96 



NATURE 



[May 26, 1898 



Duporcq.— On the Hamiltonian groups, by M. G. A. Miller. — 

 On the liquefaction of hydrogen and of helium, by M. 

 James Dewar (see Nature, p. 55.) On a Crookes' tube 

 which can be revivified by osmosis, by M. P. Villard. A 

 platinum tube is fixed to one end of the glass part of a 

 Crookes' tube. When after repeated use the resistance of the 

 tube becomes too high, the platinum tube is heated with a' 

 Bunsen burner, the hydrogen of the flame penetrates the tube, 

 and in two or three seconds the tube is fit for use again. — On 

 a property of fluorescent screens, by M. P. Villard. If an object 

 is placed between the Crookes' tube and the screen, the latter 

 illuminated for some time, and then the object removed, it is 

 found that those parts of the screen previously protected by the 

 interposed object are more luminous than the others. — On the 

 molecular weights of the easily liquefiable gases, by M. Daniel 

 Berthelot. Starting with the theorem that the molecular weights 

 of gases are proportional to their limiting densities when the 

 pressure is infinitely small, from the experiments of M. Leduc, 

 the true density ratios of oxygen, carbon droxide, nitrous oxide, 

 hydrochloric acid, acetylene, phosphoretted hydrogen, and 

 sulphur dioxide are determined, the precision being, in the 

 opinion of the author, equal to that obtained by the best chem- 

 ical methods. — On the preparation and properties of anhydrous 

 beryllium fluoride, and the oxyfiuoride of beryllium, by M. P. 

 Lebeau. The product obtained by drying in air the substance 

 given by the solution of beryllium hydrate in hydrofluoric acid 

 is an oxyfiuoride, 5BeF2.2BeO, and the anhydrous fluoride cannot 

 be obtained in this way. The latter, however, can be obtained 

 in the pure state if the drying be conducted in a stream of 

 gaseous hydrogen fluoride. — On a method of preparing potas- 

 sium carbonyl- ferrocyanide synthetically, by M. J. A. Muller. 

 Potassium ferrocyanide, heating in closed vessels with carbonic 

 oxide at 130°, gives in less than forty-eight hours 90 per cent, of 

 the theoretical yield of K3Fe(CN)5CO.— On a new unsaturated 

 tertiary alcohol, dimethylheptenol, by M. Ph. Barbier. — Ethane- 

 pyrocatechol and its derivatives, by M. Ch. Moureu.— On the 

 presence of the common eel in the open sea, by ' M. Leon 

 Vaillant. The eel was found in the stomach of a sperm whale, 

 and is of interest in furnishing an undoubted proof that the eel 

 descends to the sea. — On the development oi Alpheiis minor, by 

 M. H. Coutiere. — Origin of the structure of lenticels, by M. 

 Henri Devaux. The observations given show that the lenticel 

 is a small region continually accommodating itself to the con- 

 ditions of external moisture.— On the origin of the thallus of 

 the Cutleriacese, by M. C. Sauvageau.— On the Septoria 

 gramifiwn, destroying the leaves of wheat, by M. L. Mangin. — 

 Insertion of the base of the nerve fibre on the limiting margin 

 of an adult nerve axis, in the form of a continuous epithelial 

 sheet, by M. J. Renaut. — Some micro-organisms of soured wines, 

 by MM. F. Bordas, Joulinandde Raczkowski. — Some periscopic 

 glasses, by M. Ostwalt. —Variations in the pressure and hori- 

 zontal components of the wind governed by the moon. Dis- 

 cussion of the formulae : generation of depressions, by M. A. 

 Poincare.— Earthquakes of May 6, 1898, documents by M. 

 Jullien of Chambery, M. Guerby of Annecy, M. Andre of 

 S lint-Genis-Laval, and M. Soret of Geneva, communicated by 

 M. Mascart. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA y. May 26. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.-011 the Cytological Features of Fertilisation and 

 Related Phenomena in Pinus silvestris L. : V. H. Blackman.— The 

 Skeleton and Cl.assification of the Calcareous Sponges : G. P. Bidder — 

 On Surfusion in Metals and Alloys: Prof. Roberts-Austen, F.R.S.— 

 Note on the Complete Scheme of Electrodynamic Equations of a Moving 

 Material Medium, and on Electrostriction : Dr. J. Larmor, F.R.S — 

 Aluminium as an Electrode in Cells for Direct and Alternate Currents: 

 E. Wilson.— Contributions to the Study of " Flicker " : T. C. Porter.— 

 On the Kathode Fall in Gases : Dr. Capstick. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Heat : Lord Rayleigh. 



l.vsTiTUTiON OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 8.— The Design of Electric 

 Railway Motors for Rapid Acceleration ; Prof. Charles A. Carus- 

 Wilson. 



FRIDA Y, May 27. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— Sir Stamford Raffles and the Malay States : 

 Li?ut.-General the Hon. Sir Andrew Clarke. 



PrfYSiCAL Society, at 5.— A Simple Interference Method of Reducing 

 Prismatic Spectra: Mr. Edser and Mr. Butler.— Some further E.xperi- 

 ments on the CircuLation of the Residual Gaseous Matter in Crojkes' 

 Tubes Campbell Swinton. 



SATURDAY, May 28. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— The Biology of Spring : J. Arthur Thomson. 



Geologists' Association (Liverpool Street Station, G.E.R.). at 11 45.— 

 Long Excursion to Aldeburgh and Westleton. Directors ; W. Whitaker, 

 F.R.S., F. W. Harmer, and E P. Ridley. 



NO. 1 49 1, VOL. 58] 



WEDNESDAY, June i. 

 Entomological Society, at 8. — The Lepidoptera Heterocera of China 



and Japan : J. H. Leech. — The Moths of the Lesser Antilles ; Sir Geo. 



F. Hampson, Bart. 



THURSDAY, June 2. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — Modern Methods and their •Achievements 



in Bacteriology : Dr. E. E. Klein. 

 Linnean Society, at 8. — Notes on some Lories : Prof. St. George Mivart, 



F.R.S. —A Revisionof the Genus Symblepharis : E. J.'Satmon. — On the- 



Food of the Uropoda : Surgeon-Captain H. A. Cummins. 

 Chemical Society, at 8. — The Action of Ether on Organic Acids and on 



Carbohydrates in Presence of Hydrogen Bromide : H. J. H. Fenton and 



Mildred Gostling. 



FRIDA Y, June 3. 

 Royal Institution, at o.— The Development of the Tomb in Egypt: 



Prof W, M. Flinders Petrie, 

 Geologists' Association, at 8.— Fossil Sharks and Skates, with special 



reference to those of the Eocene Period : A. Smith Woodward. 



SATURDAY, June 4. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— The Temples and Ritual of Asklepios at 

 Epidaurus and Athens : Dr. R. Caton. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Electro-Dynamics: Prof. C. A. Carus- Wilson (Longmans). — 

 Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, 1897 (Darling). — The Scientific 

 Memoirs of Thomas Henry Huxley, edited by Profs. M. Foster and E. Ray 

 Lankester, Vol. i (Macmillan). — Creation Records discovered in Egypt : 

 G St. Clair (Nutt). — Catalogue of the African Plants collected by Dr. F. 

 Welwitsch in 1853-61 : W. P. Hiern, Part 2 (British Museum).— List of the 

 Types and Figured Specimens of Fossil Cephalopoda in the British 

 Museum (Natural History): G. C. Crick (British Museum). — Elements of 

 Descriptive Astronomy : Prof. H. A. Howe (Philip). — Manual Training : 

 Woodwork : G. Ricks (Macmillan).— A Simplified Euclid Book I. : W. W. 

 Cheriton (Rivingtons). — Syllabus der Pflanzenfamilien : Dr. A. Engler, 

 Zweite, umgearbeitete Ausgabe (Berlin, Borntraeger). — Die Vegetation der 

 Erde, II. Grundziige der Pflanzenverbreitung in der Karpethen : F. Pax, 

 I. Band (Leipzig, Engelmann). 



Pamphlets. — Per la Storia della Meteorologia in Italia: P. G. Boffito 

 (Torino). — Essai sur laTh^orie des Machines Electriques a Influence : Prof. 

 V. Schaffers (Paris, Gauthier-Villars). — Versuch einer Darstellung der Emp- 

 findiingen : W. Przibram (Wien, Holder). 



Serials. — Journal of the Chemical Society, May (Gurney). — Zoologist, 

 May (West).— Himmel und Erde, Mai (Berlin).— History of Mankind : F. 

 Ratzel, translated. Part 26 (Macmillan).— Bulletin del'Acadtfmie Royaledes 

 Sciences, &c., de Belgique, 1S98, No. 4 (Bruxelles). — Memoirs and Pro- 

 ceedings of the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society, Vol. 42, 

 Part 2 (Manchester). — L' Anthropologic, Tome ix. No. 2 (Paris). — 

 Monthly Weather Review, February, (Washington). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Modern Physiology from the Chemical Standpoint. 



By Dr. T. H. Milroy tt, 



Vegetable Organography. By H. H. D 74. 



A Great North Road 75 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Fischer: " Vorlesungen liber Bacterien " 76 



KoUmann : " Lehrbuch der Entwicklungsgeschichte 



des Menschen " 77 



Missouri Botanical Garden 77 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Liquefaction of Hydrogen.— Dr. W. Hampson . . jj 

 Concerning the Thermodynamic Correction for an Air- 

 Thermometer.— John Rose-Innes .... 77 

 Printer's Ink and Photographic Plates. — Rev. F. J. 



Jervis-Smith, F.R.S. 78 



Heavy Rainfalls. — C. Drieberg 78 



Hermaphroditism in the Apodidse. — Henry Bernard 78 

 Magnetism and Sun-spots. (With Diagrams.) By 



William Ellis, F.R.S 78 



Monographs of the United States Geological 



Survey. By H. B. W 81 



Anthropology in Madras. {Illustrated.) By Edgar 



Thurston 82 



Notes 84 



Our Astronomical Column:— 



Astronomical Occurrences in June 88 



Blurring Aberration in the Telescope 88 



Photography by the Aurora Borealis 88 



Mr. Tebbutt's Observatory 88 



Some New Studies in Kathode and Rontgen 

 Radiations. {Illustrated.) By Alan A. Campbell 



Swinton 88 



University and Educationallntelligence 92 



Scientific Serials . 92 



Societies and Academies 93 



Diary of Societies 9^ 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 96 



