48 



NATURE 



[May 13, 1897 



follows : The emission curve of glass reaches its inaximuni at 

 4'6 /*, shifting but little with temperature. The curves have a 

 broad " flattening" at about 3 "5 /t-4/*. The absorption curve 



shows the same particularity. The quotient .^""i'SJon^ yields 



absorption 

 a curved line, whose maximum lies further towards the lesser 

 X's, absorption shifting in the inverse ratio to T. The emission 

 and absorption of quartz correspond to each other. The two 

 curves exhibit the same downward bends. In the quotient 



-f"^* ^-T — the errors (per cent.) are too great to pronounce a 

 absorption ^ ftp 



positive opinion. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA K, May 13. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — An Attempt to cause Helium or Argon to pass 

 through Red-hot Palladium, Platinum, or Iron : Prof. Ramsay, F.R.S., 

 and M. W. Travers.— On the Negative After-images following Brief 

 Retinal Excitation: Shelford Bid well, F.R.S. — A Dynamical Theory of 

 the Electric and Luminiferous Medium. Part III. Relations with Ma- 

 terial Media : Dr. J. Larmor, F.R.S. —On a New Method of Determin- 

 ing the Vapour Pressures of Solutions : E. B. H. Wade. — On the Passage 

 of Heat between Metal Surfaces and Liquids in Contact with them : T. 

 E. Stanton. — On the Magnetisation Limit of Wrought Iron : H. Wilde, 

 F.R.S. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — Liquid Air as an Agent of Research : Prof. J. 

 Dewar, F.R.S. 



Mathematical Society, at 8. — On Cubic Curves as connected with 

 certain Triangles in Perspective : S. Roberts, F.R.S. — An Analogue of 

 Anharmonic Ratio : J. Brill. — An Essay on the Geometrical Calculus 

 (Continu.-ition) : E. LasWer. — On the Partition of Numbers : G. B. 

 Mathews. — Notes on Synthetic Geometry: W. Esson. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — The Generation of 

 Electrical Energy for Tramways : J. S. Raworth. (Discussion.) — Dis- 

 turbances of Submarine Cable Working by Electric Tramways : A. P. 

 Trotter. 



FRIDAY, May 14. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— Explosion-Flames : Prof. Harold Dixon, 

 F.R.S. 



Royal Astronomical Society, at 8. — Zodiacal Radi.-ints of Fireballs : 

 W. F. Denning. — On a New Binary Star with a Period of si Years 

 (/3 883) : T. J. J. See. — On the Mean Places and Proper Motions for 1900 

 of 24 Southern Circumpolar Stars : David Gill. — On the Determination of 

 Terrestrial Longitudes by Photography : "Captain E. H. Hills.— The 

 Orbit of fi Draconis : S. W. Burnham. 



Physical Society, at 5. — An Instrument ffor Comparing Thermometers 

 with a Standard : W. Watson. — An Experiment in Surface Tension : A. 

 S. Ackerman. — The Effect of Temperature on the Magnetic and Electric 

 Properties of Iron : D. K. Morris. — The Formation of Mercury Films by 

 Electric Osmosis : Rollo Appleyard. 



Malacological Society, at 8. 



SA TURD A y. May 15. 



Geologists' Association.— Excursion to Chislehurst. Directors : W. 

 Whitaker, F.R.S., and T. V. Holmes. Leave Charing Cross (S.E.R.) at 

 1.35 ; arrive at Chislehurst 2.19. 



London Geological Field Class. — Excursion from Snodland to Ayles- 

 ford, to view the Gault. Leave Cannon Street 2.37. 

 MONDAY, May 17. 



Society of Arts, at 8.— Design in Lettering : Lewis Foreman Day. 



RovaL Geographical Society, at 2.30 —Anniversary Meeting. 



Victoria Institute, at 4.30.— Paper by Dr. G. V. Pope. 

 TUESDAY, May 18. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Volcanoes : Dr. Tempest Anderson. 



.Zoological Society, at 8.30.— A Revision of the Lizards of the Genus 

 Sceloporus: G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S. — Contributions to our Knowledge 

 of the Plankton of the Faeroe Ch.-xnnel, II. : Dr. G. Herbert Fowler. — 

 Further Contributions to the Knowledge of the Phytophagous Coleoptera 

 of Africa, including Madagascar, Part II. ; Martin Jacohy. 



Royal Photographic Society, at 8.— Notes on the Working of the 

 Photo-Aquatint Process, and on some of the Apparatus used : T. Huson. 



Royal Victoria Hall, at 8.30. — Adventure in South Africa : F. C. 

 Selous. 



WEDNESDA Y, May 19. 



Society of Arts, at 8.— London Water Supply : Prof. Percy F. Frank- 

 land, F.R.S. 



Royal Meteorological Society (Burlington House), at 4.30. — The 

 Rainfall of Dominica, West Indies : C. V. Bellamy.— On the Mean 

 Monthly Temf>eratures of the British Isles, 1871-95 : R. H. Scott, F.R.S., 

 and F. Gaster. 



JioYAL Microscopical Society, at 7.30. — Exhibition of Specimens of 

 Injections of other Objects : Ernest Hinton. 



THURSDAY, May 20. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Bakerian Lecture — On the Mechanical Equiva- 

 lent of Heat : Prof. Osborne Reynolds and W. H. Moorby. 



Society of Arts, at 4.30. — Kerman and Persian Beluchistan, with special 

 reference to the Journeys of Alexander the Great and Marco Polo : 

 Captain P. Molesworth Sykes. 



Chemical Society, at 8. —The Theory of Osmotic Pressure and the Hypo- 

 thesis of Electrolytic Dissociation ; Molecular Rotation of Optically 

 Active Salts ; Heats of Neutralisation of Acids and Bases in Dilute 

 Aqueous Solution : Holland Crompton.— The Platinum-Silver Alloys : 

 their Solubility in Nitric Acid : John Spiller.— A Comparative Crystallo- 

 graphical Study of the Normal Selenates of Pot.issium, Rubidium, and 

 Caesium : A, E. Tutton. 



FRIDAY, yi.K^ 21. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— Contact Electricity of Metals : Lord Kelvin. 



South-Eastern Union of Scientific Societies (Tunbridge Wells), at 

 3. — What can be done to save our Fauna and Flora from unnecessary 

 De.struction ? : Rev. J. J. Scargill. — How can the Technical Education 

 Grant assi.st Local Scientific Societies?" S. Atwood and J. W. Tutt. — 

 Local Museums : W. Cole. 



Epidemiological Society, at 8. 



NO. 1437, VOL. 56] 



BOOKS, PAMPHLET, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books.— The Story of the Earth's Atmosphere : D. .\rchibald (Newncs). 

 —The Naturalist's Directory, 1897 (Gill).— The Alternating-Current Circuit : 

 W. P. Maycock (Whittaker). — Problems of Nature : Dr. G. Jaeger, edited 

 and translated by Dr. H. G. Schlichter (Williams).— The Fauna of British 

 India. Hymenoptera, Vol. i. : Wasps and Bees: Lieut. -Colonel C. T. 

 Bingham (Tayloi-).— The Evolution of the Aryan : R. von Iherin^, trans- 

 lated by A. Drucker (Sonnenschein). — The Young Beetle-Collector's Hand- 

 book : Dr. E. Hofmann (Sonnenschein). — Domestic Science Readers : V. T. 

 Murch^, Book vi. (Macmillan).— The Engineer's Sketch-Book of Mech- 

 anical Movements, &c. : T. W. Barber, 3rd edition (Spon).— The Vertebrate 

 Skeleton : S. H. Reynolds (Cambridge University Press). — A Hi.story of 

 Ancient Geography : H. F. 'Tozer (Cambridge University Press).— System 

 der Philosophie : W. Wundt, Zweite Umgearbeitete Auflage (Leipzig, 

 Engelmann).— Das Ellenbogengelenk und Seine Mechanik : J. W. Hult- 

 krantz CJena, Fischer). — Lehrbuch der Zoologie : Prof. R. Hertwig, Vierte 

 Umgearbeitete Auflage (Jena, Fischer). 



Pamphlet.— The Origin of the Celestial Laws and Motions : G. T. 

 Carruthers (Bradbury). 



Serials. — Strand Magazine, May (Newnes) — Scribner's M.agazine, May 

 (Low). — Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, April (Griffin). — Imperi.al 

 University, College of Agriculture, Bulletin, Vol. iii. No. i (Komaba, 

 TOkyS).— Journal of the Royal M icro.scopical Society, April (Williams).— 

 Atlantic Monthly, May (Gay).— Fortnightly Review, May (Chapman).— 

 Geographical Journal, May (Stanford). — Bulletin of the American Mathe- 

 matical Society, April (New York, Macmillan). — American Journal of 

 Mathematics, Vol. xix. No. 2 (Baltimore). — American Journal of Science, 

 May (New Haven). — Proceedings of the Physical Society. Vol. 15, Part 5 

 (Taylor). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Books on Birds 25 



Gegenbaur's Festschrift 26 



The Dreary Desert of North Tibet. By P. K. . . . 27 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Todhunter : " Algebra for Beginners " 28 



" Picture Lessons in Natural History." — R. L. . . . 28 

 A Guide to the J'ossil Invertebrates and Plants in 

 the Department of Geology and Palaeontology in 



the British Mu.seum (Natural History) 29 



Littlejohn : " Report on the Causes and Prevention of 



Smoke from Manufacturing Chimneys " 29 



Fulcher : " Birds of our Islands " 29 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Theory of Dissociation into Ions. — Spencer 



Pickering, F.R.S. ; W. C. Dampier 'Whetham 29 

 On the Feathers of " Hesperornis."— Dr. R. W. 



Shufeldt 30 



On Augury from Combat of Shell-fish.— Kumagusu 



Minakata 30 



Luminous Phenomena observed on Mountains. — C. G. 



Cash 31 



The Utility of Specific Characters.— Prof. T. D. A. 



Cockerell 31 



The Motion of an Iron or Steel Ball in a Magnetic 



Field. — Alex. Anderson 31 



The New South African Museum. {Illustrated.) .31 



The Science of Art. By A. C. H 33 



Adam Hilger. By A. F 34 



A Night in Mid-May, By M. C. L 34 



Notes 34 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



May Meteors 39 



Centralstelle Telegrams 39 



Accidental Errors of Talcott Observations . ..... 39 



Further Studies on Snake Poison and Immunity . . 39 

 On the Variation of Latitude. By Prof. S. C. 



Chandler 4° 



Technical Education in London 41 



The Manufacture of Carborundum at Niagara Falls. 



{Illustrated. ) By Francis A. Fitzgerald 42 



University and Educational Intelligence 43 



Scientific Serials 44 



Societies and Academies 45 



Diary of Societies 48 



Books, Pamphlet, and Serials Received 48 



