NATURE 



[Atigtisi 5, 1880 



up the results obtained formerly by liimself and those more 

 recently arrived at by Preece and Chrystal. He showed that the 

 sound emitted by a stretched iron wire through which an inter- 

 rupted current was passing varied [in a remarkable way with 

 temperature, reaching a most evident maximum about a dull red 

 heat. This variation he regarded as being in some way con- 

 nected with the magnetic properties of iron, and on that ground 

 criticised Prof. Chrystal's explanation of the De la Rive pheno- 

 menon as being due to rapid contractions and dilatations of the 

 thin wires through which the current passed. In the remarks 

 which followed Prof. Chrystal admitted the influence of mag- 

 netism in the case of the iron, a thick \vire of which was as 

 efficient as a thin wire ; but in the case of what are usually 

 reckoned non-magnetic metals, only thin wires of which are 

 efficient for reproducing continuous sounds, he still thought that 

 the true explanation was to be found in their changes of length. 

 The altogether /<?«(//«r action of iron — though probably nickel 

 and cobalt would have a similar action — seemed to him rather 

 to favour this view than the other. 



Boston, U.S.A. 



American Academy of Arts and Sciences, June 9. — Prof. 

 Joseph Levering, vice-president, in the chair. — Dr. A. Auwers 

 of Berlin, and Prof. Descloizeaux of Paris, were elected Forei^;!! 

 Honorary Members. — The Rumford medal was conferred ou 

 Prof. Josiah Millard Gibbs for his researches in thermodynamics, 

 — The Hon. Charles Francis Adams resigned the office of president 

 of the Academy, and Prof. Joseph Lovering was elected to the 

 chair. — Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes was chosen vice-president, 

 Prof. Josiah P. Cooke corresponding secretary, and Prof. John 

 Trowbridge recording secretary. 



Paris 



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

 chair. — In name of a committee lately formed, M. de Quatrefages 

 asked the Academy to open a subscription with the view of strik- 

 ing a medal in honour of M. Milne-Edwardes' services to science. 

 Agreed. — Apparatus for measuring the heat of combustion of 

 gases by detonation, by M. Berthelot. It consists essentially of 

 a bomb suspended in a calorimeter. — On the dissolution of 

 chlorine in water, by M. Berthelot. His observations point to 

 the existence of a perchloride of hydrogen, probably a tri- 

 chloride. — On the theory of the sines of superior orders, by M. 

 Villarceau. — On the same, byM. Farkas. — Substances addressed 

 to the Museum mistakenly as meteorites, by M. Daubree. Most 

 frequently they are scorice from works, and pyrites ; but iron 

 ores and a variety of substances are sent, and the senders are 

 often men of scientific note. Bolides are often thought to fall 

 near, while really far away. — On the successive transformations 

 of the photographic image by prolongation of the luminous 

 action, by M. Janssen. Beyond the second neutral state he gels 

 a second negative image (requiring a million times the luminous 

 intensity for the first), and a third neutral state, with uniform 

 dark tint. — Report on the project contained in documents de- 

 posited by JI. de Lesseps for the interoceanic canal. This 

 reviews the past history of the question. — Report on a memoir by 

 Dr. Cnmpanyo, entitled "Project of Organisation of the Service 

 of Health of the Panama Interoceanic Canal," by M. LaiTey. — 

 M. Eoutigny described some new experiments on the spheroidal 

 state. — On the transformation of linear differential equations, by 

 M. Appell. — On a property of algebraic fmictions and curves, by 

 M. Pickard. — On the causes of interior alteration of steam 

 boilers, by M. Lodin. From experiments with iron wire in 

 sealed tubes holding various waters, he finds the predominant 

 cause of oxidation to be the oxygen of dissolved air, and that 

 this is not more intense in the case of distilled water than of 

 calcareous, but the opposite. The action of some disincrustants 

 is studied. — On a method of direct autocoUimation of objectives 

 and its application to measurement of indices of refraction of 

 the glasses composing them, by M. Martin. — On the employment 

 of the spherometer, by the same. He has improved it in certain 

 points. — On the causes of terrestrial magnetism, by M. Lem- 

 Strom. He magnetises a vertically-suspended bar of soft 

 iron, by rapid rotation of a paper tube, with two con- 

 centric walls round it. The earth he supposes similarly 

 magnetised by rotating in a space of ether. — On an electro- 

 dynamic paradox, by M. Gerard-Lescuyer. When the current 

 of a dynamo-electric machine (Siemens) is sent into a magneto- 

 electric machine (Gramme), the latter moves with increasing 



speed ; then it slackens, stops, and turns in the opposite 

 direction ; this action is "reversed in turn, and so on. The 

 polarities of the inductors are reversed. — Researches on ozone, 

 by MM. Hautefeuille and Chappuis. The tension of trans- 

 formation of ozone in oxygen under the silent discharge in- 

 creases rapidly with fall of temperature. In passing from 20° 

 to - 23° it is nearly doubled. Increase of pressure favours the 

 production of ozone. — On a new isomeric modification of hydrate 

 of alumina, by M. Tommasi. — Observations on M. Bourgoiu's 

 note on the ultimate action of bromine on malonic acid, by M. 

 Petrieff. — On the molecular heat and volume of rare earths and 

 their sulphates, by MM. Nilson and Petersson. — On a new 

 fermentation of glucose, by M. Boutroux. Wliat he called lactic 

 fermentation in a note on March 4, 1S7S, he now caWs gluconic . 

 — Absorption and elimination of poisons in cephalopoda, by M. 

 Yung. Absorption takes place most promptly by the branchiae 

 (very weakly by the skin), and according to osmotic power of 

 the substances. Elimination is by the liver and the sac of black 

 liquid. — Velocity of transmission of the motor excitation in the 

 nerves of the lobster, by MM. Fredericq and Vandevelde. It is 

 about 6m. per sec. at + 10° to -t- 12° C, and 10 to 12m. at 

 + lS° to -t- 20°. — On the differential sensibility of the eye for 

 small luminous surfaces, by M. Charpentier. As the two illumi- 

 nated surfaces are diminished the power of distinguishing them 

 greatly increares. — ContrH^utions to pala;ozoic flora, l>y M. Crie. 

 — The Loire, the Loiret, and subterranean currents of the Valley 

 of Orleans, by M. Sainjon. — On the bed of cut flints at El 

 Hassi (Algerian Sahara), by M. RoUand. — On the means of 

 obtaining photographic negatives in a free balloon, by M. 

 Desmarets. In a recent ascent he used an obturator like M. 

 Janssen's. 



GoTTINGEN 



Royal Society of Sciences, April 7. — On the conditions of 

 geysers, by H. O. Lang. — On the extension of Abel's theorem 

 to integrals of any differential equations, by L. Koenigsberger. 



May I. — Notices on some Australian volatile oils, by Baron 

 von Midler. — Analysis of electric discharges, by W. Holtz. — An 

 improved centrifugal machine for schools, by the same. 



June 5. — On three-point contact of curves, by H. Schubert. — 

 On those algebraic equations between two variable quantities 

 which allow a number of rational univocal reversible transforma- 

 tions into themselves, by G. Hettner. 



July 3. — Voltaic elenent of aluminium, by F. Wbhler. — On 

 the functions which arise by inversion of solutions of linear 

 differential equations, by L. Fuchs.— On algebraic logarithmic 

 integrals of non-homogeneous linear differential equations, by L. 

 Koenigsberger. — On a new arrangement of the magnets of a 

 galvanometer, by K. Schering. 



CONTENTS Pagb 



Multiple Spectra, II. By J. Norman Lockyek, F.R.S . (jr/z/t 



Jtlustratioxs) 3°9 



The Education Debate 312 



European Caddis-Flies 3^4 



Oun Book Shelf:— 



Harvie-Brown's " Ornithological Journal of the Winter ot 



1878-79" 315 



Netto's " Mining and Mines in Japan" _. 316 



Sawyer's "Automatic Multiplier," and "Automatic Calculator . 316 



Letteks TO THE Editor: — t- -^ r. ^ 



The Freshwater Medusa.— Prof. E. Ray Lankester, F.R.S. . . 316 



Subterranean Kaolinisation. — John A. Church - . 3^7 



" On a Mode of Explaining the Transverse Vibrations of Light. — 



J. W. Frankland 317 



Expansion of Glass by Heat.— Prof. John LeConte 31S 



Fascination in Man.— Surgeon-Major W. CuRRAK 318 



Monkeys in the 'West Indies.— Edmund Watt 310 



Utricularia.— Lieut. J. W. Clark . • • • 318 



The British Association and Provincial Scientific Societies.— John 



HOPKINSON 319 



Intellect in Brutes.- Rev. George HenSLOIV 3'9 



Chipped Flints.— J. Birmingham 319 



Lunar Rainbows.— J. King Watts 3t9 



Carbon AND Carbon-Compounds. By Prof. A. S. Herschel . . 320 



Physics without Apparatus, I. (With Ittnstraticus) 320 



Count Pobrtales. By H. N. Moskley, F.R.S 322 



The British Association AT Swansea ..... • • •„ • ,■ 323 



The High Plateaux ok Utah. By Prof. Arch. Geikie, F.R.S. ;. 324 



The New Planetary Nebula. By Edward C. Pickering ... 327 



On 0;rrents produced by Friction between Conducting Sub- 

 stances AND ON A New Form of Telephone Receiver. By 



JamesBlytii, M.A., F.R.S.E 33° 



University and Educational Intelligence 33° 



Scientific Serials 33 



SociBTiss AND Academies 3:i 



