82 



NATURE 



[September i6, 1915 



living- cells of the blood, studies specially aimed at 

 finding out any substance capable of increasing the 

 phag-ocytic properties of the white corpuscles. Most 

 of the antiseptics in current use reduce the phago- 

 cytic power; the best results were obtained with a 

 solution of magnesium chloride containing i2-i parts 

 per 1000. This solution has a marked effect in in- 

 creasing- phagocytosis.— F. Baldet : The helicoidal fila- 

 ments of the Morehouse comet (1908c). The electro- 

 magnetic interpretation of the forms of the filaments 

 leads to attributing them to jets of electrons emanat- 

 ing from the nucleus and illuminating the gases of 

 the tail of the comet during their passage. — M. Auric : 

 A quadruple series of hexahomologic triangles. — 

 Nicolas Lipine : The reduction of the periods of 

 Abelian integrals and a generalisation of Abel's 

 theorem.- — B. Galitzine : An apparatus for the direct 

 determination of accelerations. — Ed. Delorme : The liga- 

 ture of the external iliac artery. — F. Bordas and S. 

 Bruere : The action of the ferments of urea in the 

 destruction of organic material. 



New South Wales. 

 Linnean Society, July 28.— Mr. A. G. Hamilton, 

 president, in the chair. — M. Aurousseau : Petrological 

 notes. No. i — Igneous rocks and tuff from the 

 Carboniferous of New South Wales. Eleven rocks are 

 described from three localities in the Hunter River 

 Valley. The mode of origin of the rocks described 

 is not yet settled. From internal evidence, they would 

 appear to be volcanic. But Prof. David has recently 

 met with an interesting section near Wallarobba, 

 showing Martin's Creek andesite strongly intrusive, 

 as a sill, into the Carboniferous sedimentary rocks ; 

 and he is of the opinion that sill-structure is more 

 extensively developed in the Carboniferous rocks than 

 has been supposed. — Dr. V. F. Brotherus and the Rev. 

 W. W. Watts : The mosses of Lord Howe Island. 

 Twenty-two species are described as new, as well as 

 some new varieties, and many new records are given, 

 some of which link up the flora of the island with 

 that of the Northern Pacific. All the species recorded 

 were collected by Mr. Watts in 191 1. — G. I. Playfair : 

 Fresh- water Algae of the Lismore District; with an 

 appendix on the algal fungi and Schizomycetes. This 

 paper deals with the algae and algal fungi collected, 

 for the most part, from lagoons, swamps, rain-water 

 pools, and roadside ditches almost entirely within the 

 boundaries of the city of Lismore, during 19 14. The 

 fresh-water forms of the Richmond River, at Lismore, 

 were treated of in a paper published last year. The total 

 number of forms recorded from the river was 305 ; the 

 corresponding number of the land-forms is 308 (of 

 which 207 are additional to those recorded from the 

 river). As the land-forms were collected over an area 

 of about two miles in diameter, the grand total of 

 512 may be regarded as indicative of a rich microflora. 

 — A. A. Hamilton : Topographical and ecological notes 

 on the flora of the Blue Mountains. This paper deals 

 with the range of the plants to be found on the Blue 

 Mountains, in regard to elevation ; and about 400 

 species are listed. The area selected Is that between 

 the Hawkesbury-Nepean and Eskbank, a region which 

 includes the highest and lowest elevations on the 

 mountains. It Is shown that King's Tableland Is a 

 barrier, east and west, which checks or entirely pre- 

 vents the ascent or descent of manv species. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Memoirs of the Geological Survey. Summary of 

 Progress of the Geological Survey of Great Britain 

 and the Museum of Practical Geology for 19 14. Pp. 

 iv+84. (London : H. M.S. O. ; E. Stanford, Ltd.) is. 



Memoirs of the Geological Survey. England and 



NO. 2394, VOL. 96] 



Wales. Explanation of Sheets 330 and 331 (Main- 

 land). The Geology of the Country near Lymington 

 and Portsmouth. By H. J. O. White. Pp. v + 78. 

 (London : H.M.S.O. ; E. Stanford, Ltd.) is. 6d. 



The Royal Technical College, Glasgow. Calendar, 

 Session 1915-16. Pp. 516 + xxxviii. (Glasgow: Royal 

 Technical College.) is. 



The Municipal Technical Institute, Belfast. Pros- 

 pectus, Session 1915-16. Pp. 388. (Belfast : Muni- 

 cipal Technical Institute.) 4^. 



Ten Years' Work of a Mountain Observatory : A 

 Brief Account of the Mount Wilson Solar Observatory 

 of the Carnegie Institution of Washington. By G. E. 

 Hale. Pp. 98. (Washington : Carnegie Institution.) 



Papers from the Department of Marine Biology of 

 the Carnegie Institution of Washington. Vol. viil. 

 Pp. v + 256 + plates. (Washington: Carnegie Institu- 

 tion.) 



Acidity and Gas Interchange in Cacti. By Prof. 

 H. M. Richards. (Washington : Carnegie Institu- 

 tion.) 



Land Magnetic Observations, 1911-13, and Reports 

 on Special Researches. By L. A. Bauer and J. A. 

 Fleming. Pp. v + 278+13 plates. (Washington: Car- 

 negie Institution.) 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Agricultural Teaching in American Schools. By 



Dr. E. J. Russell 55 



Molluscs, Mammals, find Memorabilia. By Rev. 



Thomas R. R. Stabbing, F.R.S 56 



An Italian Text Book of Physiology 57 



Elementary Geography 58 



Our Bookshelf 58 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Remarkable Nest of "Vespa Norwegica," and Fertility 



of Workers of this Species.— Oswald H. Latter 59 

 An Original Representation of the Giraffe, illustrated. ) 



—Dr. G. W. Grabham 59 



The World's Supply of Potash. By W. A. D. . . . 60 



Prof. D. T. Gwynne-Vaughan. By F. O. B 61 



The British Association at Manchester 62 



Conference of Delegates of Corresponding Societies. — 

 Opening Address by Sir Thomas H. Holland, 

 K.C.LE., D.Sc, F.R.S., President of the 



Conference 63 



Section I.— Physiology. — Opening Address by Prof. 



W. M. Bayliss, M.A., D.Sc, F.R.S., President 



of the Section ... .66 



Section L.— Educational Science.— Opening Address 



by Mrs, Henry Sidgwick, President of the 



Section 70 



Notes 75 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Comet 1915^ (Mellish) 79 



Saturn • • ■ 79 



Radial Velocity, Magnitude, and Spectral Type ... 79 



Volcanic Dust Veils and Climatic Variations 80 



The Aurora Borealis 80 



American Hydroids. By S. J. H 80 



University and Educational Intelligence 80 



Societies and Academies 81 



Books Received . 82 



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