96 



NA TURE 



[November 25, 1897 



instance, the new reef chalks are situated as high as 480 m. 

 above the sea-level. Volcanic eruptions and elevations are 

 evidently intimately connected in those regions. — Prof, van der 

 Waals presented on behalf of Dr. D. F. Tollenaar, for publica- 

 tion in the Proceedings, a paper on "Deflection and reflection 

 with t*vo kathodes." The phenomena occurring when two 

 kathodes are used, and which were described in a previous paper, 

 may be explained in a simple way if the kathode rays are 

 assumed to consist of negatively-charged particles, which are 

 emitted with great velocity Adopting Schuster's formula for 

 the potential fall in the proximity of a kathode, the course of 

 such a particle, near a kathode, can be calculated. In this way 

 the following results are arrived at : (i) behind the deflecting 

 kathode the kathode rays cut each other, and so give rise to a 

 surrounding sheet of light ; (2) if the two kathodes emit their 

 rays towards each other, then the rays of one kathode are partly 

 so strongly deflected by those of the other as to be reflected to the 

 emitting kathode ; (3) with each of thetwo kathodes these reflected 

 rays give rise to a second enclosing sheet of light and a corre- 

 sponding deflection figure ; (4) if the two kathodes are made to 

 be of different intensity, the sheet of deflection formed by these 

 reflected rays becomes larger towards the less intense kathode. 

 This sheet of deflection, however, is not an ordinary Goldstein 

 macro-surface, but might be called a pseudo macro-surface. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, November 25. 

 -Royal Society, at 4.30. — On the Geometrical Treatment of the " Normal 

 Curve" of Statistics, with especial reference to Correlation, and to the 

 Theory of Error : W. F. Sheppard. — Mathematical Contributions to the 

 Theory of Evolution. IV. On the Probable Errors of Frequency Constants, 

 -and on the Influence of Random Selection on Variation and Correlation : 

 "Prof. K. Pearson, F.R.S., and L. N. G. Filon — On Certain Natural 

 Media tor the Cultivation of the Bacillus of Tubercle : Dr. A. Ransome, 

 F.R.S. — Further Note on the Transplantation and Growth of Mam- 

 .jnalian Ova within a Uterine Foster-mother : Walter Heape. — Further 

 -Observations upon the Comparative Physiology of the Suprarenal Cap- 

 sules : Swale Vincent. — Summary of Prof. Edgeworth David's Pre- 

 liminary Report on the Boring at Funafuti : Prof. T. G. Bonney, F.R.S. 

 — On the Determination of the Indices of Refraction of Various Substances 

 for the Electric Ray. II. Index of Refraction of Glass : Prof. J. C. 

 'Bose. — On the Influence of the Thickness of Air-Space on Total Reflec- 

 tion of Electric Radiation : Prof. J. C. Bose. 

 ''Institution OF Electrical Engineers, at 8.— Accumulator Traction on 

 Rails and Ordinary Roads : L. Epstein. (Continuation of Discussion.) 

 Camera Club, at 8.15. — Photographic Action writ large : a Kurvey- 

 lin'iar Conversation on Corn : Prof. Armstrong, F.R.S. 

 i Lo.NuoN Instituton, at 6. — Acetylene : Prof. Vivian Lewes. 



FRIDA Y, November 26. 

 Physical Society, at 5. — Upon the Failure of German Silver and 

 Platinoid Wires : Rollo Appleyard. 



SATURDAY, Novemijer 27. 

 Essex Field Club (at Buckhurst Hill), at 7. — The Entoniostraca of 

 Epping Forest : D. J. Scourfield. — Report on Conference of Delegates of 

 Corresponding Societies at Toronto : Prof. R. Meldola, F.R.S. 



MONDAY, November 29. 

 -Society of Arts, at 8.— GuttaPercha : Dr. Eugene F. A. Obach. 

 ■ 'Imperial Institute, at 8.30.— ^Kafiristan : Sir George S. Robertson. 

 (-1; stitute of Actuaries, at 5.30. — Address by the President. 



TUESDAY, November 30. 

 "Hoval Society, at 4. — Anniversary Meeting. 



,vioc)i,()GiCAL Society, at 8.30.— On Regeneration of the Legs in the 

 lUattidce : H. H. Brindley. — On a Gigantic Sea-Perch {Stereolepis 

 giS'^s) : G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S. — Description of a New Tortoise of the 

 "Genus Sternotharus : G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S. — Remarks upon a Moun- 

 tain Reedbuck from the Eastern Transvaal : F. V. Kirby. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — On the Law of Condensation 

 of Steam : Hugh L. Callendar, F.R.S., and John T. Nicolson. 



lYEDNESDAY, December i. 



Society of Arts, at 8. — The American Btcycle— the Theory and Prac- 

 tice of its Making : Dr. Leonard Waldo. 



Geological Society, at S. — A Revindication of the Llanberis Uncon- 

 formity : Rev. J. F. Blake. — The Geology of Lambay Island, Co. Dublin: 

 C. I. Gardiner and S. H. Reynolds. 



Ento.mological Society, at 8. 



THURSDAY, December 2. 

 LiNNEAN Society, at 8. — On the Anatomj- of Caudina coriacea : Prof. 



Arthur Dendy. — On some Desmids from the United States : W. West 



and G. S. West. Exhibitions : Specimens of Galls o( Cectdoiiiya : Prof. 



J. B. Farmer. — An Egg of Echidna : Martin Woodward. 

 Chemical Society, at 8. —Ballot for the Election of Fellows. — On Collie's 



Space- Formula for Benzene : Dr. F. E. Matthews. 

 Ca.mera Club, at 8. 15. — Photomicrography : Dr. Spitta. 



FRIDA Y, December 3. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Permanent Way : its Construc- 

 tion and Relaying : Grote Stirling. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Agricultural Chemistry : R. H. Adie and T. B. Wood, 2 vols. 

 (K. Paul). — La Face de laTerre : Prof. E. Suess ; traduit E. de Margerie, 

 Tome I (Paris. Colin). — Leitfaden fiir Aquarien-und Terrarienfreunde : Dr. 

 E. Zernecke (Berlin, Schmidt). — Die Moorbriicken im Thai der Sorge auf 

 den Grenze Zwischen Westpreussen und Ostpreussen : H. Conwentz 

 (Danzig, Benling). — The Story of a Red Deer: Hon. J. W. Fortescue 

 (Macmillan). — The' Gallinaceous Game Birds of North America: D. G. 

 Elliot (Suckling). — Practical Forestiy : Prof. C. E. Curtis, 2nd edition 

 (Lockwood). — The Hope Reports: edited by Prof. Poulton, Vol. , i (Ox- 

 ford). — Recherches Experimentales sur quelques Actinometres Electro- 

 chimiques : Dr. H. Rigollot (Paris, Masson). — Le Culture des Mers en 

 Europe : G. Roch6 (Paris, Alcan) — Sixteenth Annual Report of the 

 Bureau of American Ethnology (Washington), — The Foundations of Scien- 

 tific Agriculture : Prof. S. Cooke (Longmans).^A Text-Book of General 

 Botany : Dr C. C. Curtis (Longmans). — With Nature and a Camera : R. 

 Kearton (Cassell). — La Tuberculose et son traitement hygienique: P. Merklen 

 (Paris, Alcan). — Pflanzenphysiologie: Dr.W.Pfeffer, Zweite Auflage i. Ba'.d 

 (Leipzig, Engelmann). — KoUektivniasslehre : G. T. Fechner, herausgegeben 

 von G. F.Lipps (Leipzig, ?2ngelinann). — Tafeln und Tabellen zur Darstellung 

 der Ergebnisse Spectroskopischer und Spectrophotometrischer Beobach- 

 tungen: Prof. T. W. Engelmann (Leipzig, Engelmann). — Observations on the 

 Coloration of Insects : B. vjn Watten*yl, translated by E. J. Bles (Leipzig, 

 Engelmann). — Beschreibung der Hauptmethoden welche bei der Bestim- 

 mung der Verbrennungswarme : W. Longuinine (Berlin, Friedlander). — Ele- 

 mentary Drawing ; E. M. Hallowell (Macmillan). — Zoolocical Record, 1896 

 (iJurney). — First Book of Physical Geography: Prof. R. S. Tarr (Mac- 

 millan). — Compositions d'Analyse, Cin6matique, Mecanique et Astronoinie : 

 Prof. E. Villii. troisieme partie (Paris, Gauthier-Villars). — Laboratory 

 Tables for Qualitative Analysis, 2nd edition (Manchester, J. E. Cornish). 



Pamphlets.— Das Wachstum des Menschen : Dr. F. Daffnfr (Leipzig, 

 Engelmann). — Observations on a Collection of Papuan Crania : G. A. 

 Dorsey (Chic.tgo). — A Discussion of the Rainfall of South Africa during the 

 Ten Years 1885-94 : Dr. A. Buchan (Cape Town). 



Serials. — Journal of the Franklin In>titute, November (Philadelphia). — 

 Science Progress, October (Scientific Press). — Journal of the Academy of 

 Natural S'-iences of Philadelphia, 2nd edition. Vol. xi. Part i (Phila- 

 delphia). — Bulletin de I'Acad^mie Imp6riale des Sciences de St. P^ters- 

 bourg, 1896 October-December, 1897 April-June (St. P6tersbourg). — 

 Chambers's Journal, Christmas (Chambers). — Himmel und Erde, November 

 (Berlin). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



"Volcanoes of North America. By W 73 



The Principle of Conservation of Energy. By Prof. 



G. H. Bryan, F.R.S 74 



The Fertility of the Land 75 



Crime and Criminals 75 



Our Book Shelf:— 



"Chauncy TMaples, D.D., F.R.G.S."— J. F. H. . . 76 



Fonvielle : " Les Ballons-Sondes." — ^D. A 76 



Hatch : "A Geological Map of the Southern Trans- 



■ vaal " 77 



Molisch : " Untersuchungen iiber das Erfrieren der 



Pflanzen " 77 



" Random Shots at Birds and Men " 77 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Some Errata in Maxwell's Paper " On Faraday's Lines 



of Force." — Prof. Ludwig Boltzmann 77 



The Late Dr. Haughton — F. G 79 



The Supposed Dowsing Faculty. — Prof. W. F. 



Barrett ; The Writer of the Article .... 79 

 A Proposed Memorial to Prof. Victor Meyer. — ^J. J. 



Sudborough 80 



The Critical Temperature of Water.^H. M. Martin 80 

 Coccoliths in our Coastal Waters.— Drs. J. Joly, 



F.R.S., and Henry H. Dixon 80 



Phenomena Exhibited by Jackson Tubes. — William 



Webster 80 



Remarkable Termite Mounds of Australia. By W. 



Saville-Kent 8r 



The Liquefaction of Fluorine. By W. J. P 82 



The Leonid Display, 1897. By W. F. Denning . . 82 



M. ForsterHeddle, M.D. ByJ. C 83 



Notes 84 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The November Meteor Swarms 88 



Current Astronomical Articles 88 



Comet Perrine (October 16) 88 



Theory of the Motion of the Moon • . . 88 



Marine Biology at the Bermudas 90 



University and Educational Intelligence . ..... 91 



Scientific Serials 92 



Societies and Academies 93 



Diary of Societies 96 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 96 



NO. 1465, VOL. 57] 



