Societies and Academies

Abstract

PARISAcademy of Sciences, Oct. 26.—M. Frémy in the chair.—In opening, he referred in feeling terms to the death of Sir Chas. Wheatstone.—M. Milne-Edwards presented the second part of the eleventh vol. of his woik on "The Comparative Physiology and Anatomy of Men and Animals.” The following other communications were made:—On employment of means in experimental physiology, àpropos of the influence of stripping the leaves off the beer, upon the production of saccharine matter, by M. Cl. Bernard. M. Frémy made some remarks also on this subject.—On the carpellary theory, according to the Irideæ (third part), by M. Trecul.—On the dates of tall of meteorites, by M. Sainte-Claire Deville. He finds an excessive fall of bodies on the 12th, 13th, and 14th May; also something like a ten-days' period, corresponding to periodical inequalities of temperature.—On the practical value of steaminjectors, by M. Ledieu.—Progress realised, in the question of making land, by employment of the rational method, and in determination of the daily working of chronometers, by M. de Magnac. The new method (he shows) renders navigation much more exact.—Magnetic observations on the island of St. Paul, in November and December 1874, by M. Cazin.—On the mosses of St. Paul and Amsterdam Islands, by M. Bescherelle.—List of Lichens collected by M. de 1'Isle, on St. Paul and Amsterdam, and description of new species, by M. Nylander.—New spectroelectric tube (modified fulgurator), by MM. Delachanal and Mermet. A small conical capillary tube is placed over the platinum electrode passing through the bottom of the larger tube; through this the liquid rises and is illuminated by the spark.—On the laws which govern reaction with direct addition (continued), by M. Markovnikoff.—The industry of nitrate of soda in South America, by M. L'Olivier.—Experimental researches on the mechanism of coagulation of blood in treatment of varices by simple isolation of veins, by M. Bergeron.—On the alterations produced in the vine by Phylloxera vastatrix, by M. Max. Cornu.—Conservation of foodstuffs, by M. Reynoss.—M. de Carvalho presented a note on the properties of air subjected to passage of an induction current.—M. Delauney on a “solar concentrator,” àpropos of M. Mouchot's paper.—M. Pertinset on a project of exploration of Terra del Fuego.—The Minister for the Navy and Colonies communicated part of a report from the Governor of Martinique on the earthquake there from 17th to 25th September, and magnetic phenomena accompanying it. M. Sainte-Claire Deville said M. Duvignan had written him from Guadeloupe that none of the Martinique shocks had been felt there.—Observations of the planet (149) discovered by M. Perrotin at Toulouse (sent by M. Leverrier).—Experiments made on Geissler tubes with the chloride of silver pile formerly described, by MM. Warren De la Rue and Müller.—On spiral nebulse, by M. Planté. He shows how a cloud of metallic matter detached from the electrode by an electric current of high tension, in a liquid, assumes a gyratory movement when acted on by a magnet; and supposes the form of spiral nebulæ may thus be due to strongly magnetic celestial bodies in their neighbourhood.—On the hydrological map of the department of Seine-et-Marne, by M. Delesse.—M. De-gantière presented a note on the noise which accompanies or precedes the fall of hail.