240 



NATURE 



[January 3, 1901 



is but imperfectly known ; and it will be of service, not only for 

 the determination of Norwegian species, but also for the future 

 investigation of the Cumacean fauna of other countries. 



During January, the following popular science lectures will 

 be delivered at the Royal Victoria Hall, Waterloo Road: — 

 January 8, History of the Solar System, Mr. F. Womack ; 

 January 15, Sea Coasts of Britain, Prof. H. G. Seeley, F.R.S. ; 

 January 22, Waves and Oscillations Mr. F. W. Porter ; 

 January 29, Niagara Water Power Installation, Prof. Capper. 



The Bath Natural History and Antiquarian Field Club has 

 ■sent us a copy of its Proceedings (vol. ix. No. 3), containing 

 among other contributions, a reduced copy of an old map of the 

 Parish of Walcot, made in 1740.' Then the parish was a little 

 country village, now it is a great suburb of Bath. The notes on 

 this map, by the Rev. C. W. Shickle, are of sufficient interest to 

 make one wish they had been more extensive. 



We have received the November number of the Victorian 

 Naturalist, the journal and magazine of the Field Naturalists' 

 Club of Victoria. It is illustrated by some good views of the 

 Basalt columns of Sydenham, and contains a variety of notes on 

 local natural history. 



In the last number of the Berichte der Deiitschen Chemischen 

 Gesellschaft (33, 3307) Herr E. Buchner describes new experi- 

 ments the results of which must be regarded as strong evidence 

 in favour of the view that the active agent in fermentation pro- 

 cesses is of enzymic character. Quantities of yeast were dried 

 in vacuo at temperatures from 35° — 100° C, and then heated for 

 several hours in a current of hydrogen at 100" and then at 1 10° C. 

 After this treatment the yeast has no fermenting power, as was 

 conclusively proved by observations of its action on wort, the 

 observations extending over a period of three weeks. The sterile 

 yeast was then ground up into a paste with sand, kieselguhr and 

 10 per cent, aqueous solution of glycerin, and the mass subjected 

 to strong hydraulic pressure. The liquid pressed out from the 

 paste was found to have strong fermenting action. In spite of 

 the sterilisation and the loss involved in the extraction with 

 aqueous glycerine, the fermenting power was found to be one- 

 quarter to one-half that of the original yeast. These experi- 

 ments do not conform to the hypothesis set up by the opponents 

 of the enzyme theory, that the fermenting power of press yeast is 

 due to living protoplasm, for the latter is certainly no longer 

 present in the yeast after its subjection to the sterilising process 

 described. The specific action of the enzyme zymase is there- 

 fore not dependent on the presence of the living cell, and in 

 this respect zymase is perfectly analogous to the active enzyme 

 of urea fermentation isolated by Miquel. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Derbian Zonure (Zonurus giganteus) from 

 South Africa, presented by Major J. W. Jerome ; three Bengal 

 Monitors ( Varanus bengalensis), a Conical Eryx {Eryx conicus), 

 an Indian Eryx [Eryx joJini) from India, deposited ; two Bar- 

 tailed Pheasants (Phasiamis reevesi) from North China, twelve 

 European Tree Frogs {Hyla arborea), European, purchased. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Heliometer Measures of h and x Persei. — The great 

 care taken and accuracy obtained by Prof. Wilhelm Schur in his 

 observations with the fine Repsold heliometer of the Gottingen 

 Observatory, make one regard the publications of the " Astro- 

 nomische Mittheilungen von der Koniglichen Sternwarte " as so 

 inany standard illustrations of heliometer reductions. The 

 sixth part of this publication deals with the two bright star 

 clusters, h and x. in the constellation of Perseus. Both of these 

 clusters have been measured before, the first by Krliger with the 



NO. 1627, VOL. 63] 



Bonn heliometer, by Bredichin with the micrometer, and by Karl 

 Oertel with the large Miinchen refractor ; and the latter by 

 Vogel with the Leipzig 8-inch refractor, Pihl with the micro- 

 meter, and by Lohse and Bronsky and Stebnitzky from photo- 

 graphs. Prof, Schur compares his results with all these previous 

 measures. 



For his triangulation. Prof. Schur has used fifteen of the 

 brighter stars in the two clusters ; no less than 61 different 

 distances have been measured, each distance having been deter- 

 mined on three, but generally more occasions. We must, how- 

 ever, simply restrict ourselves to the result of the whole investi- 

 gation, which has led Prof. Schur to give the following final 

 places for the stars he has employed ; the consecutive alpha- 

 betical letters in the first column refer to the notation he has 

 adopted in the chart of the region accompanying this publica- 

 tion. In the following summary the secular variation and proper 

 motions have been omitted, and Kr. in the fourth column refers 

 to Kiuger's magnitudes : — 



Positions of i^ Stdrs in the Clusters h and x Persei for the 

 Epoch 1893.75, and Equinox 1890.0. 



This triangulation will form a fine groundwork for future 

 photographs of the fainter stars in this region, for the constants 

 for the reduction of the plates can be determined by the helio- 

 meter positions of the brighter stars; The great value of helio- 

 meter measures as forerunners of the photographic plate is a 

 point that cannot be overlooked when dealing with star clusters, 

 nebulae immersed in stars, or vice versa. 



Annuaire pour 1901 Bureau des Longitudes. — This 

 useful annual, issued under the direction of MM. Janssen, Cornu 

 and Loewy, is compiled in similar manner to previous issues. A 

 complete calendar, with the usual solar and lunar data, lists of 

 celestial phenomena for the year, comprising pccultations, 

 eclipses, maxima and minima of variable stars, elements and 

 ephemerides of the planets, shooting stars, &c., occupy some 

 three hundred pages. An important notice is issued stating that 

 all the times given in the volume are expressed in civil mean 

 time, reckoned from oh. to 24h., commencing at midnight. 



A lengthy appendix is occupied by a dissertation on the 

 electrical transmission of power, by M. Cornu, and other 

 articles are contributed by M. Poincare (Revision of the 

 Meridian Arc of Quito) ; M. Loewy (Astronomical Conference 

 at Paris) ; M. Bassot (Foundation of the Metric System) ; 

 M. B. de la Grye (International Geodesy), and M. Janssen 

 (Work at the Observatory on Mont Blanc). 



Catalogue of Stars. — The sixth volume of the publica- 

 tions of the Hamburg Observatory consists of the reduced 

 places of stars between 80° and 81° north declination, deter- 

 mined with the Repsold meridian circle of lO'S cm. aperture 

 and I '62 metres focus. The stars are arranged in 69 zones, 

 an index being furnished to show the various zones containing 

 each object. 



New Minor Planets. — A telegram through Lafifan's Agency 

 from New York, dated January i, says : — Mr. W. R. Brooks 

 has discovered by means of photographs three new planets within 

 one degree of Eros. The brightest is somewhat brighter than 

 Eros. 



Spain and Greenwich Time, — After midnight of the 

 31st of December last, Spain began the new century by 

 adopting officially throughout the country Greenwich time, the 

 hours being numbered one to twenty-four. 



