500 



NATURE 



[December 13, k 



Hoppe : Proof of the primality of N=^{io''-i). — 

 Messrs. Hardy and Littlewood : NewTauberian theorems. 

 — C. V. H. Rao : The curves which lie on the quartic 

 surface in space of four dimensions, and the corre- 

 sponding curves on the cubic surface and the quartic 

 with a double conic— Prof. W. H. Young,: (i) The 

 connection between Legendre series and Fourier series. 

 (2) Series of Bessel functions. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, November 26. — M. Camille Jor- 

 dan in the chair. — G. Humbert : The development of 

 irrational quadratics in a Stephen Smith continued 

 fraction.— H. Le Chatelier and B. Bogitch : Silica bricks 

 were prepared with different proportions of large quartz 

 grains (4 mm.), and fine (o-i mm.) or alternatively 

 impalpable (001 mm.) quartz powder. The resistance 

 to crushing of the silica bricks was determined at 

 1600° C, and cold. The substitution of fine quartz for 

 impalpable reduced the strength at 1600° C. in a very 

 marked manner; 75 per cent, of quartz grog to 25 per 

 cent, impalpable quartz powder, with 2 per cent, of 

 lime as cement, gave the best results. The crushing 

 resistances of silica bricks, measured cold, do not neces- 

 sarily correspond with the resistances measured at 

 1600° C. — E. Perrier : The exchanges of fauna between 

 the sea and fresh water and the consequences from the 

 point of view of sexuality. — E. L. Bouvier : The dis- 

 tribution of fresh-water crabs of the family of the 

 Potamonidae. — C. Guichard : The C networks such that 

 the Laplace equation which corresponds with them is in- 

 tegrate. — P. Humbert: Expression of the I.egendre func- 

 tion of the second species. — F. Ventre : Theorem on rolling 

 loads. — Mile. Y. Dehorne : The microscopic constitution of 

 the skeleton of the Stromatoporidae. — ^J. Feytaud : The 

 parthenogenetic reproduction of Otiorhynchus sulcatus. 

 ■ — A. Vernes : The precipitation of colloidal ferric 

 hydroxide by human serum, normal or syphilitic. If 

 human serum is added in gradually decreasing quanti- 

 ties to the same amount of colloidal ferric hydroxide, 

 with subsequent digestion at 37° G., at first there is 

 no flocculation, then for a certain concentration of the 

 serum there is complete flocculation. The phenomenon 

 is periodic, decreasing amounts of serum giving alter- 

 nately flocculation and no flocculation. With syphili- 

 tic serum the results are difl"erent, and it is possible to 

 prepare a fine suspension of a determined stability 

 which will flocculate with a certain amount of syphilitic 

 serum, but willi not flocculate with the same 

 amount of normal serum. — T. Ducuing : The publication 

 of MM. Heitz-Boyer and Scheikevitch concerning the 

 role of bone in osteogenesis in the adult, the relations 

 of osteogenesis with infection, and the corresponding 

 applications. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



My Four Years in Germany. By J. W. Gerard. 

 .Pp. xiv + 320. (London: H odder and Stoughton.) 

 7.'>. 6d. net. 



II nostro Soldato Saggi di Psicologia Militare. By 

 A. Gemelli. Pp. xii + 33q. (Milano : Fratelli Treves.) 



Report on Agricultural Damage by Vermin and Birds 

 in the Counties of Norfolk and Oxfordshire in iqi6. 

 By R. T. Gunther. Pp. qi. (London : Oxford Uni- 

 versity Press.) 2s. 6d. net. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Dhcember m- 



Royal Socikty, at 4.30.— The Formation of Nitrites from Nitrates in 

 Aqueous Solution by the Action of Sunlight and the Assimilation of the 

 Nitrites by Green Leaves in Sunlieht : Prof. R. Moore.— The Transition 

 from Rostrocarinate Flint Imolements to the Tongue-shaped Implements 

 of River-terrace Gravels : T. R. Moir. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 5.— <^eeds wirh a Stony Fndocarp and their Ger- 

 mination : A. W. Hill. — Inter sc Experiments in Pheasant Crossing in 

 evidence of Mendel's Law : Mrs. R. Haig; Thomns. 



Royal Society ok Arts, at 4.10.— The Trade of India with Russia, 

 France, and Italy: D. T. ChadwicV. 



Optical Society, at 8.— Proposed Standard Optical Notation and Sign 

 Convention : J. W. French. — Optical Nomenclature and Symbolism : 

 T. Smith. 



InstitOtion of Electrical Engineers, at 6.— Discussion on the Metric 

 System. Introductory Papers by L. B. Atkinson and A. J. Stubbs. 

 FRIDAY, December 14. 



Royal Astronomical Society, at 5.— (i) The IDetermination of Photo- 

 graphic Magnitudes. II. ; (2) Prof Sampson's Note on the Southern 

 Magnitude Distribution: J. Halm.— The Classification of Long-Period 

 Variable .Stars : H. H. Turner. —The Resonance Theory of the Origin of 

 the Moon : H. Jeffreys. — Variations in the Fourteen Months' Component 

 of the Polar Motion : Hisashi Kimura. — Further Notes on the General 

 Solution of Hill's Equation : E. Lindsay Ince. — The Errors in a Sum of 

 Tabular Quantities: H. C. VKwcRmf^r.— Probable Paper: The Short- 

 Periofl Variable KZ Cephei : C. Martin and H. C. Plummer. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 6. — The Use of Soap Films 

 in Solving Torsion Problems: A. A. Griffith and G. I. Taylor. 

 MONDAY, December 17. 



Aristotelian Society, at 8.— 1 he Conception of Reality : Dr. G. E. 

 Mo^re. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 5. — The Drift of the Endurance : 

 2nd Lieut. J. M. Wordie. 



Royal Society op Arts, at 4.30.— Progress in the Metallurgy of Copper : 

 Prof. H. C. H. Carpenter. 



Victoria Institute, at 4.30.— The Mosaic Origin of the Pentateuch : Rev. 

 A. H. Finn. 



Society of Engineers, at 5.— High-speed Railways : E. W. C. Kearney. 

 TUESDAY, December tS. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 5.30. — The Buenos Aires Western 

 Railway Tunnels under the City of Buenos Aires : W. L. L. Brown. 



RoVAL Statistical Society, at 5.15. 



Illuminating Engineering Society, at 5. — Presidential Address: A. P. 

 Trotter. 



Institution of Petroleum Technologists, at 8. — The Prospective Oil- 

 fields of Barbadoes: E. H. C. Craig. 



WEDNESDAY, Decembkk 19. 



Roval Meteorological Society, at 5. — Computation of Wind Velocity 

 from Pilot- Balloon Observations : P. Bolton. — The Use of Monthly Mean; 

 Values in Climatological Analysis : E. G. Bilham. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 4.30.— Science and the Cold Storage Industry 

 Prof. J. Wemyss Anderson. 



Geological Society, at 5.30. 



Royal Microscopical Society, at 8. — Cytology and Genetics: Prof. W 

 Bateson. 



THURSDAY, December 20. 



Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, at 5.30. — A Neglected 

 Chemical Reaction and an Available Source of Potash ; E. A. Ashcroft. 

 — Syphoning Gravel : J. Jervis Garrard, 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Gold-bearing Conglomerates of South Africa. By 



C. G. C. 281 



Municipal Engineering 282 



A Manual on Explosives 282 



Our Bookshelf 283 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Resonance Radiation and the Quantum Theory. — 



T. K. Chinmayam 284 



An Optical Phenomenon — Capt. C. J. P. Cave . . 284 

 The Control of the Non-ferrous Metal Industries. 



By Prof. H. C. H, Carpenter 284 



The Role of Selection in Evolution. By J. A. T. . 285 



The Future of the Trade in Colonial Raw Materials 286 



Notes 287 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Fall of a Meteoiite in Perthshire 291 



Observations of Long-period Variables 291 



Messier's Catalogue of Clusters and Nebulse . . . 291 



Science in India 292 



Alkali Soils and Soil Solutions 292 



Local Natural History Societies 292 



Parasitic Birds 293 



Science and its Functions. By A, A. Campbell 



Swinton, F. R.S 294 



University and Educational Intelligence .... 299 



Societies and Academies . . 299 



Books Keceived 300 



Diary of Societies . . 300 



Edito'ial 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. 25 II, VOL. 100] 



