NA TURE 



[July 30, 1896 



and they showed a great diminution in the vahie of k as the 

 temperature increased, thus letting /t = /■„ (i - a t) the coefficient 

 a is the same for ferrous and ferric salts, being a function of 

 the temperature only, its value at the lower temperatures 

 between 5° and 25° C. being about '0055, and at the higher 

 temperatures between 65° and 75° C. its value is '0035. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, July 20.— M. A. Chatin in the chair. 

 — Laws of uniform flow to the second approximation in circular 

 tubes and in semicircular canals, by ^L J. Boussinesq. A con- 

 tinuation of previous papers on the same subject. — Study of 

 lanthanum carbide, by M. H. Moissan. This carbide, which 

 is obtained from the oxide and carbon in the usual manner, 

 forms a transparent yellowish crystalline mass, of the com- 

 position LaCo. Water rapidly decomposes it at the ordinary 

 temperature, giving acetylene, ethylene, and methane, with traces 

 of solid and liquid hydrocarbons. — The relations between the 

 expenditure o{ energy of a muscle and the amount of shorten- 

 mg it undergoes, by M. A. Chauveau. The method of the 

 respiratory exchanges was used in this as in previous work on 

 the same subject. For a given amount of external work done 

 by the muscle, the energ)' used up is smaller as the muscle is 

 nearer to its maximum length. — Rejiort on a memoir of M. 

 Jaderin, concerning a new method of measuring a base line, 

 by M. Bassot. By the substitution of wires for steel tape, 

 there is a gain in speed and also in the initial expense. 

 The results obtained in working over well-established base 

 lines, although agreeing amongst themselves to 1/100,000, 

 disagree by 1/25,000 from the mean results of other 

 methods. — Mirages and refractions observed on Lake Leman, 

 by M. F. A. Forel. — On the photography of the sounds of 

 the heart, by M. A. de Holowinski. The sounds are trans- 

 mitted by a sensitive microphone to an optical telephone, the 

 diaphragm of which produces Newton's rings, which are 

 photographed. — On a new method of treating tuberculosis, by 

 M. Fr. Crotte. — The Secretary announced the death of M. A. 

 Kekule von Stradonitz, Correspondent in the Section of 

 Chemistry, on July 13.— On the summations of Gauss, by M. P. 

 de Seguier. — On the definite quadratic forms of M. Hermite, 

 by JM. Alfred Loewy. — On an electroscope with three gold 

 leaves, by M. L. Benoist. The instrument described has the 

 advantages of increased sensibility and greater certainty in the 

 measurement of the angle of deflection. — On metallic alloys, 

 by M. H. Gautier. Giving fusibility curves for cadmium-silver, 

 zinc-silver, and tin-silver alloys. — On the oxygen salts of mer- 

 cury, by H. Raoul Varet. A thermochemical study of the 

 condition of some mercuric salts on solution in dilute acids. — 

 On the action of the halogen compounds of phosphorus upon 

 iron, nickel, and cobalt, by M. A. Granger. The phosphides 

 FejPj, NijP, and Co^P, together with the chlorides, were ob- 

 tained. — On some combinations of iodic acid with other acids, 

 by M. Paul Chretien. An account of the salts of molybdo- 

 iodic, metatung.sto-iodic, and phospho-iodic acids. — Action of 

 ammonia upon the paratungstates of potash and soda, by 

 RL L. A. Hallopeau. — Action of reducing agents upon the 

 nitroso-compounds of osmium, by M. L. Brizard. By the re- 

 duction of Os.(NO).OK in acid solution with stannous chloride 

 an amido-compound, Os.(NH„).Cl3.KCl, is obtained. — Fer- 

 mentation of uric acid by micro-organisms, by M. E. Gerard. 

 Under certain conditions it is possible to split up uric acid in 

 such a manner that the whole of the nitrogen appears as urea, 

 no ammonia being formed. — Action of the chloride of sulphur 

 upon penta-erythrite, by M. J. Bougault. A chlorhydrin and 

 sulphurous ether are formed simultaneously. — On the determina- 

 tion of the freezing-point of dilute aqueous solutions, by M. A. 

 Ponsot. A discussion of the correction recently proposed by 

 M. Raoult. — Estimation of alcohol in the blood after direct 

 injection into the veins, or the introduction of alcoholic vapour 

 into the lungs, by M. N. Grehant. — Coagulating action of the 

 prostatic fluid upon the contents of the seminal vesicles, by 

 MM. L. Camus and E. Gley. — The influence of lecithine upon 

 the growth of warm-blooded animals, by M. B. Danilewsky. 

 The injection of lecithine in small quantities causes an accelera- 

 tion in growth. — On the dorsal apodeme of the Araneida, by 

 M. Causard. — On the tubercle disease of the vine, by M. F. 

 Lataste. The tubercles are shown to be very contagious. It 

 is necessary to destroy by fire all infected stocks to stamp out 

 the disease. — Direct estimation of ethyl alcohol in solutions 

 where it is diluted in proportions between l/500th and l/300oth, 

 by M. Maurice Niclou.x. 



NO. 1396, VOL. 54] 



Philadelphia. 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, June 16.— The follow- 

 ing papers were presented for publication: — "On a collection 

 of fishes obtained in Swatow, China, by Miss Adele M. 

 Fielde," by Cloudesley Rutter ; "On a collection of fishes 

 made by the Rev. Jos. Seed Roberts in Kingston, Jamaica," 

 by David Starr Jordan and Cloudesley Rutter. — Prof. Edward 

 D. Cope continued his report on the vertebrate remains from 

 the Port Kennedy bone-fissure. Among the Mustellidx were 

 five new species of the genera Lutra, Mephitis, Osmotherium, 

 and Putorius. They were represented by at least forty in- 

 dividuals, and were described and named. Remains of the 

 largest known tortoise from this section of the country were 

 described as belonging to a new species of Clemmys. C. in- 

 sculpta was also represented, together with a new box-tortoise 

 belonging to the genus Toxaspis. A close ally of the black 

 snake was also described. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Catalogue of the Fossil Bryozoa in the Department of Geology, 

 British Museum (Natural History). The Jurassic Bryozoa: Dr. J. W. 

 Gregory (London).— .\nnuario p.p. Observalorio do Rio de Janeiro, i8q6 

 (Rio de J.ineiro).— Report on the Work of the Horn Scientific Expedition 

 to Central Australia. Pan ^. Geology- and Botany (Dulau).— Practical 

 Mechanics applied to the Requirements of the Sailor : T. Mackenzie 

 (Griffin).— Handbuch der Gewebelehre des Menscben : Prof. A. Koelliker, 

 .Sechste Umgearbeitete Auflage, Band i and 2 (Leipzig, Engelmann). — 

 Everybody's Guide to Chess and Draughts : H. Peachey (Saxon). — Even'- 

 body's Cycling Law : S. Wright and C. W. Browne (Sa.xon).— Erkenntnis- 

 theoretische Grundzijge der Naturwissenschaften, &c. : Dr. P. Volkmann 

 (Leipzig, Teubner).— Three Essays on Austr-alian Weather : Hon. R. Aber- 

 cromby (Sydney, White). — Essai de Pal^ontologie Philosophique : Prof. A. 

 Gaudry (Paris, Masson).— Die Mikrotechnik der Thierischen Morphologic : 

 Dr. S. Apathy, Erste Abthg. (Braunschweig, Bruhn). 



Pamphlets.— American Museum of Natural History, .\nnual Report, 

 i895(New York).- History of Modern Mathematics: Prof. D. E. Smith 

 (Chapman) —The X-Rays : A. Thornton (Lund).— Das Parallelogranim der 

 Krafte : Dr. J. Sperber (Ziirich, Speidel). 



Serials.— Lloyd's Natural History. Butterflies : W. F. Kirby. Part 3 

 (Lloyd). — Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 

 i8ci6, Part i (Philadelphia).— Royal Natural History, Part 33 (Warner- 

 History of Mankind : F. Ratzel, translated, Part 10 (Macmillan). — Himmel 

 und Erde, July (Berlin, Paetel).— American Journal of Psychology, Vol. 7, 

 No. 4 (Worcester, Mass.). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Industrial Photometry. By 'W. E. S 2S9 



The Notes of Birds. By W. Warde Fowler . . , . 290 



The Structure of Man. By A. F. D 291 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Southwell: "The Official Guide to the Norwich 



Castle Museum " . 292 



Millar : " Latitude and Longitude : How to Find 



them."— O. L 292 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Utility of Specific Characters.— 'W. T. Thisel- 

 ton-Dyer, C.M.G., F.R.S.; Prof. W. F. R. 



Weldon, F.R.S. ; J. T. Cunningham . . 293 

 The Position of Science at Oxford.— Prof. E. Ray 



Lankester, F.R.S. ; H. B. Baker : "A Parent" 295 

 Discharge of an Electrified Body by Means of the 



Tesla Spark.— Rev. Frederick J. Smith, F.R.S. 296 

 On the Occurrence of the Pelagic Ova of the Anchovy 



ofi' Lytham.— ■W. C. M 296 



Information on Scientific (;)uestions.— James Dallas 296 



Horary Variation of Meteors. — G. C. Bompas . . . 296 



August Kekule. By R. M 297 



Notes 297 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



November Meteors 30I 



riuiub-line Deviations 3°' 



The Hamburg Observatory 3°' 



The Dunsink Observatory . . 301 



Otiservatory of Moscow 3°! 



The Solar Eclipse of April 16, 1893 301 



The Rontgen Rays. {With Diagi-ams.) By Prof. 



J. J. Thomson, F.R.S 302 



London University Commission Bill 306 



Science for Secondary Schools 308 



University and Educational Intelligence 310 



Scientific Serials .3" 



Societies and Academies 3" 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 312 



