June 9, 1921] 



NATURE 



479 



Caffarella. — G. Pellizzari : Transition from guanidine 

 to cyanoamide, and from diguanide to dicyano- 

 diamide. — Papers communicated through fellows : — 

 C. Burali-Forti : Real numbers and magnitudes, i. — 

 A. Artom : Apparatus for directional radio-mechanics. 

 The currents from two receivers at right angles (or 

 at any other angle) operate on two separate galvano^ 

 meter coils, fixed at a similar angle to the receivers, in 

 such a way that the deviation of the galvanometer 

 needle depends on the difference of intensity of the 

 currents generated in the coils, and its position thus 

 indicates the direction from which the radio-tele- 

 graphic waves are received. The apparatus admits of 

 several modifications. — The present number of the 

 Atti contains obituary notices read at the preceding 

 meeting: (March 6) by Prof. R. Pirotta on the late 

 Prof. G. Cuboni, and by Prof. Cerulli on the late 

 Prof. Giovanni Celoria. 



New South Wales. 

 Linnean Society, March 30.— Mr. J. J. Fletcher, presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — J. J. Fletcher : Presidential 

 address. The work of the society during the past 

 year was reviewed and reference made to recent 

 important events of scientific interest, including the 

 establishment of the Australian National Research 

 Council and of the Commonwealth Institute of 

 Science and Industry ; the first Pan-Pacific Science 

 Conference ; and the resumption of regular meetings 

 of the Australasian Association for the Advancement 

 of Science. The last part of the address referred to 

 the Macleay Museum of the Sydney University, 

 founded by Sir William Macleay. The history of the 

 formation of the Macleay collections was related. In 

 conclusion, the University of Sydney, which is joint 

 trustee with the society for the museum, was criticised 

 for neglect of its trust. Changes made in the building 

 have caused the disruption of the Macleav collections, 

 so that they no longer form an e.xposition ot the 

 fauna of Australia.- — Mr. G. A. Waterhouse, elected 

 president for the year 1921-22, then took the chair. — 

 E. W. Ferguson : Revision of the Amycterides (Coleo- 

 ptera). Part vi., Acantholophus. A detailed his- 

 torical account is given, together with a critical re- 

 vision of the genus and of the species referred to it. 

 The genus is divided into two sections ; in the first, 

 the head is separated from the rostrum bv the inter- 

 cristal ridge, the prothorax is produced above, and 

 ocular lobes are present; in the second the head is 

 separated from the rostrum by a transverse impression, 

 the prothorax is subtruncate above, and ocular lobes 

 are absent. Fiftj^-nine species, ten of them new, are 

 referred to the genus. — Dr. R. Greig-Smith : The high- 

 temperature organism of fermenting tan bark. Part i. 

 The fermentation of spent wattle-bark in the corrosion 

 of white lead is caused by a stout, rod-shaped bac- 

 terium having a terminal .spore. Its optimum labora- 

 tory temperature is 60° C. ; in the corroding stacks 

 the temperature may rise to 80°. Raw spent wattle- 

 bark requires preliminary treatment. As conditions 

 which oxidise tannin substances favour the fermenta- 

 tion of the raw bark, it is probable that the residual 

 tannins inhibit fermentation. 



Books Received. 



Introduction to the Theory of Fourier's Series and 

 Integrals and the Mathematical Theory of the Con- 

 duction of Heat. By Prof. H. S. Carslaw. Second 

 edition, completely revised. Vol. i. : Fourier's Series 

 and Integrals. Pp. xi-l-323. (London : Macmillan 

 and Co., Ltd.) 305. net. 



The Fine Cotton Spinners' and Doublers' Associa- 



NO. 2693, VOL. 107] 



tion, Ltd., Manchester : Experimental Department. 

 A Method for Measuring the Length of Cotton Hairs. 

 By Dr. W. Lawrence Balls. Pp. 62. (London : Mac- 

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The Purple Sapphire and other Posthumous Papers. 

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 (London : P. Allan and Co.) 75. 6d. net. 



The Scientific Papers of the Hon. Henry Caven- 

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 and Dynamical. Edited by Sir Edward Thorpe. Pp. 

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The Salvaging of Civilization. By H. G. Wells. 

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 net. 



Festschrift der Kaiser Wilhelm Gesellschaft zur 

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 Jubilaum Dargebracht von ihren Instituten. Pp. iv+ 

 282. (Berlin : J. Springer.) 100 marks. 



The Psvchologv of Day-Dreams. By Dr. J. Varen- 

 donck. Pp. 367. (London : G. Allen and Unwin, 

 Ltd. ; New York : The Macmillan Co.) 185. net. 



The Case-Hardening of Steel. By Harrv Brearley. 

 Second edition. Pp. xi+207. (London : Longmans, 

 Green and Co.) 165. net. 



Factorv Chemistrv : Preparatory to Courses in 

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 Pp. vii+5q. (London : Longmans, Green and Co.) 

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The Correspondence of Commerce. Bv A. Risdon 

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Ameboid Movement. Bv Prof. .Asa k. Schaeffer. 

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Medical Research Council^ and Department of 

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 (London : H.M. Stationerv Office.) 35. net. 



Einfiihrung in die Theoretische Physik mit 

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 Leipzig : Walter de Gruvter and Co.") i2>?. 6d. 



Vorlesungen iiber die Theorie der Warmestrahlung. 

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 (Leiozig : J. A. Barth.) 36 marks. 



Elemente der Theoretischen Phvsik. Bv Prof. C. 

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 aufiage. Pp. xxiv+680. (Leipzig : J. A. Barth.) 

 80 marks. 



Moderne Magnetik. Bv Felix .Auerbach. Pp. viii+ 

 304. (Leipzig : J. A. Barth.) 48 marks. 



Stanford University Publications :_ University Series. 

 Mathematics and Astronomv, vol. i. No. i : Primi- 

 tive Groups. Bv Prof. W. A. Manning. Part i. 

 Pn. 108. (California : Stanford LIniversity.) 1.25 

 dollars. 



Die Theorie der Allotropie. By Prof. A. Smits. 

 Pp. xvi+500. (Leipzig : J. A. Barth.) 100 marks. 



Etudes elementaires de M^t^orologie Pratique. By 

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 et Cie.) \^ francs net. 



La forme et le Mouvement. Essai de Dynamiaue 

 de la Vie. Bv Georges Bohn. Pp. 175. (Paris : 

 E. Flammarion.) 4.50 francs net. 



Petrographic Methods and Calculations, with some 

 Examples of Results Achieved. By Dr. Arthur 

 Holmes. Pp. xix + 515-l-iv plates. (London : T. Murby 

 and Co.) 315. 6rf. net. 



