636 



NATURE 



[October 27, 1898 



munication consists of a number of papers by various authors 

 describing a collection sent to Mr. Steel from Fife Bay, New 

 Guinea, by the Rev. H. P. Schlencker. The only form new to 

 science is a snake described by Mr. J. Douglas Ogilby as 

 Dendrelaphis schlencke7-i. Mr. T. Whitelegge notes the occur- 

 rence of a shrimp, Palaeiiion affinis, not previously recorded for 

 New Guinea. Amongst the lizards, Gehyra oceanica, Gymno- 

 dactylus pelagic us and Lepidodactyhis lugtihris are recorded, 

 apparently for the first time from New Guinea, by Mr. A. H. S. 

 Lucas, while several other species, including the interesting 

 form Homolepida engUshi, described in 1890 by De Vis, are now 

 recorded for the second time — New genera and species of fishes, 

 by J. Douglas Ogilby. In this paper there are described as new 

 a xiphiodontid, two species of silurids, a genus of plotosids, two 

 pleuronectids, and a small fish, the position of which is un- 

 certain. — On the Echinoderm fauna of New Zealand, by H. 

 Farquhar. The Echinoderm fauna of New Zealand, as at 

 present known, comprises two Crinoids, sixteen Ophiuroids, 

 twenty-eight Asteroids, twenty-three Echinoids, and twenty-one 

 Holothurians : total, ninety species. It is not homogeneous, 

 nevertheless it contains a large number of peculiar forms which 

 give it a strongly distinct character of its own. Its afiinities are 

 strongest with that of Australia. Omitting doubtful and deep- 

 water forms, fifty-eight per cent, of the known species are 

 endemic, thirty-six per cent, occur in Australia, and only six 

 per cent, have been found elsewhere and not in Australia. — 

 Notes on the subfamily Brackyscelina, with descriptions of new 

 species. Part v., by W. W. Froggatt. — Descriptions of six new 

 species ot Mollusca, by John Brazier. — A contribution to a 

 knowledge of the Arachnidan fauna of New Guinea, by W. J. 

 Rainbow. In this paper sixty-eight species are enumerated, 

 and of these fourteen are described as new. The most inter- 

 esting specimen of the collection is a species of the family 

 Avicularidse, for the reception of which a new genus, Antrochares, 

 is proposed. This makes the third known genus of the six-eyed 

 Avicularidae. — Descriptions of the eggs and nests of four species 

 of Australian birds, by Alfred J. North. 



Amsterdam. 



Royal Academy of Sciences, September 24.— Prof. Van 

 de Sande Bakhuyzen in the chair. — Prof. Bakhuis Roozeboom 

 communicated the results of a theoretical inquiry into (i) the 

 phenomena occurring during the congealation of a mixture of two 

 substances, when during the process "mixed" crystals ex- 

 clusively are formed, which may either be continuously raixable 

 or not so ; and (2) the changes which the solid mixture may 

 undergo, when the two components on further cooling are 

 transformed into other stable modifications. — Prof. Ilaga com- 

 municated that the phenomena of " maxima and minima of 

 brightness as a consequence of an optical delusion," mentioned 

 by himself on behalf of Dr. Wind at the meeting in May, were 

 already known and described by E. Mach in the Wiener Berichte, 

 ir. Abth. Bd. 52, 54 and 57. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



FRIDA y, October 28. 

 vPhvsical Society, at 5.— An Influence Machine : W. R. Pidgeon.— The 

 Repetition of an Experiment on the Magneto-optic Phenomenon dis- 

 covered by Righi : Prof. S. P Thompson, F.R.S.— The Magnetic Fluxes 

 in Meters and other Electrical Instruments : Albert Campbell. 



TUESDAY, November i. 

 Jnstitotion of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Address by W. H. Preece, C.B., 

 F.R.S., President, and Presentation of Medals and Prizes awarded by 

 the Council. 



■B WEDNESDA V, November 2. 



Entomological Society, at 8. 



THURSDAY, November 3. 



Chemical Society, at 8.— A Determination of the Equivalent of 

 Cyanogen: George Dean.— Note on the Action of Light on Platinum, 

 Oold, and bilver Chlorides : E. Sonstadt.— Methanetrisulphonic Acid : 

 E. H. Bagnall.— A Composite Sodium Chlorate Crystal in which the 

 Twin Law IS not followed: W. J. Pope.— On the Composition of 

 American Petroleum : Dr. Sydney Young, F.R.S.-(i) On the Separation 

 ot Normal and Iso-heptane from American Petroleum ; (2) On the 

 Action of Fuming Nitric Acid on the Paraffins and other Hydrocarbons : 

 Dr. i. E Francis and Dr. Sydney Young, F.R.S.— On the Boiling 

 1^3lnts and Specific Gravities of Mixtures of Benzene and Normal 

 ilexane : D. H. Jackson and Dr, Sydney Young, F.R.S. 



NO. I 5 13, VOL. 58] 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books.— Practical Mechanics : S. H. Wells (Methuen).— University Col- 

 lege of North Wales, Calendar for the Year 1898-99 (Manchester, Cornish). 

 — Naturae Novitates (Berlin, Friedlander). — Key to Algebraical Factors : 

 D. H. Vachha, 3rd edition (Longmans). — On the Instincts and Habits 

 of the Solitary Wa-^ps : G. W. and E. G. Peckham (Madison, Wis.).— 

 Quantitative Exercises for Beginners in Chemistry : A. H. Mitchell, 

 Part I, 2nd edition ; Ditto, Part 2 (Reading, National Publishing 

 Association).— Aids in Practical (Oology: Prof. G. A. J. Cole, 3rd 

 edition (Griffin). — Almanaque Nautico, 1900 (San Fernando, Gay). 

 — British Museum : a Guide to the First and Second Egyptian 

 Rooms (The Trustees). — Handbook of Insects injurious to Orchard and 

 Bush Fruits, with Means of Prevention and Remedy : E. A. Ormerod 

 (Simpkin).— First Stage Inorganic Chemistry (Practical) : Dr. F. Beddow 

 (Clive).— Gas and Petroleum Engines: translated and edited by A. G. Elliott 

 (Whittaker).— Through Asia : Sven Hedin, 2 Vols. (Methuen).— An Ele- 

 mentary Text-Book of Botany: Prof. S H. Vines (Sonnenschein) — 

 Bibliotheca Geographica, Band iv. (Berlin, Kiihl).— Gesammelte Botanische 

 Mittheilungen : S. Schwendener, 2 Vols. (Berlin, Gebruder Borntraeger). — 

 —Die Moderne Entwicklung ..der Elektrischen Principien : Prof. F. 

 Rosenberg (Leipzig, Barthj.— Ubersicht der Lepidopteren : Fauna des 

 Grossherzogtums Baden : C. Reutti, Zweite Ausgabe herausgegeben von 

 Meess und Spuler (Berlin, Gebruder-Borntraeger). 



Pamphlets.— On the Forestry Conditions of Northern Wisconsin : F. 

 Roth (Madison, Wis.).— Antarctic Exploration : a Plea for a National 

 Expedition : Sir C. R. Markham (R. G. S.) 



Serial-s -- Proceedings of the Liverpool Geological Society, Part 2, 

 Vol. viii. (Liverpool) —U.S. Department of Agriculture : Division of Bio- 

 logical Survey, Bulletin Nos. 9, 10, n (Washington).— Scottish Geo- 

 graphical Magazine, October (Edinburgh).— Journal of the Franklin Insti- 

 tute, October (Phil^.).— Quarterly Review, October (Murray).— Zoologist, 

 October (West). — Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, October (Griffin). — 

 Geological Survey of Canada Report, Nos. 627, 628, 651, 657 (Ottawa). — 

 Bulletins de la Soci^te d'Anthropologie de Paris, 1898, Fasc. 2 (Paris, 

 Masson).— M^moires de la Socie't<i d'Anthropologie de Paris, Tome ii (3^ 

 s^rie), 2*^ Fasc. (Paris, Masson).— Journal of the Chemical Society, 

 October (Gurney). — Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 

 Vol. xi. Part i (N.Y.).— Sitzungsberichte der K. Akademie der Wissen- 

 schaften, Math.-Naturw. Classe : Anatomic, &c., 1897, January to July, 

 October to December; Ditto, Mineralogie, &c., 1897, January to July, 

 October to December ; 1898, January to May ; Ditto, Mathematik, &c., 

 i8p7, January to July, October to December ; 1898, January and February ; 

 Ditto, Chemie, 1897, January to July, October to December ; 1898, January 

 to March ; Ditto, Register zu dem Banden, loi to 105 (Wien, Ceroid).— An 

 Illustrated Manual ot British Birds : H Saunders, 2nd edition, Parts g to 

 12 (Gurney).— Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, October (117 

 Victoria Street). — Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society, October 

 (N.Y., Macmillan).— Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W., August (Sydney). 

 Monthly Weather Review, July (Washington). 



CONTENTS. ^I^ 



The First Volume of Huxley's Memoirs. By W. T. 



Thiselton-Dyer, C.M.G., F.R.S 613 



The Science of Applied Electricity. By A. P. C. 614 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Lahmann : " Natural Hygiene or Healthy Blood, the 

 Essential Condition of Good Health and how to 



attain it."— F. W. T 614 



Elsden : " Applied Geology " 615 



Hart : "Flora of the County Donegal." — I. H. B. . 615 



" The Reliquary and Illustrated Archaeologist " . . . 615 

 Letters to the Editor :— 



Asymmetry and Vitalism. — Prof. Giorgio Errera; 



Prof. F. R. Japp, F.R.S 616 



Potential Matter.— Prof. Arthur Schuster, F.R.S. 618 



Solar Radiation. — ^J. Evershed 619 



Hibernating Reptilian Embryos. — G. A. Boulenger, 



F.R.S .619 



Organic Variations and their Interpretation. — 



Walter Garstang ... 619 



Wall Mirages.— C. T. Whitmell . , • ..... 619 



A White Sea.— James W. Barrett 619 



Surfusion in Metals and Alloys. [With Diagrams.) 



By Prof. W. C. Roberts-Austen, C.B., F.R.S. . 619 

 The New Physical Laboratory of the Owens Col- 

 lege, Manchester. {With Diagram.) 621 



The International Conference on Scientific Literature 623 



Notes 625 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Astronomical Occurrences in November 630 



Comet Brooks 630 



The Large Sun-spot 630 



The Harvard Astrophysical Conference 630 



The Knight-Darwin Law. By Francis Darwin, 



F.R S. . 630 



Botany at the British Association 632 



University and Educational Intelligence 634 



Scientific Serials . 634 



Societies and Academies 635 



Diary of Societies 636 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 636 



