140 



NATURE 



\_yune 10, 1880 



severe weather earlier than about February 12 or 13, and allowing 

 that she had averaged from five to six knots per hour on her 

 homeward course, she would at that date have inevitably en- 

 countered a severe hurricane. A heavy gale is noted on the 12th 

 in 38° N. and 45° W., which is in the direct homeward-bound 

 track from Bermuda, and if the Atalaii/a had only averaged four 

 knots per hour on her homeward course she would have fallen in 

 with this gale. The storm of the 12th aud 13th may fairly be 

 considered as about the most severe during the two months here 

 dealt with. It may be remarked that the Norw egian barque CasJ>aei 

 was north of Bermuda on the 3rd, and was in the full force of 

 the gale on the 12th ; her distance made shows that the winds 

 were favourable for a homeward passage from Bermuda. The 

 correspondence from H.M.S. Salamis, published in the Times of 

 May 6, states, on the authority of the captain of the Caspnei, 

 "on February 12, in lat. 42° 43' N., long. 39° 25' W., w^hiie 

 running before the wmd, encountered the severest gale he had 

 ever experienced. The ship would not steer, and could not be 

 prevented from broaching to. She was thrown on her beam 

 ends, and remained so for nineteen hours, the cargo of cotton 

 keeping her afloat. Several ships were in sight at the time of 

 the commencement of the gale, and were unable to lay to on 

 account of its suddenness." — On the meteorology of Mozufferpore, 

 Tirhoot, for the year 1S79, by Charles N. Pearson, F.M.S.— 

 Mr. D. Winstanley also exhibited his solar radiometer. 



Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 



June I. — General Meeting. — Prof. T. G. Bonney, F.R.S., vice- 

 president, in the chair. — Messrs. G. Neist Walker, F.G.S., 

 Alex. Murray, F.G.S., director of the Geological Survey of 

 Newfoundland, Geo. S. Mackenzie, Ph.D., and Hjalmar 

 Furuhjelm, Government Inspector of Mines, Helsingfors, were 

 elected as Ordinary Members, and Mr. Robert M. Heddle was 

 elected as an Associate. — The following papers were read and 

 discussed : — On a new face on crystals of stilbite from Scotland 

 and Western Australia, by Prof. M. F. Heddle, F.R.S.E.— On 

 a portable chemical apparatus for quantitative work, by A. E. 

 Arnold. — On kaolinite and kaolin, by J. H. Collins. — On new 

 Scottish minerals, by Prof. Heddle. — Further notes on mineral 

 growth, by T. A. Readwin. — Interesting specimens of minerals 

 ■were exhibited by Messrs. F. W. Rudler, T. A. Readwin, J. R. 

 Gregory, and Wm. Summers. — The next meeting of the Society 

 wiU be held at Swansea in August, during the " British Associa- 

 tion " w eek. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, May 31. — M. Edni. Eecquerel in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read : — On an automatic 

 electric lamp, by M. Jamin. A development of the "burner" 

 described before. Three pairs of carbons are set pendant within 

 an oblong covered coil ; one pair, having its points nearer than the 

 others, gives rise to the arc first, and burns upwards, and when it 

 is consumed the fusion of a brass wire causes the second pair to 

 come into action (similarly with the third). The expenditme in 

 horse-power and the total light increase up to nine lamps, then 

 both diminish. (Numerical results are fully given.) The bright- 

 ness of the points directed down is five times that the other way. 

 — On the heat of combustion of the principal hydrocarbonised 

 gases, by M. Berthelot. Inter alia, the heat in question is never 

 equal to that of the component elements, and M. Berthelot indi- 

 cates the nature of the differences. — On the cosmogonic ideas of 

 Kant, apropos of a reclamation of priority by M. Schlotel, by 

 JI. Faye. He finds no similarity between M. Schlotel's citations 

 from Kant and his own special ideas. — M. Bresse was elected 

 Member in Mechanics in place of the late General Morin. — Syn- 

 thesis of citric acid, by MM. Grimaux and Adam. — Researches 

 on the albuminoid matters of crystallin as regard the non- 

 identity of those that are soluble with the albumen of vt^hite of 

 egg and of serum, by M. Bechamp. In the soluble part he finds 

 two quite distinct albuminous matters (phaco^ymase and cryslalbu- 

 viin), and distinctly separates the insoluble matters of the crys- 

 tallinian fibres from fibrine. He laid special stress on direct 

 analysis and determination of rotatory power, regarding coagula- 

 tion as of secondary importance. — On the use of volcanic sands 

 in treatment of vines attacked by phylloxera, by M. Novi. — A 

 list of memoirs sent in prize-competition was given. — The Secre- 

 tary described M. de CandoUe's work on " Phytography, or the 

 Art of Describing Plants." — On the refractions of Bessel, by 

 M. Radau. — On an extension to functions of two variables of 

 Kiemann's problem relating to hypergeometric functions, by M. 

 Picard. — On a class of two functions doubly periodic, by M. 



Farkas. — Determination of three axes of a solid body on which 

 centrifugal forces exert, through rotation, a maximum effect, by 

 M. Brassinne. — On the equilibriiun of elasticity of a rectangular 

 prism, by M. Mathieu. — Telephone with magnetic superexcita- 

 tion, by M. Ader. This is based on the principle that if a thin 

 layer of iron or steel be placed before the poles of a magnet it is 

 much more powerfully affected if an iron armature be placed 

 behind than if the latter be not present. — Study of the distri- 

 bution of light in the spectrum, by MM. Mace and Nicati. Two 

 quantities of light are considered equal when, illuminating a 

 given colourless object placed always at the same distance from 

 the same observer, they enable him to perceive the details with 

 the same distinctness. — On astigmatism, by M. Leroy. Pleat 

 liberated in the combustion of some isomeric alcohols of the fatty 

 series, and of ccnanthol, by M. Longuinine. Isomerism of sub- 

 stances having the same chemical function, but differing in internal 

 structure, does not appreciably affect their heat of combustion 

 and formation. — On freezing mixtures formed of two crystal- 

 lised salts, by M. Ditte. — Crystallised hydrofluosiiicic hydrate, 

 by M. Kiessler, — Proportion of carbonic acid in the air ; 

 reply to M Riset, by M. Marie-Da%'y. — Preparation of 

 malonic acid, by M. Bourgoin. He has simplified and 

 improved the process. — Preparation of neutral sulphuric ether, 

 by M. Villiers. — Presence in Soja hispida (Miinch.) of a 

 notable quantity of a substance soluble in alcohol, and easily 

 transformable into glucose, by M. Levallois. — Functions of the 

 swimming bladder of fishes, by M. Marangoni. It rules the 

 migration of fishes. They have to counteract its actiou'with their 

 fins. It produces a double instability, one of level, the other of 

 position. — Researches on the structure of the axis below seminal 

 leaves in cotyledons, by M. Gerard. — Journey from Biskra 

 among the Touaregs, by Si. Roche. This gives some geological 

 details. — On the structure and development of the dentinary 

 tissue in the animal series, by M. Magitot. — On the mucuj of 

 the cloacal region of the rectum, by MM. Herrmann and 

 Desfosses. — On the inoculability of symptomatic charbon, and 

 the characters which differentiate it from splenic blood, by MM. 

 Arloing, Cornevin, and Thomas. The microbe by which the 

 disease is transmitted is quite distinct from the Bacillus anthracis. 

 — On M. Rohlfs' journey of exploration into the Eastern Sahara, 

 Ijy M. Berlioux. — French explorations in Central Africa, by M. 

 Fontaue. One of the two proposed scientific and hospital 

 stations (the eastern one) is to be established at Kirassa, near 

 Kiora, about 250 km. from Bagamoyo ; and Capt. Bloyet, who 

 is to superintend it, has left Marseilles with that object. M. 

 Savorgnan de Brazza has been charged to explore the region 

 about the sources of the Ogooue, and fix a point for the western 

 station; Dr. Ballay accompanies him. — M. Jimenes presented a 

 celestial map projected on the horizon of Mexico. 



CONTENTS p.vGB 



"Old Norway." By Prof. Arch. Geikie, F.R.S 117 



eucalvptographia ils 



Our Book Shelf: — 



Green's ■• Short Geography of the British Islands " 119 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Visibility of Mercury to the Naked Eye.— T. D. Sijionton . 119 



Specialised and United Palaeantological Research.— W. S. Duh'CAN 120 



The Meteorology of South Australia.— C. Mann ; C. Todd . . 120 

 Comparative Curves in Terrestrial Magnetism. — Rev. S. J. Perkv, 



F.R.S ' 120 



Luminous Painting. — Fredk. V. Dickins tai 



Brain Dynamics.— Rev. W. Cle.ment Lev : S. Tolver Preston 121 



Vortex Atoms. — S. Tolver Preston 121 



Songs of Birds.— Prof. Alfred Newton, F.R.S. : Frank J. 



Allen 122 



Cup.marked Stones. — James Linn 122 



E.NERGY AND Force. By the late Prof. Clifford, F.R.S 122 



ECHIS CARINATA. By Sir J. Fayrer, F.R.S 124 



Contributions to Molecular Physics in High Vacua, H. By 



William Crookes, F.R.S. (;f7M /i'/iK/n7i';««) I2S 



On the Law of Fatigue in the Work done by Men or Ani.mals. 



By Rev. Dr. Haughton, F.R.S 128 



A Lacustrine Volcano (K7.Vj ///i.'s/>ij.'/otj) 129 



Notes i^O 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Winnecke's Comet 131 



The Imperial Observatory, Strassburg J32 



The Companion of Sirius 132 



Meteorological Notes 132 



Physical Notes ^33 



Geosraphical Notes ^34 



Dr. Siemens' Newest Electrical Results ' 135 



University AND Educational Intelligence 136 



Scientific Serials '3" 



Societies and Acade.mies 137 



