388 



NA TURE 



[August 19, 1897 



graphical representation of quantities of which, given an appro- 

 priate train of mechanism, not only the real, but also the im- 

 aginary roots of an equation can be meclianically found. The 

 author thus defines the locality of Hyperbolea as being a 

 land in which distance is measured by the function s] x^ - y^. 

 — Lie's geometry of contact transformations is a full and useful 

 analysis (pp. 321-350), by Dr. E. O. Lovett, of the Geometric 

 der Beriihrungstransformationen of Lie and G. Scheffers (1° vol. 

 Leipzig, 1896).— Dr. M. Bocher shortly reviews " Plane and 

 Analytic Geometry," by Messrs. F. H. Bailey and F. S. 

 Woods, and concludes that the book deserves praise, not only 

 for clearness of statement, but in the main for rigour of 

 treatment. 



Wiedemann'' s Annalen der Physik nnd Che/uie, No. 8. — 

 Series spectra of oxygen, sulphur, and selenium, by C. Runge 

 and F. Paschen. The three spectra show a regular structure. 

 The lines may be joined in series which obey the laws found by 

 Rydberg and by Kayser and Runge. There is also a regularity 

 of transition from one spectrum to another. As the atomic 

 weight increases, the spectrum as a whole travels towards the 

 region of greater wave-lengths, as has also been found in the 

 case of other allied elements. — Irreversible processes, by O. 

 Wiedeburg. The reversible process in thermodynamics cannot 

 be practically realised, since some of the operations would have 

 to take place in an indefinitely long lime, and others in an in- 

 definitely short time. The author attempts to discover a general 

 "treatment of irreversible processes, and begins by separating in- 

 tensities, quantities, resistances, and energies. An advantage is 

 -gained, inasmuch as .heat and other forms of energy can be 

 -^treated by the same equations. — Electrolysis of rarefied gases, 

 ^by E. Wiedemann and G. C. Schmidt. Gaseous hydrochloric 

 acid is subjected to the action of a certain quantity of electricity 

 in a vacuum tube. The chlorine separated is collected by means 

 of mercury. The result of a series of experiments is that only about 

 53 per cent.ofthetheoretical quantityofchlorineduetothe current 

 is separated, 31 per cent, being separated at the anode, and the 

 rest at the kathode. Mercury haloids gave less than 6 per cent. 

 Electrolysis of gases is therefore different from that of liquids, 

 and does not obey Faraday's laws. — Magnetic behaviour of soft 

 steel, by Anton Abt. Soft Martin steel is as useful for electro- 

 magnets as soft iron, when no rapid alternations are called for. 

 The permeability is about the same,and the permanent magnetism 

 is only about 25 per cent, higher. — Determination of capacities 

 by the balance, by V. von Lang. A coil carrying an alternate 

 current is balanced over another, which is in circuit with a con- 

 denser. The difference of phase between the two coils, and 

 hence also the attraction between them, is a function of the 

 ■capacity of the condenser. The attraction is compensated by 

 ■weight. — Dielectric constants of solids, by H. Starke. The 

 method described of immersing a fragment of the solid in a 

 mixture of two liquids of widely different dielectric capacities, 

 and adjusting them to that of the solid, is greatly simplified by 

 employing the rapidly alternating currents of Nernst's differential 

 exciter. The conductivities of the liquids no longer interfere 

 with the results. 



Bolletlino della Societa Sismologica Italiana, vol. ii., 1896, 

 'Nos. 9 and 10. — Comparative study of two normal tromometers 

 •differently mounted, by S. Arcidiacono. — The photographic 

 tromometer, by G. Agamennone. — Description of an apparatus 

 for registering microseismic movements, by G. Mugna. — 

 Notices of earthquakes recorded in Italy (Sept. 9-Dec. 31, 

 •1896) ; the more important being the earthquakes of Livorno 

 '(Nov. 29), Frignano (Dec. 8), and the Province of Pisa (Dec. 

 25 \ and distant earthquakes of unknown origin on Oct. 30, 

 Nov. I, 5 and 10. There is no record of the Hereford earth- 

 quake of Dec. 17. 



Vol. iii., 1897, No. I. — The seismic period of Epirus in 

 Jan. 1897, by G. Agamennone. — Relation between the 

 .-frequency of earthquakes and their intensity, by F. de Mon- 

 tessus de Ballore (in French). An attempt to show that the 

 frequency of earthquakes in a district is a fair measure of its 

 seismic activity if the number of years over which the record 

 extends is great, so that, in estimating the activity, the intensity 

 of the shocks may be left out of account. — On a type of seismo- 

 metrograph for photographic registration, by G. Agamennone. — 

 Notices of earthquakes recorded in Italy (Jan. i-Feb. 4, 1897), 

 by G. Agamennone ; the more important being the earth- 

 .quakes of Umbria (Jan. 6-7, 19), Persian Gulf? (Jan. lO-ii), 

 .and Venetia (Jan. 27), and a distant but unknown earthquake 

 vOn Jan. 3-4. 



NO. 145 1, VOL. 56] 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, August 9.— M. A. Chatin in the 

 chair. — The Perpetual Secretary announced to the Academy the 

 loss it had sustained by the death of M. Tholozan, Corres- 

 pondant in the Section of Medicine and Surgery. He also an- 

 nounced the sudden death of Prof. Victor Meyer at Heidelberg. 

 — On the number and symmetry of the ligneous bundles of the 

 appendices (leaves) in their relation to organic perfection, by 

 M. Ad. Chatin A classification is given according to the 

 number of bundles in the petiole. — On the crystalline form of 

 the chloroplatinates of the diamines, by M. J. A. Le Bel. 

 Measurements are given of the axial ratios for a large number 

 of chloroplatinates of amines of the type NH.RjRa, where Rj 

 and Rj may be any pair of the methyl, ethyl, normal or 

 isopropyl, normal butyl, or amyl groups.— On some ketonic 

 ethers, by M. A. Collet. By the action of a bromo-ketone upon 

 an alcoholic solution of potassium acetate, the acetic ethers of 

 phenyl (o)-hydroxypropyl ketone, phenyl-(a)-hydroxy-ethyl ke- 

 tone, and phenyl-(o)-hydroxyisopropyl ketone were prepared in 

 the pure state. — Products of the hydrolysis of starch by diastase, 

 by M. P. Petit. — On a theoretical point in dyeing, by M. Leo 

 Vignon. From the results of the experiments given that the 

 cause of the fixing of substantive colours by cotton is of a 

 chemical order, the nitrogen in the substances added becoming 

 pentavalent. An experiment with the three bases (CgH4)2(NH2)2, 

 (CgH,)2(N(CH3)2).„ and (C8H,).,[N(CH3)3l], directly confirmed 

 this, since cotton absorbs from six to seven per cent, of the first 

 two bases, but practically none of the third.— On a new alkaloid, 

 by MM. Battandier and Th. Malosse. The alkaloid is extracted 

 from the young branches and the bark of Retama spkccro- 

 carpa, and hence is termed Retamine, a kilogram of 

 the fresh plant giving about four grams. Its composi- 

 tion appears to be given by the formula CjsHjfiN^O. — 

 On the presence of Psendocontmis vitis (Debray) in the stem 

 and leaves of Elodea canadensis, by M. E. Roze. — On an 

 acarus of the vines of Grenache {Carpoglyphns passularntn, 

 Rohin), by M. E. L. Trouessart.— On the root of i'^^^afa and 

 Salsola, by M, Georges Fron. — On the assimilating tissue of 

 stems deprived of leaves, by M. Auguste Boirivant. The sup- 

 pres.sion of the leaves in a plant gives rise to a deeper green 

 colour in the stems or petioles, due to the production of a larger 

 number of chlorophyll grains than the normal. There is also a 

 modification in the form of the cell of this tissue, the cells being 

 lengthened radially, and the number of cell layers containing 

 chlorophyll is increased. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Story of an Indian Province 361 



Chemical Equilibrium. By T. E 362 



East Indian Bees and Wasps. By D. S 363 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Marcet : "A Contribution to the History of the 



Respiration of Man." — F. W. T 364 



Fischer : " Untersuchungen ueberden Bau der Cyano- 



phycien und Bacterien " 364 



Letters to the Editor:— 



A Brilliant Perseid.— Dr. W. J. S. Lockyer .... 364 



X-Ray Tubes.— James Wimshurst 364 



The Approaching Total Eclipse of the Sun. IV. 

 {Illustrated.) By Sir Norman Lockyer, K.C.B., 



F.R.S 365 



The British Association 369 



Inaugural Address by Sir John Evans, K.C.B., 



Treas.R.S., President 369 



Section A. — Mathematics and Physics. — Opening Ad- 

 dress by Prof. A. R. Forsyth, F.R.S., President 



of the Section 374 



Section B. — Chemistry. — Opening Address by Prof. 

 Wm. Ramsay, F.R.S., President of the Section . 378 



Notes 382 



Our Astronomical Column:— 



Conditions for Best Telescopic Definition 386 



Astronomical Photography for Small and Large Apertures 386 



New Variable Stars 386 



Planetary Notes 386 



University and Educational Intelligence 386 



Scientific Serials 387 



Societies and Academies 388 



