628 



NATURE 



[April 25, 1901 



Sidgreaves had sent a communication in which the Nova was 

 considered as a variable star with a variable spectrum. — Mr. 

 Whittaker read some observations by Mr. Sharp of the changes 

 of brightness in the Nova, and Dr. Rambaut read the observ- 

 ations made at the Radcliffe Observatory, Oxford. It appeared 

 from these that while the light of the new star was steadily 

 diminishing there had been fluctuations of brightness to the 

 extent of about a magnitude and a half. Minima had been 

 observed on March 22, 25, 28, 31, also on April 3 and 6. The 

 latter minimum was prolonged to April 7, after which the light 

 increased, and again diminished. — Papers by Mr. Innes on 

 anomalous occultations of stars by the moon, and by Mr. 

 Denning on meteoric showers from the region between o and 

 )8 Persei were also read. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, April 15. — M. Fouque in the chair. 

 — New researches on the action of hydrogen peroxide upon silver 

 oxide, by M. Berthelot. The action of hydrogen peroxide upon 

 silver oxide is regarded by the author as first resulting in the 

 formation of an unstable silver peroxide, which then decomposes 

 in two ways, partly into silver and oxygen, and partly enters 

 into combination with some of the unchanged silver oxide 

 present, giving an oxide Ag403. — On the representative power of 

 a finite portion of a continuous curve, by M. G. Lippmann. — On 

 the decomposition of meromorphic functions into simple elements, 

 by M. Emile Borel. — On the roots of transcendental equations, by 

 M. Edmond Maillet. — On the continued fraction of Stieltjes, by 

 M. H. Pade. — On groups of operations, by M. G. A. Miller. — 

 Action of the radium radiation upon selenium, by M. Eugene 

 Bloch. A selenium cell submitted to the action of the radium 

 rays undergoes a diminution of resistance of the same character 

 as that produced by light or by the Rontgen rays, except that 

 the efTect is more slowly produced and that its magnitude is 

 smaller. These experiments form an argument in favour of the 

 idea that the radium rays are formed of a complex of kathode 

 rays and of Rontgen rays. — Disruptive discharge in electrolytes, 

 by MM. Andre Broca and Turchini. It is shown that the 

 conductivity of electrolytes requires a certain time for its estab- 

 lishment, and that for sufficiently high frequencies electrolytes 

 are pure dielectrics. This is in accordance with the require- 

 ments of the electro-magnetic theory of light. — On oscillating 

 sparks, by M. G. A. Hemsalech. — The detection of alkaloids by 

 the micro-chemical method, by M. E. Pozzi-Escot. The use of 

 picric acid as a micro-chemical reagent for alkaloids, suggested 

 by M. Popoff, is not found to form a trustworthy method, the 

 only really characteristic crystals being given by strychnine. — On 

 the flora of mosses in caverns, by MM. L. Geneau de Lamarliere 

 and J. Maheu. — On the rational pruning of ligneous plants, by 

 M. F. Kovessi. — On the probable existence of a recent sea in 

 the region of Timbuctoo, by M. Aug. Chevalier. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, April 25. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — Naturalism in Italian Painting : Roger Fry. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — "James Forrest" Lecture — 

 On Chemistry in its Relations to Engineeiing : Prof. Frank Clowes. 



FRIDAY, April 26. 



Royal Institution, at 9. — Colour in the Amphibia: Dr. Hans Gadow, 

 F.R.S. 



Society of Arts, at 8. — Polyphase Electric Working : Alfred C. Eborall. 



Physical Society, at 5. — On the Thermodynamical Correction of the Gas 

 Thermometer : Prof. Callendar, F. R.S.— On the Production of a Bright- 

 line Spectrum by Anomalous Dispersion and its Application to the 

 Flash-Spectrum : Prof. R. W. Wood. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 4. — Repetition of" James Forrest " 

 Lecture — On Chemistry in its Relations to Engineering : Prof. F. 



SATURDAY, KvKii. 27. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — Climate: its Causes and its Effects: J. Y. 



Buchanan, F.R.S. 



MONDA Y, April 29. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — Travels in Central Kurdistan : 



Major F. R. Maunsell. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— Alloys: Sir W. C. Roberts-Austen, K.C.B., 



F.R.S. 

 Institute of Actuaries, at 5.30. — On the Valuation of Staff Pension 



Funds : H. W. Manly. With Tables and Examples by E. C. Thomas. 



TU£SDAY, April 30. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — Cellular Physiology: Dr. A. Macfadyen. 

 Society OF Arts, at 4.30.— The British West Indies : Sir Nevile Lubbock, 



K.C.M.G. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Annual General Meeting. 



NO. 1643, VOL. 63] 



iYE DATES DA Y, Ma i. 



Society of. Arts, at 8.— The Thames Steamboat Service : Arnold F 



Hills. 

 Entomological Society, at 8 —The Metamorphoses of ^sc^nacvauen, 



illustrated by Photograph.s taken from Life : Frederick Enock.'— The 



Classification of a New family of the Lepidoptera : Sir George F. 



Hampson, Birt. 

 Society of Public Analysts, at 8.— Alkaline Waters from the Chalk : 



W. W. Fisher.— Citron Oil : Herbert E. Burgess.— Arsenic in Coal and 



Coke : Alfred C. Chapman. 



THURSDA Y, May 2. 

 Royal Society, at 4.:!o. 

 LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— Studies in Heterogenesis : Prof. H. C. Bastian, 



F.R.S. 

 Chemical Society, at 8.— The Synthetical Formation of Bridged-Rings 



Part T. Some Derivatives of Bicyclopentane : Prof. W. H. Pprkin, jun., 



F.R.S., and Dr J. F. Thorpe. — Ballot for the Election of Fellows. 

 Institution op Electrical Engineers, at 8.— An Instrument for 



Measuring the Permeability of Iron and Steel : C. G. Lamb and Miles 



Walker.— A Watt-Hour Meter : Frank Holden. 



FRIDAY, May 3 



Royal Institution, at g.— Memory : C. Mercier. 



Society of Arts, at 8. — Polyphase Electric Working : A. C. Eborall. 



Anatomical Society, at 4.— (a) Additional Notes on the Articulations 

 between the Occipital Bone, Atlas, and Axis in the Mammalia: (/5) On 

 the Development of Digits in Cetacea ; (c) Observations on the Develop- 

 ment of the Human Brain before and after Birth : Prof. Svmington. — A 

 Contribution to the Study of the Morphology of Adipose Tissue : Dr. H. 

 Batty Shaw. — A Lantern Demonstration showing the Origin and Nature 

 of the Hydatiform Bodies of the Testicle and Broad Ligament, with 

 Special Reference to the Fate of the Mullerian Duct in the Epididymis : 

 J. H. Watson. — Relation of Structure to Function, as illustrated by the 

 Growth of the Inferior Femoral Epiphysis : Prof. Arthur Thomson. 



SATURDAY, May 4. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — Climate: its Causes and its Effects : J. Y. 

 Buchanan, F.R.S. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Korschelt and Heider's Embryology 605 



Chemistry from Harvard. By Prof, A. Smithells . 606 



A New Edition of White's " Selborne " ..... 606 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Bickerton : " The Romance of the Heavens " . . . 607 

 Pozzi-Escot : " Les Diastases et leurs Applications." 



J. B. C 607 



Pozdneeff : " Mongolia and the Mongols : Results of 

 an Expedition to Mongolia in the Years 1892 and 



1893,"— P. K 608 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Gothic Vestiges in Central Asia.— Thos. W. Kings- 

 mill 608 



Graphic Solution of the Cubics. — Dr. G. Vacca . . 6og 

 The Work of the National Antarctic Expedition. 



{IViih Map.) By Prof. J. W. Gregory 609 



Practical Problems in the Metallography of Steel. 



{Illustrated.) By Prof. J. O. Arnold 613 



The Work of the Reichsanstalt 614 



Mediaeval Natural History in Poland 615 



International Association of Academies 616 



Notes 6x6 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronomical Occurrences in May 620 



New Variable Star 70 (1901) Ursa Majoris 620 



Nova Persei 620 



• Reduction of Photographs of Stellar Spectra .... 620 



Dr. Metchnikoff on Microbes and the Human Body 621 



Modern Methods of Gas Manufacture 622 



The Formation of Wave Surfaces in Sand. {Illus- 

 trated.) By Vaughan Cornish 623 



University and Educationallntelligence 625 



Scientific Serials 626 



Societies and Academies 626 



Diary of Societies 62S 



