2^0 



NA TURE 



[January 6, 1898 



experimentally produced by pyocyanic intoxination, by MM. 

 Charrin and H. Claude. — On tubercular sclerosis of the 

 pancreas, by M. Paul Carnot. 



December 27. — M. A. Chatin in the chair. — In an obituary 

 notice of M. F. Brioschi, whose recent death was announced 

 at the previous meeting, M. Hermite gave a brief account of 

 the work of that distinguished mathematician. — A special method 

 for the absolute determination of declinations and of latitude, 

 by M. Lcewy. A further development of the subject of the 

 author's previous communication. — The centrosomes in vegetable 

 cells, by M. L. Guignard. — ^On phthalic green. Constitution, 

 by MM. A. Haller and A. Guyot. The colouring matter pre- 

 viously described is to be considered as a substitution derivative 

 of malachite green. The results obtained by Fischer are ex- 

 plained by the presence of impurities in the materials used by 

 him. — Observation of the shower of Orionids, December 12- 

 14, at Athens, by M. D. Eginitis. — On the existence of integrals 

 in orthoic systems, by M. Riquier. — On surfaces applicable to a 

 surface of revolution, by M. A. Pellet. — On linear functional 

 equations, by M. Lemeray. — On a spring ergograph, by MM. 

 A. Binet and N. Vaschilde. Several advantages are claimed 

 for the use of a spring, instead of a weight, in this instrument. 

 — Conductivity of radio-conductors or discontinued electrical 

 conductivity. Resemblance to nervous conductivity, by M. 

 Edouard Branly. — Magnetic properties of tempered steels, by 

 Mme. Sklodowska Curie. — On the polarisation of the light 

 emitted by a sodium flame placed in a magnetic field, by M. A. 

 Cotton. — On the preparation of alloys of beryllium. Alloys of 

 beryllium and copper, by M. P. Lebeau. The alloys are 

 obtained by healing, in an electric furnace, an intimate mixture 

 of oxide of beryllium, oxide of copper, and charcoal. — On the 

 impurities of aluminium and of its alloys, by M. Ed. Defacoz. 

 The author seeks to determine the form in which the foreign 

 elements (silicon, iron, and copper) exist in the metal, — On a 

 double carbonate of sodium and protoxide of chromium, by M. G. 

 Bauge. Thenew salt results from the actionof a solution of sodium 

 carbonate upon chromous acetate in an atmosphere of carbon 

 dioxide. It crystallises with either one or ten molecules of 

 water and is a powerful reducing agent, decomposing water at 

 100° C. with evolution of hydrogen. — On the atomic weight of 

 •cerium, by MM. Wyrouboff and A. Verneuil. A rejoinder to 

 M. Boudouard's criticism. — On the use of carbide of calcium 

 in the preparation of absolute alcohol, by M. P. Yvon. Pure 

 alcohol is without action upon calcium carbide, but the presence 

 of even traces of water leads to the evolution of acetylene and 

 formation of calcium hydrate. It is therefore possible by one, 

 or at most two, distillations to prepare absolute alcohol from 

 spirit of 90 per cent, strength. — On the aromatic diurethanes of 

 piperazine, by MM. P. Cazeneuve and Moreau. — On oacetyl- 

 lurfurane and its presence in wood-tar, by M. L. Bouveault. — 

 •On the behaviour, on distillation, of a mixture of pyridine with 

 propionic, acetic, and formic acids. The author has studied the 

 progress ol fractionation in the case of mixtures of a volatile 

 acid with a feeble base In the case of pyridine and formic acid 

 the former begins to distil over in a nearly pure state, although 

 its boiling point is 14° higher than that of formic acid. — On 

 crystalline minerals formed under the influence of volatile agents 

 at the expense of the andesites of the island of Thera (Santorin), 

 by M. A. Lacroix. — The theory of the sense of orientation in 

 animals, by M. G. Reynaud. —On the generation of leucocytes 

 in the peritoneum, by M. J. J. Andeer. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA y, January 6. 

 RovAL Institution, at 3. — The Principles of the Electric Telegraph : 

 Prof. Oliver Lodge, F.R.S. 



FRIDA Y, January 7. 

 Geologists' Association, at 8. — A Brief Account of the Excursions in the 

 Urals, down the Volga, in the Caucasus, &c., made in connection with 

 the International Geological Congress held in Russia, August-September, 

 1897 : L. L. Belinfante. 



SATURDAY, January 8. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — The Principles of the tlectric Telegraph: 

 Prof. Oliver Lodge, F.R.S. 



TUESDAY, January 11. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Machinery used in the 



Manufacture of Cordite : E. W. Anderson. 

 Anthropological Institute, at 8.30. 

 RoNTGEN Society, at 8.30.— Practical Work with the X-Rays : W. 



Webster. 

 Royal Victoria Hall, at 8.30.— Diamonds : Prof H. A. Miers, F.R.S. 



NO. 1471, VOL. 57] 



THURSDAY, January 13. 



Mathematical Society, at 8.— Note on a Property of Pfaflfians : H. F. 

 Baker. —On the Stationary Motion of a System of Equal Elastic Spheres 

 of Finite Diameter (continuation) : S. H. Burbury, F.R.S.— On Discon- 

 tinuous Fluid Motion : B. Hopkinson.— On the Intersections of Two 

 Conies of a given Type, and on the Intersections of Two Cubics : H. M. 

 Taylor.— On the Continuous Group defined by any given Group of Finite 

 Order: Prof. W. Burnside, F.R S. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Presentation of 

 Premiums.— Inaugural Address of the President, Joseph W. Swan, 

 F.R.S. 



FRIDA Y, January 14. 



Royal Astronomical Society, at 8. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Mechanical Draught: R. 



Gordon Mackay. 

 Malacological Society, at 8. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books— The Span of Gestation and the Cause of Birth: Dr. J. Beard 

 (Jena, Fischer).— Die Farnkrauter der Erde : Dr. H. Christ (Jena, 

 Fischer). — Lehrbuch; der Vergleichenden Mikroskopischen Anatomie der 

 Wirbeltiere : Dr. A. Oppel, Zweiter Teil, Schlund und Darm (Jena, 

 Fischer).— Annuaire de I'Observatoire Municipal de Montsouris, 1898 

 (Paris, Gauthier-Villars) —Alembic Club Reprints, Nos. 13 and 14 (Edin- 

 burgh, Clay). — Imperial University of Japan, Calendar for 1896-97 (Tokyo). 

 —Sixteenth Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology ( Wash- 

 ington).- Knowledge, Vol. xx. (Witherby).— Tables of Parabolic Curves : 

 G. T. Allen (Spon).— Gesammelte Kleine Schriften : L. Rutimeyer, 2 Vols. 

 (Basel, Georg). 



Pamphlets. — National Association for the Promotion of Technical and 

 Secondary Education, Tenth Annual Report (London).— A New Theory of 

 the Stars: Prof. A. W. Bickerton (Christchurch, N.Z., Whitcombe).— La 

 Planete Venus : C. Flammarion (Paris, Gauthier-Villars).- Periodic Orbits : 

 Prof. G. H. Darwin. 



Serials.— Bulletin of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History, 

 Vol. 5, Article 3 (Urbana, 111.).— Humanitarian, January (Hutchinson).— 

 Contemporary Review, January (Isbister). — Maori Art, Part 2 : A. Hamil- 

 ton (Wellington, N.Z.).— Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences 

 of Philadelphia, 1897, Part 2 (Philadelphia).— Fortnightly Review, January 

 (Chapman).— Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, December (117 

 Victoria Street).— Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society, Vol. 8, Part 4 

 (Murray).— Plankton Studies on Lake Mendota, II. : Prof. E. A. Birge 

 (Wisconsin).— National Review, January (Arnold). —Reliquary and Illus- 

 trated Archaeologist, January (Bemrose).— American Journal of Mathe- 

 matics, January (Baltimore). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Cayley's Papers. By G. B. M 217 



Experimental Physics. By A. P. C 218 



American Game Birds. By R. L. • 219 



Our Book Shelf: — 



Pellissier : " L'liclairage a 1' Acetylene" 219 



Schweiger-Lerchenfeld : "Atlas der Himmelskunde 

 auf Grundlage der Ergebnisse der coelestischen 



Photographic."— W. J. S. L 220 



"Knowledge" 220 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Physiology and the Royal Institution.— Prof. Ch. S. 



Sherrington, F.R.S 220 



A Mechanical Theory of the Divining Rod. — Prof. 



M. E. Wadsworth 221 



Growth of the Tubercle Bacillus at a Low Tempera- 

 ture.— F. J. Reid 221 



The Story of Gloucester 221 



Canadian Geography. {Illustrated.) By Dr. Hugh 



Robert Mill 223 



Thomas Jeffery Parker, F.R.S. By Prof. G, B. 



Howes, F.R.S 225 



Notes 227 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Winnecke's Comet 230 



Arrival of Eclipse Parties at Bombay 230 



Mont Blanc Observatory 230 



Photography of Unseen Moving Celestial Bodies . . 230 



Astronomical Annuals 230 



Photographic Measurement of Horses and other 



Animals. (Illustrated.) By Francis Qa.\\.on,¥.R.S. 230 

 The Magnetic Properties and Electrical Resist- 

 ance of Iron at High Temperatures. By Dr. 



David K. Morns ... 232 



Early Man in Scotland. I. By Sir William Turner, 



F.R.S 234 



University and Educational Intelligence 237 



Scientific Serials . 237 



Societies and Academies 238 



Diary of Societies 240 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 240 



