328 



NATURE 



[January 5, 191 1 



primary alcohols is characterised by the predominance of 

 hydrogen and absence of carbon dioxide ; with secondary 

 and tertiary alcohols the proportion of hydrogen is re- 

 duced, being replaced by, methane and its homologues. 

 Aldehydes give a gas containing carbon monoxide as the 

 chief constituent, whilst carbon dioxide predominates for 

 the fatty acids. — M. Nanty : The equilibria between 

 potassium bicarbonate and hydrated magnesium carbonate. 

 — Georges Denig^s : A new reaction for cupreine. The 

 reagent used is a mixture of water, copper sulphate, 

 ammonia, and hydrogen peroxide. Cupreine gives a deep 

 emerald-green coloration after adding some alcohol. — M. 

 Hanriot : Brown gold. This name is applied to the gold 

 left after treating a gold-silver alloy (20 per cent, gold) 

 with nitric acid. This is not pure gold, but contains traces 

 of silver, copper and lead, and also of nitric acid, even 

 although the washings with water are free from acid. 

 This gold undergoes changes in colour and volume on 

 heating, a description of these being given in detail. — 

 F. Bodroux : The action of some esters on the mono- 

 sodium derivative of benzyl cyanide. In a preceding paper 

 it has been shown that the sodium derivative 

 CgH-.CH.N'a.CN reacts with the esters of the fatty acids, 

 giving compounds of the type CjH5,CH.(CN).CO.R, and 

 in the present note the reaction is extended to esters of 

 the monobasic aromatic acids. — M. Lespieau : The con- 

 densation of acrolein bromide with malonic acid. The 

 saturated acid CH2Br.(CHBr),.CH,.C02H is obtained 

 instead of the unsaturated acid expected.— L. Tchougraeff 

 and E. Serbin : The complex salts of certain amino- 

 acids. An account of the preparation and properties of 

 some chromium salts of glycine and its homologues. — 

 P. Pierron : A method of preparation of the aromatic 

 acylguanidines. — L. H. Philippe : The glucodeconic 

 acids. — 'Pierre Breteau : The addition of hydrogen in 

 presence of palladium : application to phenanthrene. 

 Palladium was used in the form of sponge, block, and 

 precipitated metal, phenanthrene tetrahydride being 

 formed. — -MM. Achalme and Bresson : A method for 

 determining the presence of one or several diastases in a 

 liquid.- — W. Vernadsky and Mile. E. Revoutsky : The 

 chemical distinction between orthose and microcline. 

 Lithium and rubidium have been found in various micro- 

 clines ; this is opposed to the rule for distinguishing 

 orthose from microcline, based on the absence of lithium 

 and rubidium in the latter. — ^Auguste Chevalier : New 

 evidence on Voandzeia Poissoni. — L. Matruchot : The 

 new culture of an edible mushroom, Pleurotus cornuco- 

 pioides. — G. Andre : The conservation of saline matters 

 during the growth of an annual plant. — Henri Ag^ulhon : 

 The acquirement by maize of immunity with respect to 

 boron compounds. — ^P. Maze : Induced ripening of seeds. 

 The antigerminative action of acetaldehyde. — P. A. 

 Dang^eard : The action of light upon chlorophyll. — 

 P. Ammann : The existence of a perennial rice in 

 Senegal. — P. Bouin and P. Ancel : The lipoid nature of 

 an active substance secreted by the yellow body in 

 mammals.— Louis Lapicque : The relation of the 

 encephalic weight to the retinal surface in some orders of 

 mammals. A new set of experimental results confirming 

 the views announced in a previous paper.— C. Houard : 

 The mode of action of Asterolecanium, external parasites 

 of stems. — Auguste Michel : The structure of the elytra 

 of Halosydna geJatinosa. — Fabre Domergrue and R. 

 Leg^endre : A method of detecting Bacterium coli in 

 anaerobic cultures in waters and oysters. The develop- 

 ment is carried out in the absence of air ; this modification 

 of the usual methods removes some ambiguities from the 

 reaction. — E. Doumer : Epilepsy and constipation. Cases 

 are cited in which the epilepsy was directly connected with 

 constipation ; electrical treatment of the abdomen, result- 

 ing in the removal of the constipation, completely sup- 

 pressed the attacks of epilepsy. — ^M. Godfrey : Some 

 results of the study of the Antarctic tides observed in the 

 course of the French expedition to the South Pole. The 

 results of the analysis of the observed data are not in 

 accord with the views of Whewell or the more recent 

 hypothesis of R. A. Harris, and show that the tides in 

 this region are very complex. — Georges Hervd : The 

 instructions given by the National Institute (first and 

 second class) to Captain Baudin for his voyage of dis- 

 covery in the Antarctic (1800-4). 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, January 5. 



RSntgf.n Society, at 8.15.— The Radioactivity of Thorium : Prof. 

 Rutherford. 



FRIDAY, January 6. 



Geologists' Association, at 8.-— A History of Species-making ; as illus- 

 trated by some Carboniferous Corals : by Dr. A. Wilmore. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Measurement of Boiler 

 Deformations : G. F. Davidson. 



TUESDAY, January 10. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — (i) The Strengthening of the 

 Roof of New Street Station, Birmingham ; (2) The Reconstruction and 

 Widening of Arpley Bridge, Warrington : W. i)awson. 

 WEDNESDAY, January ii. 



Geological Society, at 8.— The Zonal Classification of the Salopian 

 Rocks of Cautley and Ravenstonedale : Miss G. R. Watney and Miss 

 E. G. Welch. — On a Collection of Insect-remains from the South Wales 

 Coalfield : H. Botton. 



THURSDAY, January 12. 



Royal Society, at ^.^p.— Probable Papers: The Absolute Expansion o'' 

 Mercury: Prof. H. L. Callendar, F.R.S.and H. Moss.— The Density of 

 Niton (Radium Emanations) and the Disintegration Theory : Dr. R. W 

 Gray and Sir W. Ramsay, K.C.B., F.R.S.— The Charges on Ions in 

 Gases, and some Effects that Influence the Motion of Negative Ions : 

 Prof. J. S. Townsend, F.R.S. — The Distribution of Electric Force in the 

 Crookes Dark Space : F. W. Aston. — The Measurement of End Stan- 

 dards of Length : Dr. P. E. Shaw. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Adjourned dhcussion: 

 Submarine Cables for Long Distance Telephone Circuits : Major 

 W. A. J. O'Meara, C.M.G. 



Mathematical Society, at 5.30. — A Property of the Number 7: T. C. 

 Lewis. — A Mode of Representation of an Electromagnetic Field as due 

 to Singularities Distributed over a Surface : Prof. H. M. Macdonald. — 

 On the Fundamental Theorem in the Theory of Functions of a Complex 

 Variable : Dr. W. H. Young. 



FRIDAY, January 13. 



Royal Astronomical Society, at 5. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



A Contribution to the History of Evolution. By 



Prof. R. Meldola, F.R.S. 297 



Education and Environment. By F. H. N. ... 298 



Energetics and Modern Problems. By J. C. P. . . 299 



The Industrial Revolution 299 



Spectroscopy 300 



The Theory of Metallography. By Prof. A. 



McWilliam 301 



Physiological Chemistry. By W. D. H 302 



Systematic Botany. By A. B. R 302 



Our Book Shelf 303 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Observations of Mars. — E. M. Antoniadi 305 



Sir Ray Lankester's Book on the Okapi. — Sir E. 

 Ray Lankester, K C.B., F.R.S.; Sir H. H. 



Johnston, G.C.M.G., K.C.B 305 



The Dynamics of a Golf Ball. — Dr. C. G. Knott . 306 

 On the Simultaneity of Abruptly-beginning Magnetic 



Storms. — Dr, L. A. Bauer 306 



Tribo Luminescence of Uranium. — Alfred C. G. 



Egerton 308 



The Classification of Liquids by the Process of 



Tanking. — Rowland A. Earp 308 



The Conduct and Song of Birds.— F. C. Constable 308 



The New Hamburg Observatory. (Illus.) ByH. C. P. 309 



The Ancient Inhabitants of the Nile Valley. {Illus.) 310 



The German Excavations at Babylon. By H. R. Hall 312 



The Neglect of Group-Theory 313 



Notes 313 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Discovery of an Eighth-magnitude Nova 310 



Metcalf's Comet, igiob 3^' 



Elements for Faye's Comet, 1910^ ........ 3^9 



A New Map of the Moon 3^9 



The Total Eclipse of the Moon, November 16, 1910 319 

 Nineteen Stars with Newly Discovered Variable 



Radial Velocities 3'' 



Observations of Planets 3''' 



Colour Contrast in Photomicrography. (Illus.) . . 31' 



Prize Awards of the Paris Academy of Sciences . 320 



Sex Relationship. By Dr. R. J. Ewart 322 



Aviators and Squalls 322 



Temperature of the Upper Air 323 



The Incense-Altar of Aphrodite at Paphos. By 



A. C. H 323 



Aims of Astronomy of Precision. By S. S. Hough, 



F.R.S 323 



University and Educational Intelligence 32? 



Societies and Academies 327 



Diary of Societies 32° 



NO. 2149, VOL. 85] 



