476 



NATURE 



{March 17, 1881 



the chair.— The literary history of Parnell's " Hermit," by 

 William E. A. Axon, M.RS.L. 



February 22, 1881.-E. W. Binney, F.R.S., president, in the 

 chair.— The president reminded the members present that 

 yesterday was the hundredth anniversary of the first meeting of 

 the Society.— Dr. Balfour Stewart, F.R. S., communicated a letter 

 from Mr. Herman Hager containing notes from Schultz' "Das 

 hofi-che l.eben " with regard to severe winters and famines from 

 noo to 1315.- Ozone and the rate of mortality at Southport 

 during the nine years, 1872-1880, by Joseph Baxendell, 



F.R.A.S. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, March 7.— M. Wurtz in the chair.— 

 The following papers were read :— On observations of contact 

 during the transit of Venus of December 8, 1874, by M. 

 Puiseux He is led to divide the nine French observers into two 

 groups '(..f six and three respectively), there being a marked 

 difference between them in the way of estimating the hour of a 

 contact. Hence the necessity of a sort of common education, 

 ensuring- that observers work in thesame way.— On the reciprocal 

 displace.ueuts of hydracids, by M. Bertlielot.— Spiral cl-Us of 

 very .^reat length, by M. Trecul. By macerating, in water, the 

 leaves of certain Criniim he found cells from 5 mm. to 13 '40 mm. 

 lon>r —Note on photography of the ashy light of the mi.on, by 

 M "jaiis-en He presented a photograph showing that part of 

 the mo n illuminated by li^ht from ihe earth. The exposure 

 was for 6q seconds. The moon was three days old. The general 

 figure ot the lunar continents can be made out. With photo- 

 graphy the interesting phenomena in the double reflection of 

 solar iiiiht, under varying circumstances, may be more exactly 

 studied— On the presence of trichina: in pork of American im- 

 portation, by M. Bouley. Infection of this pork with trichinae 

 has probat>ly long been a fact, though observed more lately. 

 Trichinois is little known in France, thanks to the culinary 

 habits of the people. M. Bouley was sent to Havre to 

 see if a sanitary service of inspection, sufficient for the public 

 hygiene, could be organi-ed. He recommends the initiating of a 

 number of children and young girls in micro-copical jirepara- 

 tioMS, for assistance of the meat-inspector to malvC his examination 

 with the necessary despatch. Should this plan succeed tlie (.rohi- 

 bitioi.of American pork will probably cea^e.-On the presence of 

 alc^.hol in the ground, in water, and in the atmosphere, by M. 

 Mu.tz He has developed the method depending on the change 

 of aic .hoi into iodoform, so that one-millionth of alcohol in 

 water ca,i be detected. Alcohol is found in all natural waters 

 except very pure spring water; also (and more of it) m snow. 

 Ram waier and Seine water contain about i gr. per cubic metre. 

 Alo .h .1 no doubt also exists as vapour in the an". In soils, 

 especially those rich in organic matters, there is a considerable 

 quantity. The destruction of organic matter by various agents 

 of termentation accounts for the wide diiiusion of alcohol in 

 nature.— Observation of solar spots, facula;, and protuberances 

 at the observatory of the Roman College during the last quarter 

 of l88o, by P. Tacchini. There was a progressive diminution 

 of frequency of spots. The maximum of faculsof September 

 extended into October. The minimum of extension and height 

 of protuberances fell in October, as well as the minimum of 

 size of spots. For spots and faculse the maximum frequence 

 W..S in the same zones as the previous quarter, viz., ± 10 

 ± 30°. For protuberances the two maxima are not symmetncal. 

 We ar(5 still far from the maximum of solar activity.- Observa- 

 tions of the moon and of Jupiter's satellites at Algiers Observa- 

 tory during the last quarter of 18S0, by M. Trep.ed. M. 

 Mouchez, in presenting these, the first, astronomical observations 

 from Algiers (where only a litde meteorology has been done hither- 

 to), said M.TripiedhadlatelygonefromMontsounstotakecharge, 

 and felicitated the Academy on having observations of the moon, 

 &c., in the Algerian climate.— On the algebraic integration of 

 ah equation similar to the equation of Euler, by M. 1 icard — 

 The formula of interpolation of M. Hermite expressed alge- 

 braically, by M. Schering.— On a general reason, justifying 

 synthetically the use of the various developments of arbitrary 

 functions employed in mathematical physics, by M. Boussine--q. 

 —On an integrator, by M. Abdank-Abakanowicz.--On circular 

 double refraction and the normal production of the three systems 

 of frillies of circular rays, by M. CrouUebois.— On the enlarge- 

 ment of hydrogen lines, by M. Fievez. He finds from ex eri- 

 meut (with Geissler tubes) that the enlargement is correlative 

 to ri-e of temperature. Thus the temperature of one heavenly 

 body is higher than another when its hydrogen hues are » ider 

 and more nebulous. This agrees with the ideas of Hnggins and 



Vogel. — On some phenomena of optics and vision, by M. Treve. 

 Both in vision and in photography it appears that light is propa- 

 gated with more intensity through a horizontal than through a 

 vertical slit. — On the solubility of chloiide of silver in hydro- 

 chloric acid in presence of water, or of little soluble metallic 

 chlorides, by MM. Ruyssen and Varenne. — On the heat liber- 

 ated in combustion of some substances of the saturated fatty 

 series, by M. Louguinine. — On the transformation of glucose 

 into dextrine, by MM. Musculus and Meyer.— On an active 

 amylamine, by M. Plimpton.— On active propylglycol, by M. 

 le Bel.— On the winter of 1879-80 in the Sahara, and on the 

 Saharan climate, by M. Rolland. The winter «as exceptional. 

 North-east and north winds prevailed. The mean tem^pera- 

 ture from January 17 to April 16, between 35° and 30' lat., 

 was only I4°'I ; the extremes — 4°7 in the night of January 

 17-18, and 3i°-l on April 13 in the day. Rain fell several times 

 in the Algerian Sahara, and abundantly in the end of January. 

 It comes generally at intervals of over ten years. The Saharan 

 climate seems to have degraded. The region had probably at 

 one time a larger population. — M. Melsens showed in a letter 

 the economy realised by his lightning-conductors.— M. Zenger 

 presented a photogi-aph of the sun taken at Prague during total 

 ecHpse, in a very clear sky. 



Vienna 



Imperial Academy of Sciences, March 10. — L. T. 

 Fitzinger in the chair.— Dr. P. Weselsky and Dr. R. Benedikt, 

 on the influence of nitrous acid on pyrogallic acid.--T. B. 

 Tanovsky, on a new azosulfobenzoic acid. — Doniinico Co- 

 glievina, on the Centigrade-photometer, a new optical insfru- 

 ment for determming the intensity of any source of light. — 

 Dr M. Buchner, analysis of the water froin the "Linden- 

 brunnen," at Zlatten, near Peniegg(Styria).— Dr. Max Margulies, 

 on the determination of the coefficients of friction and sliding by 

 the plane motions of a fluid.— Dr. T. Kreuz, on the development 

 of the lenticells in the shadowed branches of Ampelopsis 

 hederacca, Mels.— Dr. Hann, on the daily course of the 

 meteorological elements on the plateau of the Rocky Mountains. 



T B Heindl, on crystalline combinations of chloride of 



calcium with alcohols.— Dr. T. Herzig, on the' influence of 

 sulphuric acid on mono- di- and tribromo-benzol.— Alex Lustig, 

 on the determinations of nerves in the smooth muscles.— !•. 

 Toula, report on his geological researches in the western regions 

 of the Balkans. 



Imperial Institute of Geology, March i.-R. M. Paul, on 

 the occurrence of petroleum in Wallachia.-Dr. E. Tietze, on 

 some detritus-formations on the southern slope of the Persian 

 Albur Mountain.— Dr. V. Hilber, exhibition of geological maps 

 of Eastern Gallicia. 



CONTENTS Page 



Sir William Herschbl, II. By J. R. Hind, F.R.S 45 ^ 



A Polar Reconnaissance ■'^■ 



Our Book Shelf : — . . ,. , „, . ^_ r -.^ ^„" ,-f 



Kinch's ' • Contributions to the Agncullural Chemistry of Japan . J^t, 



Reynolds" " Experimental Chemistry tor Junior bmdents . . . 4s 



^^Taiom^trrand Sordylles.-Prof. Balkour SrEwART F.R S. . ..: 



Bi-CentenaryofCalderon.-MajorF. J. Ricarde-Seaver . . . 45, 



The Photophone.— Herbert ToMLiNSo.N ... . . • ■ ■ • ''- - 



Cave Animals and Multiple Centre, of Species.-D. Wetter ^^ 



Prehistoric Europe-— Dr. James Geiki^ F.R.S. 45j 



Measuring the Height of Clouds.— Dr. C. '^'<*;'?;.,^-'^. ' • ,„\ ' ^1; 

 OccultatilnofTsPi'^'^^-Col-H-CoLi.ETTCJfi/AZi/afrawO . 4.. 



Colours of British Buttera.es.-Rev. W. CLEMBNr Lev . - ■ 4 

 Lecture Representation of the Aurora Borealis.-WM AcKROVD . 4 _ 

 Squirrels Crossing Water. — T.V SlAdek "^ 



ONT^TpL-c-^'^CAr.-TV^TE^L.V.N'^O-rT^GRHkTELE^AT^ONS;^ 



ON^^^Jr-rp^rNT^v^fATiN^rT^HE'DrArcs o/-iAm;»4 ^^^ 



Matter." By S. Tolver Preston '.'.'.'.'. 464 



An^ ktr;caL"thekmometer Vor "determ'.nIng Temperatures 



It A dTstance. By HORACB T. Brown KWitk lUustrai.ens). ^ 4' 4 



The ReceIt Discovery of the Bodv of Rhinoceros Merck.i in ^^ 



Siberia '.'.'.'.'.■■ '■^ 



Notes .!.-•• 4t^"^ 



Chemical Notes _ , ^^c 



TH"0xrR°i>'uNl'-«R"TV COMMISS-IO^ERS Ino THE PROFESSORIATE 47- 

 S°S^°.roSo^™™RFSR CONTINUOUS MOTION-(ir,7>l^,-.fr;»0 . - 473 

 UnIVEKS.TY AND EDUCATIONAL INTELLIGENCE ,..••■ 473 



Scientific Serials "... - 474 



Societies and Academies 



