76 



NA TURE 



[November 15, 1900 



L. Bouveault and A. Wahl. The nitro-derivative previously 

 described is split up by ammonia, giving acetone and ethyl nitro- 

 acetate. — On the simultaneous presence of saccharose and 

 gentianose in the fresh root of the gentian, by MM. Em. 

 Bourquelot and H. Herissey. — Note on a new glucoside 

 extracted from the seeds of Erysimum, belonging to the 

 Cruciferae, by MM. Schlagenhaufifen and Reeb. A description 

 of the isolation, chemical and physiological properties of a new 

 glucoside isolated from Erysimum, to which the name erysimine 

 is given.' — The distribution of the sexes in the eggs of pigeons, 

 by M. L. Guenot. It is shown that the view commonly held 

 concerning the distribution of the sexes in the two eggs of the 

 pigeon is not supported by experiment, the relations found 

 corresponding perfectly with those calculated from the law of 

 chances. — Contributions to the study of the phenomena of meta- 

 morphosis in the Diptera, by M. C. Vaney. — Sexual reproduction 

 in Ophrycystis, by M. Louis Leger. — On the parasitism of 

 Ximenia americana, by M. Edouard Heckel. — On gaseous 

 projectiles proposed for the prevention of hail, by MM. G. 

 Gastine and V. Vermorel. 



New South Wales. 

 Linnean Society, August 29. — The President, the Hon. 

 James Norton, in the chair. — Descriptions of some new Araneidae 

 of New South Wales, by W. J. Rainbow. This paper con- 

 tains descriptions of four new species, and one well-marked 

 variety of a previously described form. Of the forms described, 

 one is referable to the genus Dysdera, Latr., and is consequently 

 a new generic record for Australia. For this species the auth ^r 

 proposes the name D. australiensis. Other forms described 

 are Ta7?ia eucalypti, Aranetis parvulus, A. singularis, and 

 Dicrostichus furcatus, Camb., var. distinctus. — Studies on 

 Australian MoUusca, Part ii., by C. Hedley. Several new 

 marine shells from Queensland and New South Wales are 

 described, including species of Chlamys, Punctiirella, Terebra, 

 Leucotina and Liotia. Two plates which accompany the article 

 illustrate these, together with species named byTenison-Woods, 

 Brazier and Beddome, but not before figured. The genus 

 Menojt published in Part i. is shown to be reducible to Chileu- 

 tomia, Tate and Cossmann, hitherto known only as an Eocene 

 fossil. Notes on habits, geographical range and synonymy of 

 known forms conclude the article. — Notes to accompany figures 

 of Boisduval's types of six species of Australian Curculionidae, 

 by Arthur M. Lea. With the co-operation of Monsieur P. 

 Lesne, of the Paris Museum, the endeavour is made to clear 

 up matters relating to the following species •.—Cryptorrhynchus 

 dromedarius, C. lithodermus, C. fuliginosus, C. ephippiger, 

 Gonipterus recticulatus and G. notographus. The types are in 

 the Brussels Museum, and have been examined by M. Lesne, 

 who has forwarded his notes and sketches. — Contributions to 

 the morphology and development of the female urogenital 

 organs in the Marsupialia, Nos. ii.-v. , by Jas. P. Hill. — 

 Descriptions of two new species of Phytophagous Hymenoptera 

 referable to the families Oryssidae and Tettthredinidae, with 

 notes on other saw-flies, by Gilbert Turner. A species of 

 Oryssus, a genus not hitherto recorded from Australia, and one 

 of Clarissa are described, both from Mackay, Q. In the same 

 locality the author has also collected five species of Perga, one 

 oi Hylotoma, four of Pterygophorus, and one of Clarissa. — On 

 the measurement of bacteria, by R. Greig Smith. The measure- 

 ment of the breadth of bacteria by the eye-piece micrometer is 

 uncertain because the unit of measurement (one division) is 

 generally larger than the object measured. The author has 

 tabulated a number of diagrammatic bacteria, the breadth of 

 which is expressed in terms of the length. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, November 15. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Argon and its Companions : Prof. iRamsay, 

 F.R.S., and Dr. Travers. — Data for the Problem of Evolution in Man. 

 VI. A First Study of the Correlation of the Human Skull : Dr. Alice 

 Lee and Prof. K. Pearson, F.R.S.— Mathematical Contributions to the 

 Theory of Evolution. IX. On the Principle of Homotyposis and its 

 Relation to Heredity, to the Variability of the Individual and to that 

 of the Race. Part I. Homotyposis in the Vegetable Kingdom : Prof. 

 K. Pearson, F.R.S. — A Chemical Study of the Phosphoric Acid and 

 Potash Contents of the Wheat Soils of Broadbalk Field, Rothamsted : 

 Dr. B. Dyer. 



LfNNEAN Society, at 8. — Contributions to the Comparative Anatomy of 

 the Cycadaceae : W. C. Worsdell. — On a New Parasitic Copepod : Miss 

 Alice L. Embleton. 



Chemical Society, at 8. — The Bases contained in ScoUish Shale Oil : 

 F. C. Garrett and Dr. J. A. Smythe. 



FRIDAY, November 16. 



Institution op Mechanical Engineers, at 8.— Capacity of Railway- 

 Waggons as affecting Cost of Transport : D. Twinberrow. 



Anatomical Society, at 4.30. — Notes on the Hair -slope in Man : Dr. 

 Walter Kidd. — The Origin of the Vertebrate Eyes and the Meaning of 

 the Second Pair of Cranial Nerves : Dr. W. H. Gaskell, F.R.S. 

 TUESDA Y, November 20 



Zoological Society, at 8.30. — Contributions towards a Knowledge of the 

 Osteology of the Pigmy Whale {Neobalatna. marginata : F. E. Beddard, 

 F.R.S. — A Description of Wynyardia bassiana, a Fossil Marsupial from 

 the Teraary Bed-i of Table Cape, Tasmania : Prof. Baldwin Spencer. — 

 On some Crustaceans from the South Pacific. Part V. Arthrostracans 

 and Barnacles: L. A. Borradaile. — List of Mammals obtained by Dr. 

 Donaldson Smith during his Recent Journey from Lake Rudolf to the 

 Upper Nile : Oldfield Thomas. 



Royal Statistical Society, at 5.— On the Distribution of Population in 

 England and Wales, and its Progress in the Period of Ninety Years, from 

 1801 to 1891 : T. A. Welton. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at Z.— Paper to be further discussed : 

 The Metropolitan Terminus of the Great Central Railway : G. A. Hobson 



and E. Wragge. Paper to be read, time permitting: Machinery for 



the Manufacture of Smokeless Powder : Oscar Guttmann. 

 WEDNESDAY, November 21. 



Society OF Arts, at 8.— Opening Address of the 147th Session, by Sir 

 John Evans, K.C.B., F.R.S. 



Geological '-Society, at 8. — On a Monchiquite from Mount Girnar, 

 Junagarh (Kathiawar) : Dr. J. W. Evans. — On some Altered Tufaceous 

 Rhyolitic Rocks from Dufton Pike (Westmorland) : Frank Rutley.— On 

 the Geology of Mynydd y Gam (Anglesea) : C A. Matley. 



Royal Meteorological Society, at 7.30. — An Improved Mounting 

 for the Lens and Bowl of the Campbell-Stokes Sunshine Recorder : 

 Richard H. Curtis. — Weekly Death Rate and Temperature Curves, 1890- 

 1899 : W. H. Dines. — Seasonal Rainfall of the British Islands : Henry 

 Mellish. 



Royal MicroscopicalSocietv, at 7.30. — Exhibition of Slides illustrating 

 the Structure of Shells. 



Entomological Society, at 8 



THURSDAY, November 22. 



Royal Society, at ^.^o.— Probable papers: The Histology of the Cell 

 Wall, with Special Reference to the Mode of Connection of Cells : 

 W. Gardiner. F.RS., and A. W. Hill. Part I. The Distribution and 

 Character of " Connecting Threads" in the Tissues, oi Pinus sylvestris 

 and other Allied Species : A. W. Hill. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Telegraphs and Tele- 

 phones at the Paris Exhibition, 1900 : John Gavey. 

 FRIDA Y, November 23. 



Physical Society, at 5. — The Anomalous Di.'ipersion of Carbon : Prof. R. 

 W. Wood. — The Liquefaction of Hydrogen : M. W. Travers. — On the 

 Refraction of Sound by Wind : Dr. R. H. Barton. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Fossil Plants and Evolution. By A. C. S 53 



Physical Chemistry in America. By J. W 54 



The Exploration of the Upper Air 55 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Munro : " The Locust Plague and its Suppression " . 55 

 Folkmar : " Le9ons d'Anthropologie Philosophique, 



ses Applications a la Morale Positive." — H. W, B. 56 

 Davey : " The Principles, Construction and Applica- 

 tion of Pumping Machinery " - • 56 



Loney : " Elements of Hydrostatics" . ^! ' . ... 57 



Houdaille : '* Mineralogie Agricole " . . J'' . • .57 



Liversedge : " Engine- Room Practice " . 5,7 



Letters to the Editor :- 



The Markings of Antilocapra. — Prof. T. D. A. 



Cockerell 58 



Curves without Double Points. — Herbert Richmond 58 



Euclid i. 32 Corn- R. Tucker . 58 



Late Appearance of a Humming-bird Moth. — J. 



Edmund Clark ... 58 



Some Recent Advances in Zoology. [Illuslrated.) 



By R. L .58 



Instruments of Precision at the Paris Exhibition . . 61 



Notes 62 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Observations of the Infra-red Spectrum of the Solar 



Corona 67 



Annual Report of the Melbourne Observatory .... 67 



Abnormal Stars in Clusters 68 



Recent Studies of Infra-red Region of Solar Spectrum 68 



The Zodiacal Light .68 



The Naples Zoological Station. By Prof. W. A. 



Herdman, F.R.S. . . . 68 



The Bradford Municipal Technical College. {Illus- 

 trated.) 69 



A Suspended Railway. (Illustrated.) 71 



Output and Value of British Minerals. By Prof. Le 



Neve Foster, F.R.S 72 



University and Educational Intelligence 73 



Societies and Academies 74 



Diary of Societies 76 



NO. 1620, VOL. 63] 



