March 31, 1887] 



NA TURE 



527 



Hastinfj'i ; on a sacrum, apparently indicating a new type of 

 bird (Oniil/wilesmiis cluiiicutus, Seelcy), from the Wealden of 

 Brook, by Prof. li. G. Seeley, F.R.S. In the last paper, after 

 some remarks on the characters of the sacrum in birds, Ornitho- 

 sauria, and Dinosauria, the author proceeded to describe a sacrum 

 composed of six vertebra: in the Fox Collection, now at the 

 British Museum, and then to compare the fossil with the corre- 

 sponding bones of the three groups named. The resemblance 

 to the iVinosaurian and Ornithosaurian sacral vertebra; was less 

 than those which connected the fossil with birds. From the 

 latter it was distinguished by the smaller number of vertebra: in 

 the sacrum, the absence of sacral recesses for the lobes of the 

 kidneys, and the form of the articular face of the first sacral 

 vertebra. But the small number of sacral vertebra; in ArchiTO- 

 pteryx, the want of renal recesses in Ichthyoriiis, and the 

 characters of the articulation in the Solan goose showed that 

 these dill'erences were not essential ; and the author con- 

 cluded that the fossil belonged to a true bird, but that it formed 

 a link with lower forms, and approximated more to Dinosaurs 

 than did any other .Vvian type hitherto described. 



Chemical Society, March 17. — Dr. Hugo Midler, F.R.S., 

 President, in the chair. — The following papers were read : — The 

 action of heat on nitrogen peroxide, by Dr. A. Richardson. — 

 Supersaturation of salt solutions, by Dr. W. W.J. Nicol. This 

 paper contains an account of experiments on the physical con- 

 stants of supersaturated and dilute salt solutions. The solutions 

 were examined in two ways: (l) concentration constant and 

 temperature varying; (2) temperature constant and concentra- 

 tion varying ; in this way it was possible to pass from dilute to 

 supersaturated solutions, and to examine the change in the 

 various physical constants. The electric conductivity, specific 

 viscosity and rate of expansion were examined by the first 

 method. The specific viscosity and density by the second. In 

 every case it was found that the curve corresponding to the non- 

 saturated solutions was perfectly continuous with that for the 

 supersaturated solutions. From this the author concludes that 

 the constitution of dilute, saturated, and supersaturated solutions 

 is the same. Supersaturation is explained by the hypothesis 

 that the substance in solution is not the same as that which 

 crystallises out. A supersaturated solution of sodium thio- 

 sulphate deposited crystals of the composition Na2S203,H.jO 

 when evaporated /// vacuo, showing that the solution does not 

 contain the pentahydrate. The author believes that the salt in 

 solution is combined with the whole of the water, an opinion 

 b.ased on his experiments on vapour-pressures and molecular 

 volumes. Colour changes in solution are not, he believes, due 

 to hydration, but to rearrangements of the salt molecule similar 

 to that which occurs in the case of chromium sulphate. Dr. 

 Nicol's views were criticised by Mr. Pickering and Dr. .Vrm- 

 strong. — The formation of 7-naphthalenesulphonic acid by 

 means of sulphuric anhydride and on -y-dihydroxynaphthalene, 

 by Dr. Henry E. Armstrong and Mr. W. P. Wynne. — a-Cyano- 

 n.apthalcnesulphonic acid, by Dr. Henry E. Armstrong and Mr. 

 S. Williamson. — Addendum to paper entitled an explanation of 

 the laws which govern substitution in the case of benzenoid 

 compounds, by Dr. Henry E. Armstrong. — The transformation 

 of citric acid into pyridine-derivatives, and on the constitution of 

 pyridine, by Dr. S. Ruhemann. — Silver containing bismuth, by 

 Mr. William Gowland. 



Royal Meteorological Society, M-arch 16. — Mr. W. Ellis, 

 President, in the chair. — The following papers were read : — 

 Notes on taking meteorological observations on board ship, by 

 Capt. D. W. Barker. The author makes various suggestions as 

 to the placing of meteorological instruments on board ship with 

 the view of securing uniformity. — Marine temperature observa- 

 tions, by Dr. H. R. Mill. After briefly sketching the principal 

 historical methods of observing temperature beneath the surface 

 of the water, Dr. Mill discussed in soine detail the relative 

 merits and defects of the two instruments now in common use 

 for this purpose. The self-registering maximuin and minimum 

 thermometer on .Six's principle, even with the addition of an 

 outer bulb to protect it from pressure, has certain inherent defects. 

 It merely shows the highest and lowest temperatures passed 

 through, the indices are liable to be shaken from their proper 

 position, and it requires long immersion in order to attain the 

 temperature of its surroundings. Mr. J. V. Buchanan has shown 

 how, by the use of mercury and water piezometers, the actual 

 temperature at a given point may be obtained, no matter how 

 the temperature between that point and the surface may vary. 

 Such instruments have not been much used, and now a m edifica- 



tion of the mercurial outflow thermometer, patented by Messrs. 

 Negretti and Zambra as the " standard deep-sea thermometer," 

 is largely used. When fitted in a frame which admits of the 

 thermometer registering at a precisely known depth, admirable 

 results are obtained by it. The manner of using these thermo- 

 meters in the Scottish frame and of conducting temperature trips 

 in comparatively shallow water was described ; and the best 

 ways of recording the observations and elaborating the results 

 were alluded to ; the work of the Scottish Marine Station on 

 the Clyde sea area being taken as an illustration. The import- 

 ance of marine temperature observations as bearing on subm.arine 

 geography, on navigation, on the distribution of animal life, 

 and consequently on fisherie-, w.ts alluded to. The paper was 

 illustrated by diagrams, and by the exhibition of the apparatus 

 which was described. — After the reading of these papers the 

 meeting was adjourned in order to afford the Fellows an oppor- 

 tunity of inspecting the Exhibition of Marine Meteorological 

 Instruments and Apparatus which has been organised under the 

 auspices of the Society. 



Victoria Institute, March 7. — The Rev. Dr. Walker read a 

 paper on insect life in the East, in which he gave a full report 

 of his entomological researches in Egypt and the East, and drew 

 special attention to the very great number of British varieties that 

 he had captured in various parts of the world. During the 

 discussion. Dr. Sydney Klein remarked on the value to 

 science of Dr. Walker's labours, and, in regard to insect life in 

 the East at night, said that when passing a night among the 

 ruins of Ephesus he found its superabundance manifested by the 

 actual roar of chirps, scrapings, rattles, hummings, and cries from 

 the country round, quite equalling his experience in the woods 

 of Central America. Mr. Hastings C. Dent gave an account of 

 his observations in South America and elsewhere. 



Manchester 



Literary and Philosophical Society, January 17. — Prof. 

 W. C. Williamson, F.R.S. , in the chair.— Mr. Hemy Hyde 

 exhibited a leaf of Biyophylhim calycimini, with young plants 

 growing out of the margin. — Dr. Alex. Hodgkinson read a paper 

 on cavities in minerals containing fluid, with vacuoles in 

 motion, and other inclosures. — Prof. W. C. Williamson, 

 F.R.S., gave a practical demonstration by means of sections, 

 shown by tlie oxy-hydrogen camera, of the structure and develop- 

 ment of young roots. Beginning with those of the maize as they 

 appear within the seed, Prof. Williamson exhibited and explained 

 those of the vine, of the bean, of the crown imperial, and of 

 the several species of cycads, illustrating the changes which roots 

 undergo between the uniform stnicture seen near the root or tip, 

 to their more advanced condition, as seen first in the roots 

 of endogenous plants, and afterwards in the more complicated 

 ones of exogens. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, March 21. — M. Janssen, President, 

 in the chair. — On the movement of a solid in a liquid, by M. 

 Halphen. A theoretical demonstration is given of the general 

 proposition that this movement consists of ( i ) a uniform helicoidal 

 motion round a fixed axis in space ; (2) a uniform rotation round a 

 fixed axis in the solid; (3) a periodical movement. — On the great 

 atmospheric movements in connexion with MM. Schwedoff, 

 CoUadon, and Lasne's cyclonic theories, by M. Faye. The 

 paper is devoted to a refutation of these various theories, which 

 are stated to be mainly due to the confu'sion caused by failing to 

 distinguish between movements produced artificially in the air or 

 water by a simple rotatory action, and the natural cyclones, 

 tornadoes, waterspouts, &c. ; the two orders of phenomena hav- 

 ing only an apparent relation to each other. — Some observations 

 and reflections on the earthquake of February 23 at Antibes, by 

 M. Ch. Naudin. At this point of the coast the sea suddenly 

 retired about 3 feet, soon returning with considerable velocity to 

 its normal level. This and the associated phenomena are at- 

 tributed, not to any volcanic action or to the g.xses confined in 

 vast subterranean cavities, but to the resistance offered by certain 

 parts of the terrestrial crust to the electricity generated in the 

 globe itself. It is pointed out that these disturbances occur 

 always in districts destitute of forest growths which might serve 

 to discharge the atmospheric electricity, and on this is founded a 

 fiesh argument for replanting lands that have become dis- 

 afibrested. — On the red fluorescence of alumina, by M. Lecoq de 

 Biisbaudran. Some experiments are described leading to the 

 inference that this fluorescence is due to the presence of traces of 

 chromium in ordinary alumina, and cannot be produced by the 

 ' pure earth itself — Earthquakes in connexion with fire-damp, by 



