6o 



NATURE 



[March 2r 



igii 



the application of the method outlined in an earlier 

 communication to the analysis of brass, German silver, 

 and other alloys. — E. Arifes : The critical constants of 

 mercury. The formula given in a previous paper, and 

 worked out for the cases of argon, xenon, and crvpton, 

 is now applied to mercury, the vapour of which is also 

 monatomic. The formula leads to 1077° C. for the 

 critical temperature, and 420 atmospheres for the 

 critical pressure of mercury. — W. Kilian : Contributions 

 to the knowledge of the Delphino-Proven^al and Rhoda- 

 nian lower Cretaceous. — M. Flahault was elected a non- 

 resident member in the place of the late M. Gosselet. — 

 B. Jekhowsky : The generalisation of a theorem of 

 Cduchy relating to developments in series. — ^R. de 

 Montessus de Ballore : Skew quartics of the first species. 

 — ^J. Guillaume : Observations of the sun made at the 

 Observatory of Lyons during the fourthquarter of 1917. 

 Details of observations made on fifty-seven days.— E. 

 Vessiot : Propagation by v^'aves and the theory of 

 genera! relativity. — P. Weiss and A. Piccard : A new 

 magneto-thermal phenomenon. In the course of a 

 magnetic study of nickel in the neighbourhood of the 

 Curie point, the establishment of ' the field (i.^.ooo g.) 

 caused a marked rise of temperature (0-7°). The sup- 

 pression of the field produced a cooling of the same 

 order. The reversibility and order of magnitude dis- 

 tinguish this effect from heating due to hysteresis. 

 Above the Curie point (629-6° Absolute) the rise of 

 temperature is proportional to the square of the mag- 

 netisation, a result which can be deduced from the 

 theory of the molecular field. — Ph. Flajolet : Perturba- 

 tions of the magnetic declination at Lyons (Saint-Genis- 

 Laval) during the fourth quarter of 1Q17. — J. Dufrenoy : 

 Tumours on the maritime pine. — C. Cepede : New 

 method of staining the tubercle bacillus. — H. Vincent : 

 The prophylaxy of Maltese fever by the active immun- 

 isation of the germ-carrying animals. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Precis de Radiodiagnostic Technique et Chirurgie. 

 By Dr. Jaugeas. Second edition. Pp. xxviii + 563. 

 (Paris : Masson et Cie.) 20 francs. 



Localisation et Extraction des Projectiles. By L. 

 Ombr^anne and R. Ledoux-Lebard. Second edition. 

 Pp. iv+305. (Paris : Masson et Cie.) 4 francs. 



Theory of Functions of a Complex Variable. By 

 Prof. A. R. Forsyth. Third edition. Pp. xxiv + 855. 

 (Cambridge : At the University Press.) 305. net. 



The War and the Bagdad Railway. By Prof. M. 

 Jastrow, jun. Pp. 160. (Philadelphia and London: 

 J. B. Lippincott Co.) 65. net. 



Department o^ Commerce. U.S. Coast and Geo- 

 detic Survey. Terrestrial Magnetism. U.S. Magnetic 

 Tables and' Magnetic Charts for 1915. By D. L. 

 Hazard. Pp. 256 4- illustrations in pocket. (Washing- 

 ton : Government Printing Office.) 



The Advanced Montessori Method. By M. Montes- 

 sori. ii.. The Montessori Elementary Material. 

 Translated by A. Livingston. Pp. xviii4-455. (Lon- 

 don : W. Heinemann.) 125. 6d. net. 



What Industry Owes to Chemical Science. Bv 

 R. B. Pilcher. Pp. xiv+150. (London: Constable 

 and Co., Ltd.) 3s. net. 



The Systematic Treatment of Gonorrhoea. By 

 N. P. L. Lumb. Pp. viii+ii6. (London: H. K. 

 Lewis and Co., Ltd.) 4s. 6d. net. 



Anti-Malaria Work in Macedonia among British 

 Troops. By Dr. W. G. Willoughbv and L. Cassidv. 

 Pp. x+68. (London: H. K. Lewis and Co., Ltd.) 

 35. 6d. net. 



Tumours: Their Nature and Causation. Bv Dr. 

 W. d'Este Emerv. Pp. xx+146. (London : H. K. 

 Lewis and Co., Ltd.) 55. net. 



NO. 2525. VOL. lOl] 



Aids to Rational Therapeutics, with U.S.;\. Pharma, 

 copoeia Equivalents. By Dr. R. W. Leftwich. Pp. 

 x + 233. (London: Bailliere and Co.) 3,s'. 6d. net. 



Aviation Engines : Design, Construction, Operation, 

 and Repair. By First Lieut. V. W. Pag^. Pp. 589. 

 (London : Crosby Lockwood and Son.) 15s. net. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA V, March 21. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 6. — The Mechanical Design 

 and Specification of the Turbo-alternator Rotor : Dr. S. F. Barclay. 



Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, at 5.30. — Annual General 

 Meeting. 



Institution of Naval Architects, at ii a.m. — Problems of the Future 

 in the Design and Construction of Merchant Ships: W. S. Abell. — 

 Research in Marine Engineering: A. E. Seaton. — The EflFect of the 

 Longitudinal Motion of a Ship on its Statical Transverse Stability : G. S. 

 Baker and Miss E. M. Keary.— At 3 p.m. — The Iron Carbon Equilibrium 

 Diagram and its Practical Usefulness : Prof. H. C. H. Carpenter. — Stress 

 Distribution in Bolts and Nuts: C. E. Stromeyer. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 5.— The Shoulder-girdle of a Dicynodont Reptile 

 from South Africa : E. S. Good'ich. — Fossil Charasfrom Oligocene Beds : 

 J. Groves. — Malayan Form of Chlorococcum humicola (Nacq.), Rabenh. : 

 Miss B. Muriel Bristol. 



FRIDAY, March 22. 



Royal Institution, at 5.30.— Radiation from System of Electrons: Sir 

 J. J. Thomson. 



Institution of Naval Architects, at 11 a.m. — A Preliminary Surveyof 

 the Possibilities of Reinforced Concrete as a Mateiial for Ship ('onstruc- 

 tion : Major M. Denny. — Reinforced Concrete Vessels: W. Pollock.— 

 Design and Construction of a Self-propelled Reinforced Concrete Sea- 

 going Cargo Steamer building in Greai Britain : T. G. O. Thurston. — An 

 Investigation of the Shearing Force and Bending Moment acting on the 

 Structure of a Ship including Dynamic Eflfects : A. M. Robb. — At 3 p.m. 

 — Air Supply to Boiler Rooms : R. W. Allen. 



Physical Society, at 5.— The Fourth Guthrie Lecture: The Origin of 

 Spectra : Prof. J. C. McLennan. 



SATURDAY, March 23. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Problems in Atomic Structure : Sir J. J. 

 Thomson. 



MONDA Y, March 25. 



Society of Chemical Industry, at 8.— Some Cottonseed Products in 

 Relation to Present-day Needs : E. C. de Segundo. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Atom of Electricity. By E. R .41 



A Study of the Jewish Child. By Dr. J. Brodetsky . 42 



Our Bookshelf 43 



Letters to the Editor:— 



International Catalogue of Scientific Literature.— 



Prof. Henry E. Armstrong, F.R. S. . . . • 44 

 Mercury's Perihelion Progress. —Sir Oliver Lodge, 



F.R.S. -44 



The British Association and the Nation.— J. J. 



Robinson ... 45 



Whales and Seals as Food,— Dr. James Ritchie . . 45 



The Education (No. 2) Bill 45 



Bee Disease . 47 



The Damage to Agriculture by Vermin and Birds. 



By Dr. Walter E. Collinge 48 



Notes 48 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Planet Mars 52 



Wolf's Nova 52 



The Minor Planets 53 



The Rotation of the Earth. By Prof. C. V. Boys, 



F.R.S 53 



Results of Volcano Study in Hawaii, {llhtstrated.) 



By T. A. Jaggar 54 



University and Educational Intelligence 57 



Societies and Academies ^. 58 



Books Received 60 



Diary of Societies . 60 



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Advertisements and business letters to he addressed to the 

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Editorial Communications to the Editor. 

 Telegraphic Address : Phusis, London. 

 Telephone Number : Gerrard 8830. 



