238 



NATURE 



\_ytily 23, 1874 



Saunders, president, in the chair. — Prof. Westwood exhibited 

 specimens of Haltica aiiiala, which he had found to be very in- 

 jurious to young rose-leaves. Also, a portion of a walnut at- 

 tacked by a Lepidopterous larva, probably a Tortrix , but he 

 was unable to name the species, as it produced otjiy an ichneu- 

 mon. It was the first instance he had kno^^n of a walnut being 

 attacked by an insect in this country. Mr. F. Moore stated that 

 he had on one occasion reared Carpocapra sfleiidana (a species that 

 usually feeds on acorns) from a walnut. — Prof Westwood made 

 some remarks on the Yucca moth {Pronuba yuccasella Riley), of 

 which some fifty specimens had been sent to him, in the pupa 

 state, by Mr. Riley ; but he had succeeded in rearing only three. 

 He exhibited a drawing of a portion of the insect, showing the 

 extraordinary form of the pulpi, which w as especially adapted for 

 collecting the pollen, with which it impregnated the female flowers. 

 He directed attention to a full description of the insect and its 

 habits by Mr. Riley, in the sixth Annual Report of the Insects 

 of Missouri. — Piof. Westwood also exhibited some bees which 

 had been sent to him from Dublin, having been found attacking 

 the hives of the honey-bees. They were smaller than the honey- 

 bee, and black, and he considered them to be only a degene- 

 rated variety of Apis mdlifica. He suggested the probability of 

 their being identical with the " black bees " mentioned by Huber. 

 — Mr. Champion exhibited Amara alpiita and other beetles 

 from Aviemore, Invernesshire. — The Secretary exhibited some 

 specimens of a Dipterous insect which had been found in the 

 larva state in an old Turkey carpet. The larva was very long, 

 slender, and serpentiform ; it was white and shining, and had 

 something the appearance of a wire worm, but much longer, and 

 without feet, 'f he name of the insect was not ascertained. — 

 Mr. Bond exhibited specimens of Argas pipistrdlic parasitic on 

 a bat, and also some Acari from a small species of fly ; both were 

 from the Isle of Wight. — Mr. Boyd exhibited specimens of 

 Theiia riibiixoxa St. Leonard's Forest, differing in certain points 

 from the ordinary type. — Mr. Wormald exhibited a collection 

 of butterflies sent from Japan by Mr. II. S. Pryer. — Mr. W. 

 Cole exhibited some galls of a species of Cccidoinyia, found in 

 West Wickham Wood. — Mr. F. Smith exhibited some earthen 

 cocoons found on wet mud at Weymouth by Mr. Joshua Brown. 

 They proved to belong to a Dipterous insect {Machariiim iiiari- 

 ii/iuttn), one of the DoUcltopidic. — ^l'c. S. Stevens exhibited 

 specimens of Asopia nemoialis from Abbot's Wood, Lewes, 

 and other Lepidopterous insects. — Mr. Butler exhibited a copy 

 of a very rare (if not unique) book, which had recently come 

 into the possession of Mr. E. W. Janson, entitled Lee's 

 " Coloured Specimens to illustrate the Natural History of But- 

 teiflies" (London, 1S06). He could not find that it had been 

 quoted in any synonymic catalogue, and it contained coloured 

 drawings and diagnoses of nineteen species of butterflies. — The 

 Rev. H. S. Gorham read descriptions of species of Endomycid 

 Coleoptera not comprised in his catalogue, " Endomycici reci- 

 lali." Also, Some remarks on the genus Ilelota [Nitidnlida:), of 

 which he described a new species from Japan. — lir. Sharp com- 

 municated a supplementary paper On some additional Coleop- 

 tera from Japan. — Prof. Westwood communicated Descriptions 

 of new species of Cdoniidit, principally from the collection of 

 Mr. Higgins. — The President announced that the library of the 

 Society would remain for another year at 12, Bedford Row, and 

 it was hoped that by that time some more permanent and suit- 

 able place would be obtained for it. — Part HI. of the Transac- 

 tions of the Society for 1874 were on the table. 



Paris 



Academy of Sciences, July 13. — M. Bertrand in the 

 chair. — The perpetual secretary announced the death of M. 

 Angstrom, and the president made some remarks expressive of 

 the regret of the Academy at the loss they had sustained. The 

 following papers were read : — Observations relating to M. Tac- 

 chini's last note and to the recent memoir of M. Langley, by M. 

 Faye. The author gave an extract from Langley's m.emoir, 

 showing that this observer accepted, with certain restrictions, the 

 cyclone theory of sun-spots. — On chemical actions other than me- 

 tallic reductions produced in capillary spaces, by M. Becquerel. 

 This is a continuation of the author's researches in electro- 

 chemistry. — C>bservations on the subject of the establishment of 

 an inland sea in Algeria, by M. de Lesseps.— Memoir on the 

 chronological classification of geological formations, by A. I'',. 

 B. de Chancourtois. — On some appUcations of Abel's theorem to 

 curves of the second degree relative to the elliptic functions, by 

 M. II. Leante. — Lhi the observaticn of a phenomenon analogous 



to that of the " gotttte noire," by M. Devic. — Observations on 

 the obstacles to be opposed to the attack of vines by Phylloxera, 

 a letter from M. Bourgeois to M. Dumas. The writer made four 

 propositions relating to (l) the direct destruction of the insects ; 

 (2) the preservation of isolated stocks ; (3) the preservation of a 

 field of vines not attacked ; and (4) treatment of a field panially 

 attacked. Several members made remarks on the same sub- 

 ject. M. Elie de Beaumont suggested the use of snow. 

 — Note relating to the virid of M. Clausius, by M. F. 

 Lucas. — Note relating to the theory of oscillatory surfaces, 

 by Mr. Spottiswoode. — Remarks on the pyrheliometric 

 observations of Pouillet, a reply to the criticisms of M. Faye, 

 by M. Duponchel. — On chemical achromatism, by M. 

 Prazmowski. This was a note descriptive of the construction 

 of the photographic objective to be used by M. Janssen for pho- 

 tographing the solar disc. — Second note on the electric conducti- 

 vity of ligneous bodies, by M. Th. du Moncel. — On indications 

 furnished by conjugate thermometers in vacuo, by M. Marie- 

 Davy. — Qualitative research on arsenic in organic and inorganic 

 substances, by MM. Mayen(,on and Bergeret. The authors have 

 devised a new plan for detecting arsenic (depending upon the 

 action of arsenetted hydrogen on mercuric chloride), which pos- 

 sesses extreme delicacy. — Action of heat on the isomers of 

 anthracene and their hydrides, by M. Ph. Barbier. The author 

 has extended his investigations to the following substances : — 

 the two ditolyls, ethylene and diphenyl mixed, and benzylto- 

 luene. Fritzsche's phosene appears to have been a mixture of 

 anthracene and phenanthrenc. — Newexperiments on human loco- 

 motion, by M. Marey. — New experimental researches on inflam- 

 mation and mode of production of leucocytes of pus, by M. J. 

 Picot. Action of salts of bili.-iry acids, by MM. V. Feltz and E. 

 Ritter. — Observations on the first phases of development of Pelo- 

 batcs fuscus, by M. G. Moquin-Tandon. These phases are in 

 the main identical with those of the common toad. — Analyses of 

 the samples of wine exhibited at the exhibition of the Pavilion 

 du Progrcs, by M. Ch. Mcne. — On globular lightning, by M. 

 Gaultier de Claubry. This was a description of some of the 

 effects of the thunderstorm which broke over Paris on Thursday 

 the 9th inst. 



BOOKS RECEIVED 



American. — Baird's Annual Record, 1873. — Proceedings ot the Boston 

 Society of Natural History, vol. .\vi. part ii. — Field Ornithology, comprising 

 a Manual of Instruction for procuring, preparing, and preserving Birds, and 

 a Check List of North American Birds : Dr Elliott Coues, U.S.A. (Trubner). 

 —The Birds of Florida, Part iii. : C.J. Maynard (Ipswich, U.S.A.).— Bulle- 

 tin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Science (Warren & Co., BuSfalo).— 

 Circles of Deposition of American Sedimentary Rocks : J. S. Newberry- — 

 Theory of ."Vrches: Prof. VV. Allan (Van Nostram, N.Y.).— My Visit to the 

 Sun : or, Critical Essays : Laurence S. Benson (J. S. Burton, N.Y.).— Annual 

 Report of the Trustees of the Museum of Zoology, Harvard, Camb. U.S.A. 

 for 1873 — Birds of Western and North-Western Mexico : G. A. Lawrence 

 (Boston Natural History Society). — The Organisation and Progress of the 

 Anderson Schoolof Natural History (Welch, Biglow& Co., Camb. U.S.A.).— 

 Sea Fisheries of the South Coast of I New England : Spencer 

 and Baird (Washington). — The Vertebrate Animals of Vineyard Sound : 

 A. E. Verriil and S. J. Smith (Washington).— First, Second, and Third 

 Annual Reports of the United States Geological Survey of the Territories 

 for 1S67-69 (Washington). —Geological Survey of Ohio, vol. i. Palajontology 

 (Columbus).— Reports ol the Geological Survey of Missouri, 1855-71 (Jefler. 

 son City). — Reports of the Geological Survey of Missouri Iron Ores and 

 Coalfields, 1872 (N.Y).— Atlas to Geological Survey of Jlissouri (N.Y.). 



CONTENTS pagk 



The Public Schools Commission 219 



The Sud-Wealden Exploration (/J''//A///ttj/rrt/w«) 220 



The Science OF Painting, By Arthur Schuster 221 



Our Book Shelf sas 



Photographic Irradiation.— J. Aitken ; A. C Ranvaed, F.R.A.S. 222 



Vapourising Metals by Electricity. — A. Rodier 223 



Earth-shrinkings and Terrestrial Magnetism. — H. H. Howorth, 223 



F.G.S . 



Colliery Explosions 224 



The Comet. By J. Norman Lockyek, F.R.S 226 



The Forms OF Comets (;FiV/t///;«^rrt.Vo«j). By M. Fayej . . . 227 



The Flying Man. By W. de Fonvielle 230 



Notes 230 



Vibrations of Air I'Roduced by Heat. By Prof. A. S. Herschel 



{IVith Illusiraiwn) 233 



Scientific Serials 235 



Socihties and Academies 236 



Books Received 238 



