144 



NA TURE 



[June i i, 1896 



Zoological Society, June 2. — V. DuCane (lodman. F. R.S., 

 Vice-rresiilent, in the chair. — Mr. Sclater exhibited the skin of 

 an African Monkey of the genus Ceriopitheats, originally 

 received alive from Mombasa, which he believed to be referable 

 to Stairs's Monkey (C slairsi). — Mr. Sclater also exhibited a 

 .series of water-colour drawings of African antelopes by Mr. 

 Caldwell, and a photograph of the gorilla now living in the 

 Society's Gardens, by Mr. Henry Scherrcn — A communication 

 was read from Mr. Henry J. Elwes and Mr. Edwards, contain- 

 ing a revision of the European and Asiatic butterflies of the 

 fainily Hesperiidii;. The species treated of in this paper were 

 about 450 in number and were divided into about 100 genera. — 

 Mr. Charles Davies Sherborn gave an explanation of the plan 

 he had adopted in his " Index Generum et Specierum Ani- 

 malium." Mr. Sherborn stated that the absence of any trust- 

 worthy lists of the species of particular genera had led him to 

 commence the compilation of an " Index Generum et Specierum 

 Animalium " in 1890. Since that time 130,000 generic and 

 specific names had been recorded in a manuscript which was 

 .stored at the British Museum (Natural History). Mr. Sher- 

 born explained in detail the method and plan adopted for the 

 compilation of the work. — Mr. G. A. Boulenger, F. R. S., read 

 a paper on the dentition of snakes, and added remarks on the 

 ■evolution of the poison-fangs in this order of reptiles. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, June I. — M. A. Cornu in the chair. 

 — The President announced the loss sustained by the Academy 

 'by the death of M. Paul Daubree, Member of the Section of 

 Mineralogy. A letter from M. Des Cloizeaux, giving a brief 

 account of M. Daubree's contributions to science, was read by 

 the Secretary. — Note on the observed passages of Mercury 

 across the disc of the sun, and on the question of the existence 

 of inequalities of long period in the mean longitude of the moon, 

 of which the cause is still unknown, and in the rotation of the 

 earth upon its axis, by M. S. Newcomb. — On the laws of in- 

 duction. Reply to the note of M. Marcel Deprez, by M. A. 

 Potier. — Action of acetylene upon iron, nickel, and cobalt reduced 

 by hydrogen, by MM. II. Moissanand Ch. Moureu. If acetylene, 

 which has been allowed to suddenly impinge upon pyrophoric 

 iron which has been reduced by hydrogen at the lowest possible 

 temperature, the gas is decomposed with incandescence into its 

 constituents. At the same time, owing to the high temperature, 

 -condensation takes place, and a liquid hydrocarbon, rich in 

 'benzene, is produced. The same ]:)henomenon is produced by 

 ipyrophoric nickel and cobalt, and also by platinum black. No 

 ■compound containing metal can be isolated, and the decomposi- 

 tion appears to be due to physical causes. — Respiratory exchanges, 

 in the case of muscular contractions provoked electrically in 

 ■..inimals either fasting, or fed with a diet rich in carbohydrates, 

 by MM. A. Chauveau and F. Laulanie. The experimental results 

 •with dogs and rabbits were identical with those already obtained 

 with men. — New experiments on the distribution of velocities in 

 tubes, by M. Bazin. No single expression can be given which will 

 accurately represent the velocity of an air current at any point 

 between the centre and circumference of the tube, the law being 

 very complicated. At a distance from the centre equal to three- 

 .fourths of the radius of the tube the velocity was equal to the mean 

 for the whole tube. — On a musical register, by M. A. Rivoire. 

 Description of an in.strument for automatically recording the 

 inoles struck on a piano. — Density of variable stars of the Algol 

 type, by M. Meriau. Starting with the hypothesis that the 

 variations in the brightness of stars of the Algol type are due to 

 eclipses produced by dark satellites, a formula is developed 

 giving the density in terms of constants that can be experi- 

 mentally determined. — On entire functions, by M. Hadamard. 

 — On systems in involution of equations of the second order, by 

 M. E. Goursat. — On a differential equation of the first order, by 

 M. Michel Petrovitch. — On the rotation of a variable body, by 

 M. L. Picart. — On the anomaly in the acceleration of gravity at 

 Bordeaux, by M. J. Collet. — On the theory of turbines, pumps, 

 and centrifugal fans, by M. A. Rateau. — On molybdenite and 

 the preparation of molybdenum, by M. M. Guichard. Metallic 

 molybdenuin free from sulphur can be obtained by subjecting 

 the mineral molybdenite in a carbon tube to the electric furnace 

 (900 amperes, at 50 volts) for five minutes. The ingot contained 

 about 92 per cent, of molybdenum, 2 per cent, of iron, and 

 7 per cent, of carbon. — On the methylamines, by M. Delepine. 

 As a means of distinguishing the three methylamines rapidly and 

 with certainty, the formation of the picrates is recommended, 



NO. 1389, VOL. 54] 



the .salts from mono-, di-, and trimethylamine melting respectively 

 at 207°, 156°, and 216^, and differing also in colour and solu- 

 bility. — On the reaction between aldehydes and phenylhydrazine, 

 by M. H. Causse. Compounds are obtained with acetaldehyde 

 and benzaldehyde which appear to contain one molecule of alde- 

 hyde to two of phenylhydrazine, and to be formed without any 

 condensation. — On a new building material from glass refuse, by 

 M. Garchey. — On the influence of certain pathological agents on 

 the bactericidal properties of the blood, by M. E. S. London. — 

 On the slowness of the normal coagulation of the blood in birds, 

 by M. C. Delezenne. Contrary to the generally accepted view, 

 if the blood of birds is taken under experimental conditions 

 similar to those in general use for mammals, the coagulation 

 always takesplace with extreme slowness, frequently not com- 

 mencing until four to six hours after its removal from the 

 artery — On a new audiometer, and on the general relation 

 between the intensity of the sound and the successive degrees of 

 sen.sation, by M. Charles Henry. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Books.— Cry.-itnllography for Beginners: C. J. Woodward (Simpkin). 

 — Crystals and App-aratus for use with ditto (Simpkin). — Chem- 

 istry in Daily Lite : Dr. Lassar-Cohn, translated by iVI. M. V. 

 Muir (Grevel).— The Spas and Mineral Waters of Europe : Dr-. 

 H. and V. P. Weber (Smith. Elder).— The Antichrist Legend : W. 

 Bousset. translated by A. H.' Keane (Hutchinson).— Lloyds Natural 

 History. British Birds : R. B. Sharpe, Part i (Llnyd).— Thtorie 

 Nouvelle de la Vie : Dr. F. Le Dantec (Paris, Alcan).— Stuttering and 

 how to cure it : L. Klindworth (Glasgow, Bauermeister). — A Manual 

 of Botany : Prof. J. R. Green, Vol. 2 (Chuichill).— The Pathology of the 

 Contracted Granular Kidney: Sir G. Johnson (Churchill).— Animals at 

 Work and Play : C. J. Cornish (Seeley).- Physikalisch-Chemisclie 

 Propaedeutik, Zweite Halfte, i Liefg. (Leip/ig, Engelmann). - Lehrbuch der 

 Vergleichenden Mikroskopischen Anatomie der Wirbeltiere : Dr. A. Oppel. 

 1 Teil. Der Magen (Jena, Fischer). — Geological Sketch Map of South 

 Africa, and Notes \i\\ the Geological Formati'jn of South Africa and its 

 F. P. T. Struben (.Stanford). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



On Behalf of Selection. By Dr. F. A. Dixey ... 121 



Riverside Letters 122 



Man and Nature in Finmark. By James C. Christie 123 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Butschli : " Weitere ausftihrungen iiber den Bau der 



Cyanophyceen und Bacterien " 124 



Chester: " A Dictionary of the Names of Minerals, 



including their History and Etymology." — L. F. . 124 

 Maggi : " I'rincipii della Teoria Matematica de Movi- 



mentodei Corpi." — G 124 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Tidal Migrations of Limpets. — Dr. Arthur Willey . 125 



Butterflies and Hybernation. — W.Tyson 125 



BecquercTs Colour Photographs. — Captain W. de 



W. Abney, C.B., F.R.S 125 



Cannizzaro Memorial. — Dr. Ludwig Mond, F.R.S. 125 



Rontgen Ray Experiments. — A. A. C. Swinton . . 125 



Dalton's .-Atomic Theory. — Leonard Dobbin . . . 126 

 Halley'b Chart of Magnetic Declinations. — Chas. L. 



Clarke 126 



Professorial l,)uaUfications. — "Student" 120 



Leap-Years and their Occasional Omission. By 



W. T. Lynn 126 



The Nicaragua Canal (Illustrated) 127 



In the Heart of a Continent. (/lliistratcJ.) By Dr. 



Hugh Robert Mill 130 



Professor Daubree. By A. G 132 



Notes 133 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Occultation of Jupiter 137 



Comet Swift 137 



Spots and Markings on Jupiter 137 



Comet Perrine-Lamp (1S96 I.) 137 



The Relative Lengths of Post-Glacial Time in the 



Two Hemispheres. Bv Dr. C. Davison 137 



Plant-Breeding. By Dr. Maxwell T. Masters, F.R.S. 138 



The Royal Observatory, Greenwich 139 



The Royal Society of Canada 141 



TheCirculationjof Organic Matter. By Dr. G. V.Poore 141 



University and Educational Intelligence 142 



Scientific Serials 142 



Societies and Academies 143 



Books Received 144 



