278 



NA TURE 



\Aug. 6, 1874 



in suspension in water in opposition to gravity, is in this manner so 

 far reduced hy the addition of saUne matters tliat gravity and cohe- 

 sion rapidly assert themselves among the suspended particles, 

 which collect together and subside, leaving the saline liquid 

 clear. The precipitation of suspended clay is made very rapid 

 when'a strong solution of salt is employed. 



Imperial Academy of Sciences,-; March 12. — M. Puschl 

 communicated a paper on heat of bodies and ether-density. 

 To explain Dulong and Petit's law, he assumes that, in solid 

 bodies, the 7'is-'Ava of atom-motion is small compared with the 

 quantity of rays collected in the ether between the atoms, through 

 retlection ; that, at ordinary temperatures, bodies are nearly 

 quite opaque for their own internal radiation ; and that the che- 

 mical equivalent weights of bodies are no relative atomic weights, 

 but weight quantities with equal amounts of atom surface. lie 

 thinks that possibly all chemical changes in bodies may be 

 accounted for by heat radiation. The heat of bodies consisting 

 mainly in motion of ether, a means is given of determining the 

 lower limit of density of the latter ; and M. Puschl considers it 

 must be more than 26 billionlhs of that of water (regard being 

 had to the specific heat of water). — A note from Prof Maley 

 stated that he had been able to make the urine of dogs alkaline 

 through simple removal of the acid gastric juice from the body. 

 • — M. Oppolzer, trom experiments on the velocity of propagation 

 of the electric current, estimated it at 4,000 geographical miles in 

 a second. — Prof. Pohm read a paper On formation of starch in 

 the germinating leaves of cress, radish, and flax. lie opposes 

 Kundt's view that starch developed among the chlorophyll 

 granules, on exposure to light, is an assimilation-product formed 

 immediately from decomposed carbonic acid. He considers it 

 rather a transformation-product of reserve nutriment already 

 present in the cotyledons {adducing evidence of this from various 

 experiments). — Dr. Streintz communicated a paper On deaden- 

 ing of torsion-oscillations of wires. Internal metal-deadening 

 (as he calls that part of the deadening which has its cause in 

 torsion of the wire), does not, he finds, follow the laws of air- 

 deadening. One property they have in common ; the loga- 

 rithmic decrement for different amplitudes is the same. But the 

 metal deadening remains unaltered when the moment of inertia 

 is changed, or the wire lengthened or shortened, and so the time 

 of vibration altered. It is independent of the diameter and 

 tension of the wire ; it gi-ows quickly with the temperature. 

 Annealed wires show a much less deadening than unannealed. 

 These properties explain some peculiarities of musical instru- 

 ments, and may be variously utilised. — M. Schrauf presented a 

 note on the thermo-electric properties of various minerals. 



March 19. — Prof. Mach communicated a third paper On the 

 sense of equilibrium, giving a formula which applies to pressure 

 of parts of the body on each other, muscular efforts, skin sensa- 

 tions, hydrostatic blood pressure, and the hypothetical functions 

 of the labyrinth.— Dr. Bouc gave an extract from his treatise on 

 the constituent parts of mountain chains, on mountain systems, 

 and comparison of the surfaces of the earth and moon. He 

 criticises M. Elie de Beaumont's theory, regarding it as merely 

 a fragment of a more general orogeny. 



GoTTINGEN 

 Royal Society of Sciences, Feb. 7. — M. Grisebach read a 

 paper On a collection of plants made by Prof. Lorenz in the 

 j.rovinces of Cordova, Santiago del Estero, Tucuman, and Cata- 

 marca, in South America (between 26° and 31° S. lat.). The dili- 

 gent labour of two years, and in widely different localities, furnished 

 only 900 species, showing how little varied, comparatively, are 

 the Argentine flora. Neither climate ncr soil seems to account 

 for this homogeneity. The author considers it explained by the 

 fact of this part of South America having been raised out of the 

 bed of the Atlantic later than the neighbouring regions of Brazil 

 and Chili, long geological periods being necessary for the ap- 

 pearance of new organisms. As to the question whether there 

 has been only immigration of species, or new species have arisen 

 independently, it appears from comparison of Brazilian and 

 Chilian flora that the latter is true ; the number of endemic 

 species is about 43 per cent., a proportion similar to that in 

 floia regarded as independent. Among the immigrant species 

 the relationship to Chili is most marked. — M. Kohlrausch com. 

 municated a paper On thcrnro-electricity, conduction of heat, 

 and electricity. He sers out with the hypothesis that with a 

 heat-current of certain amount dependent on the nature of the 



conductor, an electric current is connected ; and explains by 

 means of it the phenomena of thermo-electricity. To explain 

 Peltier's observation of development of heat by an electric cur- 

 rent at a point of junction, it is added, that heat is moved by 

 an electric current ; and the heat-moving force of the unit elec- 

 tric current in any body is proportional to the electromotive force 

 of the unit heat-current in the same body. This suggestive 

 paper also treats of the relations of the hypothesis to the prin- 

 ciple of conservation of energy, displacement of the thermo- 

 electric order of metals by temperature, heat conduction and 

 work,&c. — M. Ileymannrpresentedapaper On an Indian drama, 

 Bharata's Natyai^astram. — M. Enneper discussed some theorems 

 relating to surfaces of the second order. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, July 27. — M. Bertrand in the chair 

 — The following papers were read :- -Action of differently 

 refrangible rays on iodide and bromide of silver ; influence of 

 colouring matters, by M. Edm. Becquerel. — On the Algerian 

 meteorological tracing, by M. Ch. Sainte-ClaireDeville. — Objec 

 tions to the method of uprooting vines for the destruction ot 

 riivUoxi-ra ; indication of another process ; a letter from M. C. 

 Naudin to M. Elie de Beaumont. — Report on M. Cauvy's 

 memoir concerning the means of preserving vines from the inva- 

 sion of rhylloxcia, by the Commissioners. — Researches on 

 explosive bodies : explosion of powder, by MM. Noble and F. 

 A. Abel, first memoir. — Note on the quantity of water consumed 

 by wheat during its growth, by M. Marie-Davy. — Actual state 

 of the invasion of Phylloxera in the Charente provinces, extract 

 from a letter from M. M. Girard to M. Dumas. — Indications 

 given in 1S45 of the existence of an ancient sea in Algeria, in the 

 meridional portion of the Atlas, and on the possibility of 

 re-establishing this sea, by M. Virlet d'Aoust, in a letter to the 

 perpetual secretary. — On the production in the same medium 

 and at the same temperature of the two varieties of sulphur, 

 octahedral and prismatic, by M. D. Gernez. — On the action 

 of ether on cupric oxide for transforming it into cuprous 

 oxide and into metallic copper, by M. A. Guerout. — On 

 isoterebenthene, by M. J. Riban. — On a division of the 

 fibrin of blood from whence is derived a substance analo- 

 gous to ordinary albumen, by M. A. Gautier. — On the 

 anti-putrid property of the heavy oil of coal-tar, by M. L. 

 Dusart. — New process for the manufacture of the so-called 

 " aliinimcJ" stuccoes or plasters, by M. Ed. Landrin. — On de- 

 composition of albuminoid matters //; vacuo, by MM. N. Grehaut 

 and E. Modrzejewski. — Storm of May 26, at Vendome (Loire et 

 Cher) ; thunderbolt ; scheme for a simplified lightning con- 

 duct<;r, by M. E. Nouel. — On the metamorphoses of Sacculina 

 Cairiiii, by M. A. Giard. — Note on the development of the 

 spermatozoids of the brachyurous decapods, by M. P. Hallez. 

 — On the origin of tire hot winds of the Alps and the physical 

 constitution of the Sahara, by M. Ch. Grad. — On a vitreous 

 feldspathic orthose from the Isle of Rachgoun( Algeria, province 

 of Oran), by M. Ch. Velain.— Note on the geology and pals, 

 ontology of the estuarine formations of the upper tertiary at the 

 environs of Oran, by M. Bleicher. — On the phosphates of lime 

 from Ciply, in Belgium, by M. Nivoit. 



CONTENTS pagb 



HiTziG 7'. Ferrier 259 



A Marine Aquarium FOR Inland Students 260 



Foster's " Physiology" 261 



Uur Book Shelf 263 



Flight of Birds.— His Grace the Duke of Argyll 26a 



£.\hibition of Specimens and Apparatus at British Association 



Meetings. — E. Ray Lankester 263 



A Waterspout at Milford H.aven.— Robert H. Scott, F.R.S. ; 



John C.Walker 263 



Periodicity of K.iinfall.— Governor Rawson 263 



Care of Rabbits for their Dead.— George J. Romanes . . .-. 264 



The Newfoundland Seal Fishery. By Lieut. W. Maxwell, R.N. 264 



The International Geographical Congress 267 



The Last New Comet. By J. R. Hind, F.R.S 267 



The Form of Comets, III. hy U. ¥a\s {WitMllustraUom) . . 268 



Dk. Bhau Dajee 270 



Our SuLi'HUR Supplies 271 



A (.;reat Telescope 271 



Mkntal Potentiality in Children ok Difperent Races. By • 



W. Lauder Lindsay 272 



Notes 272 



Scientific Serials 275 



Societies and Academies 277 



