3o8 



NA TURE 



\yan. 27, 1 88 1 



and Mr. Hall, F.R.G.S., who had examined the evidences on 

 the spot, and by the Rev. I. M. Mello, F.G.S., Mr. T. K- 

 Callard, F.G.S., and Mr. E. Charlenvorth, F.G.S.— About 

 twenty new Members were elected, bringing the total number to 

 nearly 900. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, January 18. — Mr. James 

 Abernethy, F.R.S.E., president, in the chair. — The paper read 

 wa-s on deep winning of coal in t-outh Wales, by Messrs. 

 Thomas Forster Brown and George Frederick Adani=, MM. 

 Inst. C.E. The author.;, who were professionally as ociated 

 with Harris's Navigation Pits, the deepe.-t winning in the 

 district, deicrihed the operations as a fair example of the 

 details connected with winning deep coals in t^outh Wales. 

 The depth of the lowest seam at pre-ei t sunk to was 760 yatds ; 

 the pits were each seventeen feet in diameter inside the w.illing. 

 In addition to the depth a special feature was the thitkne-s of 

 hard and heavily-watered rock penetrated. Guide rope-;, upon 

 the Galloway principle, were used in sink ing, and the value of this 

 system was shown in the saving of over two minutes in ste 'dying 

 the bowk at the bottom of the pit at depths of 475 and 530 yards, 

 the total time occupied in clearance at the latter depth bein:; three 

 minutes twenty-six seconds. The method of dealing with the 

 various feeders of water during sinking was described : one of 

 the pits was drained by a hole bored by the diamond machine, 

 which was put down, at a depth of 175 yards from the surface, 

 for a farther depth of 860 feet. 



VlENN.\ 

 Imperial Academy of Sciences, January 13. — Dr. Fitzinger 

 in the chair. — On the lacunar resorption in diseased bone-, by 

 Dr. Ponimer. — On the physiological significance of the transpira- 

 tion of plant', by Herr Rsinitzer. — On the infliience of prussic 

 acid on breathing and circulation, by Dr. Lazar-^ki. — On the 

 relations of homogeneous deformations of solid bodie- t" sur- 

 faces of reaction, by Dr. Finger. — Contributions to the photo- 

 chemistry of silver chloride, by Dr. Eder and Herr Pizziglielli. 

 — On a new derivative of gallic acid, by Dr. Oser and Herr 

 Kalmann. — Influence of form of cathode on the distributitn of 

 phosphorescence-light (sealed packet of November 17, iSSo), by 

 Herr Goldstein. — On a tetra-hydrocinchonin acid, hy Dr. 

 Weidel. — Determination of magnetic and diamagnetic contants 

 of liquids and gases in absolute measure, by Herr Schuhmeister. 

 January 20. — Herr von Burg in the chair. — Studies on caffein 

 and theobromin (first part), by Prof. Maly and Herr Hinteregger. 

 — Researches on tlie anatomy, physiology, and developuient of 

 Sternaspis, by Dr. Vejdovsky. — The flight of Libellula ; contri- 

 bution to the anatomy and physiology of organs of flight in 

 insects, by Herr 1 endenfeld. — Research on kynurenic acid (first 

 part), by Dr. Kretschy. — Action of hydrate cupric oxide on some 

 kinds of sugar, by Prof. Habermann and Herr Honig. 

 Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, January 17. — M. Wurtz in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read : — Contemporaneous 

 production of native sulphur in the subsoil of Paris, by M. 

 Dauhree. This sulphur occurs abundantly in the ground of the 

 Place de la Republique, from o'2m. to 3m. from the surface, 

 and in a space 50m. by 15 to 2ora. ; one finds a breccia with 

 thin incrusted fragments of crystalline sulphur. The product is 

 due to simultaneous pre-ence of the sulphate of lime cf plaster- 

 rubbish, and organic debris, with which the ancient moat of the 

 centi-e of the city w^as filled up two centuries ago. — Order of 

 appearance of the first vessels in the ear of Lolium (second )iart), 

 by M. Trecul. — On the treatment of phylloxerised vines, by AI. 

 Mares. He finds very successful an application of dilute sulpho- 

 carbonate of potassium to the lower parts of the vines twice a 

 year. — Discoveries in equatorial Africa; meeting of Mi\J. de 

 Brazza and Stanley ; by MM. de Lesseps and de Quatrefages. 

 M. de Brazza speaks of having descended the Congo and founded 

 the station of Ntamo Ncouna, tv/elve marches from Ogouue ; it 

 is the most advanced post in the heart of Africa, and "ill be an 

 important centre for exploration, &c. He had met Stanley on 

 November 7 near Vivi. Capt. Bloyet has established a station 

 near Lake Touquerko. — Observations of the comet /' iSSo 

 (Pechule) at Paris Observatory, by M. Bigourdan. — On the 

 displacement of an invariable figure, by M. Darboux. — Integra- 

 tion in finite form of a new species of differential linear equa- 

 tions with variable coefficients, by M. Andre. — On the theury of 

 vibrating plates, by M, Mathieu. — On complete combinations ; 

 mimber of complete combinations of m letters n to «, by M. 

 Melon. — Remarks on an opinion attributed to me by a note of 

 M. Cornu, by M. Gouy. — Minimum of the power of resolution 



of a prism, by M. ThoUon. — On the production of intermittent 

 luminous signals with the electric light, hy M. Mercadier. One 

 carbon is horizontal, and advances a little at each signal. The 

 other is vertical, and is held in a peculiar clip at one end of a 

 horizontal lever, to the other end of which is fixed a vertical rod 

 with terminal friction roller v\orking on a cam. The vertical 

 carbon is connected with the battery by a wire spring, and it is 

 dropped a little by the clip at certain positions of the cam. The 

 cam may be turned by clockwork for regular signals, or with 

 the hand, at a variable rate, for irregular. — Observations apropos 

 of M. Dunand's recent paper on reproducing speech with elfctric 

 condensers, by M. Herz. He patented the use of a con(!en^er 

 as telephonic receiver on M. Dunand's principle in June last 

 year. — Some facts to serve in the history of nitrification, by 

 MM. Hautefeuille and Chappuis. Electric effluves, intense 

 enough to quickly give much ozone in a mixture of oxygen and 

 nitrogen, but not to form hyponitric acid, produce the new un- 

 staMe pernitnc acid. Using Ioi<er tensions, the formation of 

 this acid is found to go side hy side with that of ozone. Per- 

 nitric scid is decomposed at all temperatures, but at 130° the 

 decomposition is complete in a few seconds (into hyponitric acid 

 and o.xygen). Numerous experiments seem to prove that in 

 simultaneous production of ozone and pernitric acid by the 

 effluve the gases have not been raised to a temperature near 

 that named; where hyponitric acid is formed, that temi eraturehas 

 been passed. A consequence of the facts is that effluves corre- 

 sponding to weak tensions may furnish nitric acid, ultimate 

 product of decomposition of pernitric acid. — On the con>erva- 

 tion of grain in reservoirs (ciintinued), by M. Miintz. Oats 

 kept in a ventilated granary thirty months had lost 7*2 1 er 

 cent, more of fixed matter (chiefly starch) than oars kept the 

 same time in a metallic reservoir (of 220 cubic m. capacity), 

 having its lower ] art in a subsoil. In the sereservo1r^ there is 

 a distillatiim towards the upper part. To get all the advantage of 

 closed reservoirs there should be a comparatively dry grain, a 

 perfect closure, and a maintenance of the walls at pretty constant 

 temperature. — Study of the peat of crystalline strata of Finis- 

 terre, by M. de Molon. — On the parts of the pancreas capable 

 of acting as ferments, by M. Bechamp. All the known 

 properties of the pancreas are concentrated in the microzymas. — 

 Anatomical researches on the digestive , nervous, and repro- 

 ductive apparatus of Onchidia, by M. Joyeux Lafftne. — Hyper- 

 trophy and multiplication of nuclei m hy|iertrophied cells of 

 plants, by M. Prillieux. — On the pre due ion oi verglns, by M. 

 Minary. He thinks the theory needs correction. Instead of 

 regarding water in a state of surfusion as composed only of 

 liquid, he supposes it foi-med of a mixtureof liquid and of solid 

 molecules (of ice) held apart by some unknown cause. For the 

 congelation to be complete when hurfusion ceases, the ice of the 

 mixture merely requires (in order to ri-e to 0°) a quantity of 

 heat equal to the latent heat still conserved by the quantity of 

 water in surfusion. 



CONTENTS Page 



Unconscious Memory. By George J. Romanes, F.R.S 285 



Newton's British Birls 287 



Omr Book Shelf:— 



*' Jahrbiicher fiir wissenschaftliche Botanik " 288 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Unconscicus Memory. — Dr. Ernst Krause 288 



H.jt Ice.— Prof. John Pekev =88 



Mr. Bottomley's Experiments with Vacuum Tubes and the Aurfra. 



—Prof. SiLVANUs P. Thompson 289 



The Geological Age of the North Highlands of Scotland.— Prof. 



Edwakd Hull, F.R.S 2« 



Geological CHmates.— Prof. Samuel Haughton, F R.S. ; Joseph 



John Murphy 2gc 



Prof. Whitney on the Glaciation of British Columbia.— Geokge 



M. Dawson 290 



Lophiomys Imhausi.— Prof. Henry Hillver Giglioli .... 291 



Parhelion.- J. Hand Capron 251 



Girton and Newnham Colleges.— Florence Evfs 291 



Minerva Ornaments at Troy v. Net- Sinkers.— Prof. E. W. 



Claypolk 292 



The Provost OF Trinity College. Dublin 292 



Geologising AT Sheppey. By J. Stakkie Gardner . ..... 293 



Thh Conservatoire DES Arts KT MiTiERS (W/M ///i«/raii««i) . 294 



Notes =96 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Brorsen's Comet in 1842 '96 



Herschel's First Observation of Uranus 299 



Geogkaihical Notes 299 



Deep-Sea Exploration. By J. Gwyn Jeffreys, LL.D., F.R.S. . 300 

 The Relation between Electricity and Light. By Dr. O. J. 



Lodge 302 



Endowment OF Research in Birmingham 304 



Scientific Serials 3°^ | 



D Academies 3^ 



