past few years to encourage the study of physical science; we hope the results will lead her to do so to a still greater extent.

THE fund being raised for the purpose of providing a suitable memorial to the late Prof. Sedgwick, of Cambridge University, reaches nearly 10,000. The form of the testimonial will be some new and suitable buildings for the schools of geology, and a full-length statue of the late professor.

THE Cape mail brings word that the Challenger has arrived at Simon's Bay. On her voyage from Bahia she touched at Tristan d'Acunha, and made a survey of the groups of islands to which it belongs. Two Germans were found who had lived there for a couple of years, and who gladly availed themselves of the opportunity of leaving.

THE annual course of lectures of the Brown Institution, under the Government of the University of London, will be delivered in the theatre of the University by Dr. Burdon-Sanderson, F.R.S., on successive Tuesdays and Fridays during the present month, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon. The first lecture will be given on Tuesday next the 9th inst.

PROFESSOR E. WEISS, of the Vienna Observatory, we learn from the Bulletin International of the Paris Observatory, has identified the comet recently discovered by Coggia, with the first comet of 1818, discovered by Pons at Marseilles.

WE understand that the Lords of the Privy Council on Education have decided to unite the Professorships of General and Applied Chemistry in the Royal College of Science, Dublin, and that this joint professorship will be conferred on Mr. Galloway, for many years the Professor of Applied Chemistry to the College. The only vacancy to be now filled up in the college staff is therefore that of the Professorship of Zoology.

PROF. N. L. SHALER, Geologist of the State of Kentucky, in a recent letter to the Frankfort Yeoman, makes a rather novel suggestion for improving the navigation of the Ohio River, and at the same time preventing the enormous destruction of property which its floods now occasion at intervals, by washing away its banks. In what has hitherto proved a vain endeavour

to accomplish the former object, a large amount of money has been already spent under appropriations of the United States Congress, for wing-dams and other structures to concentrate the flow during the season of slack water; and schemes have been considered with more or less favour that involved the expenditure of from ten to forty million dollars. The waste by floods, of property bordering the river, is estimated by Prof. Shaler at 400,000 dols. per annum. He thinks that both objects could be accomplished by simply planting willows upon the banks, as he finds that wherever such a plantation has been effected, the resulting growth not only holds the soil in which it is rooted, but accumulates that which is brought down by the river. When the banks have been sufficiently strengthened and extended by means of such plantations, a deepening of the channel must result, which will improve navigation. The entire cost of planting the banks of the river from Pittsburgh to its mouth is estimated by Prof. Shaler at 100,000 dols.

ON Monday, Nov. 24, a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society was held in the theatre of the University of London, Burlington Gardens; Sir Bartle Frere in the chair. Two papers were read-one by Capt. J. Moresby, R.N., "On recent discoveries at the eastern end of New Guinea," and the other by the Rev. W. Wyatt Gill, on three visits to New Guinea. Capt. Moresby's paper entered at much length into the configuration and aspect of the country, which the author described as not unlike that of Australia. From all he saw of the people, the old idea that they were the most savage of all races must be aban

doned. Capt. Moresby's paper described the utensils used by the natives, and looked forward to a better future for them in conse quence of their connection with England. The Rev. Mr. Gill then related his experience, which in general confirmed that of Capt. Moresby.

THE late Mr. Robert M'Andrew, F.R.S., of Isleworth House, Middlesex, has bequeathed to the University of Cambridge a very large and valuable collection of recent shells. The collection is one of great scientific interest, and is well known to persons engaged in the study of this branch of natural history. Mr. M'Andrew also bequeaths to the Uni versity "such of the purely conchological works in my library as the Vice-Chancellor or any Professor or other official nominated by him shall select, provided they are works which the said University does not already possess (otherwise than in the Public Library of the said University), and such works are to be placed in the Natural History Museum or some library connected with it."

A CORRESPONDENT asks whether any of our readers can inform him if there exists any description of a fine section of Rhætic beds which is to be found about half a mile outside the town of Newark-upon-Trent ?

WE have received copies of the New York Tribune for October 29, 30, 31, containing full reports of the recent meeting of the American Academy of Sciences, in New York. The reports are very detailed, and have evidently been prepared with great care for the Tribune, which, moreover, to judge from the numbers referred to, seems to devote something like one-third of its space to matters more or less connected with Science, not to mention literature. We fear this would not pay in this country; it evidently does in America. The American Academy, appears to be a kind of select upper Association for the Promotion of Science. It started with fifty members, and adds only five new members each year; there seems to be but little [prearrangement as to the meetings.

THE earthquake on the 9th November, in Western Asia Minor, was rather remarkable. It was felt at 10 A.M. at the Dardanelles and Broossa. It reached to Ak Hissar, Phocæa, and the islands of Samos and Nisyros, in fact from N. to S. At Smyrna a first shock was felt at 9.49 P.M., and another at 3.20 A. M. [of the next day?]. After the first shock a strong smell of sulphur pervaded the atmosphere and entered the houses. A thick mist which had hung about for days dispersed, and the night was clear. Nisyros was supposed to be the centre. At the Dardanelles the shock was preceded by a rumbling noise. At Broossa there was a second shock at I P.M. An earthquake was felt on October 10, at 4.45 A. M., at San Salvador, in Central America. It was slight.

THE naturalists connected with the U.S. Yellowstone Expe dition of the summer of 1873 have all returned from the field, and are at present engaged in preparing reports for transmission to the Secretary of War. The opportunities furnished by the occasion were not so good as had been hoped for, the region proving to be much more destitute of animal and vegetable life than anticipated. Everything was done, however, by them that the circumstances would allow. The collections embrace a full series of everything met with in the form of animal and vegetable life. The collections of butterflies and of plants were especially rich; of fossils not many were obtained, but among them will doubtless be found some new species. Among these was a large ammonite, 3 ft. in diameter, presented to the party by Lieut. P. H. Ray. A few uncharacteristic bones of fossil vertebrates were picked up, but the expedition failed to reach any of the great bone deposits of the Mauvaises Terres, as they had hoped to de.

We have recently had occasion to notice the fact that the plans of the new observatory at Cincinnati, U.S., had been approved, and were about being carried into execution. It gives us plea sure to record the rapid progress that has been made in this work, as evinced by the fact that on the 28th of August the corner-stone of the new building now in process of erection on Mount Lookout was laid with becoming ceremonies. The site chosen for the new observatory is about four miles north-east of that on Mount Adams, where the original observatory, founded by Prof. O. M. Mitchell, was established. The corner-stone that was laid in 1843 on that elevation by John Quincy Adams has been carefully removed to the new site, and appropriately forms the corner-stone of the new equatorial pier. The observatory has, by means of a tripartite agreement with the city and the heirs of Nicholas Longworth, now passed into the hands of the Cincinnati University. The proceeds, amounting to 50,000 dols., realised on the sale of the property on Mount Adams have been invested for the support of the art department of the university. The city, however, has pledged itself to maintain the observatory when once established, and the establishment has itself been hastened by the liberality of Mr. John Kilgour, who has given four acres of ground as a site for the new building, and added 10,000 dols. for the latter. The site is admirably adapted for the purpose of the institution. It is one of the highest points in the county, commanding a beautiful and extended view, and it is not likely that the difficulty experienced at the old site from the smoke and vapours of the city will for a long time if ever, trouble the astronomers on Mount Lookout. The new edifice

faces south, having a width of about sixty feet, a depth of ninety feet, and two wings, making the breadth through the wings about one hundred feet. One of the wings will be used for the meridian instruments; and in the centre of the building, on a brick pier thirty-six feet high and seventeen feet in diameter, will rest the big telescope. The building will be two stories high, except in the centre, where the revolving turret of iron for the equatorial will add half a story. The structure is to be of pressed brick, with freestone trimmings.

THE additions to the Zoological Society's collection during the last week include an Arabian Baboon (Cynocephalus hamadryas) from Arabia, presented by Miss Sandon; a Wild Cat (Felis catus) from Scotland, presented by Sir T. Riddell, Bart.; three Gray's Terrapins (Clemmys grayi), and some Moorish Tortoises (Testudo mauritanica) from Persa, presented by Hon. E. Ellis; an African Goat (Capra hircus) from Bedah, presented by Mr. J. A. Croft; a Macaque Monkey (Macacus cynomolgus) from India, presented by Lady Stirling; two Blue-throated Parrots (Pionus sordidus) from Venezuela; an Active Amazon (Chrysotis agilis) from Jamaica, and a Blackish Sternothere (Sternothoerus subniger) from Madagascar, purchased.

SCIENTIFIC SERIALS

tific world generally, on the authority of Dr. Dickson, that what they have been in the habit of believing on this subject "is not only improbable, but impossible." Dr. Hughlings Jackson has, it seems, been at the pains to quote against Dr. Dickson some passages from Herbert Spencer's Psychology; but he could have little known with whom he had to deal. Dr. Dickson quietly remarks" From this it would seem that Spencer holds somewhat the same, though the untenable view.' Was there ever a finer example of how completely original ideas can free a mind from the degrading thraldom of authority? Does Spencer differ from me? why then that is the worse for Spencer.-The article of most general interest is "The Morbid Psychology of Criminals," by Dr. D. Nicolson, continued from last number, and still unfinished. It abounds in valuable observations, and good practical common sense. When in prison criminals offer good opportunities for observation, but we do not perceive that their "emotional displays" can with strictness be said to mark any. thing specially morbid. From all that is said, we cannot gather more than that criminals are like the much larger class to which they generally belong, namely people of a low type of mind. The unfortunates that find their way into our prisons are, insanely acccusing others of wicked designs against them; whose we regret to think, far from the only people who cannot help minds are lawless and undisciplined; who must have their "breakings out;" and for whom, when they become intolerably insolent and violent, "a good drubbing on the spot" would be the most appropriate medicine. People, when inclined to what they ought not to do will not be deterred by the fear of punishments that are not painful, or which are too distant to act on their dull imaginations. This leads to large considerations, but we can only say that it would be a great matter for social progress if our tender-hearted philanthropists-those who busy themselves with theories of home, school, and prison discipline, distributing gratis wonderful receipts for the painless cure of all bad habits-could be brought to understand a little better than they do the real nature of the material on which they have to work. The review of the Lunacy Blue Books will be found interesting; also "Antiquarian Scraps relating to Insanity," by Dr. T. W. McDowall.

Journal of the Royal Geological Society of Ireland, vol. xiii., Part 3, for the session 1872-73, contains E. T. Hardman on the occurrence of gypsum in the Keuper Marls, near Coagh, Co. Tyrone.-Prof. T. Rupert Jones, on some Foraminifera from the chalk of the North of Ireland.-P. S. Abraham, notes on the geology of the Hartz.-Prof. Macalister, a description of two Veddah skulls, and Presidential address (which latter gives an able summary of the work done by German petrologists with the object of determining the mineral constitution and structure of plutonic, metamorphic, volcanic and other rocks by the aid of the microscope).-Prof. E. Hull, on the microscopical structure of the Limerick carboniferous Trap Rocks, and on the microscopical structure of Irish granites.-Col. Meadows Taylor, the Coal fields of Central India.-R. J. Cruise, Analysis of the Leitrim coal, remarks on the coal area of the district.-Dr. Studdert, on the Lough Allen coal from the Arigna District, Co. Leitrim.-G. H. Kinahan, on the carboniferous ingenite rocks of the County Limerick.-E. T. Hardman, on the occurrence of siliceous nodular brown Hæmatite (Göthite) in the carboniferous limestone beds near Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, &c., and on an analysis of white chalk from the County of Tyrone, with notes on the occurrence of zinc therein.-Rev. Dr. Macloskie, on the silicified wood of Lough Neagh.-Dr. Tichborne, on the formation of crystalline minerals having the spherical form.

THE 2nd and 3rd numbers of the 7th volume of the Canadian Naturalist commence with a paper by Dr. Dawson on impressions and footprints of aquatic animals and imitative markings on carboniferous rocks, those considered being invertebrate. The paper originally appeared in Silliman's Journal.-Mr. G. F. Mathew continues a description of his impressions of Cuba, and enters into detail respecting the botany of the island.-Mr. Whiteaves gives an account of a deep-sea dredging expedition round the island of Anticosti, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in which upwards of 100 species of marine invertebrata new to the Gulf of St. Lawrence were added to the previously recorded fauna.-Dr. Dawson also contributes a paper on the geological relations of the iron ores of Nova Scotia, considering first the

We cannot afford to indicate this curious theory; we doubt if we quite understand it; but we can inform the scien

Moose River; next the veins of iron ore of the East River of Pictou, Shubenacadie, and other parts.-Dr. Nicholson, of Toronto, describes some new fossils from the Devonian rocks of

Western Ontario, including Zaphrentis fenestrata (n.s.) Blothrophyllum approximatum (n.s.); Heliophyllum colbornensis (n.s.); Petraia logani (n. s.); and Alecto canadensis (n. s.).-A detailed report is given of the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, of which an abstract has already appeared in our pages.

Journal of the Franklin Institute, Oct. 1873.-We have here the second portion of Prof. Thurston's valuable paper on the molecular changes produced in iron by variations of temperature. He comes to the conclusion that at temperatures above 600° and below 70° F., iron conforms to the general law for solid bodies, that increase of temperature diminishes tenacity but increases ductility and resilience, while decrease of temperature has the opposite effect. Below 70° the tenacity increases with diminishing temperature at the rate of 0'02 to 003 per cent. for each degree F., while the resilience decreases in much higher ratio. Between ordinary temperatures and a point somewhere between 500 and 600, on the other hand, iron shows marked deviation from the law, the strength increasing to the extent of about fifteen per cent. with good iron. The practical result is, that as iron does not lose its power of sustaining "dead" loads at low temperature, but greatly loses its power of resisting shocks, the factor of safety in structures need not be increased in the former case, where exposure to severe cold is apprehended; but that machinery, rails, and other structures which have to resist shocks should have large factors of safety, and be protected, if possible, from extremes of temperature.-Mr. Lowe communicates "something new concerning the physical properties of steam," viz., that the external work given out by steam in expanding from the temperature () to the temperature (t), bears a constant ratio to the difference; that is, to (t − t). He considers the latent heat performs the internal work, while

the sensible heat only is available for external work; in which lase that vapour whose latent heat is the smallest, other things equal, would be the best agent for converting heat into work. A paper on statistics of coal, is compiled from Mr. James McFarlane's "Coal Regions of America."-Mr. Bilgran furnishes an 66 'Elementary treatment of Zeuner's slide-valve ;" and Mr. Murphy has a paper on "Bridge building considered normally."-There are descriptions of machinery for utilisation of coal waste, a stone-cutting machine, and a machine for making paper boxes. The latter produces match-boxes at the rate of 3,000 in an hour. Paste is dispensed with, the slips of wrapper being fastened by delicate staples of iron wire.

American Journal of Science and Arts, November, 1873. In this number we find two contributions in chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in one of which it is shown that by solution of cast-iron in an acid, there may be ob tained, besides gaseous bodies, which escape with the hydrogen, volatile hydrocarbons, boiling between 93° and 155° C., and probably belonging partly to the saturated, partly to the nonsaturated series. Of the latter, considerable quantities may be condensed by combination with bromine, after having passed through a freezing mixture.-Prof. H. L. Smith gives a series of investigations made in the Queen's Chamber of the Great Pyramid, as supporting the view that a high degree of geometrical and astronomical knowledge must have been possessed by the builders, but without superhuman accuracy. In a paper on rocks of the Helderberg era, in the Connecticut Valley, Prof. Dana endeavours to show that Staurolitic slate, hornblendic rocks, gneiss, mica schist, &c., are extensively developed in a formation of Helderberg age, and probably the Upper Helderberg or Lower Devonian. There is a letter from Dr. B. A. Gould, Director of the Cordoba Observatory (date Aug. 5), giving an account of work recently done there. Zone observations had been begun in September last year, and were nearly half completed, some 50,000 stars having been observed. From a note on the hypsometric work of the U.S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories, we learn that four stations were established at Denver, 5,000 feet above the sea; Cañon City, 6,000 feet; Fair Play (in the South Park), 10,000 feet; and Mount Lincoln, 14,000 feet; the observations at each being taken three times daily. The U.S. Signal Service have recently established a permanent meteorological station on the summit of Pike's Peak, about 14,000 feet high; the observations will be published daily by telegraph, and will doubtless be of high scientific and popular interest. Of the remaining matter we may note suggested improvements in filter pumps, and in the arrangement of shutters in a dome for an equatorial telescope.

No. 7.

a wire

Poggendorff's Annalen der Physik und Chemic 1873. In this number, M. Quincke continues his "Optische Untersuchungen," investigating at some length the behaviour of polarised light on its passage through gratings.-M. Riess enunciates thus a new kind of reaction of currents : circuit, part of which is traversed by a given (Leyden) battery current, remaining unaltered, various secondary currents, produced in it successively, react on the primary, so that the weaker secondary corresponds to the stronger primary. -Dr. Voller has examined the influence of temperature on electro. motive force of galvanic combinations, and finds that with salt solutions in contact with copper or zinc, the force is diminished by rise of temperature, whereas with acids it is increased.-An interesting paper by Prof. Villari treats of the time flint glass takes to be magnetised, demagne ised. and to turn the plane of polarisation. He rotated a glass cylinder between the poles of an electro-magnet, where it acted like a cylindrical lens to polarised light passing through the poles. When not magnetised, the cylin ler, whether in motion or at rest, was neutral to the light; but when magnetised, its plane-rotating power considerably diminished with increasing velocity of rotation; the reason being that, in such quick revolution, each diameter remained too short a time in the axial direction to acquire all the magnetism it would otherwise have. To give flint glass such diamagnetic intensity, as became observable by rotation of the plane, required at the least o"001244, while to give it all the diamagnetism it is capable of taking under a strong magnet, at least o"00241 was necessary.-"A contribution to the theory of thermal currents," by M. Avenarius, appears to be an appropriation of results published by Prof. Tait in 1870, and which are incorporated in the professor's Rede Lecture for this year. application of air-friction to the deadening of galvanometer A similar remark will apply to M. Topler's needles, &c., which is simply Sir W. Thomson's dead-beat principle.-M. Raye criticises unfavourably M. Zöllner's theory of sun-spots and protuberances; his own theory represents, in the sun, something like what occurs in our cyclones, in which there is an upward air-current carrying with it aqueous vapour, which forms above into a cloud. He thus differs from Faye, Hennig describes an apparatus for quantitative spectrum who supposes a descending current, in the solar cyclones.-M. analysis, and M. Schneider continues his account of salts of sulphur. We find also notes on galvanic reduction of iron under the influence of an electromagnetic solenoid, and on the reflec tion and refraction of sound; from the St. Petersburg and Vienna academies respectively.-An abstract of an instructive paper by M. Vogel on the spectra of comets we hope to give shortly.

SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES

LONDON

Geological Society, Nov. 19.-Prof. Ramsay, F.R.S., vice-president, in the chair.-The following communications were read :- -"Supplemental Note on the Anatomy of Hypsilo phodon Foxii," by Mr. J. W. Hulke, F.R.S. The material for this note was a slab from Cowleaze Chine, containing portions of two individuals of Hypsilophodon Foxii, one consisting of a skull with a great part of the vertebral column, the other of a portion of the vertebral column. The author described some details of the structure of the skull, and especially the palatal apparatus. In connection with the question of the generic rank of Hypsilophodon, the author stated that in Hypsilophodon the centra of the sacral vertebræ are cylindroid and rounded below, whilst in Iguanodon they are compressed laterally and angulated below. "The Drift-beds of the North-west of England, Part 1, Shells of the Lancashire and Cheshire Low-level Clay and Sands," by Mr. T. Mellard Reade. The author gave a list of the localities in which shells were found, and stated that in all forty-six species had been met with distributed through the clay-beds, those found in the sand-seams being rare and generally fragmentary and rolled. He contended that the admixture of shells in the boulder-clay was due to the tendency of the sea to throw up its contents on the beach, whence changing currents and floating ice might again remove them, and to the oscillations of the land bringing all the beds at one time or another within reach of marine erosive action. He maintained that it is in the distribution of land and sea at the period of deposition of the Lancashire deposits, and not in astronomical causes, that we must seek the explanation of the climate of that

dress, manner of living, general habits, including badges of mourning, food, &c. The Snakes, Utes, Piutes, Foxes, Siouxs, and other tribes were briefly described.

CAMBRIDGE

Philosophical Society, Nov. 17.—“On a suspected forgery in the Vatican Manuscript Record of the Trial of Galileo before the Inquisition," by Mr. Sedley Taylor, late Fellow of Trinity College. The object of the paper was to show, in accordance with the views of recent German and Italian authorities, that the sentence pronounced against Galileo in 1633 was based on a spurious document fabricated for the express purpose of securing his condemnation. The evidence adduced to support this conclusion was taken partly from the works and letters of Galileo, and partly from the contemporary records of the trial preserved in the Archives of the Inquisition, portions of which have been lately published for the first time. The result of the paper was to exonerate Galileo completely from the charge of contumacy which all his biographers have hitherto either advanced or tacitly admitted.

MANCHESTER

Literary and Philosophical Society, Nov. 4-R. Angus Smith, F.R.S, vice-president, in the chair.-"On the Bursting of Trees and Objects struck by Lightning," by Prof. Osborne Reynolds, M.A. The results of the experiments referred to in this paper were exhibited to the meeting. The suggestion thrown out by Mr. Baxendell at the last meetingthat the explosive effect of lightning is due to the conversion of moisture into steam-seemed to him to be so very probable, that he was induced to try if he could not produce a similar effect experimentally. He tried various experiments by sending a discharge through pieces of damped wood, and through glass tubes with and without water. The pieces of wood, whieh varied in size, yielded various results, and the glass tubes, which also were of various sizes, were shivered to pieces.-The Rev. W. N. Molesworth, M.A., brought under the notice of the Society some Roman and Celtic antiquities, to which he thought that sufficient attention had not been given in this country.

Nov. 18.-E. W. Binney, F. R.S., vice-president, in the chair. -"On the Bursting of Trees and Objects struck by Lightning," by Prof. Osborne Reynolds, M.A. In a paper on this subject read at the last meeting I stated that the tube which was burst by a discharge from a jar would probably withstand an internal pressure of from 2 to 5 tons on the square inch; and I made use of the expression the tube might be fired like a gun without bursting. These statements were based on the calculated strength of the tube, and with a view to show that there was no mistake, I have since tried it in the following manner.-I made 3 guns of the same tube. No. 1, which was 6 inches long, had its end stopped with a brass plug containing the fuze hole. No. 2 and No. 3 were 5 inches long and had their breeches drawn down so as only to leave a fuse hole. These tubes were loaded with gunpowder and shotted with slugs of wire which fitted them, and which were all inch long. No. I was first fired with inch of powder, the shot penetrated inch into a deal board, and the gun was uninjured. No. 2 was then fired with 1 inches of powder, and the shot went through the 1-inch deal board and inch into some mahogany behind, thus penetrating altogether 1 inches; the tube, however, was burst to fragments. Some of

these were recovered, and although they were small they did not show cracks and signs of crushing like those from the electrical fracture. No. 3 was then fired with inch of powder, and the shot penetrated inch into the deal board. It was again fired

with I inch of powder, and the shot penetrated 1 inch into the deal. Again it was a third time fired with 1 inches of powder, when it burst, and the shot only just dented the wood. These experiments seem to me to prove conclusively the great strength of the tube and the enormous bursting force of the electrical discharge. On the colour of Nankin cotton by Edward Schunck, Ph. D., F.R.S.-An improved method for preparing Marsh Gas, by C. Schorlemmer, F. R.S. The author found that by heating an intimate mixture of anhydrous sodium acetate with more than twice its weight of lime and sodium carbonate, a very regular and quiet evolution of marsh gas took place. The gas thus obtained always contains some acetone, which is easily removed by shaking it with water, or, better still, with a solution of acid sodium sulphite.

DUBLIN

Royal Geological Society of Ireland, Nov. 12.-Prof. E. Hull, F.R.S., president, in the chair.-Mr. J. E. Gore, C.E.,

read a note on a bed of fossiliferous kunkar in the Punjab-The president read a series of notes on the Microscopic Structure of Irish Granites:-1, Granite of Aillemore, Co. Mayo; 2, Granitoid Quartz Porphyry of Attithomasreagh, Co. Galway; 3, Granite of Ballynockan, Co. Wicklow.-Prof. Reynolds exhibited specimens of the new minerals Uranotine and Walpurgine.-Prof. Traquair exhibited specimens for the Rev. J. Emerson, of some coal fossils from the Jarrow Colliery, Co. Kilkenny, among which were noticed portions of the skeletons of Urocordylus wandesfordii and Ichthyer peton bradleyi described some time since as from a neighbouring colliery, by Huxley and Wright; also the palate tooth of Ctenodon cristatus, patches of scales of Megalichthys hibberti, and some vertebræ and scales of a Rhizodopsis.

Royal Irish Academy, Nov. 10.-Rev. Prof. Jellett, president, in the chair.-A paper was read by Messrs. Draper and Moss on some forms of Selenium, and on the influence of light on the electrical conductivity of this element.-Prof. Macalister read a paper on the anatomy of a species of Aonyx from the Upper Indus. The species had been sent by the late Earl of Mayo to the Royal Zoological Society of Ireland, but differed in no marked degree from the one described by Horsfield as A. uptonyx.-Mr. H. W. Macintosh read a paper on the myology of Arctopithecus blainvillii.

EDINBURGH

Royal Society of Edinburgh, Dec. 1.-Sir Robert Christison, vice-president, in the chair.

The following communications were read :—

1. Laboratory Notes, by Prof. Tait.-(1) First Approximation to a Thermo-electric Diagram. (2) On the Flow of Water through Fine Tubes.

2. Note on the use of in Curvilinear Co-ordinates, and on the Transformation of Double and Triple Integrals, by Prof. Tait.

2. On the Physiological Action of Ozone, by James Dewar and Dr. M'Kendrick.

4. On a Compound formed by the addition of Bromacetic Acid to Sulphide of Methyl, and on some of its Derivatives, by Prof. Crum Brown.

5. Note on the Expression for the Action of one Currentelement on another, by Prof. Tait.

GLASGOW

Geological Society, Nov. 13.-Mr. E. A. Wünsch, viceA paper on the Post-tertiary Beds president, in the chair. (Kyles of Bute), by the Rev. H. W. Crosskey and David Robertson, was read to the meeting. The succession of beds, as found at various parts of the Kyles, in proceeding from high to low water mark, is as follows:-(1) Boulderclay, hard, compact, unfossiliferous, and red in colour; (2) A highly laminated clay, precisely similar to that which occupies the same position at Paisley and many other localities, has been found to contain the remains of some species of Foraminifera; (3) A bed of clay and sand, exceed. ingly rich in characteristic Arctic shells; (4) The Pecten maximus bed, has been fonnd cropping out in various localities.-Mr. Jas. Armstrong read a paper on the Fossils found in the Carbonife rous Shales of Gare and Westerhouse, illustrated by a series of finely-preserved specimens collected from these localities, about three miles to the north-east of Carluke.-The Chairman exhibited some interesting specimens of the junction of granite and slate from the island of Arran, and made some remarks on the various theories which had been propounded regarding its origin.

The Southern Uplands of Scotland.-Prof. A. GEIKIE, F.R.S.
The Huemul.-Dr. BURMEISTER

The Diverticulum of the Small Intestine considered as a Rudimen-
tary Structure.-Prof. STRUTHERS
The Atmospheric Telegraph.-R. S CULLEY
SENSATION IN THE SPINAL CORD. By G. H. LEWES.
THE ARTISTIC REPRESENTATION OF NATURE. (With Illustration)
ON THE SCIENCE of Weighing and MeasurING, AND THE STANDARDS
OF WEIGHT AND MEASURE, IX. By H. W. CHISHOLM, Warden
of the Standards (With Illustrations)
EARTH-SCULPTURE, II. By Prof. A. GEIKIE, F.R.S.

NOTES

SCIENTIFIC SERIALS

SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES

81

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82