Ii8 



NATURE 



[October g, igig 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, September 15.— M. L6on 

 Guignard in the chair. — E. Goursat : Remarks on a 

 problem of vectorial geometry. — H. Le Chatelier and 

 B. Bogitch : Refractory properties of aluminous 

 materials. In .spite of the high melting point of 

 alumina, it has proved in practice to be an unsatis- 

 factory refractory material. Measurements of the 

 resistance to crushing at varying temperatures of 

 alumina bricks, made up in different ways, are given, 

 and it is shown that all become plastic at tempera- 

 tures between 1200° C. and 1500° C. This explains 

 their failure in steel furnaces, where the temperature 

 exceeds 1600° C. In special types of laboratory fur- 

 nace, where the material is not required to bear 

 pressure, alumina can be u.sed with advantage, and 

 details are given of the method of building such a 

 furnace capable of sustaining a temperature of 

 1600° C. — H. Le Chatelier : The development of 

 scientific research in the United States. — A. Foch : 

 Concerning the period of water-mains with a unique 

 characteristic, furnished with an air-chamber. — L. 

 Picart and F. Courty : Observations of the Metcalf and 

 Borrelly comets made at the Bordeaux Observatory 

 (38-cm. equatorial). Details of observations made on 

 August 23 (Metcalf). .\ugust 31, and September i 

 and 4 (Borrelly). — L. Picart and F. Courty : Further 

 observations on these two comets. Measurements are 

 given for September ;, q, 10, and 11. — H. Vander- 

 linden : Elements of the comet iQiqr (Borrelly). — L. 

 Guillet, I. Durand, and J. Galibourg : Contribution to 

 the study of the tempering of certain aluminium 

 alloys. The alloys studied were of the duralumin type, 

 containing about 37 per cent, of copper, 06 per cent, 

 of manganese, 025 per cent, of zinc, and 043 per 

 cent, of magnesium. The breaking strain, elastic 

 limit, and hardnes." all increase with the time after 

 tempering, a remarkable property sTiown bv this alloy 

 alone. The hardness w,ts measured at varying inter- 

 vals of time after tempering at temperatures of 300° C, 

 400° C., 4Co° C, and 500° C, and the transformation 

 point found to lie between 400° C. and 450° C. The 

 increase of hardness with time was only shown when 

 the tempering temperature was above 400° C. — A. 

 Carpentier : The fructifications of SjyhenoHeris 

 herbacea. — L. Daniel : The stability and heredity of 

 the Cratasgomespilus and the Pirorvdonia. — V. 

 Galippe : The resistance of livinsj intra-cellular agents 

 to the action of certain chemical substances. . Tb'" 

 microzvmas of tissues are not destoved bv glycerol, 

 alcohol, chloroform, or bv lanse of time. — M 

 Herlant : New researches on the inhibiting action 

 exercised by the sperm of the mollusc on the fecunda- 

 tion of the egg of the sea-urchin. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Cattle and the Future of Beef-Production in Eng- 

 land. By K. J. J. Mackenzie. Pp. xi-l-168. (Cam- 

 bridge : .'\t the Unix-ersity Press.) 7,?. 6d. net. 



Unexplored New Guinea. By W. N. Beaver. 

 Pp. 320. (London : Seeley, Service, and Co., Ltd.) 

 25^. net. 



Spitsber.^en. By Dr. R. N. Rudmose Brown. 

 Pp. 319. (London : Seeley, Service, and Co., Ltd.) 

 25s. net. 



Modern Engineering Workshop Practice. By 

 H. Thompson. Pp. xi-i-328. (London : C. Grifiin 

 and Co., Ltd.) qs. net. 



Cataly.sis in Theory and Practice. Bv Dr. E. K. 

 Rideal and Prof. H. S. Taylor. Pp. xv-l-496. 

 (London : Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 17s. net. 



NO. 2606, VOL. 104] 



Submarines and Sea Power. By C. Domville-Fife. 

 Pp. viii-i-25o. (London : G. Bell and Sons, Ltd.) 

 JOS. 6d. net. 



An Introduction to General Physiology, with Prac- 

 tical Exercises. By Prof. \V. M. Bayliss. Pp. w + 

 238. (London : Longmans and Co.) 74. 6J. net. 



Text-book on Wireless Telegraphy. By Prof. R. 

 Stanley. New edition in 2 vols. Vol. i. Pp. xiii4- 

 471. Vol. ii. Pp. ix + 357. (London : Longmans and 

 Co.) 155. net each vol. 



.\ Practical Handbook of British Birds. Part 4. 

 Pp. 209-272 + 3 plates. (London : Witherby and Co., 

 September 26, igig.) 4^. net. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



TUESDAY, October h. 

 Royal Anthropological Institute, at 8 15. — T.ieut. E. ^y. Pearson 



Chinnery : Initiation Ceremonies of the Mambare and Kumusi Divisions, 



British New Guinea. 



THURSDAY, October 16. 

 The Institution of Minino and Metallurgy, at 5.30. — C. M. Harris* 



Prospecting for Gold and Other Ores in Western Australia.— F. Danvers 



Power : Coral Island Phosphates in the Making. 

 Optical Society, at 7.30.— J. W. French: The Unaided Eye, H — 



Chas. W. Gamble : Projection Screens. 



TUESDAY, October ji. 

 Zoological Society, at 5.30. —E. G. Boulenger: Report on Research 



Experiment* on Methods of Rat destruction at ihe Zoological Society's 



Gardens. — Dr. A. Smith Woidwatd. Prof. F. Wood Jones, Prof. J. P. 



Hill, Prof. A. Keith, Mr. R. I. Pocock, Prof. G. K.lliot Smith, and 



Others ; Discussion on the Zoological Position and Affinities of Tarsius. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Mathematical Text-books. By Dr. S. Brodetsky . 109 



Vagueness and Discrimination. By H. W. C. no 

 Iron and Steel Production in Great Britain during 



the War m 



Our Bookshelf 112 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Temperature in the Sea.— A. Mallock, F.R.S. . 113 

 Percussion Figures in Isotropic Solids. (Illustrated.) 



— Prof. C. V. Raman . .... 113 



The Rigidity of the Earth. — Dr. A. A. Michelson . 



and Henry G. Gale ... 114 



The " Flying Gallop" in Art. — Dr B, Laufer . . 114 



Museums, Education, and the Board . . . . . I14 



The Coalfields of Spitsbergen. By R. N. R. B. . . 115 



Notes ... I'S 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Comet 19191 H? 



A Faint Nova . . II9 



Hindu .Spherical Astronomy 119 



Stellar Clusters II9 



The Aurora of October I ... 119 



The Sudan Irrigation Works. By Dr. Brysson 



Cunnmgham 120 



Colliery Boiler-Plants . 120 



The British Association at Bournemouth: — 



Section D— Zoology — Opening Address by Dr. F. A. 

 Dixey, M.A., F.R.S., President of the 



Section . 121 



University and Educational Intelligence . ... 126 



Societies and Academies 128 



Books Received . . . . • 128 



Diary of Societies . . I2& 



(Index.) 



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Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the 

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Editorial Communications to the Editor. 

 Telegraphic Address: Piiusis, London. 

 Jtlephone Number: Gerr.^rd 8830. 



