72 



NA TURE 



\^\'ov. 18, 1 8 So 



At Porthdinlleyn there is no serpentine, but a remarkably inter- 

 esting series of agglomerates and (probably) lava-flows of a 

 basic" nature, which may now be denominated diabases. — Note 

 on the occurrence of remains of recent plants in brown iron 

 ore, by J. Arthur Phillips, F.G.S. The fossilising ironstone de- 

 scribed by tlie author occurs at Rio Tinto, in the province of 

 Hu-»lva, Spain, in close proximity to the celebrated copper mines 

 of that name, where it forms a thick horizontal capping of a hill 

 known as the Mesa de los Finos. In this iron ore Ur. Carruthers 

 has identified the following vegetable remains : — Leaves and 

 acorns of Querctis ilex, Linn. ; leaves and seed of a two-leaved 

 .'pecies of Finns, most probably Finns piiica, Linn. ; the cone of 

 Equisetum arvensc, Linn. ; and a small branch of a species of 

 Erica. There is also a well-marked leaf of a dicotyledonous 

 plant not yet identified. The plants are evidently all uf the same 

 species as are still found growing in Spain. The author attributes 

 this deposit of ironstone to tlie decomposition, partly by organic 

 agency, of ferruginous salts, derived from the oxidation of iron 

 pyrites, which flowed into a marsh or shallow lagoon. Subse- 

 quently to this the valleys of the Rio Agrio and Rio Tinto were 

 eroded, leaving the Mesa de los Pinos with its thick capping of 

 iron ore. — Notes on the locality of some fossib found in the 

 Carboniferous rocks at T'ang Shan, situated, in a north north- 

 east direction, about 120 miles from Tientsin, in the province of 

 Cliih Li, China, by James W. Carrall, F.G.S. , with a note by 

 Wm. Carruthers, F.R. S. The author described the locality 

 from which he obtained some plant-remains of apparently Car- 

 boniferous age, and stated that mining operations had been 

 carried on by a Chinese company in the district since the year 

 1S78. Several seams of coal occur, varying in thickness from 

 1 1 inches to 6 feet. Mr. Carruthers stated in a note that the 

 specimens submitted to him belong to a species of Annularia, 

 probably A. Icngifolin, Brough, abundant in the British coal- 

 measures, and found both on the Continent and in North 

 America. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, November 8. — M. Edm. Becquerel 

 in the chair. — The following papers were read : — On the heat 

 of formation of dimethyl, and on its relation with the methylic 

 and ethylic series, by M. Berthelot. — Researches on the Upper 

 Cretaceous of the northern slope of the Pyrenees, by M. Hebert. 

 — Observations on phylloxera, by M. Henneguy. From over 

 three years' observations he is quite convinced that vines not 

 attacked may be saved, and those which have not suffered too 

 much be restored. Vine-growers have three efficacious modes 

 of treatment : sulphocarbonates, sulphide of carbon, and sub- 

 mersion. But the treatment must be repeated each year (at 

 least for a time), and must extend over the whole vineyard. To 

 destroy the winter egg in the bark, decortication and treatment 

 with sulphide of carl)ons has proved good ; also application of 

 flame to the stock with a " pyrophore " (the latter is more effec- 

 tual than application of boiling water, also easier and more 

 economical). The spontaneous recovery of seemingly dead vines 

 is only temporary ; new roots form after abundant rain, and 

 supply sap for fresh shoots. If the insects (which persist) be 

 destroyed before they reach these roots, the vine may quite 

 recover. — Observations on the influence of last season on the 

 development of phylloxera ; on insecticides, by M. Boiteau. 

 August and September were so rainy as to be very unfavouralde 

 to the insect. Most of the vines that still exist will be saved. 

 Sulphide of carbon is largely used by all kinds of proprietors. 

 Among other directions as to its use, he says, the quantity per 

 square metre should be 15 to 20 gr. — Preparation of a new ali- 

 mentary substance, nntricine, by M. Moride. Raw meat, freed 

 from bones and tendons, is pas-ed into suitable machines with 

 nitrogenised alimentary substances (bread, e.g.), which absorb its 

 water, and form perhaps organic combinations with it. The 

 whole is dried in air or a mild stove, then pulverised and sifted. 

 The powder got is grey or yellowish, and has an agreeable taste. 

 With albumen, fats, or gummed water, solid cikes or cubes may 

 be made of it, to be afterwards divided for soups, sauces, &c. 

 The substance is very nutritive, and keeps indefinitely if not 

 exposed to moisture or too great lieat.— The Secretary stated 

 that a great many applications had been 'made for seeds of 

 the vines of Soudan. M. Lecard has published a brochure 

 on this vine, and is collecting all the seeds he can to send 

 home. — On algebraic equations ; examination of the propo- 

 sitions of Abel, by M. West.— Researches on the transfor- 

 mation of oxygen into ozone by the electric efflitve in presence 

 of a foreign gas, by MM. Hautefeuille and C'happuis. Even a 



very little chlorine hinders the transformation, and when intro- 

 duced destroys ozone previously formed. Nitrogen occasions a 

 larger transformation than if the oxygen were unmixed, and had 

 the same pressure as in the mixture. The formation of ozone in 

 presence of hydrogen is greater than in that of nitrogen. With 

 fluoride of siliciuni a large proportion of ozone is formed (the 

 effluve becoming a luminous rain of fire). The authors theorise 

 on these results. — Action of chlorine and hydrochloric acid on 

 chloride of lead, by M. Ditte. — On the combinations of ammonia 

 gas with chloride and iodide of palladium, by ]\I. Isambert. The 

 tensions of dissociation are weaker at the same temperature the 

 greater the heat of combination. — On the formation of chloroform 

 by alcohol and chloride of lime ; equation of the reaction and 

 cause of the liberation of oxygen manifested, by M. Bechamp. 

 En rcsinni, the chloroform is produced without liberation of 

 gas ; the swelling is due exclusively to the chloroform, which is 

 in a medium the teni|jerature of which is higher than its boiling 

 point, and to the tension of its vapour ; the gaseous liberation 

 only commences when it has completely distilled, and the tempe- 

 rature rises so as to reach that which is necessary to make the 

 mixture of chloride of lime and water boil. — On the organisation 

 and the development of the Gordians, by M. Villot. — M. de 

 Treux described a bolide observed at Amiens on November 1, 

 at 4.58 p.m. Its diameter seemed about a sixth of that of the 

 moon. Visible 10 to 15 sec. the bolide was successively blue, 

 yellow, and red ; bright sparks being given out at each change 

 of colour. — A geological map of Spain, by M. de Botella, was 

 presented. 



Vienna 



Imperial Academy of Sciences, November 4. — On the 

 theory of so-called electric expansion or electrostriction, by L, 

 Bolfzmann. — Measurements of co- vibration for the case of strong 

 deadening, by C. Laske. — On cells and intermediate substances, 

 by S. Strieker. — The psychic activity of the coating of the 

 brain, considered from a physiological standpoint, by , L. 

 Schneeder. — Description and sketch of a steerable balloon, by 

 W. Eosse. — On mesitylendisulpho-acid, by J. Earth and T. 

 Herzig. — On the absorption of solar radiation by the carbonic 

 acid of our atmosphere, by E. Lecher. — On some properties of 

 the capillary electrometer, by J. Hepperger. 



November 1 1 . — On the Tsubra deer ( Cerviis Liidorffii, Bohlan), 

 by L. T. Fitzinger. — On the question as to the nature of galvanic 

 polarisation, by F. Exner. — On the latent heat of vapours, by C. 

 Puschl. — Theory of acceleration-curves, by F. Wittenbauer. — 

 On derivatives of cinchonin acid and of chinolin, by H. Weidel 

 and A. Cobenzel. — On croton-aldehyde and its derivatives, by 

 A. Liebea and T. Yelsel. — On reduction of croton chloral, by 

 the same. 



CONTENTS Page 



The Future of Polar Research 49 



The Sanitary Assurance Association 50 



HiNCKS ** British's Marine PoLYZOA "i 51 



Our Book Shelf : — 



Routledge's " Popular History of Science " 52 



Hewitt's "Class-Book of Elementary Mech.inics, ad.ipted t5 ihe 



Requirements of the New Code " 53 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Sir Wyville Thomson and Natural Selection — Sir C. Wyville 



Thomson, F.R.S 53 



R.lpidity of Growth in Corals.— Dr. R. W. COPPINCER 53 



Geological Climates. — J. Starkie Gardner 53 



Order Zeuglodontia, Owen.— Searles V. Wood, Jun. (With lUus- 



tratwfi) 54 



Temperature of the Breath. — Dr. W.M. Roberts 55 



Heightof the Aurora.— H. T. H. Groneman 56 



Fascination — L. P. Gratacap 56 



HoM.\GE to Mr. Darwin 57 



The Ato.mic Weight OF Beryllium 57 



The Photophone. By Shelford Bidwell #58 



The Chronograph (>*'xM///kj/>-<i//ot«) 59 



The Belgian Entomological Society (52 



A General Theorem IN Kinematics. By George M. Minchin . '^' 



Notes 



Our Astro no.mical Column: — 



The S^lar Eclipse of December 31 ■ 



The Dunecht Comet 



Introductory Lecture to the Course of Metallurgy at thh 

 Royal School of Mines. By Prof. W. Chandler Robrts. 



F.R S 



On an Experimental Illustration of Minimum Energy. By Sir 



William Thomson, F.R.S. ((K;/AZi;n.r'''i"") C9 



Sargassum 70 



University AND Educational Intelligence 71 



Scientific Serials ■ 71 



Societies and Acade.mies 71 



