Nov. 1 8, 1886] 



NA TURE 



71 



Edinburgh 

 Mathematical Society, November 12. — Dr. R. M. Ferjju- 

 sin, Presiilcnl, in the chair. — The Presirlent gave a retiring 

 address, for which, .and for the gratuitous use of the rooms of 

 the Edinburgh Institution for the .Society's meetings a vote of 

 thanks was awarded to him. — Mr. J. S. Macliay read a paper 

 on the soUitions of Euclid's problems with a ruler and one fixed 

 aperture of the comp.tsses by the Italian geometers of the six- 

 teenth century ; and communicated a note from Mr. R. Tucker 

 giving some novel properties connected with the triangle. — Mr. 

 A. V. Eraser read a note by Mr. William Renton on the 

 equivocal sign. — The following office-bearers were elected for 

 the session :— President : Mr. (Jeorge Thorn; Vice-President : 

 Mr. W. J. Macdonald ; Secretary : Mr. K. V. Eraser ; Trea- 

 surer : Mr. Tolin Alison ; Committee : Mr. K. E. Allardice, 

 Dr. R. M. "Eerguson, Mr. George A. Gibson, Mr. William 

 Harvey, Mr. J. -S. Mackay, Mr. Thomas Muir. 



Sydney 

 Royal Society of New South Wa'es, September I. — Mr. 

 Cli. Rolleston, President, in the chair. — Mr. Fredk. B. Gipps, 

 C.E., read a paper on "Our Lakes and their Uses." The 

 1 .kes of New South Wales being all liable to dry up, Mr. Gipps 

 slated that it is possible, however, to impound large artificial 

 Lakes. The leading features of Lake George were described, 

 and a means of utilising its waters for irrigating a large area 

 were entered into. — A very beautiful specimen of gold from 

 calcite was exhibited by Dr. Leibius, of the Mint. The lime 

 having been dissolved in acid, the gold was left as a network of 

 the finest ramifying filaments. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, November S. — M. Jurien de la 

 Graviere, President, in the chair. — On the relations of geodesy 

 and geology, by M. Eaye. This is a reply to M. de Lapparent's 

 recent criticisms of the author's well-known views on the rela- 

 tions of the geodetic and geological sciences. M. de Lapparent's 

 objections are treated in detail, and it is argued that the law of 

 unequal cooling of the terrestrial crust dates back to times 

 anterior to the astronomico-geological epoch, when the seasons 

 began to be established. It controlled the whole series of geo- 

 logical evolutions from the first formation of the oceanic basins. 

 — Thermic researches on the reactions between ammonia and 

 the magnesian salts, by M. Berlhelot. These studies tend to 

 define the action of ammonia on the magnesian salts, determin- 

 ing the analytical conditions which enable magnesia to be sepa- 

 rated from the other alkaline sails, and showing that, by union 

 with sulphuric acid or with hydrochloric acid, the complex 

 ammoniaco-magnesian base liberates a quantity of heat greater 

 than pure ammonia or pure magnesia, and very near that 

 liberated by potassa and soda. — On the incandescent substance 

 in fusion recently reported to have fallen during a thunder- 

 storm at Luchon, by M. A. Trecul. In connection with 

 M. St. Meunier's remarks on this subject, the author refers to a 

 communication made by him to the Academy in 1881 (Comptcs 

 rendus, xcii. p. 775), showing that in thunder-clouds there may 

 exist an incandescent substance in fusion, which under certain 

 conditions may fall to the ground in the form of variable drops 

 or globules. — Report made on behalf of the Section for Che- 

 mistry on M. Moissan's researches relating to the isolation of 

 fluor, by M. Debray. After describing the attempts made by 

 Davy and subsequent chemists to solve this problem, the report 

 gives a detailed account of M. Moissan's researches, and con- 

 siders his final conclusion fully justified, that the gas liberated 

 by the electrolysis from the pure anhydrous hydrofluoric acid, 

 with which he experimented, is undoubtedly fluorine. The ques- 

 tion consequently now enters on a new phase, and chemistry 

 may henceforth deal directly with fluorine, and attac'K problems of 

 great interest, formerly regarded as insoluble. — Observations of 

 the new planet 261, made at the Paris Observatory (equ.atorial 

 of the West Tower), by M. G. Bigourdan. — On an extended 

 class of uniform transcendants, by M. H. Poincare. — On 

 Maclaurin's series in the case of a real variable ; appli- 

 cation to the development of a homogeneous body in series 

 of the potential, by M. O. Callandreau. — Note on the 

 octahedron, by M. P. Serret. — On the transport of force ; a 

 reply to M. Deprez, by M. Ilippolyte Fontaine. It is admitted 

 that the principle of a series of machines linked together is not 

 new ; but the author claims that the results of his researches 

 obtained by the employment of special dynamos, and by a re- 



arrangement of the mechanical elements, must be regarded as 

 new. The transport of 50 horse-power through a resistance 

 of 100 ohms with a loss of only 48 per cent., by employing 

 dynamos jointly weighing only 8400 kilograms and costing only 

 658/., is now realised for the first time. — Determination of the 

 heats of neutralisation of the malonic, tartronic, and malic acids: 

 remarks on the heats of neutralisation of the homologous acids of 

 oxalic acid and of the corresponding hydroxyletted .acids, by MM. 

 H. Gal and E. Werner. The results here tabulated of the authors' 

 researches show that the heat of neutralisation of the homologous 

 bibasic acids under consideration diminishes in proportion as the 

 molecular weight increases. — General methods of crystallisation 

 by diffusion ; reproduction of mineral species, by M. Ch. Er. 

 Guignet. These experiments are described as a generalisation 

 of M. Becquerel's ingenious researches on the slow action set up 

 between two liquids separated by a film, a porous wall, or even 

 a glass tube with a fissure or capillary aperture. The methods 

 employed .are applicable to a Large number of bodies, and yield 

 crystals in any required quantities. — Synthesis of conicine, by 

 M. A. Ladenburg. The processes are described by which the 

 author has succeeded in obtaining synthetically three bases pos- 

 sessing"thesame mutual relations as racemic and tartaric acids, one 

 of which is absolutely identical with natural conicine. — On the 

 chemical transformations brought about by the action of solar 

 light, by M. E. Duclaux. H.aving already examined the sterilis- 

 ing action of solar light on microbes, the author here proceeds 

 to show that the influence at play belongs to the order of 

 chemical phenomena, which in this case assume a physiological 

 character. The action of the solar rays is shown to be analogous 

 to that of the ferments. — On a new means of preventing 

 secondary fermentations in the alcoholic fermentations of com- 

 merce, by MM. U. Gayon and G. Dupetit. This process con- 

 sists in adding to the wort antiseptic substances capable of 

 arresting the development of the countless germs contained in the 

 primary substances and in the yeast, without, however, impairing 

 the activity of the leaven itself — On the alcoholic fermentation 

 of dextrine and of starch, by MM. U. Gayon and E. Dubourg. 

 A new kind of mucor is de-cribed, which possesses the twofold 

 property of fixing the water on dextrine, and even on starch, 

 and superinducing fermentation in the products of this saccharifi- 

 cation, without, however, aftecting cane-sugar or transforming 

 it to alcohol. — On the reduction of the, sulphate of copper during 

 vinous fermentation, by M. H. Quantin. — On the genus Cepon, 

 by MM. A. Giard and J. Bonnier. Two new species (C piliila 

 and C. elcgans) of this little-known genus have been discovered 

 by the authors, the former a parasite of Xaiil/io floiidus, the 

 latter of Pilumnus hirtellus. Both occur on the French sea- 

 board. — On the homologies of the larvae of Comatula?, by M. 

 J. Ban'ois. — On the cave-dwellers of Beche-aux-Roches, by 

 MM. Marcel de Puydt and Max. Lohest. The authors disclaim 

 all responsibility for the recent remarks of M. de Nadaillac 

 describing the culture of this prehistoric race in somewhat ex- 

 aggerated language. — On the affinities of the Eocene floras of 

 West France and Saxony, by M. Louis Crie. — On a serious 

 malady analogous to scurvy observed in certain reptiles, by M. 

 Magitot. — On a technical process for the diagnosis of Gono- 

 coccus, whereby this parasite may be distinguished from other 

 species of cocci, by RI. Gabriel Roux. 



Berlin 

 Meteorological Society, November 2. — Prof, von Bezold 

 in the chair. — Prof. Sporer spoke of stormy movements in the 

 atmosphere of the sun. He discussed a long series of details 

 respecting the physics of the sun, which were illustrated by 

 heliographic maps, and emphasised the fact that spots invariably 

 appeared only in very hot luminous regions of the solar surface. 

 Of his theoretical explanations it may be more particularly men- 

 tioned that, in the opinion of the spe,aker, the luminous regions 

 originated in the ascending of gases and vapours from the hot 

 interior of the sun. When such a thing happened at the cir- 

 cumference of the sun, then metallic prominences were observed. 

 In consequence of their higher temperature the luminous regions 

 caused ascending currents, wdiither cooler gases streamed from 

 all sides. The gases, which in certain circumstances mounted 

 to heights of 30,000 German (135,000 English) miles, cooled, 

 sank as cooler masses endowed with greater linear velocity to 

 the same localities, and there formed the sunspots. In the 

 discussion following this address. Prof. Sporer stated that 

 according to his observations the last maximum had shown it- 

 self l884'o. He further stated that occasionally, under special 

 conditions of illumination, he had, with the aid of the tele- 



