Poggendorff's Annalen der Physik und Chemie, 1874, No. 12.—This number completes vol. 153 of the series, and contains the following papers:—On the capacity of liquids for conducting heat, by A. Winkelman; account of experiments based upon the same method which Stefan employed successfully for determining the heat-conducting capacity of air, and results tabulated for water, alcohol, bisulphide of carbon, glycerine, and solutions of chlorides of potassium and sodium.—On the elastic after-effects in torsion motions, by F. Neesen.—Experimental researches on the behaviour of non-conducting bodies under the influence of electric forces, by Ludwig Boltzmann. The author starts from the correct supposition that, according to the theories of Clausius, Maxwell, and Helmholtz on the behaviour of dielectric non-conductors in the electric field, the remarkable yet obvious consequence results (which seems to have been overlooked hitherto), that electric forces must necessarily exercise perceptible attraction upon non-conductors simply on account of their dielectric polarisation. The results he obtained were quite in correspondence with the theories his experiments were based upon.—On the action of electrophora, by P. Riess.—Critical remarks on electro-dynamics, by H. Helmholtz.—On the power of conducting electric currents in metallic sulphides, by Ferdinand Braun. This paper is a supplement to another one by Herr Herwig (vol. 153, No 9, of these Annals), on the behaviour of iron and steel rods in galvanic currents.—On the reflection of light from the two surfaces of a lens, by Dr. Krebs. It is a well-known fact, that when light passes through a lens and we neglect the absorption in the interior of the lens itself, a certain quantity of light is reflected by the surfaces of the lens. Dr. Krebs for the first time gives a mathematical account of this phenomenon.—On the apparent place of a luminous point situated in a denser transparent medium, or that observed through a so-called plane-parallel plate, by K. L. Bauer. The author arrives at the conclusion that in most works on physics, and especially on optics, misrepresentations of the point in question are contained, and quotes as examples the works of Mousson, Wüllner, Crüger, Müller, Riedel, Schabus, Krebs, Frick, Banitz, Weinhold, and Jochmann; the only praiseworthy exception he found was Harting's excellent work on the microscope.—On some new sulphur salts, by R. Schneider (tenth paper). The new salts mentioned in this paper are a compound of the formula— Na2S, Tl2S3 + Tl2S, Tl2S3 and another one of the formula Tl6S7.—On a new eye-piece, by Dr. H. Krüss. The author points out that the latest improvements in optical instruments generally applied to object-glasses, and that the eye-pieces remained where Huyghens and Ramsden left them; he therefore directed his attention to the improvement of eye-pieces, which he describes. Whether these improvements will answer their purpose, practical experiments only can show.—A note, by G. Wiedemann, on the dissociation of salts containing water. Mr. Wiedemann claims priority with regard to the investigations of M. Debray (Comptes Rendus, t. 66, p. 194, 1868).—A note on the theory of electricity, by E. Edlund.—A note by F. Lippich, on an electro-dynamic experiment of F. Zoellner, described in these Annals, vol. 153, p. 138.—A note by O. E. Meyer, on a paper by Dr. G. Baumgartner, on the influence of temperature upon the velocity of effluence of water flowing from tubes (these Annals, vol. 153, p. 44).—A note by H. Baumhauer, on a paper of Dr. F. Exner, on the solution-figures upon the surfaces of crystals (these Annals, vol. 153, p. 53). Mr. Baumhauer points out that these figures are quite independent of the crystallographic construction of the substances undergoing solution.—On the rays of light which decompose the xanthophyll of plants, by J. Wiesner. Finally, A. Gawalovski describes a self-acting mercury valve for shutting off gases, and preventing their passage in any but the desired direction.