May 2 1, 1896] 



NA TURE 



71 



were now known from the Caucasus. — Mr, F. E. Betldard, 

 R R.S., read the second of his contribiuions to the anatomy of 

 Picarian birds. The present communication related to the 

 pterylosis of the Capitoiiidie. — Mr. M. F. Woodward read a 

 paper on the dentition of certain Insectivores, and pointed out 

 that there was strong evidence to .show that the milk-dentition 

 was undergoing reduction in this group as a whole, some of the 

 milk-teeth in Erinacetis and Gynimira being present as small 

 calcified tooth-vestiges only, while in Sorc.x there were ap- 

 parently no calcified milk-teeth, but only vestigial milk-enamel 

 organs. — A communication from Mr. A. D. Burtlett contained 

 some notes on the breeding of the .Surinam Toad [Pipa 

 a«/e7vVa«a,) a.s recently observed in the Society's Gardens. It 

 had been observed that the eggs when issued from the cloaca of 

 the female, which was protruded into a bladder-like process 

 during their production, were arranged on the b.^ck of the female 

 by the action of the male. 



Anthropological Institute, May 12. — Mr. E. W. Bra- 

 brook, President, in the chair. — Mr. M. W. Seton-Karr ex- 

 hibited and made remarks on a collection of stone implements 

 discovered by him in Somaliland. Sir John Evans, Prof. 

 Kupert Jones, and Mr. C. H. Read spoke and complimented 

 Mr. Seton-Karr upon his discovery. — Dr. J. G. Garson read a 

 jiaperon recent observations on the Andamaiiese by Mr. M. V. 

 I'ortman. A discussion followed, during which remarks were 

 made by Sir William Flower, Prof. Keane, Mr. C. H. Read, 

 and Prof. Brigham of Honolulu. Dr. Garson read another 

 paper on photographic apparatus for travellers, and exhibited a 

 number of cameras of various designs. 



EniNBURGH. 

 Royal Society, May 4. — Prof M'Kendrick in the chair.— 

 Dr. John .Macintyre made a further communication describing 

 new results with the X-rays. Some of these have already ap- 

 peared in N.mure (vol. liii. p. 614). He found that his coil gave 

 better results when a mercury interrupter was used, and, on 

 regulating this to give one flash in the tube, he was struck by 

 the peculiar colour of the discharge. He exhibited a photo of 

 the hand taken with one flash, which was quite distinct. With 

 ten flashes it was excellent. What the'expo.sure would be in 

 the case of one flash, he could not say. He had tried the effect 

 of the rays on tourmaline, but could find no trace of polarisation. 

 Prof. M'Kendrick said he had satisfied himself that the rays had 

 no efiect on the electric phenomena of the pulsating heart, nor 

 on the motor nerves, but that they had an influence on the 

 currents referable to the retina. — Dr. J. C. Dunlop read a paper 

 on the action of acids on the metabolism. He showed them to 

 have a marked diuretic action, to aft'ect the acidity of the urine 

 only slightly, the acidity being to a great extent neutralised by 

 an increased alkali excretion, and to produce an increased 

 excretion of nitrogen as pre-formed ammonia and extractives, 

 but not as urea. His results did not agree with those of Dr. 

 Haig in the same field. — The Secretary read a paper on clouds, 

 by Mr. John Aitken. — Dr. C. G. Knott read a paper by Prof 

 J. M. Dixon, on a graphical representation of emotion as ex- 

 pressed in rhythm. The author plotted a graph of the number 

 of syllables in each stanza of Browning's " Abt Vogler," and 

 endeavoured to deduce from the graph the variations in 

 Browning's feelings. Other specimens were treated similarly. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, May 11.— On the r61c of the in- 

 duction ring of iron in dynamo-electric machines, by M. Marcel- 

 Deprez. A discussion as to the cause of the effect produced by 

 the ring of iron in dynamos of the Pacinotti type. Some experi- 

 ments are cited which tend to show that the explanations usually 

 given in text-books are insufficient. The complete theory will 

 be given in a future paper. — Nitrates in potable waters, by M. 

 Th. Schliesing. The results are given of a large number of 

 determinations of nitrates and of calcium in potable waters from 

 various sources. Curves are given .showing the variations of these 

 with the .season. — On the crepuscular phenomena, and the appear- 

 ance of the dark face of X'enus, by M.Perrotin. — On regular non- 

 linear .substitutions, by M. Antoine. — .\n elementarj' demonstra- 

 tion of a theorem of M. Picard on complete functions, by M. E. 

 Bore!. — Remarks on the preceding communication, by M. 

 Picard. — On the periodic solutions of the problem of the move- 

 ment of a l)udy suspended by one of its points, by M. G. Knenigs. 

 — On the rotation of solids and Maxwell's principle, by M. R. 

 I.iouville. .\n examination of a case for which Maxwell's prin- 



NO. 1386, VOL. 54] 



ciple does not hold good. — Observations concerning the note of 

 M. Dongier on a method of measuring double refraction, by M. 

 G. Friedel. It is pointed out that the method of M. Dongier 

 was anticipated by the author in 1893. — On the lowering of the 

 explosive dynamic potential by ultra-violet light, and the inter- 

 pretation of certain experiments of M. Jaumann, by M. R. 

 Swyngedauw. The study of the influence of the rate of variation 

 of potential upon the explosive potential must be made in the 

 absence of ultra-violet light. The neglect of this precaution 

 vitiates the results obtained by M. Jaumann- — On the condensa- 

 tion of dark light, by M. Ci. Le Bon. Two plates of metal 

 (copper and lead), after exposure to an electric arc for an hour, 

 were made to enclose a negative and a sensitive plate, the faces 

 that had not been exposed to the light being inwards. Precau- 

 tions were taken to eliminate the possible effects of heat and of 

 contact. That the resulting image must have been caused by 

 something stored on the surface of the metal plates during the 

 exposure to the arc lamp, was definitely proved by the negative 

 results of parallel experiments with plates not exposed to the arc 

 lamp. — The action of hydrogen bromide upon thiophosphoryl 

 chloride, by M. A. Besson (see Notes, p. 63). — The action of air 

 and of peroxide of nitrogen upon some halogen compounds of 

 bismuth, by M. V. Thomas. The halogen compounds studied 

 included the tribromide, triiodide, and the dichloride, which 

 yielded as ultimate products bismuth oxybromide, bismuthic 

 oxide, and bismuth oxychloride respectively. — Action of ethyl- 

 oxalyl chloride upon the aromatic hydrocarbons in presence of 

 aluminium chloride, by M. L. Bouveault. Under suitable con- 

 ditions this reaction readily results in the production of ethyl 

 phenyl-glyo.xylate, or its derivatives. — On a new method of 

 separating the methylamines, by M. Marcel-Delepine. The mix- 

 ture of amine hydrochlorides is boiled with caustic soda, and the 

 gases passed into commercial formaldehyde. This distillate is 

 now heated with caustic soda, and, after drying, submitted to 

 fractional distillation. Three principal fractions are obtained, 

 at i5°-20°, 67°-68°, and 166° C. The first is trimethylamine, 

 and the two latter, on heating with alcoholic hydrochloric acid, 

 yield the pure hydrochlorides of dimethylamine and methylamine. 

 The separation is more perfect than in the classical method with 

 ethyl o.xalate. — On the Synascidia of the genus Colclla, and the 

 polymorphism of their buds, by M. Maurice CauUery. — On the 

 nephridia of BranchiobdeUa varians (var. Astaci), by M. D. N. 

 Voinov. — Formation of an anti-coagulating substance by the liver 

 in presence of peptone, by M. C. Delezenne. — On the effects 

 produced on certain animals by the toxins and anti-toxins of 

 diphtheria and tetanus injected into the rectum, by M. P. Gibier. 

 Toxins and anti-toxins injected per rectum are without any effect, 

 and appear to be destroyed or retained by the rectal mucus. 

 For the animals used in the experiments (rabbit, dog, and guinea- 

 pig), the toxins did not poison, and the anti-toxins conferred no 

 immunity. — Hydrographical researches of M. Spindler in Lake 

 Peypous, by M. Venukoft". 



PHILADELI'HIA. 



Academy of Natural Sciences, March 31. — Prof. Henry 

 A. Pilsby called attention to a fine collection of barnacles obtained 

 from the bottom of a vessel recently returned from a voyage 

 to Hong Kong from San Francisco and back, by way of Java 

 and India. Balanus tintinabulum was the commonest of the 

 species represented, the varieties zebra and spinosits^ although 

 growing under identical conditions, retained their individuality 

 perfectly. — The question of the constancy of varietal characters 

 was debated by Messrs. Sharp, Pilsby, and Heilprin. — Mr. 

 Pilsby also described a specimen of Pupiits parvus, a ringiculate 

 mollusc. The species is involute, a unique character, none of 

 the fossil forms of the family possessing it. He also described 

 a Central American Melanian, under the name Pachyclieiliis 

 Dalli. It is distinguished by a remarkable double sinuation of 

 the outer lip, which has a deep and wide pleurotonoid sinus 

 above, and a rounded projecting lobe in the middle, below 

 which it is again retracted. — On the nomination of the Entomo- 

 logical Section, Dr. Henry Skinner was elected Professor in the 

 Department of Insecta. In response to an invitation from the 

 Committee having charge of the celebration of the fiftieth year of 

 Lord Kelvin's tenure of office as Professor of Natural Philosophy 

 in the University of Glasgow, General Isaac Jones Wistar was ap- 

 pointed to represent the Academy on the occasion. 



March 25. — Dr. George H. Horn made a communication re- 

 garding the synonymy of the Elaterida:. He specially described 

 the prosternum of Ludius. A Lower California form had the pro- 



