io< 



NATURE 



[December i6, 1897 



aldehyde-ammonia in absolute alcohol gives a crystallised picrate 

 of thi same base. — On a reaction peculiar to orthophenols, and on 

 the derivatives of antimonylpyrocatechol, by M. H. Causse. — On 

 the nature of the combinations of antipyrine with aldehydes, by 

 M. G. Patein. — Physiological and therapeutic effects of spermine, 

 by M. Alexander Poehl. The effects of the alkaloid are uniform, 

 and consist in accelerating the phenomena of oxidation, thus 

 favouring the elimination in the form of harmless products of 

 several poisonous organic secretions. — Disappearance of lead 

 poisoning by the partial substitution of metastannic acid in the 

 putty used in glass polishing, by M. L. Gueroult. The original 

 putty contained 62 per cent, of lead ; by the addition of meta- 

 stannic acid the lead was reduced to 20 per cent. During ihe 

 six years in which this modified powder has been used, there 

 have been no symptoms of lead poisoning in any form, although, 

 with the original putty, saturnine paralysis was frequent. — On 

 some new cqlloidal substances, analogous to albuminoids, derived 

 from anucleo-albumin. by M. J. W. Pickering. — On the develop- 

 ment of Trout bidton holosericeiim, by M. S. Jourdain. — Obser- 

 vations on the JRougets, by M. P. Megnin. — Researches on red 

 granules, by MM. J. Kunstler and P. Busquet. — The formations 

 included under the name of red granules appear to be due to a 

 diffraction phenomenon, and have no morphological value. — On 

 a ferment of cellulose, by M. V. Omeliansky. — On the decom- 

 position of chloroform in the organism, by MM. A. Desgrezand 

 M. Nicloux. Experiments are described tending to show that 

 during anaesthesia by chloroform some carbon monoxide is pro- 

 duced by the action of the latter upon blood. — On some com- 

 parative results of ordinary clinical methods and fluoroscopic 

 examination in pleuretic effusions, by MM. Bergonie and 

 Carriere. The examination by means of the Rontgen rays is 

 valuable in many ways as a supplement to the ordinary clinical 

 methods. — Antagonism between the venom of the Vespida and 

 that of the viper ; the first vaccinates against the second, by M. 

 C. Phisalix. — Permeability of the trunks of trees to atmospheric 

 air, by M. Henri Devaux. — On the disease of chestnuts, by M. 

 E. Roze. — Characteristics of a gas coal found in the northern 

 •coal field of New South Wales, by M. C. Eg. Bertrand. — On 

 the fauna of the siderolithic Eocene beds of Lissieu (Rhone), 

 tby MM. Ernest Chantre and C. Gaillard. — Mechanical deter- 

 imination of the mean direction of the wind, by M. Louis 

 Besson. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, December 16. 



, RovAL Society, at 4.30.-00 a Method of Determining the Reactions 

 at the Points of Support of Continuous Beams : G. Wilson. — The Com- 

 parative Chemistry of the Suprarenal Capsules : B. Moore and Swale 

 Vincent. — Memoir on the Integration of Partial Differential Equations 

 of the Second Order in Three Independent Variables : Prof. Forsyth, 

 F.R.S.— On the Biology of Stereuiu hirantum, Fr. : Prof H. Marshall 

 Ward, F.R.S.— An Examination into the Registered Speeds of American 

 Trotting Horses, with Remarks on their Value as Hereditary Data : F. 

 • rGalton, F.R.S.— On the Thermal Conductivities of Pure and Mixed 

 Solids and Liquids, and their Variation with Temperature : Dr. C. H. 

 Lees. — Cloudiness : Note on a Novel Case of Frequency : Prof Pearson, 

 F.R.S. — On the Occlusion of Hydrogen and Oxygen by Palladium : Dr. 

 Mond, F.R.S , Prof Ramsay, F.R.S., and Dr. J. Shields.— The Relations 

 between Marine, Anim.tl, and Vegetable Life : H. M. Vernon. 



>LiNNEAN Society, at 8. — On the Affinities of the Madreporarian Genus 

 Alveopora : H. M Bernard. — On West Indian Characeae collected by T. 

 B. Blow : H and J. Groves. 



>Chemical Society, at 8. — Stereo-Chemistry of Unsaturated Compounds. 

 Part I. Esterificatiun of Substituted Acrylic Acids : Dr. J. J. Sudborough 

 and Lorenzo Lloyd. — Formation and Hydrolysis of Esters : Dr. J._ J. 

 Sudborough and M. E. Feilmann. — A New Method of Determining 

 Freezing Points of very Dilute Solutions : Dr. M. Wilderman. 



FRIDAY, December 17. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers (Chemical Society's Rooms), at 

 8. — Accumulator Traction on Rails and Ordinary Roads : L. Epstein. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — The Elastic Properties of Steel 

 Wire : Archer D. Keigwin. — The Elasticity of Portland Cement : W. L. 

 Brown. 



Epidemiological Society, at 8.30. — The Physical and Ethnological Con- 

 ditions under which Leprosy occurs in China, the East Indian Archipelago, 

 and Oceania : Dr. James Cantlie. 



SUNDAY, December 19. 



Sunday Lecture Society, at 4. — Some Animal Co-operative Societies : 

 Dr. Andrew Wilson. 



MONDAY, December 20. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. 



Imperial Institute, at 8.30. — Petroleum Sources of the British Empire: 

 Boverton Redwood. 



TUESDA Y, December 21. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — A New Transmission Dyna- 

 mometer : Prof. W. E. Dalby. 



Royal Photographic Society, at 8. — Photomechanical Print ing in Con- 

 nection with the Survej- of India : Colonel Waterhouse. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Agriculture in some of its Relations to Chemistry : Prof. F. 

 H. Storer, 3 Vols., 7th edition (Low). — A Run round the Empire : Dr. 

 A. Hill (Sonnenschein). — Studies in the Psychology of Sex, H. Ellis. 

 Vol. I. Sexual Inversion (Watford, University Press). — La Pratique du 

 Teinturier ; J. Gargon, tome 3 (Paris, Gauthier-Villars). — Annuario publi- 

 cado pelo Observatorio do Rio de Janeiro, 1897 (Rio de Janeiro). — Whit- 

 taker's Mechanical Engineer's Pocket-Book : P. R.Bj6rling (Whittaker), — 

 All about Animals (Newnes). — Rainfall Tables of the British Islands, 1866- 

 1890 (Eyre). — Das Problem der Krystallisation : A. Turner (Leipzig, 

 Thomas). — Die Kraft und Materie im Raume : A. Turner, Fiinfte Ver'^ 

 Auflage ([.eipzig, Thomas). — Arii e Italic! : G. Serg (Torino, Fratelli 

 Bocca).— Meteorological Observations made at the Adelaide Observatory, 

 &c., during 1894 (Adelaide). — Annuaire 1898 : parle Bureau des Longitudes 

 (Paris, Gauthier-Villars). — Sir James Young Simpson and Chloroform 

 (1811-1870) : H. L. Gordon (Unwin). 



Pamphlets. — Human Nature, its Principles and the Principles of Physi- 

 ognomy : "Physicist," Parti (Churchill). — Of Atmospheres upon Planets 

 and Satellites : Dr. G. J. Stoney (Williams) — On Chlamyiioselachus an- 

 giiineus, Garm.. a Remarkable Shark found in Norway, 1896 : R. CoUelt 

 (Christiania). — Rainfall of the United Slates (Washington). 



Serials. — Observ.itor>', December, and Companion (Taylor). — Strand 

 Magazine, December (Newnes). — American Naturalist, November (Phili- 

 delphia). — Mazama : a Record of Mountaineering in the Pacific Nortl 

 west. Vol. I. No. 2 (Portland. Oregon). — American Journal of Science, 

 December (New Haven). — Atlantic Monthly, December (Gay). — Bulletin 

 de I'Acad^mie Royale des Sciences, &c., de Belgique, 1897, Nos. 9 and 10 

 (Bruxelles) — Jotirnal of the Anthropological Institute, November (Paul).— 

 Journal of the Chemical Society, December (Gurney).— Engineering 

 Magazine, December (222 Strand). — Astrophysical Journal, November 

 (Chicago).— Monthly Weather Review, September (Washington). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Mendeleef's Principles of Chemistry. By W. A. T. 145 



The Natural History of the Ancient World .... 146 

 The Measurement of Rapidly Varying Electric 



Pressure. By W. E. A 148 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Reed : " A Handbook to the Geology of Cambridge- 

 shire, for the Use of Students."— H. B. W. ... 149 

 Robinson: "Wild Traits in Tame Animals." — 



L. C. M 150 



Ribot : " The Psychology of the Emotions " .... 150 

 Letters to the Editor:— 



The Passive Condition of Resting Protoplasts.— 



Horace T. Brown, F.R.S 150 



Discovery of a Large Supply of " Natural Gas " at 



Waldron, Sussex. [Illustrated.)— Cha.r\es Dawson 150 

 The Orientation of Greek Temples. By F. C. 



Penrose, F.R.S 151 



Nature and a Camera. (Illustrated.) By R. L. . . . 154 



Dr. Friedrich A. T. Winnecke. By W. E. P. ... 155 



Notes 156 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Oppositions of Two Minor Planets 159 



The Total Solar Eclipse of 1900 I59 



Corrected Position of the Moon I59 



A New Form of Mirror for a Reflecting Telescope . . 160 

 Recent Researches on Terrestrial Magnetism. 

 {With Diagrams.) I. By Prof. A. W. Riicker, 



F.R.S 160 



A Proposed Swedish Expedition to the Arctic 



Regions 163 



The Use of Kites in Weather Prediction 163 



University and Educational Intelligence 164 



Scientific Serials 164 



Societies and Academies 165 



Diary of Societies 168 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 168 



NO. 1468, vol. 57] 



