544 



NATURE 



[June 23, 1921 



Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Intelligence 

 Department : Plant Pests Branch. Report on the 

 Occurrence of Insect and Fungus Pests on Plants in 

 England and Wales for the Year 1919. (Miscel- 

 laneous Publications, No. 33.) Pp. 68. (London.) 

 15. 6d. net. 



Diary of Socie;ies. 



THURSDAY, JxiNE 23. 

 Royal Society, .at 4.30.— Dr. E. F. Armstrong and 'J'. P. 

 Hiklitch : A Study of Catalytic Actions at Solid Sur- 

 faces. YI. Surface Area and Specific Nature of a Catalyst : 

 Two Independent Factors controlling the Resultant Activity. — 

 Sir J. B. Henderson : A Contribution to the Therraodynamical 

 Theory of Explosions, Part I. ; and (with Prof. H. R. Hass^) 

 Part II. — S. Butterworth : Eddy Current Losses in Cylindrical 

 Conductors, with Special Applications to the Alternating-current 

 Resistances of Short Coils. — E. S. Bieler : The Currents induced 

 in a Cable by the Passage of a Mass of Magnetic Material 

 over it.— Dr. Q. Barlow and Dr. H. B. Keene : The Experimental 

 Analysis of Sound in Air and Water: Some Experiments towards 

 a Sound Spectrum.— Dr. G. Barlow: The Theory of Analysis of 

 an Eli'ctric Current by Periodic Interruption. 



FRIDAY, JCNE 24. 

 Physical Society of London (at Imperial College of Science), 

 at 5. — S. Butterworth : Capacity and Eddy-current Effects in 

 Inductometers.— Dr. E. Griffiths: New Specific Heat Apparatus.-— 

 Prof. A. O. Rankine : Encounters between Non-spherical Gas 

 Molecules.— Dr. C. Chree : An Electro-culture Problem. 



MONDAY. June 27. 



RoTAL Society or Medicine (Odontology Section), at 8.— K. Pry: 

 The Dental Treatment of Congenital and Other Perforations of 

 the Palate. 



TUESDAY, June 28. 



Royal Anthropological I.vstitute, at 8.15. — L. H. Dudley Buxton : 

 The Ancient and Jlodern Inhabitants of Malta. 



Institition of Civil Enginkebs (Engineering Conference), at 9.— 

 Sir George T. Beilby : Fuel Problems of the Future (James 

 Forrest Lecture). 



WEDNESDAY, June 29. 



I.N.STITITI0N or Civil Ej-gineehs (Engineering Conference), at 

 10 a.m. — The President : Opening of the Conference and Pre- 

 sentation of the John Fritz Medal to Sir Robert A. Hadfleld, 

 Bart.-— A. Ross : The Structural Outlines of our Home Railways. 

 — O. G. C. Drury : Tunnel Maintenance. — C. R. S. Kirkpatriek : 

 To what Dimensions should Docks be CoiLstructed to Provide 

 for Future Requirements.— A. R. T. Woods : Ship and Harbour 

 Design and Efuii»raent as affecting the Rapid Loading and 

 Discharging of Cargo Vessels.— H. J. Deane : TIk' Development 

 of Cranage Facilities for Discharging A'essels of the Largest 

 Size. — G. FitzGibbon : Reinforced Concrete for Wharves and 

 Breakwaters.— F. E. Wentworth-Sheilds : The Best Way of Pro- 

 tecting Reinforced Concrete from JIarine Deterioration.— L. H. 

 Savile : Reasons for the Deterioration of Reinforced-Concrete 

 Structures above Mean Tide Level.— H. Lupton : Comparison 

 between Reciprocating Pumping Engines and Tnrbo-driven 

 Centrifugal Pumps.— E. R. Dolby : Exhaust Steam : its Emplov- 

 ment for Power, Heating, etc.— J. W. Evans : The Employment 

 of \\ater Power in the Development of the Mineral Industry.— 

 R. Nelson : Recent Developments in Coal-cleaning Processes. — 

 H. S. Ball : The Francois Cementation Process.— W. L. Rox- 

 burgh : The Necessity for and the Possibilitv of Development 

 of the Coasting Trade.- E. G. Stewart : The Utilisation of Waste 

 Heat in Gasworks.— Dr. J. S. G. Thomas : Desiderata in the 

 Qialities of Town's Gas.— R. O. Kapp : Low Power-factor. 



Royal Society of Abts, at 4.— Annual General Meeting. 



THURSDAY, June 30. 



Institution of Civil Enginkeks (Engineering Conference), at 

 10 a.m.— W. W. Grierson : The Use of Reinforced Concrete on 

 Railways.— H. J. Fercday : Impact Tests and Allowances.— A. H. 

 Hall: The Influence of the. Automatic and Semi-automatic 

 ifachine on the Skill and Resourcefulness of the Mechanic and 

 Operator.— A. ."Musker : Mechanical Appliances and Labour in 

 Loading and Unloading Ship's Cargoes.— Prof. W. E. Dalby : 

 The Elastic Limit.— Prof . E. G. Coker : The Effect of Scratches 

 in Jlaterials.— C. P. Sandberg : Damage to Tires and Rails 

 causwl by Brakes or Slipping Wheels.— G. Hatton : The Existing 

 Practice of Inspecting Work and Materials.— M. E. Dennv : The 

 Design of Fabricated Ships from the Labour-saving Point of 

 View.— J. C. Telford : Economv of Labour on Shipbuilding as 

 effected by Fabricated Ships, etc.— E. R. Mumford : Recent Tank 

 Research in Screw Propellers.— E. H. Richards and M. G. 

 Weekes : Straw Filters for Sewage-purification.— J. Haworth : 

 Activated Sludge.— J. D. Watson : De-watering Sludge.— J. 

 Dalziel : Battery Locomotives. 



iNSTiTUTio.v of :\rKCHAN-icAL ENGINEERS, at lO.l.T a.m.— Conference on 

 the iMeans of Increasing the Thermal Efficiency of Heat Power 

 Plants. 



Royal Society, at iM.—Prohahle Papcrs.—S\r J. J. Dobbie and Dr. 

 J. J. Fox : The Absorption of Light bv Elements in a State of 

 Vapour. The Halogens.— Prof. W. A. Bone and the Late W. A. 



Haward : Gaseous Combustion at High Pressures. Part 11. The 

 Explosion of Hydrogen-Air and Carbon-monoxide-Air Mixtures.— 

 Prof. A. E. H. Love and F. B. Pidduck : Lagrange's Ballistic 

 Problem.— J. Proudman : The Principles of Internal Ballistics.— 

 R. H. Fowler : A Simple Extension of Fourier's Integral Theorem 

 and Some Physical Applications in particular to the Theory of 

 Quanta.— Capt. D. Brunt : The Dynamics of Revolving Fluid on 

 a Rotating Earth ; and other papers.— The following papers will 

 be read in title :— Takeo Shimizu : A Preliminary Note on 

 Branched ,o-ray Tracks.- Takeo Shimizu : A Reciprocating Ex- 

 pansion Apparatus for detecting Ionising Rays.— Prof. R. W. 

 Wood : The Time Interval between Absorption and Emission of 

 Light in Fluorescence. 



FRIDAY, July 1. 



Institution of Civil Engineers (Engineering Conference), at 

 10 a.m.— R. G. H. Clements : Road Vehicles and their Relation 

 to Road Surfaces.— A. Dryland : Advantages of Bituminous 

 JIacadam.— C. H. J. Clayt ,n : The Conservancy and Maintenance 

 of Rivers from the Poi..t of View of Land Drainage. — R. F. 

 Grantham : The Effect of Sluices and Barrages on the Discharge 

 of Tidal Rivers.— G. E. W. Cruttwell : The Utility of Models for 

 Estuarial Experiments.— H. C. Reid : The Relative Advantages 

 of Dredging and Training-walls in Estuaries. — E. Latham : The 

 Use of Inertia Gauges in Pile Driving.- A. L. Bell : The Bearing 

 Power of Soils. — Sir James JIcKechnie : Internal-combustion 

 Engines with Large Cylinders. — Sir Vincent L. Raven : The 

 Mechanical Advantages of Electric Locomotives compared with 

 Steam.— T. Crook : The Effect of the Wfir on Mineral Supplies.— 

 M. Deacon : The Utilisation of Exhaust Steam in Turbines.- 

 W. C. Jlountain : Steam versus Electric Winding. — S. Cowper- 

 Coles : The Relative Values of Protective IMetallic Coatings for 

 Iron and Steel. — J. Richardson : Rei ent Progress in Large 

 Diesel Engines for the Alercantile Jlsrinv. — R. J. Walker and 

 S. S. Cook : Experience with ^larine Turbine Reduction-gears. — 

 E. Sandemau : Compensation Water. — F. W. Macaulay : Pipes for 

 Pressure Conduits.— Dr. H. Lapworth : The Relation of Run-off 

 to Rainfall. — Economic l/imits of Distribution from Coal-fired 

 Stations. — B. Welbourn : Low-voltage Overhead Distribution. 



Institution of AIechanical Engineers, a ; 10. .30 a.m. — Conference on 

 the Means of Increasing the Thermal Efficiencv of Heat Power 

 Plants. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



"Index-Numbers" and Wages-Regulation. . . . 513 



Psychology and Psychopathology 515 



French Chemists and the War. By Sir T. E. 



Thorpe, C.B , F.R.S. 516 



Sport and Administration in Central Africa. By 



Sir H. H. Johnston, G.C.M.G., K.C.B 518 



Our Bookshelf . 519 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Constitution of Nickel — Dr. F. W. Aston, 



F R.S. . 520 



A Novel Magneto-Optical Effect. — Prof. Elihu 



Thomson 520 



Geometrical Lsonierism in Monomoleciilar Films. 



{Illustrated.) — N. K. Adam . . 522 



Sources and Sinks, (/llusiia-ed.) — A. F. Dufton . 522 

 Polarisation Phenomena in an X-ray Bulb. — Dr. S. 



Ratner .... 522 



Observations of Plant-growth with the Recording 

 Ultramicrometer. (/lhisti-ated.)—]ohn J. Dow- 

 ling 523 



Cup and Ring Markings. — C. Carus-Wilson . . . 523 

 Some War Developments of Explosives. {Illus- 

 trated.) By Sir Robert Robertson, K.B.E., F.R.S. 524 

 Stellar Parallax. By Sir Frank Dyson, F.R.S. 527 

 Obituary: — 



William Warde Fowler. 1847-1921. By E. B. P. 528 



R. E. Den-ett. By C. . . • • 529 



Sir Thomas Wrightsop, Bart., M.Inst. C.E. . . 530 



Notes . . ... 530 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Meteoric Radiants of June 25-30 535 



Report of the Kodaikanal Observatory for 1920 . . . 535 



Popular Astronomy in Sweden 535 



The Second Royal Society Conversazione .... 536 



The South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies 537 



The Orientation of the Dead 538 



The National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A. . . . 530 



A New Treatment cf Sleeping Sickness 540 



University and Educational Intelligence . ... 540 



Calendar of Scientific Pioneers . 541 



Societies and Academies 541 



Books Received 543 



Diary of Societies 544 



NO. 2695, VOL. 107] 



