NATURE 



\jf2me 24, 1880 



constructed for a pressure gauge registering by the compression of 

 the walls of a thinnisli glass cylinder containing mercury- ; and 

 this scale could be applied as long as the limits of elasticity, 

 as defined by Hooke's law, were not exceeded. To determine 

 when these limits were being approached, a similar glass cylinder 

 ■with thicker walls was to be compared with the former one, 

 which would be the first to deviate. This second gauge, with 

 its higher limits of elasticity, could then be used for the higher 

 pressures ; and when its indications began to deviate from Hooke's 

 law, a third and still stronger gauge could be substituted, its 

 constants having been determined similarly by comparison with 

 the second gauge. And thus a series of graduated gauges could 

 be constructed to measure extremely high pressure ; and at length 

 when the pressure was such as to crush glass, a steel gauge con- 

 structed on somewhat similar principles could be substituted, 

 bein" graduated fir>t by comparison with the strongest glass gauge. 

 Thus accurate measurements of high pressures could be obtained 

 up to the point at which the compressing apparatus itself would 

 becin to give way.— Mr. D. Milne Home, as convener of the 

 Boulder Committee, presented the dxth report, and gave a 

 notice of its chief fenfures.— Prof. Turner e.xhibited a curious 

 collection of natural masl;s and skulls from New Guinea and 

 neighbouring ishmds. 



Vienna 

 Imperial Academy of Sciences, April 15.— Observations 

 on the deadening of torsion oscillations by internal friction, by 

 Dr. Klemencic. — Studies on the decomposition of simple organic 

 cornpounds by zinc powder ; I. alcohols, by Prof. Ludwig.— On 

 the action of some metals and metalloids on phosphorus oxy- 

 chloride ; and the existence of Leverrier's phosphoric oxide, by 

 H. H. Renitzer and Goldschmidt. — On the saltness of water in 

 the Norwegian North Sea, by Herr Tornoe.— New methods of 

 finding mean geometric proportions, by Herr Zimels. — Cn the 

 farmer and present position of geology and geogony, and the 

 methods of research in these directions, by Dr. Boue.— Geolo- 

 gical observations in Southern Calabria, by Dr. Burgenstein and 

 Herr Noe.— Radiant electrode-matter, by Dr. Puluj. 

 Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, June 14.— M. Edm. Becquerel in the 

 chair.— The following papers were read :— On papaine ; con- 

 tribution to the history of soluble ferments, by M. Wurtz. 

 Alcohol precipitates from the juice of papaya, a principle of 

 variable composition, but, when purified by dialysis, approxi- 

 mating to albuminoid matters. Papanie purified with subacetate 

 of lead has the composition and characters of such matters. 

 The rapid liquefaction of fibrine by papaine may occur in pre- 

 sence of prussic, boric, or even carbolic acid (conditions excluding 

 microbes). — Geological history of the English Channel (second 

 part), by M. Hebert.— Craniology of African negro races ; 

 non-dolichocephalic races, by M. de Quatrefages. The ninth 

 volume of the " Crania Ethnica" finishes the account of negro 

 races, and enters on the yellow or Mongolic races. M. Ilamy 

 finds 'in Africa that not only in individuals, but in entire popula- 

 tions occupying considerable spaces, and in some instances 

 extending through about four-fifths of the Continent from east 

 to west, there is an absence of dolichocephaly. One portion of 

 these, marked also by small stature, are sub-brachycephalic 

 generally, but sometimes reach brachycephaly ; M. Hamy calls 

 them Negrillos. He characterises various races that have hitherto 

 been confounded. — New experiments on the resistance of Alge- 

 gerian sheep to spleen-disease, by M. Chauveau. The twelve 

 European sheep tested all died after a single inoculation. Of 

 forty-seven Algerian sheep, thirty-nine proved resistant after 

 repeated inoculations.— M. Slas was elected Correspondent in 

 Chemistry in room of the late M. Zinin.— Onthe value of gravity 

 at Paris, by M. Peirce. He considers (from certain corrections) 

 that the value hitherto given should be increased by one-ten-thou- 

 sandth. — Determination of a function w ith only one variable, in a 

 given interval, according to mean values of this function and of its 

 successive derivatives in this interval, by M. Leaute. — On the 

 resolution of the equation x" + y" = z", in whole numbers, by 

 M. Lefebure. — Experimental researches on magnetic rotatory 

 polarisation in gases, by M. Henri Becquerel. The menioir pre- 

 sented relates chiefly to various small corrections in his direct 

 measurements, the most important being due to influence of 

 magnetism on the glass closing the tubes. For the gases nitrogen, 

 carbonic acid, protoxide of nitrogen, and defiant gas (not for 

 oxygen), he finds the magnetic rotations for rays of different 

 wave lengths nearly in inverse ratio of the square of the wave- 

 lengths as for non-magnetic solid bodies and liquids. The inti- 



mate connection of the rotation with the refractive index is 

 shown. Oxygen, curiously, gives with red rays a rotation a 

 very little above that with green (in the other gases the deflection 

 is greater for green rays in the ratio of about i "50). This may 

 be connected with the very magnetic character of oxygen. — On 

 the constancy of the proportion of carbonic acid in the air, by 

 M. Schlcesing. Pie calculates that the sea holds in reserve a 

 quantity of CO2 disposable for exchange with the air ten times 

 greater than the whole quantily in the atmosphere, and much 

 greater, a fortiori, than the variations of this quantity ; hence a 

 strong regulative action on the amount of aerial CO.>. — On causes 

 which tend to warp the girders of iron bridges and means of 

 planning these girders so as to resist warping influences, 

 by M. Perisse. — On the transcendants which play an im- 

 portant part in the theory of planetary perturbations, by 

 M. Darboux. — M. Gaugain's death was announced. — On the 

 figure of the planet Mars, by M. Hennessy. — On the equiva- 

 lence of forms, by M. Jordan. — The tensions of saturated 

 vapours have different modes of variation according as they are 

 emitted above or below the point of fusion, by M. De Mondesir. 

 — Action of bromide of methyl and of iodide of methyl on 

 monomethylamine, by MM. Duvillier and Buisine. — On the 

 transformation of terebenthene into cymene, by M. Bruere. — 

 Preparation of indoline and its compounds, by M. Giraud. — On 

 the existence of a lymphatic circulation in Pleurouedcs, by M. 

 Jourdain. The appearances in plakssa vulgaris, Cuv., and Plat, 

 Jlc-sus, Cuv., are described. There are vessels which convey the 

 lymph to peripheric parts, and others which bring it to a central 

 reservoir. Also, the lymph seems to be aerated in vessels in the 

 branchifc. The lymph-reservoir has no intrinsic muscles (to 

 effect the circulation), but the fibres acting on it seem to belong 

 to the respiratory apparatus. — On the physiological action of 

 Thalictrum macrocarpum, by MM. Bochefontaine and Doassans. 

 Thaliclrine, the active principle of this plant (found in a certain 

 part of the Pyrenees), acts first on the central encephalo- 

 meduUary nervous system, then on the heart, arresting the 

 functions; it affects nervous excito-motricity, and diminishes 

 muscular contractility. It resembles aconiiine, but is not so 

 active. — On the micrographic analysis of water, by M. Certes. 

 lie treats water with a l'5 per cent, solution of osraic acid (l cc. 

 of this to 30 to 40 cc. of water) ; the acid kills any organisms 

 present without deforming them ; they sink to the bottom and 

 may be examined microscopically. Some colouring reagents 

 mixed with dilute glycerine may also be used. — On the place of 

 formation of adventive roots of monocotyledons,^ by.] M. 

 Mangin. 



CONTENTS Page 



A Step Backwards 165 



Freshwater PH120PODS OF North America 165 



The Recent Progress of English Philology. By Rev. A. H. 



Savce 167 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Williamson's " Fern Etchings; Illustrating all tlie Species of Ferns 



indigenous to the North- Eastern United States and Canada " . 168 

 Letters to the Editor: — 



The Fourth State of Matter.— The Duke of Argyll 168 



The Fine Wire Telephone.--Prof. G. Chrvstal {.With Illmira- 



tloii) I^S 



The Aurora Borealis and its Colours.— Dr. Warren De La Roe, 



F.R.S.; Dr. Hugo M'l'LLER, F.R.S i6s> 



On some Points Connected with Terrestrial Magnetism.- Dr. 



Warren De La Rue, F.R.S. ; Dr. Hugo M'uLLER, F.R.S. . 169 



Calcareous Concretions in Timber. — Dr. G. Bidie 169 



Remarkable Discovery of a Murder in Bermuda.— H. N. MOSELEV 170 

 On the Simplest Continuous Manifoldness of Two Dimensions and 



of Finite Extent— F. W. Frankland 170 



Ascent of Etna. — G . 171 



Colour Combinations.— C. J. Woodward 171 



Wild Swans— Notes of Birds.— J. Birmingham 171 



Anchor-Ice.— C. F. C '7' 



Scientific Results of the Howgate Polar Expedition, 1877-78 171 

 ExperimentalRese'arches in Electricity, II. By Warren De La 

 Rue, M.A., D.C L., F.R.S., and Hugo W. Muller, Ph.D.. F.R.S. 



(JVilh nimtmtious) '74 



The New Freshwater Jelly-Fish. By Prof E. Ray Lankester, 

 FRS. ; Prof. Geo. J. Allman, F.R.S.; George J. Romanes, 



F.R.S 'J7 



Notes "' 



Our Astronomical Column ; — 



Kepler's Nova of 1604 184 



Westphal's Comet (1852 IV) 184 



Geographical Notes '|4 



Sir John Lubbock on the Habits of Ants i»4 



University and Educational Intellicsnce 185 



Scientific Serials '°5 



Societies AND Academies , . . . iBt; 



