334 



NATURE 



November i8, 1915 



Handbook of Technical Instruction for Wireless 

 Telegraphists. By J. C. Hawkhead. Second edition, 

 revised and enlarged by H. M. Dovvsett. Pp. xvi + 

 310. (London : The Wireless Press, Ltd.) 35. 6rf. 

 net. 



North America during the Eighteenth Century. Bv 

 T. Crockett and B. C. Wallis. Pp. viii+ii6. (Cani- 

 bridge : At the L'niversity Press.) 35. net. 



The Northern Bantu. By Rev. J. Roscoe. Pp. 

 xii + 305. (Cambridge: At the University Press.) 

 I2.S-. 6rf. net. 



The Transactions and Proceedings of the Geological 

 Society of South Africa. Index to the first thirteen 

 volumes, 1897-1910. Compiled by A. Reynell. Pp. 

 196. (Johannesburg : Geological Society of South 

 Africa ; London : W. Wesley and Son.) 

 • Th^ Flora of the Nilgiri and Pulney Hill Tops. By 

 Prof. P. F; Fyson. 2 vols. Vol. i. Pp. xxvi + 475. 

 Vol. ii. (illustrations). Pp. 286. (Madras : Superin- 

 tendent Government Press : London : Thacker and 

 "Co.) Price, 2 vols., 15 rupees, or 155. 



National Health Insurance. First Annual Report 

 of the. Medical Research Committee, T914-1915. Pp. 

 53. (London.) 



An Introduction to the Study of Variable Stars. By 

 Dr. C. E. Furness. Pp. xx + 327. (Boston and New 

 York : "Houghton, Mifflin and Co.) 1.75 dollars net. 



Theory of Measurements. B}^ Prof. J. S. Stephens. 

 Pp. vii + 8i. (London : Constable and Co., Ltd.) 6s. 

 net. 



Solvents, Oils, Gums, Waxes, and Allied Substances. 

 By F. S. Hvde. Pp. vi+176. (London: Constable 

 arid Co., Ltd.) 85. dd. net. 



Electric Arc Phenomena. By E. Rasch. Trans- 

 lated by K. Tornberg. Pp. xvi+194. (London : Con- 

 stable and Co., Ltd.) 8s. 6rf. net. 



Canada. Department of Mines. Geological Survey. 

 Memoir 67 : The Yukon-Alaska International Boundary 

 between Porcupine and Yukon Rivers. By D. D. 

 Cairnes. Pp. iii + i6i. Memoir 70: Family Hunting 

 Territories and Social Life of Various Algarkian Bands 

 of the Ottawa Valley. By F. G. Speck. Pp. 30. 

 Memoir 71 : Myths and Folk-lore of the Timiskaming 

 Algonquin and Timagami Ojibwa. By F. G. Speck. 

 Pp. iii + 87. Memoir 78: Wabani Iron Ore of New- 

 foundland. By A, O. Hayes. Pp. iv+ 100 + plates. 

 (Ottawa : Government Printing Bureau.) 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, November i8. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.-00 the Theory of the Capillary Tube: Lord 

 Rayleigh.— On the Effect of the Form of the Transverse Section on the 

 Resistance to the Motion of an Elongated Body Parallel to its Length 

 through a Fluid whose Viscositv is not Negligible: Prof. C. H. 

 Lees.— (i) On a Method of Estimating r>istances at Sea in Fog or Thick 

 Weather; (2) On a Method of Avoiding Collision at Sea : Prof. J. Joly.— 

 The Flow of Klectricity through Dielectrics : S. W. Richardson. — On the 

 Kinetic Theory of Gaseous Viscosity and Thermal Conduction, and the 

 Law of Distribution of Molecular Velocities in the Disturbed State : 

 S. Chapman. 



RoYAi. (;eographical Society, at 5.— Distribution of Nationalities of 

 Hungary B. C. Wallis. 



LiNNEAN .^Society, at 5.— Hollow-shafted Feathers : W. M. Webb.— Photo- 

 graphic Studies of Welsh Vegetation : Dr. E. J. Salisbury. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8.— Inaugural Address by 

 the President, C. P. Sparks. 



FRIDAY, November 19. 

 Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 8.— The Chemical and 

 Mechanical Relations of Iron, Molybdenum, and Carbon : Prof J. O. 

 Arnold and Prof A. A. Read.— The Cause and Effect of " Gho.'it Lines " 

 in Large Steel Forgings : Prof. J. O. .Arnold. 



TUESDAY, November 23. 



Zoological Society, at 5-30.- (i) A List of the Snakes of East .Africa; 



(2) A List of the Snakes of North-East Africa ; (3) Descriptions of a 



New Amphisbxna and a New Snake Discovered by Dr. H. G. F. 



. Spurrell in Southern Colombia : G. A. Boulenaer.- On some Land 

 Planarians Collected in West Australia and Ta.smania : Prof. A. Dendy. 

 — The Morphology of the Cyprinodont Fishes of the Subfamily 

 Phallostethinse : C. Tate Regan. 



Illuminating Engineering Society, at 8. — Discussion on the First 

 Report of the Departmental Committee on Lighting in Factories and 

 Workshops, opened by Leon Caster. 



WEDNESDAY, Novembcr 24. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 4.30.— Constantinople Ancient and Modern: 

 Sir Edwin Peats. 



THURSDAY, November 25. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Probable Papers: The Measurement of the 

 Rate of Heat Loss at Bodv Temperature by Convection, Radiation and 

 Evaporation: M. FlacU, O. W. Griffith and L. Hill.-'ihe Rate of 

 Ab^orption of Various Phenolic Solutions by Seeds of Hordeum Vulgare 

 and the Factors Governing the Hate ol Diffusion of Aqueous Solutions 

 across the Semi-permeable Membranes: Prof. .\. J. Brown and F. 

 'linker. — The Controlling Influrnce of Carbonic Dioxide. III. The 

 Retarding Effect of Carbon Dioxide on Respiration : F. Kidd. — The 

 Growth of the Body in Man ; The Relationship between the Body 

 Weight and the Body Length (Stem Length); E. W. A Walker. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8.— Some DifficuUies of 

 Design of High-speed Generators : Prof. A. B. tield. 



NO. 2403, VOL. 96] 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Science for All 307 



Origin of the Indian Caste System. By Lieut. -Col. 



L. A, Waddell 309 



Philosophy of Science. By E. H. Strange .... 310 



Dirichlet Series. By G. B. M 312 



Our Bookshelf 312 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Modern Universities in China.— Prof. C. A. Middle- 

 ton Smith 313 



The Aurora Borealis of November 5. (Illustrated). — 



Scriven Bolton .... 314 



Science in National Affairs. — Dr. E. H. Tripp ; 



G. N. P 315 



Chemistry at the British Association.— F. S. ; The 



Writer of the Article 315 



The Etymology of " Chincough."— " A Dutchman " 316 



Prehistoric Flint Mining. (Illustrated.) By A. S. W. 316 



The Universities and the War. By A. E. Crawley 317 



Notes 319 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Parallaxes of 70 Ophiuchi and 6 Cygni 323 



The Solar Eclipse of 1916, December 24 323 



The Radial Velocities of Five Hundred Stars . . . 323 



The Colour Index of S Cephei 323 



Marine Biological Research. By J. J 323 



James Geikie's Researches in Glacial Geology . 324 

 Zoology at the British Association. By Dr. J. H. 



Ashworth 324 



Education at the British Association 327 



University and Educational Intelhgence 329 



Societies and Academies 330 



Books Received 333 



Diary of Societies . . . • • . . . . 334 



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Editorial Communications to the Editor, 

 Telegraphic Address : Phusis, London. 

 Telephone Number : Gerrard 8830. 



