i88 



NATURE 



{Dec. 



iS8o 



liauid products which continued issuing in April, iSSo, from a 

 S of Dominica (English Antilles), by M. Daubrce. The 

 lake of boiling water which filled the crater m January had 

 shrunk to a boiling spring, the dark liquid from which jomed a 

 river. The weight of solid matter is nearly half the liquid, 

 and mainly consists of silica and alumina ; there is also iron 

 oxide, with carbonate of lime, &c. Chloride of iiotassium 

 abounds in the water.— Order of appearance of the spikelets in 

 the ear of Lolium, by M. Trecul.— On the orbit described by a 

 material point which is attracted by a spheroid, by M. Gylden 

 — M Abria was elected Correspondent in Physics in place of 

 M Lisssajous.— Application of the theory of germs to parasitic 

 champignons on plants, and especially to diseases of the vine, 

 by M. Cornu. In some cases the diseased leaves may be 

 variously utilised, after such treatment as will prevent the sjiores 

 being disseminated when their time of vegetation comes. Other 

 kinds of parasites do not alluw of the leaves being used as food 

 for cattle, compost, or litter. Their dormant spores are not 

 killed by digestion or putrefaction of tissues ; after prolonged 

 burial they may produce new germs. The debris in that case 

 should be burnt. Oidium and anthracnose exemplify the former ; 

 teronospora the latter.— On the discovery of the winter etrg in the 

 Eastern Pyrenees, by M. Campana. He found three in the end of 

 September. — On a process of preparation of sulphide of carbon 

 in the solid state for treatment of phylloxerised vines, by M. 

 Lafaurie. He solidifies the sulphide by making an emulsion of 

 it with a solution of alga: (Japanese moss does very well). The 

 proportion of sulphide may be varied up to 80 per cent. It 

 evaporates very slowly, so that vapours can be thus maintained 

 along time about the roots.— Swift's comet {e 1880), by MM. 

 Schulhof and Bossert.— Influence of the slope of refringence on 

 astronomical refraction, by M. Glasenapp. By this term he 

 denotes the effect of atmospheric layers of equal density not 

 being generally distributed in concentric surfaces on the earth's 

 surface (as they are supposed to be in all theories of astronomical 

 refraction). He proposes to investigate the influence of this 

 phenomenon and its law of variation; to find whether it have an 

 annual period, and if so, of what nature ; to study the influence 

 of^his on the annual parallax of fixed stars and their aberration ; 

 also to study lateral refraction.— On the contact of cinics and 

 surfaces, by M. Darboux.— On a class of linear differential 

 equations, by M. Appell.— On the integration of equations with 

 partial derivatives of the first order, by M. Collet. —On linear 

 diflferential equations of the second order, by M. Mittag-Leffler. 

 —Reclamation of priority on the subject of the law of corre- 

 sponding boiling temperatures, by M. DUhring.— On radio- 

 phony (second note), by M. Mercadier. The sounds may be 

 got from oxyhydrogen lamps and gas lamps without concen- 

 trating lenses, if the lamps be brought very near the (glass) 

 interrupting wheel, and the rays limited by a diaphragm with 

 aperture. A copper disc (0002 m. thick) was placed near the 

 wheel, and heated on the side opposite to that of the wheel with 

 an oxyhydrogen blowpipe. Sounds were heard when the disk 

 still remained invisible in the dark (though louder when the disk 

 was raised to a dark or bright red). — On new and economic 

 methods of producing intermittent luminous signals, by M. 

 Mercadier. Instead of using a diaphragm with a constant 

 source of light, he varies the source ; e.g. by introducing oxygen 

 suddenly into a low flame. This is done by pressing a key, and so 

 releasing from pressure a tube conveying the oxygen. — On the 

 absorption-spectrum of ozone, by M. Chappuis. Eleven dark 

 bands are observed in the visible spectrum, and several corre- 

 spond with telluric bands of the solar spectrum.— Action of 

 hydrochloric acid on metallic chlorides, by M. Ditte.— Action of 

 hydrofluoric acid on bichromate of ammonia, by M. Varenne.— - 

 On chlorised derivatives of sti7chnine, by MM. Richet and 

 Bouchardat. They have isolated three such compounds, retain- 

 ing in different degrees the chemical properties of strychnine. — 

 On the cause of spontaneous alteration of the raw sugar of cane, 

 by M. Gayon. He gives reasons for thinking this process a true 

 fermentation.— On the variations of luminous sensibility accord- 

 ing to the extent of the retinal parts excited, by M. Charpentier. 

 One region, seventeen to eighteen hundredths of a millimetre in 

 diameter, and corresponding to the fovea centralis, requires a 

 determinate quantity of light, independent of the extent of sur- 

 face, to excite it. In other parts the minimum illumination is 

 proportional to the surface. — Anatomic researches on Onchi- 

 dium, Cuv. (Oncidklla allica. Gray), by M. Joyeux Lafiine. 

 — Serpentines of Corsica ; their age and origin, by M. 

 Dieulafait. M. Hebert dissented from some of the results in 

 this paper. 



Vienna 

 Imperial Academy of Sciences, December 16. — Herr v. 

 Burg in the chair. — Table of the most important relations of 

 astronomy and geography, by Herr Letoschek. — Further re- i 

 searches on identity of the comets 1S69 III. and 18S0 e, by Herr ! 

 Zelbr and Dr. Ilepperger. — On leucaemia, by Herr Ludwig, — 

 Fourth report of the Prehistoric Commission, containing (l) 

 Szombathy on this year's prehistoric investigations and excava- 

 tions at Kiritein and Mokrau in Moravia ; (2) I.uschau on several 

 old burial-places in Bosnia and Dnlmatia ; (3) Heger on skeleton 

 graves of Tlonic, grave-mounds at Tschemin (Bohemia) and at ' 

 Wiissering in Lower Austria, and tumuli at Mars in Hungary. — 

 Theoretical researches on the displacements of the radiation- 

 points of dissolved meteor-streams, by Herr v. Riessl. — Appli- 

 cation of hyposulphate of soda to separation of copper from 

 cadmium, by Herr Vortmann. — Some experiments on an earth- 

 magnetic inductor, by Herr Stefan. 



Berlin 

 Geographical Society, December 4. — Dr. Nachtigal in the 

 chair. — It was stated inter alia, that Herr Flegel, who is busy in 

 the Niger region, had gone from Lukodja to the King of Nupe 

 or Nife, seeking letters of introduction to the nilers of the 

 Haussa States, so as to make a safe journey up the Niger, espe- 

 cially on the stretch between Tawa and Sai. He had a friendly 

 reception, and wrote in good hopes (October lo). From Sai he 

 means to go to Sokoto, the chief town of the Haussa States, and 

 there to get letters for the ruler of Adamaua. A large collection 

 of ethnological objects of the Niger region is looked for in 

 Berlin.— Rumours of the death of Herr Hildebrandt in Mada- 

 gascar prove false. A letter from him dated Krabe in Bessileo 

 (Central Madagascar), September 2, iSSo, states that he had 

 made a journey, rich in results, from the West Coast to the 

 Central Plateau ; but his health broke down, when he was two 

 hours' journey from the capital, to which however he was shortly 

 brought by Herr Cousins and tended for a time in the Norwegian 

 mission-house till able in July to visit the hot springs of Sirale 

 (for health). He discovered in the moor at Siralethe skeleton 

 of an extinct species of hippopotamus. — Dr. Kiepert gave 

 details of Mr. Doughty's expeditions in Central Arabia, which 

 have cleared up much of the physical geography of that region. 

 —Dr. Holub spoke on the Maruthameich in southern interior 

 Africa, north of the lower, and about the middle course of the 

 Zambesi. 



CONTENTS Page 



The Fogs of London '^5 



What IS Civilisation? '°° 



Austrian Mvriopods '^7 



Our Bookshelf:— . ,. , . . , • i 



Schmeltz and Krause s " Die Ethnographisch-Anthropologische 



Abtheilung des Museum Godeffroy in Hamburg. Ein Beitrag ziir 



Kunde der Siidsee-Volker " .■ • : '™ 



Roberts's " On the Digestive Ferments and on the Preparation and 



Use of Artificially-Digested Food " 1=9 



Mrs. Sturge's " Niger and the Benueh " 109 



Letteks to the Editor : — ^ „ r. ^ 



Smokeless London.— W. Mattieu Williams ; E. R. F. . . . 169 

 Climates of Vancouver Island and Bournemouth.— Alfred R. 



Wallace »^ 



Geological Climates.— William Ingram ......... 109 



The Appulse of Jupiter to a Fixed Star on Novemoer 20.— John 



Birmingham '7" 



British Earthquakes.— Prof. J. P. O'Reilly . 170 



A General Theorem in Kinematics.— George M. Minchin ... 170 



A Correction.— Prof. Franz Exner 170 



Jelly Fish.— F. C. Constable „* ;>, V.' ' ''" 



Mr. Plimsoll's Cure foe Colliery Explosions. By W. Gal- 

 loway ^70 



Col. Prshevalsky's Recent Journey '73 



Michel Chasles '74 



Thomas RvMER Jones, F.R.S '74 



Frank Bl'Ckland ,...•• '75 



New Guinea, II. By Alfred R. Wallace (/F/M ///M/ra^iVM) . '75 



Physiology of Plants. By Francis Darwin 178 



Notes ...11 



OuK Astronomical Column:— 



Swift's Comet „ 



A New Comet , • 'S^ 



Occultation (?) of 73 Piscmm by Jupiter '=3 



Meteorological Notes ^ 



Geological Notes: — « 



Naini Tal Landslip "♦ 



The Challenger Work .'7. "* 



Geological Survey of Belgium ". ' i 184 



CRmcirTEM''pER°ATu'RE'oF Ethylene." By Robert E. Baynes . 186 



University AND Educational Intelligence ' i '. 5«» 



Scientific Serials jg 



Societies and Academies 



