72 



NATURE 



[May 20, 1897 



oxidising power of laccase to a remarkable extent. The author 

 points out that the presence of minute traces of manganese in 

 plants may be of great physiological importance. — On the fauna 

 of the pools on the eastern coast of Corsica, by M. Louis Roule. 

 — On a disease of orchids caused by the Glaosporium macropus, 

 Sacc, by M. Mangin. After detailing the methods employed 

 in ascertaining the presen::e of the Glccosporitun in the affected 

 plants, measures are suggested for fighting the disease, chiefly 

 the use of j8-naphthol. — On the mode of formation of the primary 

 dunes of Gascony, by M. E. Duregne. — On the general course 

 of glacial denudation, by M. Stanislas Meunier. — Experiments 

 showing that the liver destroys dissolved haemoglobin, and that 

 it keeps the iron, by M. Louis Lapicque. — The number of 

 poisonous principles produced by a pathogenic microbe, by M. 

 A. Charrin. The idea is attacked that a specific pathogenic 

 organism produces one specific poisonous principle, its toxin, and 

 experiments are quoted to show that one and the same species 

 of microbe can produce several pathogenic compounds. Thus 

 the pyocyanic bacillus is shown to produce several, easily dis- 

 tinguishable by their pathological eff"ects. — On barley, by M. 

 Balland. Some proximate analyses of barley. — On the dialysis 

 of the alkaline humates, by M. J. Dumont.— Remarks on some 

 properties of the oxydase in wines, by M. Bouffard. — Research 

 on caramel. Possible confusion with coal tar- colours, by M. 

 Antonio J. da Cruz Magalhaes. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, May 20. 

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

 lent of Heat: Prof. Osborne Reynolds, F.R.S., 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. 

 -jChemical Society, at S.^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 Potassium, Rubidium and 

 Caesium : A. E. Tutton. 



FRIDA y, May 21. 

 f-RoYAL Institution, at 9.— Contact Electricity of Metals : Lord Kelvin. 

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

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

 Destruction? : Rev. J. J. Scargill and A. Rose.— How can the Technical 

 Education Grant assist Local Scientific Societies ? S. Atwood and J. W. 

 Tutt.— Local Museums : Practical Observations on Objects and Methods : 

 W. Cole and E. A. Pankhurst. 



iEpiDEMIOLOGICAL SOCIETY, at 8. 



SA TURD A y, May 22. 

 Royal Botanic Society, at 4. 

 Geologists' Association — Excursion to Erith and Crayford. Director : 



Flaxman C. J. Spurrell. Leave Cannon Street (S. E. R.) at 2.2. 

 London Geological Field Class.— Excursion to Tunbridge Wells. 

 Wealden Beds. Leave Cannon Street, 2.23 : arrive Tunbridge Wells, 3.40. 

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

 II.— The Committees of Field Clubs : Prof. G. S. Boulger.— Current 

 Bedding in Clay : Section at New Athletic Ground, Tunbridge Wells : 

 Prof. H. G. Seeley, F.R.S. — Searchfor Coal in the South-east of England : 

 H. E. Turner and W. Whitaker, F.R.S.— History of the Weald in 

 special reference to the Age of the Plateau Deposit : W. J. Lewis 

 Abbott. 



MONDA y. May 24. 

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

 Linnean Society, at 3. — Anniversary Meeting. 

 TUESDAY, May 25. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— The Heart and its Work 'Dr. E. H. Starling. 

 Royal Statistical Society, at 5.30. 



Anthropological Institute, at 8.30.— A Quinary System] of Notation 

 used in Luchoo : Prof. Basil Hall Chamberlain.— Ancient Measures in 



Prehistoric Monuments : A. L. Lewis. Probable Papers : Further Dis- 



.coveriesof Stone Implements in Somaliland : H. W. Seton-Karr.- The 

 Berbers of Morocco: W. B. Harris.— Rock Paintings and Carvings of 

 Australian Aborigines : R. H, Mathews. 

 vRoyal Photographic Society, at 8.— The Optical Effects of Intensifica- 

 tion : Chapman Jones. — Some Notes on the Correct Rendering of the 

 Colours of Flowers : H. T. Malby. 

 JROYAL Victoria Hall, at 8.30.— Growth of the Colonies in the Queen's 

 Reign : O'Donnell. 



WEDNESDA Y, May 26. 

 Geological Society, at 8.— On Augite-Diorites with Micro-Pegmatite in 

 Southern India : T. H. Holland.— The Laccolites of Cutch and their Re- 

 lation to the other Igneous Masses of the District : Rev. J. F. Blake. 

 British Astronomical Association, at 5. 



THURSDAY, May 27. 

 Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8.— Annual General Meeting. 



FRIDAY, May 28. 

 Royal Institution, at 9.— The Isolation of Fluorine : Prof. H. Moissan. 

 Physical Society, at 5. 



.S-^ TURD A Y, May 29. 



London Geological Field Class.— Excursion to Sheerness. Drive to 



East Church, Hensbrook. London Clay. Leave Holborn Viaduct, 1.25. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



BooK.s. — Exercises in Practical Physiology : Dr. A. D. Waller, Part 3 

 (Longmans). — Milk and its Products : Prof. H. H. Wing (Macmillau). — 

 The Theory of Electricity and Magnetism : Prof. A. G. Webster (Mac- 

 millan).-The Elements of Physics: E. L. Nichols and W. S. Franklin, 

 Vol. 3 (Macmillan).— Prehistoric Problems : Dr. R. Munro (Blackwood).— 

 A Great Agricultural Estate: The Duke of Bedford (Murray).— The 

 Localisation of Faults in Electric Light Mains : F. C. Raphael (^Electrician 

 Company, Ltd.).— The Birds of our Country : H. E. Stewart (Digby).— 

 Handbook for Jamaica for 1897 (Stanford). — Reports from the Laboratory 

 of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, Vol. 6 (Edinburgh, Clay). — 

 Memories of the Months : Sir H. Maxwell (Arnold). — Government of India, 

 Department of Revenue and Agriculture. Accounts of the Trade carried by 

 Rail and River in India, 1895-96, and the Four Preceding Years (Calcutta).— 

 Electromoteurs et Leurs Applications : G. Dumont (Paris, Gauthier- 

 Villars).— The Development of the Frog's Egg : Prof. T. H. Morgan (Mac- 

 millan).— Flowering Plants: Mrs. A. Bell (Philip).— First Stage Mechanics 

 of Fluids : Dr. G. H. Bryan and F. Rosenberg (Clive)— Social Transforma- 

 tions of the Victorian Age : T. H. S. Escott (Seeley). — Topographische Ana- 

 tomie des Pferdes : Profs. Ellenberger and Baum, Dritter "Teil (Berlin, 

 Parey). — Report on the Geological Structure and Stability of the ,Hill 

 Slopes around Naini Tal : T. H. Holland (Calcutta).-^Le9ons sur L'Elec- 

 tricit^et le Magnitisme : Prof. E. Mascart, tome deiixieme (Paris, Masson). 

 Es.sai sur les Elements de la Me'canique des Particules ; H. Majlert, i"^*^ 

 Partie : Statique Particulaire (Neuchatel, Attinger). 



Pamphlets. — Geological Survey of Canada : Report on the Country 

 between Athabasca Lake .ind Churchill River : J. B. Tyrrell and D. B. 

 Dowling (Ottowa). — Ditto : Report on Explorations in the Labrador Penin- 

 sula along the East Main, &c., in 1892, 1803, '894, and 1895 : A. P. Low 

 (Ottawa) — Resultate aus den Beobachtungen des Veranderlichen Sternes rj 

 Aquilae : W. J. S. Lockyer (Gottingen). 



Serials. — "Transactions of the Astronomical and Physical Society of 



Toronto, 1896 (Toronto).— Palaeozoic Fossils : J. F. Whiteaves, Vol 3, Part 3 

 (Ottawa). — Engineering Magazine, May (Tucker) —Proceedings of the 

 Royal Society of Victoria, Vol. ix., new series (Melbourne).— Quarterly 

 Journal of the Geolngical Society, Vol. liii Part 2, No. 210 (Longmans). — 

 General Index to the First Fifty Volumes of the Quarterly Journal of the 

 Geological Society, Part 2 (Longmans). — Journal of the Institution of 

 Electrical Engineers, No. 128, Vol xxvi. (Spon). — Memoirs of the Geo- 

 logical Survey of India. Palaeontologia Indica, ser. xvi. Vol. r. Part i (Cal- 

 cutta). — Memoirs of the Geological .Survey of India, Vols. xxv. and xxvi. 

 (Calcutta).— History of Mankind : F. Ratzel, translated. Part 19 (Mac- 

 millan) — American Naturalist, May (Philadelphia). — Journal of the Franklin 

 Institute, May (Philadelphia). — P.sychological Review, May (Macmillan). — 

 Ditto, Psychological Index, No. 3 (Macmillan).— Journal of the Chemical 

 Society, May (Gurney).— English Illustrated Magazine, June (198 Strand). 



NO 1438. VOL. 56] 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



A Philosophical Theory of Selection. By Prof. R. 



Meldola, F.R.S 49 



Illustrated Histology 50 



Studies on Early Man . . • 51 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Everitt : " Ferrets, their Management in Health and 

 Disease; with Remarks on their Legal Status." — 



R. L 52 



Hiern : "Catalogue of the African Plants collected by 



Dr. F. Welwitsch in 1853-61."— A. W. B. . . 52 

 Clodd: "Pioneers of Evolution from Thales to 



Huxley " 52 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Immunity from Mosquito Bites. — Major David 



Flanery . • 53 



Identical Customs of Dyaks and of Races around 



Assam. {Illustrated.)—^. E. Peal 53 



A Curious Luminous Phenomenon. — W. Larden . . 54 



Rontgen Rays. — Dr. Dawson Turner 54 



The Royal Society Selected Candidates 54 



Edward James Stone, F.R.S. By W. E. P S7 



Notes 58 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Resolving Power of Telescopes and Spectroscopes . . 62 



Photographs of Metallic Spectra 62 



The Royal Geographical Society 63 



The Iron and Steel Institute 63 



The Cultural Evolution of Cyclamen latifoliuiii. {Illus- 

 trated.) By W. T. Thiselton Dyer, CM. G., F.R.S. 65 



University and Educational Intelligence 68 



Societies and Academies 70 



Diary of Societies 72 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 72 



