The Sun.
London, England, 1857-11-19 00:00:00

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SCIENCES.

At the last sitting M. Babinet read a paper on
the figures of the earth, in which he remarked on
the uncertainty which still existed on that subject.
He observed that at the Marquesas Islands the
globe appears to be considerably flattened, and
that it would be highly advantageous to science to
measure a degree there.' In the Isle of Wight, Mr.
Colby had found that, notwithstanding its flatness,
there was a discrepancy of nearly 1-20th between
the real profile and the measured arc. Hence M.
Babinet concludes that the globe must be consider-
ed an ellipsoid, in which thedifference between the
equatorial and polar radii is less than 1-300th, and
that a commission ought to be named to study the
question more thoroughly than has been done. M.
Leverrier presented diagrams of Jupiter, as seen
on the let of Oct. last, and of Saturn with its rings,
as observed on the 7th of Feb. last. He also gave
an account of a meteor observed by himself cm the
29th ult., about 6 p.m., while looking at the moon.
Its brilliancy was equal to that of Jupiter, it moved
eastwards parallel to the horizon, and disappeared
in the course of about six or seven seconds, leaving
three reddish points behind, which likewise disap-
peared shortly after. Marshal Vaillant observed
the same phenomenon from the Bastille. M. Le-
verrier also presented fresh observations of the 50th
planet taken at Bilk by the discoverer, M. Luther.
and ephemerides of the planet calculated by M.
Bruhns, of Berlin. M. Guerin-Meneville sent in
a let, er on the Citonia aurata, or rose-beetle, which
for some time past has engrossed the attention of
naturalists as a remedy for hydrophobia. M. Mene-
vale stated from personal experience that in the go-
vernments of Voroneje and Koursk, in Russia, it is
customary to give dogs half a beetle in powder from
time to time mixed with bread crumbs, as apreserva-
tive against that disease; and that the Russians affirm
that there are persons rn ho cure hydrophobiaradically
by means of the fresh juice of a certain plant. He
further suggested that the want of freshness may be
the relsou why these juices preserved in chemists'
shops do not produce the desired effect. Marshal
Vaillant announced that M. Hardy, director of the
Experimental Garden at Algiers, bad sent him
127,000 cocoons of the silkworm that live upon the
caster-plant (Ricinus counmunis), to be experi-
mented on with a view to test the quality of their
silk. M. de Paravey wrote to remind the Academy
that the two satellites belonging to the planet Ju-
piter had been noticed by him in the Japanese En-
cyclopcedia, and that he had also mentioned four
small globes surrounding a larger one placed over
the head of Jupiter Ammen in the Egyptian bas-
reliefs. His letter concluded with eetablishing an
intimate relation between the science of the Egyp-
tians and Japanese. " A discovery of groat interest
to the artistical world," says the Presse, "was lately
made by M. E. About, the writer, while going tilrough
the shop of a collector of curiosities in the Rue du
Bac. After examining different articles, the mas-
ter of the place informed his visitor that he
had in his possession 12 pictures by Titian ; and
taking him into an inner room showed them as they
hung against the wall. These pictures are four feet
long by nine inches high, and represent the history
of Joseph, according to Biblical tradition. In sup-
port of his assertion that the pictures were genuine
the dealer produced letters from M. Flandrin and
M. Delacreix stating that the pictures were very
valuable. In a short time M. About and the dealer
came to terms, and the pictures were placed in the
hands of a cleaner, who, after a first operation re-
marked that in all the pictures Joseph bore a resem-
blance to Charles V., which was considered in
favour of their authenticity. The clearer, in follow-
ing up his operations, soon afterwards discovered
in a corner the signature of Titian thus worded,—
' Tizianus Vermin's da Cadore pinxit.' "