January 21, 19 15] 



NATURE 



;8i 



Caldasii and the cultural bud mutation of its sub- 

 terranean parts. This variety has received several 

 names, and in the author's opinion the classification 

 is too artificial. Proofs are given of the mutation 

 of this wild potato. — MM. Camichel, Eydoux, and 

 Lheriand : The Venturi meter. A discussion of the 

 accuracy of the Venturi water meter. The theoretical 

 formula is q=Xa^/Pi — pj, in which q is the quantity, 

 {P1 — P2) the difference of pressure between the main 

 tube and the construction, and A a factor less than 

 unity depending on the internal friction of the liquid. 

 Experimental results with a Venturi gauge of 300 mm. 

 diameter, contractioii 5, and flow varying from 60 

 to 160 litres a second. The value of A was found to 

 be I, the error of experiment being under i per cent. 

 Similar results were obtained with a larger instru- 

 ment, passing 800 to 3000 litres a second. — Emile 

 Saillard : The estimation of saccharose in beet molasses. 

 Inversion method with double neutral polarisation. 

 The method proposed eliminates errors due to the 

 action of alkaline salts upon saccharose and on invert 

 sugar, and also errors caused by the products of the 

 action of alkaline salts upon active nitrogen com- 

 pounds present in the beet molasses. — N. Arabn : 

 Studies on the Tertiary formation of the basin of the 

 Sea of Marmora. The Vindobonian stage of Troade. 

 — J. de Rcy-Pailhade : The existence of philothion in 

 the crystalline lens of the eyes of animals. Philothion 

 is a special albumen, characterised by the existence 

 in its molecule of labile hydrogen capable of com- 

 bining with free sulphur at a temperature of 40° C, 

 with production of sulphuretted hydrogen. — M. 

 Tiffeneao : The destination of chloralose in the organ- 

 ism and its relations with glycuronic compounds. In 

 the dog, chloralose is eliminated in pait unchanged, 

 and partly in the form of a new acid, chloralose- 

 glycuronic acid. Chloralose does not give rise to 

 chloral and glucose in the organism, and its physio- 

 logical effects are not due to the chloral it contains. 



New SoiTTH Wales. 



Linnean Society, November 25, 1914.— Mr. W. S. 

 Dun, president, in the chair. — A. M. Lea : Descrip- 

 tions of new species of Australian Coleoptera. Part x. 

 Three genera and forty-eight species (families 

 Lucanidae, Malacodermidae, Curculionidae, and 

 Chrysomelidae) are described as new. — C. Hedley : 

 Studies on Australian Mollusca. Part xi^. This 

 paper continues the subject of previous communica- 

 tions, and embraces notes gathered abroad in the 

 British and other museums. The Australian species 

 formerly grouped under Voluta are enumerated, re- 

 vised, and arranged in modern genera. A partial 

 revision of Thais and Zafra is attempted, and various 

 critical species of Arcularia, Montfortia, Tallorbis, and 

 Acmaea are discussed. — L. A. Cottoa : The diamond- 

 deposits of Copeton, New South Wales. .A description 

 of the variations in the Tertiary stream-deposits is 

 given, together with the relations of these to the 

 distribution of the diamonds. The investigation has 

 made clear the relations of the various parts of the 

 Tertian.' leads, and, incidentally, has suggested an 

 interesting physiographical feature. It is pointed out 

 that it is highly probable that the Gwydir and Mac- 

 int\Te Rivers of Tertiary times originally formed one 

 stream uniting a little to the west of Inverell. An 

 important discovery was made by Mr. A. R. Pike, in 

 1904, which has a significant bearing on the origin 

 of the diamond. This was the finding of a diamond 

 in a matrix of dolerite. Later investigation has indi- 

 cated that it is probable that most, if not all, the 

 diamonds in the field have been derived from this 

 type of rock. — Dr. R. Greig-Smith : Contributions to a 

 knowledge of soil-fertility. No. xii. — The action of 



NO. 2360, VOL. 94] 



toluene upon the soil-protozoa. The action of toluene 

 upon the protozoa of the soil depends upon the mois- 

 ture-content. When less than one-tenth of the water- 

 holding capacity of the soil is present, certain mem- 

 bers of the Ciliates, Amoebae and Flagellates may not 

 be destroyed when amounts up to 20 per cent, of 

 toluene are added to the soil. If more than one-tenth 

 of the water-holding capacity is present, the Ciliates 

 are destroyed by i f)er cent, or 2 per cent, of toluene, 

 while the action upon the Amoebae and Flagellates is 

 irregxilar. Conditions which destroy the sulphur- 

 oxidising bacteria, also destroy the Ciliates. — Rev. 

 W. W. Watts : Some notes on the ferns of North 

 Queensland. These notes are the result of a trip 

 through the Cairns district, as far south as Bartle 

 Frere and the Russell River, and as far west as the 

 Tully Falls. — Archdeacon F. E. Haviland : The pollina- 

 tion of Goodenia cycloptera, R. Br. G. cycloptera, 

 -R. Br., is a decumbent species, in this State, generally 

 restricted to the western plains. The process of 

 pollination, as the result of three years' observation, 

 is described. — .A. F. Basset Hall : A collection of fossil 

 Polyplacophora from N.W. Tasmania, with descrip- 

 tions of three new species. In addition to valves of 

 Lorica duniana, Hull, and Chiton fossinus, Ashby and 

 Torr, the collection studied comprised the remains of 

 three strongly marked species of Loricella, hitherto 

 undescribed. The fossils are from the well-known 

 beds between WVnyard and Table Cape. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. Scotia 

 Collection of Atlantic Fishes. By R. S. Clark. Pp. 

 379-401 + 2 maps. (Edinburgh: Scottish Oceano- 

 graphical Laboratory.) is. 3d. 



Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. The Whale 

 Fisheries of the Falkland Islands and Dependencies. 

 By T. E. Salvesen. Pp. 479-486+10 plates and text 

 map. (Edinburgh : Scottish Oceanographical Labora- 

 tory.) 3s. 



Ordnance Survey. Professional Papers. New- 

 series. No. 3. Notes on the Geodesy of the British 

 Isles. By Col. C. F. Close. Pp. 33. (London : 

 H.M.S.O. ; Wyman and Sons, Ltd.) is. 6d. 



Willing 's Press Guides Forty-second year. Pp. 

 470. (London : J. Willing, Ltd.) is. 



A Treatise on the Analytic Geometn,- of Three 

 Dimensions. By Dr. G. Salmon. Edited by R. A. P. 

 Rogers. Fifth edition. Vol. ii. Pp. xvi + 334. 

 (London : Longmans and Co. ; Dublin : Hodges, 

 Figgis and Co., Ltd.) 7s. 6d. net. 



War Map of Central Europe, after B. V. Darbi- 

 shire's Wall Map. (Oxford University Press.) 3d. 

 net. 



The Teaching of Algebra (including Trigonometry-). 

 By Prof. T. P. Nunn. Pp. xiv + 616. (London : 

 Longmans and Co.) 7s, 6d. 



Exercises in Algebra (including Trigonometry). 

 By Prof. T. P. Nunn. Part i. Pp. x + 356 + Answers, 

 PP- 357'~42i- Part 2. Pp. xi + 5 14 + Answers, pp. 

 515-551. (London : Longmans and Co.) 4s. and 

 6s. 6d. respectively. 



.Artificial Waterways of the World. By A. B. Hep- 

 burn. Pp. xi+171. (London: Macmillan and Co., 

 Ltd.) 5s. 6d. net. 



.An Introduction to Field Archaeology- as Illustrated 

 by Hampshire. By Dr. J. P. Williams-Freeman. Pp. 

 xxii + 462. (London : Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 15s. 

 net. 



Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. 

 Year Book for 1913-14. Pp. xviii + 203. (Washing- 

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How Belgium Saved Europe. By Dr. C. Sarolea. 

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