474 



NATURE 



[Oct. 8, 1874 



first and last conditions of the system. The intermediate states 

 do not affect it. For example ; C + 02 = C0.2 gives 47 calories. 

 Or, C + = CO gives 34-5 ; and then, C0 + = C02 gives 12-5, 

 and 34-5+i2'5 = 47 as before. We have not space to notice 

 the five "consequences" from this principle. 3. Third prin- 

 ciple. Every chemical change effected without the intervention 

 of any external energy leads to the production of a body, or 

 system of bodies, which give off more heat. For example : 

 Sn + = SnO gives off in formation 36-9 Cal. ; Sn + 0- = Sn02 

 gives 727. Some compounds cannot be formed by their own 

 energy - e.g. acetylene is formed by the union of C and H, but 

 it requires the energy of an electric current to induce it. — M. 

 Laurent describes a new saccharometer. — M. Mascart contributes 

 an article on the annealing of glass, having special reference to 

 the preparation of objectives. — M. Blavier's paper, continued 

 from No. 28, is concluded. — M. Marcy describes a new chro- 

 nograph of a small size convenient for holding in the hand, 

 based on the principle of Duhamel's. — There is also an article 

 by M. Thurot on Galileo's experiments on weight. 



Aniia/i di Chimica applicata alia Meiiicina, No. 2, vol. lix., 

 August. — The present number begins with a paper in pharmacy 

 On the reactions of morphine, from researches by Hermann, 

 Kelbrnnser, Siebold, and Schneider. — In dietetics, Prof. Fr. Selmi 

 conlributes a paper entitled "New Study of Milk," and there is 

 also one by Dr. Martin on koumiss, a vinous liquid obtained by 

 the fermentation of milk. — -In toxicology there is a paper by 

 Pietro Albertoni and Filippo Lussana on the physiological 

 criterion for medico-legal proofs of poisoning. — In physiology, 

 Prof. G. See furnishes a paper on the action of the salts of 

 potassium. — Under "Varieties" there are the following papers : — 

 On the culture of Eucalyptus globulus, by Dr. Ledeganck. 

 — The blue colour of linen used for medical purposes, by 

 Louquet. — Use of chloroform and ether for stupefymg bees, by 

 Chanon. — Phenol-camphorated oil for the gummy disease of 

 fruits, by Dr. F. F. Adorni. — Bisulphite of soda as an antichlore 

 for bleaching, Ijy Dr. T. Schuchardt. — The part concludes 

 with a biological notice of Justus Liebig, by G. Ruspini, and a 

 review of the fourth part of the Aniiuaris delle Scienze Mediche, 

 published by Drs, F, Schivardi and G. Pini. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES 

 Philadelphia 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, April 7. — Dr. Jos. Leidy 

 in the chair. — " The Blue Gravel of California," by E. Gold- 

 smith. Under the name of " Blue Gravel" the California gold 

 miners, and especially the placer miners, understand a rock 

 which underlies the gold-bearing alluvium of that Slate and 

 part of Nevada. It is stated that whenever the gold-bearing 

 sand in many localities in tlie two above-named States has been 

 removed by the well-known washing process, the "blue gravel" 

 appears. It also contains gold, which cannot, however, be 

 extracted by washing, tlie stream of water being unable to disin- 

 tegrate the rock, which is a compact composite one, and not, as 

 the name "gravel" would imply, a loose material. This so- 

 called " blue gravel " is composed of two ingredients widely 

 differing in age, namely, of pebbles cemented together by a lava. 

 The pebbles are of all sizes. From the general appearance I 

 infer that some of these pebbles were derived from the sedi- 

 mentary rock, slate, and others from hornblende rock. Entirely 

 different in general aspect from the rounded pebbles is the other 

 part of the rock, which I have already stated to be a lava. This 

 appears to envelop the pebbles completely. This lava is very 

 brittle, so much so ttiat the preparation of a tliin plate tor micro- 

 scopical obscivation is impossible. The hardness is equal to 

 apatite. The most distinguishing crystallisation within tlie lava 

 mass is a black mica, whicli is probably lnotite. I noticed also 

 a few grains 01 quaitz, as well as flattened grams of bright yellow 

 gold. The coritlus.uii at which I arrive is that the so-calfed 

 ■"blue gravel" of Calilornia is a conglomerate of pebbles of 

 various kinds cemented together by an acidic lava in which 

 crystals of mica (oiotite) and grains of gold are imbedded. How 

 the guld came into tlie lava is a question ol some difficulty. 

 Whether it was mingled with the pebbles before the lava ran 

 over the bed, or wlieiher tlie gold was ejected from the volcano, 

 1 am not able to decide. 



April 14. — Dr. Kuaciienberger, president, in the chair. — Prof. 

 Leidy called att«mioii to the " liullctm of the United States 



Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, No. 2," 

 presented this evening. It contains a "Review of the Verte- 

 brata of the Cretaceous Period found west of the Mississippi 

 River," by Prof. Cope. In this article he was quoted in such a 

 way as not fairly to express his original meaning. Thus, on one 

 page reference is made to the proceedings of this Academy, in 

 which it is intimated that Thespesius occidentalis was referred to 

 the Mammalia, and regarded, perhaps, as a Dinosaurian. " In the 

 Proceedings I have rather expressed the reverse, as I state of 

 T. occidcntalis, among the collection of vertebrate remains, are 

 two apparent caudal vertebra; and a first phalanx of some huge 

 animal, which I suspect to be a Dinosaurian, though they may 

 have belonged to a mammalian. I may add that Prof. Cope, 

 ciuoting from the same Proceedings, indicated that I had referred 

 Ischyrotherium to a Sirenian. Tliis is so, but Prof. Cope appears 

 to have overlooked the more full account of the animal in the 

 Trans, of the Am. Phil. Soc, in which, though I still refer it 

 with doubt to the mammalia sirenia, I state that the remains 

 may have belonged to an aquatic reptile." 



May 12. — Dr. Ruschenberger, president, in the chair. — Prof. 

 Leidy gave a notice of some new freshwater Rhizopods, having 

 all the essential characters of Amoeba, but, in addition, provided 

 with tufts of tail-like appendages or rays, from which he pro- 

 posed to name the genus Ouramoeba. It is possible that Our- 

 amceba is the same as the Plagiophrys of Claparede, though the 

 description of this does not apply to that. — Dr. Chapman made 

 the following remarks on the generative apparatus of the Tcbcn- 

 nophorus carolimnsis : — He found both ova and spermatozoa in 

 the organ regarded first as simply the ovary, later as the testicle. 

 May 19. — Dr. Kenderdine in the chair. — " The Veins of 

 Beech and Ilornbean Leaves." Mr. Thomas Meehan said 

 that De CandoUe had noticed some years since a difference 

 in the venation between the Fagus ferriiginca and /•agiis sylva- 

 tica, the common American and European beeches. In the 

 American beech the lateral veins were said to terminate in the 

 apex of the serratures, in the European they terminate at the 

 base of the sinus. As the statement stood, it conveyed the idea 

 that there was a marked difference in structure between these 

 two allied species, which did not, however, exist, as growing in 

 this country the leaves of the European beech are almost entire ; 

 the lateral veins, in approaching the margin of the leaves, curve 

 upwards, and connect with the lateral above them, forming a 

 sort of marginal vein near the outer edge of the leaf. The veins 

 of the American beech curve upward in the same way, but are 

 easily arrested, and this sudden cessation of growth produces the 

 serra, which are slightly curved upwards. — "Direct Growth 

 Force." Mr. Meehan referred to some potatoes exhibited by him 

 to the Academy a few years ago, in which the stolons ol a grass 

 had penetrated through from one side to the other, preferring, as 

 it would seem, to go through such an obstruction to turning 

 aside to avoid it. A potato was a rather rough-surfaced body. 

 He now exhibited a simUar case, only the obstruction was the 

 round smooth root of an herbaceous peony. Though not more 

 tlian one-third of an inch thick and round, a stolon of Triticum 

 repots, the common couch grass, had pushed itself through. 



May 26. — Dr. Ruschenberger, president, in the chair. — On 

 report of the committee to which it had been referred, the fol- 

 lowing paper was ordered to be published : — " Description of 

 two new fossil shells of the Upper Amazon," by T. A. Conrad. 



CONTENTS Pack 



Professor Huxley at Manchester 455 



The Rei-urt of the Meteorological Committee 457 



GeOLOGV AND AgHICULTURE 458 



Our Book. 6helf 459 



Migration of Birds.— Alfred R. Wallace '. . 459 



Regular Motion in Clockwork. — J. Hui-KiNsoNC/fVM Illustration) 459 



Rambows.— Prof. P. G. Tait, F.R.S.E 460 



U S. Weather Maps.— W. Clement Ley 460 



Aurora,— J. Rand Capron 460 



The Cry of the Frog.— F. T. Mott 461 



The Woolwich Aeronautical Experinieut, II. — W. de Funvielle . 461 



Is the Rabbit Indigenous? 461 



The Social Science Congress 461 



Pitchhr-Plant Insects. By Prof. C V. Riley (W<M///i«^a^«ww) 463 

 On Evolution and Zoological Formulation. By Prof. A. H. 



Gakrod 465 



The Oi'tics of the Si'ectroscoi'E 467 



The Sub- Weald JIN E.xploration ; 469 



Notes 470 



Scientific Serials 47a 



Societies and Academies 474 



