700 



NATURE 



[July 29, 1920 



-and gave a note of the times ascertained in tlie de- 

 cerebrate animal. — C. L. Herman ; Notes on the 

 Platana of the Cape Peninsula. The marked differ- 

 ence in the shoulder-girdle of the Platana of the Cape 

 Peninsula from that described and figured by 

 Boulenger as appertaining to Xenopus laevis was 

 pointed out. The importance of the shoulder-girdle 

 as a basis for systematic classification was referred 

 to, and the probability of this Platana being a primi- 

 tive form was suggested. The formation of the 

 external nasals was described, and attention directed 

 to the horny epidermal fold on the superior half of 

 the nasals which gives it rigidity. The synchronous 

 contractions of the nasals and the movement of the 

 premaxilla and maxilla were described and their 

 nature was discussed. It was suggested ^^at this occurs 

 in all the Xenopus, and the wish was expressed that 

 this remarkable phenomenon, now described for the 

 first time, should be looked for in the case of water- 

 frogs generally. — J. R. Sutton : A possible lunar 

 influence upon the velocity of the wind at Kimberley 

 (second paper). In this paper' the author continues 

 the investigation described in a previous paper under 

 the same title. A table and a diagram are given 

 showing the deviations of wind-speed at the times of 

 perigee from the monthly means, arranged in hours 

 of the lunar day. The ranges of velocity deduced are 

 somewhat greater than those previously found for the 

 average of all lunar distances. The noon and mid- 

 night perigee curves are remarkable, and suggest that 

 the wind-speed deviations attributable to the moon are 

 largely due to the superimposition of the lunar air- 

 tide upon the diurnal variations of wind velocity. 

 Thus no two different places could be expected to 

 have quite the same velocity deviation curves. 



Books Received. 



Observations et Experiences faites sur les Animal- 

 cules des Infusions. Vol. i., pp. viii-l-105. Vol. ii.,» 

 pp. iii+122. By L. Spallanzani. (Paris: Gauthier- 

 Villars et Cie.) 3 francs each. 



M^moires sur la Respiration et la Transpiration 

 des Animaux. By A. L. Lavoisier. Pp. viii+67. 

 (Paris : Gauthier-Villars et Cie.) 3 francs. 



A Junior Inorganic Chemistry. By R. H. Spear. 

 Pp. viii + 386. (London: J. and A. Churchill.) 

 10^. 6d. net. 



A Junior Inorganic Chemistry. By R. H. Spear. 

 Part i. Pp. vi+148. (London: J. and A. Churchill.) 

 55. net. 



Ministry pf Finance, Egypt. Survey Department. 

 Contribution k TEtude des Vert^bres Miocenes de 

 I'Egypte. By R. Fourtau. Pp. xi+121+3 plates. 

 (Cairo : Government Press.) P.T. 20. 



University of Iowa Studies in Natural History. 

 Vol. viii.. No. 3. Barbados-Antigua Expedition. By 

 C. C. Nutting. Pp. 274. (Iowa City : University of 

 Iowa.) 



Archimedes. By Sir T. Heath. (Pioneers of Pro- 

 gress Series.) Pp. ii + 58. (London: S.P.C.K. ; 

 New York : The Macmillan Co.) 2s. net. 



The Nature-Study of Plants in Theory and Practice 

 for the Hobbv-Botanist. Bv T. A. Dymes. Pp 

 xviii+173. (London: S.P.C.K.; New York: The 

 Macmilla'n Co.) 65. net. 



yergleichende Anatomic des Nervensystems. Erster 

 Tei.l. : Die Leitungsbahnen im Nervensystem der Wir- 

 bellosen Tiere. Bv JE. B. Drooglever Fortuvn. Pp. 

 viii + 370. (Haarlem: De Erven F. Bohn.) 12. co 

 guilders. ^ 



CEuvres Completes de Christiaan Huygens. Tome 

 NO. 2648, VOL. 105] 



Treizieme. Dioptrique 1653; 1666; 1685-1692. 

 Fascicule i., 1653; ib66. Pp. clxvii -|- 432 . Fascicule 

 ii., 1685-1692. Jr'p. 434-905. (La Haye : M. Nijhoff.) 



An Introduction to Chemical Engineering. By 

 A. F. Allen. Pp. xvi -1-272. (London: Sir I. Pitman 

 and Sons, Ltd.) 105. 6d. net. 



Meddelanden irkn Statens Skogsforsoksanstalt, 

 Haft 17, Nr. 3. Markstudier I Det Nordsvenska 

 Barrskogsomradet. Bodenstudien in der Nord- 

 schwedischen Nadelwaldregion. By Olof Tamm. 

 Pp. 49-300+4 Tavl. (Stockholm : Statens Skogs- 

 forsoksanstalt.) 



The Institution of Civil Engineers. Abstracts of 

 Papers in Scientific Transactions and Periodicals. 

 New Series, No. 4, July. Pp. 238. (London.) 



Conseil Permanent International pour 1 'Exploration 

 de la Mer. Rapports et Proces-Verbaux des Reunions. 

 Vol. xxvi., Proces-Verbaux (1918-19 and 1919-20). 

 Pp. vi+92. (Copenhague : A. F. Host et Fils.) 



The Statesman's Year Book, 1920. (57th Annual 

 Publication.) Edited by Sir J. Scott Keltie and Dr. 

 M. Epstein. Pp. xliv+1494. (London: Macmillan 

 and Co., Ltd.) 20s. net. 



Wasp Studies Afield. By Phil Rau and Nellie Rau. 

 Pp. xv+372. (Princeton: University Press; London: 

 Oxford University Press.) 8s. 6d. net. 



Darkwater : Voices from Within the Veil. By 

 W. E. Burghardt Du Bois. Pp. ix + 276. (London : 

 Constable and Co., Ltd.) 105, 6d. net. 



The Essentials of Histology : Descriptive and 

 Practical. By Sir E. Sharpey Schafer. nth edition. 

 Pp. xii+577. (London : Longmans, Green, and Co.) 

 14s. net. 



White Lead: Its Use in Paint. By Dr. A. H. 

 Sabin. Pp. ix+133. (New York: J. Wiley and Sons, 

 Inc. ; London : Chapman and Hall, Ltd.) 75. 6d. 

 net. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



A Chemical Service for India. By Prof. Henry E. 



Armstrong, F.R.S . . 669 



Tycho Brahe. By Dr. J. K. Fotheringham . . . . 672 



Psychological Tests in Industry 673 



Cultivation of the Vine in America. By V. G. 



Jackson 674 



Our Bookshelf 674 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Genera and Species. — A. Mallock, F.R.S 675 



The Cluster Pine.— Dr. Michael Grabham .... 675 

 The Training of Practical Entomologists. — Dr. A. D. 



Imms 676 



The Separation of the Isotopes of Chlorine.— Angus 



F. Core . 677 



Anticyclones. — R. M. Deeley 677 



Solar Variation and the Weather. ( WM Diagrams.) 



By Dr. C. G. Abbot • 67S 



The Earliest Known Land Flora. (Illustrated.) By 



Prof. F. O. Bower, F.R.S 681 



Obituary : — 



Dr. Robert Munro.— E. N. Fallaize 685 



Notes 686 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Date of Easter 691 



Astronomy in Town Planning 691 



The Empire Timber Exhibition. By Alexander L. 



Howard 691 



The Education Act, igi8 — London County Council 



Draft Scheme 693 



The Society of Chemical Industry 695 



Imperial Cancer Research Fund 696 



Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine 696 



Central Headquarters for British Chemists .... 697 



University and Educational Intelligence 697 



Societies and Academies 699 



Books Received ................. 700 



