428 



NA TURE 



{_March 3, 1881 



during the year (making 6n in all), with a considerable increase 

 in the revenue and capital accounts of the Society. The attend- 

 ance at the meetings was also shown to have increased by nearly 

 50 percent. The President read his annual address, ii which 

 he dealt with the theory of evolution. A vote of thanks was 

 passed by the meeting on the occasion of his retirement from the 

 presidency, as also to the retiring treasurer, Mr. J. W. Stephen- 

 son. — Tlie following Council was elected for the ensuing year: — 

 President, Prof. P. Martin Duncan, F.R.S. ; Vice-pre-idents : 

 Prof. F, M. Balfour, F.R.S., W. B. Carpenter, C.B., F.R.S. , 

 John Millar, L.R.C.P. Edin., John Ware Stephenson ; Treasurer, 

 Lionel S. Beale, F.R. S. ; Secretaries: Charles Stewart, M.R.C.S., 

 Frank Crisp, I.L. B., B.A. ; Members of Council: Robert 

 Braithwaite, M.D., Charles James Fo.\, William H. Gilburt, 

 James Glaisher, F.K.S., A. de Souza Guirnaraens, William j. 

 Gray, M.D., John E. Ingpen, lohii Matthews, M.D., John 

 Mavall, jun., Albert D. Michael, Frederic H. Ward, M.R.C.S., 

 C. tharters White, M.R.C.S. 



Photographic Society, February 8. — J. Glaisher, F.R.S. > 

 president, in the chair. — A paper on sensitometers, was read 

 by Leon Waruerke. After alluding to those al'^eady existing, he 

 exhibited and explained one of his own, the "standard sen^i- 

 tometer." This consisted of a frame constructed to hold a thin 

 block made of phosphorescent calcium sulphide mixed with 

 paraffin, .and made luminous by burning one inch of magne- 

 sium ribbon in close proximity ; next i^ a glass, having upon it 

 a series of squares (with consecutive figures on them) increasing 

 in opacity ; then a photographic pla'e, or any other material 

 sensitive to light, is placed in front, and the phosphorescent 

 light is then permitted to pass through the glass containing 

 the squares ; and the highest number visible represents the 

 sensitiveness of the matter experimented upon ; the numbers 

 enabling relative values to be determined. 



Statistical Society, February 15. — Mr. Jas. Caird, C.B., 

 F.K.S., president, in the chair. — A paper was read on the number 

 of deaths from accident, negligence, violence, and misad- 

 venture in the United Kingdom and some other countries, by 

 Mr. Cornelius Walford, Barrister-at-La\\', wherein he reviewed 

 the numbers and causes of deaths of this class from the earliest 

 periods at which records existed in the United Kingdom, 

 bringing them down also to the latest date, and noting the cir- 

 cumstance- which had helped to increase them, as also those 

 which h:i<l a retarding influence. He was of opinion, supported 

 by the statistics adduceJ, that violent deaths of various kinds 

 had advanced with the progress of civilisation. New forces, as 

 also increasing mechanical productiveness, rendered the risk to 

 life and limb continually greater. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, February 14. — M. Wurt2 in the 

 chair. — The following papers were read : — Progress of the zoo- 

 logical station of Roscoff, by M. de Lacaze-fiuthicrs. Since 

 1872 there have been 1 14 workers of various nationalities at the 

 station, the numbers rising from three in 1S72 to twenty-seven 

 last year. Last August seventeen were accommodated at once. 

 A keeper now stays at the station constantly, and despatches live 

 animals to various laboratories in France. Zoologists can be 

 lodged in winter. The station has a good sea-going vessel, and 

 is about to acquire a diving-dress. (Particulars of the aquarium, 

 laboratory, &c., are given.) A new station is being formed at 

 Port Vendres, on the MediteiTanean. — Existence of large spiral 

 cells distributed in the parenchyma of certain Criniim, by M. 

 Trecul. — Theorems relative to the equation of Lame, by M. 

 Brioschi. — On periodic movements of the ground, by M. Planta- 

 mour. In the year ending .September 30, 1S80, a great lowering 

 took place on the east side, from October 4 to January 28, \nz, 

 95"'8o (as against 28""o8 the previous year). The mean tempe- 

 rature of December was unusually low, but the author thinks 

 some other cause must have operated also. The level placed in 

 the meridian showed nearly the same oscillation as the previous 

 year (4"'56). In winter the south side rises with rise of tempe- 

 rature ; in summer it falls. — On the earthquake in Switzerland 

 on Jan. 27, 1881, by M. Colladon.— Lithological and geological 

 examination of the meteorite that fell on Oct. 13, 1872, in the 

 neighbourhood of Soko Banja, in Servia, by M. M. Sunier. — 

 On Fuchsian functions, by M. Poincare. — On the laws which 

 rule periods and coefficients of intensity in one of the principal 

 groups of elementary electromotive forces due to solar induction, 

 and on the possibility of using the magnetic needle to measure 

 the velocity of rotation of the sun about its axis, by M. Quet. — 



On the relations which exist between the temperature, pressure, 

 and circulation of the air on the Iberian peninsula, by M. 

 Teisserenc de Bort. In winter the peninsula is colder than the 

 seas around ; it shows a barometric maximum, the air flowing 

 outwards to the coasts. In summer the isotherms group round 

 a maximum in the middle of Spain, where, on the other hand, 

 ihe pressure shows a minimum, and the winds tend inwards. In 

 intermediate seas rns the isotherms are nearly perpendicular to 

 the meridians ; the isobars are grouped uniformly round gi'eat 

 centres of atmospheric action, the most important being the 

 oceanic barometric maximum. Spain is somewhat like monsoon 

 countries. (T)ie author also studies the action of the peninfula 

 as revealed in daily phenomena). — On m'boundou (test-poison 

 of the Gaboonese), new physiological, chemical, hist chemical, 

 and toxicological researches, by MM. Heckel and Schlagden- 

 hauffen. It contains only one alkaloid, strychnine. The 

 division of Strychnos into leinitiiiiig and paralysing is un- 

 warranted. The effect depends on the dose employed. — 

 On the treatment of phylloxerised vines by insufflation of 

 vapours of sulphide of carbon, by M. Bourdon. He sends 

 the vapours through a permanent drainage-sy-tem. — The Secre- 

 tary made reference to the death of M. Kuhlmann. — Researches 

 on the specific magnetism of ozone, by M. Eecquerel. Ozone is 

 found to be more magnetic than oxygen, and the ratio of the 

 one specific magnetism to the other is considerably greater than 

 the supposed ratio of the densities. Thus the specific mag- 

 netism of ozone is greater than that corresponding to the quan- 

 tity of oxygen contained in it. — On the electric phenomena of 

 tourmaline and of hemihedral crystals with inclined faces, by 

 MM. Jacques and Curie. — On the combination of hydrochloric 

 acid with bichloride of mercury, by M. Ditte. These substances 

 may unite in several proportions. — Violet illumination of the 

 retina under the influence of luminous oscillations, by M. Char- 

 pentier. If the sky, uniformly illuminated by diffused white 

 light, be looked at steadily, and two fingers (separate about 

 0'02 m. ) passed to and fro rapidly before the eye for about half 

 a minute, one perceives a mosaic system of hexag ins of violet 

 purple colour separated by W'hite lines. The author supposes 

 the hexagons to represent the cones in the fovea and yellow- 

 spot, and the white lines filaments from the choroidian cells. — 

 Determination of fundamental colour sensations by study of the 

 distribution of complementary colours in the chromatic circle 

 (continued), by M. Rosenstiehl. — On a glucoside extracted from 

 common ivy, by M. Vernet. — On cultivation of the microbe of 

 rot, by M. Toussaint. This succeeds best in rabbit and 

 mutton bouillon. The microbe appears in two states, that 

 of bacteria and that of spores. — Structure and texture of the 

 ink-bag of Sepia, by M. Girod. — Artificial reproduction of 

 basalts, by MM. Fouque and Levy. They followed the igneous 

 method. The peridote was crystallised at a higher temperature 

 than the other minerals. The black earth used consisted of six 

 of olivine, two of augite, and six of labrador. — Map of the 

 central part of the Spanish Pyrenees, by M. Schroder. 



CONTENTS Pair 



Natural Conditions and Animal Lifk. By Prof. E. Ray 



Lankester, F.R.S 4oS 



Letteks to the Editor : — 



Movements of Plants.— Charles Darwin, F.R.S 409 



Barometric and Solar Cycles.— S. A. Hill 409 



The Continents always ContinenK.— Prof. James D. Dana . . 410 

 The Aurora of January 31 ; Position of Auroral Rays.— T. W. 



Backhouse 4to 



Auroric Light.— G. H. Kinahan 410 



The Recent Severe Weather.— M. R. I. A 4" 



Migration of the Wagtail.— Dr. John Rae, F.R.S 411 



Phosphorescence of the Sea.— Thos. B. Groves 4" 



Minerva Ornaments.— W. J. Knowles 411 



Selenium.-W. M. C 412 



A Chapter in the History of the Coniferje. By J. Starkie 



Gardner (Witli Illustrations) 4iz 



Geometrical Teaching • • • • • 4'4 



Illustrations of New or Rare Animals in the Zoological 



Society's Living Collection, II. (iJ'iW //^'"''•'''""«) • • • • 4i5 

 Notes on the Geology of the Corean Archipelago. By Surgeon 



H. B. GUPPY 417 



Notes 4i» 



Geographical Notes „" ,'„ ' ' ' '''° 



On the Viscosity of Gases at High Exhaustions. By William 



Crookes, F.R.S 4SI 



Seeing by Electricity 4^3 



Earth Currents— Electric Tides 4^4 



University and Educational Intelligence 4=4 



Scientific Serials 4»5 



Societies and Academies 4^5 



