Atignst 5, iS8o] 



NA TURE 



articulated at just one node nlove that one ma5e the previous 

 year, the branch thus gaining but one node in the year. This 

 reminds one of the South Pacific Mlis, which produces tubers 

 on the end of the branches, and at the end of each season dis- 

 articulates them). — On germination in acorns (in Querais z'iiviis. 

 Mr. Mazyck has noticed tliat the two petioles instead of being 

 short were produced to a length of li inches before the plumule 

 and hypocotyledonary portions of the young plant commenced 

 their growth, and a small tuberous projection nearly one-fourth 

 the size of the acorn preceded the growth downwards of the 

 radicle and upwards of the plumule. The cells in all of these 

 were gorged with starch).— Dr. Leidy, notice of Filaria iimmtis 

 in the dog, and on a Filaria reported to have come from a man. 

 — W. N. Lockington, on the Pacific species of Cmdolatilus. — 

 Heilprin, Angelo, on the stratigraphical evidence afforded by the 

 tertiary fossils of the peninsula of Maryland. — J. S. Kingsley, 

 carcinological notes : I. (chiefly relates to the genus Thelphusa, 

 describes two new species from Ceylon and one from West 

 Africa; also a new species of Dilocarcinus. II. Revision of the 

 Gelasimi, plates 9 and 10).— Dr. Allen, description of a fcetal 

 walrus, and on the mammoc of bats. — Dr. R. Bergh, on the 

 nudibranchs of the North Pacific Ocean, with special reference 

 to those of Alaska, Part 2, plates i to 8.— Howard Kelly, on a 

 sartorius muscle in the gorilla. This muscle was reinforced six 

 inches from its origin by a muscular slip a quarter of an inch in 

 breadth ; it arose at the lower part of the middle third of the 

 femur, between the origin of the quadriceps e.\tensor and the 

 insertion of the adductors joining the sartorius opposite the knee 

 joint.— J. n. Redfield, on Rochdia fatcns (Nuttell), decided by 

 Dr. Gray to be Echinospermum floribnndum. — Report on plants 

 introduced by means of the International Exhibition 1876. 



Biillitins dela Socute d' Anthropologie de Paris, tome 3, fasc. I, 

 tSSo. — The present number contains the address of M. Sanson, 

 president of the Society for iSSo. — A communication from M. 

 Mantegazza, on the Lapps. — A paper by M. En-.ile Goldi, on the 

 migration of races in Egypt, which gave rise to an animated dis- 

 cussion, in \vhich Mad. C. Royer opposed the author's view- of 

 the Asiatic origin of the Egyptian races. — M. Topinard proposed 

 new methods for obtaining means differing from those suggested 

 by M. Broca, which he considers to be based upon too small 

 numbers. — ^I. Robin, Inspector of Primary Instniction in the 

 Departement de Loir-et-Cher, invites the attention of the Society 

 to the question whether it would not be desirable, to require from 

 teachers in the public schools reports of the stature, growth, &c., 

 of the pupils under their observation. M. Broca was of opinion 

 that anthropological characteristics are of little value except in 

 the case of adults, and that the important question of growth can 

 only be satisfactorily considered when large numbers of children 

 are simultaneously submitted to observation. — This number of the 

 Bullelins devotes nearly seventy pages to the reprint of the 

 "Inventory of the Megalithic Monuments of France," in which 

 we have the combined result of the carefully-conducted observa- 

 tions of the General Commission for the registration of these 

 remains, which was formally appointed by the Minister for 

 Public Instruction in November, 1S79. In this survey the 

 country was divided into six sections, each of which was placed 

 under the direction of one of the commissioners, while the 

 general work was further subdivided into two gi'oups, those of 

 erratic boulders and megalithic monuments. — The last paper, by 

 JI. Paul Broca (on a new instrument invented by himself, and 

 named "le goniometre d'inclinaison et I'orthogone "), has > 

 specially melancholy interest from the fact that it is connected 

 with some of the latest work done by this eminent savant before 

 his death. 



yoiirnal of the Franklin Institute, July. — The belt-dynamo- 

 meter of Dr. C. W. Siemens, by R. Briggs. — High raihvay 

 speeds, by W. B. Le Van. — Economic vaporisation of a boiler, 

 by Chief Engineer Isherwood. — Progress of the dephosphorisa- 

 tiou of iron, by F. Gautier. — The involute of the circumference 

 of a circle, by L. D'Auria. — A new pendulum suspension, by L. 

 H. Spellier. — The puddling process, past and present, by P. 

 Roberts, jun. 



Bulletin de V Acadhnie Royalc des Sciences (of Belgium), 

 No. 5. — On a whale caught on the coast of Charleston (South 

 Carolina) on January 7, iSSo, by M. Van Beneden. — An 

 application of accidental images, by M. Plateau. — Note on the 

 illumination of mines with phosphorescent sulphides, by M. 

 .Montigny. — Researches on the property possessed by solid bodies 



of welding by the action of pressure, by M. Spring. — On the 

 line of (so called) helium, by Abbe Spec. — Excretory apparatus 

 of the Trematodes and Cestoides, by M, Fraipont. — Discovery 

 of haemoglobin in the aquiferous system of an Echinoderm, by 

 M. Foeltinger. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 Edinburgh 

 Royal Society, June 21. — Prof. Maclagan, M.D., vice- 

 president, in the chair. — Prof. Chrystal read a paper on a dif- 

 ferential telephone, and on the application of the telephone to 

 electrical measurements. A differential telephone was exhibited. 

 It differed from an ordinary telephone in much the same way 

 that a differential galvanometer differs from an ordinary single- 

 coiled one. Two thin wires were twisted together and wound 

 round the magnet in the usual way. It was shown that when 

 an interrupted current passed in opposite directions through the 

 two coils of the differential telephone no sound was heard. In 

 using the instrument, its tw-o coils were put into the two branches 

 of a multiple arc, which was inserted in the circuit of the inter- 

 ropted current. The interrupted currents of the tw o branches 

 passed in opposite directions through the coils. The conditions 

 for perfect compensation were not only that the resistances of 

 the two branches must be equal, but also that their coefficients 

 of self-induction must be the same. If only one of these condi- 

 tions w as fulfilled a minimum of sound could be got, but absolute 

 silence was impossible. The necessity for this twofold adjust- 

 ment had not been hitherto sufticieutly recognised ; and it was 

 to its neglect that the main difficulties in using Hughes' in- 

 duction-balance were no doubt to be referred. Some years 

 ago Prof. Chrystal had worked out the mathematics of the 

 subject, but had been unable till recently to corroborate his 

 results by experiment. Prof. Chrystal then proceeded to indicate 

 how such a differential telephone could be applied to the 

 measurement of coefficients of self-induction in terms of an 

 arbitrary unit. Two coils were prepared of exactly the same 

 resistance, but one was so wound as to have practically no self- 

 induction. The self-induction of the other was the arbitrary 

 unit mentioned above. In the rough model shown, two coils, 

 whose distance apart could be varied at will, were intro- 

 duced into each branch of the multiple arc above referred 

 to, and were first adjusted so as to produce perfect com- 

 pensation in the differential telephone. The other two equal 

 resistance-coils were then introduced, one into the circuit of each 

 induction pair, with the necessary effect of destroying the com- 

 pensation. By a readjustment of the induction of one of the pairs, 

 compensation was again secured, the change of distance of the 

 coils of the altered pair corresponding therefore to the arbitrary- 

 unit. The two single coils w-ere then removed, a fresh compen- 

 sation obtained by alteration of the other induction pair, the 

 single coils again introduced, a fourth compensation effected 

 and a second stage reached in the formation of a graduated 

 scale of self-induction in terms of an arbitrary ttnit ; and so on 

 till a complete scale w-as formed. Prof. Chrystal further pointed 

 out how- his instrument might be used for measuring capacities, 

 and for investigating the real nature of the opposition offered b;. 

 electrolytes to the passage of electric currents. — Prof. Tai: 

 communicated a paper on the determination of the specific heals 

 of saline solutions, by Mr. Thomas Gray, B. Sc. — Mr. J. V. 

 Buchanan described a "navigational sounding-machine" of very 

 simple construction. A glass tube, closed below by a plug kepi 

 sufficiently tight by a close-fitting india-rubber band, was pro- 

 vided above with a peculiarly-formed capillary orifice. The 

 tube w-as first allowed to fill with air, and then sunk to the 

 required depth in the sea. The air was compressed under the 

 increased pressure, and the w-ater began to trickle in from 

 above. The quantity of water which so gained admittance 

 was the datum from w'hich the pressure, and therefore the 

 depth, could be calculated. The water was removed by 

 taking aw-ay the bottom plug ; and the instrument was 

 once more in a state suitable for use. Mr. Buchanaii 

 also communicated some experiments on the compressibility of 

 glass. The value he obtained was greater than that obtained by 

 Grassi by z\ per cent. — Dr. Macfarlane read a short paper 

 entitled "Suggestions on the Art of Signalling." He advocated 

 the use of tliree qualities or symbols in preference to the dot-and- 

 dash or tw-o-symbolled alphabet of Jlorse, arguing that such a 

 system would be found more rapid than the latter. — Dr. R. M. 

 Ferguson communicated a note on the -wire telephone, following 



