78 



NA TURE 



{May 28, 1874 



sented by many species during the middle and later Tertiary 

 periods, but no remains of either have yet been discovered in 

 the early Tertiary deposits. It is probable that both are succes- 

 sors from a common stock which existed at a period intermediate 

 to that in which were formed the Icnown Eocene and Miocene 

 deposits. The molar teeth in the two genera differ in a striking 

 manner, and so widely, that early observers thought those of the 

 mastodon were adapted to a carnivorous habit. That the course 

 of evolution was from the more simple to the more complicated 

 type would appear to be confirmed in the fact that the temporary 

 molars have proportionately shorter crowns and longer roots than 

 in those of the permiuent series. 



Boston, U.S. 



Society of Natural History, Dec. 3, 1873. — Prof. John 

 McCrady read a paper on the food and reproductive organs of the 

 oyster, with an account of a new parasite. This parasite appa- 

 rently destroys, for the time at least, the fertility of the oyster, and 

 to its abundance may perhaps be due the seasons of short spawn, 

 often noticed by those engaged in the oyster culture. The para- 

 site seems to be a new species belonging to the genus Buaphalus 

 £nd may be called Bucephalus cnculus. — Prof Alpheus Hyatt 

 gave a description of his investigation for the past fourteen years 

 upon the Ammonites of the Jurassic period, showing the connec- 

 tion of Ihe forms in the family Arietidse, and tracing them all to 

 cne species, Amiii. psiloiiotiis of Quenstedt. — Dr. H. A. Hagen 

 read a paper on the origin of the so-called " Tailed Man," often 

 described and pictured by the older authors. In an attempt to 

 copy from a number of old works the figures of this fabulous 

 creature, it gradually became evident that these figures were 

 copies one from another, with slight changes, by the accumula- 

 tion of which a "tailed man " was gradually constructed. The 

 origin of all these figures is a poor repreientation ol the " Wan- 

 deroo" {Srntia siknus Linn.), given by the old knight, Bernhard 

 von Breydenbach, in his " Voyage to Palestine " in 14S6. 

 Vienna 



Imperial Academy of Sciences, Feb. 5. — Prof. Linnemann 

 made some further contributions towards a knowledge of allyl 

 compounds and acrylic acid. He finds that this acid is com- 

 pletely changed, by sulphuric acid and zinc, at moderate tempe- 

 rature, into propionic acid ; also (contrary to present views), that 

 allyl-alcohol, especially in acid solution, takes up hydrogen, and 

 passes into propyl-alcohol. — Prof. Puschl, in a note on specific 

 heat of carbon, offered an explanation of this being different (in 

 the diamond) at different temperatures. He supposes, that for 

 its internal radiation, at ordinary temperature (from the surfaces 

 of the atoms), the diamond is much less opaque than a metal, 

 and that it is more opaque the higher the temperature. Hence 

 the diamond is radiated through by obscure heat, more abun- 

 dantly the lower the temperature of the source of this ; in other 

 words, its ojjacity for obscure heat increases with the temperature 

 of the source. The same will hold for other kinds of carbon, 

 ■with this difference, that the opacity of the transparent diamond 

 for a particular kind of direct heat must have a maximum which 

 is not to be looked for in untransparent carbon. He desires that 

 physicists, who have the opportunity, would test the diamond in 

 reference to this point. — M. Puluj gave an account of experiments 

 to dttermine the constant of friction of air as function of the 

 temperature. According to the theory of gases (with the hypo- 

 thesis of nrolecular shocks) the constant referred to must be pro- 

 portional to the absolute temperature. The author finds it 

 proportional to the 3 power of the absolute temperature, or 

 1 = ')„(! + tSJ-i ; which comes nearer to the law than the older 

 determinations liy Maxwell and Meyer, and argues the correct- 

 ness of the hypothesis named. 



Feb. 12. — Prof. Dvorak communicated a memoir on the con- 

 duction of sound in gases. He shows how the peculiar acoustical 

 behaviour of hydrogen does not contradict theory, but may be 

 simply explained through resonance. The vis viva which the 

 same sounding body, with equal excursions in equal times, gives 

 in different gases, is proportional to the root of the product of 

 the density and expansive force of the gas. — Prof Leitgeb pre- 

 sented a paper on the growth of FissiJcns ; it conforms to the 

 laws of growth of other mosses. — M. Stefan communicated a 

 memoir on the theory of magnetic forces. The first part treats 

 on calculation of the magnetic force of electric currents ; the 

 second, the action of a magnet on an internal point ; and the 

 third, the theory of magnetic induction. It is shown, rom a 

 series of experiments, that all kinds of iron and sfeel permit the 

 same maximum of magnetisation, that the resistance of iron and 

 nickel to magnetisation is at first very great, then decreases to a 



minimum, which is reached when the induced magnetic moment 

 is a third of its maximum, and thereafter the resistance increases 

 to an indefinite extent. From these data a formula is constructed 

 for the magnetic molecular force. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, May 18.— M. Bertrand in the 

 chair. M. Chasles read a paper entitled " Questions relating to 

 series of similar triangles subjected to three common conditions." 

 — M. Serret presented a note accompanying the presentation ot 

 vol. vi. of Lagrange's works. The volume contained eleven 

 memoirs on various astronomical subjects. On the magnetic 

 bundles formed by separate laminx, by M. Jamin. — W. Faye 

 communicated a letter with a reply by ^I. E. Gautier, who main- 

 tains the old views of Galileo concerning the nature of sun-spots. 

 ^New apparatus for the transfusion of blood, proposed by M. 

 Mathieu ; a note by M. Bouley. — M. A. Ledieu presented the 

 continuation of his thermodynamical researches entitled "General 

 ideas on the mechanical interpretation of the physical and chemi- 

 cal properties of bodies. " — Note on some thermometric observa- 

 tions during winter in the Alps, by Dr. Frankland. — On the 

 influence of ferments on surgical maladies (second note), byM. A. 

 Guerin. — On the combinations of arsenic with molybdic acid, by 

 M. H. Debray. — Note on the employment of iron shot for re- 

 placing leaden shot in rinsing bottles, by M. Fordos. — On soluble 

 starch, by M. Masculus. .Starch is dissolved in acidulated 

 boiling water, the acid neutralised, and the solution filtered and 

 evaporated to a syruppy consistence. An abundant granular 

 deposit is obtained, which is washed with cold water, and then 

 with alcohol. This soluble starch gives all the reactions of 

 natural starch, and is decomposed by diastase in the same 

 manner, but with greater ease. — On the transmission of the 

 irritation from one point to another in the leaves of Drosera, and 

 on the part which the trachea; appear to play in these plants, 

 by M. M. Ziegler. The author concluded, that the tracheae, or 

 the fibres surrounding them, transmit the irritation from one hair 

 to another, and that the movements of the hairs of the chcum- 

 ference of the leaves are not reflex movements induced by an irri- 

 tation proceedingfroma centre situated elsewhere than in theleaf. — 

 On the concussion of bodies, by M. G. Darboux. — On the tem- 

 perature of the sun, a note by M. j. VioUe. — Studies on electric 

 chronographs, and researches on the induction spark and on 

 electro magnets, by M. M. Deprer. — On the motion of the air 

 in pipes, by M. C. Bontemps. — M. F. A. Abel communicated 

 his fourth memoir on the properties of explosive bodies. — Note 

 on the decomposition of tungstate and of molybdate of sodium by 

 sal-ammoniac, by M. F. Jean ; these substances when boiled with 

 solution of sal-ammoniac disengage ammonia, the liquid remain- 

 ing acid. — On the constitution of clays, by M. T. Schlcesiug. — 

 On the identity of bromoxaform and of pentabrominated 

 acetone, by M. E. Grimaux. I'he author's experiments show 

 that methylic alcohol and methylic acetate are not attacked in 

 the cold by bromine, but at 150° — 170' the latter body is trans- 

 formed into methylic bromide and bromacetic acids. The 

 substance formed by the action of bromine upon the alkaline 

 citrates is pentabrominated acetone, and the ctiloriuated bodies 

 obtained by the action of chlorine on citric acid and citrates are 

 chlorinated derivatives of acetone and not of methyl-acetic 

 ether. — Experimental study on the influence of the injection of 

 bile on the organism, by MM. V. Feltz and E. Ritter. — On the 

 hind foot of the HyicnoJon parisUiisis, by M. G. Vasseur. 



CONTENTS Page 



The African Eclipse of 1874 59 



Food and Dietetics 60 



LeTTERS TO THE EDITOS I 



Physical Axioms.— R B. Havward ; A Senior Wrangler . . 61 



Ocean Circulation.— Dr. W B. Carpenter, F.R.S 62 



Glacial Period —T. Belt, F.G.S 62 



Uncompensated Chronometers. — Prof. J. D. Everett 63 



Photographic Irradiation. — \V. J. Stillman 63 



Hay Fever.— J. Rand Capron d^, 



The Steamship Faraday AND Her Ai'Pliances for Cacle-Laving. 



Dr. C. W. Siemens, F.R.S 6+ 



Atmospheric Currents as observed in the West Indies, and 



PARTICULARLY IN St. Thomas. By W. G. Palgrave . . . .' . 65 

 The Coming Transit OF Venus, VI. {ll^ith Illustralion) By Prof. 



George Forbes 66 



Atoms and Molecules Spectroscopicallv considered. By J. 



Norman Lockybr, F.R.S. (/*'iM Itlnslra'.ions) 69 



Col Gordon's Journey to Gondokoro 72 



The Extinct Fauna of the Mascarene Islands 72 



Notes 72 



The Florence International Botanic.\l Congress 74 



Scientific Serials 75 



Societies and Academies 77 



