196 



NA TURE 



[December 20, 1900 



fallacy of accepting Regnault's linear law for the total heat and 

 latent heats of evaporation of steam as a basis from which to 

 determine the specific heats and other properties in super- 

 heated steam. Useful expressions for the products of the cool- 

 ing effects and specific heat at constant pressure in steam were 

 given, which would be of use for purposes of comparison with 

 actual experiment. Two alternatives were offered in the paper 

 for the true facts in saturated steam— either Regnault's results 

 on the latent heats of steam can no longer be accepted, or the 

 data deduced from experiments in the superheated condition 

 must be rejected, as they cannot be made to agree. — On a new 

 species of Sepia and on other shells collected by Dr. R. 

 Koettlitz in Somaliland, by W. E. Hoyle and R. Standen. The 

 new species of Sepia {S. koeltlilzi) was collected at Zeila, 

 nearly opposite Aden. It is most closely allied to S. singalensis, 

 Goodrich, from which it differs in having the chitinous margin 

 on the dorsal surface rnuch narrower, and in the inner cone 

 being flattened and (if anything) rather concave and not 

 convex. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, December lo. — M. Maurice L^vy in 

 the chair. — M. Painleve was elected a member in the section 

 of geometry in the place of the late M. Darboux. — Examina- 

 tion of the habits of bees from the double point of view of 

 mathematics and experimental physiology, by M. Abraham 

 Netter. It has been usually held by entomologists that four 

 ol the habits of bees are intentional. The author contests this 

 view, and attempts to show that all the movements of bees, 

 without exception, are of the nature of reflexes, the bees 

 being really small living machines working entirely automatic- 

 ally. — Observations of the Leonids and Bielids made at 

 Athens, by M. D. Eginitis. The observations were much 

 interfered with by the weather. On the 14th November 

 •only six meteors were seen, on the 15th thirty-six, on the 

 16th fifteen only. On November 23 and 24 only thirty- 

 three Bielids were seen, mostly of the fifth and 

 sixth magnitude. — Observations of the sun made at 

 the Observatory of Lyons with the Brunner equatorial 

 ■ during the third qiiarter of 1900, by M. J. Guillaume. 

 The results of the observations are summarised in three tables 

 showing the number of spots, their distribution in latitude, and 

 the distribution of the faculoe in latitude respectively. — Observa- 

 nions of the Leonids made at Rome on November 14 and 15, by 

 M. Rodriguez. Since no observations of the Leonids were 

 reported by M. Jans^n, an account is given of the meteors seen 

 at the Vatican Observatory. Details of 107 Leonids are given, 

 ■for 17 of which the (jifreclion during the time of Observation was 

 ascertained. — On liimited and integrable functions, by M. 

 Leopold Tejer. — On Neurnann's method of the arithmetic mean, 

 by M. W. Stekloff. — On the molecular specific heat of gaseou% 

 dissociable compounds, by M. Ponsot. Under constant volume 

 or constant pressure the molecular specific heat of a gaseous; 

 compound at infinite dilution is lower than that of the 

 mixture of its elements obtained by dissociation. — On the 

 concentration at t^e electrodes in a solution, with special 

 reference to the liberation of hydrogen by electrolysis of 

 a mixture of copper sulphate and sulphuric acid, by 

 M. H. J. S. Sand. A formula is developed from theoretical 

 considerations for the concentration of a solution of a single 

 «alt round the electrodes after passing a current for a given 

 time. In the case of a mixture the formula gives two limiting 

 values between which the experimental values must lie, and the 

 results of electrolysis of solutions of copper sulphate and sul- 

 phuric acid in all cases lie between these extreme values. — On 

 the spectra of samarium and gadolinum, by M. Eug. 

 Demar5ay. A discussion of the results obtained on these 

 epectra by M. Exner. The wave-lengths are given for 

 the substance regarded by the author as the purest 

 samarium hitherto obtained. — Action of steam and mix- 

 tures of hydrogen and steam upon molybdenum and its 

 ■oxides, by M. Marcel Guichard. Hydrogen completely reduces 

 the oxides of molybdenum to the metal at a temperature belovv 

 600° C. Steam, on the other hand, does not commence to 

 oxidise the metal until a temperature of nearly 700° C. is 

 reached. Oxidation of molybdenum either in steam or in 

 mixtures of hydrogen and steam never gives rise to oxides other 

 than M0O2 and M0O3. — Remarks on the note of M. Lemoult 

 ■entitled ;" Relations between the chemical . constitution of the 

 triphenylmethane dyestuffs and the absorption spectra of their 

 aqueous solutions," by M. Charles Carmichel. — On the primitive 



NO. 1625. VOL. 63] 



form of a crystallised body, by M. Fred. Wallerant. — Quinone, 

 the active principle of the venom of lulus terrestris, by MM. 

 Behal and Phisalix. It is shown that the active principle of 

 the poison of Itt/us terrestrts contains a quinone, most probably 

 ordinary quinone. —The venom of the Scolopendra, by M. S. 

 Jourdain. — On the osmotic pressure of the blood and internal 

 liquids in the cartilaginous fishes, by M. E. Rodier. — Some 

 results of the Belgian Antarctic expedition, by M. L. Koehler. 

 — On the endogenous formation of the fungus isolated in 

 cancerous tumours, by M. M. Bra. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, December 20. 

 LiNNEAN Society, at 8. — On the Structure and Habits of the Ammo- 



charidas : Arnold T. Watson. — The Flora of Vavau, one of the Tonga 



Islands: J. H. Burkill. — Warning Colours in Insects: Prof. E. B. 



Poulton, F.R.S. 

 Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Lecture on the Electrical 



Engineers (R.E.) in South Africa : Lieut.-Colonel Crompton. 

 Chemical Societv, at 8. — On the Union of Hydrogen and Chlorine : 



J. W. Mellor. 



FRIDA y, December 21. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — The Use of Geometrical 



Methods in investigating Mechanical Problems : C. E. Inglis. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



A Modern Scientific Industry. By R. T. G. ... 173 



Essays by Dr. Wallace. By R. L 174 



British Brambles. By A. B. R. 176 



Experimental Fruit-farming. By Dr. Maxwell T. 



Masters, F.R.S 177 



Our Book Shelf :-t- 



Kidd :" Design in Nature's Story."— J. A.' T. . . 178 



" Penrose's Pictorial Annual " ... . 178 

 "Knowledge Diary and Scientific Handbook for 



1901 " . . 178 



Pendlebury : " A Short Course of Elementary Plane 



Trigonometry " . ..... ...... 178 



Erdmann • " Lehrbuch der anorganischen Chemiie " . 178 

 Letters to the Editor:— 



Chemical Products and Appliances at the Paris 



Exhibition.— Prof. R. Meldola, F.R.S. , . , . 1,75 

 Electricities of Stripping and of Cleavage. — Prof. 



A. S. Herschel, F.R.S ,., , . 179 



Photography of the Static Discharge. (Illustrated.).— 



Dr. Hugh Walsham .... 180 



Malaria and Mosquitoes.— Dr. N. Y, Sarruf . ., . . i8p 

 Can Spectroscopic Analysis Furnish us with Precise 

 Information as to the Petrography of the Moon ?— 



Dr. W. J. Knight 180 



International Catalogue of Scientific Literature . -. 180 



Further Remains from Lake Callabonna ..... 181 



Sortie Experiments on the Direct-Current Arc . . 182 

 A Bird-Book for Young People. {Illustrated.) By 



R. L. ... ..;._ .■;.;,. ;..,..,■.; V *.,■., :.,.^. . .,. 183 



Huxley Memorial ...s ..,....;. :..i, .'.,;•./ . * ... 184 



Notes i . .. 1 185 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



New Variable in Cygnus . . . .......... 188 



Spanish Observations of the Eclipse of May 28 . . . 188 



Opposition of Eros . ■. . ; '. ; . '. . 188 



Marking on Mars . . . i '■. . . . .■ . 189 



Spectroscopic Investigations of Gaises in Atmo- 

 spheric Air. By Prof. G. D. Liveing, F.R.S., 



and Prof. J. Dewar, F.R.S. . 189 



The Treatment of London Sewage. By Prof. Frank 



Clowes • • • • • '90 



A Pre-Columbian Scandinavian Colony in Massa- 

 chusetts. {Illustrated.) By A. C, H. . . . . . . 192 



Progress of Science Teaching . 193 



University and Educational Intelligence ..... 19^ 



Societies and Academies ,194 



Diary of Societies ' 196 



