NATURE 



[June 4. 1896 



Sauvageau. — On some Devonian bacteria, by M. B. Renault. 

 Two species of niiciococcus are described, found on fossil 

 vegetation of tlie Devonian age. These are the earliest known 

 bacteria.— On the photography of the retina, by M. Th.Cuilloz. 

 — Influence of the liver on the anti-coagulating action of peptone, 

 by MM. K. Cley ami V. Pachon. 



Berlin. 

 Meteorological Society, May 5 —Prof. Bornstein, Presi- 

 -lent, in the chair. —Dr. Carl Miiller spoke on the adaptation 

 of plants to climate and weather, and discussed the mechanisms 

 by which they take up water and carbon dioxide from the air, as 

 also the various configurations of the earth's surface which 

 either assist, limit or regulate transpiration in dependence upon 

 climate and weather. He further gave a sketch of the means 

 by which radiation is limited during the night, and by which 

 the access of light to the assimilative chlorophyll corpuscles is 

 ficilitated and regulated, as also of the multitudinous arrange- 

 ments for the avoid.ince of the deleterious action of heavy rain 

 and violent winds. 



Physiological Society, May 8.— Prof, du Bois Reymond, 

 President, in the chair.— Dr. Cohnstein discussed certain recent 

 papers dealing with the theory of lymph formation which oppose 

 Heidenhain's view that it is the result of a secretory process, and 

 -tend to prove that dihusion and osmosis suffice entirely to explain 

 the passage of the constituents of lymph through the walls oT the 

 -capillaries. — Prof. I. Munk spoke on muscular work and proteid 

 ■metabolism, and combated Chauveau's most recent views that 

 the necessary energy is supplied by the oxidation of carbohydrate 

 rather than of proteid material. 



Physical Society, M.ay 15.— Prof, du Bois Reymond, 

 President, in the chair. —Prof. Warburg spoke on the action 

 of light on sparking discharge, and demonstrated Hertz's earliest 

 experiments on the influence of ultra-violet rays on the striking 

 <listance of the sparks, and on the discharge of negatively 

 electrified bodies. He next showed Hallwach's experiments 

 dealing with spark discharge in light, and finally his own, by 

 which he proved that the action of ultra-violet rays consists in 

 doing away with the retardation which, according to Jaumann's 

 researches, exists at each discharge. This retardation, which is 

 a forerunner of the discharge, and during which some as yet 

 unknown events take place in the path of the spark, is lessened 

 or even completely done away with by the action of light. He 

 conjectured that gases, unlike electrolytes and metals whose 

 conductivity is independent of strength of current, only be- 

 come conductors when the current has reached a certain intensity. 

 Hence possibly during the retardatiim the gas is becoming a 

 conductor, and if so the action of light consists in the removal 

 of some obstruction to the e.stablishment of conduction. — Prof. 

 Paalzow gave an obituary notice of the recently deceased member 

 of the Society, Dr. llaensch. 



Philadelphia. 



Academy of Natural Sciences, May 5. — Dr. F. P. Henry 

 "made a communication on Fihiria sanguinis hotninis noctitrna, 

 specimens of which had been obtained from the blood of a 

 jiatient suffering from chyluria due to clogging of the lymphatics 

 'by the ova of the parasite. The various forms of the worm, 

 with their life-history, as given by Dr. Patrick Manson, were 

 dwelt on. 



May 12. — Dr. Charles S. DoUey described a centrifugal 

 ■apparatus, which he called a Planktonokrit, for the quantitative 

 -determination of the food supply of oysters and other aquatic 

 animals. By means of its use he is enabled to make a large 

 number of plankton estimates in a day, and thus judge of the 

 characters of given areas of water in connection with fish and 

 oyster culture at different limes of the day, states of the tide, 

 varying depths, iVc. The method employed is that of the 

 centrifuge, an apparatus which consists of a series of geared 

 wheels driven by hand or belt, and so arranged as to cause an 

 upright shaft to revolve up to a speed of 8000 revolutions per 

 minute, corresponding to fifty revolutions per minute of the 

 crank or pulley-wheel. To this upright shaft is fastened an 

 attachment by means of which two funnel-shaped receptacles of 

 <me litre capacity e,ach maybe secured and m.ade to revolve with 

 the shaft. The main portion of each of these receptacles is 

 constructed of spun copper, tinned. When caused to revolve 



NO. 1388, VOL. 54] 



for one or two minutes the entire contents of suspended matter 

 in the contained water is thrown to the bottom of tubes 

 properly placed, from which the amount may lie read oflf by 

 means of a graduated scale. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLET, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books.— Cosmic Ethics ; or, the M.ithematic.il Theory of Evolution : W. 

 C. Thomas (Smith, Elder).— Modern Optical Instruments : H. Orford 

 (Whittaker).— Engineer Draughtsmen's Work (Whittaker).— .\2imuth Tables 

 for the Higher Declinations : H. B. Goodwin (Longmans) —Latitude and 

 Longitude : W. J, Millar (Griffin).— Sporozoenkunde : Dr. von Wasielewslcl 

 (Jena, Fischer) — Elemenlarcurs der Zootomie in Fiinfzehn Vorlesungen : 

 Drs. B. Hatschek and C. J. Cori (Jena, Fischer).— .\pollonius of Perga, 

 Treatise on Conic Sections : edited in Modern Notation by T. L. Heath 

 (Cambridge University Press).— An Introductory Treatise on the Lunar 

 Theory : Prof. E. W. Brown (Cambridge University Press). 



PAM™i.ET.—Stalen Island Names: W. T. D.avis (New Brighton, >*ew 

 York). 



Sekials —Ij' Anthropologic, tome 7. No. 2 (Paris, Massm).- Botanische 

 Jahrbiicher, &c., Einundzwanzigster Band, v. Heft(Leipzig, Engelmaiin).— 

 Sitzungsberichleder K. B. Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften Math. Naturw. 

 Classe, 189s. i. and ii. (Prag).— Century Illustrated Mag.azine, June (M.ac- 

 millan).— History of Mankind: F. Ratzel, translated. Part 9 (Macmillan). 

 Bulletin from the L.aboratories of Natural History of the State University of 

 Iowa, Vol. 3. No. 4(Iowa)— Brain. Part 73 (Macmillan).— Humanitarian, 

 June (Hutchinson).— National Review, June (Arnold).— Contemoor.ary 

 Review, June (Isbister). — Scribner's Magazme, June (Low).— Journal of the 

 .Anthropological Institute, May (K. P.»ul).— Bachelor of Arts, .May (New 

 York) — Zeitschrift fur Physikalische Chemie, xx. Band, i Heft (Leipzig, 

 Engelmann). 



CONTENTS. PACE 



Two Books on Electricity and Magnetism. By Prof. 



A. Gray 97 



Annals of the Calcutta Botanic Garden. By T. L. . 98 



Our Mineral Industries 99 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Holleman ;'," Leerboek der Organische Chemie." — Dr. 



J. B. Cohen 100 



Daniell : "Physics for Students of Medicine" . . . . ico 



Maclean: " Physical Units " loi 



Durege : " Elements of the Theory of Functions." — G. 101 



Antonovich : " Charles Darwin and his Theory " . . loi 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



.\ <^)uery concerning the Origin of Atolls. — Prof. 



Ralph S. Tarr loi 



" The Primary Factors of Organic Hvolution." — Prof. 



J. McKeen Cattell . . loi 



Barisal Guns.— B. W. S 102 



The Sperm Whale and its Food. By Frank T. 



BuUen 102 



The Tornado 104 



Notes 105 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



The King Nebula in Lyra 108 



\'arial lie Star Clusters ic8 



Recent Researches on Rontgen Rays 109 



The Relief of the Earth's Crust. (IVil/i Dia'rani.) By 



Dr. Hugh Robert Mill 112 



The 'Work of Local Societies. By Prof. R. Meldola, 



F.R.S 114 



Camphor. By W. B. H 116 



Uranium 116 



Science in the Magazines 117 



University and Educational Intelligence 117 



Scientific Serials iiS 



Societies and Academies nS 



Books, Pamphlet, and Serials Received 120 



