24 



NATURE 



\_May 6, 1880 



reefs and atolls, as sho\\u by Dana, Jul;es-, Couthouy, Semper, 

 and others. He would expect to find local areas of subsidence 

 in the great ocean basins on either side of volcanic islands and 

 atoli>-, and this is what the soundings of the Challenoer and 

 Titscarora seem to sliow. On the other hand the lines of vol- 

 canic islands and coral islands had probably ah\ays been the sites 

 of a gradual elevation, for it must be remembered that these last 

 have probably almost all a volcanic basis. In all cases the "reat 

 agencies are the gro\\ th of the coral \\here most nourishment 

 is to be had, and its death and disintegration by the action 

 of the sea at those parts which cannot be, on account of their 

 situation, sufficiently supplied with nourishment. lu many cases 

 however, this disintegration, by breaking up the reef, serves to so 

 alter conditions that decaying parts get a new lease of life, and 

 growth begins afresh where decay was formerly manifest. ' Mr. 

 IMurray applied his theory with singular success to the discussion 

 of particular cases of coral islands, such as the Maldive I-lands, 

 the Chagos Archipelago, and the great barrier reefs of Australia! 

 The special merit of the theoi7 is that it does away with the 

 great and general subsidences which is the peculiar feature of 

 Mr. Darwin's theory. Of such subsidences there is no other 

 evidence. These views were also in harmony with Dana's as to 

 the great antiquity of the ocean basins. In a previous paper he 

 had shown that a study of deep-sea deposits also argued for the 

 permanency and great antiquity of these great ocean depressions. 

 The co-existence of fringing and barrier reefs and of atolls iii 

 close proximity (,-.f. in the Fiji Islands), which is not easily 

 ex])lamed by Darwin's theory, offers no ditiSculty whatever when 

 lo ked at in the light of Mr. Murray's principles. In the criticism 

 which followed. Sir Wyville Thomson and Prof. Geikie spoke in 

 terms of high commendation of the thoroughness which charac- 

 terised Mr. Murray's paper, and the success with which he had 

 been able to do away with the assumption which was the basis 

 of Darwin's theory, but for the truth of which there was no 

 positive evidence. 



P.\RIS 



Academy of Sciences, April 26.— M. Edm. Becquerel in the 

 chair —The following papers were read :— On the inverse 

 problem of the motion of a material point on a surface of revolution 

 by M. Resal.— On the law of distribution, according to altitude' 

 of the substance in the atmosphere absorbing ultra-violet «olar 

 radiations, by M. Cornu. The identity of this law (which he is 

 able to determine very definitely) with the barometric formula 

 shows that the absorption is exercised by tlie gaseous mass and 

 not by aqueous vapour or dust, which leads to different progres- 

 sions.— Study of the explosive properties of fulminate of mercury 

 by MM. Berthelot and Vieille. It is simply decomposed into 

 carbonic oxide, nitrogen, and mercury. The authors furnish 

 data of the heat liberated, the density, and the pressures deve- 

 loped in a closed vessel. The superior force of the fulminate is 

 attributed to the almost instantaneous nature of its decomposition 

 by simple inflammation, the almost total absence of dissoeiation 

 °' V^ products, and the great density of the matter.— On the 

 chnler.T of fowls ; studies of the conditions of non-recurrence of 

 the malady, and some others of its characters, by M. Pasteur. 

 The aliments suited to the life of the microbe in the fo^^l 

 dr-appear m conse.|uence of inoculation with attenuated virus.— 

 Observations of Schaberle's comet at Marseilles Observatory, by 

 1\1. .Stephan.— On the meteorite which fell on May 10, 1870 

 near LstherviUe (Emmet Co., Iowa, U.S.), by Prof f 

 Lawrence Smith. He thinks this meteorite should be placed 

 apart for the phenomena of its fall, especially the force of 

 penetration of its fragments into the ground, and for the 

 mode of association of its mineral constituents. -On winter 

 barley as forage, by MM. Pierre and Lemetayer. It is 

 rather the abundance and precocity of this cereal which 

 ■ enders it in demand, than its richness in azotised matter — 

 On appointment of a scientific commission for the Panama 

 scheme. M. de Lesseps specified documents he would give tliem 

 The work in hand came to this : 75,000,000 cubic metres to be 

 excavated ; 8,ooo workmen for six years ; 250 workin<r davs 

 each year, r,i- i rnr, ,!-,„„ ,i.._: ...i.:_i_ __ _-■ ,. = ■' 



scopes submitted to the same circuit of induction, by M de 

 lonvielle The velocity of each movable piece is diminished.— 

 I he death of M. de Luca was announced.— The surface of the 

 wave considered as a limiting surface, by M. Mannheim —On 

 the numerical calculation of definite integrals, by M Baillard — 

 On simultaneous linear equations and on a class of non-pkiue 

 curves, by M. Picard.— On the series F3 (a, a', fi, /3', 7 v y] by 

 M. Appell.— Influence of temperature on the duration of' period 

 of a tuning-fork, by M. Mercadier. He corrects a numer'cal 

 mistake m Ins memoir as quoted by Wiedemann (with whom he 

 IS in agreement).— On the theory of induction-currents, bv M 

 Mascart. —On an experimental method fitted to determine' the 

 lines of surface in stationary flow of electricity through con- 

 ducting surfaces, by M. Guebhard. At a short distance°from a 

 thin plate of metal in a mixed solution of acetate of lead rnd 

 acetate of copper, are held the free ends of two conductors 

 connected with a pile; thus a double system of Nobili's 

 rings_ IS produced of remarkable constancy and re<Tularity 

 and in relation to the positions of the electrodes and the 

 contour of the conducting surface.— Absolute measurement 

 of leltiers phenomenon on contact of a metal and its solu- 

 tion, by M. Bouty.— Measurement of the difference of potential 

 of two metals in contact, by M. Pellat. The method (which 

 has precision exceeding-;!^ l,ianiell)is one of compeni^ation, and 

 Its principle is, that if two metals, A and B, are connected by 

 a metallic wire they take the same difference of potential as if 

 they had been put directly in contact. The author studies the 

 ettects of varied surfaces of metals, change of temperature, and 

 influence of gases round the plates.— On the theory of double 

 circular refraction, by M. Gouy.— Influence of temperature on 

 the compressibility of gases under strong pressures, by M. 

 Amagat. When a gas is | "^^ \ .compressible than accord- 

 ing to Mariotte's law, its compressibllty j ^^creases ) ^^..^j^ ^j^^ 



temper.ature.— Researches on the passivity of iron^(second part) 

 by M. \ arenne. Into- alia, an iron rod may be made pas-ive 

 by immersion of only a fraction of it in concentrated nitric acid 

 and passivity may be produced by prolonged immersion of iron 

 in compressed bioxide of nitrogen.— On the proportion of iron 

 in mineral waters of Rouen and Forges-les-Eaux, by M Hou-' 

 zeau.— Isomers of phloroglucine, by M. Gautier.— On the pro- 

 ducts contained m coke of petroleum, by MM. Prunier and 

 \ arenne.— On a singular explosion produced during heating of 

 wine, and on a new mode of determinatim of alcohol, by M 

 NVartha. This explosion was probably caused by inflammation 

 or a mixture of alcohol .and air in the tun. M. Wartha is 

 seeking to determine the limit of explosion of such mixtures — 

 Synthetic reproduction of the aluminous silicates and .alkaline 

 sihco-alummates of nature, by M. Meunier.— On the origin and 

 development of the egg nn the Medusa Eucope before fecunda- 

 tion by Si Merejkowsky.-On the apparent analogies between 

 diolera of fowls and the malady of sleep (nelavan), by M. 



J,a„lfi. i '5^ ^^\ ''"'"'"2 which 50,000 cubic metres 



should be done each Azy.- Apropos of M. Bouty's note on thermo- 

 electric currents from a metal and a liquid, M. Du Moncel re- 

 called former experiments by M. Hellesen and himself-Some 

 considerations in support of a note of March 29 on the impossi- 

 bility of supposing in general a function of velocities in every 

 question of hydraulics where frictions have a notable role bv M 

 Boussinesq.-On the dependence of two electromagnetic iyrol 



CONTENTS p,,(,^ 



^'HuxLEv,''F.Rrs^''^.°'' ''"^ °'"''"' ""^ Species. By Prof. T. H. 



WuRTz's "Chemistry" .* ^ 



OUK Book Shelf :— 



Goss's " Geologic.il Antiquity of Insects " . . 

 Letteks to the Editok : 



^Ga^on°"f r's^ "^ Science Masters .-it ScHooIs.-Fkaxcis 



JJ^f "™ Conference, -^E. M. Ho'lm'es" '.'.'.'.'. 'I 



UralCrayfish.— W. H. Twelvetrees, . . ' ' " ,0 



r' " a" ''^'''''" *'°=<l"''°s. Flies, and Elight.-WM.'cHArpE"Li; 



■'"j'ShnsoV'' ^"^"^ ^^^ Steel 'in 'Acidulated VVater.-^WiLLlAM'H." " 



Stone Arrow Heads— W. L, Distant' " 



Ti.e Mode of Suckling of the Elephant Calf.'-i. C. G. : " ' ' ' I,' 



the lay Bridge Inquiry.— Q. C . 



nrrTf.^i"""' '^,'"'''"'''""--Lo--'DO.>. Householder '.'.'.'.' \\ 



UECAISNE AND BaILLON . . - . . ii 



Dr. Rudolf Schkffer. By Henry o'. f'or'bes W 



AbcOTTHHCRANNOG(»-VM/^/7«/,-a</OTi) . . '. \, 



Notes '3 



Our Astronomical Column :'— '* 



1 he Comet of i io6 . . 



Physical Notes ....'.'. ^\ 



Geograihical Notes . . 



Scientific Serials ......', '' 



Societies and Academies .......'. "° 



