262 



NATURE 



[December 22, 1910 



magnitude. — M. Esmiol : Observations of the comet igioe 

 (Faye-Cerulli) made at the Observatory of Marseilles with 

 the Eichens equatorial of 26-cm. aperture. Positions 

 given for December i and 2. — Maurice Servant : Trans- 

 formations of surfaces applicable to surfaces of the second 

 degree. — E. Blutei : The application of Newton's method 

 of approximation to the approximate resolution of equa- 

 tions with several unknowns. — L6on Autonne : Com- 

 mutative groups of hypercomplex quantities. — M. 

 Galbrun : The asymptotic representation of the solu- 

 tions of an equation of finite differences for large 

 values of the variable. — W. Stekloff : The conditions of 

 closing of systems of orthogonal functions. — H. Violette, 

 E. Lacour, and Ch. Florian : Telescopic sights for marine 

 guns of small calibre. — Georges Claude : Luminescent 

 tubes containing neon. Photometric measurements have 

 been made with a tube containing neon, 6 metres in length 

 and 45 mm. diameter. Traces of impurities in the neon 

 were found to be very prejudicial, and details of the 

 method of purification found to be necessary are given. 

 The efficiency was found to be 08 watt per candle, but 

 this efficiency can be raised by increasing the length of 

 the tubes, and reasons are given for hoping that about 

 0-5 watt per candle can be ultimately obtained. — G. 

 Massol : The chemical composition of the gases spon- 

 taneously given off by the thermo-mineral spring of 

 Uriage, Is^re. The gas contains 1-87 per cent, by volume 

 of rare gases, about one half of which is helium. From 

 an estimate of the total gas evolved from the spring, it 

 is concluded that not less than 20 litres of helium per 

 day could be obtained from this spring. — L4on Guiliet : 

 The softening of rretals after wire-drawing. Specimens 

 of nickel and steel drawn into wires have been studied 

 from the point of view of the annealing temperature. — 

 E. L6g:er : The action of nitric acid upon the aloins : the 

 production of tetranitroaloemodine and trinitro-2 : 4 : 6- 

 meta-oxybenzoic acid. — Marcel Godchot : Hexahydro- 

 acetophenone and hexahydrobenzoylacetone. Hexahydro- 

 acetophenone on oxidation with alkaline permanganate 

 gives adipic acid ; the preparation of the oxime of this 

 ketone and of hexahydroacetanilide are also described. — 

 Paul Gaubert : The influence of foreign substances dis- 

 solved in the mother liquor on the facies of crystals of 

 meconic acid and on their pseudopolychroism. — Louis 

 and Georges Pamphil : Issite, a new rock in 

 Issites are holocrystalline amphibole rocks of 

 grain. Five complete analyses are given. — J. 

 Sodium rocks of the Arabian desert. — Ch. 

 Maugruin : Doubly refracting liquids of helicoidal struc- 

 ture. — V. Vermorel and E. Dantony : General principles 

 which ought to be followed in establishing formulae for 

 insecticides. It is shown that the quantities of soap used 

 in insecticidal preparations can be reduced from 5 per 

 cent, to I in 1000 without the moistening powers of the 

 solution being adversely affected. Methods have been 

 worked out for the employment of sulphur in such solu- 

 tions. — L. Moreau and E. Vinet : Lead arsenate in viti- 

 culture and its distribution on the fresh and dried grapes. 

 If the treatment is applied before flowering there is no 

 danger of contamination by arsenic ; if the application is 

 delayed until after flowering, traces of lead arsenate are 

 present on the grape. — MM. Griffon and Maublanc : k 

 parasitic disease of the chestnut. — A. Brissemoret and 

 A. Joanin : Contribution to the study of the physiological 

 action of the organic bases. The sleep which is produced 

 in the dog by the administration of conicine is due to the 

 hydrocarbon residue in the base. Phenomena of narcosis 

 analogous to those produced in the rabbit by morphine 

 can be obtained by the action of hexahydrophenanthrene. 

 — ^J. Kiinckel d'Herculais : The relation between the 

 insects (Lepidoptera) and the flowers of the Zingiberaceae, 

 and in particular with those of Hedychium. Their cap- 

 ture, its mechanism, and its consequences. — M. Roubaud : 

 Details concerning the morphological phenomena of the 

 development of trypanosomes in Glossina. — E. Sollaud : 

 The affinities of the genera Urocaris and Palaemonella. — 

 Gabriel Bertrand : Observations on a note relating to 

 the action of the Bulgarian ferment on proteid materials. 

 Criticisms of a recent note by M. Effront. — Jean 

 Boussac : The phenomena of folding in the Italian mari- 

 time Alps and at Castelvecchio. 



NO. 2147, VOL. 85] 



Dtiparc 



dunite. 



variable 



Couyat 



Victoria. 

 Roval Society, November 10. — Piof. E. W. Skeals i| 

 the chair. — II. R. Hamley and A. L. Rossiter : Tli 



magnetic properties of " Stalloy." As the result of 

 research by (a) direct current, (6) alternating currents 

 different frequency, the authors conclude that, previous 

 annealing, " Stalloy " is of very little use, but that wh^ 

 annealed it furnishes an almost ideal material for tt 

 construction of electric machinery. — W. Stapley : Th^ 

 morphology of the vermiform appendix. The formation of 

 a true appendix is shown to be due, not to the presence 

 of lymphoid tissue, but to an atrophy of a larger csecum, 

 the peculiar shape and position being due to the disposition 

 of the longitudinal bands. — William MacKenzie : Som*- 

 observations on the comparative anatomy of the fibuhi. 

 The fibula is held to be undergoing recession among tli 

 higher mammals, its future complete loss being indicat' 

 by the occurrence of congenital cases of absence of fibu!.. 

 in man. This loss is considered to be due to the assumj)- 

 tion of the erect position. — Hilda Kincaid : The bio- 

 chemical significance of phosphorus. Imported grasses 

 and cereals have a lower phosphorus content than tlv 

 same species grown in Europe, but a higher phosphorus 

 content than native Australian plants. Victorian soils are 

 poor in phosphorus. Animal tissues, eggs, and milk in 

 Australia have a phosphorus percentage equal to X\\'- 

 European. The export of phosphorus in the form of 

 animal carcases is considerable. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Problems of Crown Colony Administration . . . 229 

 The Microscope as an Optical Instrument . . . 230 



Geometry of Surfaces. By T. J. I'a. B 231 



American Meat Inspection 232 



The Chemical Analysis of Iron and Steel. By 



Prof. H. C. H. Carpenter 233 



The Psychology of Scientific Inquiry 233 



Our Book Shelf 234 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Historical Note on Recalescence. — Prof. W. F. 



Barrett, F.R.S 235 



Captain Cook Memorial.— Dr. A. C. Haddon, 



F.R.S 236 



Accuracy of Time on Magnetograms. — George W. 



Walker 236 



The Quadranlid Meteor Shower.— T. W, Backhouse 236 

 Oriental or Bubonic Plague. {Illustrated.) By Prof. 



R. T. Hewlett 237 



Exploration in the Nearer East. {Illustrated.) By 



L. W. K. 



Anti-Malarial Measures in India. By Col. W. G. 



King 



The Volume of the Kilogramme of Water. By Sir 



T. Edward Thorpe, C.B., F.R.S 



Notes ... 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



A Projection on Saturn's Outer Ring 



Discovery of Another Nova, Sagittarii No. 3 . . . . 



Faye's Comet 



New Experimental Demonstration of the Earth's 

 Rotation 



Investigation of the Orbit of Wolf's Comet, 1898-1911 



The Light Changes of Forty-nine Variable Stars . . 



The Physical Society's Exhibition 



Investigations on Wheat in India 



The Reduction of Rolling in Ships 



Argentine Meteorological Research 



Native Working of Coal and Iron in China . . . 

 The Dynamics of a Golf Ball. {Illustrated.) By 



Sir J. J. Thomson, F.R.S 



The Second French Antarctic Expedition .... 



Comparisons of Jurassic Floras 



University and Educational Intelligence 



Societies and Academies 



238 



240 



242 

 243 



248 

 248 

 248 



248 

 248 

 248 

 248 



249 

 250 

 250 

 251 



251 

 257 

 258 

 258 

 259 



