240 



NA TURE 



[July 8, 1897 



The present paper, which was illustrated by diagrams, has 

 reference, inter alia, to the Ash, Hop, and two species of Pea 

 (Lathyrm grandiflora and Z. pratensis). Mr. W. Carruthers, 

 F. R.S , in commenting upon this paper, expressed the satis- 

 faction which he was sure would be felt by botanists at the way 

 in w'hich the author was carefully working out details in the life- 

 history of British plants, and in that respect conforming to the 

 spirit of the charter of the Society which expressly defined the 

 object of its formation to be " the cultivation of the science of 

 natural history in all its branches, and more especially of the 

 natural history of Great Britain and Ireland." — Prof. Conway 

 Macmillan, of the University of Minnesota, communicated the 

 principal points of a paper on minor tension-lines between plant- 

 formations. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, June 28.— M. A. Chatin in the 

 chair. — The President announced to the Academy the loss it 

 had sustained by the death of M. Schiitzenberger, Member of 

 the Chemical Section.— On the integration of the equation 

 Ati = ¥ (u,x,y), by M. Emile Picard. — On uniform quadruply 

 periodic functions of two variables, by M. 6mile Picard. —On 

 the rotatory parts of the transversal components of the velocity 

 in a permanent flow gradually varied, by M. J. Boussinesq. — 

 M de Lapparent was nominated as Member in the Section of 

 Mineralogy, in the place of the late M. Des Cloizeaux. — 

 On psoriasis and its relations with syphilis, by M. F. 

 Bouffe. The injection of orchitine appears to be specific 

 as a cure for psoriasis. The latter frequently masks the 

 symptoms of syphilis.- In the cases cited, if the treatment 

 had been sufficiently prolonged, there was no return of 

 the disease. — On the treatment of cancer, and of several 

 infectious diseases by ozone, by M. Charles Chardin. — On the 

 causes of differences of quality in harmonic chords, by M. 

 Bourcoud. — Observations on the sun, made at the Observatory 

 of Lyons with the Brunner equatorial, during the first quarter 

 of 1897, by M. J. Guillaume. A tabulated statement of ob- 

 servations on sun-spots and faculae. — On the geodesic lines of 

 oppositely curved surfaces, by M. Hadamard. — On the enu- 

 meration of primitive groups of which the degree is below 17, 

 by M. J. A. Miller. — On the determination of the integrals of 

 certain non-linear partial differential equations by their values 

 on a closed surface, by M. E. Le Roy. — On the permanent 

 deformations of metals, by M. G. A. Faurie.— Influence of the 

 intensity upon the pitch of a sound, by M. Andre Broca. If 

 the intensity of a sound decreases, the note goes up, even though 

 the period of vibration remains the same. The effects are 

 small, and in the experiments described amount to about 

 A of a tone. — Researches on nickel-steels. Magnetic pro- 

 perties and permanent deformations, by M. C. E. Guillaume. 

 The effect of temperature upon the magnetic properties of the 

 nickel-steels was first studied, and it was found that these 

 alloys could be divided into two classes, those containing from 

 o to 25 per cent of nickel, for which the effects produced by 

 heat were irreversible, whilst in the second class, containing 

 higher percentages of nickel, the effects were reversible. The 

 permanent changes of length set up in these alloys are of the 

 same order as those in the hard glass used in thermometers. — 

 The sulpho-antimonites of silver, by M. Pouget. The salts 

 KAggSbSj and AggSbSj are described. KjAgSbSg could 

 not be prepared. — On the function of manganese in certain 

 oxidations, by M. Ach. Livache. A discussion of the action 

 of manganese salts in quick-drying oils. — The colour of the 

 phosphorescence of strontium sulphide, by M. Jose Rodriguez 

 Mourelo. The phosphorescence depends largely upon the 

 nature of the impurities present, and hence upon the 

 method of preparation. The sulphide produced by the action 

 of sulphur upon strontianite at a red heat gives the 

 iinest green colour. — Observations on the molecular volumes of 

 several crystallised carbohydrates at 0°, by M. Pionchon. An 

 extension of an observation of Joule and Playfair to the effect 

 that the molecular volumes of cane-sugar and milk-sugar were 

 :-iexactly equal to the volume occupied in the state of ice, of the 

 , water of which this mass contains the elements. The same re- 

 lations hold approximately for xylose, glucose, levulose, melli- 

 tose and raffinose. — Trioxymethylene and paraformaldehyde, by 

 M. Delepine. The heats of formation of trioxymethylene and 

 paraformaldehyde from its elements were determined, and also 

 the heat of solution of the former in water. — On some combina- 

 tions of phenylhydrazine with metallic iodides, by M. J. 

 Moitessier. The compounds Znl2.2(CBHg.N2H3), ZnljSlCsHj. 

 NO. 1445, VOL. 56] 



N.,H:,), Cdl2.2(C6H.,.N2H.,). Mnl2.2(C«H5.N2H3), and NiljeCCg 

 Hfl.NoHj) are described. — On the combination of metallic salts 

 with organic bases homologous with aniline and their isomers, 

 by-M. U. Tombeck. — On the action of acetylene on silver 

 nitrate, by M. G. Arth. — On the tetrameric regeneration of 

 the tarsus of the Phasmidia, by M. Edmond Bordage. — 

 The JSTdjembo the caoutchouc plant of Fernan-Vaz, by M. 

 Henri Jumelle. The plant is described and named Landolphia 

 Foreti. It is distinguished from Landolphia owariensis, among 

 other points, by the superior quality of the caoutchouc produced 

 from it. — A new remedy against mildew and black rot, by M. 

 Gaston Lavergnt. The mixture proposed consists of copper 

 sulphate (500 gr. ), black soap (1000 gr.), and water (100 litres). 

 — Observation on a French meteorite, the fall of which (at 

 Clohars in 1822) was unnoticed, by M. Stanislas Meunier. — 

 The nerves of the heart and thyroid gland, by M. E. de Cyon. 

 — Researches on the ostioles of the mucous membranes, by M. 

 J. J. Andeer. — Effects of a hailstorm, by M. A. Forel. This 

 hailstorm of June 2, at Morges, was remarkable for the duration 

 of the fall of hail, more than ten minutes ; the great electrical 

 disturbances, the lightning being almost continuous ; the mag- 

 nitude of the hailstones, 5 to 6 cm. in length ; and the peculiar 

 structure of some of the pieces of ice. 



BOOK, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Book.— The Chlorination Process : E. B. Wilson (Chapman). 



Pamphlets. — Hints to Meteorological Observers : W. Marriott, 4th 

 edition (Stanford). —The Fallacy of Marx's Theory of Surplus Value: H. 

 Seymour (Murdoch). 



Serials. — Den Norske Nordhavs-Expedition, 1876-1878, xxiv. (Christi- 

 ania). — Synoptical Flora of North America, Vol. i, Part i, Fasc. 2 (New 

 York, American Book Company). — Bulletin de I'Acad^mie Royale des 

 Sciences, &c., de Belgique, 1897, No. 5 (Bruxelles). — Journal of the Royal 

 Agricultural Society of England, June (Murray). — Zeitschrift ftir Physikal- 

 ische Chemie, xxiii.. Band, 2 Heft (Leipzig, Engelmann). — National 

 Review, July (Arnold). — Economic Journal, June (Macmillan). — Scribner's 

 Magazine, July (Low). — Fortnightly Review, July (Chapman). — Geo- 

 graphical Journal, July (Stanford). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Bicycles and Tricycles. By C. V. Boys, F.R.S. . . 217 



The Geology of the British Isles. By G. A. J. C. . 220 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Bigham : " A Ride through Western Asia " .... 222 



Christiansen: "Elements of Theoretical Physics." — G. 222 

 Robinson: "In Garden, Orchard and Spinney."— 



L. C. M 222 



Thomas: "The Woodland Life."— L. C. M. ... 222 

 Escott : " Social Transformations of the Victorian 



Age" 222 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Colour Photography.— Sir Henry Trueman Wood 223 

 Telegraphy without Wires, and Thunder-storms. — 



Rev. Frederick J. Jervis-Smith, F.R.S. ... 223 



Distant Cannonade.— W. F. Sinclair 223 



Rotifers Commensal with Caddis-worms. — Henry 



Scherren 224 



The Lost Books of Euclid.— A. K. Ghose .... 224 

 Archaic Maya Inscriptions. {Illustrated.) By Alfred 



P. Maudslay 224 



Twenty Years of Indian Meteorology 226 



Mr. Ney Elias 228 



Notes 229 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Weinek's Lunar Enlargements 233 



Martian Markings 233 



Leakage from Electrified Metal Plates and Points 

 placed above and below Uninsulated Flames. 

 {Illustrated.) By Lord Kelvin, G.C.V.O., F.R.S., 



and Dr. Magnus Maclean 233 



A New Law of Heredity. By Francis Gallon, 



F.R.S 235 



University and Educational Intelligence 237 



Scientific Serials 237 



Societies and Academies 237 



Book, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 240 



