5o8 



NATURE 



[March 21, 1901 



glucose. — Remarks by M. Edmond Perrier, on the scientific 

 expeditions of the Travailleur and Talisman. — M. A. Normand 

 was elected a correspondant for the Section of Geography and 

 Navigation in the place of M. Alexis de Tillo. — Remarks by 

 M. Darboux on the death of M. Th. Moutard. — On the vari- 

 ability of the planet Eros, from negatives taken at the Observa- 

 tory of Toulouse, by M. L. Montangerand (see p. 502). — Note 

 concerning the preceding observations of M. Montangerand, by 

 M. Baillaud. — Complementary details on the new star in Perseus, 

 by M. H. Deslandres. The results of the spectroscopic study 

 of the new star do not confirm the hypothesis tentatively put 

 forward in a previous note. It appears to be necessary to assume 

 the existence of at least two stars, one of which is perhaps a 

 nebula, and which is approaching the other with an enormous 

 velocity. — Observations on the sun made at the Observatory of 

 Lyons with the Brunner 16 cm. equatorial during the fourth quarter 

 of 1900, by M. J. Guillaume. The results are summarised in three 

 tables, giving the number of spots, their distribution in latitude, 

 and the distribution of the faculae in latitude. ^ — On a certain cate- 

 gory of transcendental functions, by M. Edmond Maillet. — On 

 the regular quaternary groups of a finite order, by M. Leon 

 Autonne. — On an electrophone giving very loud sounds and on 

 the causes which produce it, by M. Th. Tommasina. — On the 

 reduction of sulphomolybdic acid by alcohol, by M. E. Pechard. 

 Molybdic acid, dissolved in sulphuric acid and gradually reduced 

 by alcohol, gives a blue crystalline deposit of complicated com- 

 position, approximately 5NH3lV[o02S03.7Mo03-f SIIjO. — A 

 new glycol, 1-4 butane-diol, or tetramethyleneglycol, and its 



■'diacetin, by M. J. Hamonet. The diacetin is prepared by the 

 action of silver acetate upon the di-iodobutane, and the glycol 



is obtained from this by heating with dilute lime-water. — The 



-action of zinc powder upon the saturated fatty acids, by M. A. 

 Hebert. Stearic acid, heated with zinc dust, gives a complicated 



-mixture of olefines, the bromides of which were examined. — The 

 action of mercuric oxide upon some organic compounds, by 

 MM. A. Lumiere, L. Lumiere and F. Perrin. — On a new 



-preparation of terpinol, by M. P. Genvresse. Pinene, dissolved 

 in alcohol, is treated with nitrous acid, distilled with steam and 

 the product purified by fractional distillation in a vacuum. — 



•New characters of the short electrical stimulus transmitted by 

 ■the nerve, by M, Aug. Charpentier. — Contribution to the 

 ■psycho-physiological study of the vital acts in the total absence 

 of the brain in an infant, by MM. N. Vaschide and CI. Vurpas. 

 The infant, which survived thirty-nine hours, showed a notable 

 lowering of temperature and remarkably slow breathing of the 

 type described by Cheyne and Stokes. The case demonstrated the 

 rSle of the cerebral hemispheres in circulation, respiration and the 

 temperature regulation. — New observations on Balhyomus, enor- 

 rhous isopods met with at great depths, by M. E. L. Bouvier. — On 

 the sensibility of the higher plants to very small doses of toxic 

 .substances, by M. Henri Coupin. The higher plants, like the 

 'fungi, are so sensitive to the toxic action of certain metals, iiotably 

 •silver, mercury, copper and cadmium, that they give evidence of 

 their presence in quantities too small to appreciate by chemical 



-analysis.— Anatomical researches on the ripening of the shoots 

 of the vine, by M. Kovessi. The branches ripen better as the 



.cellular thickness of their walls increases and as their cells 

 contain more starch. — On a fossil insect found in the Trias of 



'Lorraine, by M. P. Fliche. — On the periods of the southern 

 aurora, by M. Henryk Ar9towski. — Note relating to a litholo- 



- gical and balhymetric atlas of the coasts of France, by M. J, 

 Thoulet. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, March 21. 

 ■Royal Society, at. 4. 30. — Studies in Visual Sensation (Croonian Lec- 

 ture) : Prof. C. Lloyd Morgan, F.R.S. 



LiNNEAN Society, at S.^On the Intestinal Tract of Birds, and the Valua- 

 tion and Nomenclature of Zoological Characters : P. Chalmers Mitchell. 



Chemical Society, at 8. — Researches on Morphine, Part II : S. B. 

 Schryver and F. H. Lees. — The Constitution of Pilocarpine, Part II.: 

 H. A. D. Jowett. — Note on the Latent Heats of Evaporation of Liquids : 

 Holland Crompton. — (i) Action of Dry Silver Oxide and Ethyl Iodide 

 on Benzoylacetic Ester, Desoxybenzoin, and Benzyl Cyanide ; (2) Alkyla- 

 tion of Acylarylamines : G. D. Lander. 



Camera Club, at 8.15. — Yorkshire Caves and Waterfalls; T. C. Hep- 

 worth. 



FRIDAY, March 22. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— Some Recent Work on Diffusion : Dr. Horace 

 Brown, F.R.S. 



Physical Society (University College, Gower Street), at. 5. — On the 

 Expansion of Silica: Prof. Callendar, F.R.S. — The Spectroscopic Appa- 

 ratus at University College : Dr. E. C. C. Baly. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Hunslet Railway and 

 Bridge over the River Aire : O. L. McDermott. 



SATURDAY, March 2^. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — Sound and Vibrations : Lord Rayleigh, F.R.S. 



MONDA Y, March 25. 

 Society of Arts, at 8. — Electric Railways: Major P. Cardew. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — Journeys in the Linyanti 



Region, South Africa : Percy C. Reid. — Exploration and Survey in the 



Sobat Region : Major H. H. Austin, RE. 

 Institute of Actuaries, at 5.30. — On the Rates of Mortality in New 



South Wales and Victoria, and the Construction of a Mortality Table 



from a single Census and the Deaths in the Years ^idjacent thereto : 



E. McMahon Moors and W. R. Day. 

 Camera Club, at 8.15. — Colour Photography by the Sanger-Shepherd 



Process : A. Pringle. 



TUESDA K, March 26. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — The Cell as the Unit of Life: Dr. A. Mac- 



fadyen. 

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



The ^Esthetic Treatment of Bridge Structures: J. Husband. Paper 



to be read, time permitting : The Burrator Works for the Water-.supply 



of Plymonth : E. Sandeman. 

 Royal Photographic Society, at 8. — Some Improvements in Optical 



Projection : J. H. Agar Baugh. 



WEDNESDAY, March 27. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— Clocks, Carillons and Bells : A. A. Johnston. 



THURSDAY, March 28. 



RoyalSociety, at 4.30. — Ptobable papers: The Growth of Magnetism in 

 Iron under Alternating Magnetic Force : Prof. E. Wilson. — On the 

 Electrical Conductivity of Air and Salt Vapours : Dr. H. A. Wilson. 



I.vstitotion OF Electrical Engineers, at 8. — The Electrical Trans- 

 mission of Power in Coal Mines : H. W. Ravenshaw.— Portable Electric 

 Lamps : S. F. Walker. 



Chemical Society, at 3.— Annual General Meeting. 



FRIDAY, March 29. 

 Royal Institution, at 9. 



SATURDAY, March 30. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Sound and Vibrations : Lord Rayleigh, F.R.S. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Celtic Traditions and Anthropology. By E. Sidney 



Hartland 485 



Alkaloids. By Prof. R, Meldola, F.R.S 486 



Soundings in the North Atlantic. By H. N. D. . . 487 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Turner : ' ' Modern Astronomy. Being some Account 

 of the Astronomical Revolution of the last Quarter 



of a Century " , . . 4^8 



Edwards: " Chemistry an Exact Mechanical Philo- 

 sophy."— A. s. . . 489 



Meade: " The Chemists' Pocket Manual " 489 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Use of the Method of Least Squares in Physics. 



— A. F. Ravenshear 489 



The Collection of Material for the Study of " Species." 



— S. Pace . • -49° 



Variations of Atmospheric Electricity.— E. Pellew . 491 



The Selborne Yew-tree.— F. Soulherden 491 



Injurious Constituents in Potable Spirits 491 



The Orientation of Greek Temples. {With Dia- 

 gram.) By Dr. F. C. Penrose, F.R.S 492 



Pilot Charts ■r^• o ' '^^'^ 



Malaria and its Prevention. {Illustrated.) By Dr. R. 



Fielding-Ould 494 



The New Star in Perseus. By Prof. Edward C. 



Pickering 497 



Notes 498 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Nova Persei 5°^ 



Variability of Eros . . • S02 



New Variable, 2 1901 (Cygni) 5^2 



Observations of Circumpolar Variable Stars 502 



Eros and the Solar Parallax 502 



Forthcoming Books of Science 503 



University and Educational Intelligence 505 



Scientific Serials 50S 



Societies and Academies ... 5°° 



Diary of Societies ... 5^8 



Supplement. 

 Darwinism and Statecraft. By Prof. E. Ray 



Lankester, F.R.S., and Prof. John Perry, F.R.S. m 



The Discoverer of Lake Ngami. By R. L vi 



The Works of C. F. Gauss. By G. B. M via 



Chinese Affairs -• ' i" '" 



Anthropology in its Scientific and Educational 



Aspects. By W, L. H. D x 



NO. 1638, VOL. 63] 



