 + + Bh 
Lerrers From CENTRAL AFRICA, By Dr, SCHWEINFURTH. « + + 215 
ScIENTIFIC SERIAES ) cu mus Je ie po v0 Mes De tole Sas wt ee eg ee Ce 
SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. « 2 « © © s » #@ © s = © 8 «© = hg 
BooxS RECEIVED «94: ue! fs S. SWie) 57s sige is) Ue fe) ov Gian 
IDIARW ss +s, 0 oi fe) ah Fe de yes wen ae oe ft Se cae 


Erratum.—Page 182, first column, line 34, for “we are justified,” read 
“We are not justified.” 

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