98 



NA TURE 



[Jiine 4, 1874 



tiveof-4j is [(a+ i)/3(7— l)5], and that of ^j on the representative 

 of A., is [a(j8 + I ) (7 - I )5]. The number of singular hnes which pass 

 through A^ is [a/3(7+ l)5] — [(a + i)/3(7- 1)5], and the number 

 of those which pass through .-i., is [a;S(7 + i)8]-[o{e+ i)(7- i)5]. 

 (II.) In a system of coi relations whose signature is (a/8>5), the 

 curve of the order [aj37(5+ i)], which represents either of two 

 conjugate lines Oj, a,, breaks up into the other, together with a 

 line through each of the singular points associated with those 

 situated on the former. The multiplicity of a.2, on the represen- 

 tative of <?i is [a(3+ 1)7(5- I)], and that of ci^ on the represen- 

 tative of a„ is[(a+ l))37(5- I)]. The number of singular points 

 situated on a^ is [a^7(5 + I )] - \p.[& + I )7(S - I )], and the number 

 of those situated on «._, is [a/37(5+ l)] - [(ci+ 1)^7(5- l)]. — Mr. 

 Spottiswoode (the chairman/™ tern.) and Prof. CUftbrd spoke on 

 the subject of Dr. Hirst's communication. — Mr. Spottiswoode, 

 F.R.S., ne.\t briefly stated some of the results given in his paper 

 On the contact of quadrics with other surfaces. The following 

 were amongst those stated: — Through any ;« (or w+ I) points 

 of space 3'"-= surfaces, having 2 m- 2 (or 2m-\) independent 

 constants in their equation, can be drawn such that a quadric may 

 be described touching any of the surfaces in the m (or in m out of 

 the OT + I ) points. Thus for example : — the equation of a quartic 

 scroll having a triple line is {ax + /y) zx- + (ex + dy) iiy" — 

 mx"y- ~ o ; hence, through any three points of space, three 

 quartic scrolls having the same double line can be drawn such 

 that a quadric may be described touching any one of the scrolls 

 in the three points. Again, the equation of a quartic surface 

 having for its nodal line the twisted cubic/ — xz — y" — o, 

 q — ^w — yz — o^ f ~ yii) — c- = o, may be put in the form 

 «/- + bq- + cr" + 2 (fqr + grp + lipq = o, hence, through any 

 iour points of space, three quartics, having the same twisted 

 cubic for their common nodal line, may be drawn such that a 

 quadric may be described touching any one of the quartics in 

 three of the points. Remarks were made on the paper by the 

 president and by Prof. Clifford. — A paper by Mr. J. H. Rohrs, 

 communicated by Prof. Cayley, was taken as read. Its subject 

 was "The Rotation of a Hollow Sphere filled with viscous fluid 

 and made to rotate about an axis through its centre under the 

 action of an external impressed given periodic force." 



Meteorological Society, May 20. — Dr. R. J. Mann, presi- 

 dent, in the chair. —The following papers were read: — Some 

 remarks on the estimation of wind force, and on the relation 

 between pressure and velocity, by C. 0. F. Cator, in which he 

 first expressed a strong opinion on the impossibiUty of esti- 

 mating the force of the wind with any degree of accuracy ; 

 but thought that for any useful purpose it must be obtained 

 from «/;j/r;(/«dV//i!/ observation. He then referred to the different 

 notations for describing the wind, and condemned Beaufort's 

 (o - 12) as eminently unsatisfactory, both on account of the 

 means by which the numbers were arrived at, and also especially 

 because of the difference of standard for the lower and higher 

 numbers. He suggested that during an observation the wind 

 could not practically be described as an absolute force, on account 

 of its frequent variations, but as a varying force, extending over 

 two or three numbers ; and then proceeded to account for the 

 difference of force, as estimated, at any stations from different 

 directions although the velocity as shown by Robinson's cups 

 might be the same — partly by the position of tlie observer not 

 being identical with that of the cups, and partly from the sur- 

 rounding objects. He then suggested a new scale, and that 

 whether pressure or velocity were the basis, it should increase in 

 arithmetical progression, and concluded by expressing his pre- 

 ference for the former. — On the weather of thirteen winters, by 

 R. Strachan. — On a new deep-sea and recording thermometer, 

 by H. Negretti and J. W. Zambra. — n a new mercurial mini- 

 mum and maximum thermometer, by S. G. Denton. 



Anthropological Institute, May 26. — Prof. Busk, F.R.S., 

 president, in the chair. — Mr. Hyde Clarke read a paper entided 

 •' Researches in Prehistoric and I'rotohistoric comparative philo- 

 logy, mythology, and archaiolog)', in connection with the origin 

 of culture in America, and its propagation by the Sumerian or 

 Akkad races." The author began with the illustrations of the 

 common origin of culture in Asia, Africa, and America in a 

 chronological series of the distribution of languages in the old 

 and new worlds in the Prehistoric and Protohistoric epochs. 

 Ttiete in':luded the Negritos or Pygmeans, the Cannibal races, 

 the Carib-\Vhydah-.\ino, the Honduras African, the Khond- 

 Wolof, the Agaw-Guarani, the Vasco-Kolaro-Lesghian, the 

 Ugrian, the Sumerian, &c. New facts in comparative grammar 

 were adduced, embracing the names of animals, of weapons, the 



series of negative terms, and the connection of philology, my- 

 thology, and archceology, with a table of convertible equivalents 

 of primary radicals. The second part of the paper was devoted 

 to a special consideration in detail of the community of the 

 Aymara and Quichui of Peru, the Maya of Yucatan, and thc 

 Mexican with those of Cambodia, Pegu, and Indo-China, and of 

 these a;ain with the newly-deciphered Sumerian or Akkad 

 (cuneiform) and the connection with Georgian and Etruscan. 

 These were combined with the monuments, arts, and archceology 

 of the respective countries. The author, referring to his identi- 

 fication of the languages of the Brazil with the Agaw of the 

 Nile, and the Akkads of the Caucasus, supported the view thai 

 culture had been irtroduced into South America across tht- 

 Pacific by Easter Island, and suggested that it was from ono 

 original source in high Asia. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, May 25. — M. Bertrand in the chair. 

 — The Perpetual Secretary announced the death of M. Antoine- 

 Marie-Remy Chazallon, correspondent for the section of geu- 

 graphy and navigation. — The following papers were read: 

 Note on the movement of the conical pendulum, with considera- 

 tion of the resistance of the air, by M. H. Resal. — M. 1'. 

 Desains presented the continuation of his paper on solar radi.i- 

 tion. Tlie author has employed in these experiments a modifi- 

 cation of Nobili and Melloni's thermo-electric apparatus. — On 

 the transformation of iron into steel, by M. Boussingault. Thi 

 author's observations and analyses tend to show that melted 

 steels of superior quality are really iron and carbon. As the 

 quality improves sulphur diminishes, and they are generally free 

 from pliosphorus, while manganese and silicon rarely exceed 

 l-iooo. — Observations on the spectrum of comets, by P. Secchi 

 The author has observed the spectrum of Winnecke's and 

 Tempel's comet, and also of Coggia's. The results in the latter 

 case point again to the existence of carbon in these remarkable 

 bodies. In the same paper further evidence was adduced thai 

 the line 1,474 does not belong to iron ; and the author communi- 

 cated also an observation on the effect of atmospheric oscil- 

 lation on the appearance of Jupiter's first satellite jusl 

 before passing on to the planet's disc. — On the Vidal ebul- 

 lioscope, by W. E. Malligand and Mile. E. Brossard-Vidal. 

 This instrument is for the valuation of wines, and other alcoholic 

 liquids. — On a new mineral species from the province of Lerida, 

 by M. X. Ducloux. The analysis agrees with the formuLi 

 SboOj -i- 4CuAgCO;j. — On the conditions of the persistence of 

 sensibility in the peripheral extremity of sectioned nerves, by 

 MM. Arloing and L. Tripier. — On the addition of elliptic func- 

 tions, by M. E. Catalin. — M. I'Abbe Aoust presented a paper in 

 reply to the observations made by M. Serret on his paper on the 

 integrals of curves which have an even polar surface. — M. Ch. 

 Bontemps communicated his third note on the motion of the air 

 in pipes. — On the action of sulphur urea and of carbon disulphide 

 on silver urea, by M.J. Ponomarefl'. — Researches on germination, 

 by MM. P. P. IJehcrain and E. Landrin. Experiments on grain 

 have shown that no gas is so hurtful to germination as carbon 

 dioxide. — On ammonia and ammonium phenatein the treatment 

 of cholera and diseases produced by ferments d prop»s of serpent 

 bites, by Dr. Declat. 



CONTENTS pacb 



Scie:^tific Worthie.';, III. Chakles Roeert Darwin. Uy Dr. 



Ai,\iis\w (irUk Steel Eiigraviiig) 79 



The J\usTRALiAN Museum. 81 



Ribot's " English PsvcHOLOGV," By Douglas A. Spalding . . . 82 



Our Book Shelf 83 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Ocean Circulation.— Dr. Carpenter and Mr. CrofI 83 



Proportionality of Cause and Effect. — James Collier 84 



The Great Ice-Age.— Rev. T. G. Bonnev 85 



Pfiotograpfiic Irradiation. — Lord LlNDS.AV, F. R.S. and A. CowpER 



Ranvard, F.R as 8s 



Uncompensated Cfironometers and Photographic Irradiation. — 



Prof. George FoKUES, F. RSE t 85 



The Seal Fishery Thos. Southwell. F.Z.S '85 



The Coming Transit of Venus, VII. ( W/M Illustration ) By Prof. 



George Forbes, F.R.S.E . . 86 



Atoms and Molecules Spectroscopicallv considered, II. Bv J. 



Norman LoCK^BR, F.R.S. (WiM //^.'M^^a.'w») 89 



A Botanico-Geological Excursion into the Grampians. ... 90 

 On the Fertilisation of certain Labiat^e. By Alfred W. 



Bennett, F.L S. Wtth Illustrations 9, 



Notes 93 



Scientific Serials 95 



societihs and academirs 96 



Errata. — Omit "so" in p. 62, col. 2, line 22 from bottom ; p. 6;^, col. j, 

 line 20 from top, for " individual" read " undivided." 



