i68 



NA TURE 



[June i6, i: 



d'Arsonval. This resonator creates a very intense alternating 

 field, a Geissler tube being lit up at two metres distance. The 

 discharge resembles in appearance that of a statically charged 

 body, and causes lesions of the skin similar to those produced 

 by the X-rays. — Visibility of the blind spot in the retina, by M. 

 Aug. Charpentier. The experiments cited show that the spot 

 where the optic nerve enters the retina, although insensible to 

 light and blind in the proper sense of the word, is really repre- 

 sented in space by positive visual sensations occupying the same 

 place, as if it were replaced in the eye by a real piece of retina 

 in continuity with the rest of the membrane. — Quality of the 

 fifteen vowels of the French language, by M. Monoyer. — 

 Action of ammonium persulphate upon the silver in photo- 

 graphic negatives and the utilisation of this action, by MM. 

 Lumiere and M. Seyewetz. By means of a 5 per cent, solution 

 of ammonium persulphate it is possible to reduce an over- 

 exposed photograph in a manner not possible with the re- 

 agents previously suggested for this purpose, the persulphate 

 acting first upon the most opaque portions of the negative, and 

 leaving the half-shadows untouched. — On the causes of the im- 

 perfections in radiographs brought about by the use of rein- 

 forcing screens, by M. A. Londe. Comparative photographs 

 were made with five screens, the platinocyanide of barium and 

 of potassium, sulphide of zinc, Becquerel's violet sulphide, and 

 Kahlbaum's screen. Whilst some of these increased the rapidity 

 of action of the X-rays, it was always at the expense of clear- 

 ness of definition, the image being accompanied by a kind of 

 halo. Hence these screens cannot be employed in delicate 

 work. — On the constitution of the ternary alloys, by M. Georges 

 Charpy. A microscopical study of the bismuth-lead-tin and 

 copper-tin-antimony alloys. — On the yttrium earths contained 

 in the monazite sands, by M. O. Boudouard.— On the 

 jcarbonic acid of the atmosphere, by MM. Albert-Levy and 

 JI. Henriet. The differences occasionally observed between 

 the amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide as determined by 

 potash and baryta respectively, may possibly be due not to a 

 different absorptive power for the gas with the two reagents, but 

 to a slow oxidation of the organic matter present in the air 

 which proceeds with different velocities in the two cases. — 

 On a crystallised hepta-acetate of ouabaine, by M. Arnaud. 

 .Obtained by the action of acetic anhydride in presence of zinc 

 chloride upon ouabaine. — On some acetals of pyrocatechol, by 

 M. Ch. Moureu. — Nitration of cellulose and its hydroxy- and 

 oxy-derivatives, by M. Leo Vignon. — A new mucin extracted 

 from an ovarian cyst, by M. Charles Lepierre. — On the Holo- 

 thuria collected by the Travailleur and Talisman, by M. Remy 

 Perrier. — On the embryogeny of Serpula infundibulum and 

 Hydrdides pectinata, by M. Albert Soulier. — Polymorphism in 

 an Annelid {Dodecaceria concharum), by MM. FeUx Mesnil 

 and Maurice Caullery. — On the sexuality and relations of the 

 Sphacelariacese, by M. C. Sauvageau. — On the palseozoic layers 

 on the southern declivity of the Montagne-Noire, by M. J. 

 Bergeron. — Characteristics of the bitumenous schist of the Bois- 

 , d'Asson (Basse-Alpes), by M. C. Eg. Bertrand. — On the trans- 

 port of the sick, by M. Bonnafy. A discussion of the relative 

 .merits of State hospital-transports or ships chartered from the 

 jnercantile marine for this purpose. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA y, June 16. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Observations on Stomata : Francis Darwin, 

 F.R.S. — Note on the Attenuation and Exaltation of the Virulence of the 

 Organism of Texas Fever: A. Edington.— Mathematical Contributions 

 to the Theory of Evolution. V. On the Reconstruction of the Stature of 

 Prehistoric Races: Prof. K. Pearson, F.R.S. —On some Expressions for 

 the Radial and Axial Components of the Magnetic Force in the Interior 

 of Solenoids of Circular Cross Section: C. Coleridge Farr.— On the 

 Source of the Riintgen Raj's in Focus Tubes : A. A. C. Swinton.— On 

 the Constituents of Argon : Prof. W. Ramsay, F.R.S., and M. W. 

 Travers. — And other Papers. 



JLiNNEAN Society, at 8.— Observations on the Seasonal Variations of Ele- 

 vation in a Branch of Horse-Chestnut Tree: Miller Christy.— On 

 Pantopoda collected by Mr. W. S. Bruce in Franz-Josef Land : G. H. 

 Carpenter.— Morphological Relationships of the Actiniaria and Madre- 

 poraria : J. E. Duerden.— On some Fossil Leporines : Dr. CI. Forsyth 

 Major. 



Chemical Society, at 8.— Ballot for the Election of Fellows.— Prepara- 

 tion of a Standard Acid Solution by Direct Absorption of Hydrogen 

 Chloride: Dr. G. T. Moody.— Researches on the Terpenes. III. 

 Halogen Derivatives of Fenchene and their Reactions. IV. On the 

 Oxidation of Fenchene : J. A. Gardner and G. B. Cockburn. 

 SATURDAY, June 18. 



Geologists' Association (London Bridge, L.B.S.C.), at 12.25. — Excur- 

 sion to Crowborough. Directors : G. Abbott and R. S. Herries. 



MONDAY. June 20. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.^0. — Tirah: the Geographical Re- 

 sults of the Recent Afridi Campaign : Colonel Sir T. Hungerford 

 Holdich. 



Society of Chemical Industry, at 8. — Aluminium as a Heating and 

 Reducing Agent (in the Production of Chromium and other Metals) : 

 Dr. Hans Goldschmidt and Mr. Claude Vautin. 



Victoria Institute, at 4.30. 



TUESDAY. June 21. 



Zoological Society, at 8.30. — Remarks upon Series of Specimens of 

 Lepidosiren and other Fishes obtained in Paraguay : J. Graham Kerr. — 

 Report on the Collection of Fishes made by Mr. J. E. S. Moore in Lake 

 Tanganyika during his Expedition 1895-96 ; with an Appendix by Mr. 

 J. E. S. Moore. — On the Scorpions, Spiders, and Solpnga collected by 

 Mr. C. Steuart Betton in East Africa between Mombasa and Uganda: 

 R. I. Pocock. 



Royal Statistical Society, at 5. — Annual General Meeting. 



Royal Photographic Society, at 8. — Photographic Images: Captain 

 W. de W. Abney. 



WEDNESDAY, June 22. 



Geological Society, at 8. — Post-GIacial Beds exposed in the Cutting of 

 the New Bruges Canal ; T. Mellard Reade.— High-level Marine Drift at 

 Colwyn Bay : T. Mellard Reade. — Observations on the Geology of Franz 

 Josef Land : Dr. Reginald Koettlitz. — Notes on Rocks and Fossils from 

 Franz Josef Land brought home by Dr. Koettlitz, of the Jackson- 

 Harmsworth Expedition, in 1897 : E. T. Newton, F.R.S., and J. J. H. 

 Teall, F.R.S.— On the Corallian Rocks of Upware : C. B. Wedd. 

 FRIDA y, June 24. 



Physical Society, at 5. — Exhibition of an Apparatus illustrating the 

 Action of Two Coupled Electric Motors : Prof. Carus- Wilson. —Exhibi- 

 tion of Weedon's Expansion of Solids Apparatus : J. Quick. — On the 

 Theory of the Hall Effect in a Binary Electrolyte : Dr. F. G. Donnan. 

 SATURDAY, June 25. 



Geologists' Association (Liverpool Street Station, G.E.R.), at 9.30 a.m. 

 —Excursion to Sudbury. Director : Dr. J. W. Gregory. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Grundriss der Vergleichenden Anatomie der Wirbelthiere : 

 Prof. R. Wiedersheim, Vier'te, Ganzlich Umgearbeitete Auflage (Jena, 

 Fischer). — The Wonderful Century : A. R. Wallace (Sonnenschein). — 

 Royal University of Ireland Exam. Papers, 1897 (Dublin, Ponsonby). — 

 University Extension College, Reading, Calendar 1897-9S, 3rd edition 

 (Reading).— The Cubomedusae : F. S. Conant (Baltimore, Johns Hopkins 

 Press). 



Pamphlets. — Lessons in Domestic Science : E. R. Lush, Part i (Mac- 

 millan). — The Romanes Lecture, 1898 : T^^pes of Scenery and their In- 

 fluence on Literature : Sir A. Geikie (Macmillan). 



Serials. — Zeitschrift fiir Wissensch.aftliche Zoologie, Ixiii. Band, 4 Heft 

 (Leipzig). — Physical Review, February, March, April (Macmillan). — Die 

 Vertheilung der Erdmagnetischen Kraft in Osterreich-tingarn : Prof. J. 

 Liznar, ii. Theil (Wien, Gerold). — American Journal of Science, June (New 

 Haven). — Sechster Jahres-Bericht des Sonnblick-Vereines furjdas Jahr 1898 

 (Wien). — Himmel und Erde, June (Berlin). — Bulletin de la Soci^ti I.n- 

 p^riale des Naturalistes de Mo-^cou, 1897, No. 4 (Moscou).— Journal of 

 the Institution of Electrical Engineers, June (Spon). — Brain, Part 81 

 (Macmillan). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



On Laboratory Arts. By C. V. Boys, F.R.S. ... 145 

 A New Text-Book of Zoology. By Prof. E. Ray 



Lankester, F.R.S 147 



The Analysis of Ores. By John Parry 149 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Biedcrmann : "Electro-physiology." — ^J. B. S. . . 150 

 Praeger : " Open-air Studies in Botany : Sketches of 



British Wild-flowers in their Homes " 150 



" The Journal of the Iron and Steel Institute" ... 150 



Cheriton : " A Simplified Euclid " 150 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Origin of the Aurora Spectrum.— Prof. Arthur 



Schuster, F.R.S 151 



The Action of Electric Discharges [on Photographic 



Plates.— A. A. C. Swinton . . ' 151 



A High Rainbow.— Prof. Sidney T. Moreland . . 151 

 Nautical Astronomy. {With Diagrams.) By Captain 



J. F. Ruthven 151 



The London University Bill 154 



The Art and Science Buildings at South Kensington 155 



Notes 156 



Our Astronomical Column:— 



Encke's Comet 160 



New Determination of the Earth's Density 160 



The Large Refractors of the World 160 



The Leeds Astronomical Society 160 



Recent Experiments on certain of the Chemical 

 Elements in relation to Heat. By Prof, W. A. 



Tilden, F.R.S 160 



Science in the Theatre. {Illustrated.) 162 



University and Educationallntelligence 165 



Societies and Academies 166 



Diary of Societies 168 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 168 



NO. 1494, VOL. 58] 



