{62 



NATURE 



[January 12, 191 1 



New South Wales. 

 Linnean Soci»'ty, Novcm' er 30. 1910. — Mr. C. lledley, 

 president, in the chair. — Dr. R. Greig-Smith : The 



permanency of the characters of the bacteria of the 

 Bacillus colt group. Twelve races of bacteria of this 

 group, upon their isolation from rachitic stools, showed 

 diverse cultural characters. They were cultivated for 

 seven months, and again examined. The activities 

 towards dextrose and mannit were found to be the most 

 permanent. The permanency of the other characters was 

 lactose, neutral-red, motility, milk, • growth on gelatin, 

 saccharose, the power of fermenting, which is easily 

 acquired and presumably easily lost. — Dr. R. Qroig- 

 Smith : Contributions to our knowledge of soil fertility. 

 Part i. : The action of wax solvents and the presence of 

 thermolabile bacteriotoxins in soil. Water extracts from 

 soil a substance which is filterable through porcelain and 

 toxic to bacteria. The toxin is destroyed by heat, by 

 sunlight, and by storage. It disappears from air-dried 

 soil, and decays in aqueous solution. It is not destroyed 

 by salts such as sodium chloride or potassium sulphate. 

 Soils vary in the amount of toxin they contain, good soils 

 containing less, poor soils more. The particles of soil 

 are covered or " waterproofed " with soil-wax or " agri- 

 cere," which consists of a mixture of saponifiable and 

 unsaponifiable bodies. With the removal of the " water- 

 proofing," the soil nutrients are more easily dissolved by 

 soil water and attacked by bacteria. — W. W. Frogrsratt : 

 Notes on fruit-flies (Trypetidae), with descriptions of new 

 species. Fifteen species, referable to the genera Ceratitis, 

 Dacus, and Rioxa (Trypeta), are treated, including seven 

 new. — T. G. Sloane : Carabida; from Dorrigo, N.S.W. 

 With an appendix : Tenebrionidae from Dorrigo, by J. H. 

 Carter. — W. M. Carne : Note on the occurrence of a 

 limestone fauna at Grose Valley, Hawkesbury district. — 

 R. J. Tillyard : Some remarkable Australian Libellulinae. 

 Part iii. : Further notes on Camacinia othello, Tillyard. 

 The female, not before known, is described, and a figure 

 of its wings given. The range of the species is extended 

 from Cooktown to Torres Straits and Port Darwin. An 

 intermediate form, from the Aru Islands, connects this 

 species with the Malayan and East Indian C. gigantea, 

 Brauer. — T. T. Flynn : Contributions to a knowledge of 

 the anatomy and development of the Marsupialia. No. i. 

 The material investigated was furnished by an adult 

 female Thylacinus with three advanced young in the 

 pouch. The external features of the young are described, 

 together with the genital organs of both the adult and the 

 young. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THUR'^DAY. January 12. 



Royal Sdciety, at 4.30.— The Absolute Fxpansion of 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 Klectric Force in the Crool<es 

 Dark Spare : F. W. Aston. — The Measurement of End Standards of 

 Leneth : Dr. E. P. Shaw. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Adjo7trned discussion : 

 Submarine Cables for Long Distance Telephone Circuits : Major 

 W. A.J. O'Meara, C.M.(;. 



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. AL Macdonald. — 

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

 Variable: Dr. W. H. Young. — On the Fundamental Theorem relating to 

 the Fourier Constants for given Functions : Prof. E. W. Hobson. 



FRIDAY, January 13. 

 Royal Astronomical Society, at 5. — Verification of the Centre Yard 

 and Three Centre Feet on the R.A.S. Tubulir Scale: H. B. Darling.— 

 (i) Proper Motion of Small Star near 17 Lvrae ; (j) Measures of a Faint 

 Proper Motion Star : S. W. Burnham. — Periodic Discordance between 

 the R.A's. of the Fundamental Catalogues and those of the Greenwich 

 Standard Clock Stars : W. G. Thackeray. — Micrometical Measures of 

 Double Stars : Rev. T. E. R. Phillips.— Observations of Halley's Comet : 

 J. Tebbutt. — An Adjustable Compensation for an " Invar " Pendulum : 

 R. Inwards. — A suggested method of Determining the Stellar Brightness 

 of a Faint Comet : H. Knox Shaw. — (i) The Magnitude Equation of 

 the Mean Greenwich Observer, from Comparison of Greenwich Standard 

 R.A's. of Clock Stars for igoowith Boss's Preliminary General Catalogue ; 

 (2) Standard Mean R.A's. of Clock Stars for i860, based on 12-hour 

 Groups from Greenwich Transit Circle Observ.Ttions in 1853-67 : W. G. 

 Thackeray.— Pr«>*aW^ Papers: The Bearing of the Principle of Rela- 

 tivity on Gravitational Astronomy : W. de Sitter. — Nova Lacertae 

 (Espin) : F. A. Bellamy. 



NO. 2150, VOL. 85] 



MONDAY, January 16. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — The Michael Sars North 

 Atlantic Deep Sea Expedition : Sir John Murray, K.C. B., and Dr. 

 Hjort. 



TUESDAY, January 17. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Heredity : Prof. F. W. Mott, F.R.S. 



Royal Statistical Society, at 5. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — /)/Vkjj;<5« : (i) The Strengthen- 

 ing of the Roof of New Street Station, Birmingham ; (3) The Recon 

 struction and Widening of Arpley Bridge, Warrington : W. Dawson. 

 WEDNESDAY, January 18. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 8.— The Dutch Labour Colonies: J. C. 

 Medd. 



Royal Meteorological Society, at 7.30. —Ordinary Meeting. — At 

 7.45 Annual General Meeting. — Presidential Address : The Present 

 Position of British Cli ratology : H. Mellish. 



Roval Microscopical Society, at 8.— Presidential Address: Pro*". J . 

 Arthur Thomson. 



Entomological Society, at 8. 



THURSDAY, January 19. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Probable Papers: The Action of D. lactic 

 teragenes on Gluco'-e and Mann-tol. Part II. : G. S. Walpole — Th': 

 Pharmac^ological Action of South African Boxwood {Goniomn Kavtassi) 

 Dr. W. E. Dixon. — Auto.igglutination of Red Blood Cells in Trypano- 

 somiasis : Dr. W. Yorke. — The Transformation of Proteids into Fats 

 during the Ripening of Cheese (Preliminary Communicatior.) : M. 

 Nierenstein. — The Action of X-rays on the Developing Chick : J. F. 

 Gaskell. 



Royal Institution, at 3.- Recent Progress in Astronomy: F. W. 

 Dvson, F.R.S., Astronomer Royal. 



Linnean Society, at 8. _ _' 



Royal Geographical Society, at 5. — Research Meeting. Neolithic 

 Villages in Thessaly : Mes rs. Wace and Thompson. 

 FRIDAY, January 20. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— Chemical and Physical Change at Lou 

 Temperatures: Sir James Dewar, F.R.S. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 8. — Modem Electrical 

 Dock-equipmert, with Special Reference to Electrically-operated Coal- 

 hoists : W. Dixon and G. H. Baxter. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — The Design and Constructiot. 

 of Keinforced-concrete Arches : G. F. Walton. 



CONTENTS. PAGF 



Migratory Birds 329 



Principles of Analytical Chemistry. By Dr. H. M. 



Dawson 330 



More Mosquitoes 330 



Philosophy 331 



Hfredity. By E. H. J. S. . . 331 



Early Egyptian Remains 332 



Photographic Practice 332 



Stars in Season. By W. E. R 333 



A Pair of Tiger Books. By R. L 333 



Our Book Shelf 334 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Recent Earthquakes in Asia.— Dr, W. N. Shaw, 



F.R.S. ; Dr. C. Chree, F.R.S 335 



Singularities of Curves and Surfaces. — A. B. Bassett, 



F.R.S. ; T.J. I'a. B. .336 



Scottish Natural History.— T. A. Harvie Brown . 336 



The Origin of Man. — Charles E. Benham . . . 336 



Colliery Warnings. By Prof. Henry Louis . . 336 



Soured Milk and its Preparation. Lactic Cheeses. 



{Illustrated.) By Prof. R. T. Hewlett . -.338 



The British School at Athens. (Illustrated.) By 



H. R. Hall 339 



Korean Meteorology — Old and New. {Illustrated.) 341 



The Admission of Women to the French Academies 342 



Notes . 342 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The January Meteors 34^ 



Nova Laceitas. {Illustrated.) 34^ 



Comets Due to Return in 191 1 • 34^ 



Preliminary Results derivtd from Radial- velocity 



Determinations ... 348 



Stellar Magnitudes . .... 348 



Prize Subjects Proposed by the Pans Academy of 



Sciences for 1912 349 



Halley's Comet. {Illustrated.) 349 



On the Origin of Slavery and Parasitism in Ants 351 

 Temperature Changes and Solar Activity. {Illus- 

 trated.) By M . . 352 



London County Council Conference of Teachers. 



By G. F. D 353 



The Making of a Dai win. By Dr. David Starr 



Jordan . . . 354 



University and Educational Intelligence 360 



Societies and Academies . 360 



Diary of Societies 362 



