502 



NATURE 



TDecember 30, 191 5 



Paris, 

 Academy of Sciences, December 13. — M. Ed. Perrier 

 in the chair. — G. BIgourdan : The forgotten astronomer, 

 Jean de Ligni^res, and the renaissance of astronomy 

 in Europe. Riccioli ("Astronomia Reformata," 1665), 

 giving the latitudes and longitudes of various stars, 

 reproduced a small catalogue, the author of which 

 was unknown to him, and since called by the name of 

 Astronomus incognitus. Reasons are now given show- 

 ing that this unknown astronomer was Jean de 

 Lignieres, a master of the University of Paris. The 

 positions given in this catalogue are for the year 1364. 

 — G. Humbert : The approximation of real irrationals. 

 — H. Douvill6: The Orbitoids of the Danian and of 

 the Tertiary. — J. Guillaume : Observations of the sun 

 made at the Observatory of Lyons during the second 

 quarter of 1915. The observations made on seventj-- 

 two days are tabulated, showing the number of spots, 

 their distribution in latitude, and the distribution of 

 the faculas in latitude. — M. Mesnager : The elastic 

 equilibrium of an indefinite plate of uniform thickness, 

 compressed by two equal and opposite forces uniformlv 

 distributed along two parallel right lines situated in a 

 plane normal to the bases. — Pierre Breteau : The pre- 

 paration of phosphorescent calcium sulphide. Modifica- 

 tions of Verneuil's method are suggested. The sul- 

 phide is first prepared from a mixture of calcium 

 carbonate and sulphur by ignition at a red heat, and 

 this is then impregnated with 1/10,000 of its weight 

 of bismuth. This is again raised to a red heat and 

 allowed to cool slowly. — Mile. Yvonne Dehorne : An 

 Actinostromid of the Cenomanian. — J. Repelin : The 

 discovery of deposits of large Pythonomorphs in 

 the Upper Cretacean in the neighbourhood of Jeru- 

 salem.— Ph. Flajolet : Perturbation of the magnetic 

 meridian at Lyons (Saint-Genis-Laval) during the 

 second_ quarter of 1915. — A. F. Legendre : General con- 

 siderations on the structural forms of south-western 

 China and theTibetian borders. — C.Sauvageau : Thecom- 

 mencements of the development of Saccorhiza bulbosa. 

 — Arthur Compton : The influence of some meteoro- 

 logical factors on the appearance of cases of cerebro- 

 spinal meningitis. The degree of humidity of the 

 atmosphere would appear to be a meteorological factor 

 of great importance in determining the appearance of 

 this disease when the organism is alreadv present in 

 the country. — M. Weinberg and P. F. Siguin : Re- 

 searches on gas gangrene. This communication gives 

 the results of the study of a hundred cases of this 

 infection, together with suggestions for a serum treat- 

 ment. — E. Vasticar : The terminations of the acoustic 

 nerve. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Illustrations of the New Zealand Flora. Edited by 

 T. F. Cheeseman, with the assistance of W. B. 

 Hemsley; the plates drawn by Miss M. Smith. Vol. i. 

 Pp. 8+ 121 plates and descriptions. Vol. ii. Plates 

 122-250 and descriptions + pp. xxxiv. (Wellington, 

 N.Z. : J. Mackay.) 



Transactions of the English Ceramic Societv. Vol. 

 xiv. Session 1914-15. (Stoke-on-Trent : The Societv.) 



Department of Marine and Fisheries. Report of the 

 Meteorological Service of Canada, Central Office, 

 Toronto, for the Year ended December 31, 19 12. Vol. 

 i.. Introduction and Parts i.-iii. Pp. xvi + 367. Vol. 

 ii., parts iv.-vi. Pp. 368-568. (Ottawa : J. de L. 

 Tach^.) 



An Introduction to the Principles of Physical Chem- I 

 istry from the Standpoint of Modern Atomistics and '. 

 Thermodynamics. By Prof. E. W. Washburn. Pp. ' 

 XXV + 445. (New York : McGraw-Hill Book Company, I 

 Inc.; London: Hill PubHshing Co., Ltd.) 155. net. 1 

 NO. 2409, VOL. 96] 



Hancock's Applied Mechanics for Beginners. Re- 

 vised and rewritten. By Prof. H. C. Riggs. Pp. 

 xiii4-44i. (New York : The Macmillan Co. ; London : 

 Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) los. 6d. net. 



The Wheat Industry. By N. A. Bengtson and D. 

 Griffith. Pp. xiii + 341. New York: The Macmillan 

 Company; London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 35. 

 net. 



Catalysis and its Industrial Applications. By E. 

 Jobling. Pp. viiI + 120. (London: J. and A. Churchill.) 

 25. 6d. net. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



MONDAV. January 3. 

 Aristotelian Society, at 8. — Time, Space, and Relativity : Prof. A. N. 



Whitehead 

 SociKTV OF Chemical Industry, at 8. 



TUESDAY, January 4. 

 RftNTGEN Society, at 8.15.— Some Observations upon the Occurrence of 

 Uranium : J. H. Gardiner. 



WEDNESDAY, January 5. 

 Gfological Society, at 5.30. — The Islay Anticline (Inner Hebrides): 

 E. B. Bailey. 



THURSDAY, January 6. 

 Optical Society, at 8.— The Use of a Graticule in Binoculars and Tele- 

 scopes : S. D. Chalmers. 



FRIDAY, January 7. 



Geologists' Association, at 7.30.— The Discovery and Excavation of a 



Large Specimen oi Elephas antiguus near Chatham : Ur. C. W. Andrews. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Scientific Research and Chemical Industry . 475 

 The Molecular Volumes of Liquids. By Sir T. E. 



Thorpe, C.B., F.R.S 476 



The Partitions of Numbers 478 



The Tintometer 478 



Our Bookshelf 479 



Letters to the Editor:— 



An Application of the Rules of Zoological Nomen- 

 clature.— Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell, F.R.S. . 4S0 

 The Scientific Organisation of Industries. By Sir 



William Ramsay, K.C.B., F.R.S 480 



Mothercraft and Infant Welfare. By Prof. R. T. 



Hewlett 482 



Medical Research . ... 483 



Food Economy 483 



Sir John Rhys. By E. B. P. . •. . . , 484 



Notes 484 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Sun-spots and Pressure 490 



Harmonic Analysis of the Motions of the Helium Stars 490 

 The Astronomical and Astrophysical Society of 



America . 490 



Problems of Efficient Methods of Domestic Heat- 

 ing. By Arthur H. Barker 490 



The Physiology of Industrial Fatigue 492 



The Chilka Lake Survey , • • • • 493 



A Vegetative Crustacean. By W. T. C 493 



Conduction of Electricity through Metals. (_With 



Diagrams.) By Sir J. J. Thomson, O.M., F.R.S. . 494 



University and Educatiojial Intelligence 499 



Societies and Academies 500 



Books Received 502 



Diary of Societies 502 



Editorial and Publishing Offices : 



MACMILLAN & CO., Ltd., 



ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON, W.C. 



Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the 

 Publishers 



Editorial Communications to the Editor. 

 Telegraphic Address : Phusis, London. 

 Telephone Number : Oerrard 8830. 



