Dec. 30, 1886J 



NA TURE 



215 



liminary to a detailed investigation of l<nots by an entirely new 

 process. — Sir W. Thomson discussed the rin^-waves produced 

 by throwing a stone into water. This investigation constitutes 

 an extension of Poisson's and Cauchy's results. The wave- 

 velocity is directly proportional to the square root of the wave- 

 length, and the group-velocity is one half of the wa^'e-velocity. 

 — Sir \V. Thomson also gave an investigation of the waves pro- 

 duced by a ship advancing uniformly into smooth water. His 

 results sliow that there is practically no disturbance of the surface 

 outside lines drawn from the ship making an angle of 19° 2S' on 

 either side with the direction of motion. When tested by 

 experiment the angle obtained was 19° 13'. — Dr. T. Muir com- 

 municated a paper, by Mr. P. Alexander, on the expansion of 

 functions in terms of linear, cylindric, and spherical, &c., func- 

 tions by a new and very general method. — In a paper on even 

 distribution of points in space, Prof. Tait replied to certain 

 criticisms made on his results regarding the foundations of the 

 kinetic theory of gases. 



Man-chester 

 Literary and Philosophical Society, November 2. — 

 Prof. Osborne Reynolds, LL. D., F. R. S., Vice-President, in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read : — Measurements of the 

 magnetic induction and permeability in soft iron, by H. Holden, 

 B.Sc. — The action of hydrochloric acid gas upon certain metals, 

 by J. B. Cohen, Ph.D., F.C.S. — Capillary constants of benzene 

 and its homologues occurring in coal-tar, by J. B. Cohen, Ph.D., 

 F.C.S., all communicated by Dr. A. Schuster, F.R. S. 



Sydney 

 Linnean Society of New South Wales, October 27. — 

 Prof. \V. J. Stephens, F.G.S., President, in the chair. — The fol- 

 lowing papers were read : — Catalogue of the described Coleo- 

 ptera of Australia (part vi. ), by George Masters. The present 

 part contains all the known Scolytidfe, Brenthidae, Anthribida;, 

 Bruchidae, and Cerambycida; of Australia, making the total 

 number of species catalogued up to the present time, 6231. The 

 next part, which will be published early in next year, will com- 

 plete the Coleoptera. — Descriptions of new Lepidoptera, by E. 

 Meyrick, B. A. , F. E. .S. In this paper descriptions are given of 

 sixteen new species of Australian Lepidoptera belonging to 

 fourteen genera, of which six are new. Among them is Thalpo- 

 chares coccophiga, of which, at the December meeting of the 

 Society, Mr. Masters exhibited specimens of both moths and 

 larvK, and called attention to the singular habits of the latter, 

 which feed on a species of Coccus infesting a Macrozamia, living 

 concealed in a cocoon-like shelter formed of the exuvis of the 

 Coccus, and finally pupating therein. — On the flowering seasons 

 of Australian plants, by E. Haviland, F.I,. S. This paper 

 enuuierates 113 species of plants observed in flower in the 

 neighbourhood of Sydney during the month of July of this 

 year, and is intended to be the first of a series of papers on the 

 subject, by means of which it is hoped that the flowering seasons 

 of at least the plants of the county of Cumberland will eventually 

 be recorded. — Notes on the Rutacea; of the Australian Alps, 

 by James Stirling, F.G.S., F.L.S. Fourteen species of Ruta- 

 ceous plants are enumerated as occurring in the region of the 

 Australian Alps, of which one belongs to the genus Zieria, two 

 to Boronia, nine to Eriostemon, and two to Correa. Remarks 

 are also made upon the climatic and other conditions under 

 which the plants occur, and the origin of their specific differ- 

 ences. — On a probably new species of tree-kangaroo from North 

 Queensland, by C. W. DeVis, M.A. The name ai Dendrolagus 

 bennelliaiius is proposed for a supposed new species of tree- 

 kangaroo of which one specimen was obtained in the Daintree 

 River District. It lived in captivity for a time, but was subse- 

 quently killed, and its skin, unfortunately deprived of everything 

 else but the bones of the hands and feet, was subsequently sub- 

 mitted to Mr. De Vis, who, after comparing it with two skins of 

 D. /um/io/tzi, CoUett, has no doubt that it is distinct from its 

 compatriot, and is more nearly allied to D. dm iantis, Ramsay. 

 As full a description as is possible under the circumstances is 

 given in the paper. — Dr. Ramsay exhibited a specimen of an 

 apparently new species of Monacanthus, presented to the Aus- 

 tralian Museum by Mr. G. R. Eastway. He also exhibited eggs 

 of Ptiloiiorhynchiis vlolai'ciis and Rhyn:]ura australis^ and read 

 notes on the subject. — Mr. A. J. North exhibited eggs of 

 Mcitura vutorur, Gould, from South Gippsland, and of 

 Gcronlicus spiiiicoUis, Jameson, from Hillston, N.S.W. — Mr. 

 Whitelegge exhibited some magnificent specimens of the Alga 



Claudea Benndliaiii, Marvey, hitherto known only from one 

 small specimen. It was found abundantly near the Heads of 

 Port Jackson during a recent trawling excursion in connection 

 with the Australian Museum. Some of the specimens taken 

 were nearly i foot in diameter. Mr. Whitelegge also exhibited 

 a fine specimen o{ Eoioon canadcnsc, and slides of it and of the 

 above-mentioned Alga under the microscope. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, December 20. — M. Jurien de la 

 Graviere, President, in the chair. — Addendum to the note of 

 December 6 on the conditions determining the form and density 

 of the earth's crust, by M. Faye. In reply to M. de Lapparent's 

 further objections to his theory, the author gives more detailed 

 explanations regarding the phenomenon of compensation be- 

 tween land and water, pointing out that to this compensation is 

 due the persistence of the original ellipsoidal figure of the 

 globe. — On the phosphorescence of alumina, by M. Edmond 

 Becquerel. The experiments here described point to different 

 conclusions from those recently arrived at by M. Lecoq de 

 Boisbaudran, while confirming those deduced from the author's 

 earlier researches. — On some dispositions by means of which bi- 

 refractive photometers may be realised without polarising the 

 light, by M. A. Cornu. Without dispensing with the simpler 

 apparatus of geometrical optics, the author describes several re- 

 adjustments, which enable him to obtain double images of 

 variable intensity in accordance with a well-known law, without 

 having recourse to the employment of polarised light. — Remarks 

 on M. Hugoniot's notes on the flow of gases, published in the 

 CoDiJ'/es rendtis of November 15 and 22, by M. G. A. Hirn. 

 The author replies briefly to the objections urged against his 

 conclusions by M. Hugoniot, and still rejects the kinetic theory 

 of gases, which he persists in regarding as one of the most fatal 

 errors of modern science. — Observations in reference to Dr. 

 Philip Paulitschke's "Researches on the Ethnography and 

 Anthropology of the Somali, Gallas, and Hararis," by 

 M. de Quatrefages. These observations, accompanying pre- 

 sentation of a copy of Dr. Paulitschke's work to the Academy, 

 dwell especially on the great scientific interest presented 

 by the mixed Negroid populations of Eastern Africa to the 

 student of anthropology. These peoples are regarded as the 

 outcome of an extremely ancient crossing between the Negro 

 and the White races, the latter being represented chiefly by the 

 African Semites. — Considerations on deep-sea fishes, and espe- 

 cially on those belonging to the sub-order Abdominalidaj, by 

 M. Leon Vaillant. These remarks have special reference to 

 the captures made by the Talisman Expedition, which included 

 no less than 3800 true fishes, and which, combined with the re- 

 searches of Gunther, Gill, Cope, Goode, and Bean, already 

 supply materials for a rough classification of these marine Ver- 

 tebrates, — On the copper present in the grapes and wines yielded 

 by vines treated with various cupreous preparations against mil- 

 dew, by MM. U. Gayon and Millardet. These researches seem 

 to show that, while the different processes generally exercise 

 some influence on the quantity of copper contained in the grape 

 and vinous fermentation, they appear to have none at all on the 

 quantity of copper wliich ren.ains in the wine after fermentation. 

 The clear wine, after perfect clarification, contains no appre- 

 ciable quantity of the metal. — Volume, absolute heat, and 

 specific heat of saturated vapours, by M. Ch. Antoine. Taking 

 a special zero for each vapour, simple formulas are established 

 for working out these several volumes. — Note on the Abelian 

 functions, by M. Appell, — On angular acceleration, a problem of 

 pure kinematics, by M, Ph. Gilbert. — On the flow of elastic fluids, 

 by M. Hugoniot. The author here applies to the flow of saturated 

 aqueous vapour the same method already employed by him in the 

 study of the flow of permanent gases. — Apparatus showing the 

 two modes of reflection of a vibratory movement, by M. J. 

 Violle. The apparatus here described has been constructed by 

 M. Konig, and is perfectly adapted for demonstrating the 

 method einployed by Regnault in his great work on the measure- 

 ment of the velocity of sound. — On some new properties, and on 

 the analysis, of the pentafluoride gas of phosphorus, by M. H. 

 Moissan. Ilaving already indicated a new process for preparing 

 this substance, the author here gives some fresh results terminat- 

 ing his researches on the phosphorated compounds of fluor. — On 

 the relations of the efflorescence and deliquescence of the salts 

 with the maximum tension of the saturated solutions, by M. H. 

 Lescoeur. The conditions of the efflorescence and deliquescence 

 of the salts as determined by Debray are here brought into rela- 



