33^ 



NATURE 



[August 4, 1898 



Atlantic in 1897, and the other on some of the deposits collected 

 by the German ship Gazelle in 1874 and 1875. In an appendix 

 to the former paper, Mr. R. G. Peakes compared the mean 

 temperature of the sea-bottom between the Bermudas and the 

 West Indies as determined by thermometric observations with 

 that estimated from the resistance of the telegraph cable. The 

 values were respectively 36° '57 and 33° "3 F., a serious dis- 

 crepancy, which seemed to be difficult to trace to any fault in 

 the electrical resistance method. — In notes on coral reefs at 

 Port Louis and Grand Port, Mauritius, Mr. W. Shield gave an 

 account of twelve borings at these places, one of which at Port 

 Louis reached a depth of 68 feet. The character of the material 

 'brought up from each boring was described in detail, but no 

 •general result was indicated.— Dr. James Burgess, in a note on 

 finding log sines and log tangents of small arcs, gave formulae 

 which were much simpler and more accurate than those hitherto 

 ■published. For example, the log sine of an arc oi' x minutes 

 and h seconds was given by the expression 



log sine x + log {x" + h") - log x" - '12 x° //", 

 •%vhere .x" is the x minutes expressed in seconds and x° the 

 •same expressed in degrees —Prof. Tait gave a generalisation of 

 what is known as Josephus' problem, and showed how by a 

 simple arithmetic process the problem could be extended to 

 huge numbers. Thus he found that if every third man were 

 removed from a ring of 8,968,992 until only one was left, that 

 one would be the first. — Prof. Tait also communicated some 

 /recent experimental results on the compressibility of sugar 

 -solutions, which was found to be not much less than that of 

 water, whereas the compressibility of brines is notably less. 

 The results accord with the general principle that the greater 

 the change of volume on dissolving the less the compressibility. 

 — The Chairman read a short review of the work of the session. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, July 25. — M. Wolf in the chair.— 

 On the numerical calculation of the coefficients in the develop- 

 ment of the function of perturbation, by M. O. Callandreau. — 

 Thermogenesis in tetanus, by MM, d'Arsonval and Charrin. 

 Experiments upon rabbits show that disturbances, of an oscilla- 

 tory character, in the production of animal heat make their 

 appearance at an early stage of incubation, and increase in 

 strength until the crisis of the disease is reached. — Note upon 

 animal heat, by M. Emile Blanchard. Some observations on 

 the temperature of insects, more especially of those which are 

 remarkable for their rapid movements. — On a theorem of M. 

 Poincare, by M. S. Zaremba. — On the absorption of the light 

 •emitted by a body placed in a magnetic field, by M. Auguste 

 Righi. — Electrical resistance at the contact of two discs of the 

 •same metal, by M. Edouard Braniy. Two smooth, plane discs 

 ■of zinc or copper, when pressed together, offer practically no 

 jresistance to an electric current under any circumstances. In 

 the case of aluminium, iron and bismuth, however, the resist- 

 ance, although small when the discs are simply pressed together, 

 is greatly increased when they are forcibly brought together 

 by falling from a height. The author is unable to offer any 

 •explanation of these phenomena. — On the diffusion of kathode 

 rays, by M. P. Villard. The phenomena attributed by Prof. S. P. 

 Thompson to parakalhode rays appear to be really caused by 

 diffusion of kathode rays. — Measurement of the velocity of 

 ■the electrified particles during discharge under the influence of 

 ultra-violet light, by M. H. Buisson. The velocity found varied 

 from 25 to 135 centimetres per second, according to the 

 •difference of potential between the plates of the condenser, and 

 was independent of the intensity of the light employed. — On 

 the determination of arsenic in antimony and other metals, by 

 M. O. Ducru. The author recommends the process of distil- 

 iation with hydrochloric acid and ferric chloride, the arsenic in 

 <lhe distillate being afterwards precipitated by hydrogen sulphide. 

 — On the composition of phosphorescent sulphides of strontium, 

 isy M. Jose Rodriguez Mourelo. The specimens of sulphide of 

 strontium employed in the author's previous researches con- 

 tained as impurities, varying in amount according to the 

 method of preparation, strontium sulphate, sulphide and 

 sulphate of barium, calcium sulphide, sodium sulphide, sodium 

 chloride, and traces of aluminium and iron. Pure mono- 

 sulphide of strontium is not phosphorescent. — Detection and 

 estimation of methyl alcohol in ethyl alcohol, by M. A. Trillat. 

 The process described depends upon the formation of methylal, 

 when methyl alcohol is oxidised with potassium bichromate and 

 sulphuric acid, and the conversion of this substance, by con- 

 densation with dimethylaniline, into tetramethyldiamidodi- 



NO. 1 501, VOL. 58] 



phenylmethane. This compound, when oxidised with peroxide 

 of lead in acetic acid solution, gives an intense blue coloration, 

 the depth of which is proportional to the amount of methyl 

 alcohol originally present in the liquid under examination. — On 

 the aloins, by M. E. Leger. A number of substitution de- 

 rivatives of barbaloin and of isobarbaloin are described, and the 

 conviction is expressed that these are the only aloins which exist 

 in the various aloes of commerce. — Study of the phosphoric 

 acid dissolved by the water of the soil, by M. Th. Schloesing 

 fils. The dissolved phosphoric acid appears to be independent 

 of the amount of water in the soil. — On the composition 

 and alimentary value of millet, by M. Ballard. This 

 grain is rich in nitrogen and fat ; it resembles maize in com- 

 position, and forms a more complete food than wheat. — 

 Contributions to the study of the function of the nucleolus by 

 M. Antoine Pizon. — On the different phases in the development 

 of a new species oi Sarcina, by M. E. Roze. The new species, 

 for which the name Sarcina evolveus is suggested, was observed 

 upon the macerated tubercles of Boussingaullia baselloides. — 

 On a silicified Lepidodendron from Brazil, by M. R. Zeiller. — 

 Production of acute meningoencephalo-myelitis in the dog by 

 the bacillus of septiccemia of the guinea-pig. — On the polar 

 vortex, by M. A. Poincare. This paper deals with the move- 

 ments of the atmosphere in the polar regions. — On the adherence 

 of the copper washes used in coml)ating the cryptogamic dis- 

 eases of the vine, by MM. G. M. Guillon and G. Gouirand. 

 For the destruction of the parasites of the vine, the use of a large 

 quantity of cupric sulphate is of less importance than the close 

 adherence of the salt to the surface of all the organs of the plant. 

 This adherence is sought to be effected by the addition of such 

 substances as molas.ses, soap, gelatine, lime and other alkalies, 

 to the solution of cupric sulphate. The present paper gives the 

 results of a number of experiments in which glass plates were 

 sprinkled with the various washes, dried in the sun, exposed for 

 a certain time to the action of rain, and the amount of copper 

 left determined. Lime and gelatine appear to be the most 

 effective fixing agents. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Three Books on Practical Electricity. By Prot. A. 



Gray, F.R.S 313 



The Angora Goat. By R. L 314 



Astronomical Religion in Egypt 315 



Psychological Science. By A. E. Taylor 316 



Our Book Shelf;— 



Beddard: "Elementary Practical Zoology." — M.F.W. 318 



Besant : " Elementary Conies." — G. H. B. ... 318 



Baker: "Examples in Analytical Conies fo 

 "— G. H. B 



318 



gmners. 

 Dobbie's Horticultural Handbooks — " Pansies, Violas 



and Violets" 318 



Edwards : "The Mechanical Engineer's Handy Office 



Companion" 318 



Letters to the Editor :— 



Metargon and the Interplanetary Medium. — J. R. 



Rydberg 319 



Metargon. — Prof, James Dewar, F.R.S 319 



Liquid Hjdrogen. -Prof. James Dewar, F.R.S. . 319 

 The Medr,s i of Lake Urumiah. —Dr. Albert Gunthei", 



F.R.S 319 



Distillery Pollution. — C. A. Stevenson 319 



The Nature and Habits of Pliny's Solpuga. — A. J. C. 320 



The Vaccination Bill 320 



Mr. Warington Smyth on Siam. (Illuslraled.) By 



Dr. Hugh Robert Mill 322 



The Nature of the Antagonism between Toxins 



and Antitoxins. By W. D. H 323 



A Minister of Education at Last . . 324 



Notes 326 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



August Meteors 330 



Woll's Comet 33° 



The Variable Ceti 330 



The Red Spot on Jupiter, and its Suspected 

 Identity with Previous Markings. {IVlth Diagram.) 



By W. F. Denning 331 



The Germination of Hordeum vulgare. [Illustrated.) 

 By Dr. Horace T. Brown, F.R.S., and F. Escombe 332 



University and Educational Intelligence 334 



Scientific Serials . 335 



Societies and Academies 335 



