March lo, 1887] 



NA TURE 



455 



identical conditions of accuracy. Hence it ii no longer necessary 

 10 observe the two stars only when found at considerable 

 altitudes, a circumstance which greatly facilitates compliance 

 with the other geometrical conditions of the problem. — On the 

 great movements of the atm)sphere, in connection with M. 

 Mascart's last note of February 21, by M. Faye. The author 

 reviews the whole subject of aerial movements as bearing more 

 especially on his well-known theory regarding the direction of 

 the wind in cyclones. The paper is followed by a brief reply from 

 M. Mascirt, who still maintains that this theory is unsupported 

 by observation. — Note on the measurement of the photonraphic 

 plates of the transit of Venus across the solar dis'; in 1S82, by 

 M. Bouquet de la Grye. These measurements, which have been 

 executed in the Institute, deal altogether with 1019 plates, 

 involving lengthy calculations which cover no less than 32,000 

 sheets of p.aper. — On the phosphorescence of the sulphuret of 

 calcium, by M. Edmond Becquerel. In connection with M. 

 Verneuil's recent paper on the determining causes of the phos- 

 phorescence of the sulphuret of calcium, the author makes some 

 observations on the views already announced by him on the 

 inlluence of foreign subst.ances in modifying the molecular con- 

 dition of the sulphuret of phosphorescent calcium. — On the red 

 fluorescence of alumina, by M. Lecoq de Boisbaudran. It has 

 recently been shown that highly calcined alumina yielding a 

 bluish lluorescence /// vacua assumes a red tint in the phosphoro- 

 .scope. Notwithstanding this observation the author still contends 

 that the presence of chromium is necessary to obtain the red 

 fluorescence of alumina. .V mere trace of Cr.,Oa superadded 

 sufTices to produce the fine fluorescence described by ^I. Becquerel 

 in his work on " Light." — Note on the earthquake of February 23 

 at Marseilles Observatory, by M. E. Stephan. The movement 

 which was attended by such disastrous effects along the Riviera, 

 and even in the Maritime Alps, was very little felt at Maiseilles, 

 where two series of shocks were recorded at the Observatory, 

 the first at 5.55 in the morning, and lasting about 90 seconds, 

 the second ten minutes later, and lasting only some 15 seconds. 

 The a-stronomic pendulums were somewhat disturbed, but the 

 meridian-circle was not appreciably affected. — Observations of 

 B.arnard's new comet (1887 r/), and of Palisa's new planet 265, 

 made at the Paris Observatory (equatorial of the West Tower), 

 by M. G. Bigourdan. — On a new method of determining the 

 paralla.x of the sun by the photographic observation of the 

 transit of Venus, by M. Obrecht. The method here described 

 yields formulie by means of which the parallax may be determined 

 from the observations of a siiis^le station. — Additional note on 

 the measurement of aberration, by M. J. C. Houzeau. It is 

 shown that the objections recently raised by M. I.cewy to the 

 author's method rest on a serious error. — On applicable surfaces, 

 by M. E. .-Vmigues. A definition is given of rectilineal applic- 

 able surfaces, from which several theorems are deduced. — On 

 the product of two sums of eight squares, by M. X. Antomaii. 

 A fresh demonstration is given of the theorem that the product 

 of two sums of eight squares is a sum of eight squares. It is 

 furth-.T remarked that by means of this theorem a rule of 

 multiplication of complex quantities in a space of eight dimen- 

 sions may be conceived analogous to the rule of multiplication 

 of quaternions. — Note on entropy, by M. Felix Lucas. It is 

 shown on theoretical grounds that when a gas is heated under 

 a constant volume or under a constant pressure, the increase of 

 its entropy is in proportion to the increase of its trae tempera- 

 ture. — On the coefficients of chemical affinity, by MM. P. 

 Chroustchoft' and A. Martinoff. Certain analytic and thermic 

 experiments are described, from which it is inferred that 

 neither the initial nor the final composition of precipitates 

 can serve to give coefficients of chemical affinity. Cha- 

 racteristic constants of affinity cannot be evolved by the 

 method of simult-aneous precipitation. — The action of heat on 

 hcplcne, by M. .Vdolphe Kenard. From the experiments here 

 <lcscribed, it follows that under the influence of heat heptene is 

 decomposed chiefly into toluene and hydr.:>gen, at the same 

 tijie yielding a certain quantity of its lower homologues, hexene 

 and pentene. — On the special characters of the loss of activity 

 experienced by diasta e under the action of heat, by M. Em. 

 IJourquelot. A series of experiments are described, from which 

 it would appear that the quality of the fermentation is modified 

 rather than its quantity diminished, unless it be .admitted that in 

 naural diasta-e there are two or m>re .soluble ferments inter- 

 mingled, which by the increase of temperature become succes- 

 sively destroyed. — On the earths of cerite, M. Eug. Demar^ay. 

 — On the ferrite of zinc, by .\I. .\lex. Gorgeu. Several methods 



are describe 1 for easily preparing this substance, and comparing 

 it with the natural ferrite known as franklinite. — On the nitrates 

 and superphosphates, by M. A. .\ndouard. The author's experi- 

 ments show that it is a mistake to mix these substances together 

 as artificial manures. — On the destruction of the Nematodes of 

 beetroot, by M. Aime Girard. The sulphuret of carbon is 

 proposed as a more practical remedy than the expensive system 

 of "decoy plants" (plcintes fii-ges) introduced by Kiihn. — On 

 the cause of the changes which take place in the blood on 

 contact with air, oxygen, and carbonic acid, by M. A. liechamp. 

 Tnese changes are referred to the activity and influence of the 

 niicrozymes of the blood. — On the transfusion of blood into the 

 head of decapitated animals, by MM. Hayem and Barrier. 

 It is argued that the assertions contained in M. Laborde's 

 recent cjmmunication on this subject are not justified by his own 

 publications. — On the gastric glands secreting mucus and ferment 

 in birds, by M. Maurice Cazin. — On the structure of the muscular 

 fibres in the edriophthalmous crustaceans, by M. R. Kcehler. — 

 fJn the anatomy of Bilhazia {B. lucinatobia, Distomu/ii ha:ntato- 

 biiiiii), by M. Joannes Chatin. — On the geology of the Lake 

 Kelbia district and of the Central Tunisian seaboard, by M. G. 

 Rolland. From his extensive studies of this region the author 

 concludes that during the historic period the relief of the land has 

 not perceptibly changed, and that in the Roman epoch as well as 

 now Lake Kelbia communicated only intermittently with the sea. 

 — On the deposits of tin, from the geological stand-point, by 

 Mr. Reilly. Excluding those of Mexico and Bolivia, the 

 author argues that all these deposits, from Cornwall to Australia, 

 are connected by a vast curve, which he calls the "axis of 

 Sumatra." — On some new methods of artificially producing 

 crystallised silica and orthose, by M. K. de KroustcholT. — On 

 the earthquake of P'ebruary 23, recorded at the Perpij;nan 

 Observatory, by M. Fines. As at Marseilles,^the vibrations 

 were but slightly felt in this district. — On the effects of the same 

 earthquake in East Switzerland, by M. F. A. Forel. The 

 main shock appears to have been very generally felt throughout 

 this region. — Papers followed describing its eftecls at Nice, 

 Voreppe (Isere), and Saint -Tropez, and discussing thi relations 

 that may exist between seismic and magnetic disturbances. 



Berlin 

 Physiological Society, January 28. — Prof. Du Bois-Reymond 

 in the chair. — Dr. Benda mentioned that his researches, accord- 

 ing to which the " spermatobLists " resulted from the coalescing 

 of the cells forming the spermatozoa with the supporting cells, 

 had some years earlier been anticipated by the French anatomists, 

 and that Prof. Griinhagen, who formerly opposed this view, was 

 now likewihC presenting it as his own. — Dr. Rawitzhadexamined 

 the green gland of fresh-water crayfish. It was situated on the 

 first member of the antennce, was uniformly green on the ventral 

 side, but on the dorsal side only at the periphery, elsewhere white, 

 with a round yellow-brown speck in the centre. The gland con- 

 sisted of two tubules closely interwoven. The cells of tlie green 

 part had a round grass-green drop of protoplasm, the yellow brown 

 cells a uniformly yellow-brown coloured nucleus. The tubules 

 anastomosed, the yellow-brown cells being the terminal portions o( 

 the tubules, and secretory. No conclusions respecting the function 

 of the glands could be drawn from their anatomical structure. 

 — Dr. Gad made a communication respecting; the peculiar 

 strange albumen-precipitate with salt recently described by Dr. 

 Wurster. If to the white of eggs lactic acid, peroxide of 

 hydrogen, and common salt were added, almost the whole of 

 the albumen was precipitated as a white flaky mass, perfectly 

 simil.ar in appearance and taste to newly-precipitated caseine 

 (curd), but distinguished from caseine by its chemical reactions. 

 The e.asy digestibility of this form of albumen, which had hitherto 

 been precipitated by no other re.agent w-as especially remarkable. 

 It was interesting that, in accordance with the reactions shown 

 by Dr. Wurster's test paper for active oxygen, hydrochloric acid 

 was formed on the mixture of lactic acid, peroxide of hydrogen, 

 and common salt, and this acid in statu nasiendi might be the 

 specific precipitate f )r this new form of albumen, which could 

 be obtained just as well from blood serum as from white of eggs. 



Meteorological Society, February I. — Prof, von BezoM in 

 the chair. — Dr. Frolich gave a report on measurements of solar 

 heat, which, following up those instituted in 1883 and already 

 published, he had made in the years 1884 to 1886 after some 

 alterations in his apparatu.s. The most important modificatirms 

 made in the apparatus consisted in the removal of the rock->alt 



