312 



NATURE 



[July 28, 1898 



anhydride, hydrogen iodide, and hydrogen bromide, the tubes 

 containing the substances under examination being placed in 

 baths of different substances. Mixtures of hydrogen with carbon 

 dioxide and sulphur were also submitted to sunlight, but with 

 negative results.— On the Terfezia Leonis from the department 

 of Landes, by M. Ad. Chatin. The host of this fungus in 

 France, as abroad, is Heliantlieinmim guttatuvi. — Results of 

 recent borings for coal in the north of P'rance, by M. J. Gosselet. 

 An account of a series of borings made in the north of France 

 with the view of finding a prolongation of the great Franco- 

 Belgian coal basin. The borings were not successful. — Re- 

 marks by M. Albert Gaudry on the scientific work of M. Victor 

 Lemoine. — jM. Mosso was elected a Correspondant in the 

 Section of Medicine and Surgery in the place of the late M. 

 Tholozan. — On a theorem of M. Casserat, by M. Tzitzeica. — 

 On the elastic equilibrium of a pneumatic tyre, by M. L. 

 Lecornu. — Telegraphy without wires and collisions at sea, by 

 M. ^douard Branly. Although it is quite possible for a trans- 

 mitter on one ship to send signals to another furnished with a 

 sensitive receiver, great difficulties arise when an attempt is 

 made to render the action reciprocal, since the same ship must 

 be furnished with a powerful transmitter and sensitive receivers, 

 and it is scarcely possible to completely shield the latter from 

 the action of the former. The arrangement tentatively suggested 

 is that the current working the transmitter should automatically 

 enclose the neighbouring receivers in a metalUc screen. — On the 

 kathode rays, by M. P. Villard.^ — On a new radio-active sub- 

 stance contained in pitchblende, by M. P. Curie and Mnie. S. 

 Curie. Previous researches have shown that the activity of the 

 Becquerel rays emitted by uranium compounds is proportional 

 to the amount of the metal present. This, however, is not the 

 case for pitchblende, in which the activity is much greater than 

 that calculated from its percentage of uranium. Hence arose 

 the possibility of the presence of a new substance, to account for 

 the increased activity. In the separation of the metals as 

 sulphides the active material was thrown down along with 

 bismuth sulphide ; a partial separation could be effected by 

 heating in vacuo at 700 C, the sublimate thus obtained possess- 

 ing 400 times the activity of uranium. Since no chemical 

 substance out of a large number examined behaves in a 

 similar manner, the authors believe the metal to be a new 

 ■one, and suggest the name of polonium, from the country in 

 which the pitchblende was found. The spectrum exhibits no 

 •characteristic ray. — Decomposition of calcium and barium 

 phosphates by boiling water, by M. Georges Viard. — On 

 -anhydrous-crystallised magnesium sulphide, by M. A. Mourlot. 

 The amorphous sulphide, prepared by the methods of Reichel 

 or Parkinson, is heated in a carbon boat in the electric furnace ; 

 the fused mass thus obtained is crystalline, showing rectangu- 

 lar cleavages clearly. The crystallised sulphide can also be 

 readily produced by the action of tin sulphide upon magnesium 

 chloride in the electric furnace. — Exchange of the halogens in 

 the aromatic series, by M. V. Thomas.— Action of bromine 

 upon para-isobutyl phenol in presence of aluminium bromide. 

 Remarks on the bromination of phenols, by M. F. Bodroux. — 

 On the diketones of tetrahydro-;8-oxazol, derived from the 

 phenylurethanes of some oxy-acids, by M. E. Lambling.— On 

 the estimation of phosphoric acid, by M. Leo Vignon. Some 

 remarks on the criticisms of M. Lasne. — On the existence, in 

 germinated barley, of a soluble ferment capable of acting upon 

 pectin, by MM. Em. Bourquelot and H. Herissey.— On the 

 deep-sea Gephyridia collected from great depths, by the 

 Travailleur and Talisman, by M. Louis Roule. — On the 

 attack of the seeds of Phaseolus by Colletotrichum Linde- 

 muthianum, by M. Edmond Gain.— On the displacement 

 towards the east of the water running from the plateau of Lan- 

 nemezan, by ^L L. A. Fabre.— On the clinical applications of 

 .radiography, by M. Garrigou. 



New South Wales. 

 Royal Society, June i.— Mr. G. H. Knibbs, President, 

 •in the chair.— Aeronautics, by Lawrence Hargrave. The 

 author described at length, with scale drawing and photographs, 

 a kite that under favourable circumstances soars horizontally 

 and at various acute angles to the direction of the wind. The 

 kite is of the well-known cellular form, but in addition has a 

 ibent piece of vulcanite nearly midway between the cells. This 

 is called the propeller, and its effect is to create a vortex that 

 acts on its under and concave side. The vortex pushes against 

 the propeller in the same manner that the ball of a water nozzle 



NO. 1500, VOL. 58] 



draws against the orifice from which the water is issuing. The 

 kite is heavily ballasted with lead, and weighs 1-9 lbs. for 

 every square foot of area. Three methods of soaring were 

 described, and eight points that require investigation were 

 indicated for the guidance of any one who has the leisure and 

 sufficient interest in the subject to assist in the work. The 

 paper also contained a short description of a pipe boiler and 

 screw engine that is intended to drive a flying machine, and 

 also the proposed arrangement of aeroplanes for supporting it, 

 with the method of ensuring a safe trial. — Australian divisional 

 systems, by R. H. Mathews. The author pointed out that all 

 tribes of Australian aborigines are divided into two exogamous 

 intermarrying groups — the men of one group marrying the 

 women of the other group. These tribal divisions have been 

 designated organisations or systems. The names of the groups 

 may change with the languages of the people in different 

 districts, but the same system prevails in them all. Besides 

 this segregation into groups, there is a further subdivision 

 of the latter into smaller segments, bearing the names of 

 animals, such as kangaroo, iguana, emu, cod-fish, frog, &:c. 

 These animal names have been called totems, a word in use for 

 the same purpose among the North American Indians. Mr. 

 Mathews then proceeded to give an exhaustive description of 

 the rules of marriage and descent established in relation to the 

 divisions referred to, selecting examples from various native 

 tribes located in districts widely separated from each other in 

 different parts of Australia.— Artesian waters in New South 

 Wales, by J. W. Boultbee. The paper described briefly the initial 

 efforts at artesian boring in New South Wales, and led up to 

 the utilisation of the water for irrigation purposes ; it described 

 the work in that direction undertaken by the Government at 

 the Native Dog and Pera Bores. It pointed out how the Govern- 

 ment was guided by American experience, and referred to the 

 areas, soil, water, results, and the revolution effected in some 

 of the States, and the rapid growth of settlement by means of 

 the artesian water supply ; it referred to the gradual awakening 

 of the western pastoralists to the benefits conferred. The pro- 

 gress of the work in New South Wales, cost, yield of water, &c. , 

 was tabulated. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Submarine Telegraphs . 289 



A Life of Pasteur. By R. B 290 



Garden-Craft 290 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Fowler and Godlee : "The Diseases of the Lungs."— 



F. W. T .291 



Lamb : "An Elementary Course of Infinitesimal 



Calculus" 292 



Bottone : " Radiography and the 'X'Rays" . . . 292 

 Arundel : " Ackworth Birds, being a List of Birds in 



the District of Ack worth, Yorkshire" ... . 292 



Dale: " Angling Days and an Angler's Books " . . 292 

 Letters to the Editor :— 



Liquid Hydrogen.— Dr. W. Hampson 292 



The Distributionof Prepotency.— Prof. Karl Pearson, 



F.R.S . . 292 



Moral Sense and Ethic— Dr. St. George Mivart, 



F.R.S 294 



Curious Phenomenon. — N. W. Thomas .... 294 

 The Nature and Habits of Pliny's Solpuga. — R. I. 



Pocock 294 



The Buildings at South Kensington. {Illustrated.) 294 

 Aspects of Sun Worship among the Moki Indians. 



{Illustrated.) ByJ. W. F 295 



Closing of the Ben Nevis Observatories 298 



Notes. {Illustrated.) 299 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Ascronomical Occurrences in August 304 



The Minor Planets .' 304 



The Moon and Aurora; 304 



Mars in 1896-7 3^4 



Recent Work in Thermometry. By Dr. C. Chree, 



F.R.S 304 



The Destruction of the Birds and Mammals of the 

 United States. {With Diagra?n.) By William T. 



Hornaday 3°^ 



University and Educational Intelligence 309 



Scientific Serials 310 



Societies and Academies 311 



