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had been doubled during the last year. The Society's library contains 200 books on Africa. Herr Schiller-Tietz was elected l'resident of the Society in place of Councillor Engelke.

A CURIOUS phenomenon is reported from Batoum. On January 15, at 4 p.m., during a complete calm, the sea is said to have suddenly receded from the shore, leaving it hare to a depth of ten fathoms. The water of the port rushed out to sea, tearing many of the ships from their anchorage, and causing a great amount of damage. After a short time the sea assumed its usual level. AN important addition to our knowledge of the meteorology of Central America has been made by the publication of Parts 1-4 of the Boletin trimestral of the National Meteorological Institute of San José, Costa Rica, for the year 1888, under the direction of Prof. E. Pittier, The Observatory is situated in litude 9° 56′ N., longitude 84° 8' W., and its importance may be judged from the fact that no other station of the first order possessing self-recording instruments is to be found between Mexico, in latitude 19' N., and Rio de Janeiro, in latitude 23° >. The bulletin contains observations made several times daily, and hourly observations of rainfall for five months, also a summary of the observations formerly made in Costa Rica. The oiler series of observations show that the mean yearly ex'remes of temperature at San José were 78' 8 and 56°7, while the mean difference of the monthly means amounted only to about 4. The daily period of rainfall is very marked. From sunrise to noon scarcely any rain falls, while between noon and 6h. p.m. about 75 per cent. of the whole amount falls. The mean furation of rain on a wet day is 2h. 9m. Only two months of anemometrical observations are given; these show that the maximum velocity at noon is twice as great as the mean velocity during the night. An interesting summary of the observations has been published by Dr. Hann in the Meteorologische Zatchrift for February.

I a recent meeting of the Paris Geographical Society an interesting lecture was delivered by Dr. Hamy, on the history of scientific missions in France under the old monarchy. He Commenced practically with the reign of Francis I., and described many missions abroad, with purely scientific aims, which are now either forgotten, or the results of which have never been published. Thus, the apothecary to Henri IV. went all over the globe in search of the peculiar products of each country, especially medicinal and food plants; still earlier, another explorer went to Brazil to study dyeing woods; and, in the last century, Condamine, Dombey, Bougainville, and La Pérouse went on their well-known expeditions. The President, Comte de Bisemont, mentioned that there were still in the archives of The Ministry of Marine copies of the instructions given to travellers and navigators in past centuries, and that these were "positively models of their kind, which could not be followed tow closely now." Prof. Bureau, of the Museum of Natural History in Paris, observed that a botanical collection made by Paul Lucas in the reign of Louis XIV. still existed in the Museum, and he referred especially to Tournefort, of the same perios, whom he described as the scientific traveller of former times who perhaps most nearly approached moderns in his methods of observation. He was sent by the King on a botanical expedition to the Levant, with very precise instructions, amongst others, to collect and observe the plants mentioned by the ancients. He did not confine himself to this, but formed a complete herbarium, which is still preserved at the Museum, and is one of its treasures. He was accompanied by an artist named Aubriet, who brought back a large collection of coloured sketches, which forms an important part of the unrivalled collection in the library of the Museum.

A NEW and very simple method of measuring small elongations of a bar under any influence has been devised by Signor Cardani (Cosmos). To one end of the bar is attached a metallic

F

wire stretched so as to give a determinate number of vibrations. When the bar expands, the wire becomes less tense, and gives fewer vibrations, and there is a simple relation between the number of vibrations and the elongation of the bar. The author cites a case in which a variation of one hundredth of a millimetre in a bar lessens the double vibrations from 99 to 96'5. Now, a practised ear will appreciate a difference of one vibration per cent.; hence it suffices to ascertain variations of length less than o'o millimetre. With other methods of measuring change of vibration, elongations of thousandths of a millimetre may be ascertained.

THE first careful determination of latitude in Tokio (according to the Japan Weekly Mail) was made in 1876 by Captain Kimotsuki, at that time Director of the Naval Observatory. In 1888, soon after the transfer of the Naval Observatory to the Imperial University, and its reorganization as the Astronomical Observatory of Tokio, the new Director, Prof. Terao, resolved upon a redetermination of the latitude. The work was entrusted to Mr. Watanabe, a skilled observer, and the result has been published as the first of the "Annales de l'Observato.re Astronomique de Tokio (Université Impériale du Japon, Collège des Sciences)." The determination was made in two distinct ways: first, by observations of the upper and lower transits of the Pole star across the meridian; second, by observations of the zenith distances of 38 different stars, arranged in couples according to Talcott's method. This latter method only was used by Captain Kimotsuki in this earlier determination. The earlier mean value for the latitude was 35° 39′ 17′′ 492; while the recently obtained mean values were 35° 39′ 15′′ 05 by the first method, and 35° 39′ 15" 41 by the second method. This discrepancy of fully 2′′ is, in the circumstances, too large to be regarded as an accidental error, and must be due to some systematic error in either the earlier or the later determination. More weight will be attached to the new determination, since Mr. Watanabe had much superior instruments at his disposal.

THE stay of some 306 natives from various French colonies, &c., for about six months, in Paris last year, in connection with the Exhibition, was an interesting experiment in acclimatization. Owing to wise hygienic measures (such as vaccination, good water-supply, isolation of closets, and surveillance of food), these Annamites, Tonquinese, Senegalese, &c., seem to have escaped most of the common endemic disease. According to the Semaine Médicale, they had no typhoid fever, scarlatina, or measles, though these were in Paris at the time. Some 68 natives were attacked by mumps. The fatigues of a voyage and the change of climate led to a recurrence of intermittent fever, with grave symptoms, in twenty cases. It was thought at first to be typhoid fever of a severe type; but the rapid and durable efficacy of sulphate of quinine, given in doses of 2 to 3 grammes a day, proved the paludine nature of the disorder. It is noteworthy that most illnesses of this population, especially that just noticed, and those from cold, appeared during the first part of the time, when the weather was mild; while in the second period, with unfavourable atmospheric conditions, the illness diminished, whether owing to precautions in the matter of dress and food, or to more complete acclimatization. The negroes of Senegal and the Gaboon seem to have been the greatest sufferers, while the Indo-Chinese race acclimatized the best.

THE first Bulletin issued this year by the Académie Royale de Belgique contains a note by M. Van Beneden, on a Ziphius which was stranded in the Mediterranean, and a list of the prize subjects for 1891. The subjects dealt with are architecture, engraving, painting, and music. Four gold medals are given, having values 1000, two 800, and 600 francs respectively. The dissertations may be written in French, Flemish, or Latin, and must be sent before June 1, 1891, to M. J. Liagre, Secretary of the Academy.

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chloride, C.H

CH,, crystallizes in beautiful white needles, NH. HCI

very soluble in water, but insoluble in alcohol. The platinochloride, C4H10N2(HCI),PtCl4, forms fine yellow needle-shaped crystals, readily soluble in hot water, but difficultly soluble in boiling alcohol. A very beautiful salt is also formed with mercuric chloride, CH1N2(HCI),HgCl2, consisting of star-like aggregates of acicular crystals, also soluble in hot water, but reprecipitated by the addition of alcohol.

DRS. WILL AND PINNOW communicate to the same journal their report upon the analysis of the remarkable meteorite of Carcote, Western Cordilleras, Chili. The great mass of this meteorite, 80 per cent., is found to consist of two silicates. One of them is readily decomposed by hydrochloric acid, and possesses the composition and optical characters of olivine, (MgFe),SiO. The other is unattacked by hydrochloric acid, and exhibits the chemical and crystallographical characters of a member of the diopside group. Interspersed among the silicates are smaller quantities of chrome ironstone, bronze-like sulphide of iron, probably troilite, and light steel-grey nickeliferous iron. The latter is not only found in minute particles, but also frequently in small plates which show the Widmannstadt figures in the form of an extremely fine rectangular network. Here and there are found silver-white crystals of rhabdite, one of the forms of nickeliferous iron. By far, however, the most interesting substance contained in the meteorite, is a form of crystalline elementary carbon, dull black in appearance and of extreme hardness, at least 9. It is, in fact, a variety of black diamond, and its presence in the meteorite affords considerable ground for speculation. Carbon is further present in the form of organic substances soluble in ether, and these substances carbonize upon heating, evolving the usual odour of burning organic matter. Hence this meteorite is an extremely interesting one, and forms another addition to the fast-accumulating list of those in which carbon forms a not insignificant ingredient.

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Remarks.

(1) This bright oval nebula is now in a very convenient po. tion for observation. I am not aware that the spectrum 12 been recorded. It is about 8' long, and 3' broad, and is th described in the General Catalogue: "Very bright, very lar very much elongated 40°9, gradually much brighter in middle." The description is very suggestive of the Gres Nebula in Andromeda, and if, as in that case, the spectrum e first appears continuous, closer scrutiny may reveal irregularite The brighter parts, assuming that they exist, should be compares with the spectrum of carbon.

(2) According to the observations of D'Arrest, Secchi, nd Vogel, this is a fine example of the stars of Group II. Duse states that all the bands 1 to 10 inclusive are excessively w and dark, and that the spectrum is totally discontinuous. T star, therefore, affords a good opportunity for further observ tions of the bright carbon flutings with the object of establish the cometary character of the stars of this group. It may remarked that the citron band of carbon need not enter into th comparison, as it will be masked by the dark fluting manganese (band 4).

(3) A star of the solar type (Konkoly). The usual differental observations are required.

(4) A star of Group IV. (Vogel). The usual observations are required.

(5) This star has a "very fine" spectrum of the Group VI. type, notwithstanding its low altitude in our latitude (Doner The principal bands, 6, 9, and 10, are very dark, and the secondary bands, 4 and 5, are also well seen. Further observa tions, with special reference to line or other absorptions, are suggested.

(6) A maximum of this short-period variable will occur on Mard 8. Gore gives the period as 26'76 days, and the magnitudes u maximum and minimum as 62 and 7'6 respectively. There s still a little doubt with regard to its spectrum. In his spectroscop. catalogue, Vogel writes it II.a? III.a, giving the magnitude a the time of observation as 7.3. In all probability the specт20 is intermediate between Group II. and Group III, perha something like Aldebaran. A. FOWLER.

THE TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE OF DECEMBER 22, 1889M. A. De La Baume Pluvinel, who was located in Royal Ishan, about 30 miles north of Cayenne, during this eclipse, commun cated his results to the Paris Academy on the 17th Lit. (Comptes rendus, No. 7, 1890). An examination of the photo graphs of the corona which were obtained leads to the conclusions that

(1) The corona presented the same general aspect as an January 1, 1889.

(2) The extension of the corona was small, being about 18 the solar equator, and about 6' at the poles, and in this respec resembled the coronæ of 1867 and 1878, thus confirming the intimate relation that exists between the intensity of extra-sular phenomena and the frequency of sun-spots.

(3) The aspect of the luminous aigrettes which constitute the corona, and notably the curved form of the aigrettes in neighbourhood of the poles, seem to prove the existence di normal to the solar sphere, and a centrifugal force developed by streams of matter submitted to two forces-a force of project

the sun's rotation.

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Comet c 1889.-Also discovered by Mr. Barnard, on Juns 23, as a faint nebulosity without condensation or tail Not observed after August 6. Dr. Berberich determined the th ments of this comet on the hypothesis of an elliptic orbit, an found that its period was 128 years.

Comet d 1889.-This comet, the most interesting of these observed last year, was discovered by Mr. Brooks, of Geners, U.S., on July 6. It is periodic, the time of revolution beng 7'04 years. On August I, Mr. Barnard found that the princi comet was accompanied by four companions. Mr. Chandler

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has found that in 1880 this comet must have approached near to Jupiter, and his investigations seem to show that it is identical with the lost comet of Lexell,

Comet e 1889.-Discovered by Mr. Davidson at Branscombe, Mackay (Queensland), on July 22, and visible to the naked eye at first as a star of the fourth magnitude. It moved rapidly towards the north, and at the same time diminished in brightness, remaining visible, however, up to November.

Comet f 1889.-Discovered by Mr. Lewis Swift at Rochester, U.S., on November 17. From observations extending over twenty days, Dr. Zelbr was led to conclude that the comet was periodic, the time of revolution being 6'91 years.

Comet g 1889.-Discovered by M. Borrelly at Marseille, on December 12. It was then feeble, but rapidly increased in brightness. Although the declination of this comet on discovery was- 48° 55', it moved so quickly towards the south, that it was lost to our latitudes about January 10, 1890. The first observations fixed the perihelion passage at January 26, 1890. Six asteroids were discovered in 1889, viz. :

Discovered by M. Charlois at Nice on January 28.
February 8.
May 29.
August 3.

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Struve showed that the value found by Bessel from Titan hould be 350215, while the values found by Struve himself from lapetas and Titan are respectively 3500 2082 and 3495'7 143. Prof. Hall, with the great Washington refractor, found from Iapetus by means of differences of right ascension and declination, the mass 3481.2 ± 0‘65, and by distances and position-angles 3481'4 0'97; from Titan the values corresponding to the same methods are 3496'3 ± 1.84, and 3469'9 ± 149, but there seem to be grounds for questioning these results, so Escordant with those found by Struve, and at Yale College.

THE OPENING OF THE FORTH BRIDGE. MUCH interest was excited all over the country by the open

ing of the Forth Bridge on Tuesday. The ceremony was simple, and all the arrangements were carried out successfully. There was no rain, and although the wind blew stiffly, it was "comparatively mild." The special train conveying the directors and invited guests left the Waverley Station, Edinburgh, in two portions, the first at 10.45, the second, to which the Royal Camages were attached, ten minutes later. At the Forth Bridge Station Sir John Fowler, Mr. Benjamin Baker; Mr. William Arrol, Mr. Phillips, and other gentlemen connected with the building of the bridge, awaited the arrival of the Royal party from Dalmeny. By the special desire of the Prince of Wales, who wished to have an opportunity of examining some details of the structure, the Royal train steamed very slowly across the Fridge. As seen from the shore, the long train of large saloon camages is said to have looked like "a mere toy as it passed through the stupendous framework of tubes and girders at Inverkeithing." From the North Queensferry Pier the steam Launch Dolphin conveyed the Royal party and the directors over the Firth, so that the bridge might be seen from the sea; and another vessel followed, containing the rest of the company. Both vessels steamed out to the middle of the Firth; and, according to the Times, the view was much enjoyed "as each cantilever was passed in succession, the junction of the girder bridges with the cantilever

arms being specially noted." Afterwards, the bridge was recrossed, and in the middle of the north connecting girder the train stopped to allow the Prince of Wales to perform the ceremony of driving the last rivet. "A temporary wooden staging,' says the Times, "had been erected there, and upon it His Royal Highness stepped, along with Lord Tweeddale, Lord Rosebery, and Mr. Arrol. The hydraulic rivetter was swung from one of the booms, the pressure being supplied from an accumulator at Inchgarvie. Two men were placed on the boom below to manipulate the machine. The gilded rivet having been placed in the bolt-hole, and the silver key having been handed to His Royal Highness by Lord Tweeddale, the Prince, with Mr. Arrol's assistance, finished the work in a few seconds, amid cheers. The rivet is in the outside of the boom, and holds together three plates. Around its gilded top there is an inscription stating that it is the last rivet; driven in by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, 4th March, 1890.' The train stopped a second time at the south great cantilever pier, where another platform had been erected, upon which several ladies were standing. Here the Prince again left the train, at half-past I o'clock, to make the formal declaration of the opening of the bridge. As the wind was blowing a perfect gale, so that His Royal Highness had difficulty in retaining a steady foothold, it was impossible to make a speech. He therefore simply said : 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I now declare the Forth Bridge open.' Hearty cheers greeted the announcement, and, the Prince having returned to his carriage, the train moved slowly along to the Forth Bridge Station.'

At 2 o'clock a banquet was given in the model-room at the bridge works, the chair being occupied by Mr. M. W. Thompson. The Prince of Wales, responding to the toast of "The Prince of Wales and other members of the Royal Family," spoke as follows:

"I feel very grateful for the kind words which have fallen from the chairman in proposing the toast, and I thank you all most heartily for the cordial way in which you have received it. The day has been a most interesting day to all of us, and especially so to me, and I feel very grateful that I have been asked to take part in so interesting and important a ceremony as the one at which we have all assisted. I had the advantage, nearly five and a half years ago, of seeing the Forth Bridge at its very commencement, and I always looked forward to the day when I I should witness its successful accomplishment. I may perhaps say that in opening bridges I am an old hand. At the request of the Canadian Government I performed the opening ceremony 30 years ago of opening the Victoria Bridge over the St. Lawrence at Montreal, putting in the last rivet, the total of rivets being one million. To-day I have performed a similar ceremony for the Forth Bridge, but on this occasion the rivets number nearly eight millions instead of one million. The construction of the bridge has been on the cantilever principle, which has been known to the Chinese for ages, and specimens of it may be seen likewise in Japan, Tibet, and the North-West Provinces of India. Work of this description has hitherto been carried out on small dimensions, but in this case the engineers have had to construct a bridge in 30 fathoms of water, at the height of 150 feet above high water mark, and crossing two channels, each onethird of a mile in width. Had it not been for the intervening island of Inchgarvie the project would have been impracticable It may perhaps interest you if I mention a few figures in connection with the construction of the bridge. Its extreme length, including the approach viaduct, is 2765 yards, one and one-fifth of a mile, and the actual length of the cantilever portion of the bridge is one mile and 20 yards. The weight of steel in it amounts to 51,000 tons, and the extreme height of the steel structure above mean water-level is over 370 feet; above the bottom of the deepest foundation 452 feet, while the rail-level above high water is 156 feet. Allowance has been made for contraction and expansion and for changes of temperature to the extent of one inch per 100 feet over the whole bridge. The windpressure provided for is 56 lb. on each square foot of area, amounting in the aggregate to about 7700 tons of lateral pressure on the cantilever portion of the bridge. About 25 acres of surface will have to be painted with three coats of paint. As I have said, about eight millions of rivets have been used in the bridge, and 42 miles of bent plates used in the tubes, about the distance between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Two million pounds have been spent on the site in building the foundations and piers; in the erection of the superstructure; on labour in the preparation of steel, granite, masonry, timber, and concrete; on tools, cranes, drills, and other machines required as plant; while about two

and a half millions has been the entire cost of the structure, of which 800,000 (nearly one-third of this amount) has been expended on plant and general charges. These figures will give you some idea of the magnitude of the work, and will assist you to realize the labour and anxiety which all those connected with it must have undergone. The works were commenced in April 1883, and it is highly to the credit of everyone engaged in the operation that a structure so stupendous and so exceptional in its character should have been completed within seven years. The opening of the bridge must necessarily produce important results and changes in the railway service of the east coast of Scotland, and it will, above all, place the valuable manufacturing and mineral-producing district of Fife in immediate communication with the south side of the Firth of Forth. When the Glenfarg line, now nearly completed, is opened for traffic, the distance between Edinburgh and Perth will be reduced from 69 to 47 miles, and instead of the journey occupying, as at present, two hours and 20 minutes, an express will be able to do it in an hour. Dundee, likewise, will be brought to within 59 miles of Edinburgh, and Aberdeen 130 miles, and no sea ferries will have to be crossed. The construction of the bridge is due to the enterprise of four important railway companies-(1) North British (the bridge is in its district), (2) North-Eastern, (3) Midland, and (4) Great Northern-and the design is that of two most eminent engineers, Sir John Fowler and Mr. Benjamin Baker. The contractor was Mr. William Arrol, and the present Tay Bridge, and the bridge which I have inaugurated to-day, will be lasting monuments of his skill, resources, and energy. I have much pleasure in stating that, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, the Queen has been pleased to create Mr. Matthew William Thompson, Chairman of the Forth Bridge Company and of the Midland Railway Company, and Sir John Fowler, engineer-in-chief of the Forth Bridge, baronets of the United Kingdom. The Queen has also created, or intends to create, Mr. Benjamin Baker, Sir John Fowler's colleague, a Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, and to confer on Mr. William Arrol, the contractor, the honour of a knighthood. I must not allow this opportunity to pass without mentioning the valuable assistance which has been rendered to the companies by Mr. Wieland, their able and indefatigable secretary, who deserves especial praise for the admirable way in which he has carried out the important financial arrangements essential in a scheme of such magnitude. Before concluding I must express my pleasure at seeing here Major-General Hutchinson and Major Marindin, two of the nspecting officers of the Board of Trade. Although in this country great undertakings of the kind which we are celebrating this day are wisely wholly left to the enterprise and genius of private individuals without aid or favour from the State; yet, in connection with these particular works, Parliament, I am informed, for the first time associated officers of the Board of Trade with those practically engaged in the construction of this magnificent bridge from its commencement by requiring the Board of Trade to make quarterly reports to be laid before Parliament as to the nature and progress of the works. This most important and delicate duty has been performed by Major-General Hutchinson and Major Marindin; and I now congratulate them on the completion of their responsible duties, which they have carried out in a way that redounds credit to themselves and to the department which they so ably serve. Allow me again, gentlemen, in thanking you for the kind way in which you have received this toast, to assure you of the great pleasure and gratification it has been to me to have been present on this occasion to inaugurate this great success of the skill of engineering.'

Sir John Fowler, in acknowledging the toast of the Forth Bridge, said he begged to return his most grateful thanks to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales for the flattering manner in which he had spoken of their work. It was now seven years ago since the foundations of the bridge were commenced, but up to two years ago they had to endure not only the legitimate anxieties of their duties, but the attacks and evil predictions which were always directed against those who undertook engineering work of novelty or exceptional magnitude. It was very curious to watch the manner of retreat of these prophets of failure. The results had proved them to be mistaken. But he could tell some very curious stories connected with the bridge. He pointed out how, from the nature of the materials which had been used in the construction of the bridge, and from the na

tionality of the men who had been engaged in that construct or the bridge possessed an international character. He also p dicted that the bridge would last for many, many years, and he cordially acknowledged the workmanship and ability of all we had assisted in its erection. As to the workmen themselves he said they had done admirable work, and had never knowing y scamped a rivet.

Mr. Arrol also acknowledged the toast, and Mr. Baker, n response to calls from the audience, made a few remarks.

Mr. John Dent, Deputy-Chairman of the Forth Itridge Ralway Company, in proposing the toast of "The Guests," es gratulated the recipients of the special honours bestowed by the Queen, and he spoke of the universal reputation which become attached to the bridge, which stood as a monumen, et industry, of genius, and of ability.

After a clever speech from Lord Rosebery, Herr Mehrter, of the Prussian Railway Department, replied for himself an in the name of his companions from Saxony, Austria, 28 Hungary. He expressed their feelings of thankfulness that the had been permitted to be present on so interesting an occan and their admiration at all the wonderful things they had that day. That day, he said, marked the commencement of new era in iron bridge building. He congratulated Gre Britain, which had led the way in iron bridge building, on sus having the largest span bridge and the strongest bridge in the world.

M. Picot, on behalf of the railway engineers of France, replied in a speech in which he eulogized the bridge and engineers and contractors.

UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL
INTELLIGENCE.

CAMBRIDGE.-The General Board of Studies announce th they will this term appoint an additional Lecturer in Borany Gr three years, from the beginning of the Easter term 1890 stipend is 100 a year. Names of candidates are to be sen.

the Vice-Chancellor on or before March 8.

Th

The Syndics of the Press propose that a gift of books mile lished by them shall be made to the Library of the University Toronto, lately destroyed by fire.

The discussion by the Senate of the proposal to accept the Newall telescope was on the whole favourable to the proposz' though the difficulty of finding the funds required for its adeg maintenance and use has not yet been made. From remark made by members of the Observatory Syndicate, it appears it regards the purchase of a large reflecting telescope as the claim on the Sheepshanks Fund; and it is unwilling to denda. the fund until this purchase can be effected. Prof. Liveing referred to the recent development of astronomical physics, Pi said the University was bound to further it. The Newall ti scope was specially suited for physical researches, and to reje it as a "white elephant" would damage the University lay dr couraging other benefactors. The matter 15 to be referred to the Financial Board.

At the meeting of the Philosophical Society on March to de following papers are promised :-W. Gardiner, on the germ as tion of Acacia sphærocephala; M. C. Potter, the thickening 4 the stem in Cucurbitaceae; Dr. Lea and W. L. Dickinson, be on the action of rennin and fibrin-ferment; W. Bateson, im sore skulls of Egyptian mummified cats.

SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. LONDON.

23

Royal Society, February 20.-"A Comparative Study of Natural and Artificial Digestions (Preliminary Account). By A. Sheridan Lea, Sc D., Fellow of Gonville and Caius College. Cambridge, University Lecturer in Physiology. Communicated by Prof. Michael Foster, Sec. K.S.

The objects of the investigation were (i.) to obtain in artiñins digestions some closer approximation to the general conditione under which natural digestion is carried on in the body, and (.. to apply the improved methods of carrying on artificial digetions to the elucidation of some special differences, which so tr have appeared to exist between the natural and artificial pro

cesses.

1

An apparatus was described by means of which digestions can be carried on in a dialyzer in such a way as to provide for the constant motion of the digesting mixture and the removal of digestive products: by this method a partial reproduction of two of the most important factors in natural digestion is provided.

So far the method has been employed for

1. The salivary digestion of starch. Experiments conducted under otherwise similar conditions in the dialyzing digester and a flask, showed that-(i.) The rate of digestion in the former is always greater than in a flask, and at the same time the tendency the development of bacteria is greatly lessened. (i.) The amount of starch converted into sugar is always greatest in the alyzer. (i.) The total sugar formed and small residue (4 29 er cent.) of dextrin left during an active and prolonged digestion in the dialyzer justify the assumption that, under the more favourable conditions existing in the body, the whole of the starch taken is converted into sugar before absorption.

The above results afford an explanation of the existing discordant statements as to the nature and amount of products formed during starch digestion.

II. The tryptic digestion of proteids. The experiments made dealt chiefly with the formation of leucin and tyrosin, and were undertaken, initially, in order to find out why these crystalline products are formed in large amount during an artificial digestion, while they have so far been described as occurring in mere traces during natural digestion. The results of the experiments made it probable that leucin and tyrosin should be formed ring natural digestion. Examination of the contents of the small intestine during proteid digestion showed that, contrary lo existing statements, leucin and tyrosin are formed in not inconsiderable quantities during the natural process.

The last part of the communication dealt with the probable hyological importance of the formation of amidated bodies taring tryptic digestion, and a view was put forward as to the sible and probable importance of amides in the chemical cycle of animal metabolism.

The experiments are being extended to the pancreatic digestion of starch,

Linnean Society, February 20.-W. Carruthers, F. R.S., President, in the chair.-Mr. G. C. Druce exhibited specimens i Agrostis canina, var. Scotica, and a small collection of flowerplants dried after treatment with sulphurous acid and alcohol, and showing a partial preservation of the natural colours of the $.wers.—Mr. F. P. Pascoe exhibited a series of Coleopterous 3 Lepidopterous insects to show the great diversity between ects of the same family.-The Right Hon. Sir John Lubbock, Fart., M.P., P.C., then gave an abstract of four memoirs which he had prepared: (1) on the fruit and seed of the Juglandiæ; 2 on the shape of the oak-leaf; (3) on the leaves of Viburnum ; 13(4 on the presence and functions of stipules. An interestng discussion followed, in which Mr. J. G. Baker, Mr. John i raser. Mr. D. Morris, and Prof. Marshall Ward took part.

EDINBURGH.

Royal Society, February 17.-Sir W. Thomson, President, in the chair.-Prof. Crum Brown communicated a paper, by Mr. Tolver Preston, on Descartes' idea of space and Sir W. Thomson's theory of extended matter.-The following communications from the chemical laboratory of the University were

(a) Prof. Crum Brown, on a new synthesis of dibasic organic acids. The method proposed was the electrolysis of assium ethyl salts of lower dibasic acids which would take place according to the scheme

2EtOOC.R.COOK = EtOOC.R". R".COOEt + 2CO2+2K,

PARIS.

Academy of Sciences, February 24.-M. Hermite in the chair. The proofs of the separation of the south-east extremity of the Asiatic continent during recent times, by M. Émile Blanchard. The author advances proofs from the resemblance of animal and vegetable life in Further India, on the peninsula of Malacca, and Sunda Islands.-The Dryopithecus, by M. Albert Gaudry. The relation of Dryopithecus to the ape and to man has been investigated.-A contribution to the chemical study of the truffle, by M. Ad. Chatin. The researches have been directed to the quantitative determination of the organic and other matter in truffles.-Scrotal pneumocèles, by M. Verneuil. --On the anatomy and the physiological pathology of the retention of urine, by M. F. Guyon.-Transformations in kinematic geometry, by M. A. Mannheim.-On the constitution of the line spectra of elements, by M. J. R. Rydberg. This is a note on the periodic recurrence of doubles and triplets in the spectrum of an element. It is shown how this periodicity enables the spectrum of an element to be found by interpolation when the spectra of elements of the same group are known, the case of gallium being given as an example of the verification of the principle. Electrical oscillations in rarefied air, without electrodes; demonstration of the non-conductivity of the vacuum, by M. James Moser. It is well known that vacuumtubes become luminous when near an induction coil in action. The author, by enveloping one vacuum tube with another, in which the rarefaction could be varied, finds that the excitation may take place without any electrode. If the pressure in the outer tube be equal to 760 mm., the inner tube, under the influence of the coil, becomes luminous and of a clear blue colour; if, however, the pressure be diminished to 1 mm. of mercury, the air in the outer tube becomes luminous and of a pronounced red colour, thus reversing the phenomena. - Upon the variation, with the temperature, of the bi-refractions of quartz, barytes, and kyanite, by MM. Er. Mallard and H. Le Chatelier. This variation has been studied by the aid of a photographic spectroscopic method: with quartz a singular point is detected at 570°, at which temperature the law of variation suddenly changes; a similar phenomenon is indicated as occurring in the case of kyanite somewhere between 300 and 600°.-The vapour-pressure of acetic acid solutions, by MM. F. M. Raoult and A. Recoura. It has been previously shown by one of the authors (Comptes rendus, May 23, 1887; Annales de Chimie et de Physique, 6th series, t. xv., 1888) that, if f represents the vapour-tension of a solvent for a certain temperature, f' the vapour-tension under similar conditions when a non-volatile body is in solution, P the weight of substance dissolved in 100 grms. of the solvent, M the molecular weight of the dissolved body, and M' the molecular weight of the solvent, then for dilute solutions

K=100f-ƒ') M ƒ'P M'

K being a constant generally near to unity. Employing the dynamical method, the mean value of K for acetic acid is found to be 161, taking 60 as the molecular weight of acetic acid; but if the molecular weight of a liquid be the same as that of the saturated vapour, the apparent anomaly disappears, for with molecular weight 97 (deduced from density of saturated acetic acid vapour at 118°, viz. 3'35), the above formula gives K = 1.— The action, in the dry way, of various arseniates of potassium and sodium upon the oxides of the magnesia series, by M. C. Lefèvre.

Note on the volumetric estimation of copper, by MM. A. Etard and P. Lebeau. A method of titration is given by the authors, for which they claim a rapidity and accuracy comparable to the permanganate method for iron; it is based upon the formation of a characteristic violet coloration on the addition of concentrated hydrobromic acid to a solution of the copper salt, and the subsequent decoloration of the solution by standardized stannous chloride solution containing much hydrochloric acid;

thus

2CuBrą + HBr + SnBr2 = SnBr, Cu,Br1⁄2 + nHBг.

- giving the diethyl ether of a higher acid of the same series. ( ) Prof. Crum Brown and Dr. James Walker, on the electrolysis of potassium ethyl malonate, and potassium ethyl succinate. The reaction actually takes place in great measure in the above indicated sense, the yields of pure succinic ether and of adipic ether respectively being from 20 to 30 per cent. of the theoretically obtainable quantities. The method is thus proved to be of rictical as well as of theoretical importance. (c) Dr. John Litson, on the action of bromine and carbonate of soda in solutions of cobalt and nickel salts.-Mr. W. Calderwood read * paper on the swimming bladder and flying powers of Dactylo-ganization of left-handed Prosobranchiate Gastropoda (Neptunca perma volitanI.

Coloured.

Uncoloured.

-Preparation of hydroxycamphocarbonic acid from camphocarbonic acid, by MM. A. Haller and Minguin.-Upon the or

contraria, Linnæus), by MM. P. Fischer and E. L. Bouvier.

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