220 



NATURE 



[November 15, 19 17 



uaters of- north-flowing streams, while the flooding of 

 •western Victoria with basalt diverted south-flowing 

 streams to the west, and augmented the importance 

 of the Wannon, the principal tributary of the Glenelg 

 River. — Kathleen Haddon (communicated by Sir Bald- 

 win Spencer) : Some Australian string figure^. Mak- 

 ing these figures, which form imitations of animals 

 and other natural objects, is a favourite amusement 

 of women in all aboriginal races, and in the form of 

 the well-known cat's cradle they are supposed to have 

 reached Europe from China, along with the tea-trade. 

 Similar figures are found to be in use all the world 

 over, and it is, in fact, possible that this is one of the 

 earliest sedentary prehistoric games. — Dr. S. Pern : 

 A method of estimating minute traces of calcium 

 in the blood. To a faintly acid solution containing cal- 

 cium three-quarters its volume of alcohol is added, 

 thfen three drops or more of a -saturated solution of 

 oxalic acid. It is then shaken up, and within a few 

 minutes a white cloud appears, which under the ultra- 

 microscope shows no crystalline shapes, but rounded 

 bodies, o-i /* in diameter. This method is so sensitive 

 that a four-thousandth part of a milligram of calcium 

 ■can be detected in 5 c.c. volume. The main object of 

 tha method is for the estimation of calcium in the 

 "blood in different diseases. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



The Organism as a Whole from a Physicochemical 

 Viewpoint. By Dr. J. Loeb. Pp. X4-379. (New York 

 and London : G. P. Putnam's Sons.) 2.50 dollars net. 



An Ethical System based on the Laws of Nature. 

 By M. Deshumbert. Translated by Dr. L. Giles. Pp. 

 ix + 231. (Chicago and London: Open Court Publish- 

 ing Co.) 25. 6d. net. 



The Electron : Its Isolation and Measurement and 

 the Determination of some of its Properties. By Prof. 

 R. A. Millikan. Pp. xii + 268. (Chicago: University 

 of Chicago Press ; London : Cambridge University 

 Press.) 1.50 dollars net. 



Radiography and Radio-Therapeutics. By Dr. R. 

 Knox. Part i.. Radiography. Second edition, f'p. 

 XXV + 382-1- XX +.78 plates. (London: A. and C. Black, 

 Ltd.) 305. net. 



British Grasses and, their- Employment in Agricul- 

 ture. By S. F. Armstrong. Pp. vii-l-199. (Cam- 

 bridge: At the University Press.) 65. net. 



Instinct in Man. By Dr. J. Drever. Pp. x-t-281. 

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



Highways and Byways in Wiltshire. By E. Hutton. 

 Pp. xvii-l-463.. (London : Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 

 65. net. 



The Psychology of War. By Dr. J. T. MaoCurdy. 

 Pp. xi + 68. (London : W. Heinemann.) 25. 6d. net. 



Biologia Marina. By- R. Issel. Pp. xx -1-607. 

 (Milano : U. Hoepli.) 10.50 lire." 



Piscicoltura Pratica. By Prof. F. Supino. Pp. 

 vTii + 327. (Milano: U. Hoepli.) 5.50 lire. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THilRSDAY, November 15. 

 •Royal Society, 314.30.— A New Gyroscopic Phenomenon : E. E. Tournay 

 Hinde.— Investigation into the Imbibition Exhibited by some Shellac 

 r>erivatives : A. P. Laurie and C. Ranken.— Phenomena connected with 

 Turbulence in the Lower Atmosphere : G. I. Taylor.— The Relation 

 between Barometric Pressure and the Water Level in a Well at Kew 

 Oh'^ervatory : E. G. Bilhara. 



Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, at 5.30. — Slime Treatment on 

 Cornish Frames, with Particular Reference to the Effect of Surface : 

 .S. J. Truscott.— Comparative Concentration Tests on Wood and Fluted 

 Glass Surfaces at Porco, Bolivia : H. A. Lewis. 



Linnean Society, at 5.- Methods of Staining Embryonic Cartilage : E. S. 

 Goodrich.— Notes on Calamopitys : Dr. D. H. Scbtf. 

 FRIDAY, November 16. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 6. — Some Notes on Air Lift 

 Pumping : A. W. Purchas. 



MONDAY, November 19. 

 Aristotelian Society, at 8.— Thought and Intuition: Mrs.' Kafin 



Stephen; , , 



Royal Geographical Society, at 5,— Sandbanks and Deltas; E. C. 



Barton. ' ' ' ' . 



Society OF Engineers, at 5. — Sewage and Its- Precipitarioii' ;. Further 



E,\periments : R. Brown. 



TUESDA K, November 20. 

 Royal Anthropological Institute, at 5. — Witch Sacrifices : Miss M. A. 



Murray. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 5.30.— The Hardinge Bridge over 



the Lower Ganges at Sara : Sir R. R. G^^les. 

 Institution of Petroleum Tijchnologists, at 8.— The Oil Prospects of 



the British Isles ; W. H. Dalton. 

 Zoological Society, at 5.30. — The New-born Marsupial and its Mode of 



Birth: Prof. J. P. Hill.— The Development of £c/i/ao(ranj'/K;« co?(/a/7<>« ; 



Prof. E. W. MacBride.— (i) New South American Rhopalocera ; (2) New 



South American Arctiidae ; (3) New Butterflies from Africa and the East ; 



(4) Gynandromorph o{ Papilio lycophron, Ubn. ; (5) Three Aberrations of 



Lepidoptera : J. J. Joicey and George Talbot. — I 'eformity of os penis in 



a Phoca caspica, Nilsson, Sergius Alpheraky.^Notes oh a Collection of' 



Heterocera made by Mr. W. Feather in British East Africa, 911-13: 



Lt.-Col. J. M. Fawcett. , 



Rotal Statistical Society, at 5.15. 



WEDNESDAY, '^o^nviv.^v. ai. 

 Royal Society of Arts, at 4.30.— Inaugural Address: Science and its 



Functions : A. A. Campbell Swinton. 

 Roval Meteorological Society, at 5. — The Twelve-hourly Barometer 



Oscillation : Dr. G. C. Simpson. — Abnormal Temperature, with Special 



Reference to the Daily Maximum Air Temperature at Greenwich : W. W. 



Bryant. 

 Geological Society, at 5.30. 

 Royal Microscopical Society, at 8.— Some Foraminiferafrom the North 



Sea, etc. V. Tkurammma papillata, Brady : A Study in Variation : 



E. Heron-Allen and A. Earland. 

 Entomological Society, at 8. 



THURSDA Y, November 22. 



Royal Societyj at 4.30. — Probable Papers: Bactericidal Properties con- 

 ferred on the Blood by Intravenous Injections of Diamino-acridineJ 

 sulphate: C. H. Browning" and R. Sulbransen. — The Pelmatoporinae, an 

 Essay on the Evolution of a Group of Cretaceous Polyzoa : W. D. Lang. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 6. — Gas-firing Boilets : T. M. 

 Hunter. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Electrical Engineering. By Dr. A, Russell .... 201 



The Thyroid Gland. By Prof. P. T. Herring ... 202 



Our Bookshelf 203 



Letters to the Editor:— 



On an Appearance of Colour Spectra to the Aged. — 



Julius Rheinberg; R. Brudenell Carter . . . 204 

 Paraffin a Scottish Product.— H. R. J. Conacher ; 



Lt.-Commdr. H. E. Wimperis ....... 204 



Ferro-concrete Ships. {Illustrated.) . 205 



W, Du Bois Duddell, C.B.E., F.R.S. By Prof. 



E. W. Marchant . . . ...... 207 



Notes »....< 208 



Our Astronomical Column.— 



November Meteors . , 212 



Encke's Comet 212 



Effective Wave-lengths of Clusters and Spiral Nebulas 212 



A Faint Star as near as a Centauri 212 



Pyrometers and Pyrometry 212 



Hereditary Characters in Relation to Evolution. 



II. By Prof. H. S. Jennings 213 



University and Educational Intelligence . . 216 



Societies and Academies. 217 



Books Received 220 



Diary of Societies 220 



Editorial and Publishing Offices : 

 MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltd., 

 MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2. 



ST. 



Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the 

 Publishers. 



Editorial Communications to the Editor. 

 Telegraphic Address : Phusis, London. 

 Telephone Number : Gerrard 8830. 



NO. 2507, VOL. 100] 



