May 5, 1921} 



NATURE 



3i9 



eclipse of April 7, 1921, at the Paris Observatory.— 

 H. Douville ; The explanation of the appearance of 

 certain new forms of Lamellibranchs. — A. de Gramont : 

 The utility in physical astronomy of the consideration 

 of sensibility of lines of the spectrum. — M. de Sparre : 

 The maxinium yield of turbines. — M. Emile Borel 

 was elected a member of the section of geometry in 

 succession to the late Georges Humbert. — P. Humbert : 

 The polynomials of Hermite-Didon and the Laplace 

 functions in hyperspace. — A. Denjoy : The characters 

 of certain integrable functions and the corresponding 

 operations. — C Nordmann : The apparent diameter 

 of a Orion. The apparent diameter of this star has 

 been recently determined by Michelson, making use 

 of an interference method the principle of which is 

 due to Fizeau. Michelson's figure 0046" is compared 

 with the figure (0059") obtained by the author's in- 

 direct method based on photometry. — E. Esclangon : 

 Observations of the eclipse of the sun of April 8 made 

 at the Strasbourg Observatory. — A. Lebeuf : The 

 eclipse of the sun of April 7, 192 1. Resume of ob- 

 servations carried out at the Besan^on Observatory. — 

 M. Moreux : Observation of the eclipse of the sun of 

 April 8, 192 1. The phenomenon of the black drop 

 was seen during this eclipse. — M. Michkovitch : Ob- 

 servations of the Reid comet (1921a) made at the 

 Observatory of Marseilles with the Eichens 26-cm. 

 equatorial. Positions are given for April 4, 5, and 6. 

 — J. Mascart : The eclipse of the sun of April 7, 192 1, 

 at the Observatory of Lyons. — P. Stroobant : The 

 flattening of the spheroid of Saturn. From the dis- 

 placements of the line of nodes of the satellites an 

 average figure of 01027 or 1/9-74 's found for the 

 flattening. This value is probably more accurate 

 than data based on direct determinations. — A. Dauvll- 

 ller : The structure of the L series. — G. Reboul and 

 R. Luce : The influence of the geometrical form of 

 solid bodies on the chemical actions which they 

 undergo. Further experimental confirmation of the 

 conclusions arrived at in an earlier confirmation ; the 

 velocity of reaction is always greatest at the points 

 where the radius of curvature is smallest. — A. A. 

 Guntz : An automatic apparatus for recording the 

 variations of a gaseous mass with time. The mano- 

 meter measuring the volume changes in the gas has 

 a fine nichrome wire stretched throughout its length ; 

 this for^s an arm of a Wheatstone bridge, and thus 

 the volunie changes conv^rtM \fito resistances are re- 

 corded photographically. The whole of the.g&s is 

 kept at constant 'disgregation by balancing against 

 a compensation tube kept at a constant temperature. 

 This balance is maintained automatically by a separate 

 electrical arrangement. — C. Matignon and Mile. G. 

 Marchal : The use of enamelled bombs in calorimetry. 

 Some of the enamels now in use for Iming calori- 

 metric bombs are attacked by dilute acids, and the 

 amount dissolved is sufficient to interfere with the 

 accuracy of the nitric acid correction, and also with 

 the use of the bomb in analytical determinations 

 (sulphur, phosphorus, etc.). The eff"ect is most marked 

 with new enamel.-^G. Dupont : Contribution to 

 the study of the acid constituents of the rfestnous 

 exudation from the pine. The dextro- and laevo- 

 pimaric acids. By the usual methods of extraction 

 the laevo-acid is converted into its optical isorheridS^ 

 The technique necessary for the' is6latibnr of either, 

 acid in a pure state -is -descrit(ed.-^J. Houclrti Obi 

 servations of- the electrical field of the atmosphere 

 during the eclipse of the sun of Af)t-il 8; i92r.- The 

 electrical field underwent a piarked diminution; there 

 was a lag of about .an hour,, fror^^jthip. .tTiiddJ[gi,.ia,^3^e 

 eclipse.— A, Briquet ; The L6)i:,-p>u»try .qi,; Pi?ardy 

 north of the 3orni;t^e,; th^, line pt jtheii^ici^nt bar^l^.— 

 S. Stefanescu : The asymmetry and the technical 



NO. 2688, VOL. I07I 



longitudinal sections of the crown of the molars of 

 mastodons and elephants. — A. Dehorne : Heterotypy 

 in the somatic mitosis of Corethra plumicornis. — P. 

 Wintrebert : The aneural irritability of the ectoderm 

 revealed by the ciliary displacement of the embryo 

 in Kana temporaria. — \V. Kopaczewski : Surface ten- 

 sion and antianaphylaxy. A criticism of the views and 

 experiments of M. A. Lumiere on the importance of 

 surface tension in connection with anaphylactic shock. 

 — M. Kayser : Researches on the azobacter. 



Books Received. 



Aspects of Plant Life, with Special Reference to the 

 British Flora. By Robert L. Praeger. (Nature 

 Lover's Series.) Pp. 208. (London: S.P.C.K. ; New 

 York : The Macmillan Co.) 6s. net. 



The Yearbook of the Universities of the Empire, 

 1921. ETdited by W. H, Dawson. Pp. xiv+571. 

 (London : G. Bell and Sons, Ltd.) 15s. net. 



Le Destin des Etoiles : Etudes d 'Astronomic 

 physique. By Svante Arrhenius. Traduction frangaise 

 by T. Seyrig. (Nouvelle Collection scientifique.) Pp. 

 vH-224. (Paris : F. Alcan.) 8 francs net. 



Thermodynamics and Chemistry. By Prof. F.i H; 

 MacDougall. Pp. v+391. (New York : J. Wiley and 

 Sons, Inc. ; London : Chapman and Hall, Ltd.) 30s. 

 net. 



The Practice of Silviculture. By Prof. Ralph C. 

 Hawley. Pp. xi+352. (New York: J. Wiley and 

 Sons, inc. ; London : Chapman and Hall, Ltd.) 22s. 

 net. 



The Formation of Colloids. By Prof. Th. Svedberg. 

 (Monographs on the Physics and Chemistry of Col- 

 loids.) Pp. 127. (London : J. and A. Churchill.) 

 ys. 6d. net. . = ' 



Man and his Past. By O. G. S. Crawford. Pp. 

 xv+227. (London: Oxford University Press.) 105: 6d. 

 net. 



Critical Microscopy: How to Get the Best out of 

 the Microscope. By Dr. Alfred C. Coles. Pp. viii+ 

 100+ iii plates. (London : J. and A. Churchill.) ys.Sd, 

 net. 



Drug^s in Commerce : Their Source, Preparation 

 for the Market, and Description. By John Humphrey. 

 (Common Commodities and Industries.) Pp. xi+ii6. 

 (Lorlfdon : Sir I. Pitman and ,Sons, Ltd.) 3s. net. 



SteiJa Maitland ; or. Love and the.Stafs. By Hester 

 P. Hawkins. Pp. viii+ 249. (London : : Simpykifi, 

 Marshall and Co., Ltd.) 6s. net. 



Faune de France. By Prof. R. Koehler. No. i : 

 Echinodermes. Pp. 210. (Paris: P. Lechavelier.) 



Post-Graduate Teaching in the University of Cal- 

 cutta, 1919-20. Pp. 112. (Calcutta: University 

 Press.) ' ,^ •• 



Diary of Societies. 



THURSDAY. -Mxr S. . i*: .■■. 



Iron and Steel Institute (Annual Meeting-) (at Institutioii of-OiYtl 



Engrineers), at 10 and 2.30.— H. Brearley : T^e Weldingr of Steel 



in relation to the Occurrence of Pipe Blow Holes and Segregates 



-in Ingots.— Dr. J. E. Stead: Solid Solution of Oxyg-en- in Iron;— 



,H. T. Ringroge : Scientific Control of Combustion.— J. E. Fletohetj^ 



Open-hearth and Other Slags — their CompoBition and ' Graphic 



'Mefhods for determining" their Constitution. — S. ' H.' FoWleg-; 



■ 'NotM <tn the Cleaning of'Blaist-furnBoe Oasw , ) , > j; c 



ROTAl iNSTITtlTIOX OF QBEAT BRITAIN, at 3. — Pr. C. ^t'^^yfTfX 



PsTchologioal Studies : (1) Thfe Locsilisation of SontiA. ' \ ", 

 lK8TiTiiT«.or.;PATBK)LooT- AND R.FSEARCH' (iSt. Mary's^ HosjiitaK- ■?**■( 

 _ dington), at 4.30.— Prof, L. Hill : Capillary Blcxqd J>re*irt<ret M^ 



QSdema. 



RoTAL Soci«Tr. at 4 30.— Dr. H. Head: R«ea*«' tfif 'i'uiiMtei' "fii' *<»• 



■ XfrrariB STstenj.lOroonian l>cture). ■..>',-•> !i>->iij.> 



L^NNWN SocrPTT,' at 5.— Prof. J. Stanley Gardiner; Rpports.CB 



^ C6t]eetinn»' ttrtJtt the Ihdlai^ OcMn for' Tisne' in the SooWty'f 



' Forthcoming Transactions, ▼ol., XTii^.-^rE. R^'-.^peyef ;•, Iiiseot* 



