40 



NATURE 



[April i8, 191 8 



tectonic of the Asturias; the signification of the Arnao 

 mylonites.— P. E. B. Jourdain : Demonstration of a 

 theorem on ensembles.- — L. Schlussel : The value of the 

 accelerations and velocities of dynamical actions regis- 

 tered iby the dynamometer. — A. C. Vournasos : A new 

 metastable form of antimony tri-iodide. Pure glycerol 

 at its boiling point dissolves 20 per cent, of antimony 

 tri-iodide, and deposits it on cooling as an amorphous 

 powder, ^ fourth metastable modification of this sub- 

 stance. At 172° C. it is completely transformed into 

 the stable form of hexagonal crystals. — R. Charpiat : 

 The glauconite sands of the Lower Lutetian, in the 

 north-east of the department of the Marne. — A. 

 Lecaillon : The manner in which Psatntnophila hirstita 

 captures and carries its prey, and the rational ex- 

 planation of the instinct of this Hymenoptera. The 

 sense of smell is suggested as the means hy which 

 the prey is detected. — A. Durand : Correlation between 

 the phenomena of condensation and smell. The author 

 gives reasons for the view that water vapour plays 

 a part in the mechanism of smell. 



BOOKS ^RECEIVED. 



The Young Observer's Handbook. By W. P. 

 Westell. Pp. 317. (London : McBride, Nast, and 

 Co., Ltd.) ys. 6d. net. 



Carnegie Institution of Washington Year-Book, 

 No. 16. Pp. xvi-f358. (Washington: Carnegie In- 

 stitution.) 



Club Types of Nuclear Polynesia. By W, Churchill. 

 Plates xvii + pp. 173. (Washington: Carnegie Insti- 

 tution.) 



Forecasting the Yield and the Price of Cotton. By 

 Prof. H. L. Moore. Pp. vi+173. (New York: The 

 Macmillan Co. ; London : Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 



The Aviation Pocket-Book for 1918. By R. B. 

 Matthews. Pp. xvi+362. (London : Crosby Lock- 

 wood and Son.) 6s. net. 



Welfare and Housing. By J. E. Hutton. Pp. 

 viii+192. (London: Longmans and Co.) 55. net. 



Carnegie Institution of Washington. Papers from 

 the Department of Marine Biology. . Vol. xii. Pp. 

 v + 258. (Washington: Carnegie Institution.) 



The Interferometry of Reversed and Non-reversed 

 Spectra. By Prof. C. Barus. Part ii. Pp. 146. 

 {Washington : Carnegie Institution.) 



European Treaties bearing on the History of the 

 United States and its Dependencies to 1648. Edited 

 by F. G. Davenport. Pp. vi + 387. (Washington: 

 Carnegie Institution.) 



Applied Bacteriology. Edited by Dr. C. H. Brown- 

 ing. Pp. xvi + 291. (Oxford Medical Publications.) 

 (London : H. Frowde and Hodder and Stoughton.) 

 75. 6d. net. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, April i8. 

 Royal Institution, at i.— Present-day Applications of Experimental 



Psychology : Lt.-Col. C. S. Myers. 

 Royal Society OP Arts, at 4.30.— Water Power in India: A. Dickinson. 

 Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, at 5.30. 

 LiNNEAN Society, at 5.— Narrative of the Percy Sladen Expedition to 



Brazil in 1913, with Lantern-slides : Prof. J. P. Hill. 

 Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 6.— Overseas Distribution of 



Engineering Appliances : L. Andrews. 

 Chemical Society, at 8.— Hugo Muller Lecture : The Old and the New 



Mineralogy : Sir Henry Miers. 

 Mathematical Society, at 5. 



FRIDAY, April 19. 

 Royal Institution, at 5.30.— The Use of Soap Films in Engineering : Major 



G. I. Taylor. 

 Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 6. 



NO. 2529, VOL. lOl] 



SATURDAY, April 20. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Musical Instruments Scientifically Considered 

 Prof. E. H. Barton. 



MONDAY, April 22. 

 Royal Society of Arts, at 4.30.— Military Ex-plosives of To-day : J. 



Young. 

 Aristotelian Society, at 8. — Behaviour as a Psychological Concept 



Prof. A. Robinson. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — The Transkei : Mi.ss M. H. 



Mason. 



TUESDAY, April 23. 

 Roval Institution, at 3.— Barrow-Explorers : Prof. A. Keith. 

 Royal Statistical Society, at 5.15.— The Industrial Position of Italy: 



Prof. Commendatore Attolico and Capt. V. Giannini. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 5.30. — Annual General Meeting. 

 Zoological Society, at 5.30.— Report on the Deaths in the Gardens 



during the Year 1917 : Dr. J. A. Murray.— Exhibition of Specimens 



Illustrating the Effects of Rickets : Prof. Wood-Jones. 

 WEDNESDAY, April 24: 

 Royal Society of Arts, at 4.30.— Mental Effecis of the War and their 



Lessons in Social and Medical Reconstruction: Sir Robert Armstrong- 

 Jones. 



THURSDAY, April 25. 

 Royal Society, at 4.30. — Bakerian Lecture: Experiments on the Produc- 

 tion of Diamond : Sir Charles Parsons. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — Rheims Cathedral : Sir Isarabard Owen. 

 Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 6.— Large Batteries for Power 



Purposes : E. C. McKinnon. 



FRIDAY, April 26. 

 Royal Institution, at 5.30.— Food Production and English Land: Sir 



A. Daniel Hall. 

 Physical Society, at 5. — Notes on the Pulfrich Refractometer : J. Guild. 



—The Accuracy attainable with Critical Angle Refractometcrs : F. 



Simeon.— Cohesion : Dr. H. Chatley. 



SATURDAY, April 27. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — Modern Investigation of the Sun's Surface: 



Prof. H. F. Newall. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



A Ministry of Health .121 



Alcohol, Its Use and Abuse. By Prof. W. M. 



Bayhss, F.R S. 122 



Two Aeronautical Books 123 



Liquid Fuels 124 



Our Bookshelf 124 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Long-range Guns.— A. Mallock, F.R. S. ... 125 

 The Motion of the Perihelion of Mercury. — Sir 



Oliver Lodge, F.R.S 125 



Relativity and Gravitation.— H. H. O'Farrell ; 



Prof. A. S. Eddington, F.R.S 126 



Elliptical Haloes.— Prof. J. B. Dale 126 



Abnormal Catkin of Hazel. — W. B. Grove .... 126 



Volcanic Studies. (Illinirated.) By J. S. F 126 



Sicience for Secondary Schools . . 128 



The Future of Science in Wales 129 



Anatomical Nomenclature ... , 130 



Notes ... ... 130 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The April Meteor Shower 134 



Tempel's Comet . 134 



Absorption and Radiation of the Solar Atmosphere . 134 



The Position of Natural Science in Education . . 135 



Applications of Electricity to Medicine 136 



Silvanus Thompson Memorial Lecture 137 



Scottish Meteorology . . . 138 



University and Educational Intelligence .... 138 



Societies and Academies 139 



Books Received 140 



Diary of Societies ... 140 



Editorial and Publishing Offices: 



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Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the 

 Publishers. 



Editorial Communications to the Editor. 

 Telegraphic Address : Phusis, London. 

 Telephone Number : Gerr.ard 8830. 



