374 



NA TURE 



\Mar. 12, 1874 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS 



Ocean Hi^tnuays, March. — The following are the original 

 articles in this number : — " Dr. Livingstone and the Cameron 

 Relief Expedition;" "Francis Gamier — In Memoriam," a 

 hiqhly and deservedly eulogistic memoir (by Colonel Vule, C.B. ) 

 of this brave and high-minded soldier and explorer, whose un- 

 timely death we recently noticed; " Bhawalpur ;" "An Ac- 

 count of the Early Jesuit Missions in the La Plata," by A. A. 

 Geary ; and " The British India Steam Navigation Company." 



The Geological Magazine, March. — The following are the 

 original articles in this number: — "The Lein.ster Coal-field," 

 by J. M'C. Meadows (with a page map) ; "On a new Species 

 of Dithyrocaris from the Carboniferous Limestone, &c.," by 

 Henry Woo'^ward, F R. S., and Robert Etheridge, jun. (with a 

 plate); "Glacialoid or Rearranged Glacial Drift," by G. H. 

 Kinahan ; "On .some new Devonian Fossils," by Prof. H. 

 Alleyne Nicholson (with a woodcut and plate); " Reply to Mr. 

 Poulett-Scrope," by Robert Mallet, F.R.S. 



Quarterly Journal of Hie Meteorological Society, January. — 

 This number contains the following pipers : — " Notes on Meteo- 

 rology of Vancouver Island," bv R. H. Scott, F.R.S. ; "The 

 Thunderstorm at Brighton on October 8, 1873, audits effects," 

 by F. E. Sawyer ; "Some of the Considerations suegested by the 

 Depressions which pa.ssed over the British Islands during Sep- 

 tember 1S73," by F. Caster ; " On an improied form of Aneroid 

 for determining Heights, with a means of adjusting the Altitude 

 Scale for various Teniperatures."by Rogers Field; "On the Hurri- 

 cane of August 1S73. which moved in a curved track round Ber- 

 muda between the 20th and 23rd, and passed on to Nova Siotia 

 and Cape Breton on the 24tti, doing extreme damage both at sea 

 and on land," by Capt. H To\nbee(withp plate);" On a Mercu- 

 rial Barometer for the use of Travellers, filled 1 y the spiral cord 

 method," by Staff-Commander C. Geort;e, R.N. ; also an account 

 of the discussion on the best form of Thermometer Stand, which 

 took place at the meeting of November 19, 1873. 



Archives des Sciences Physiques et A'a:urelles, }3.n. 15, 1874. — 

 The pi-incipa! article in this number is an exhaustive study, by 

 Prof Forel, of \\\e seiches, or peculiar, tidal phenomena, which 

 have long been observed on the lake of Geneva. The subject is 

 treated in five sections, as follows : the seiches at Geneva and at 

 Morges compared ; oscillatory movement in the harbour at 

 Morges, analoi;ous to seiches ; the movemen* of oscillation of 

 seiches ; experimental study (with special apparatus) of the laws 

 of oscillation of lilnation ; and lastly, comparisons and conclu- 

 sions. Prof. Forel adheres to the theory generally accepted in 

 explanation of the phenomenon, viz., that it is due to variations 

 of atmospheric pressure ; the pressure diminishing at one part 

 and increasing at another, the surface of the water rises in the 

 former case and sinks in the latter. Thus a swinging undulation 

 is produced. Some 1 f the larger seiches are attributed to earth- 

 quakes. The amplitude differs in different seiches; and in the 

 same seiche it varies from one point ol the lake to another. The 

 duration of different seiches also varies in the same locality ; 

 and the duration of seiches is longer at Geneva than at iVIorges. 

 These and other effects the author seeks to explain, harmonising 

 them with physical phenomena studied in his apparatus. — In a 

 note on the surface of waves, by M. Charles Cellerier, it is sought 

 to shiAv that there is no real disagreement between the laws of 

 double refraction, as furnished by observation, and the theory 

 based on molecular movements. It is probable, he thinks, that 

 the ordinary ray, whether in uniaxial crystals, or in principal 

 sections of crystals with two axes, has not quite the direction 

 generally assigned to it ; though the deviation, without dis- 

 agreeing with theory, may be so small as to escape observation. 

 — In the department of zoology, we may notice a review of 

 recent researches by Haeckel, Biitschli, and others, on Infusoria. 

 Memorie dclla Soc. ilegli Spectroscopisti Italiani, September, 

 1873. — Prof. Tacchini contributes a paper on his observaions on 

 the magnesium lines and 1,474 line seen bright on the sun's limb, 

 from which it appears that the 1,474 line is always visible in a 

 magnesium region ; and further, that it frequently appears by 

 itself where no ni.ignesium is seen. Two lieautilully-executed 

 chromolithogra) hs of the chr imosphere on the 15th and i6th of 

 July last accompany the paper, showing the relative intensities of 

 the magnesium and 1,474 hues, together with their positions. 

 The intensity of the magnesium lines seems the greater of the 

 two, though not coveting so extensive a region. — Father Secchi 

 gives a note on the spectrum of iron, and other metals, obtained 



by volatilisation with fifty Bunsen's cells. He appears to find 

 that the 1,474 I'i>s is not due to iron, and that different kinds of 

 iron give slightly different spectra. He also givts a drawng of 

 the carbon spectrum from the e lectric light, which af pears 

 similar to that of cyanogen, with the addition of five equidistant 

 bands in the yellow and red. — The tables of Mr. E. Loomis, 

 containing the maximum years of sun-spots, the maximum years 

 of magnetic declination, and the maximum years of auroral 

 display from 1778 to 1870, are given , from which, at a glance, it 

 is seen that the maxima of all three occur in the same years with 

 very small exceptions, and the years o f minima conespond even 

 better. 



Justus Liel'ig's Annalen dcr Chemie 11. Pharmacic, Band 

 170, Heft 3. This number contains the following papers: — 

 " Communications from the Chemical Laboratory of the Poly- 

 technic School at Delft : iv. Researches upon Podocarpic Acid," 

 by A. C. Oudemans, jun. This acid is obtained from the resin 

 of Podocarpus cupressina var. imbricata Blume. ; a tree growing 



i OH 



in Java. The formula assigned to the acid is C|(H„ \ r-y, 



i t:sHi5 

 = Ci7H.j„03. Some of the salts are described, and .also the mono- 

 and di-nitro subsiiiution products. A sulpho-acid, amidated, 

 ai d brominated derivatives have Ijeen obtained, likewise an 

 acetyl derivative. The author has studied exhaustively the de- 

 composition products of the new acid, and these have led him to 

 the constitutional formula above given —Upon Cymene, by F. 

 Heilstein u. A. Kupffer. The authors have examined cymenes 

 from cumin-oil and from camphor, and find them to he identical. 

 The same authors contribute a paper on oil of wormwood. 

 This oil yields by distillation a terpene, absinthol (C]„H,50), 

 and a deep blue oil. — " Crystalh 'graphic researches on the 

 calcium salts of cyinene-hyphersulphunic acid," byM. Jerofejew. 

 — "Cumic acid," by F. Berlstein u. A. KupiTer. The authors 

 obtain the potassium salt ol this acid by acting on cumin-oil 

 with fused potash. — A lengthy paper on the salts of ethylalde- 

 hyde-stdphurous acid and the action of the sodium-sulphites 

 upon ethylidene chloride, by Hans Eunte. — On the formula of 

 silicates, by Prof. V. Wartha. — The concluding paper is by 

 Otto Sigel, on the constituents ol arnica water and of the 

 essential oil of arntca. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 London 

 Linnean Society, March 5. — Special General Meeting, G. Busk 

 F.K.S., vice-presidciit, in the chair. After the c'mirman had, in a 

 short conciliatory address, stated the reasons whicli ; .id induced the 

 Councd to summon the present meeting, he called on Mr. W. 

 Canuthers, FR.S., who moved "That a Committee be ap- 

 pointed to consider the Bje-laws and to suggest to the Council 

 such alterations, omissions, or additions as they may think 

 desirable." The motion having been seconded by Mr. W. S. 

 Dallas, M.ijor-General Strachey, F.R.S., moved as an amend- 

 ment, which was seconded by Mr. C. J. P^reesc, "That, inas- 

 much as it appears that there are differences of opinion in the 

 Society as to the legality of the alterations of the Bye-laws made 

 at the meeting of January 15 last : — (i) This meeting, retaining 

 complete confidence in the President and Council of the Society, 

 requests them to obtain the opinion of some legal authority, 

 whether these alterations are legally binding on the Society or 

 not ; (2) That if the opinion be that the said alterations are 

 legally binding, no further steps be taken in reference to them ; 

 (3) That if the opinion be that the said alterations, or any of 

 them, are not legally binding, the Council be requested to take 

 the necessary proceedings 'or setting aside the vote of January 

 15." — A second amendment was moved by Mr. J. E. Harting; 

 — "That the case having been already sirbroitted to Council, the 

 opinion thereon be read for the information of the meeting." 

 After much discussion, in which Sir John Lubbock, Dr. Thos, 

 Thomson, Dr. Trimen, Prof. Thiselton-Dycr, Mr. H. G. Seeley, 

 and others took part, Mr. Harting's amendment was withdrawn, 

 and the vote taken on M.ajor-General Strachey'samendment, which 

 was carried, and was aftenvards adopted as a substantive resolu- 

 tion. — Sir John Lubbock, Bart, F.R.S. then moved and Mr. W. 

 Carruthers, F.R.S. seconded a resolution expressive of the high 

 sense entertained by the meeting of the eminent services both to 



