Dec. 25, 1879] 



NATURE 



*95 



South-East Betsileo, Madagascar. The collection contained a 

 new species of rodent belonging to the genus Nesomys, and two 

 new species of birds of the genera Cypselus and Zapornia. — Dr. 

 A. Giinther, F.R.S., read the description of a new species of 

 Dwarf Antelope, obtained by Dr. Kirk near Brava in the South 

 Somali country. Dr. Giinther proposed for this new species the 

 name of Neotragus fcirki. — A communication was read from Mr. 

 Martin Jacoby containing the descriptions of new species of 

 phytophagous coleoptera. — A communication was read from 

 Prof. J. Reay Greene, F.Z.S., on a remarkable Medusa 

 (Charybdira kaplonema), from Santa Catharina, Bra2il. — Mr. 

 Edward R. Alston read a description of a skull of a chamois 

 with four horns, which had been exhibited at a previous meeting 

 of the Society. — Mr. Henry Seebohm read a paper jon certain 

 obscure species of Siberian, Indian, and Chinese thrushes. 



Physical Society, December 1. — Prof. W. G. Adams in the 

 chair. — New Members — Mr. J. H. Poynting, Mr. R. T. Glaze- 

 wood, Dr. R. C. Shettle, Prof. Rowland, Mr. John Gray, D.Sc, 

 Mr. H. R. Brook, Mr. E. B. Sargent, Mr. E. Paterson.— On 

 the graduation of the sonometer, by M. J. H. Poynting, Trinity 

 College. The author had endeavoured to reduce the present 

 arbitrary readings of the sonometer of Prof. Hughes to absolute 

 measure by adapting the formula given in Maxwell's "Electri- 

 city," vol. ii. chap. xiv. , to the induction of two circular coils on 

 the same axis, separated by a distance greater than the radii of 

 the coil, on a third coil intermediate. By applying the formula 

 thus obtained to the results of Prof. Hughes for different metals, 

 he finds that eitber the specific resistances of metals as given in 

 the tables are not the same as the resistances of the metals 

 employed by Prof. Hughes, or that the induction effect of the 

 balance or sonometer is not proportional to the conductivity of 

 the metal. — Prof. Ayrton reminded the Society that at a former 

 meeting he had shown mathematically that the effect was not 

 proportional to the conductivity, but to an exponential function 

 of the conductivity. Mr. Chandler Robert?, F.R.S., stated 

 that Prof. Hughes did not profess that the metals used by him 

 to obtain his results were pure. Prof. Adams mentioned that 

 Prof. Hughes had shown that the effect was dependent on other 

 conditions than the mere purity of the metal. — Dr. J. A. 

 Fleming, St. John's College, Cambridge, exhibited and de- 

 scribed a new form of Wheatstone balance, designed princi- 

 pally for comparing the B.A. units of resistance deposited 

 in the Cavendish Laboratory. The divided resistance is a circular 

 platinum-iridium wire and an arm fitted with a contact at its 

 extremity revolves round after the manner of circular resistance 

 coils, thus altering the ratios of the divided resistances. The 

 contact is a knife-edge of platinum, and it is made and broken 

 by hand like a key. A series of ingenious copper mercury cups 

 are fitted to the balance so as to permit of two coils being com- 

 pared at any temperature with great exactness by the method 

 suggested by Prof. Foster and adopted by Prof. Crystal, of 

 Cambridge. This consists in exchanging the positions of the 

 units on the balance and observing the difference in the results. 

 By Dr. Fleming's arrangement this exchange can be effected 

 without removing the coils from the heating apparatus in which 

 they are placed or otherwise altering their conditions. The 

 mercury contact cups and the heating cans were also improved 

 by Dr. Fleming for the purpose of facilitating accuracy of 

 results. — Prof. Perry described a dispersion photometer devised 

 by himself and Prof. Ayrton for the purpose of comparing in- 

 tense lights such as the electric with a standard candle without 

 taking up much room, in order to put the stronger light at a dis- 

 tance from the screen proper, to give an illumination equal to 

 that of the candle. To reduce the distance of the stronger light 

 from the screen, the authors had inserted a lens in the track of 

 the beam, so as to disperse the beam to a degree which could be 

 determined by an easy formula. Thus by artificially diluting the 

 powerful beam they could compare it with the feebler beam 

 from the standard light in a shorter space. For an electric light 

 of 6,400 candles only eight feet need be required by the new 

 plan instead of eighty feet by the unassisted method. Dr. John 

 Hopkinson, F.R.S., stated that he had actually used the same 

 method for some months past in his electric light experiments. 

 He recommended a plano-convex lens as the best to use, and 

 suggested that the focal length should be calculated. He thought 

 that the error due to absorption could easily be obviated. — Prof. 

 Ayrton then described a method by which Prof. Perry and he 

 had determined the value of g, or the coefficient of gravity at 

 the Imperial Engineering College, Tokio, Japan, by means 

 of pendulums. Their result is a8o - o6, and calculation from 

 the position of the places makes it 979'8. — An improved form 



of spherometer, designed by Mr. W. Goolden and made 

 by Mr. Adam Hilgar, was exhibited to the meeting. The frame 

 is of aluminium, combining lightness and rigidity ; the legs and 

 screws of hard steel. The screw carries a drum divided into 

 1,000 parts, and the instrument gives a reading to the nr/ji^th 

 of an inch by the usual method of touch. Increased sensitive- 

 ness is got by employing a galvanometer to indicate the contact 

 of the middle pointer with the surface. By this means it is 

 made correct to the sa^mo th of an inch. 



Anthropological Institute, December 9.— Edward B. 

 Tylor, F.R.S., president, in the chair. — The President read 

 some communications from the Rev. L. Fison and Mr. J. 

 Forrest, on Australian marriage customs, which will materially 

 assist in clearing away the difficulties which surround this inter- 

 esting subject. Mr. Morgan in his " Ancient Society," says 

 that amongst the aborigines of Australia there exists a state of 

 communal marriage not found elsewhere, viz., that any man in a 

 given tribe or class A is the husband of every woman in another 

 class B. This view, however, Mr. Fison states, is not quite 

 accurate, and he explains that men belonging to a class A can 

 marry women belonging to another class B and no others ; and 

 that if a man from class A visit a station occupied by class B, 

 he is provided during his stay there with a temporary wife. The 

 offspring belongs not to either the father's or the mother's class, 

 but to a third class C which is in its turn provided with wives 

 exclusively from a fourth class D. — In the absence of the author 

 the Director read a paper on savage and civilised warfare, by 

 Mr. J. A. Farrer. It is interesting to note the existence of 

 certain laws of war among the lower races, because it is generally 

 assumed that they are only the product of an advanced civilisa- 

 tion, and the glory of a so-called civilised warfare. Even 

 amongst the Khonds, it is necessary, previous to an attack, to 

 allow the enemy to complete the same fetichistic ceremony as the 

 offensive tribe itself performs. — The Caffres consider it shameful 

 to attack their enemy without a declaration of war, and when war 

 has broken out they refrain from seeking to starve him out ; 

 they spare the lives of women and children, and restore them 

 after the war. The Canarians held it to be base and mean 

 to injure the women and children of the enemy. War be- 

 tween civilised nations might well become a moral impossi- 

 bility irrespective of any international treaty of disarma- 

 ment. All that is wanted is a certain amount of human opinion 

 and human will ; of opinion, that quarrels may and should be 

 settled peaceably, of will, that they shall be settled in no other 

 way. Not more will is required than sufficed to put down the 

 slave trade ; nor is any stronger opinion needed than was 

 enoughforthe extinction of duelling and torture. — Mr. Worthing- 

 ton G. Smith exhibited a collection of sixty specimens of Palaeo- 

 lithic implements chiefly from the valley of the Axe, many of them 

 unusually large and heavy and in an excellent state of preserva- 

 tion. — Four water-colour portraits of Tasmanians were exhibited 

 taken about forty years ago, and showing clearly all the 

 physiognomical peculiarities of that interesting race. 



Royal Microscopical Society, December 10. — Dr. Beale, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — Ten new Fellows were elected, 

 and ten proposed for election at the next meeting. — The follow- 

 ing papers were read : — Mr. Dallinger on a series of experiments 

 made to determine the thermal death-point of known monad 

 germs when the heat is endured in a fluid. — Mr. Gulliver on the 

 classificatory significance of rhaphides in Hydrangia. — Prof. M. 

 Duncan on a part of the life-cycle of Clathrocystis aeruginosa. 

 — Mr. Washington Teesdale on a simple revolving object- 

 holder. — Amongst the objects exhibited were annelid jaws by 

 Mr. G. J. Hind, sections of plants by Mr. G. J. .Ware), a 

 revolving table microscope for thirty objects, a Schmidt's micro- 

 scope with spiral focal adjustment, and various hose-pieces and 

 stage plates, by Mr. Crisp. 



Meteorological Society, December 17. — Mr. C. Greaves, 

 president, in the chair.— T. Buckland and J. Wigner were bal- 

 loted for and duly elected Fellows. — The following papers were 

 read : — On a sand-storm at Aden, July 16, 1878, by Lieut. 

 Herbert H. Russell, Sth Regiment. — On a new form of hygro- 

 meter, by G. Dines, F.M.S. This is a modification of the 

 hygrometer w hich was first described at the British Association 

 meeting in 1872. The outside dimensions of the instrument, 

 inclusive of the wood casing, are about 10 inches in length, 

 3 inches in breadth, and 2 inches in depth. The upper part 

 consists of a vessel of thin metal, 6 inches long, 2i inches 

 broad, and ij inch deep. Beneath this, and detached from it, 



