124 



NATURE 



[November 29, 1900 



and thorium the absorption, although complete, is slower. — 

 Relation between the chemical constitution of the colouring 

 materials derived from triphenylmethane and their absorption 

 spectra in aqueous solution, by M. P. Lemoult. All the dyes 

 examined gave in aqueous solution an absorption spectrum 

 possessing a red luminous band, the centre of which was fixed 

 in position (\ = 686o). — On blue chlorophylline, by M. M. 

 Tsvett. By a particular mode of treatment, which is described 

 in detail, the author has succeeded in obtaining crystals of a 

 chlorophylline of a pure blue colour, apparently different from 

 the phyllocyanine of Fremy and the chlorophyllines of Sorby 

 and Gautier. — Cryoscopy of human sweat, by M. P. Ardin- 

 Delteil. Normal sweat from a healthy man has an average 

 freezing point of -o°'ii, C. It may vary in individual cases 

 between — o°'o8 and o°'46 C. , the oscillations being in great 

 part due to the variations in the quantity of common salt con- 

 tained in the perspiration. — On the development oiSc/eros/omiim 

 equimiDi, by M. A. Conte. — On the exosmosis of diastases by 

 plantules, by M. Jules Laurent. Seeds during germination may 

 give out a portion of the diastases necessary to the digestion of 

 their food reserves, and thus utilise certain insoluble organic 

 materials, such as starch, but the phenomenon stops when 

 germination ceases. — Origin of an ochreous clay, characteristic 

 of the red diluvium, byM. Stanislas Meunier. — The uses of 

 transparencies for combining the effects of the synodic revolution 

 with those of terrestrial rotation, by M. A. Poincare. — Obser- 

 vations on the Leonids at Algiers, by M. H. Tarry. 



Cape Town. 



South African Philosophical Society, October 3. — T. 

 Stewart, Vice-President, in the chair. — The Secretary com- 

 municated a paper by Dr. R. Broom, on Ictidosuchiis 

 primaevus, nov, spec. The paper contained a description of 

 the remains of a small Theriodont reptile from the Karroo Beds 

 of Pearston. The form is specially interesting as illustrating a 

 new Theriodont type, and one which has many affinities with 

 the Dicynodonts. — Prof. J. T. Morrison read a paper on some 

 periodical changes in the rainfall at the Royal Observatory, 

 Cape of Good Hope, since 1841. Prof. Morrison dealt wiih 

 the records of rainfall that have been kept at the Royal 

 Observatory since the year 1841. These showed certain regu- 

 larities attended by many apparent irregularities. The author 

 subjected the records to the process of mathematical analysis 

 discovered by Fourier, and so showed evidences of two sets of 

 fluctuations running simultaneously through the monthly amounts 

 of rainfall. These fluctuations completed themselves in approxi- 

 mately nine and ten years respectively. The question of the 

 reality of these fluctuations was considered, and tested by com- 

 paring their effects in producing apparent fluctuations of slightly 

 different times, such as the well-known sun-spot period of about 

 eleven years. The agreement was such as to make it probable 

 that the two first-mentioned fluctuations are the two prevailing 

 periodicities. The approximate values of some of their part- 

 periods had been computed, and the totals gave a fair approxi- 

 mation to all the more striking changes that have occurred in 

 the rainfall at the Observatory from year to year for the last 

 sixty years. The author concluded that the coincidences were 

 sufficient to warrant a careful investigation of the exact times of 

 the chief fluctuations, and a computation of the magnitude of 

 their sub-periods. He intends to prosecute the research. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, November 29. 

 Goldsmiths' Institutk Chemical Society, at 8.30. — The Profession of 

 an Industrial Chemist : Dr. J. Lewkowitsch. 



MONDA y, December 3. 

 Victoria Institute, at 4.30. — The Proceedings of the Congress for the 

 History of Religion, Paris : Theophilus G. Pinches. 



TUESDA y, December 4. 



SociBTV OF Arts, at 8. — Electric Oscillations and Electric Waves : Prof. 

 J. A. Fleming, F.R S. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Paper to be discussed : Machinery 



for the Manufacture of Smokeless Powder : Oscar Guttmann. Papers to 



be read, time permitting : The Signalling on the Waterloo and City 

 Railway ; and Note on the Signalling of Outlying Siding Connections : 

 A. W. Szlumpsr. — Signalling on the Liverpool Overhead Railway : S. B. 

 Cottrell. 



Royal Photographic Society, at 8.— Lantern Slides, Pastoral and 

 Sundry : Colonel J. Gale. 



Zoological Society, at 8.30. — On the Breeding Habits of Protoptenis 

 Sytnnarchus, and some other West African Fishes : J. S. Budgett. — On 

 the Mammals collected during the " Skeat Expedition" to the Malay 



NO. 1622, VOL. 63] 



Peninsula 1899-1900 : J. Lewis Bonhote.— On the Habits and Natural 

 Surroundings of Insects and other Animals observed during the " Skeat 

 Expedition " to the Malay Peninsula, 1899-1900 : Nelson Annandale. 



WEDNESDAY, December 5. 



Society OF Arts, at 8.— Road Traction: Prof H. S. Hele-Shaw, F.R.S. 



Geological Society, at 8. — Bajocian and Contiguous Deposits in the 

 Northern Cotteswolds : ihe Main Hill-Mass: S. S. Buckman. — On the 

 Corallian Rocks of St. Ives (Hunts.) and Eisworth : C. B. Wedd.— The 

 Unconformity of the Upper Coal Me.-isures to the Middle Coal Measures 

 of the Shropshire Coalfield, and its Bearing upon the Extension of the 

 Latter under the Tnassic Rocks : W. J. Clarke. 



Society of Public Analysts, at 8. — The Examination of Extract o 

 Malt : Dr W. J. Sykes and C. A. Mitchell.— (i) Note on the Estimation 

 of Glycerine ; (2) The Kxamination of Gum Resins: Dr. J. Lewkowiisch. 

 — Note on the Occurrence of Barium in the Spring Water of Boston 

 Spa: Percy A. E. Richards. — On the Analysis of Samarskite : Arthur G. 

 Levy. 



Entomological Society, at 8 



THURSDAY, December 6. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Probable papers: The Histology of the Cell 

 Wall, with Special Reference to the Mode of Connection of Cells. Part I. 

 The Distribution and Character of ' ' Connecting Threads " in the Tissues of 

 Finns svli'estris and other Allied Species: W. Gardiner, F.R.S. , and 

 A. W. Hill.— On the " Blaze Currents " of the Frog"s Eyeball ; Dr. A. D. 

 Waller, F.R.S. — On a Bacterial Disease of the Turnip {Btassica 

 nafius') : Prof. M. G. Potter. — The Micro-organism of Distemper in the 

 Dog, and the Production of a Distemper Vaccine; Dr. S. M. Copeman. 

 — On the Tempering of Iron Hardened by Overstrain : J. Muir. 



Chemical Society, at 8. — Ballot for the Election of Fellows. — Santalenic 

 Acid : A. C. Chapman. — Ammonium Bromide and the Atomic Weight of 

 Nitrogen : A. Scott, F.R.S. — Interaction between Urethanes and Primary 

 Benzenoid Amines: Dr. A. E. Dixon. — The Decomposition of Chlorates. 

 Part III. Calcium Chlorate and Silver Chlorate : W. H. Sodeau. — 

 Nitride of Iron: Gilbert J. Fowler. — The Heat of Formation and Con- 

 stitution of Iron Nitride : Gilbert J. Fowler and Philip J. Hartog. — Re- 

 lationships of Oxalacetic Acid : H. J. H. Fenton, F.R.S., and H. O. 

 Jones. 



RoNTGEN Society, at 8. — Exhibition and Description of a Stereoscopic 

 Fluoroscope and a New Rotary Mercury Break : J. Mackenzie Davidson. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8. — On some New Foraminifera from Funafuti : C. 

 Chapman. — On British Thrifts : G. Claridge Druce. 



FRIDAY, December 7. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Dock Gates : F. K. Peach. 

 Geologists'Association, at 8. — The Zones of the White Chalk of th 

 English Coa?t. II. Dorsetshire: Dr. A. W. Rowe. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Three Books on Birds. By R. L loi 



Chronica Mathematica. By G. B, M 103 



The Science of Colonisation 104 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Chamberlain : " The Child :'a Study in the Evolution 



of Man" 105 



Lustig : " Sieroterapia e Vaccinazioni preventive 



contro La Peste Bubonica." — C. B. S 105 



Salmon: "A Monograph of the Erysiphaceos." — 



A. W. B 106 



Amateur Angler : " An Old Man's Holidays "... 106 

 Letters to the Editor:— 



Buchner's Zymase. —Prof. J. Reynolds Green, 



F.R.S 106 



Euclid i. 32 Corr.— Prof. George J. Allman, 



F.R.S 106 



Instruments of Precision at the Paris Exhibition. — 



E T. Warner ; H. Davidge . 107 



On Solar Changes of Temperature and Variations 

 in Rainfall in the Region surrounding the Indian 

 Ocean. \. By Sir Norman Lockyer, K.C.B., 



F.R.S., and Dr. W. J. S. Lockyer 107 



The Kite Work of the United States Weather 



Bureau. {Illustrated.) By Dr. H. C. Frankenfield 109 

 The Present Condition of the Indigo Industry. By 



Dr. F. MoUwo Perkin 11 1 



Notes IJ2 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronomical Occurrences in December 115 



New Variable Stars 115 



Ephemeris for Observations of Eros 116 



Distribution of Minor Planets 116 



The November Meteors ^■'•' 116 



Huxley's Life and Work. II. By tRe Rt. Hon, 



Lord Avebury, F.R.S 116 



The Origin and Progress of Scientific Societies. 



By Sir John Evans, K.C.B., F.R.S 119 



University and Educational Intelligence 121 



Societies and Academies 121 



Diary of Societies 124 



