298 



NATURE 



[November i-^, 1919 



India. The author describes about twenty .speciij; 

 which occur commonly, and others are occasionally 

 met with. L. J. Sedgwick discusses the distinguish- 

 ing features of some closely allied species of the genus 

 Alysicarpus (Leguminosae) ; and P. F. Fyson and 

 M. Balasubrahmanyam describe the growth and root- 

 structure of the strand-grass, Spinifex sqiutrrosus, as 

 a factor in the marine strand vegetation of Madras. 



The recent work of the French in Morocco under 

 the direction of Gen. Lyautey is described in detail 

 by M. A. de Tarde in a well-illustrated article in the 

 Geographical Review- for Julv (vol. viii.. No. i). Gen. 

 Lyautey has not stayed his hand during the war, but 

 has continued a policy of reconstruction on a bold 

 scale, building roads, railways, and harbours, improv- 

 ing agriculture, and multiplying schools, hospitals, and 

 administrative buildings. The growth of European 

 population in t"lie larger town is not to be allowed to 

 crush the native town, nor is the European quarter 

 to form part of the old town. All European towns 

 are to be separated from native towns by a strip of 

 ground, on which no building is allowed. The task of 

 planning the European towns has been entrusted to 

 competent architects and engineers under the direc- 

 tion of M. Prost, who recently drew up plans for the 

 extension of Antwerp. The plans for Casablanca, the 

 chief port, Rabat, Fez, Marrakesh, and Meknes are 

 now complete. 



At the first meeting of the new session of the 

 Institution of Petroleum Technologists, held on 

 October 21, a paper was read by Mr. A. Philip on 

 "Some Laboratory Tests on . Mineral Oils." The 

 author referred at length to the imminent need for 

 the standardisation of tests and methods in petroleum 

 analysis, and considered that it would not be feasible 

 to prepare and circulate standard material of known 

 composition. He therefore urged tlie very detailed 

 description of procedure, so that it would be possible 

 for a reasonably accurate repetition of results to be 

 obtained from chemists working in different labora- 

 tories. The sampling of oils was described minutely 

 as practised at Portsmouth, and great emphasis was 

 laid on this all-important preliminary operation. The 

 author then dealt with the distillation of crude oils, 

 and described a novel experimental still of very con- 

 siderable merit and ingenuity, designed to minimise 

 the time occupied in the determination of the light 

 oils and water-content of a given material. Tabular 

 matter illustrated the application of the method, and 

 results were given of the analysis of the Hardstoft 

 oil. Methods of determining the vapour pressure of 

 petrol, calorific value, moisture, and flash-point were 

 criticised, and the procedure adopted in the lecturer's 

 laboratory was detailed. It was shown that the flash- 

 point of a fuel oil was liable to an experimental error 

 of nearlv 5 per cent., whilst if the oil was wet the dis- 

 crepancies were very much more senous. In consequence 

 a considerable tolerance should be allowed in specifica- 

 tions. A discussion followed, in which Sir Thomas 

 Holland, Prof. Brame, and Dr. Ormandy made refer- 

 ence to the subject of standardisation, whilst Dr. 

 Dunstan, Mr. Mitchell, and Mr. Lomax brought for- 

 ward criticisms of the various methods detailed in 

 the paper. 



The Engineer for October 24 contains a description 

 of the recently completed undertaking for the supply 

 of water to Greater Winnipeg. The quantity ren- 

 dered available amounts to 85,000,000 gallons per day, 

 which should suffice for the needs of the city for 

 some time to come, as the present number of in- 

 habitants is only some quarter of a million, and the 

 consumption 44 gallons per head per day. The water 

 NO. 261 1, VOL. 104] 



is obtained from Shoal Lake, with an area of 107 

 square miles, and a catchment basin of 360 square 

 miles, which is connected with the larger expanse of 

 1400 square miles known as the Lake of the Woods. 

 It is described as soft and excellent in quality; the 

 chlorine content is three parts per million. The dis- 

 tance conveyed is 96^ miles. Of this 77-^ miles is 

 cut-and-cover work, with culverts varying from 

 10 ft. 9 in. by 9 ft. to 6 ft. 5 in. by 5 ft. 5 in. There 

 are 7 miles of river siphons and 9A miles of re- 

 inforced concrete pressure pipe. The distributing 

 mains in the city of Winnipeg consist of 2J miles of 

 48-in. concrete pipe. The work was commenced in 

 1913, and estimated to cost just above 2,6oo,oooJ. 



Mr. F. W. Clifford, librarian to the Chemical 

 Society, contributes to the Library Association Record 

 for August an article on "The Library of the Chemical 

 Society : A Record of a Recent -Attempt at Co-opera- 

 tion." The Chemical Society has always aimed at 

 including in its library every book and periodical that 

 might help its fellows in their work. During the 

 war this library has been of the greatest assistance to 

 ; the nation, since it was found to contain most of the 

 important works of foreign origin which Government 

 I^epartments and manufacturers wished to consult. 

 ! This increased use of the books impressed upon the 

 library committee the importance of further extension 

 in the technical direction. The council therefore in- 

 ; vited a number of kindred societies to co-operate with 

 ; it in extending the technical equipment of the librarv 

 I by appointing representatives on the library committee 

 I and by giving financial assistance for the purchase of 

 j books. The members of the societies thus co-operating 

 are able to use the library on the same terms as 

 j fellows. The invitation has been accepted by the 

 ! Association of British Chemical Manufacturers, the 

 j Biochemical Society, the Faraday Society, the Insti- 

 tute of Chemistry, the Society of Chemical Industry, 

 I the Society of Dyers and Coiourists, and the Society 

 [ of Public Analysts. This, form of co-operation might 

 I perhaps be adopted wjth advantage by other libraries 

 j devoted to special branches of knowledge. 



Messrs. George Bell and Sons, Ltd., announce : — 

 " The Physiology of Vision : With Special Referenc(- 



I to Colour-blindness," Dr. F. W. I{dridge-Green ; 



i "Practical Biological Chemistry," Bertrand and 

 Thomas, translated by Capt. H. A. Colwell; "An 

 Introduction to the Study of Vector Analysis," Prof. 

 C. E. Weatherburn; " Nomography," Dr. S. Brodet- 

 sky; "Differential Equations and their Applications," 

 Dr. H. Pioggio; and "Intermediate Chemistry," Prof. 

 A. Smith. The same publishers have in preparation 

 " Recent Investigations in Fluorescence and Related 

 Phenomena," Prof. R. W. Wood; "A Text-book of 

 Zoology," Prof. C. H. O'Donoghue; and "Physics: 

 An intermediate Course," Dr. A. O. Rankine. 

 Messrs. J. M. Dent and Sons, Ltd., are about to 

 publish a portfolio of twenty-four coloured "Nature 

 Studies " by E. J. Detmold. The issue will be limited 

 to 500 sets, each of which will be numbered and 

 accompanied by a certificate signed by the artist. 

 Messrs. Longmans and Co. have in the press for 

 appearance next year vol. i. of the treatise on " Higher 

 Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry," in six volumes, 

 upon which Dr. J. W. Mellor has been working for 

 the past twelve years. They also announce "A 

 Manual of Practical Anatomy," 3 vols. (vol. i., The 

 Extremities; vol. ii.. The Head and Neck; and 

 vol. iii., The Thorax and Abdomen), Prof. T. 

 Walmsley; "Structural Steelwork," E. G. Beck; 

 "A First- Year Physics for Junior Technical Schools," 

 G. W. Farmer; and "Life in Early Britain: A 

 Survey of the Social and Economic Development of 



