43 6 



NATURE 



[March 4. 18 So 



exposing the ventral surface only at times. Mr. Meldola 

 remarked that some years ago he had examined the spectram of 

 the rfow-worm, and found that it was continuous, being rich in 

 green and blue rays, and comparatively poor in red and yellow. — 

 Mr. Pascoe also exhibited the two sexe^ of Isopojon Zioitcntolits, 

 a dipterous insect which was reported as hitherto unrecorded in 

 this country, and remarked upon the gregarious habits of this 

 species compared with those of others of the family. — The 

 Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Mr. George Francis, of Ade- 

 laide, specimens of a South Australian moth (ftnapjea, sp.), 

 which feeds on the native Eucalypti.— Mr. Swinton forwarded 

 a letter calling in question the specific distinctness of Acronycta 

 /si and A. tridens, considered as separate species by Mr. Butler 

 in a recent communication. — Mr. Meldola read a note on the 

 protective attitude of the caterpillar of the lobster moth, 

 extracted from R'osmos, November, 1879. — The following papers 

 were also communicated : — Materials for a revision of the 

 Lampyrida:, part 2, by the Rev. H. S. Gorham, and on some 

 coleoptera from the Hawaiian Islands, by Dr. Sharp. 



Photographic Society, February 10. — J. Glaisher, F.R.S., 

 president, in the chair. — Dr. Iluggins, F.R.S., read a paper on 

 the photographic spectra of stars, and described the apparatus 

 he had devised. Through a slit the 350th part of an inch, the 

 spectrum of a star was kept by a special arrangement upon a 

 gelatine emulsion plate in the same place, by artificial light 

 being thrown upon a polished silver plate placed over the slit, 

 enabling the image of the star to be seen and continuously 

 watched during a long photographic expo-ure ; thus any irregu- 

 larity in the motion of the telescope could be instantly corrected. 

 The slit was also provided with two shutters, so that one only 

 being used upon a star, the other half could have a second known 

 spectrum taken upon the same plate, and thus determine the 

 wave-lengths of the lines of the spectra. Dr. Huggins stated 

 that white stars gave lines due to hydrogen, as " Vega ;" whilst 

 " Arcturis," with an orange light, gave strong lines, due to 

 "calcium," suggesting that it was farther removed in the order 

 of change from "Vega" than is the solar spectrum. — Capt. 

 Abney, R.E., F.R.S., read a paper on a process for printing by 

 development. A paper is prepared with iodide and bromide 

 potassium, sensitised with silver nitrate, and washed ; after 

 exposure, developed with ferrous oxalate and fixed with hypo- 

 sulphite of soda. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, February 24. — Mr. Brunlees, 

 vice-president, in the chair. — The paper read was on the use of 

 asphalt and mineral bitumen in engineering works, by Mr. W. 

 H. Delano, Assoc. Inst. C.E.] 



Academy of Sciences, February 23. — M. Edm. Becquerel in 

 the chair. — The Secretary announced the death of M. Favre, 

 Correspondent in Chemistry, on February 17, and recalled his 

 services to science. — Heat of formation of persulphuric acid, by 

 M. Berthelot. The formations of oxygenated water, persulphuric 

 acid, and ozone are endothermic, and form a graduated scale ; 

 they absorb respectively io - 8, I3'S, and I4"S calories. — On the 

 decomposition of oxygenated water in presence of alkalies, and 

 on derivatives of bioxide of barium, by the same. The spon- 

 taneous decomposition of bioxide of barium is explained by dis- 

 placement of the second equivalent of oxygen by water, the 

 compound being thus changed into hydrate of baryta with libera- 

 tion of heat. The same series of reactions explains the insta- 

 bility of oxygenated water in presence of a trace of baryta or other 

 alkali. — On the heat of combination of hydrate of chloral, by 

 M. W'urtz. He describes apparatus (very like M. Berthelot's) 

 for finding whether vapours of anhydrous chloral and water, 

 when they meet, liberate heat ; the results were negative. M. 

 Deville thought M. Wurtz had not taken sufficient account of 

 the relation between the volumes of the meeting vapours. — On 

 sap-vessels proper in Graminece, by M. Trecul. — On some linear 

 differential equations of the second order, by M. Gylden. — On 

 the divisors of cyclotomic functions, by Prof. Sylvester.- — On 

 some of the collections brought by the North-East Passage Ex- 

 pedition by the Glacial Sea of Siberia, by Prof. Nordenskjold 

 (letter). These include a rich collection of invertebrates (dredged 

 at 30 to 100 m.), and indicating a fauna richer in individuals 

 than one finds in the tropics ; lichens and alga;, bones of sub- 

 fossil whales, tertiary fossil plants of Nagasachi and Labuan, 

 implements, arms, &c, of Eskimo and Tchouktehis, and 1,040 

 old Japanese works. — Production and crystallisation of an 

 anhydrous silicate (enstatite) in presence of steam at ordinary 



pres>ure, by M. Meunier. Steam is sent through a heated porce- 

 lain tube containing magnesium and receiving near one end the 

 vapour of chloride of siliciuiu. Bnstatite is depo.-ited in the 

 tube of exit as an abundant white powder, and the crystals are 

 very like those found in natural meteorites. M. Meunier remarks 

 that the mixture of protuberantial vapours in the sun contains all 

 the elements necessary to form magnesium silicates, if there were 

 sufficient cooling. — Generalisation of two theorems on the 

 functions 0, by Mr. Elliot. — Determination of the mean 

 tensions developed at the extremities of a heavy cord, oscil- 

 lating about a po-ition of apparent rest, by M. Leaute. 

 — Observations of solar spots and protuberances during the 

 third and fourth quarters of 1S79, by P. Tacchini. The 

 author's figures, from observations half at Palermo and halt 

 at Rome, by the same method, show the increase of solar 

 activity. The protuberances have gradually extended to near 

 the poles, showing a maximum, as usual, between 30° and 

 50 lat. in each hemisphere. The facuiae also continue to show 

 their maximum between io° and 30 . The number of faculct 

 and protuberances is slightly greater in the northern hemisphere, 

 as before. — Comparison between the curves of tensions of satu- 

 rated vapours, by M. Mondesir. — On a new electro-magnet, by 

 M. Chambria. He increases the extent of the surfaces pre 5 ented to 

 each other, viz., the end of the c re, and the oscillating armature ; 

 (•.£•., a projection on the armature enters a hollow of the core, or 

 conversely, or the circumference of the core enters a circular 

 groove in the armature. His electromagnet applied to a Morse 

 or Breguet telegraphic receiver requires a battery of 8 to 10 

 elements, as against 15 elements needed with plane magnet and 

 armature. The remanent magneti.-,m too, seems weakened. — 

 Use of tempered glass in construction of condensers, by M. 

 Ducretet. Leyden jars so made take a stronger charge and give 

 better sparks. — On the preparation of acetylene, by M. Jung- 

 flei-ch. He effects this by incomplete combustion of coal-gas ; 

 a flame being produced by a jet of air entering an atmosphere of 

 the gas. The products of combustion are drawn off (by means 

 of a trompe) into other vessels, in which the steam is condensed 

 and the acetylene separated. — Determination of the heats of 

 combustion of glycerine and ethylenic glycol, by M. Louguinine. 

 — On a dige-tive ferment which is produced in panification, by 

 M. Scheurer-Kestner. Meat mixed with flour and baker's yeast 

 forming a paste, is fused into the mass of bread during panary 

 fermentation. The author's father observed this, and he 

 prepared, in 1873, a soup-bread containing 50 per cent, of meat, 

 it could be kept indefinitely without alteration, and, dissolved in 

 boiling water, made excellent soup. — M. Co-son stated that 

 during the siege of Paris, powdered bone, that had served in 

 preparation of glue, was incorporated with bread and biscuit, 

 making useful panada. — On the formation of|ovules and the 

 ovary in mammalia and oviparous vertebrates, by M. Cadrat. — 

 Study of modifications iroduced in the animal organism, by 

 various albuminoid substances injected into the vessels (third 

 series, soluble ferments), by MM. Kechampand Baltus. — Diastase 

 of germinated barley, so injected, is found partly in the urine, 

 undergoes no alteration in the system, and causes considerable 

 functional disorders. — On some examples of antagonism between 

 heredity and environment, by M. Mer. — On a silicate of ses mi- 

 oxide of iron and potash corresponding to amphigene, by M. 

 Hautefeuille. 



CONTENTS Pace 



The Medusa. By Prof. E. Ray Lankbstee, F.R.S 4'3 



Lightning Conductors 4 T 5 



Ouk booK Shelf :- 



Bentley and Trimen's " Medicinal Plants " 416 



Novel Source of Frictimal Electricity.— Prof. W. F. Barrett . 4*7 



CarnivorousWasps.— Sir David Wkdderbukn, Bart 417 



Stags' Horns.— B. W. S 4"7 



Pierre Antoine Favre 417 



Arago (With Illustration) 4i» 



Vesoium. ByT H.Norton 4«> 



Prizes or the Paris Academy of Sciences 421 



Aktificial Diamonds 4^* 



Notes . 4 2 3 



The Great Southern Comet 4*S 



Geological Notes 4^5 



Physical Notes -* 2D 



Geographical Notes • ■ ■ • 427 



History of Rrsearch among the Fossil Fishes of Scotland. 



By Ramsay H. Traqoair, M.TJ • ■ •_■ 4 " s 



The Structure and Origin of Stratified Rocks. By H. c 



Sorby, LL.D., F.RS 4 3 I 



Ujvivbksity and Educational Intelligence 43- 



Scientific Serials 43" 



Societies and Academies 433 



