NA 7TURE



7,/1y 9, 1874



ioli Of sea temp-crattire shiouldl ICe carried onl during tile fihling
s.asot  the T\lariu is of  Iwee(I(lalC has liberally provided the
inisit iini rts  nt,  i  uti.  I II.  A\0ithu   l\l itchell   stated   that
  tlie
)i  nu' i( tin in it tue   h .1 1,   Ctl ic vedl publicly  to   invite  
iiivestigat) rs
l) sill nit l 1  tllil aIny sclhemie which in their aipinion would in-
C ut.t,1>t'(i1 I11 ivi cd-0  o let ,and  wh iclhtheiyw ered usi l-ous
tto p   uti(\s llte:  ii  as urtut.  It  1s Io1 p tl  that  sonme   lin(e
  of  inquiry
likely  to l kad  ft   satisl  ut' y  lsults  will  soon lie  suggested,
 and
wiulnt ver this is(lomle tile ( ommittee Will I e 1)"-Tn-1 aru to give
assilallco' oult of the iund of 100/. placed at thuir d isimsal lyy the
munifttcnce ()f the noble lPiesident.   I )P. Arthur  \l itchell and
iNl r. 1 :uihan ruad a paper onl the influence of seasons on human
mortality, hlliclh w  hope to give next week. \Alr. 1 allingall, Islay,
exhibitu(l an(l desurilbcd a new pressure aneometer, invented by
him.  'lThe instrument consists of a measured surface, which,
exposul to the wind, registers its force by means of an index,
acted upon by a -wooden. plunger in a bath of mercury.      Mr.
Thlion:is Stevens l,  (. f;, described a portable barometer made
of malleable ironl, which lhe suggested for portable purposes.
Thle instrument also contained an ingenious arran;,eiient sutL-



gested to him, by, Mr. 1'. Sang. Iron will also be very suitabTe
for water or oil barometers in which a very large scale is desir-
able for showing suddcen changes in the atmospheric pressure,
the accurate observations of w'hich are likely to grow in im-
portance from year to year.

                            BERLIN

   German Chemical Society, June 8.-C. Rammelsberg, pre-
sidenit, in the cliair.-G. Langbein described the manufacture
of iodide of potassium from iodide of copper, containing 6o-66
per cent. of iodine, which is now largely imported from Peru. It
is transformed into HI by treating it with SIL0 and then saturated
with carbonate of potassium.-J. Thomsen maintains his view
against that expressed by IBerthelot, who believes the existence
of dlefinite hydrates of acids and alkalis to be proved by the heat
of comrbination.---'\. Nencky, by heating acetate of guanidine,
has obtained a new mnonoatomic base, guanamine, of the formula
C4N- 1 .-Thle sam e author has obtained a direct combination of
oxalate of ethyl with sulpho-urea.-K. Heuman communicates
observations on cinnabar. Light transforms it into the black modi-
fication, particularly when obtained by precipitation.  Metallic
copper at Ioo° separates mercury from it in the metallic state.
-C. Liebermann, by treating benzoyl-benzoic acid C14H1J03
with sulphuric acid, has transformed it into anthracen-sulphuric
acid.-A. \W. Hofmann has investigated residues of the aniline
manufactory of M. Weiltr in Cologne, consisting of pure phe-
nyleie-diiamine. -K. Wippermann pu!llishes new investigations
on the condensed hydrocyanic acid C3NH, lately obtained by
Lan g.   It is alw as formed when hydrocyanic acid is kept
with a small quantity of alkali, and then distilled. It is ex-
tracted from the resi(lue by ether.  Hydrate of baryta trans-
forms it into glIycocol. Its formula appears to be N=C - C
(N1 1L) 11 -   N IN, the nitrile of amido-malonic acid.-I1. Schiff
assi.:is the foimula of a dilaureate of glycerine to the fat of
laurel, which has lhitheirt) been considered as a derivative of
allylic glycol.- L. Henry proves the formula of lactide to be
doubly as I trge as has been admitted until now = (C:,H403)2..-
The same chemist deruribed derivatives of propargyl C3l1:, with
Br, Br3 aun lr-, I f chloride of allyl with lIBrO and of chloral
wLh lii oloclilorhydriii of glycol.-C. Kaiser showed a set of
very exatl wtights cut in rock crystal and obtained frcm the
manufl~ict ory o I I errnmann Stern in Uberstein, near Kreuznach.

                            1 'A l; I

  Academy    of Sciences, June 29.-M. Bertrand     in the
chair. -(; c. A loiin u" ,iimnunicated  to tie Academy  a tele-raphic
de 1   t  t, I r  im  tilhe   Il'iAnpur. r  of  Bra,'il,  !sent  fr mlm Rvio
  (le   Janeiro
on J1nne 2B ,:i l(- ee i vetiI'ali i( )IItile th It.-Ti'll efioilow  i
citlniiiiiiicatimls  wcrc  Ical 1 In  a  new   propcerty  of  metallic
rlo diiiin,  by   AIM .  11.  Ciitite ( laite  I)evile  andl 11.  D) ebray.
\  1 e ii  Ir i ni   -ni  rho iiiimii ai e  pit-c ipit.ted   from   thc ir
s (  Isolu s
b)y i oi mu ; iid   'r  i!udiol, tlh   fI nely   diVideId l m etlli c  powders



1) ei' c i  itijitivikablle  jil'*l  litts.  'I li   ili odli in  thus otbtained
 (l-
itti iOus alt(til  (il l        (i en e o falkal)hydliogelibeing  libe-
I  ii i ;md t ai l ( Iii ,  I  lc  lii~i  eccil.  1~ n  miiic  atid  I s
 d eckom p osedI  bV
     ;llamc  ;l 1Il  }lit'c.,ii~     dwm~ililc anil 1   Plaolu>tl uil
It'.s;a11 t'. t1l ols(%1 lit !t iiti; lld({\iSd ent 3 'a(.* t ei.'lailtinun
I
;mt tpi l1 m , 1,iii is,oi a ,,,,, iiii, l* ft,niotilt fikl otriii ;Lacid,
I
       I, ii,,,n,;.iif 1 tillC11 ,II.1,ili keI lodinll. M. A.. I dtliel
JillSt -nil t41fl i(l t elk            )li iIi iiIiin Idll csc lua lil ie
olt-thli o ry
, A 1  1 0l * !l 1 I,  , '!   lit es  \i'll C  -II, lcu.latioli of atomllic
 vibrations.



-(Oni the slyctut l of vapours at high temperatures, by Mr. J. N.
I ockyer. 'This piper eontailns tile results of experiments already
cotllllunicate(l to tl1e Rloyal Society ;iin pubiltlislhetl in NATu'uiI
--Rd ctort on the state of the l)reparations for the expeditions sent
Ity the Acatemlny to observe the tian it (uf Venus on l1)(C 9, by
M. J)uIas. -1\kcl iort (tiI the admnillistrative measures to he taken
forttile pwICsciVat it n of territories threatened hty /i/I//Ii i )y
tile  u mmi-io)nf Is. It is suggcsltcd lo the Autilcniy that a
special law should lie made cni ill teling p)riprietors to declare
the first api)learance of the scourge, that experts slll
then  be appointed   to  examine   into  the  state  of the
infested  vines, and  that these should lie destroyed  when
thought  necessary by ministerial  decision, the  proprietor
receiving adequate compensation.  It is further suggested to
destroy the vines surrounding the districts actually invaded, to
disinfect the soil by chemical methods, and to l)urn the cuttings,
leaves, and roots of the diseased plants as well as the plants
themselves in the same district where the uprooting has taken
place, and finally to prohibit with the utmost rigour the exporta.
tion from infested territories of anything that might serve as a
vehicle for the insect.-M. Ileis communicated a letter sent by
him to M. Faye concerning the studies recommended to the ob-
servers of the forthcoming transit of Venus.  The author sug.
gests the observation of meteors and the zodiacal light with re.
spect to colour, intensity, form, &c. ; also of the milky way and
of polar auroras.-On the temperature of the sun, by M. J.
Violle. The author gave a description of the apparatus employed
by him in this inquiry. A detennination made at Grenoble on
June 20 at 3.30 gave the temperature 1,3540, but to get at the
true temperature of the sun this number must be corrected for
atmospheric absorption and other causes. To eliminate these
errors the author has made several ascents of the Alps, but the
results are not yet made known.-Some remarks were made on
the foregoing paper by M. H. Sainte-Claire Deville, and
M Berthelot communicated a paper ( prtypos of these remarks
entitled " On high temperatures."-On the application of
carbon disulphide mixed with tar and with alkalies for
the destruction of Phylloxera, by WI. C. Monestier.-M. Lecoq
de Boisbaudran communicated a note on the use of carbon
disulphide for the same purpose. -On a point in the theory of
functions, by M. Halphen.-Geometrical integration of the
equation L (xdy - ydx) - A/dy + 2t7/x = 0, in which L, JM,
and NV designate linear functions of x and As, by M. Fouret.-
New method for determining the index of refraction of liquids,
by MM. Terguem and Trannin. The authors gave a description
of their apparatus and some of the results obtained by it.-On
electrostatic phenomena in voltaic batteries, by M. A. Angot.
-On the evaporation of liquids at temperatures above their
boiling points, by M. de Gernez.-On new apparatus called accelro-
mctc;-s, for the study of the phenomena of the combustion of gun-
powders, by M.M. Deprez and H. Sebert.-Note on an intestinal
calculus of the sturgeon, by MM. Delachanal and Mfermet.-
Results of the employment of phenol in burials, by MI. Prat.-
On the publication of the observations of meteors made by MI.
Coulvier-Gravier, a letter from M1. Schiaparelli.-On the struc-
ture of the caudal appendage of certain ascidian larvae, by A. J.
Giard.-On the presence of lead in the brain, by AM. Daremberg.
This was found after cases of lead-poisoning.-'M. Chatin was
elected during the meeting to supply the vacancy in the botarnical
section caused by the death of IM. C. Gay.



                        CONTENTS
1 111 (t. o1 F. I1v1 NI, NOSNIAN LoEF;VER, F.R.S.
IllI I IIAINNI - 1L NNiFL
s      CI i NS  z i(.1 i IISS  \YS AND  ADDRESSES
()UR B1otDo SlI1l.ir
1,L1uT HS 10  I HiK VDIT- 1:-
    Siir lthin HIlci click letter.-Capt. 1. 1i EL. RE., F.R.S.
    O9I.u\ S  L(onict.-A. C. RANYARD. F. 1. A.S.
    Ihitoigr.aph)Ij Irr;aluation.-JOHN AITKFN .i
    .akci %  1 0f t% (0 0I1fajS-A.  t.'111n2 .- G .  R- J EBB
FI i tl .xNIs i, IlS lIi .k .   Pil-D)
( ) I-. N\.4  1i' l1 iNi Ii TEDS  rArFS 1N: 'IL.. .s'r hSAn -s).
A I OtN  U I Si  N I  To)  It 10  iIAH HlOR ROCKS .
FE1;1 Nk H Pl, I FA.\K N I 1\N;~ FORt 1 IIF 1 1; -,s1 1 DOF V\ N tI
( )N  V \'I-ORIii  N,.  I I A1  i  EL I -T  Iv  1W! . WN . Il.  HOPF KINS
   I  l   01 IP   I  -1 OV. ,\ IF  N  im, (. 1.\1 FA
      i'N  N I I ,I.I  I.. | iND,F.R.S.
DIF C.AN1iii L  Pku 1 1  -I l t,,D  PHivSIOLCxICAL 3R\O0PS" OF PLANTS

S,iN in-ICSKtu IA L.S
HbolETliS ANI) ACAtalE



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