2 l6 



NATURE 



[July 2, 1896 



communces. The lieal evolved tlurins; the chemical action is 

 sufficient tomelt the alloy formed provided that there is a sufficient 

 difference between the heat of formation of the metallic sulphide 

 cm|iloyed and that of aluminium sulphide. Alloys of aluminium 

 witli nickel, manganese, and chromium were prepared by this 

 method. — On the action of phosphorus on some metallic chlo- 

 ride's, by M. A. tlranger. — Measurement of heat of etherification 

 by the action of the acid chloride upon the sodium alkylate, by 

 M. J. Cavalier. A thermochemical study of the reaction be- 

 tween phosphoryl chloride and sodium ethylate, — On the heat 

 of combustion of acetal and monochloracetal, by M. Paul 

 Rivals. — On the thermochemistry of the chloracetic ethers, by 

 M. Paul Rivals. — Action of hydrazine upon the glyoxylic acids 

 of the aromatic series, by M. L. Bouveault. The hydrazones 

 obtained lose COj at l8o°-200°. giving nearly quantitative 

 yields of the hydrazones derived from the corresponding alde- 

 hydes. 



R(CO.,H).C = N-N = CR(COJi) = 2COo-(-R.CH:N-N:CH.R 

 The yield of aldehyde, however, obtained by the hydrolysis of 

 these hydrazones is not good. — On the constitution of inactive 

 campholenic acid, by MM. (nierbet and A. Behal. — On the 

 nutritive value of flour and on the economic consequences of 

 excessive sifting, by M. Balland. — On the chemical mechanism 

 of the reduction of nitrates in plants, by M. A. Bach. — On the 

 rational denaturation of alcohol, by M. G. Jacquemin. The 

 addition of crude mercaptan to rectified spirit is suggested as 

 a means of rendering alcohol unfit to drink, without interfering 

 with its industrial applications. — On the deep borings at Charmoy 

 <Creusot) and Macholles (Limagne), by M. A. M. Levy. The 

 first of these borings .showed a rise of \" C. for every 26 metres, 

 the .second (Charmoy) giving a rise of 1° C. for every I4"l6 

 metres. — On the region of Diego Suarez (Madagascar), by M. R. 

 Bourgeois. — On the relations which exist between the first 

 segmentation groiive and the embryonic axis in .Amphibia and 

 Teleostia, by M. E. Bataillon. — Tuberculosis experimentally 

 shown to be attenuated by the Rontgen radiation, by MM. L. 

 Lortet and Genoud. 



PHILAnELPHIA. 



Academy of Natural Sciences, May 19. — The collections 

 made by Dr. A. Donald.son Smith in Western Somaliland and 

 the Galla country. North-eastern Africa, in 1894, were presented 

 to the Academy. Dr. Smith spoke of the physical features of 

 the regions from which the specimens had been collected, and 

 gave briefly some facts regarding the habits of the animals 

 observed by him. The several sections of the collection were 

 commented on by the specialists of the Academy. The mam- 

 mals are of unusual interest because these alone have not been 

 studied by authorities elsewhere. They embrace fifty genera and 

 about seventy species represented by over two hundred speci- 

 mens. Seven genera and twelve species are new to American 

 museums. The collection, except the bats, which are being 

 studied by Dr. Harrison Allen, is in the hands of Mr. Samuel 

 N. Rhoads, who will furnish a detailed report on the material 

 submitted to him. The birds have been studied b)' Mr. Bowdler 

 Sharpe. One hundred and fifty specimens of about one hundred 

 -pecies have been given to the Acadamy. The insects embrace 

 Ji?! specimens. The Hymenoptera are being studied by Mr. 

 Wm. J. Fox, who has determined eight species heretofore un- 

 described. — Mr. Henry A. Pilsbry made a communication on 

 the fish-house deposits of New Jersey. — A paper entitled " The 

 I'lantstonokrit, a centrifugal apparatus for the volumetric estima- 

 tion of the food supply of oysters and other aquatic animals," 

 by Dr Chas. S. Dolby, was presented for publication. 



May 26. — A paper entitled "Catalogue of the .species of 

 Cerion, with descriptions of new forms," by Henry A. Pilsbry 

 and E. G. Vanatta, was presented for publication. — Mr. Edw. 

 < loldsmith reported that a specimen of supposed Guperite 

 from Hawaii had pmved on examination to be an amorphous, 

 soluble sulphate of lime. It is deposited in association with 

 sulphur on the margin of the Kilauea crater, and is either 

 ejected from the volcano or formed by the action of the 

 oxygenated sulphur water on associated minerals. — Prof. 

 Edw. D. Cope described a new genus and species of whale- 

 bone whale from the Miocene of the Vorktown epoch, under 

 the name Ccphalotropis (oroiialus. It was characterised by an 

 elongation of the parietal and frontal bones, and establishes 

 ihe relation of the group to the Zenglodonts. — Dr. M. F. 

 Hall described a human exancephalic monster born about the 

 .seventh month, in which the brain, although extruded, was 

 well developed. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books— rmirtLL-nth.\nnual Report of llic Fisht-ry Ko.irJ for Scotl.ind, 

 1895, Part I (KdiiihurEh, Neill).— 19th Aiiiui.-il Rcporl of Ihe Connec.icut 

 Agricultural K.vperiment Station, 1893 (New Haven). — Khcumatism, its 

 Nattire, its Pathology, and its successful Treatment : Dr. T. J. Maclagan 

 (Bl.ack).— La Vie d'un Homme. Carl Vogt ; W. Vogi (Paris, Schleicher).— 

 Nitro-Kxplosive< : P. G Sanford (Lockwood).-Wayside and Woodland 

 Blossoms: E. Step, 2nd series (Warne).— Ceographical Journal, Vol. 7 

 (Stanford). -Plants of Manitoba (M. W.ard). - Coloured Vade-Mecum to 

 the Alpine Klora for the use of Tourists in Switzerland : L. and C. 

 Schniter, 5th edition (Zurich, Raustein).— Sport in the Alps : W. A 

 Baillie-Grohman (Black).— Micro-Organisms and Disease : Dr. E. Klein, 

 new edition (Macmillan) - Macmillans (Jeogr.aphy Readers, Book v. (Mac- 

 millan),— A Concise Handbook of British Birds : H. K. Swann (Wheldon). 

 Der Lichtsinii augenloser Tiere : Dr. W. A. Nagel (Jena, Fischer).— La 

 Spectromitrie : Prof. J. Lefivre (Paris, GauthierVilLars).— Le Nickel : H. 

 Moissan and L. Ouvrard (Paris, Gauthier-Villar-).- University Tutorial 

 Series. Matriculation Directory (32, Red Lion S.|uare).-Ros Rosarum, 

 2iid edition (E. Stock).— The .Scenery of Swii/erl.ind : Sir J. Lubbock 

 (Macmillan). 



Pami'ULETs. — U.S. Department of Agriculture : — Some Mexican and 

 Japanese Injurious Insects liable to be introduced into the United States 

 (Washington).— On the Interpretation of (ireek Music: C. Torr (Frowde). 



Serials.- English Illustrated Magazine, July (Strand).- Revue Ginirale 

 Internationale, No. i (Paris, Ollendorff). — Longman's M.agazine, July 

 (Longmans).— Good Words. July (Isbister).— Sunday Mag.izine, July (Is- 

 bister).— Lloyd's Natural History. Butterflies : W. F. Kirby, Part 1 (Lloyd). 

 —Chambers's Journal, July (Chambers).— Natural Science, July (Page).— 

 Journal of the Chemical Society, June (Gurney). — J. C. Poggendorff's 

 I-{iographisch-Literarisches Handwnrterbuch, 3 Band, Liefg. i (Leipzig, 

 Barth).— Ergebnisse der Meteorologischen Beobachtungen in Jahre 1895, 

 Jahrg. vi. (Bremen).— Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Indi.a, vol. xxvii. 

 Part I (Calcutta).— Ditto, Pateontologia Indica, Ser xiii. Vol. 2 : Ser. xv. 

 Vol. 2, Part 2 (Calcutta).— Bulletins de la Society d'Anthropologie de Paris, 

 tome septieme. (iv"=. s^rie), 1896, fasc. 1"=' (Paris).— Mimoires de la Soci^ti 

 d'Anthropologie de Paris, tome 2,(3"=sdr.) i"fasc. (Paris).— National Review 

 July (Arnold).— Century Magazine, July (Macmillan).— Notes from the 

 Leyden Museum, October 189s (Leyden, Brill).— Contemporary Review, July 

 (Isbister). — Morphologisches Jahrbuch, 24 Band, I Heft (Leipzig, Engel- 

 mann).- Reliquary and Illustrated Archaeologist, July (Be: 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Cell-Theory 193 



A Romantic Naturalist 194 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Weber : " The Spas and Mineral Waters of Europe '' 195 



Murche : " Domestic Science Readers " 196 



Munro : " The Story of Electricity " 196 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Zoological Publications. — Edgar R. Waite ; Prof. 



G. B. Howes . ■ 196 



The Salaries of .Science Demonstrators. — Charles 



Frederic Baker 196 



Ilalley's Chart of Magnetic Declinations. — Thos. 



Ward 196 



The Total Eclipse of the Sun. By J. Norman 



Lockyer, C.B., F.R.S 197 



The Kelvin Jubilee 199 



The British Association Meeting in Liverpool. — 

 Local Arrangements. By Prof. W. A. Herdman, 



F.R.S 199 



The Davy-Faraday Research Laboratory 200 



Boring a Coral Reef at Funafuti. By 'W. 'W. 'Watts 201 



Sir Joseph Prestwich, D.C.L., F.R.S. By H. B. 'W. 202 



Notes 203 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Declinations of Fifty-six Stars 206 



Graphical Prediction of Occultations 206 



Mass of the Asteroids • 206 



Variable Stars 206 



Award and Presentation of the Rumford Premium 207 



Causes of Death in Colliery Explosions 207 



Individuality in the Mineral Kingdom. By Prof. 



Henry A. Miers, F.R.S 208 



University and Educational Intelligence 212 



Scientific Serials 213 



Societies and Academies 213 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 216 



NO. 1392, VOL. 54] 



