2 6o 



NATURE 



[7'^ 



iS8[ 



Plantes, and possilily the first ever seen of which the parentage 

 was ceriainly known, though an egg, also exhibited by Prof. 

 Newton, had been for many years in the collection of Mr. H. F. 

 Walter. — Dr. Albeit Gunther, F. fx.S., read an account of the 

 zoological collections made by Dr. R. W. Coppinger, K.N., 

 during the survey of W.W..S. Alert in the Straits of Magellan 

 and on the coast of Patagonia, and called attention to the most 

 remarkable species repre eiited in the various groups, which hud 

 been worked out by himself and his assistants in the Zoological 

 Department of the British Museum. Dr. Gunther also called 

 rttention to several interesting cases of the similarity of forms in 

 these collections to known forms of the Arctic regions and of the 

 Australian sea^. — A communication was reid from Prof. J. O. 

 Westwood, containing the descriptions of some new exotic 

 species of mo^hs of the genera Castnea and Saturnia. — A second 

 paper by Prof. Wesiwood contained observations on two Indian 

 butterfl'es — PapiUo castor ^xvA P. pollux. — Prof. W. H. Flower, 

 F.R.S., described the skull of a very large elephant ;eal 

 (Macrorhinus koninus), lately received in the Museum of the 

 College of Surgeons from the Falkland Inlands, and discussed 

 the questions of affinities and systematic po-ition of this aniaial 

 among the Pinnipeds. Prof. Flower arrived at the conclusion 

 from an examination of its dental, cranial, and limb character-, 

 and from some other points in its anatomy, that the elephant 

 seal is the member of the group the farthest removed from the 

 terrestrial carnivora and showing mo^t cetacean analogies. He 

 also considered that at present there is no evidei ce of the exist- 

 ence of more than one species of the genus. — Dr. A. Giinther 

 read some notes on the species of insectivorous mammals 

 belonging to the genus Khynchocyon and Pdrodromus, and 

 described two new species of the forn^er genu=, proposed to be 

 called R. maainns (from the Rovuma River), and K. chrysopygiis 

 (from the Mombasa River). 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, January 3. — M. Wurtz in the 

 chair. — M. Jamin was elected Vice President for lS8i, and 

 MM. Decaisiie and Edm. Becquerel were elected Members of 

 the Central Adudni^trative Committee. — M. Becquerel gave 

 inTormation as to the Academy's publications, and the changes 

 among members and correspondents. Two members have died 

 during the year, M. Chasles and General Morin ; and 'even 

 correspondents, MM. Borchardt, Peters, Lissajous, Favre, 

 Miller, Schimper, and Mulsant. — The following papers were 

 read : — On magnetic oxide of iron, by M. Berthelot. The heat 

 liberated in fixation of oxygen by iron decreases (for a given 

 quantity of oxygen) as we pass from the protoxide to the mag- 

 netic oxide, then to the peroxide. — Researches of M. Fourier on 

 the fall of the birometer in cyclones, by M. Faye. M. Foumier 

 gives a formula for the progress of the barometer, and shows its 

 validity by observations at the Island of Reunion. — Mr. Gould 

 was elected Correspondent in Astronomy, in room of the late 

 M. Peters. — On observations of the satellites of Jupiter at 

 Toulouse Observatory in 1S79, by M. Baillaud.— On a prnce s 

 of astronomical observation for the u e of voyagers, dispensing 

 with the measurement of angles for determination of latitude and 

 of sidereal time, by M. Rouget. This is by observing two stars that 

 have at a given moment the same altitude ; combining such ol serva- 

 tions in ]iairs, and noting the interval between the two phenomena, 

 &e. — Determination of the lines of curv.ature of all the surfaces 

 of the fourth class, correlatives of cyclides, which have the 

 circle of infinity for double line, by M. Darboux.— Measurement 

 of the electromotive force of batteries, by M. Bailie. He uses 

 a torsion balance having a long wire (2'7om.) of annealed silver, 

 and a lever with balls of gilt copper .at each end. Similar balls 

 are fixed at the angles of a rectangle, and diagonal pairs are in 

 communication with each other. The lever, placed at equal 

 distance from the fixed balls, is connected through the torsion 

 wire with the + pole of a battery, the other pole being to earth. 

 One pole of the pile to be measured is connected with the fixed 

 balls. The deflections are read by reflection of an illuminated 

 gla-s scale. The apparatus is enclosed in a metallic case con- 

 nected with the ground. A thick envelope of wood-shavings is 

 used to exclude disturbances from heat. — On the velocity of 

 light : reply to M. Cornu, by M. Gouy. — Study on spectropho- 

 tometers, by M. Crova. Two spectra from different sources may 

 be easily compared by covering half the slit of a photometric 

 spectroscope with a small rectangular prism, the edge of which 

 cuts the sbt normally into two equal parts ; one half receives one 

 of the lights directly, the other, by total reflection, the other 

 light placed laterally. Aberration can be corrected with a 



cylindrical lens. The elliptic polarisation from total reflection 

 maybe suppressed, by replacing a simple prism by two total reflec- 

 tion prisms superposed in contact. — On a method of re] reducing 

 speech in electric condensers, and particularly in the singing con- 

 den- er, by M. Danand. He connects one pole of a battery with 

 one end of the induced wire of the coil, the other pole with one 

 armature of the condenser, w hile the second armature is attached 

 to the other end of the induced wire. (In the circuit rf the 

 primary coil are a battery and carbon microphone). In this way 

 speech may be reproduced with perfect distinctness. The con- 

 denser giving the best effects was o*o6ni. in length of side ; it 

 contained thirly-.six sheets of tinfoil. For the auxiliary battery 

 two or three (Leclanchc) elements will give weak articulate 

 sounds. The intensity increases with increa-e of the number of 

 elements, but not proportionally. The current of the auxiliary 

 coil does not traverse the condenser. — M. du Moncel made some 

 remarks on the .subject. — On the vapr ur-density of i )dine, by 

 M.M. Crafts and Meier. They study the variation of the density 

 with the tension and with the temperature. The facts agree w ith 

 the hypothesis of progressive dissociation. — On the direct pre- 

 paration of c'llorised and bromised derivatives of the raethylic 

 series, and especially of chloroform and bromoform, by M. 

 Damoiteau. — On the functions of the small oblique muscle 

 of the eye in man, by M. Fano. — Facts for the study 

 of formation of fogs, by M. Andre. This relates to a 

 care in which a high barometer was observed to sink suddenly 

 (with rain), while a fog present disappeared ; with slow 

 rise of the barometer the fog reappeared, — New eruption 

 of Manua-Loa (Hawaiian Islands), by Mr. Green. This 

 was on November 9. — On the formation of a thin layer 

 of ice on the sea observed at Smyrna during the winter of 

 1879, by M. Carpentin. A slight breeze seems to have driven 

 the waters of the Guedyze against the quays of Smyrna, and 

 there formed a thin layer on the surface, which froze in a com- 

 plete calm on a clear night. — On a new use of electricity, by M. 

 Grandt. This i^, propelling vessels. A steam-engine drives 

 one or more electro-dynamic induction apparatuses ; the current 

 is sent through a voltameter; ihe gases are conducted to an 

 orifice in the keel, and exploded by an induction spark, with 

 proi ulsive effect. 



CONTENTS Pagb 



Barometric Cycles. By Prof. Balfour Stewart 237 



Life of Livingstone 23S 



Salvadori's Ornithology of New Guinea 240 



Obk Book Shelf :— 



Williamson's " Elementary Treatise on the Integral Calculus, con- 

 taining Applicatiiins to Plane Curves and Surfaces ; with 



Numerous Examples" 241 



" BotanischesCentralblatt" 241 



Henslow's " Botany for Children : an Illustrated Elementary Text- 

 Book for Junior Classes and Young Children " 241 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Geological Climates.— Prof. Saml. Haughton, F.R.S. ;Dr. A. 



WohlKoF; J. S. G 241 



Chalk.— J. S. G 243 



Average Height of Barometer in London.— E. Douglas Archi- 



Experiments with Vacuum^Tubes— J. T. BoTTOMLEY .... 243 

 Oxidation of Quinine, &c.— Dr. William Ramsay and James J. 



DoBBiE 243 



The Temperature of the Breath.— Dr. Wm. McLaurin : Dr. C. J. 



McNallv 244 



Distance of Clouds.— Edwin Clark 244 



Fluke in Calves —A. B 244 



John Stenhouse, LL.D., F.R.S 244 



Wilhelm Heintz 245 



Smoke Abatement 246 



The Indo-Chinrse and Oceanic Races— Types and Affinities, 



in. By A. H. Keane (»W: ///Ki/ra/WM) 247 



A Chapter in the History of the Conifer.^, II. By J. Stabkie 



Notes 252 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Winnecke's Comet 254 



Swift's Comet 255 



Minima of Algol 255 



Ceraski's Variable in Cepheus 255 



Elongation of Mimas 25s 



The Academy of Sciences, Palis 255 



GEOGRArHICAL NOTES • ' ' ' ^55 



Observations on Ants, Bees, and Wasps. By Sir John Lubbock, 



Bart.. F.R.S =55 



On the Thermic and Optic Behaviour of Gases under the 

 Influence or the Electric Discharge. By Dr. Arthur 



Schuster, F.R.S =58 



University and Educational Intelligence 259 



Scientific Serials ^59 



Societies and Academies 259 



