588 



NA TURE 



[October 13, 1898 



be absolutely independent institutions, having their own 

 premises, equipment, and staff, in which instruction in science 

 can be carried to a much higher point than obtains at present ; 

 and it is hoped that such schools of science, in the proper sense 

 of the term, will be before long established in the large towns. 

 But for the present, on good cause being shown, the existing 

 practice of recognising, as schools of science, the science sides 

 or departments of secondary schools, will not be departed from. 

 The science side must, however, be clearly separated from the 

 classical or language side of such schools. In view of the 

 presumably greater age of pupils in a secondary school, it will 

 be required, as a condition' of the continued recognition of a 

 school of science, that a considerable proportion of the pupils 

 shall proceed to the advanced course ; and the inspectors will be 

 directed to make strict inquiry into the reasons which prevent 

 pupils who have enteted upon the course, and are still in 

 attendance ait the school, from completing the curriculum. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, October 3. — M. Van Tieghem in 

 the chair. — The analysis of some commercial specimens of 

 calcium carbide, by M. Henri Moissan. If calcium carbide is 

 prepared from impure materials, it is liable to contain calcium 

 phosphide and aluminium sulphide, both decomposable by 

 water, giving hydrogen phosphide and sulphide respectively. 

 In the residue left after treatment with water, besides lime, there 

 is found calcium, iron, and carbon silicides, calcium sulphide, 

 and sometimes graphite. Crystals of silica are also present, 

 but a careful search for diamonds gave negative results in all 

 the samples examined. The acetylene produced by the action 

 of water upon the carbide contains traces of sulphur compounds 

 other than sulphuretted hydrogen. — Increase of weight of the 

 body, and the transformation of fat into glycerine, by M. Ch. 

 Bouchard. In the course of some observations upon the 

 changes of weight in a man placed under such conditions that 

 the only ingesta conld be atmospheric air and the only excreta 

 moisture and carbonic dioxide, a distinct gain of weight was 

 observed. Repetitions were made confirming this, the gain 

 being on one occasion as much as 40 grams per hour. After a 

 discussion of the possible ways of accounting for this increase, 

 the conclusion is drawn that the only probalile explanation is to 

 be sought in the conversion of fat into glycogen, according to 

 the equation 



Q5Hjo406 + 30O2 = 12H2O + 7CO2 + SCgHjoOs. 



Experiments made on animals fed with fatty diet confirmed this 

 view. — On the distribution of farm manure, by M. P. P. 

 Deherain. An experimental study of the losses of ammonia 

 and carbonic acid by farm manure exposed to intermittent 

 currents of air. — Observations of the planet DQ Witt (August 13), 

 made with the large equatorial of the Observatory of Bordeaux, 

 by MM. Rayet, L. Picart, and F. Courty. — On interscapulo- 

 thoracic amputation in the treatment of malignant tumours of 

 the upper extremity of the humerus, by M. Paul Berger. In 

 both the cases operated on by the author a radical cure was 

 effected, the recovery being very rapid. Out of forty-six cases 

 of this operation on record, only two were attended with fatal 

 results.— Observations of comets made at the Observatory of 

 Rio de Janeiro, by M. L. Cruls. — Observations of the 1898 

 •Comet (Perrine-Chofardet), made at the Observatory of 

 Besan9on, by M. L. J. Gruey. — On a class of contact 

 transformations, by M. E. O. Lovett. — On the preparation and 

 ■properties of the double carbides of iron and chromium, and of 

 ^ron and tungsten, by M. Percy Williams. A mixture of 

 chromium oxide (200 gr.), iron (200 gr.), and carbon (70 gr.) is 

 heated in the electric furnace for five minutes with a current of 

 900 amperes and 45 volts. The carbide can be isolated from 

 the fused mass in metallic needles, having the colour of nickel. 

 A double carbide of iron and molybdenum is obtained in a 

 similar manner. The formulae of these compounds are 

 3Fe3C.2Cr3C2 and FejC.MogC. — New combinations of phenyl- 

 hydrazine with certain metallic salts, by M. Pastureau. Com- 

 binations of phenylhydrazine with BiCls, Bi(N03)3, ZnS03, and 

 MnSOs are described. — On the vivipary in an annelid {Dode- 

 caceria concharut?i), by MM. Felix Mesnil and Maurice 

 Caullery. — On the tactile impression due to the contact 



NO. I 5 II, VOL. 58] 



of a succession of reliefs representing a mobile object in its 

 different positions. With practice it is possible to rapidly 

 recognise a relief by touch, and if a series of reliefs follow each 

 other at a certain rate, the effect of movement is obtained. 

 Thus the motion of the flight of a bird may in this way be 

 imparted to the blind. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLET, SERIALS, &c., RECEIVED. 



Books.— Skiagraphic Atlas : J. Poland (Smith, Elder).— Seismology : J. 

 Milne (K. Paul).— A Tieatise on Dynamics of a Particle : Dr. E. ). 

 Routh (Cambridge University Press). — L'Annie Biologique, 1896 (Pans, 

 Reinwald). — In the Forbidden Land : A. H. S. Landor, 2 Vols. (Heine- 

 mann). — Reliquary, Vol. iv. (Bemrose). — Qualitative Chemical Analysis 

 Chapman Jones (Macmillan). — A History of Chemistry : Prof E. Von 

 Meyer, 2nd edition, translated by Dr. G. McGowan (Macmillan).— The 

 Illustrated Annual of Microscopy (Lund). — Uber die Theorie des Kreisels : 

 F. Klein und A, Sommerfeld, Heft 2 (Leipzig, Teubner). 



Pamphlet. — Report on the San Jose Scale in Maryland : W. G. Johnson 

 (College Park, Md.). 



Serials. — Kew Bulletin, October (London). — Reale Istituto Lombardo, 

 Rendiconti, Serie 2, Vol. xxxi Fasc. 15 and 16 (Milano). — Imperial Uni- 

 versity, College of Agriculture, Bulletin, Vol. 3, No. 4 (Komaba, Tokyo). — 

 Mind, October (Williams). — Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, 

 September (Stanford). — Engineering Magazine, October (Strand). — Geo- 

 graphical Journal, October (Stanford). —Atlantic Monthly, October (Gay). 



Philip's Celestial Globe (Philip).— Philip's Popular Globe (Philip). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The National Physical Laboratory 565 



Experimental Physics. By Prof. A. Gray, F.R.S. . 566 



A New Departure by the Ray Society 567 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Guyau : "Morality independent of Obligation or 



Sanction."— H. W. B 567 



Th. Thoroddsen : " Geschichter Islandischen Geo- 



graphie."-H. R. M 568 



Hopkins: " The Telephone " 568 



Robinson: "Mathematical Examination Papers for 



Use in Navy Classes in Schools" 568 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Aurora Borealis of September 9. {Illustrated.) 



—Baron N. Kaulbars 569 



Fourier's Series.— A. E. H. Love, F.R.S 569 



Helium in the Atmosphere.— Sir William Crookes, 



F.R.S 570 



Triplet Lightning Flash. {Illustrated.)— Q.. E. Stro- 



meyer 57° 



The Centipede-Whale.— Kumagusu Minakata . . 570 



The Moon's Course.— E. L. Garbett 571 



A Simple Method of Making Light Mirrors.— 



Prof." Charles B. Thwing 57 1 



Animals and Poisonous Plants. —Alfred W. Bennett 571 



Crannoges in Estuaries.— R. J. Ussher 571 



A Short History of Scientific Instruction. I. By 



Sir Norman Lockyer, K.C.B., F.R.S 572 



Opening of the Thompson-Yates Laboratories at 



University College, Liverpool 575 



The Opening Addresses at the Medical Schools. 



By F. W. Tunnicliffe 576 



Surgeon-Major J. E. T. Aitchison, M.D., CLE., 



F.R.S. By W. Botting Hemsley 578 



Conference on the International Catalogue of 



Scientific Literature 578 



Notes 580 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Variable Stars in Clusters 583 



Large Meteors in 1897 and 1898 ... 583 



Reminiscences of an Astronomer 583 



The Cape Observatory Report 584 



Zoology at the British Association 584 



Geography at the British Association ....... 585 



University and Educational Intelligence 587 



Societies and Academies 588 



Books, Pamphlet, Serials, &c., Received 588 



