616 
NATURE 
[ Oct. 22, 1885 
history of the Claremont Islands, by Gervase F. Mathew, R.N. 
Mr. Mathew gives an interesting account of the fauna and flora 
met with on these islands, in which he enumerates 23 species of 
birds and 20 species of Lepidoptera, of which 2 Lycaene are 
probably new. He also gives some notes on the habits of each 
species enumerated.—An afternoon among the butterflies of 
Thursday Island, by Gervase F. Mathew, R.N. Mr. Mathew 
gives an account of a few hours’ ramble on Thursday Island, 
resulting in the capture of 48 species of diurnal butterflies. He 
gives a detailed description of the larva of Ornzthoptera pro- 
nomus. He also makes brief mention of the flora and physical 
geography of the island.—New fishes from the Upper Murrum- 
bidgee district, by William Macleay, F.L.S. Two new fishes 
are here described, and two others, probably new, are noticed. 
The new ones are a species of AZwrrayia, from the Murrum- 
bidgee, near Yass, and a very blunt-headed species of Ogorus 
from the same locality. The two fishes alluded to as probably 
new are a species of Gadofsis from the Little River and a 
Galaxias from Yass River.—On a new WDzéflocrepis, by J. 
Douglas Ogilby. Mr. Ogilby describes, under the name of 
Diplocrepis costatus, a species differing considerably from D. 
puniceus of Richardson, and he points out that the fish is more 
nearly allied to*the New Zealand genera, Dyplocrepis and 
Trachelochismus, than tothe Australian genera, Crepidogaster.— 
Jottings from the Biological Laboratory of Sydney University, 
by William A. Haswell, M.A., B.Sc., Lecturer on Zoology 
and Comparative Anatomy.—On a destructive parasite infesting 
the oyster. Specimens of diseased oysters from the Hunter 
River beds were found to have their shells perforated and de- 
stroyed by a small boring annelid—Leucodore ciliata—which, by 
burrowing through the substance of the shell, causes the dis- 
integration of the valves and the death of the oyster.—On some 
recent histological methods and their application to the teaching 
of practical histology.—On the minute structure of Polynoé. 
PARIS 
Academy of Sciences, October 12.—M. Bouley, President, 
in the chair.—The President announced the death on October 6, 
at Jasseron (Ain), of the eminent histologist, M. Ch. Robin, 
Member of the Section for Anatomy and Zoology.—Memoir on 
the botanical work of the late M. Charles Edmond Boissier, who 
died at Valleyres, Canton of Vaud, on September 25, by M. 
P. Duchartre. Born at Geneva, in 1810, of a French Huguenot 
family, M. Boissier first devoted his attention to the Swiss 
Alpine flora. But he will be remembered chiefly for his ex- 
plorations in the Iberian peninsula (Grenada, Sierra Nevada, 
&c.) in 1837, and in the Levant (Greece, Anatolia, Syria, Egypt, 
&c.) in 1842-46. The results of his labours in these botanical 
regions are embodied in his ‘‘Elenchus plantarum novarum 
minusque cognitarum quas in itinere hispanico legit” (Geneva, 
1838) ; ‘‘ Voyage botanique dans le midi de l’Espagne pendant 
Yannée 1837” (Paris, 1839-45); and ‘‘ Flora orientalis, sive 
enumeratio plantarum in Oriente a Grecia et Egypto ad Indize 
fines hucusque observatarum,” five large volumes, 1867-1884. 
—On the neutralisation of the aromatic acids, by M. 
Berthelot. The results are here given of experiments made 
on mellic acid, C,,Hg0.,; = 342; meconic acid, C,,H,O,,, 
3H,O, = 254, and acrylacetic acid, CsH,O.(CgH,O4) = 114.— 
On sundry phenols, by M. Berthelot. The author here passes 
from the study of normal phenol to that of its homologues, the 
cresylols and ordinary thymol, as well as the naphtols or phenols 
derived from naphtaline.—Note on the first volume of the 
Annales de l’ Observatoire de Bordeaux, issued by M. Rayet, and 
presented to the Academy by M. Leewy. Besides a full account 
of the foundation of the Bordeaux Observatory in 1871 and of 
the instruments employed in it, this volume contains all the 
magnetic and meteorological observations taken in 1880-81 and 
some of the results of the work begun in 1885 for the purpose of 
determining the co-ordinates of 23,000 stars in the Southern 
Hemisphere between — 15° and — 30°, already observed by 
Argelander at the Bonn Observatory in 1850.—Effects of 
mildew on the vine as shown by a comparison of the plants 
successfully treated with a mixture of lime and sulphate of copper 
by M. Nath. Johnston in the Médoc district, with plants in the 
same district attacked by the disease and left untreated, by MM. 
Millardet and Gayon.—Observations on the nature of inverted 
sugar and of elective fermentation, by M. E. Maumené. Further 
experiments confirm the conclusion es arrived at that 
M. Leplay’s s theory of elective alcoholic fermentation is based on 
erroneous assumptions.—Note on the constant presence of 
Ameba coli in dysenteric secretions, by M. A. Normand. —Ob- 
servations on Palisa’s new planet 251, made at the observatory 
of Paris (equatorial of the west tower), by M. G. Bigourdan.— 
Observations of Brook’s comet and of Palisa’s new planet 25), 
made at the Observatory of Algiers with the 0’50 m. telescope, 
by M. Ramband.—Researches on vanadium: properties of 
vanidic acid, by M. A. Ditte.—Kinematic analysis of the 
locomotion of the horse by means of M. Marey’s chronophoto- 
graphic apparatus, five illustrations, by M. Pagés. In this 
paper the author explains and illustrates the trajectory and velo- 
city of the foot and pastern in the three principal actions of the horse 
—the step, trot, and gallop.—Note on the internal phenomena 
of muscular contraction in the primitive striated fasces, by M. F 
Laulanié.—On the physiological action of the salts of lithium, 
potassium, and rubidium, by M. Ch. Richet. The mean toxic 
dose with the chlorides of these alkaline metals has b2en deter- 
mined for the tench, frog, pigeon, rabbit, and some other organ- 
isms.—On the development of Fissurella, by M. L. Boulan. 
From a study of the biological evolution of this organism the 
author concludes that it is a true gasteropod, and cannot, there: 
fore, be grouped with the order of worms ; further, that the 
apparent symmetry of the adult Fissurella is, in reality, a dis- 
guised progressive asymmetry.—Influence of salt water on the 
development of the larvee of the frog, by M. E. Yung. The 
tadpole perishes in three to twenty minutes in the water of the 
Mediterranean containing 4 per cent. of salts, and in a few hours 
in a solution of marine salts in the proportion of 1 per cent. 
But it may be adapted to this element by a gradual preparation 
through a progressive series of solutions from 2 to § per 1000,— 
On the apparent rotatory movement of balloons recorded by 
aéronauts, by M. G. Tissandier.—Memoir on the fermentation 
of bread-stuffs in connection with M. Aimé Girard’s communi- 
cation on this subject, by M. G. Chicandard. 
CONTENTS PAGE 
American Anthropology. Eye Dr: (Ey sBs iylor 
TRG. g + ney a) enec ROR 
Physiological Plant Anatomy © ele) (een Oo 
William Hedley .0..0 2 5 5 « © © 5 6) Ateneo 
Letters to the Editor :— 
Shot-firing in Mines.—W. Galloway ; Prof. C. G. 
Kreischer) 3). sic... e: 2%) (ce 596 
The Resting Position of Oysters =a Ts Cunning- 
ham). Sue +. 597 
Two Generalisations. —W. M. Flinders Petrie 597 
Meteors. —W. F. Denning PMcreor co. a ys} 
Statigrams:— J, Fe eyes ie i) .y is nieine 597 
The Geological Survey of Belgium, By A. coae 
F.R.S., Director-General of the Geological Survey of 
Great Britain Alben Cl 6 Go o 6 Oo Petey 1 sf)i/ 
The Third International Geological Congress e509 
Botanical Exploration of the Chilian Andes ... 601 
Krakatao on GG (0 
On the Golour-Senae. By, Major 4 Allan Cunning- 
ham . Meme ot Ci oo GiiSeo 0 3s - 604 
Ensilage? sit) sais at) is) onies ose eee ns Neale] toOOS) 
Notes) = uch sian 5 wa, 5 607 
Our Astronomical Column : — 
The Variable Star V @ygni ... <<< je) elcienne CG! 
Occultation of Aldebaran on November 22 .... 610 
Double-Stars . . 6) <6 6 6 ow «ap ce 
Astrophysical Notes :— 
Stars with Spectra of the Third Type. ...... 610 
The Comet of 1866 and the Meteors of November 14 610 
Astronomical Phenomena for the Week, 1885, 
Octoberj25—or oes PCC cc Geil 
Geographical Totes.) oh econ ONT 
The Great Ocean Basins. By John Murray . 611 
On a Supposed Periodicity of the Cyclones of the 
Indian Ocean South of the Equator. By Charles 
Meldrum Eo RES Sse. on +) at ot eS: 
University and Educational Intelligence eee Gy fet 
SClentificiSerials).a sms acme mcr sia) v0) fe Ke! pone CEH 
Societies‘and Academies). 72 5) <5) 3). =e 
