2IO 



NATURE 



\yuly I, 1880 



unbroken protoplasm, of rods with segmented protoplasm, and of 

 rods filled with spores or cocci progresses identically with the 

 similar formation in the Bacillus aiithracis. 



The bacterium grows in turnip infusion less actively than in 

 vitreous humour. Theobservations were not sufficiently extended 

 to determine whether the bacterium forms spores when culti- 

 vated iu turnip infusion, but they sufficed to show that if such a 

 formation tal;es place, it occurs much less actively than when 

 the cultivation is in vitreous humour. 



The fcetid odour of the stocking was reproduced in the 

 cultivation glasses, although the strength of the odour dimi- 

 nished in successive generations. 



Dr. Thin stated at the meeting that an antiseptic treatment by 

 which the bacteria were killed in the stockings and inner surface 

 of the soles of the boots completely destroyed the fretor. 



"Memoir on Abel's Theorem," by R. C. Rowe, Fellow of 

 Trinity College, Cambridge. Communicated by A. Cayley, 

 LL. D., F. R.S., Sadlerian Professor of Pure Mathematics in the 

 University of Cambridge. 



" On certain Effects of Stress on Soft Iron Wires," by J. A. 

 Ewing, B. Sc, F. R. S.E., Professor of Mechanical Engineering 

 in the University of Tokio, Japan. Communicated by Fleeming 

 Jenkin, F.R.S., Professor of Civil Engineering in the University 

 of Edinburgh. 



Physical Society, June 12. — Mr. Iluggins, F.R.S., in the 

 chair. — New Members : Mr. H. B. luff, Mr. Adam Hilger, Mr. 

 C. V. Boys. — Dr. Shettle, of Reading, read a paper on the influ- 

 ence of solar radiation on the earth's rotation. The fact esta- 

 blished by Dr. Shettle, that the magnetic energy of a bar magnet 

 acts along spiral lines has led him to surmise that the energy 

 emanating from the sun and impinging on the earth on the zone 

 of the ecliptic, traverses the earth in a spiral path and finally 

 emerges at the magnetic poles. The spiral of energy is " right- 

 handed " at one pole and "left-handed " at the other, like the 

 magnetic force in a magnet and the electric discharge in Crookes' 

 vacuum tubes. Like precession and nutation, these spiral paths 

 are constantly changing and producing magnetic variation?. 

 Pie therefore infers that the magnetic poles will complete a cycle 

 corresponding to the period of precession. Dr. Shettle thinks 

 that bodies exhibit magnetic properties in proportion as they 

 change the direction of the energy traversing them, and throw it 

 into the spiral form. Terrestrial magnetism would be due to the 

 solar radiance on this hypothesis. Gravity also would be produced ; 

 so likewise would the earth's rotation (by a kind of " magnetic 

 whirl"), electricity, tornadoes, cyclones, water-spouts, and whirl- 

 winds. Moreover this " spiral energy " would seem to operate 

 throughout the whole universe. — Prof. Wiedemann, of Leipsic, 

 made a communication on the phenomenon of interference in 

 rays of long path, and sho\\ ed how the phase of vibration of the 

 atom or molecule emitting the rays influenced the phenomenon. 

 Molecular collisions could operate in preventing interference. 

 From a study of this question he was able to deduce a method of 

 determining the pressure on the surface of the sun and stars. He 

 mentioned that he had found that the temperature of a glowing 

 gas in Geissler's tubes may be nnder 100° C. , and therefore the 

 light of the aurora or of comets might be accompanied by a low 

 temperature. lie had determined that the quantity of heat pro- 

 duced in a gas by the electric discharge was always the same, 

 with the same amount of electricity, \\ hether discharged at once 

 or not, and that it increases nearly in proportion to the pressure 

 of the gas. He had also determined that the heat which must 

 be developed by a discharge in hydrogen in order to change the 

 band spectrum of H into the line spectrum is about 100,000 

 calories for i gramme of hydrogen, and hence this might repre- 

 sent the amount of heat necessary to transform the hydrogen 

 molecule into its atoms. Dr. Schuster suggested that Prof. 

 Wiedemann should make a similar experiment with another 

 gas, say nitrogen, as there was a disagreement about the 

 spectra, and Prof. Wiedemann stated that he so intended. — 

 Mr. Ridout exhibited a device for amplifying small motions. A 

 small barrel is slung by two threads between the prongs of a 

 metal fork in such a manner that if the fork is bodily carried to 

 and fro the barrel will rotate round its axis. This is simply 

 effected by making each thread, in its passage from one prong 

 to the other, take a few turns round the barrel. To the barrel 

 an index is attached, and the fork is then fixed on the body 

 whose minute motion is to be indicated. The translation of the 

 body shifts the fork and rotates the barrel, which in turn deflects 

 the index round the face of a dial, and the magnifying power is 

 expressed by the ratio of the diameter of the barrel to the length 



of the index. With this apparatus Mr. Ridout exhibited the 

 lengthening of an iron core when magnetised by the passage of 

 the current of two Grove's cells through an insulated wire coiled 

 round it. By riveting a .slip of brass to the iron, the unequal 

 expansion of brass and iron under heat was also shown, the 

 heat being generated by keeping the current flowing in the coil. 

 —Mr. D. Winstanley exhibited his new radiograph for record- 

 ing graphically the inteasity of solar radiation throughout the 

 day. It consists of a differential thermometer «ith one 

 black bulb and a circular stem. The low er part of the 

 stem is filled with mercuiy, the upper branches with sul- 

 phuric acid and water. The tube is mounted on a brass 

 wheel, so that when the black bulb is exposed to the sun's 

 rays the differential motion of the mercury causes the wheel to 

 turn. Th; wheel carries a light index or marker, which is free 

 to traverse a vertical cylinder covered with paper coated with 

 lampblack, and leaves a white track where its point has scratched 

 off the soot. The radiogram thus produced can be fixed and pre- 

 served. Dr. Guthrie pointed out the curious "thermal twilight " 

 these radiograms hnd betrayed to Mr. Winstanley. They show 

 that before sunrise the temperature increases, owing to solar 

 radiation. Moreover, half an hour after sunset the index falls 

 and remains till within a few minutes of midnight, when it 

 mysteriously rises and sinks again, although the sun is then 

 directly over the opposite hemisphere. — Mr. Baillie then gave 

 the results of a study he had made into the theory of the phonei- 

 doscope. He finds that waves simultaneously start from each 

 side of the soap-film w hen the note is sounded, and meeting in 

 the middle generate ventral points and notes. The equations of 

 several cases were given by him, and he suggested that i holo- 

 graphy should be employed to fix the appearance of the figures, 

 in order that they might be investigated theoretically. 



Linnean Society, June 17. — Prof. Allman, F.R.S., pre- 

 sident, in the chair. — Dr. R. C. A. Prior read a letter from a 

 correspondent concerning the rare case of a mistletoe parasite 

 on a mistletoe. — Lord Lilford exhibited and remarks were made 

 on a series of skins, skulls, and horns of the Wild Sheep of 

 Cyprus {Oz'is ophion, Blyth). — Mr. E. M. Holmes pointed out 

 the peculiarities of the Antheridia in an excellent example of 

 Polysiphonia fastigiata, gathered at Ventnor. — Mr. F. Crisp 

 exhibited slides prepared at the Zoological Station of Naples, 

 illustrating the early stages of the life of invertebrates, and he 

 also showed living specimens of the new Medusa, Limnocodium 

 victoria. — Mr. C. Stewart showed microscopic sections of the 

 growing point of chara and of the common ash. — A paper was 

 read by Mr. F. M. Campbell on certain glands in the maxillae 

 of spiders. These glands, to which he attributes a secretory 

 function (probably salivai7), he finds in Tegcncria demcsiicahaye 

 apertures on the inner side of the upper face of each maxilla, 

 thence inclining tow-ards the mouth. They are ring-like in figure, 

 with an inclosed disk. There are integumental folds at their 

 outlets. The glands and apertures increase in number w ith age, 

 and the ducts tend to become chitinous. Glands varying some- 

 what in structure, but evidently similar in kind, exist in species of 

 Liniyphiidae, Theridiidx, and the Epeirid^. — Mr. S. O. Ridley 

 made a communication on two cases of incorporation by sponges 

 of spicules foreign to them. In a species of the genus Ciocalypta, 

 Bwk., the dermis contained spicules which belonged to a species 

 of Esperia, and which latter sponge had been obtained in the 

 same haul of the dredge. In another example of Alebion 

 spicules also derived from Esperia were likewise obtained. 

 Thus an element of error might arise from one sponge containing 

 skeletal structures accidentally derived from a neighbouring 

 sponge of a different genus and habit. — Prof. Allman then called 

 attention to the remarkable Medusa recently observed by Mr. W. 

 Sowerby in the freshwater tank at the Botanic Gardens, Regent's 

 Park (a notice of this appeared in otir last week's issue, p. 178). 

 — A short note from Prof. E. Ray Lankesler concerning the same 

 Medusa was also read. — Mr. F. M. Campbell read a second paper 

 on the stridulating organs of Stcatoda guttata and Litiyphia tene- 

 Iricola. A stridulating organ has already been described by Profs. 

 Westring and Mason Wood in certain other of the spiders ; the 

 present observations demonstrate its existence in both sexes, and 

 the essentials of the structure are given in detail. — Dr. G. E. 

 Dobson, in notes on Aplysia dactylomela, a specimen obtained at 

 Bermuda, but not distinguishable from the species inhabiting the 

 Cape \'erde Islands, showed that there is inequality of size in 

 the right and left moiety in the dental rows of the lingual rib- 

 bon, and he described other structures appertaining to the man- 

 dibular plates. — Mr. G. Busk communicated some researches of 



