October 20, 192 1] 



NATURE 



263 



Societies and Academies. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, October 3. — M. Leon Guignard 

 in the chair. — J. Costantin ; Alpine biology. The modi- 

 fications of the fungus Pleiirotiis Etyngii produced by an 

 Alpine climate. — A. Rateau : A new locking screw nut. 

 The system described and figured is suitable only for 

 special work in which the cost is not of first import- 

 ance. It permits an adjustment of the screw to 

 I /240th of a turn, with an absolutely safe lock. — G. 

 Giraud : Non-linear partial differential equations of the 

 - cond order of the elliptical type. — M. Drouin : Con- 

 tribution to a general study of unlimited algorithms. — 

 O. Cahen : A new aerial float. The use of an 

 evacuated rigid envelope (sheet aluminium on a wooden 

 framework) is suggested in place of a non-rigid bal- 

 loon filled with a light gas. — L. Rodes : Does the 

 earth exercise an influence on the formation of sun- 

 spots? — E. Perucca : The Volta effect in a vacuum 

 and in highlv rarefied gases. The couples studied in- 

 cluded Zn I Hg, Cd I Hg, Bi | Hg, and Sb | Hg, the ex- 

 j)eriments with the Zn | Hg couple being given in 

 detail. There would appear to be a Volta effect in the 

 absence of a superficial gas layer, —0-17 volt for 

 Zn I Hg. Water vapour exerts no special influence on 

 the voltages, but the effect of oxygen, even when dry, 

 is very marked.-M. Curie : The action of the infra- 

 red rays on phosphorescence. According to a recent 

 theory of Ives and Lukiesh, there should be a diminu- 

 tion in the intensity of the X-rays reflected from the 

 no-face of a cr\^stal of cubic blende when infra-red 

 radiation is allowed to fall on the face of the crvstal. 

 The experiment has been made by the author, with a 

 negative result. 



Washington, D.C. 

 National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings, vol. 6, 

 No. 8, August, 1920.— G. P. Merrill : On "chondrules 

 and chondritic structure in meteorites. A studv 

 with detailed bibliography discussing the nature and 

 rigin of the chondruie. — A. A. Michelson : The ver- 

 ical interferometer. The vertical interferometer is 

 designed to obviate the difficulties of maintaining 

 parallelism of the moring mirror.— A. A. Michelson : 

 On the application of interference methods to astro- 

 nomical measurements. A report on the determina- 

 tion of the orbit of Capella.— A. A. Michelson : A modi- 

 fication of the revolving mirror method for measuring 

 the velocity of light.— W. Duane and W. Stenstrom : 

 On the K series of X-ravs. Data are provided for test- 

 ing the following : (a) The existence of a third line 

 m the a-group; (b) the separation of the critical ad- 

 sorption from the line of shortest wave-len£?th in the 

 emission spectrum, namely, the y-line ; (c) the experi- 

 mental and theoretical relations between the various 

 lines in the K, L. M, etc., series; (d) the relative in- 

 tensities of the emission lines ; and (e) the equations 

 for the wave-lengths that mav be deduced from 

 theories of the structure of atoms and the mechanism 

 of radiation.- H. Shapley and Helen N. Davis : Studies 

 of magnitude in star clusters. XII. Summarv of a 

 photometric investigation of the globular svstem 

 Messier 3.— F. Boas: The influence of environment 

 upon development. A discussion of several series of 

 observations resulting apparentlv in a confirmation 

 of the conclusion that environmental conditions play 

 an important part in the determination of the bodilv 

 forni of the adult.— R. H. Goddard : The possibilities 

 of the rocket in weather forecasting. A discussion of 

 the_ rocket as a means of realising the conditions 

 desirable for obtaining high altitude data, and the 

 extent to which the conditions necessary for a satis- 

 NO. 2712, VOL. 108] 



factory rocket method have been realised. — C. Barus : 

 Note on a pneumatic method of measuring variations- 

 of the acceleration of gravity. — C. Barus : Note on 

 torsional measurement of variations of the accelera- 

 tion of gravity by interference methods. — D. H. Camp- 

 bell : The genus Botr}chium and its relationships. 



Books Received. 



The Fixation of Atmospheric Nitrogen. By Dr. J. 

 Knox. (Chemical Mom)graphs.) Second edition. 

 Pp. vii+124. (London: Gurney and Jackson.) 45. 

 net. 



Rocks and Fossils and How to Identify Them. By 

 J. H. Crabtree. Pp. 63. (London : The Epwcwth 

 Press.) 15. gd. net. 



Notes on Inorganic Chemistry for First-Year Uni- 

 versity Students. By Prof. F. Francis. Pp. viii+244. 

 (Bristol : J. W. Arrowsmith, Ltd. ; London : Simpkin, 

 Marshall and Co., Ltd.) 85. 6d. net. 



Australasian Antarctic Expedition, 1911-14, under 

 the Leadership of Sir Douglas Mawson. Scientific 

 Reports. Series C : Zoology and Botany. Vol. 6, 

 Part 3 : Polychaeta. By Dr. W. B. Beiiham. Pp, 

 128+ plates 5-10. (Sydney : Government Printing 

 Office.) 125. 



Selected Poems in Somerset Dialect. (The Somer- 

 set Folk Series, No. i.) Pp. 99. (London : Somerset 

 Folk Press.) 15. 6d. net. 



A Practical Handbook of British Birds. Edited by 

 H. F. Witherby. Part 12. Pp. 257-352. (London : 

 H. F. and G. \Vitherby.) 45. 6d. net. 



Publications of the L'niversity of Manchester : 

 Economic Series, No. 16. Bleaching : Being a 

 Resume of the Important Researches on the Industry 

 Published during the Years 1908-20. By S. H\ 

 Higgins. Pp. vii+ 137. (Manchester : University 

 Press ; London : Longmans, Green and Co.) 105. 6d. 

 net. 



Fifty Years of Electricity : The Memories of an 

 Electrical Engineer. By Prof. J. A. Fleming. Pp. 

 xi+371 + plates. (London : Wireless Press, Ltd.) 305. 

 net. 



The Riddle of the Rhine : Chemical Strategy in 

 Peace and War. By Victor Lefebure. Pp. 279. 

 (London : W. Co'lins, Sons and Co., Ltd.) 105. 6d. 

 net. 



Shooting Trips in Eurof>e and Algeria : Being a 

 Record of Sport in the Alps, Pyrenees, Norway, 

 Sweden, Corsica, and Algeria. By H. P. Highton. 

 Pp. 237. (London : H. F. and G. Witherbv.) 165. 



A History of the \\"hale Fisheries : From the 

 Basque Fisheries of the Tenth Century to the Hunting 

 of the Finner Whale of the Present Date. By Dr. 

 T. T. lenkins. Pp. 336. (London : H. F. and G. 

 Witherby.) 185. 



An Introduction to Organic Chemistry. Bv D. LL 

 Hammick. Pp. viii+258. (London : G. Bell and 

 Sons, Ltd.) 6s. 



An Inquirv into the Nature and Causes of the 

 Wealth of Nations By Dr. Adam Smith. (Bohn's 

 Standard Library.) Reprinted from the sixth edition. 

 Vol. I. Pp. xxxvi + 502. Vol. 2. Pp. vi+552. 

 (London : G. Bell and Sons, Ltd.) 2 vols., 125. net. 



Plane Geometry : Practical and Theoretical Pari 

 Passu. Bv V. Le Neve Foster. (Mathematical Series 

 for Schools and. Colleges.) Vc! t. Pp. xi+22Q+xi. 

 Vol. 2. Pp. xii-l-22Q-4?-;-l-xi. (London : G. Bell and 

 Sons, Ltd.) 35. each vol. 



Botanv for .Students of Medicine and Pharmacy. 

 Rv Prof. F. E. Fritch ano D-. E. J. Salisbury. 

 Pp. xiv+357. (London : G. Bell and Sons, Ltd.] 

 ins. 6d. net. 



