3i6 



NATURE 



{Feb. 3, 1 88 1 



greatly to the difficulties already spoken of. Even when 

 an animal of one form is grax-ely suspected to be merely 

 the immature stage or corresponding sex of another form 

 it is most difficult to prove it, and it frequently requires a 

 whole series of researches conducted by practised biolo- 

 gists with logical exactitude to show that such is really 

 the case. 



Under these circumstances, even with the now rich 

 collections and well-stored library of the Zoological Sta- 

 tion, it was a serious question how the proposed " History 

 of the Life of the Bay of Naples" could be best ac- 

 compUshed. Dr. Dohrn has wisely adopted the project 

 of attacking the fortress by a number of small approaches. 

 By dividing the labour into'a large series of restricted mono- 

 graphs he hopes finally to accomplish a complete account 

 of the fauna and flora of the Bay of Naples. In the 

 first place, under this system each of his assistants can 

 thus take up the group he is most-familiar with, and work 

 it out. Then in this way he is likewise able to secure the 

 contributions of various naturalists who pay temporary 

 visits to the Zoological Station, but who would not bind 

 themselves to join in an extensive general work on the 

 whole subject. 



It will be seen by reference to our advertising 

 columns that Dr. Dohrn" s scheme thus elaborated is now 

 on the eve of execution. Two of the proposed mono- 

 graphic memoirs on the Ctenophurce by Dr. Cheen of 

 Leipsic, and on the Fishes of the genus Fierasfir, by 

 Prof Emery of Cagliari, are already issued, and three 

 other memoirs are annotmced as being in preparation for 

 the present year. Dr. Dohrn is quite cosmopolitan in 

 his arrangements. Though, as might have been expected, 

 the greater number of his fellow-workers are natives of 

 the Fatherland, he has many Italian co-operators, and 

 the monographs may be written in German, Italian, 

 English, or French. It is with some regret we observe 

 that no English naturalist is yet on the list of contri- 

 butors, although, as is well known, many of our country- 

 men have done good work on Dr. Dohrn' s "tables." 

 We trust that English recruits may still be enlisted in so 

 good a cause, and that the " Fauna and Flora of the Bay 

 of Naples " may attain to a goodly list of subscribers, and 

 be brought to a satisfactorv conclusion. 



over nearly every department of inorganic chemistry, and 

 touching on the tinctorial branches of organic chemistry, 

 are characterised by a broad range of knowledge, a happy 

 application of fact and theory, and a marked reverence 

 for the demands of pure chemistry, while contributing so 

 notably to the advancement of applied science. 



First among his great researches mention should be 

 made of that on baryta compounds, made over twenty 

 years since, and by means of which he created the entire 

 industry of this important group of salts. Another investi- 

 gation, scarcely less valuable, was that made a few years 

 previously, which led to the introduction of the process of 

 saturation in the manufacture of sugar. Equally prolific 

 of practical results were his extensive studies on the crys- 

 tallisation of insoluble bodies, on the chemistry of mortars 

 and cements, of manures, of bleaching, of dyeing and 

 printing, and of numerous other branches. Especially 

 interesting were his researches (1847) °'^ t^s formation of 

 nitric acid from ammonia, and on the relation of this 

 reaction to the fertility of the soil. Among his more 

 purely scientific investigations mention should be made 

 of those on the formation of ethers, on the formation of 

 cyanides and of prussic acid, on nitrous oxide, on the use 

 of oxide of iron as an oxidising agent for organic com- 

 pounds, on the action of gases on minetals, on the use of 

 gaseous hydrofluoric acid for the analysis of silicates, and 

 on a variety of minerals. The subject of crystallisation 

 was throughout his career of investigation one of Kuhl- 

 mann's favourites, and we are indebted to him for the 

 artificial reproduction of a variety of natural minerals, 

 the most novel of which are the pseudomorphic forms of 

 protoxide of manganese, of the sulphides of copper and 

 lead, and of these metals themselves. 



In 1S79 Kuhlmann gathered together his numerous 

 researches, extending over a period of forty years, into 

 a volume of 750 pages, in which we have a remarkable 

 picture of his many-sided and untiring activity. 



The deceased leaves behind him a son who has already 

 obtained a name as a chemist, and who made an able 

 report to the French Government on the Chemical Section 

 of the Philadelphia Exhibition. T. H. N. 



CHARLES FREDERIC KUHLMANN 

 \ ,\ / E regi-et to record the death, at Lille, during the past 

 » ♦ week, of Charles F. Kuhlmann, the distinguished 

 French chemist and economist. Born at Colmar, Alay 

 22, 1803, he pursued his scientific studies under VaugueUn 

 at Strassburg, and later at Paris. In 1832 lie was 

 appointed Professor of Applied Chemistry at Lille. Soon 

 after he devoted himself almost exclusively to the practical 

 solution of the problems of manufacturing chemistry, 

 and established at Lille extensive works, which rank to- 

 day among the important chemical manufactories of the 

 world. During the past forty years he has been a pro- 

 minent figure in the industrial, scientific, and even 

 political circles of France, attracting general admiration 

 by a remarkable combination of inventive power and 

 executive abilit)-. The Government named him Com- 

 mander of the Ldgion d'Honneur, and the French 

 Academy of Sciences elected him a corresponding 

 member,' in recognition of his important services, while 

 he was frequently called upon to occupy prominent posts 

 of responsibility in public life and commercial under- 

 takings. His failing health during the past year forced 

 him to decline one of the leading honours in the scientific 

 world of France, the presidency of the Soci^td Francaise 

 pour lAvancement des Sciences. 



.As an investigator Kuhlmann was a prominent member 

 of that group of .Alsatian chemists which includes Wurtz, 

 Friedel, and Schiitzenberger, and forms the chief school 

 of modern French chemistry. His researches, extending 



O^ 



THE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES OF DUBLIN 

 F the scientific societies of Dublin two take special 

 rank as publishing societies; but from inquiries 

 made of us we conclude that their publications are not 

 everywhere known. 



The Royal Irish Academy issues both Transactions of 

 a quarto size and Proceedings in octavo. Of its series of 

 Transactions 26 volumes have been published. Of these 

 vols. I to 23 contained memoirs chiefly on Science, but 

 occasionally on Polite Literature and .Antiquities. Vol. 

 24 was divided into t'.o sections— the first. Science ; the 

 second. Polite Literature and Antiquities. Vols. 25 and 

 26 were exclusively Science. Vol. 27, in course of publi- 

 cation, is devoted to Polite Literature and Antiquities ; 

 and vol. 28, which also is in course of publication, is de- 

 voted to Science. These quarto volumes contain from 

 600 to 700 pages each, with numerous plates and other 

 illustrations. To give some idea of their contents we add 

 the following analysis of vol. 26. It contains papers on 

 Astronomical Subjects by Dr. Doberck (2), J. Birming- 

 ham, J. L. E. Dreyer, and C. E. Burton ; on Meteoro- 

 loo-ical Subjects, by Dr. H. Lloyd ; on Geological Subjects, 

 by Rev. Dr. S. Haughton, Dr. E. Hull, Dr. A. Leith 

 Adams, and Prof. O'Reilly (2) ; on Mathematical Sub- 

 jects, by J. C. Malet (3), Dr. A. S. Hart, Dr. J. Casey ; 

 on Biological Subjects, by Dr. R. J. Harvey, Dr. E. P. 

 Writ'ht (4), and W. H. Mackintosh ; on Chemical Sub- 

 jects° by H. N. Draper and R. J. Moss. The memoirs 

 which form the volumes of Transactions are published 

 shortly after thev are read, and without waiting to form a 

 part of a volume. The Proceedings, like the Transac- 



