48 



NA TURE 



\Nov. II, 1880 



passes on in the current of air, the latter remains in the water in 

 which the phosphorus is oxidised. In several experiments the 

 proportion of peroxide of hydrogen to the ozone formed was as 



I to 2. On the action of zinc eth}'l on benzoylic cyanide, by E. 



Frankland and D. A. Louis. The product of this reaction, an 

 amber-coloured jelly, was first decomposed and then extracted 

 with alcohol, about 3 per cent, of a substance CojHjjNO;, 

 named provisionally benzcyanidin, crystallising in colourless 

 needles, was obtained. Besides this body an unstable sub- 

 stance was obtained which could not be purified, but which 

 on oxidation with bichromate gave propiophenone CgHjoO. 

 — On the action of zinc-ethyl on cyanogen, by E. Frank- 

 land and C. C. Graham. The product of this reaction was a 

 solid mass, which on heating to 120° yielded a colourless liquid 

 which was propionitrile C3H5N., the other product of the 

 reaction being zinc cyanide. — On bismuth and bismuth com- 

 pounds, by M. M. P. Muir, G. B. Hoffmeister, and C. E. 

 Robbs. The relative stabilities towards heat and reducing agents 

 of the' oxides, and towards heat of the hydrates are discussed, 

 also the action of chlorine and bromine on the oxides. An 

 attempt is made to give structural formula; for these bodies, in which 

 bismuth is trivalent. — On the colour-properties and relations of the 

 metals copper, nickel, cobalt, iron, manganese, and chromium, 

 by T. Bayley. Tlie author has carefully compared the colours 

 of solutions of salts of the above metals and various mixtures 

 thereof, and especially those mixtures which yield colourless or 

 neutral grey solutions. — Action of diazo-naphthalin on salicylic 

 acid, by Percy Frankland. — On the basic sulphates of iron, by 

 Spencer Pickering. — Fourth report on researches in chemical 

 dynamics, by C. K. A. Wright, E. H. Rennie, and A. E. 

 Menke. — On some naphthalin derivatives, by C. E. Armstrong 

 and N. C. Graham. — On acetylorthoamidobenzoic acid, by P. 

 P. Bedson and A. J. King. 



Vienna 



Imperial Academy of Sciences, October 21. — On the 

 propagation of ball and cylinder waves of finite width of vibra- 

 tion, by Dr. Tumlirz. — On the law of convulsive action (con- 

 tinued), by Prof. Strieker.— On the blood vessels of the valves 

 of the heart, by Dr. Langer. — On the question of arrangement 

 in the pyridin and chinolin series, by Dr. Skraup. — Experiments 

 on the magnetic behaviour of iron, by Herr Haubner. — On the 

 relation of the daily and yearly variation of temperature to the 

 sun spot period, by Herr Liznar. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, November 2. — M. Edm. Becquerel 

 in the chair.— The following papers were read :— New observa- 

 tions on the etiology and prevention of citarbon, by M. Pasteur. 

 He gives a letter written by Baron von Seebach (Saxon Minister 

 in Paris) to M. Tissandier in 1865, stating facts which afford 

 striking confirmation of M. Pasteur's vievvs as to the causes of 

 the disease.— On the heat of formation of ethers formed by 

 hydracids, by M. Berthelot. In these experiments he used his 

 calorimetric detonator. — Heat of formation of sulphide of 

 carbon, by M. Berthelot. The combustion of liquid sulphide of 

 carbon liberates 4-246-6 cal. (Favre and Silbermann obtained 

 258-5 cal., but they overlooked the formation of sulphuric acid). 

 Sulphide of carbon is formed with absorption of heat from 

 its solid elements, but there is probably liberation of heat 

 from gaseous sulphm- and carbon. — On volcanic thunderstorms, 

 by M. Faye. In paroxysmal eruptions the enormous amount of 

 steam ejected causes volcanic thunderstorms, which are quite 

 distinct from ordinary thunderstorms, especially in the absence 

 of gyratory movements, the complete immobility of the volcanic 

 storm (which is confined to the column of ascending clouds), 

 and the fact that no flashes occur without the presence of 

 ashes. The phenomena are veiy much those of the Armstrong 

 electric machine. Further, there is never any mention of hail ; 

 and M. Faye thinks it is probably never produced, as it is the 

 product of vast gyratory movements not found in volcanic 

 clouds. He suggests the desirability of studying directly the 

 traces of electricity in the vapours rising from the crater of 

 Vesuvius. — On photographs of nebulse, by M. Janssen. The 

 photography of a very bright nebula is now comparatively easy, 

 if one content oneself with the most luminous part, but extremely 

 difficult if a complete image be sought comparable to those given 

 by our large instruments. The latter is what we esptcially 

 require, with a view to studying the important questions of 

 variations of nebular structure, and calls for many able workers, 

 furnished with the best instruments. M. Janssen is preparing 

 observations of the kind at Meudon. — Observations of planets 



and comets, at Marseilles Observatory, by M. .Stephan. — On tlie 

 winter-egg of phylloxera, by M. Valery-Mayet. It seems certain 

 that the hygrometric state of the air, generally very dry in 

 Languedoc (where the author is), is the great obstacle to pro- 

 duction of the winter egg. Whenever the sea-winds, which 

 always blow in autumn, bring that region to the conditions of 

 the climate in the west, the egq; is produced. — Elements of the 

 orbit of the new planet (217) discovered by M. Coggia. — On the 

 resolution of algebraic equations ; examination of the method of 

 Lagrange, by M. West. — On linear differential equations with 

 rational coefficients, the solution of which depends on the 

 quadrature of a rational function of the independent variable, 

 and of an irrational algebraic product, by M. Dillner. — 

 On a property of uniform functions of a variable con- 

 nected by an algebraic relation, by M. Picard. — On the 

 application of the photophone to study of the sounds which 

 occur on the sun's surface, by Prof. Bell. This v;&% suggested 

 by Mr. Bell in visiting the observatory at Meudon. M. Janssen 

 put all the instruments at his disposal, and an opportunity was 

 taken to explore a solar image 0-65 m. in diameter with the 

 selenium cylinder. The phenomena were not sufficiently marked 

 to justify one in affirming success, but Mr. Bell is hopeful of 

 succeeding. M. Janssen has suggested the method of passing 

 rapidly before an objective which should give conjugate images 

 on the selenium apparatus, a series of solar photographs of one 

 spot taken at intervals sufficient to show notable variations in 

 the constitution of the spot. This is to be tried. — On the oxi- 

 dation of mannite, by M. Pabst. — On the ferments of albu- 

 minoid matters, by M. Duclaux. There are certainly over a 

 hundred species and of these he only knows twenty at present 

 (the physiological conditions, i.e. of their existence). Previous 

 classifications prove useless. He gives some general trails. 

 Inter alia, in milk the ferments change the caseine into soluble 

 albumen, but while the aerobian-femients do this in a slow and 

 regular way, the anaerobians do it with liberation of carbonic 

 acid and hydrogen, part of which becomes sulphuretted hydro- 

 gen or even phosphides of hydrogen. In cheese-making the 

 predominance of the aerobians has been unconsciously favoured. 

 All the ferments studied are found in full activity in the stomach. 

 They secrete soluble ferments, which are added to those of the 

 organism. — Inoculation of symptomatic cliarbon by intravenous 

 injection, and immunity conferred on the calf, the sheep, and the 

 goat by this process, by MM. Arloing, Cornevin, and Thomas. 



CONTENTS Pagb 



Dr. Siemens' New Cure for Smoke. By Dr. C. William Siemens 



F.R S, {}Vith Illustration) -i 



The Russian Imperial Yacht "Livadia" 27 



A Medical Catalogue =8 



The Philosophy OF Language. ByA. H. Keane lo 



OuK Book Shelf : — 



Martineau's " Easy Lessons in Science .-32 



MoUoy's " Outline of a Course of Natural Philosophy, with Speci- 

 men Examination Papers " .^^ 



Letters to the Editor :— , „ , . „ t^ ' 



Sir Wyville Thomson and Natural Selection.— Charles Darwin, 



Geolo-^ic'al Changes of Level.— Sir C. Wyville Thomson, F.R.S. . 33 

 "The first Volume of the Publications of the Challenger —A 



Correction.— Prof. T. H. Huxley, F.R S 33 



Correspondence of Phenomena in Magnetic Storms.— William 



Ellis „ 33 



Meteor.— Rev. S.J. Perky, F.R.S 34 



Conditionof Jupiter.— J. Rand Capron 34 



Vo.x Angelica.— George Rayleigh Vicars 34 



Solids and Liquids at High Temperatures.— John Aitken ... 34 



Wire Torsion.— Professors John Perry and W. E. AvRTON ... 35 



Heat of Formation of a Compound.— A. P. Laurie . . . • • • 35 

 The Yang-tse, the Yellow River, and the Pei-ho.— Surgeon H. B. 



GuPPV 35 



The Thresher.— Francis P. Pascoe . . . • 35 



Illustrations of New or Rare Animals in the Zoological 



Society's Living Collection, I. (/K;V/( /^/KS^frtZ/OTw) 35 



A Successful African Expedition 3» 



United States Weather Maps, December, 1873 39 



Searles Valentine Wood 4° 



Notes "* 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Hattwig's Comet (1880 d) 43 



Discovery of a Comet 43 



Ceraski's V.Triable Star ^^ 



Physical Notes **3 



Geographical Notes ........••• 44 



On a Di=;TUKniNG Infinity in Lord Rayleigh s Solution for 

 Waves'in A Plane Vortex Stratum. By Sir William Thomson 



(With Diaf^ani) ^' t' ';.,'':''*.% M 



Mineral Resources OF Newfoundland. By Alex. Murray . . 40 ■ 



University AND Educational Intelligence 47 ■ 



Scientific Serials Is I 



— \ 



