52 



NATURE 



[Nov. 13, 1879 



mique de Paris on June iS, the author criticises the results pub- 

 lished by MM. Musculus and Gruber, pointing out some errors 

 into which they had fallen. He reasserts the fundamental facts 

 of his former paper, viz., that starch splits up under the influence 

 of malt extract in four principal ways. The author also investi- 

 gates the action of malt extract on the products of the above 

 reactions. He inclines to the belief that the dextnns are not a 

 series of' polymers, but rather a series of bodies of the same 

 molecular weight, the molecules being arranged differently as 

 regards one another, the molecules being arranged in gr .ups all 

 dependent on one another.— Note on the formulce of the carbo- 

 hydrates, by Dr. Armstrong. The author discusses the various 

 formulce 'of glucose, and inclines to that which represents glucose 

 as being an aldehyde and a penthydric alcohol ; the cane sugars 

 are probably related to the glucoses as ether is to alcohol. 1 he 

 author discusses the probable arrangement of the molecules in 

 starch, and arrives at a conclusion differing from that of O'Sulh- 

 van.— On a new method of determining sulphur in coal, by 

 Teikichi Nakamura of TokiS. The author mixes intimately 

 one part of finely-powdered coal with three or four parts of 

 sodium carbonate and ignites very gradually, so that no smoke 

 or odorous gases escape ; a white or reddish ash is left, which is 

 treited with water, &c. — On the bromine derivatives of 

 naphth il, by A. [. Smith.— On the dissociation of ammonia iron 

 alum, by J. S. Thomson. Dilute neutral solutions of ferric salts, 

 « hen heated, deposit a basic salt ; this dissociation can be pre- 

 vented by the addition of dilute sulphuric acid. By using sul- 

 phuric acid of known strength, the author has studied the subject 

 quantitatively, A solution of ammonia iron alum containing more 

 than i gnu. in 14-37 cc, tloes not dissociate; this dissociation 

 begins in more dilute solutions, and increases regularly with 

 successive additions of water; ammonia and potash salts increase 

 the dissociation.— On a methyl oxysuccinic acid, the product of 

 the action of anhydrous hydrocyanic acid upon a-ietoacetic 

 ether, by G H. Morris. — Demarcay described an uncrystallis- 

 able acid obtained as above, whose baryta salt was unstable. 

 The author has repea'ed the experiments, and obtained a well- 

 crystallised acid melting at 108°. The barium silt is stable when 

 boiled with vvater.— On the action of phosgene on ammonia, by 

 H. J. H. Fenton. The author has examined the white amor- 

 phous substance obtained in the above reaction, and extracted 

 guanidine and urea quite identical with ordinary urea. - On the 

 rehydration of dehydrated metallic oxides, by C. F. Cross. The 

 author has obtained various anhydrous basic metallic oxides by 

 igniting the hydrates. These oxides, when exposed to a satu- 

 rated atmosphere, absorb water up to a definite limit of a mole- 

 cular character. The instigation includes oxides of aluminium, 

 chromium, cobalt, iron, and copper.— On alizarin blue, by G. 

 Auerbach. The author gives the method of preparing and 

 purifying this substance ; when pure it forms brown, shining 

 needles, melting 2bS -270°. He has also prepared various salts 

 and bromo derivatives; the actions of zinc dust, chlorine, and 

 acetic anhydride h ere studied. In constitution the author thinks 

 the body must be eli >sely related to the aldehydines of Ladenburg. 



Paris 

 Academy of Sciences, November 3.— M. Daubree in the 

 chair.— M. Mouchez presented the last published volume of 

 Annales dt VObseivaloire de P.m's, giving observations made in 

 1S76 He stated that the Ministry of Public Education had 

 decided that a certain number of astronomical students should be 

 adnitted to the Observatory for two years' instruction and 

 practice, after which those found fit should be appointed 

 as is ant astronomers in government observatories.— Nautical 

 instructions on the coats of Algeria, by M. Mouchez. The 

 v ilume he presented describes first the meteorology, then the 

 physical character of the c tast. — Experiments with an inverted 

 syphon having two horizontal branches, capable of raising water 

 without a m ivable piece to considerable heights relatively to that 

 ive;, or to exhaust at considerable depths relatively to the 

 hollow of waves, when a retaining valve system is added, by M. 

 De Caligny.— On [ical states of the tympanum, 



cuiing nervous phenomena, which Floiirens and De Goltz 

 ne exclusively to the semicircular canals, by M. Bonnafont. 

 I >i ill -icement of 'lie tympan c membrane away from or towards 

 the in'ernal wall of the tympanic cavity (e.g. in the latter case, 

 by a c incretion of wax or polypous excrescence), causes, through 

 the chain of snail bones, variations of pressure of ihe liquids 

 in the vesti'mle and semicircular canals, with consequent 

 giddiness, si -On the abnormal spectrum of 



ight, by M. I o b " P" ms bavin» 



the same angle (25°) and filled with alcohol, are placed on the 

 stage of spectroscope with their refringent angles in opposite 

 directions ; the image of the slit is not deflected. To one prism 

 are then added crystals of fuchsine ; the original image then 

 divides into two parts, one going to the right and widening into 

 a distinct regular spectrum of the less refrangible rays ; the other 

 remains in the same place without widening, and takes a blue- 

 violet colour. M. De Klercker attributes the effect to the dif- 

 ferent amount of retardation by molecules of different species in 

 the solution. — On determination of the elements of a vibratory 

 mo ion ; measurement of amplitudes, by M. Mercadier. He uses 

 a (so-called) vibrating micrometer. — Stomachic digestion and 

 duodenal digestion ; action of pancreatine, by M. Defresne. 

 Hydrochloric acid in gastric juice is combined with an organic 

 base which moderates its action and changes its properties. The 

 acidity of mixed gastric juice, half an hour after ingestion, is no 

 longer due to chlorhydrate of leucine, but to lactic, sarco-lactic, 

 tartaric, malic, and other acids. The best reagent of this 

 transformation is pancreatine. This difference in acidity of pure 

 and mixed gastric juice becomes still more manifest in artificial 

 digestion of nitngenised food. — Result of researches into the 

 origin of reinvasions of phylloxera, by M. Faucon. He con- 

 tends for the superiority of submersion to insecticides, and 

 indicates a method. — On uniform analytic functions in the 

 neighbourly od of a singular essential point, by M. Picard. — 

 On the ultra-violet absorption spectra of nitric and nitrous 

 ethers, by MM. Sorct and Rilliet. iThe known characters 

 of the absorption spectra of metallic nitrates are not met with in 

 nitric ethers. A solution of amylnitrous ether gives six absorp- 

 tion bands between II and R.— On a new stellar spectroscope, 

 by M. Thollon. lie uses two compound direct-vision prisms of 

 special form (one in the collimator, the other in the telescope tube), 

 whereby he seeks to reduce the loss of light as much as possible. 

 The larger of the simple (or component) prisms has an angle of 

 100°, and contains a mixture of ether and sulphide of carbon ; and 

 two rectangular prisms of crown glass (one on either side) have 

 faces parallel to each other and to the bisecting line of the angle 

 of IOO°. — On the tensions of vapour of saline solutions, by M. 

 Pauchon. The value of coefficient a, in Kirchhoff's formula, 

 varies continually with the concentration, in some cases increasing, 

 in others diminishing. — On an electro-capillary thermometer, by 

 M. Debrun. The principle is that mechanical action deforming 

 a mercury meniscus like that in Lippmann's electrometer, pro- 

 duces a current. — On animal cellulose or tunicine, by M. 

 Franchiment. The difference between animal and plant cellu- 

 lose, if such exist, is not due to a difference of the groups 

 C 6 Hj O 6 forming it, but to a difference in the manner of their 

 union. — Researches on the different modes of combination of 

 phosphoric acid in the nervous substance, by M. Jolly. In the 

 calf the brain is very rich in phosphorised elements ; in the 

 grown ox it is the spinal cord that contains most of them ; and after 

 alkaline phosphates, phosphate of iron is the most abundant. — 

 On hairs and hairy glands in some kinds of Nynipheacea;, by 

 M. Heckel.— On the growth of stems of dicotyledonous trees, 

 and on the descending sap, by M. Guinier. He thinks it is 

 perhaps time to renounce the ordinary theory of descending sap. 



CONTENTS Pagd 



Demonology and Devil-Lore -9 



Ouk Hook Shelf:- . - 



Fritsch's ■• Fauna der Gaskihle undder Kalksteine der Pennforma- 

 tion Bohmens."—P. M. D 3' 



L.ETTKKS TO THE liDITOK: — 



An Account of some Marine Animals met with en route to the Cape 



September 21, 22.— Capt. F. Pkobv Doughty 3- 



Easter Island.— H. N. Moseley. F.R.S . ......... 32 



Silurian Fossils in the Curlew Mountains.— Prof. Edward Hull, 



Lunar Ring.— Dr. Gorge B.rwick (With Diagram) 33 



Ph .sphorescence. — Raifh CorELAND 33 



The " False Dawn."— J. W. Redhouse 33 



The Caudal Disk.— E. H. Pmngle 3) 



Intellect in Brutes.— S. E. Peal • • • • • ■ 34 



A CochinChixa Remedy for Leprosy. By W. i. Thiselton 



DyEK . ' ' ' ' n f-» ' n 35 



Some Points in the History of Spectrum Analysis. By Dr. B. 



Stewart, F.R.S 35 



Tub Sua dish North-East Passage Expedition . . . . . . 37 



Galileo* Mathematics to Physics. By 



William Jack, M.A, LL.D., F.R.S.E. (With Illustration) , . . 40 



:K Maxwell, F.K.S. By Wm. Gaknett 43 



Notes *$ 



Meteorological Notes 4 '' 



Gmog..aph:cai. Notes J9 



Umiveksity and Educational Intelligence 50 



Scientific Serials 5 ° 



10 ACADE.IIE5 S> 



