y7ily 1 6, 1874] 



NATURE 



217 



dichin gives his solar observations for last autumn, together with 

 a discussion on the formation of prominences. — Tacchini gives 

 his observations on solar spots for May 1S74. 



Astronomische Nachrichten, No. 1,997. — ''"liis number contains 

 ■an account of the observations of the minor planet Virginia 

 since its discovery in 1857, and the following elements are cal- 

 culated : — 



1874, June 19, Berlin. 



M = 322 19 4980 



ir = 10 o 4276 



« = 173 27 39-0 



'■ = 2 47 53 '5 



= 16 37 4-3 



IX = 822"7ioS35 

 Log. a — o'423i729 

 An epliemeris is also added for the opposition this summer. — 

 Doberck contributes new elements for Comet I., 1824, deduced 

 from Riimkerand Sir J. Brisbane's observations, — Some observa- 

 tions of position of Henry's Comet, 1873, are given by J. J. 

 Pluramer. — No. 1,998 contains a paper on the photographic 

 processes applicable to the transit of Venus. — C. S. Sellack con- 

 tributes a paper on the direct photography of the solar protuber- 

 ance. — A communication on the elements of the orbit of Alceste 

 is made by A. I fall, corrected by observations made at Washing- 

 ton. — M. Flammarion gives the following periods of double 

 stars : — 



Y Apparent semi- Perihelion 



^^ ' axis major. passage. 



{ Ursa Majoris 

 f Horculis . . 

 i\ Corona Bos . 

 y Virginis . 



No. 1,999. - 



. . 6o-Co 2'45 i873'40 at 358 



■ • 34'57 i*i9 1864-35 at 298 

 . . 40-17 0865 1853-95 at 287 

 . . 175- 3-385 1835-45 at 320 



■ This number contains an ephemeris of the 

 five inner satellites of Saturn from June I to Oct. zS, by 

 A. Marth, and a discussion of the various theories of 

 comets, by W. Zenker. — In No. 2,000 is an account of some 

 spectroscopic observations on certain variable and other stars, 

 by II. C. Vogel ; the author gives the wave-lengths of the 

 lines in some cases. — G. Strasser gives a number of observations 

 on comets (Winnecke and Coggia), together with the list of com- 

 parison stars. — C. H.F. Peters contributes observations on some 

 of the planetoids, and A. Kriiger gives some position observa- 

 tions of Coggia's comet. 



yustus IJdig's Amialen dcr C/icmk tind r/ianiuuii; Band 

 172, Heft I. This number contams the following papers: — 

 A condensation product of glyoxal, by Hugo Schitf. Glyoxal 

 is dissolved in five or si.\ volumes of strong acetic acid and a 

 stream of hydrochloric acid gas passed through the solution for 

 about fifteen minutes. The solution on standing deposits a white 

 substance, which was found to possess the composition 

 CinHijOjT = 6C5H.,02 + H„0, and which the author proposes 

 to name liiwai^lyoxal Iiydrate. Treated with acetic anhydride, one 

 atom of hydrogen is replaced by acetyl, giving the compound 

 C].,II,.,(C..IIuO)Oi3 ; similarly with benzoyl chloride the coxa.- 

 pound Cj-jUlafCyUjOlOj^ is produced. The author concludes 

 from these reactions that the substance contains cue semi-mole- 

 cule of hydroxyl. — Improved air-bath for heating sealed tubes, 

 by J. Habermann. — On the oxidation products of amylum and 

 paramylum with bromine, water, and oxide of silver, by the 

 same. Amylum yields dextronic or glucosic acid C|;Hi„0., and 

 paramylum the same. The calcium, barium, and cadmnim salts 

 of the acids were examined. — On the sodium contained in tlie 

 ashes of plants, by G. Bunge. The author is of opinion that the 

 result obtained by Peligot, who found that the ash of beans was 

 free from sodium, is due to some error in the method of determi- 

 nation employed. An examination of the analytical method 

 employed by Pcligol has been undertaken, the results of the 

 analysis of the asli of cows' milk being given as an example. 

 This examination leads the author to the conclusion that by de- 

 termining the alkalies merely in the aqueous extract of the ash, 

 not only is a low value obtained, but the ratio between the two 

 bases is a false one. Details of the method of analysis adopted 

 are next given, and its application to the ash of beans, clover, 

 meadow grass, apples, and strawberries. The author remarks 

 that by his analyses I'cligot's conclusions are not refuted, but 

 at the same time they cannot be considered as established on the 

 grounds of the .an.ilyses made by that chemist. — On oxysulpho- 

 benzide and a new derivative of this substance, by Dr. J . Anna- 



heim. The following substances are described in this paper : — 

 Oxysulphobenzide./^'^j^-'jjQ | SO^ \; Phenoltrisulphonic acid, 



CJ-IoSOsH ; Tetrachloroxysulphobenzide, ^"JfvJ^SS ! SO,, 

 (SO^HJa . C.HjCl.OH j « 



and the corresponding bromine and iodine compounds ; me- 

 thyloxysulphobenzide, r^H^nCH ' ( ^*^^ ' ''"^ dinitromethyl 



, Cr,H3NO,OCHt ) cr,^ .1, j. ■ 1 

 compound, c h NO OCH 1 -^ ' dlamido compound, 



C„H.jNH„OCH3 f c^ ,, ,, , , C„H,OC„H- ) „^ 



CJ-I3NH:0CH3 1 &0.;the ethyl compound,^,^^^*^^-^^ | SO^ 



the corresponding amyl compound, and their nitro-, amiflo-, and 

 brominated substitution derivatives. — The concluding paper is 

 by Otto Hecht and Julius Strauss : On normal hexylene and 

 some of its derivatives. The authors have examined the dibro- 

 mide C5Hj.,Br;, and the monobromide, CglljjBr. — A plate 

 illustrating Habermann's paper On an improved air-bath accom- 

 panies the present part. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 



London 

 Anthropological Institute, July l. — Special meetnig at 

 the East London Museum, Bethnal Green. — Prof. Busk, F.K. S., 

 president, in the chair. — Col. Lane Fox read a paper on the 

 principles of classification adopted in the arrangement of his an- 

 thropological collection exhibited in the East London Museum. 

 The paper contained three divisions, viz. P.^ychological, Ethno- 

 logical, and Prehistoric. The author's object had been, during 

 the twenty years he had been occupied in forming the collection, 

 to select the specimens not so much for their rarity or beauty as 

 for their utility in illustrating the succession of ideas by which 

 the minds of men in a primitive condition of culture had pro- 

 gressed from the simple to the complex. Contrary to the usual 

 system of arrangement, which was geographical, and was to be 

 found in most ethnographical museums, the author's primary 

 arrangement had been guided by form, i.e. spears, bows, clubs, 

 &c. had been placed by themselves in distinct classes ; and 

 within each class there were sub-classes for special localities, and 

 in each of the sub-classes the specimens were arranged according 

 to their affinities. It was shown how far the arts of existing 

 savages might be employed to illustrate the relics of piimevai 

 men. In studying the evidence of progress, the phenomena that 

 might be observed were (i) a continuous succession of ide.ns ; 



(2) the complexity of the ideas in an increasing ratio to the time j 



(3) the tendency to automatic action upon any given set of ideas 

 in proportion to the length of time during which the ancestors of 

 the individual have exercised their minds in those particular 

 ideas. After a lengthened elaboration of those psychological 

 considerations Col. Fox pointed out that the forms of implements 

 used by savage races, instead of affording evidence of their 

 having been derived from higher and more complex forms, 

 showed evidence of derivation from natural forms, such as might 

 have been employed by man before he had learned the art of 

 modifying them to his own use ; and that the persistency of the 

 forms is in proportion to the low state of culture. That conclu- 

 sion was illustrated by reference to the Australian and other 

 savage peoples. The third and concluding part of the paper 

 was devoted to the correlation of modern implements in use 

 among existing savages with those of Prehistoric times.-The 

 reading of the paper was followed by an explanation of the col- 

 lection, which was arranged with a view to illustrate the principle 

 of sequence contended for by the author. 



Philadelphia, U.S. 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, Dec. 23. — Dr. Ruschen- 

 berger, president, in the chair. — Prof. Cope made some 

 remarks on fishes from the coal measures at Linton, Ohio. 

 He stated that Prof. Newberry, Director of the Geological 

 Survey of Ohio, had sent to him numerous specimens of 

 fishes and batrachians for determin.-ition and description. Among 

 these he had discovered batrachians which were labelled and 

 had been described as fishes (rygoplcrus sciiteUaltis Newb.), 

 and fishes [Conclncpsis and Pcflorliimi Cope) some of which 

 were labelled " Amphibian or Reptilian." Having determined 

 the latter to be fishes and described them, he called attention to 

 a note of Prof. Newberry on the latter, in which he states (i) 



