Aug. 14

+ 2400 + 460

- 200

Aug.23 Taking, as before, the distances between the positive extremes, we obtain :

25 days, 26 days, 27 days, 28 days-mean, 26.5 days; while from the negative extremes we obtain :-

24 days, 31 days; 29 days-mean, 280 days. From the whole three periods we obtain, as the most probable mean value, 25'2 days.

7. We do not profess to have discovered the cause of these oscillations, but we would nevertheless suggest that the observational facts here brought to light may perhaps be connected with two other observational facts, the one of which was first brought to light by Carrington, and the other by ourselves.

The first of these is the fact that, generally speaking, spots in the north hemisphere have much about the same latitude as those occurring at the same or nearly the same period in the south, both sets widening or contracting together. We may perhaps, therefore, suppose, by applying this law, that the latitude of the spots which cause the positive extremes in the above series is not greatly different from that of those which cause the corresponding negative extremes.

The second observational law is that which tells us that spots about the same period have a tendency to attain their maximum

at or near the same ecliptical longitude. Now, if we suppose that in the foregoing three series the greatest positive extremes were caused by the positive spots attaining their greatest size, and the greatest negative ex remes by the negative spots, attaining their greatest size, it wou'd follow that the two sets, positive and negative, must have taken their rise at places on the sun's surface 180° of longitude different from each other inasmuch as the one set about twelve or thirteen days before or after passed (let us say) the same ecliptical longitude as the

other.

But if the positive set have the same latitude as the negative, and if the one is 180° of solar longitude different from the other, it would mean that the two outbreaks are at opposite ends of the same solar diameter.

This conclusion is an interesting one, but, of course, it requires to be verified by further observation before it be finally received. Meanwhile, we are engaged in marping out syste matically the positions of the various outbreaks of the sun's surface, and we shall soon, therefore, be able to find whether or not there be any truth in this conjecture.

Geologists' Association, July 4.-Mr. Henry Woodward, F.R.S., president, in the char.-I. A sketch of the Geology of Northamptonshire," by Samuel Sharp, F.S.A. A general section of the county of Northampton shows the lias as a basal formation with the inferior oolite beds of the "Northampton sands" above. Fossils are abundant, and some species aro not found in other localities. The upper division consists of a nearly white siliceous sand with bands of clay and a plant bea, the whole of these deposits being evidently of estuarine and littoral origin. Above these, but unconformably, lies the bed classed as Great Oolite, and which consists of, firstly, a series of clay beds with a ferruginous base and containing a plant bed; then, secondly, a limestone series abounding withi fossils and affording an ornamental stone called "Alwalton marble." The bed of clay reposing on these great oolite strata may be considered the equivalent of the "Bradford clay," and still higher in a general section will be found the Forest marble, the Cornbrash, and, highest of the secondaries, the Oxford clay. The high lands of the county are frequently capped by boulder clay and glacial gravels containing fragments from nearly the whole series of the primary and secondary rocks. A peaty fluviatile bed above the gravels contains at its base numerous remains of mammalia. The lias extends throughout the county though appearing only in the valleys, the iron sands occupy the middle and the Lincolnshire limestone the northern portion of the county, while the other formations are patchy in extension. A high table-land about Naseby gives rise to the Avon, the Welland, and the Nene, which occupy the principal va'leys of the county. In past times efforts were made at considerable cost to find coal, and recently the question of whether coal can be obtained in the county has been discussed, but judging from what know of the rocks of the nearest coal field of Warwickshire, and of the intervening district, as much as 4,500 ft. of strata may lie above coal-seams of sufficient thickness to be worked. Moreover, Prof. Hull, F.R.S., concludes that "Carboniferous" coal will not be found at any depth in Northamptonshire.-2. "On some new Crag Fossil,' by Alfred Bell. The author's observations since his former paper on the crags was read, confirm the views he then expressed as to the divisibility of the English crags into four divisions founded on paleontological evidence. He had determined 145 species (some new, some new to the crag, and some new to particular divisions) in addition to those given in his published lists.-3. "An account of the Eruption of Mount Vesuvius of April 1872," by J. M. Black. In this paper

we

the brief but violent and destructive eruption of last year was described by the author, who has carefully noted the various phenomena that occurred during its continuance. An ascent of the volcano was made by Mr. Black, a few days after the eruption, and the form and condition of the crater observed. The author had succeeded in photographing various parts of the mountain after the eruption, and the views so taken were exhibited.

PHILADELPHIA

Academy of Natural Sciences, April 1.-Dr. Ruschen. berger, president, in the chair. The following paper was presented for publication:-"On the Affinities of the Sirenians," by Theo. Gill. Prof. Leidy remarked that the rat presented this evening by Mr. L. Fussel was a specimen of the Black Rat, or Mus rais

tus, which had been caught on board a ship in the vicinity of the city. This rat is exceedingly rare, but is said to have once been common enough, and is also said to have been nearly exterminated by the common brown or Norway Rat.

April 8.-Dr. LeConte announced the death, at Davidsburg, York Co., Pa., on March 10, of Freidrich Ernest Melsheimer, M. D., a correspondent of the Academy, aged nearly ninety-one years. He inherited great taste for entomology from his father, E. F. Melsheimer, a clergyman, who cultivated natural science with much success, and not only was a highly esteemed correspondent of Knoch and other European entomologists of the end of the past and beginning of the present century, but an active collaborator with Say, the founder of descriptive entomology in the United States. Entomology also owes to Dr. Melsheimer the catalogue of the described Coleoptera of the United States, which was published by the Smithsonian Institution in 1853. It was the first work of bibliographical importance in the modern history of that branch of science, and gave a powerful impetus to its development in the United States, and has greatly diminished the labour of those who have continued the study of that department.

April 15.-"Observations on a Change of Structure of a Larva of Dryocampa imperialis," by Thos. G. Gentry." Remarks on Extinct Mammals from California. Prof. Leidy directed attention to some fossils, which he had borrowed, through Prof. E. O. Hovey, from the cabinet of Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana. The most interesting specimens consist of an upper molar and a complete lower molar series of a lama as large as the existing camel. Remains of a still larger species from California have been previously indicated under the name of Auchenia californica. The present specimens were referred to a species with the name Auchenia hesterna. Prof. Owen has described some remains of an equally large lama from Mexico, which he refers to an allied genus with the name Palau henia magna, and which perhaps may be the same as the Auchenia hesterna. An inspection of Prof. Owen's figures of a series of molar teeth leads to the suspicion that he has inadvertently mistaken the upper series for the lower ones, and has thus been led to refer them to a genus different from Auchenia.

The

April 22.1 "Influence of Nutrition upon Sex among the Lepidoptera," by Thos. G. Gentry.-"Fungus Parasite on a Mouse." Prof. Leidy exhibited a mouse with several whitish masses adherent to the ears, side of the face, and nose. mouse had been caught in the children's department of Blockley Hospital. The white matter examined beneath the microscope proved to be composed of sporular bodies, single, double, or in short chains of a dozen or more. They measure about the t of a line in a diameter. The fungus is a Torula or Oidium, and resembles that found in Aptha. Perhaps the disease in the mouse is the result of feeding upon articles imbued with adherent portions of apthous matter from the mouths of children.

BERLIN

German Chemical Society, June 24.-C. Rammelsberg, vice-president, in the chair.-F. Römer has investigated the following derivatives of normal propylic alcohol :-The mercaptan and its mercury-compound, propyl-xanthogenic acid and its sodium salt, and the monamine. By heating cyanate of potash with propyl-sulphate of potash no cyanurate of propyl was formed, but a well-crystallised biuret in which three atoms of hydrogen are replaced by three molecules of propyl.-R. Otto sent a well-crystallised specimen of phosphate of ammonium and magnesium from the cesspool of an old house in Brunswick, analogous to the crystals of "Struvite" found in Hamburg in 1842.C. Scheibler showed a specimen of glass ground by a new method, which has come to us from America, and is now practised in the glassworks of M. Hasenclever at Hollberg, near Aix-la-Chapelle. By means of Giffard's injector a current of fine hard sand is thrown with great force on the glass, which is thus ground; but any pattern cut in paper and pasted on the glass remains unaltered. Even hard minerals, such as corundum, can be ground by this process.-C. Böttinger has studied the action of baryta on pyruvic acid. According to Finek two acids are thus produced, one crystalline, which he called uritinic, and one syrupy body, to which he gave the name of uritonic acid. Mr. Böttinger's researches throw doubts on the existence of the latter body, which seems to be a mixture of uritinic, acetic, and oxalic acids.-C. Rammelsberg communicated new researches on the composition of vesuvians of different origin.-W. H. Pike, of London, has treated sulfo-urea with chloride of benzoyle, obtain. ing well crystallised benzoyle-sulfo-urea (C,H,ONH)CS(NH)2 of the melting-point 170°.

PARIS

Academy of Sciences, July 7.—M. de Quatrefages, president, in the chair. The following papers were read:-New clinical researches on the localisation, in the anterior lobes of the brain, of the action by which the brain contributes to the psycho-physiological faculty of speech, by M. Bouillaud. At the conclusion of this somewhat long paper, M. E. Chevreul made some remarks on Dr. Bouillaud's conclusions.-On the exponential function, by H. Hermite.-On the heat of combination referred to the solid state, a new expression for thermochemical reactions, by M. Berthelot.-The election of Dr. Carpenter, Mr. Steenstrup, and Mr. Dana, as recorded in our notes, then took place.-On a system of optical telegraphy, invented during the siege of Paris, by a commission appointed by the Governor, by M. Laussedat. On the nutritive and milk-producing properties of Galega officinalis, by M. Gillet-Damitte.-On the constitution of the sun and the theory of the spots, by M. E. Vicaire. The author vigorously supported the scoria theory of spots, which he regards as formed by the fall of heated products of combustion into a boiling liquid; he considers that the prominences are formed at the same time and by the same agency.-Solar cyclones compared to those of our own atmosphere, by M. H. Tarry.-On a new isomer of valeric acid, by MM. Friedel and Silva.On the transformation of succinic into malic acid, by M. E. Bourgoin. The author has succeeded in effecting this by heating fine and dry argenetic malate, mixed with fine sand, to 180°.-On the mode of decomposition of explosive bodies as compared with the phenomena of supersaturation, by MM. Champion and Pellet.-On the action of benzyl chloride on napthalamine, by MM. Ch. Froté and D. Tommasi.-Experimental researches on the action of nitrous oxide, by MM. F. Jolyet and T. Blanche. The authors believe that this gas is not a true anesthetic, but acts by producing asphyxia.- Researches on the floral organogenesis of the hazels, by M. H. Baillon.-Discovery of the makis and the horse in the fossil state in the phosphorites of Lot, by M. E. Delfortrie.-On the crystalline forms of Scotch Lanarkite, by M. A. Schrauf.--Details of the earthquake of the 29th of June, by M. W. De Fønvielle.

BOOKS RECEIVED

ENGLISH.-Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man. 4th ed.: Sir Charles Lyell (J. Murray).—Human Longevity, its Facts and Fictions: Wm. J. Thoms (J. Murray).-The Human Mind; a System of Mental Philosophy: Jas. G. Murphy (W. Mullan, Belfast)-Mrs Taylor's ABC of Chemistry. Edited by W. M. Williams (Simpkin, Marshall & Co.).-Six Lectures on Light, delivered in America: John Tyndall, F.R.S. (Longman & Co.). Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, and Series, No. 12 (Macmillan & Co.).-Relations of the Air to the Clothes we wear, &c.: Dr. Max von Pettenkofer: translated by Dr. Hess (Trübner & Co.).—The Royal Readers, No. 6 (T. Nelson & Sons)-Essay on the Mathematical Principles of Physics: Rev. Jas. Challis, M.A. (Deighton, Bell & Co., Cambridge).;

lxiv

Now ready, with Engravings, 8vo, 125.

AN INTRODUCTION

ΤΟ PHYSICAL MEASUREMENTS, with Appendices on Absolute Electrical Measurement, &c. By Dr. F. KOHLRAUSCH. Translated from the Second German Edition by T. H. WALLER, B.A. B.Sc, and H. R. PROCTER, F.C.S.

J. and A. CHURCHILL, New Burlington Street.

Original Communications:

G. V. POORE, M. D.-" Writers' Cramp:" its Pathology and Treatment. Part II.

J. ASHBURTON THOMPSON.-"Some Observations on the Use of Phosphorus in Neuralgia."

FREDERICK BAGSHAWE, M.A., M.D. Cantab., M.R.C.P.L.-" Note on the Paralysing Action of Aconite on the Sympathetic Nerve." Dr. FUMOUGE, Paris.-" On Vesicating Insects

Reviews, Clinic of the Month, Extracts from British and Foreign Journals, Notes and Queries, Bibliography.

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.-The Medical Officer of Health: his General Duties.-The Etiology of Consumption.-On the Concurrence of Epidemics.-Note on the Health Aspects of Sewage Irrigation. MACMILLAN & CO., 29 & 30, Bedford Street, Covent Garden, London.

Agriculture,

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