144 



NA TURE 



hibited, on behalf of Mr. J. Olonba Payne, nine symbolic letters 

 (Aroko) as used by the tribe of Jebu in West Africa. — The 

 Secretary read a paper, by Mr. T. R. Griffith, on the races inhabit- 

 ing Sierra Leone. — The Rev. George Brown gave a brief rhiiiiiJ 

 of his paper on the Papuans and Polynesians, the reading of 

 which was adjourned till the next meeting. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, November 29. — M. Daubree in the 

 chair. — The medal prepared by the youth of France to com- 

 memorate the centenary of M. Chevreul, was presented to the 

 President of the Academy, with some appropriate remarks by M. 

 de Quatrefages. The medal, which is a fine work of art by M. 

 Roty, bears on one side a bust of the illustrious savant, and on 

 the reverse his full figure, seated in an armchair, in an attitude 

 of study, with the legend " La Jeunesse fran9aise au Doyen des 

 Ktudiants, 31 Aoiit, 1786 — 31 Aout, 1886." After defraying 

 the expenses of this and another medal of smaller size, a copy 

 of which will be supplied to all subscribers, the Committee ha-; 

 a large balance in hand, which it proposes to utilise by issuing 

 a complete Ca/alogiie raisoiini of M. Chevreul's works. — Re- 

 marks on the 2ioth volume of the Coiinaissance nVs Temps (for 

 1888), presented to the Academy by M. Faye. — A contribution 

 to the history of the decomposition of the amides by water and 

 the diluted acids, by MM. I3erthelot and Andre. These studies 

 have been undertaken for the purpose of better determining the 

 degree of stability, in presence of the acids, of some typical 

 amides, which play an essential part in the tissues of organised 

 beings, such as urea, asparagine, and others. — Glycose, glyco- 

 gene, and glycogeny, in relation to the production of heat and 

 of mechanical power in the animal system, by M. A. Chauveau. 

 In this second communication the aulhor deals with combustion 

 and the development of heat in the organs while at work. In 

 this state of physical activity the quantity of glycose which 

 disappears in the capillaries is increased, and is in pro- 

 portion with the excessive activity of the combustions ex- 

 cited by the play of the organs. — Fluorescences of man- 

 ganese and bismuth, by M. I^ecoq de Boisbaudran. In 

 this preliminary paper three conditions are considered : (l) a 

 single solid dissolvent and two active substances, each fluorescing 

 with this dissolvent ; (2) a solid dissolvent and two active sub- 

 stances, of which one alone fluoresces with the dissolvent; (3) 

 two solid dissolvents and one active substance fluorescing with 

 each of the dissolvents. — Treatment of the grape-vine with the 

 salts of copper against mildew, by MM. Crolas and Raulin. 

 Quantitative analyses are given of the amount of copper detected 

 in the products of vines treated by this process. Although the 

 actual quantity is never really dangerous, special precautions are 

 recommended in all cases where the grape is intended for con- 

 sumption. — On the phosphates and arseniates of silver, by M. 

 A. Joly. The precipitated triargentic phosphate, POgAg.,, ob- 

 tained by double decomposition, is shown to be amorphous, 

 easily dissolving in phosphoric acid even at a low temperature. 

 The limits are determined within which the concentration of the 

 phosphoric solution should be varied in order to obtain at 

 pleasure the ciystallised triargentic phosphate or the diargentic 

 phosphate, POgAg„H. — On some coloured reactions of the 

 titanic, niobic, tantalic, and stannic acids, by M. Lucien Levy. 

 .Some new specific characters of these acids are described, 

 the reagents employed being substances which nearly always 

 present a phenolic function. Hence reciprocally these latter 

 may in their turn be characterised by the same mineral 

 acids. — On the conditions favourable to the restoration of 

 the elements of the transparent cornea, by M. GiUet de 

 Grandmont. These conditions are shown to be suppression of 

 the suppuration, absolute repose, and absence of all intervening 

 irritation. — On a process for intensifying the normal virulence of 

 the microbe of symptomatic charbon, and restitution of the 

 original activity after attenuation, by MM. Arloing and 

 Cornevin. — Note on some essays in antituberculous vaccina- 

 tion, by M. Vittorio Cavagnis. These experiments were made 

 according to M. Pasteur's method, on some rabbits and guinea- 

 pigs, with but partial success. The author is now endeavouring 

 to ascertain whether this method of vaccin.ation is at all applicable 

 to tuberculosis. — On the conformation of the external reproduc- 

 tive organs in the female of the anthropoid apes of the genus 

 Troglodytes, by M. A. T. de Rochebrune. — Observations on 

 the continuous blastogenesis of Bctrylloidcs rubrum (Milne- 

 Edwards), by M. .S. Jourdain. — New methods of preparing 

 the crystallised carbonates, by M. L. Bourgeois. — The Uralian 



{^Dec. 9, 1886 



Society of Naturalists informs the Academy that it is organising at 

 Ekaterinburg, Russia, a Scientific and Industrial Exhibition for 

 Siberia and the Ural Mountains, which will be opened on May 

 15/27, 1887, and closed on September 15/27 following. 



Stockholm 

 Academy of Sciences, November 10. — On a recently dis- 

 covered map of Scandinavia and parts of the North Atlantic, 

 edited, in 1539, by Olaus Magnus, a Swedish Catholic clergy- 

 man, by Baron A. E. Nordenskjold. — On the mineral thorite, 

 from two new localities, by the same. — On the Quaternary strata 

 of the Isle of Gothland, by Herr H. Munthe. — On the develop- 

 ment of bi-periodic functions in the series of Fourier, by Dr. C. 

 Charlier. — Contributions to the knowledge of the infloration 

 and fructification of the Scandinavian alpine plants, by Dr. C. 

 Lindman. 



BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED 



Histoire Gen6rale des Races Humaines; A.de Quatrefages (A. Henuuyer, 

 Paris).— Microscopic Fungi. 5th edition: Dr. M.C.Cooke (Allen).- Tlie 

 Greyhound : H. Dalziel (Gill).— British Does : H. Dalziel (Gill).— British 

 Cage-Birds : R. L. Wallace (Gill).— On the Conversion of Heat into Work ; 

 W. Anderson (Whittaker).— Lives of the Electricians : W. T. Jeans (Whil- 

 taker).— Clark's Transit Tables for 1887 : L. Clark (Spon).— A Text-Book of 

 Steam and Steam-Engines ; Prof. A. Jamieson (Griffin).- Outlines of Quan- 

 titative .Analysis : Prof. A. H. Seaton (Griffin).— Studien iiber Protoplasma- 

 mechanik ; Dr. G. Beithold (Felix, Leipzig). — Proceedings of the Queens- 

 land Branch of the Geological Society of Australasia, vol. i. (Watson. 

 Brisbane).— A New Department in Science: Dr. C. Radcliffe (Macmillan). 

 —The Mystery of God, 2nd edition : T. V. Tymms (Stock). 



CONTENTS PAGE 



Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates 121 



Science in Norway 122 



Our Book Shelf:— 



*' Acta Mathematica" 123 



.Shenstone's " Methods of Glass-Blowing " .... 123 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Two Hours with a " Subject Index." — Justitia . , 123 

 The Origin of Species. — Dr. George J. Romanes, 



F.R.S 124 



Heredity in Abnorm.al-Toed Cats. — William White 125 

 Algebraic Notation of Kinship. — Prof. Alexander 



Macfarlane 126 



Seismometry. — Thomas Gray 126 



Botanical Lecture Experiment. — Prof. Bayley Bal- 

 four 126 



A Lecture Experiment on the Expansion of Solids by 



He.at. — C. E. Stromeyer 126 



Meteors and Auroras. — Dr. M. A. Veeder .... 126 



The Guthrie Memorial Fund 127 



Volcanic Eruption in Niua-fu, Friendly Islands. 



By Prof. T. G. Bonney, F.R.S 127 



Fourth Annual Report of the Fishery Board for 



Scotland 128 



The Electric Charge on the Atom, By A. P. 



Laurie 131 



Music and Mathematics. By Prof, J. J. Sylvester, 



F.R.S 132 



Notes 132 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Corrections to Refraction Tables 134 



Comet Finlay (iS86<') 134 



Comet Barnard (1886/) 134 



Astronomical Phenomena for the Week 1886 



December 12-18 135 



The Law of Storms in the Eastern Seas. By Dr. 



W, Doberck. {With a Map) 135 



Earthquake in Sierra Leone. By J. S. Hay and 



Jos. M. Metzger 141 



Scientific Serials 141 



Societies and Academies 142 



Books and Pamphlets Received 144 



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