NOTES

MR. PREECE and Mr. Stroh, who have been working for the past twelve months upon the acoustic properties of the phono. graph, have completed their labours as far as the vowel sounds are concerned, and their paper on the synthetic examination of these sounds will be read before the Royal Society probably on the 27th inst. Several new instruments of great novelty and marvellous ingenuity will be exhibited, including a new phonautograph, an automatic phonograph, a compound curve-tracer, a new syren, and a new musical instrument.

WE record with deep regret the death, at Luxor, in Egypt, on the 1st inst., of Dr. C. E. Appleton, the founder and editor of The Academy. Dr. Appleton was under forty years of age, and had been in declining health for the past two years. His name will be familiar to many of our readers in connection with the Endowment of Research, on which subject he frequently wrote, and a volume of essays on which he edited a year or two ago. Dr. Appleton was himself mainly a student in metaphysics, but he clearly perceived the value of physical science, and the immense advantages likely to accrue to its progress, to our universities, and to the country, by the appropriation of part of the great wealth of the universities, and of the funds of the state, to the encouragement of original research. He laboured earnestly to advance these views, believing that it was the country's duty and interest to encourage the discovery of new truths. He will be greatly missed by his many friends.

We have to record the death of Mr. Bennet Woodcroft, F.R.S., which happened on the 7th inst. at his residence in Brompton. Mr. Woodcroft will be best remembered in connec⚫ tion with the Patent Office, which he may be said to have originated, and the working of which he so ably and zealously superintended from the time of its establishment down to within the last two years. He was born at Bennet Grange, near Sheffield, in December, 1803, and was consequently in his seventy-seventh year when he died. Early in life he studied science under Dalton, of Manchester, and in course of time joined his father in his business, which was that of a Manchester manufacturer. After a while Mr. Woodcroft came to London, and was appointed Professor of Machinery at University College, London, in 1847; he held that appointment until 1851, when he resigned it. Next year witnessed the passing of the Patent Law Amendment Act, and the then Lord Chancellor, Lord Cranworth, appointed Mr. Woodcroft as superintendent of the specifications, for which post his great experience in patent matters especially qualified him. He retired from office in March, 1876, and during his administration of affairs he carried out the provisions of the Act with efficiency and liberality. The establishment of the library in connection with the Patent Office was mainly due to Mr. Woodcroft, as was also the formation of the Patent Office Museum at South Kensington, to which he was a very liberal

contributor, and which was made a free institution solely through his exertions. Among other mechanical improvements effected by Mr. Woodcroft was that of giving to the screw-propeller what is known as an increasing pitch. He was the means of rescuing from oblivion the first marine steam-engine ever made. Mr. Woodcroft was the author of several scientific treatises, and wrote a series of biographical sketches of inventors. elected a Fellow of the Royal Society about twenty years since. An excellent notice of Woodcroft appears in the Engineer of

February 14.

He was

We regret to announce the death at Berlin on January 15 of Prof. Philipp Spiller, one of the most eminent of German philosophers. Prof. Spiller was born on September 26, 1800, at Einsiedel, near Reichenberg, in Bohemia, and has enriched scientific literature by many valuable publications. His recent

work, "Die Urkraft des Weltalls nach ihrem Wesen und Wirken auf allen Naturgebieten " (Berlin: Stuhr, 1876), is a work of the greatest importance and worthy of the attention of all interested in philosophy.

RUSSIA has lost one more of her mathematicians, Prof.. Popoff, of Kazan. His works on the integration of differential equations, on hydrodynamics, on the waves which arise from the motion of a body, on definite integrals, on the calculus of variations, &c., have given to the late professor an eminent place among mathematicians.

MR. COWPER's new "Writing Telegraph" will be brought before the Society of Telegraph Engineers at their next meeting, on the 26th inst., at the Institution of Civil Engineers.

THE Anthropological Institute has just received a legacy of 1,000, bequeathed by the late Mr. Sydney Ellis of Nottingham,

M. CHEVREUL, who although about ninety years of age, enjoying good robust health, has resigned the administration of the Jardin des Plantes. M. Jules Ferry, the new Minister of Public Instruction, has written him a letter eulogistic of his career, and appointing him Honorary Administrator. M. Jules Ferry has appointed to the post, for a term of five years, M. Fremy, the eminent Professor of Chemistry, Director of the Laboratory at the Gardens, the practical School of Chemistry in Paris.

THE people of Penzance have been attempting to celebrate in a mysterious, hole-and-corner way, the centenary of the birth of their great townsman, Sir Humphry Davy, two months after the actual date. What their notion of the "adjacent" world is we do not know, but we doubt if they have any adequate appreciation of the greatness of Davy, whose only merit in their eyes seems to be that he was born in Penzance. Why, if they wanted worthily to honour one of England's greatest scientific worthies, did they not take the Royal and Chemical Societies into their confidence? or how is it that the Royal Society, being aware of the occurrence of this important centenary (they seem to have contributed to the exhibition), have made no efforts to take part in the celebration officially? We leave it to a foreign nation to honour the memory of one of our greatest explorers, and to a petty provincial town to commemorate the birth of one of our greatest chemists. There are surely several screws loose in our scientific organisation.

THE Russian Physical and Chemical Society is now discussing the means of a thorough study of the surface of the moon, especially by means of spectrum analysis.

PROF. FAMINTZIN, of St. Petersburg, has been elected member of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the place of the late Prof. Geleznoff.

A MEETING of the General Committee of the Hanbury Memorial Fund was held in the rooms of the Pharmaceutical

Society yesterday. The Sub-Committee reported that the nett proceeds of the one-guinea subscriptions collected from all parts the medal, &c., to about 350%. of the world amount, after payment of the cost of the die for The Sub-Committee have to

recommend ::-I. That the proceeds be invested in consols; the interest to be expended in defraying the cost of a gold medal to be awarded biennially (or otherwise) "for high excellence in the prosecution or promotion of original research in the natural history and chemistry of drugs." 2. That trustees be appointed, who, from time to time, shall request the following gentlemen to award the medal:-The presidents for the time being of the Linnean Society, the Chemical Society, the Pharmaceutical Society, and the British Pharmaceutical Conference, and one. pharmaceutical chemist, who shall be nominated by the twa presidents last-named.

A ROYAL COMMISSION, consisting of Mr. Warington W. Smyth, F.R.S., Sir George Elliot, M.P., Mr. F. A. Abel, C.B., Mr. Thomas Burt, M.P., Mr. Robert Bellamy Clifton, F.R.S., Prof. Tyndall, F.R.S., Mr. Lindsay Wood, and Mr. William Thomas Lewis, has been appointed for the purpose of inquiring and reporting whether, with respect to the influence of fluctuations of atmospheric pressure upon the issue of fire-damp from coal, to the adoption and efficient application of trustworthy indicators of the presence of fire-damp, and generally to systematic observation of the air in mines, to improved methods of ventilation and illumination, to the employment of explosive agents in the getting of minerals, and to other particulars relating to mines and mining operations, the resources of science furnish any practicable expedients that are not now in use and are calculated to prevent the occurrence of accidents or limit their disastrous consequences.

MR.R. MCLACHLAN, F.R.S., writes us that he is informed from two independent sources that Italy has lost its head from dread of the visitation of the Phylloxera. The restrictions on the importation of plants of any kind whatever, and from any quarter, are most rigid. A consignment of the newly-discovered gigantic Aroid, from Sumatra, received in Genoa, was subjected to formalities and delays in permission to be delivered, of a nature that seriously compromised the welfare of the tubers. In some places gentlemen must dispense with the ordinary floral decorations in their button holes. On the French frontier no one is allowed to gather a bouquet of wild flowers on foreign soil and take them across the border, for fear that the much-dreaded pest should exist in it. All scientific reasoning seems to be at an end in the minds of the Italian Government officials. But let us not forget that in 1877 we ourselves were almost in the same condition, owing to the panic spread among us with regard to the Colorado beetle. A knowledge of the rudiments of phytological entomology appears to be so universally deficient that it only requires some agitator to raise a panic in order to bring about the most absurd restrictive enactions. No one can blame the Italians for endeavouring by all means in their power to prevent the introduction of the Phylloxera into their vineyards; but they might show a little common-sense discrimination. A restriction on the importation of foreign vines would be sensible enough, and they might go further, and prohibit the discharge of earth. ballast taken in by vessels at ports in districts known to be infected. To stop the introduction of all vegetables and flowers is quite unnecessary.

ON January 4, at II P.M., and on the following day at 9 A.M. a strong earthquake was felt at Maikop (Russia); there were five shocks, at intervals of about fifteen minutes.

THE installation of objects sent in for the Anthropological Exhibition at Moscow will begin in the end of March. The interesting collections from Samarcand have already arrived, as well as very interesting objects sent by the East Siberian branch of the Russian Geographical Society. Those of stone implements and of quaternary mammals especially draw the attention of the organising committee, as well as several numismatic collections.

WE notice a communication made by M. Kontkevitch, at the last meeting of the St. Petersburg Mineralogical Society, on the recently explored iron mines in the provinces of Kherson, Ekaterinoslav, and Taurida. At the confluence of the Saksagon and Ingulda rivers there are no less than forty layers of iron from 35 to 200 feet thick and several miles wide, containing 58 to 70 per cent. of iron, and representing a store of two and a half milliard cats. of iron.

THE Aosta section of the Italian Alpine Club proposes to celebrate this year the centenary of Saussure's travels in the Alps, which opened up quite a new world for science and for

THE Indian Government Gazette, we learn from the Times of India, contains papers on the proposed Presidency Botanic Committee. The Committee's consideration was invited to the Gardens, including a Government minute and the report of the question whether Puna or Bombay should be chosen as the place for the principal botanic garden of the Presidency. They decided in favour of Ganesh Khind. They recommend, however, that a small branch garden, consisting of four or five acres, be esta blished in Bombay, and that the Grant College compound be selected for the purpose. The Government highly approved of all the recommendations, which will be carried out whenever financial means may permit. The main scientific garden, which will embrace about forty acres, is to be laid out in the irregular picturesque style, with special reference to landscape effect, and the planting of the ground will be done gradually and without any undue haste. It may be mentioned here that the chief resources of the garden are to be devoted to the bringing together of the indigenous plants of Western India, and until this is satisfactorily accomplished no pains will be taken, except in special cases, to introduce foreign plants. An extraordinary expenditure of Rs. 22,037 will have to be incurred for the purpose of constructing roads and footpaths, excavating a ground, erecting houses and sheds, prov ing iron piping, &c., for water supply, fitting up rooms for the Lerbarium, library, and class-room, and for the purchase of botanical books and diagrams. The estimated annual expenditure is, in round numbers, Rs. 12,000.

AT the last meeting of the French Geographical Society a August 27, 1878, in which he states that, contrary to the common letter was read from the Abbé Desgodins, dated Yerkalo, used in Thibet, this function belongs in preference to the yak assertion which represents the sheep as the beast of burden most The sheep, he says, is only employed as a beast of burden at one (Bos grussiens); the mule, ass, and horse are also made use of. period, viz., when the parties of Thibetans quit the high plateaux to descend into the valleys at the approach of winter. The Buddhist pilgrims are sometimes to be met with sheep and goats carrying their baggage, but, as the Abbé Desgodins remarks, there is a wide difference between that and representing the sheep as the beast of burden of Thibet.

THE first fascicule of the sixth volume of the "Repertorium für Meteorologie,” published by the Russian Central Physical Observatory, contains a memoir, by Prof. Wild, on the temperature of the soil at St. Petersburg and Nukus (Amu-darya); geographical, magnetic, and hypsometric observations, by M. Fritsche, made during his journeys from St. Petersburg to Peking in 1866 and 1877; photochemical measurements of the intensity of daylight in St. Petersburg, by M. Stelling; determinations of the coefficients of anemometers, and magnetic observations on the Amu-darya, by the late M. Dorandt; and researches, by M. Frölich, into the temperature of space.

THE German St. Petersburger Zeitung states that the cost of the bronze monument to be erected at Dorpat, in memory of Carl Ernst von Baer, is estimated at 15,000 roubles (about 2,300/.), and solicits subscriptions towards this sum.

THE use of a paper dome for an astronomical observatory is a novelty in modern architecture, although, according to Prof. Greene, of Troy, U.S., under whose supervision this has been constructed, it promises to answer a satisfactory purpose. The

.

dome is a hemisphere with an outside diameter of twenty-nine feet. The framework is of pine properly seasoned, and the covering is of paper, such as is used by Messrs. E. Waters and Sons for the construction of paper boats. The entire weight of the dome and appurtenances, as completed, is about 4,000 pounds. It can be easily revolved by a moderate pressure with out the aid of machinery.

THE director of the Postal Telegraph Service of the French Republic has been made a member of the Cabinet and placed on the same footing as the Postmaster-General of the British Government. The present holder of that office is M. Cochery. THE Royal Institute of Sciences at Venice offers three prizes of 3,000 lire each (about 1157.) for three monographs containing (1) an account of the advantages which the application of physics to medical science has brought about; (2) a summary of the most recent investigations made in the field of theoretical hydrodynamics, as well as a statement of the true and essential progress made by this branch of scientific mechanics; (3) a treatise on the commercial and industrial conditions of the city of Venice. Further particulars may be learnt by applying directly to the "Istituto Reale Veneto " at Venice.

THE petrified remains of a Dinotherium belonging to the miocene period have just been discovered at Schöneg, near Salmhausen (Swabia), at a depth of 13 metres in a sand-hill.

WE recently referred to the all-embracing scientific agency of

Friedländer and Son of Berlin, and this week we have received the first three parts of a new fortnightly publication from that house, likely to be of the greatest service to students in all departments of science. It is entitled Natura Novitates, and is a fortnightly bibliographical list of current literature of all nations, methodically arranged, in the various departments of science. The publication deserves encouragement; it may be had through Messrs. Williams and Norgate.

THE first part has reached us of an important German undertaking, an Encyclopædia of the Natural Sciences, constructed somewhat after the method of the old "Encyclopædia Metro. politana." It is to consist of methodical treatises in the various departments of science, followed by an index, which will give it all the advantages of an alphabetical cyclopædia. Each depart ment has a separate editor, and some of the best men in Ger. many are engaged upon it. The first part is an instalment of a "Handbuch der Botanik," edited by Prof. A. Schenk, and con. tains a treatise on "Fertilisation of Flowers," by our friend Dr. H. Müller, and another on "Insectivorous Plants," by Dr. O. Drude. Trewendt of Breslau is the publisher.

THE REV. W. A. Leighton has nearly completed the printing of the third edition of his "Lichen-Flora of Great Britain, Ireland, and the Channel Islands," which, it is expected, will be ready for issue early in March. This new edition is rendered necessary by the recent important discoveries in the west of Ireland, the north of Scotland, and the author's own researches in North and South Wales, whereby the number of our lichens, in the former editions amounting to 1,156, has been raised to 1,706, thus rendering our lichen-flora quite equal in number, rarity, and novelty, to that of any country in Europe.

AMONG recent deaths is that of M. Chauffod, Professor of Zoology at the Paris School of Medicine. M. Chaufford during his whole career opposed M. Claude Bernard's determinism, and advocated the existence of a vital principle and final causes in a number of books largely circulated.

FOR Some time past the well-founded fear of trichina has led to a microscopic examination of much of the meat, especially pork, sold in Berlin. Recently the occurrence of this pest there

has been more frequent, and Dr. Luedtge (who claims the invention of the microphone) has consented to give a course of instruction in this branch of microscopy, which began February 17. The course, with practical exercises, will occupy five hours, and is open to ladies and gentlemen at the price of 5s. The instruction is to be given in the old Mint, at the Microscopic Aquarium, of which Dr. Luedtge is the director.

DR. AUB, one of the oldest Rabbis in Berlin, recently received from the University of Munich a new doctor's diploma, commemorative of his having received that degree there fifty years ago. It was conferred by Dr. Steinthal in the name of the philosophical faculty.

It is stated in the Diario de Manila that a mine of amianthus, or earth flax, has been discovered in the Island of Luzon. Several specimens of the mineral have been taken to Manila, and have been pronounced by competent judges to be of excellent quality.

IN December last a convention between Spain and China was signed in Spanish, French, and Chinese at Peking relating to the treaty which regulates the emigration of Chinese to the Island of Cuba.

A CORRESPONDENT to the Times of India, who lately rode

through the Kohat Pass, gives a somewhat curious description of

women.

Inside are

an Afridee village, or, rather, an Afridee family home. The summit rise a number of mud and generally round-shaped projecfirst thing seen is a mud wall oddly slit and pierced, and over its tions, on the tops of which may be seen a few children and mud inclosures in which the family live during the day; but what These projections are the roofs of the little rooms or immediately strikes the attention on approaching is the loopholed mud tower overshadowing the mud inclosure. The house proper is reached by passing through a very narrow entrance between the family fort and the mud inclosure. winding lanes between high mud walls, loop-holed at every turn, The writer found the inhabitants of the village he visited exceedingly hospitable. "The men around him," he says, "had a curiously frank, inquiring, and manly look. Nothing in their demeanour as they stood examining me and watching me eat, could have embarrassed the most sensitive stranger; but as I attentively watched some of their countenances, I could not help observing how often their expression changed, and how often there flitted across their faces a look that made one insensibly shudder." It is worth noting that the women of the Afridees, although Mohammedans, do not cover their faces.

WE understand that Mr. J. R. Gregory, the well-known mineral dealer, has several specimens of that extremely rare mineral, Percylite, of which the only known specimen, till quite recently, was the example in the British Museum; he also has, we hear, specimens of another rare mineral, named Schwartzenbergite, both from the same locality-a new one for these minerals-in Bolivia.

THE additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the past week include a Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) from Madagascar, presented by Mr. Thos. G. Mann; a Cape Hyrax Tamrach; two Black-headed Gulls (Larus ridibundus), a Common (Hyrax capensis) from South Africa, presented by Mr. A. H. Gull (Larus canus), European, presented by Mr. Harry W. Preston; a Wood Owl (Syrnium aluco), European, presented by Mrs. George Blagden; a Garnett's Galago (Galago garnetti) from South-East Africa, two Yellow-billed Sheathbills (Chionis alba) from Antarctic America, purchased; a Yellow-footed Rock Kangaroo (Petrogale xanthopus), born in the Gardens.

exceeded. Now it seems almost incredible that in such cases every ant knows every other one by sight; neither does it seem possible that all the ants in each nest should be characterised from those of other nests by any peculiarity. It has been sugor password. The whole subject is full of difficulty. It occurred to Sir John, however, that experiments with pupa might throw some light on the subject. Although the ants of every separate nest, say of Formica fusca, are deadly enemies, still if larvæ or pupæ from one nest are transferred to another, they are kindly received and tended with, apparently, as much care as if they really belonged to the nest. In ant warfare, though sex is no protection, the young are spared-at least when they belong to the same species.

It is generally stated that the queen ants alone lay eggs, but Sir John has found that in most of his nests some few of the workers are capable of doing so. It appears, however, that these eggs always produce males. In the case of bees we know that the queen is fed on a special kind of food. In ants it is not feasible to make observations similar to those by which in bees this has been established. It is, however, rendered more than probable by the fact that while males and workers have been bred by hundreds in his nests, no queen has yet been produced. It is well known that ants keep other species of insects in their nests, which they use just as we do cows, &c.

The Mat. p. l'Hist. prim. de l'Homme for 1869 contains a short but interesting account by M. Lespes of some experiments made by him on the relations existing between ants and their domestic animals, from which it might be inferred that even within the limits of a single species some communities are more advanced than others. He found that specimens of the blind beetle, Claviger duvalii, which always occurs with ants, when transferred from a nest of Lasius niger to another which kept none of these domestic beetles, were invariably attacked and eaten. From this he infers that the intelligence necessary to keep Clavigers is not coextensive with the species, but belongs only to certain communities and races, which, so to say, are more advanced in civilisation than the rest of the species.

Sir John Lubbock, however, removed specimens of the curious blind Platyarthrus from one nest to another, but they were always amicably received. He even transferred specimens from a nest of Lasius flavus to one of Formica fusca, with the same result.

As regards the longevity of ants he has now two queens of F. fusca, which seem quite in good health and which have lived with him since 1874; they are therefore probably five years old. He has also workers of Lasius niger, Formica sanguinea, F. fusca, and F. cinerea, which he has had under observation since 1875. In his previous papers he had given various instances which seem to show that ants do not exhibit such unvarying kindness to their friends as has been usually supposed. He wished to guard himself, however, against being supposed to question the general good qualities of his favourites. In fact, ants of the same nest never quarrel among themselves; he had never seen any evidence of ill-temper in any of his nests. All is harmony. He had already in previous papers given various instances of tender kindness. Again, in one of his nests of Formica fusca, was a poor ant which had come into the world without antennæ. Never having previously met with such a case, he watched her with great interest, but she never appeared to leave the nest. At length one day he found her wandering about in an aimless sort of manner, and apparently not knowing her way at all. After a while she fell in with some specimens of Lasius flavus, who directly attacked her. He then set himself to separate them; but she was evidently much wounded, and lay helplessly on the ground. After some time another Formica fusca from her nest came by. She examined the poor sufferer carefully, then picked her up tenderly, and carried her away into the nest. It would have been difficult, Sir John thinks, for any one who witnessed this scene to have denied to this ant the possession of humane feelings.

It is clear from the experiments recorded in the present and in Sir John's former papers, that the ants recognise all their fellows in the same nest, but it is very difficult to understand how this can be effected. The nests vary very much in size, but in some species 100,000 individuals may probably be by no means an unusual number, and in some instances even this is largely

Moreover, though the habits and dispositions of ants are greatly changed if they are taken away from their nest and kept in solitary confinement, or only with a few friends, still under such circumstances they will often carefully tend any young which may be confided to them. Now if the recognition were effected by means of some signal, or password, then, as it can hardly be supposed that the larva or pupa would be sufficiently intelligent to appreciate, still less to remember it, the pupe which were intrusted to ants from another nest would have the password, if any, of that nest, and not of the one from which they had been taken. Hence, if the recognition were effected by some password, or sign with the antennæ, they would be amicably received in the nest from which their nurses had been taken, but not in their own.

He therefore took a number of pupa out of some of his nests of Formica fusca and Lasius niger, and put them in small glasses, some with ants from their own nest, some with ants of another nest of the same species. The results were that thirtytwo ants belonging to Formica fusca and Lasius niger, removed from their nest as pupa, attended by friends and restored to their own nest, were all amicably received. What is still more remarkable, of twenty-two ants belonging to Formica fusca, removed as pupa, attended by strangers and returned to their own nest, twenty were amicably received. As regards one Sir John was doubtful; the last was crippled in coming out of the pupa case, and to this, perhaps, her unfriendly reception may have been due. Of the same number of Lasius niger developed in the same manner from pupa tended by strangers belonging to the same species, and then returned into their own nest, seventeen were amicably received, three were attacked, and of about two Sir John felt doubtful.

On the other hand, fifteen specimens belonging to the same species, removed as pupæ, tended by strangers belonging to the same species and then put into the strangers' nest, were all attacked.

The results may be tabulated as follows:Pupa brought up by friends and Pupa brought up by strangers. Put back in own Put in strangers' replaced in their own nest. Attacked ... Received amicably. 33

nest.

...

...

...

...

37

...

...

...

nest.

...

15

Sir John intends to make further experiments in this direction, but the above results seem very interesting. They appear to indicate that ants of the same nest do not recognise one another by any password. On the other hand, if ants are removed from the nest in the pupa state, tended by strangers, and then restored, some at least of their relatives are certainly puzzled, and in many cases doubt their claim to consanguinity. Strangers, under the same circumstances, would be immediately attacked; these ants, on the contrary, were in every case-sometimes, however, after examination-amicably received by the majority of the colony, and it was often several hours before they came across one who did not recognise them.

UNIVERSITY AND EDUCATIONAL

INTELLIGENCE

THE Medical Faculty of the University of Zurich gave, last week, the degree of M.D. to Miss Draya Sjocie, from Shabats, in Servia, and the Countess Vilma Hugonai, from Teteny, Hungary.

THE success of the high classes for ladies at Odessa has exceeded all expectations. On the opening day, January 21, instead of the expected sixty or seventy students, 215 ladies were inscribed. The University has offered its rooms for the classes. Of about three of these Sir John did not feel sure.

WE learn from the Annual Report of the Moscow University that the number of students at the University was, during 1878, 1,643, with 108 professors; 318 of them were in the Jurisprudence Faculty, 131 in the Philological, 240 in the Physico-Mathematical, and 954 studied Medicine. No less than 62 medical students have taken part in the last war; the majority of students are very poor, and 417 of them received pecuniary help which has reached, during the year, the sum of 11,500%.

SCIENTIFIC SERIALS

The

American Journal of Science and Arts, January, 1879.-Prof. Loomis's important paper in this number on storms on the Atlantic, &c., has been noticed elsewhere. Prof. Marsh (in an appendix) describes a new order of extinct reptiles (Sauranodonta) from the Jurassic formation of the Rocky Mountains; they closely resemble Ichthyosaurus (of which no remains have hitherto been found in America), but are without teeth. same author continues his "Principal Characters of American Jurassic Dinosaurs."-Prof. Greene, of Troy, New York, describes a paper dome constructed from his plans for an astronomical observatory. The paper covering is in sixteen equal sections, the framework of each section consisting of three ribs of pine meeting at the apex. There are also a circular sill at the base and two parallel semicircular arch girders spanning the dome (all of pine). The entire structure weighs about 4,000 lbs. The dome is supported on six 8-inch balls rolling between grooved iron tracks by direct pressure.-Mr. Edison describes his tasimeter as applied to measuring the heat of the stars and of the sun's corona.-Mr. Fontaine writes on the mesozoic strata of

Virginia, and Mr. Holden on the brightness and stellar magnitude of the third Saturnian satellite.-A list of fifty specie, of east coast fishes (many of them new to the fauna) is supplied by Messrs. Goode and Blan.-In the "Miscellaneous Intelligence will be found the report of the committee appointed to consider the scientific surveys of the United States territories.

SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES
LONDON

Royal Society, January 23.-"On the Microrheometer." By J. B. Hannay, F.R.S.E., F.C.S., lately Assistant Lecturer on Chemistry in the Owens College, Manchester. Communicated by H. E. Roscoe, LL.D., F.R.S., Professor of Chemistry in Owens College, Manchester.

2

In this paper the author reviews the work done by chemists and physicists in determining the relation between the chemical composition of a liquid and its rate of flow through a capillary tube. Poiseiulle ascertained, in a very accurate manner, all the physical laws relating to the rate of flow, as regulated by temperature, pressure, and dimensions of the tube; but on examining saline solutions he could make nothing of the numbers presented, because he used percentage solutions instead of solutions proportional to the equivalent of the body dissolved. Graham, noticing that Poiseiulle had discovered a hydrate of alcohol by running various mixtures of alcohol and water through the tube, examined mixtures of the various acids with water, and found that the hydration proceeded by distinct steps of multiple proportions. Several others, notably Guerout, have since worked on the same subject, but as they have only worked on organic liquids, and have done all the rates at the same temperature, the results throw no light on the phenomena. Thus water runs about five times as quickly at 100° as at o°; and in a series of alcohols, such as Guerout experimented upon, the differences between their boiling points were very great, so that, their vapour tensions or molecular mobilities being quite incomparable while at the same temperature, the experiments do not admit of any real interpretation. The author reserves the organic part of the investigation, which requires the determination of vapour tensions, till a future paper, and in the present deals with saline solutions.

3

The phenomenon of the flow of liquids through capillary tubes has been called in this country transpiration, while in other countries no distinct name has been adopted; and as the English word is already in use in French for another purpose, and properly applies to gases (the laws relating to which are quite different), the author proposes to use for liquids the term Ann. de Chim. et de Physique, [3], t. vii. 50. Phil Trans., 1861, p. 373.

3 Comptes Rendus, ixxix. p. 1201; lxxxi, p. 1025.

"Microrheosis," from unpls and piw, the instrument being called the microrheometer. The form of apparatus which the author finally adopted is figured in the paper, and is so arranged that when the liquid is introduced, as many experiments as may be desired may be tried, and the pressure and temperature, as well as the atmosphere in which the experiment is conducted, may be varied, while the thermometer indicating the temperature is at the mean point of the system The author gives a curve for water from o° to 100°, the differences of rate being smaller as the temperature rises.

Various salts are then examined, being dissolved to form "normal" solutions; but as the solubility of some salts is too low for such solutions, the effect of the amount of salts dissolved is determined. This is found to be directly proportional to the amount of salt in solution. Values for many salts in solution are then given, each number being the mean of ten experiments, and the probable error of the mean is calculated in each case. The conclusions arrived at are these. The rate of flow does not depend on any of the "mechanical" features of the salt, such as crystalline form, specific volume, solubility, &c.; but upon the mass of the elements forming the substance and the amount of energy expended in its formation. Each element has a value of its own, which is continued in all its compounds. Thus all the salts of potassium and sodium formed by the same acids have a constant difference. In like manner each metalloid and acid radicle has a value which is continued in all its combinations. Then the greater the combining value of an element the quicker is its microrheosis; thus potassium has a higher rate than sodium, barium than strontium, strontium than calcium, and so on. The microrheosis also varies with the amount of energy in the com pound; thus nitrates stand highest, as they contain most energy; then chlorides; and, lastly, sulphates, which are exhausted compounds.

The instrument, bringing to light as it does the fundamental relations of combining weight and energy in chemical action, will be of the utmost importance in chemical physics, as by its use not only will the amount of energy evolved in reactions be determined, but the mass combined; or, in other words, the chemical equivalent of the elements involved will be found.

February 6.-" On certain Dimensional Properties of Matter in the Gaseous State." By Osborne Reynolds, F.R.S., Professor of Engineering at Owens College.

Mathematical Society, February 13.-C. W. Merrifield, F.R.S., president, in the chair.-Sir J. Cockle, F.R.S., was admitted into the Society.-Mr. R. Hargreaves and Prof. W. E. Story were proposed for election.-Dr. Hirst, F.R.S., comwhich satisfy five independent conditions.-Sir J. Cockle spoke municated a paper by M. Halphen on the number of conics Harley, Henrici, Roberts, Hart, and other gentlemen took part upon a construction for making magic squares. Messrs. Cayley, in a discussion on the subject. Prof. Henrici, F.R.S., gave some properties of frames.-Prof. H. J. S. Smith, F.R.S., read two papers on a modular equation and on the formula for four Abelian functions.-Mr. J. J. Walker communicated a quaternion proof of Minding's theorem.

Linnean Society, February 6.-Prof. Allman, F.R.S., president, in the chair.-Mr. J. R. Jackson exhibited specimens from the tombs of ancient Thebes. Among these were fruits of the Doum Palm (Hyphane thebaica) and of H. aigun, formerly, but wrongly, described as an Areca. Small berries also obtained were identified as those of Juniperus phoenicea as against those of F. excelsa.-Mr. J. G. Baker showed dried bulbs of Buphane toxicarea, which furnish a principal ingredient of the poison the Bushmen of South Africa tip their arrows with. Structurally, the numerous tunics of the bulb are a peculiarity. The range of this plant has been found to be as far north as Lake Tanganyika. In Sir C. W. Strickland's hothouse a plant flowered last year, and this for the first time in England.-Mr. W. T. Thiselton Dyer shortly described specimens of, and pointed out the special characters and probable advantages of, a new fodder grass, Euchlæna luxurians, and he also exhibited and made remarks on curious instruments used for weaving fibre of Curculigo lat folia by the natives of Borneo.-Mr. T. Christy drew attention to a sample of tea grown in Natal, and to a bottle of the milky secretion of the African Rubber Tree (Landolphia), the same having been freshly drawn from the living plant and immediately thereafter forwarded to this country; slight coagulation of the juice had nevertheless occurred.-The Rev. G. Henslow passed round for examination a specimen of female