464 



NATURE 



[February 2, 191 i 



Angiosperms? It is concluded that the flowers of Gnetales 

 are clearly Angiosperms, but, contrary to the views usually 

 held, represent organs in course of reduction. — Marcel 

 Mirande : The action upon green plants of some sub- 

 stances extracted from coal-tar and employed in agri- 

 culture. Various mixtures are sold of substances extracted 

 from coal-tar for use as insecticides or antiseptics. It is 

 shown that discretion must be employed in the use of 

 such substances, as under certain conditions they may be 

 harmful to plants. — Ren6 Maire and Adrien Tison : 

 Some PlasmodiophoraceoD. — Eugene '?ittard : An analysis 

 and comparison of the dimensions of the skull and face 

 in gipsies of both sexes. — Ch. Gravier : Some animals 

 parasitic on the Madrepores of the genus Galaxea. — L. 

 Bordas : The morphology and histological structure of 

 the digestive apparatus of the larva of the Lepidoptera. — 

 Paul Marchal : The parasites of the olive-fly in Tunis. 

 A description of Optus concolor, a parasite of the olive- 

 fly, and the part it may play in destroying this fly, and 

 thus indirectly protecting the olive crop. — R. Robinson : 

 The aponeurotic cavities of the intercostal muscles and 

 their signification in physiology and medicine. — Ch. 

 Vaillant : A new method of determining by radiography 

 whether an infant, supposed to have been born dead, has 

 really lived or not. After replying to various criticisms, 

 the author adduces additional facts in support of the views 

 put forward by him on this subject in 1908. — Marc 

 Romieu : Plasmatic reduction in the spermatogenesis of 

 Ascaris megalocephala. — Gabriel Bertrand and M. 

 Javillier : The influence of manganese on the develop- 

 ment of Aspergillus niger. Salts of manganese are shown 

 to possess a markedly favourable influence on the develop- 

 ment of this mould. — L. Bounoure : A comparative study 

 of four digestive diastases found in some species of Coleo- 

 ptera. — M. Groth : The primary of Sierra Morena. 



GOTTINGEN. 



Royal Society of Sciences. — The Nackrichten (physico- 

 mathematical section), part v. for 19 10, contains the 

 following memoirs communicated to the society : — 



July 9. — K. Willy Warner : The propagation of currents 

 in cables with an imperfect dielectric. 



July 23. — H. Weyl : Ordinary linear differential equa- 

 tions with singular regions and their proper functions. 

 — L. Lichtenstein : The integration of a definite integral 

 with respect to a parameter. — K. Lerp : The sources of 

 error in the Kaufmann-Simon method of determining the 

 specific charge of an electron. — F. Bernstein : The last 

 of Fermat's theorems. — O. Toeplitz : The theory of 

 quadratic forms with an infinite number of variables. ^ — 

 F. Bernstein : The second case of the last of Fermat's 

 theorems. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, February 2. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Experiments to investigate the Infectivity of 

 Glossina palpalis Fed on Sleeping Sickness Patients under Treatment : 

 Col. Sir D. Bruce, F. R.S., Captains A. E. Hamerton and H. R. 

 Bateman, and Dr. R. van Someren. — Experiments to Ascertain if Try- 

 panosoma gambiense during its Development within Glossina palpalis is 

 infective: Col. Sir D. Bruce, F.R.S., and Captains A. E. Hamerton, 

 H. R. Bateman, and F. P. Mackie. — Further Experimental Researches 

 on the Etiology of Endemic Goitre : Captain R. McCarrison. — On the 

 Leaves of Calamites (Calamocladus Section) : H. Hamshaw Thomas. 

 — Complement Deviation in Mouse Carcinoma : Dr. J. O. Wakelin 

 Barratt. 



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

 Dyson, F.R.S. , Astronomer Royal. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8. 



RoNTGEN Society, at 8.15. — The Woik of Action of an Induction Coil: 

 Prof. SalomoDson. 



FRIDAY, February 3. 



Royal Institution, at 9. — Grouse Disease : A. E. Shipley, F.R.S. 

 Geologists' Association, at 7.30. — Annual General Meeting. — President's 



Address : Flint and Chart : W. Hill. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Rivers and Estuaries : W. H. 



Hunter. 



MONDAY, February 6. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 8. — Brewing and Modern Science : Prof. 



Adrian J. Brown. 

 Aristotelian Society, at 8. — Value and Reality : Miss H. D. Oakeley. 

 Society of Chemical Industry, at 8 (at King's College). — The 



Chemistry of the Lead Chamber Process : Dr. F. Raschig. 

 SqciETY^OF 5.NGINEERS, at 7.30.— Presidential Address : F. G. Bloyd. 



NO. 2153, VOL. 85] 



TUESDAY, February 7. 



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



RovAL Anthropological Institute, at 8.15.— Recent Theories about 1 

 Palsolithic Man : J. Gray. ■ 



Zoological Society, at_ 8.30. — On the Structure and Function of lli 

 Gas-xlands and Retia Mirabilia associated with the Gas-bladder of so; 

 Teleostean Fishes, with Notes on the Teleost Pancreas : Dr. W. N. I 

 Woodland. — Skulls ol Oxen from the Roman Military Station at New 

 stead, Melrose : Prof J. Cossar Ewart, F.R.S. — Plankton from Christma- 

 Island, Indian Ocean. I. On Copepoda of the Family Corycaeida: : 

 George P. Farran. — On some New Zealand Spiders: H. R. Hogg. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — The Detroit River Tunnel, 

 between Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Canada : VV. J, Wilgus. 



WEDNESDA Y, February 8. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 8.— Some Nigerian Head-hunters : Captain 

 A. J. N. Tremearne. 



Geological Society, at 8. — Investigations pursued in conjunction with 

 Mr. R. E. Priestley, in the Course of the IBritish Antarctic Expedition 

 of igo7-o9, more especially the Investigations connected with Glacial 

 Geology: Prof. T. W. Edgeworth David, C.M.G., F.R.S. 



T//1/RSDAY, Fkbrvarv g. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Probable Papers: (i) Certain Physical and 

 Phjsiological Properties of Stovaine and its Homologues ; (a) The Effect 

 of some Local Anaesthetics on Nerve : Dr. V. H. Veley, F.R.S., and 

 W. L. Symes. — (i) Experimental Researches on Vegetable Assimilation 

 and Respiration. VIII. A New Method for Estimating the Gaseous 

 Exchanges of Submerged Plants ; (2) Experimental Researches on 

 Vegetable Assimilation and Respiration. IX. On Assimilation in Sul ■ 

 merged Water-plants and its Relation to the Concentration of Carb .;. 

 Dioxide and other Factors; Dr. F. F. Blackman, F.R.S., and A. M. 

 Smith. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 4.30. — Indian Superstitions: R. A. Leslie 

 Moore. 



Roval Institution, at 3. — Problems of Animals in Captivity : P. Chalmers 

 Mitchell, F.R.S. 



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

 Long Distance Transmission of Electrical Energy : W. T. Taylor. — 

 Extra High Pressure Transmission Lines : R. Borlase Matthews and 

 C. T. Wilkinson. 



Mathematical Society, at 5.30. — The Application of the Mathematical 

 Tneory of Relativity to the Electron Theory of Matter : E. Cunningham. 



FRIDAY, February 10. 

 Royal Institution, at 9. — Robert Louis Stevenson : Sir Sidney Colvin. 

 Royal Astronomical Society, at 5. — Anniversary Meeting. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Rivers and Estuaries : W. H. 

 Hunter. 



CONTENTS*. PAGE 



The Encyclopaedia Britannica 431 



Electromagnets. By Prof. Gisbert Kapp 432 



Analysis of Wine and other Spirituous Liquors. 



By C. Simmonds 433 



Practical Pathology 434 



Sylvester's Mathematical Papers. By G. B. M. 434 



Nature-study and Rose Pests 435 



Our Book Shelf 436 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Colliery Warnings. {With Diagram.)— Th^ Author 



of the Warnings ; Prof. H. Louis 437 



The Afterglow of Electric Discharge in Nitrogen. — 



Hon. R. J. Strutt, F.R.S. 439 



Singularities of Curves. — A. B, Basset, F.R.S. ; 



T. J, I'a. B 440 



Francis Galton 440 



Megalithic Monuments and Prehistoric Culture in 



the Western Mediterranean 445 



The Flight of Birds. {Illustrated.) By A. Mallock, 



F.R.S 445 



Science and Literature 446 



Notes . . . . ■ 448 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Splendid Meteor on January 25 453 



Nova Lacertse 453 



Absorbing Matter in Space 453 



Photographic Determinations of Stellar Parallax . . 454 



Lines in the Spectra of Nebulae 454 



Utilisation of the Sun's Heat . 454 



Proposed Calendar Reform. By W. T. L 454 



Modern Argentina 455 



Metabolism in Diabetes Mellitus. By Prof. J. S. 



Macdonald 455 



The Ice Age in Corsica 45^ 



The Progressive Disclosure of the Entire Atmos- 

 phere of the Sun. {Illustrated.) By Dr. H. 



Deslandres . 457 



University and Educational Intelligence 460 



Societies and Academies 461 



Diary of Societies 4^4 



