March lo, 1881] 



NA TURE 



449 



reflected impulse which returns from the open end of the pipe 

 according to BernouiUi's theory, and that these elementary im- 

 pulses, coming from different distances, may lie altoL;ether 

 equivalent to a single reflected impulse from a point at a little 

 distance from the end of the i)ipe. It is not a little interesting 

 that a confirmation of this little-known fact should have come 

 from so far off, and have been obtained by such simple experi- 

 mental means. W. H. Stone 

 14, Dean's Yard, S.W., January 8 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Annalen der Physik ttnd Chemk, No. 13, 1880. — On currents 

 of motion in polarised platina, by H. Helmholtz. — On the course 

 of polarisation currents, by A. Witkowski. — On the changes of 

 form and volume of dielectric bodies wrought by electricity, by 

 W. C. Kontgen. — On Lichtenberg figures and electric valves, 

 by W. von Bezold. — On the electromotive forces of some zinc- 

 copper elements, by Fr. Fuchs. — On the measurement of electric 

 conductivities, by G. KirchhofT. — Some experiments on induction 

 in conductors, by F. Himstedt. — -On the discharge of electricity 

 in rarefied gases, by E. Goldstein. — On the production of har- 

 monic tones through vibrations of a fundame: tal tone, by K. 

 Koenig. — Researches on the law of dispersion, by O. Hesse. — 

 On fluorescence, liy S. Lamansky. — On the law of heat-radia- 

 tion and the absolute emission-power of glass, by L. Graetz. — 

 On annealing of steel and measurement of its hardness, by V. 

 Strouhal and C, Barus. — On the height of the atmosphere 

 (continued), by A. Ritter. — Researches on the volume-constitu- 

 tion of liquid compounds, by H. Schriider. — On variations of 

 the sea-surface by reason of geological changes, \sy K. Ztippritz. 

 — On the theoi-y of Volta's fundamental experiment, by F. 

 Exner. — The theory of the galvanic element, by the same. — 

 Note on the quantities of heat carried away by currents of an 

 unequally heated liquid, by A. Oberbeck. — Note on Herr 

 Siemens' recent paper on electric conductivity of carbon and 

 temperature, by J. Borgmann. 



No. I, 1881. — New researches on Newton's rings, by L. 

 Sohncke and A. Wangerin. — On vapour-tension of homologous 

 esters, by O. Schumann. — On tlie elasticity and the electric 

 conductivity of carbon, by W. Beetz. — Thermal theory of the 

 galvanic current, by J. L. Hoorweg. — On electric light pheno- 

 mena in gases, by E. Goldstein. — On the phenomena of glow at 

 metallic electrodes within a hydrogen atmosphere of varying 

 pressure, by O. Lohse. — Note on Riecke's paper on the electric 

 elementary laws, by H. Lorberg. — Clausius' law and the motion 

 of the earth in space, by J. Frohlich. — On the application of the 

 proposition of the virial in the kinetic theory of gases, by H. A. 

 Lorentz. — On the influence of expansion of molecules on the 

 pressure of a gas, by D. J. Korteweg. — On the velocity of light 

 in various quartz surfaces, by W. Ilallock. — Reply to Herr 

 Doni, by E. Edlund. — On tones arising through intermittent 

 radiation on a gas, by W. C. Rontgen. — On phenomena of 

 diffraction before the border of a screen, by O. Tumlirz, 



'Yw's^yoitmal of Physiology, vol. iii. No. 2, January, contains: 

 Dr. S. H. Vines, on the proteid substances contained in the 

 seeds of plants. To this important paper is appended a classifi- 

 cation of aleurone grains ana a classified list of the plants whose 

 seeds were examined. — Dr. Sydney Ringer, the influence of 

 season and of temperature on the action and on the ant.igonisms 

 of drugs. — Dr. C. S. Roy, the elastic properties of the arterial 

 wall, with plates v.~vii. — Dr. J. Ott, on crossed hyper^esthesia, 

 and notes o 1 inhibition. 



Journal of the Royal Microscopical Socidy, ser. ii. vol. i. 

 part I, February, contains : Dr. C. T. Hudson, on (Ecisles 

 /anus and Hosctilaria trifolium, two new species of Rotifers 

 (plates I and 2), and the usual summary of current researches 

 relating to zoology and botany, microscopy, &c. — The minutes 

 of the proceedings of the Society are given at the end of the 

 part. 



Journal of the Franldin Institute, February. — On the revolu- 

 tion of a fluid ellipsoid with three unequal axes, by T. Craig. — 

 A newly-discovered property of the ellipse, and its application 

 to the "oval chuck," by F. M. Leavitt. — A simple-transmission- 

 dynamometer, by E. Thomson. — Methods for judging of the 

 wholesomeness of drinking-water, by R. Haines. — The basic 

 dephosphorising process, by J. Reece. — Riehia Brothers' im- 

 proved vertical testing machine, 50,000 pounds capacity. 



I-R-C American Naturalist, February, 1881.— L. F. Ward, 

 incomplete adaptation as illustrated by the history of sex in 

 plants. — .Sarah P. Monks, a partial biography of the green 

 lizard. —G. K. Morris, a new leaf -cutting ant. — S. V. Clevenger, 

 comparative neurology (continued). — Justin Spaukling, the bee's 

 tongue, and glands connected with it. — \Vm. E. Doyle, history 

 of the buffalo. 



Revue Inlernalionale des Sciences biologiijues, January 15, 1881. 

 — Prof. Hanstein, protoplasm considered as the basis of animal 

 and vegetalile life. — D. Debierre, an introduction to the earth's 

 history. — Ch. Let'iurneau, the ethics of egoism (Schopenhauer's 

 "Aphorisms on Moderation in Life "). — J. L. de I.anessan, 

 digestion in vegetables. 



The Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 

 vol. iv. part 4, Sydney, 1880. — John Brazier, synonomy of, and 

 remarks upon. Port Jackson, New Caledonian, and other .shells, 

 with their distribution ; list of land-shells found on Thursday 

 Island, w ith description of new species ; Port Jackson .and New 

 South Wales brachiopods ; moUusca recently dredged at Port 

 Jackson Heads; on the locahty of Oniscia ponderosa. — E. P. 

 Ramsay, on an undetermined species of Lalage ; contribution to 

 the zoology of New Guinea, part 6. — W. A. Haswell, supple 

 mentary note on Australian Leucosiida: ; on Australian Brachy- 

 ura Oxyrhyncha, plates 25, 27. — C. Jenkins, on the geology of 

 Yass Plains (3). — W. Macleay, on the Mugilidre of Austraha. — 

 C. S. Wilkinson, on the Abercrombie caves. 



Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, vol. xlix. part 2, No. 

 2, August 30, 1880, contains: — Alex.ander Pedler, on the p.ist 

 and present water supplies of Calcutta. — R. Lydekker, on the 

 zoological affinities of the bharal or blue shesp of Tibet. While 

 forming a very closely connecting link between the sheep and 

 the goat ; the author thinks it cannot be referred to either of 

 the genera Ovis or Capra, and that Hodgson's genus Pseudovis 

 should be retained for its reception. — J. Wood-Mason, on a new 

 butterfly {liebomoia Roepstorfii) from South Andaman, near H. 

 sulphurca, Wallace. 



Journal de Physique, February. — On radiophony, by E. 

 Mercadier. — Researches on the differences of potential of two 

 metals in contact ; results, by H. Pellat. — Dr. Cusco's lens with 

 variable focus, by C. M. Gariel. — On the correction of cooling 

 in calorimetry, by M. Berthelot. — Edelmann's universal support 

 for physical experiments, by A. Terquem. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 



Zoological Society, March i.— Prof. W. H. Flower, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — The Secretary exhibited the 

 cast integument of a large spider (My gale bistriata ?) which had 

 been shed in the Society's Gardens. — Mr. G. E. Dobson, 

 C.M.Z.S., read a paper on the anatomy of the family Erinaceidie, 

 commencing with that of the curious and rare form Gymnura 

 Rafflesii, with which the species of Erinaceiis were compared. 

 Gymnura was shown to be a peculiarly central form, the survivor 

 probably of a once widely-spread group. Altogether the 

 anatomy of thirteen species of Erinaceidas was treated of in this 

 paper. — A communication was read from Mr. F. Moore, F. Z. S., 

 containing the descriptions of some new genera and species of 

 Asiatic noctm*naI lepidoptera. The characters of 150 new species 

 were given, representing eighty-two genera, of which twenty-nine 

 were new to science. — A communication was read from Air. R. 

 Collett, C.M.Z.S., containing an account of the breeding habits 

 of the grey seal (Halichoerus grypus), as observed on the Fro 

 Islands, off Trondhjem's Fiord, in Norway. — Mr. R. Bowdler 

 Sharpie, F.Z. S., read a note on the fantail flycatcher of Western 

 Australia [Khipidura presssi), of which he had lately had for the 

 first time an opportunity of examining a specimen. 



Geological Society, February 23. — Robert Etheridge, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — WilUam Henry Goss was 

 elected a Fellow of the .Society. — The following couimunica- 

 tions were read : — A letter from Dr. John Kirk, communicated 

 to the Society by the Right Hon. Earl Granville, dated II. M. 

 Agency and Consulate General, Zanzibar, December 20, 18S0. 

 " It may be of interest to record the occm-rence here of an 

 earthquake shock felt in the island of Zanzibar at 6.58 a.m., 

 mean time, on the morning of the iSth inst. Although the 

 shock was very distinct no damage appears to have been done to 

 any buildings in town. It is now twenty-four ye.irs since a 

 similar shock has been here noticed ; but on the mainland, espe- 



