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Uses, Vadisvtie Temarks upow then by himself letter related to the luminous protuberances observed during the last eclipse. We referred them to the chromosphere, which he regarded as the general atmosphere of the sun, and he accepted the notion thar they indicate a predominance of hydrogen tH that yecion, but he inclined to aseribe to this a greater clevation than is generally given to it, especially as the Coast Survey Expedi- tion had obrained photographs which show traces of it at an ele- vation of 7 minutes. My, Gould also remarked upor the evidence fo nished by the perihelion cistance of the comet of 1843 —M, Respighi’s note referred to the telactou between tbe proinbe- rauces and solar spots, and Ite stated that in the neighbourhood of the poles of the sun the protuberances are almost constantly wanting, tat they are in clos: relation with the faeula: and spots, and that the fatut shadows which appear upon the photosphere are due to the interposition of the niatcrials of eruptions, whick may persist for many days together.—M. C. Mariguae presented a paper on the influence of water upon saline double

Mr, Gould’s |

clecompositions, and upon the thermic ¢ffects which accompany :

them. He described the mode m which be experimented, and gave the following results :—The dilution of a solution canses a variation of remper.ture in cither direction, which usually dimin- ishes with the degree of dilation, but with sulphuric ackl the increase of temperature is augmented by dilution. The mixture of solutions of two salts which du not decompose each other, generally gives rise to an evolution of heat less than phat pro- duced by the simple dilution of the solutions, When they can form a double salt, there is usually absorption of heat. ‘The niustuve of alialme sulphates with sulphuric ackl causes a con- siderable absorption of hear, With sulwions of the alkalwe bisulphates, the addition of water produces a enmsiderab!

and inereastue evalution of heat. ‘The mixture of two saline solunons, or of a salu and an acid capable of decem- position wilhout producing an insoluble campound, gives rise ta consilerable thermic effects, which, ju same cases, at least, are tnereaser| by dilution, With niixtures, the result appears to be dlilfergut accurdiny as the dilution is effected before or after the nuxture of the solutions. —A note by M. LL Resal, on the relative movemeuts of the water in the curved Moats of Poucelet’s waterswheel was read; as also.a note by MI. Bosacha in answer to olscevatious made by AT, Regnanlt upou a previons letter of the author’s of te measurement of temperatures. —M. Lecog dle Bombautesu presented a memoir on some points of Speclm analysis», in which he confirmed Seechi’s observations on the spectra of different parts of Geis-ler’s rubes, and com municated his own remarks on the spectra of the aureola of the positive pole, of the Uluc light of the neyative pole, and of the spark itscll Ile also remarked upok differences caused by alterations in the concditioas under which the spark is produced. — MM. J. Le Soret communicared a note on the illumination of transparent bodes, in which be maintained, in oppositiun to AL, Lailemand, that this is tu be ascribed to suspended pariteles, especially in water. [le described some experiments made ly iim. AL. Chevrenl in remarking upou this comuimication, no- ticed the decontpusition of glass by water even at a temperature of gS”, 208, 4° (V4, and referred to the action of other lrodies upon glass.—Al. J, Maumene presented a reply to M. Dalian. faut’s note on inverted sugar, and M. Dubrunfaut a notice uf bis investigations of the catalytic phenomena presented by the action of aculs upon erystallised sugar by the examination ot ike rotatory properties of its products. —M. A, Vetit communi- caterl a note oa the sugar nomnally contained in wine. in which he stated that he had found in all wines a quantity of sugar vary- ing from o50-—5 grammes per litre, Sugar also occurs in vinegar, — AM. Sanson, in a note on the caballne species of the genus Lynas, endeavoured to shaw that our domestic horses beleng to cight distinct species—A memoir on the chemical composition of fussil boncs by M. Scheurer-Kestner was presented by M7. Milne-Mdwards. The author remarked upon the conversion, in fossil hanes, af a portion of the ordinary osseine into suluble osseme, and showed by analysis that the per euntaue of the Litter is, ceteris parGue, equal in bones of the same dite, so that ils amount may furnish an almoat infallible proof of the comempnetucity or otherwise of bones form) together in the stme cave or deposit. MM. Mie de Leaument made some remarks on this communication —Notes were communicated by M. Ratneron the preservation of meat by sulphuroas acid, and on vutungs questions af hygtene, and by M. Coffin un the ‘metas paysies of the differential calculus ;” of these the titles only are fiven.

English.—Home Life of Sir David Brewster: By his daughter, Mrs. Gordon (Edinburgh: Edmonston and Douglas).

Foreign.—Histoire de la Création: par H. Burmeister; traduite de l'allemand: F. Maupas.—Monographie des Ligumineuses Caesalpinées: H. Baillon.—Die Nordamerikanische Zuckerfabrikation aus Sorgo und Imphy: Dr. Karl Löffer und Peter von Papi-Balogh.—Untersuchungen über Bau und Entwicklung der Arthropoden: Dr. Anton Dohrn.—Ueber die Bauweise des Feldspaths: Dr. Fredrich Scharff.—Japanisches Meeres-Conchylien: Dr. C. E. Lischke.—Die Pflanzenstoffe: Dr. Aug. Husemann und Dr. Theod. Husemann.—Die Lagerstätten der Nutzbauren Mineralien: Johann Grimm.—Archiv fur Mikroskopische Anatomie: Max Schultze.