NA TURE 



[November 17, 1892 



plants, by MM. Th. Schloesing, jun., and Em. Laurent- 

 Observations on th.; preceding note, by M. Dudaux. — Observa- 

 tions on the preceding communications, by M. Berthelot. — On 

 'y-achroglobine, a new respiratory globuline, by M. A. B. 

 Griffiths. — On the axinite of the Pyrenees, its forms and its con- 

 ditions of occurrence, by M. A. Lacroix. — On the subterranean 

 river of the Tindoul de la Vayssiere and the springs of Salles- 

 la-Source (Aveyron), by MM. E, A. Martel and G. Gaupillat. — 

 On the comparative anatomy of the stomach in Ruminants, by 

 M. J. A. Cordier. — Remarks on some means of defence in the 

 seolidians, by M. E, Hecht. — On the evolution of the brachial 

 apparatus of some brachiopods, by MM, P. Fischer and D. P. 

 CEhlert. — On the mechanism of solution of starch in plants, by 

 M. A. Prunet. — On the diuretic and ureopoietic action of the 

 alkaloids of cod-liver oil on man, by M. J. Bouillot. — Results 

 obtained at the crystal works of Baccarat by the introduction of 

 metastannic acid into putty powder, by M. L. Gueroult. 



Berlin. 

 Physiological Society, October 14. — Prof. Munk, presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — Prof. Kossel gave an account of further 

 researches on nucleinic acid, a compound which, in union with 

 albumin, composes the proteids of the cell-substance. In earlier 

 researches he had studied the acid as derived from yeast-cells 

 and salmon-milf, and found that while the substances obtained 

 from these two sources differed in many respects, they resembled 

 each other in that the ratio of phosphorus to nitrogen was in both 

 as I to 3, and that they both yielded nuclein-bases during their 

 decomposition. More recent researches on the nuclein derived 

 from the leucocytes of the thymus gland have shown that the 

 nucleinic acid it yields is more like that from milt, and resembles 

 the product obtained from yeast even less than does the product 

 from milt. The relationships of nucleinic acid to the chrornatin 

 bodies of the histologists were minutely considered. — Prof. Gad 

 brought forward a theory of the excitatory process in muscles, 

 based upon the theory of Kick, but further developed and sup- 

 ported by experiments on tetanized muscles. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



London. 



THURSDAY, November 17. 



RovAL SociKTV, at 4.'-o. — On the Cliaracters and Behaviour of the VVan- 

 clering(Migralinp) Cells of the Frog, especially in Relation to Micro- 

 organisms : Dr. Kanthack and W. B. Hardy. — On the Colour of the 

 Leaves of Plants and their Autumnal Changes: Dr. Hassall. — ?tability 

 and Instability of Viscous Liquids : A. B. Bn^set, ^.R S._ — Observations 

 on the P'arthquake Shocks which occurred in the British Isles and 

 France durii g the Month of August, 1892: Prof. Hull, F.R.S. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8. — A Theoretical Origin of Endogens through an 

 Aquatic Habit : Rev. Prof. Henslow. — On the Buprestidse of Japan and 

 their Coloration : G. Lewis. 



Chkmicai Sociftv, ai 8 — Fluo-sulphonic Acid : T. E. Thorpe, F.R.S., 

 and William Kirmsn. — The Interaction of Iodine and Potassium 

 Chlorate: T. E. Thorpe, F.R.S. , and George H. Perry.— The Magnetic 

 Rotation of Sulphuric and Nitric Acids and their Solutions : also of Solu- 

 tions of .Sodiunj Sulphate and Lithium Nitrate: W. H. Perkin, F.R.S.—- 

 Note (.n the Refractive Indices and Magnetic Rotation of Sulphuric Acid 

 Solutions: S. U. Pick.ring, FR.S.— Hydrates of Alkylamines : S. U. 

 Pickering, F.R.S -On the Atomic Weiglit of Boron : W. Ramsay, 

 F.R.S , and Miss Emily Aston. — And other papers. 



Institution OF liLECTRiCAL Engineers, at 8. — The Problems of Com- 

 mercial Electrolysis: James Swinburne (Di'^cussion.) 



London Institution, at 6.— Lincoln Cathedral (Illustrated) : Rev. Canon 

 Edmund Venables. 



SUNDA V, November 20. 



SuNOAV Lectuke Society, at 4 — How Weather Forecasts are arrived at, 

 and how we should use them (with Oxy-hydrogen Lantern Illustrations) ; 

 Arthur W. Clayden. 



MONDAY. Novbmb.:r2i. 



Society of Arts, at 8. — The Generation of Light from Coal Gas : Prof. 

 Vivian B. Lewes. 



Aristotelian Society, at 8. — The Nature of Physical Force and Matter : 

 R. J. Ryle. 



London Institution, at 5. — Respiration in Man and Animals (Illustrated) : 

 Hy. Power. 



TUESDAY, November 22. 



Institution OF Civil Enginebks, ai 8.- Halifax Graving-Dock, Nova 

 Scotia: Hon. R. C. Parsons.— Cockatoo Island Graving-Dock, Neiv 

 S uth Wales: E. W. Young.— The Alexandra Graving-Dock, Belfast: 

 W Redfern Kelly. — Consiruciionof a Concrete Graving-Dock at Newport, 

 Monmouthshire : Robert Pickwell. (Discussion.) 



WEDNESDA Y, November 23. 



Geological Society, at 8.— Outline of the Geological Features of Arabia 

 Petrsea and Palestine: Prof. Edward Hull, F.R.S.— The Marls and 

 Clays of the Maltese Islands : J. H. Cooke. — The Base of the Keuper 

 Formati'm in Devon : Rev. A. Irving. 



SociETv OF Akts, at 8. — Cremation as an Incentive ^to Crime: J'- |Sey- 

 mour Haden. 



NO. 1203, VOL. 47] 



THURSDA Y, November 24 

 Institution op Civil Engineers, at 2.30.— Students' Visits to the Gas 



Light and Coke Company's Chief Office, Horseferry Road, Westminster. 

 London Institution, at 6.— The Ruined Cities of Mashonaland (Illus- 

 trated): J. Theodore Bent. 



FRrDA Y, November 25. 

 Physical Sociftv, at 5. Experiments in Electric and Magnetic Fields, 

 Constant and Varying: E. C Rimington and E. Wythe Smith. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — The Value of Hypnotism in Chronic Alcoholism: Dr. C. L. 

 Tuckey (Churchill). — Guide to the Science of Photo Micrography, 2nd 

 edition; E. C. Bousfield (Churchill). — Das Centralnervensystem von 

 j Protopterus Annectens : Dr. K. Burckhart (Berlin, Friedlander).— Aids to 

 1 Experimental Science : A. Gray (Auckland, Upton) —The Outlin>'s of 

 Organic Chemistry: C. I- Leaper (Iliffe). — Theorie Math^matique de la 

 Lumiere: H. Poincar^ (Paris. G. Carr6). -A Sequel to the First Six Books 

 ! oftheElementsof Euclid, 6th edition : Dr. J.Casey, edited by P. A. E. 

 Dowling (Longmans). — The Jurassic Rocks of the Neighbourhood of Cam- 

 bridge : T. Roberts (C. J. Clay). — Fossil Plants as Tests of Climate : A. C. 

 Seward (C. J. Clay).— The Collected Papers of Sir Wm. Bowman, Bart., 

 F.R.S. : vol. I, Re.searches in Physiological Anatomy, edited by Prof. J. 

 i Burdon-Sanderson ; vol. 2, Surgical and 1 phihalmological Papers, edited 

 by J. W. Hulke (Harrison) —The Fayum and Lake Mceris : Major R H. 

 i Brown (Stanford). — Text-book of the Embryology of Man and Mammals: 

 Dr. O. Hertwig, translated by Dr. E. L M<rk (S' nnenschein I. 



Pamphlets. — A Sanitary Crusade through the East and Australia (Glas- 



j gow, Boyle). — Geologische und Geographische txperimente ; ii. Heft, Vul- 



{ kanische und Massen- Eruptionen : E. Reyer (Leipzig, Engelmann) — The 



I Gods of Greece, and other Translations: L)r. J. F. Whitty (Grocock). — 



First Series of Field-path Rambles round Bromley, &c. : W. Miles 



(Taylor). — Un Avance a la Antropologia de Espana : L. de Hoyos Sainz 



and T. de Aranzadi (Madrid). — Appuiiti in Conferma delle Osservazioni 



Tromometriche : P. T. Bertelli (Torino, Giuseppe). 



Serials. — Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, vol. xiv. ; Report 

 of the Conifer Conference (London). — Himmel und Erde, November 

 (Berlin, Paetel). — Bulletin de la Soci^te Imp^riale des Naturalistes de 

 Moscou, 1892, No. 2 (Moscou).— Quarterly Journal of Microscopical 

 Science, November (Churchill). — The Kansas University Quarterly, 

 October (Lawrence, Kansas). 



CONTENTS. p.AGE 



The Geology of Scotland. By Prof. A. H. Green, 



F.R.S - . 49 



Medical Microscopy. By Dr. A. H. Tubby .... 51 



Odorographia 52 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Swinhoe : " Catalogue of Eastern and Australian 

 Lepidoptera Heterocera in the Collection of the 



Oxford University Museum " 53 



Darwin: "Charles Darwin: His Life Told in an 

 Autobiographical Chapter and in a Selected Series 



of his Published Letters " • • • S3 



Baring-Gould : " Strange Survivals : Some Chapters 



in the History of Man " 53 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Botanical Nomenclature.— W. T. Thiselton Dyer, 



F.R.S.; Sereno Watson .53 



Thf Reflector with 'he Projection Microscope. — G. B. 



Buckton, F.R.S .... 54 



Note on the Colours of the Alkali Metals. — G. S. 



Newth. ... 55 



Women and Musical Instruments.— Henry Balfour 55 

 An Ancient Glacial Epoch in Australia. By Dr. 



Alfred Russel Wallace 55 



On the Walking of Arthropoda. By Henry H. 



Dixon 56 



On Iron Alloys 58 



Notes . .... 60 



Our Astronomical Column:— 



The New Comet ... 63 



Comet Brooks (Augus' 28) 63 



The Light of Planets 64 



Stellar Magnitudes in Relation to the Milky Way . . 64 



The Canals of Mars 64 



Geographical Notes 64 



Dr. Nansen's Arctic Expedition 65 



A Remarkable Case of Geometrical Isomerism. By 



A. E. Tutton . 65 



Marine Laboratories in the United States. By 



Prof. J. P. Campbell 66 



University and Educational Intelligence 68 



Scientific Serials 68 



Societies and Academies 69 



Diary of Societies 72 



Bf^oks, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 72 



