i8o 



NATURE 



[April 26, 19 17 



for traces of f>arasitic fungi and malformation caused 

 by insects, but with negative results. The provisional 

 inference is drawn that this malformation was caused 

 more or less directly through malnutrition of the 

 plant, which was growing in droughty country. — 

 E. VV. Skeats : The age of the alkali rocks of Port 

 Cygnet and the D'Entrecasteaux Channel in the 

 south-east of Tasmania. The previous evidence of 

 the age of the alkali roclts of this district pointed to 

 the Permo-Carboniferous or Trias, since they did not 

 appear to intrude the diabase. Fresh evidence is now 

 recorded which shows, at Kettering, that these rocks 

 cut the diabase, and are therefore referred to a 

 Cainozoic age. — A. D, Hardy : Teratological notes on 

 Victorian plants. The author described a number of 

 abnormal occurrences as affecting root, stem, branch, 

 and fruit of indigenous flora, chiefly of the genus 

 Eucalyptus. Fasciation in Exocarpus gracilis and 

 -Spiral torsion in Casuarina stricta were noted. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



La Reforme Rationnelle de I'Heure. By E. Desor- 

 tiaux. Pp. 14. (Paris : Gauthier-Villars.) 



Seven Doubts of a Biologist. By S. A. McDowall. 

 Pp. 64. (London : Longmans and Co.) is. net. 



Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society 

 of South Australia. Vol. xxxix. Pp. 892 + 70 plates 

 + 50 figures. (Adelaide: The Society.) 21s. 



British Antarctic Expedition, 1907-9. Reports on 

 the Scientific Investigations. Geology. Vol. ii., Con- 

 tributions to the Palaeontology and Petrology of South 

 Victoria Land. By W. N. Benson and others. Pp. 

 vii + 269 + 38 plates +18 figures; also index to vols. i. 

 and ii. (London : W. Heinemann.) 3 guineas net. 



The Causation of Sex in Man. By E. R. Dawson. 

 Second edition. Pp. xiv + 226 + illustrations. (Lon- 

 don : H. K. Lewis and Co., Ltd.) 75. 6d. net. 



Bacon's New Series of Physical Wall Atlases. 

 British Isles. (London : G. W. Bacon and Co., Ltd.) 

 26s. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, April 26. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — Industrial Finance after the War : Prof. H. S. 



Foxwell. 

 Institution of Elf.ctrical Engineers, at 6. — High-tension Overhead 



Transmission Lines : G. V. Twiss. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 5.— A New Series of Economic Maps: 



G. Philip. 



FRIDAY, April 27. 

 Royal Institution, at 5.30. — The Organs of Hearing in relation to the 



War : Dr. Dundas Grant. 



SATURDAY, kvm\. z%. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — Principles of Aerial Navigation: Prof. G. H. 

 Bryan. 



Physical Society, at s- — Note on the General Equation for Wave Motion 

 in an Elastic Medium : Prof. J. A. Fleming.— The Effect of Stretching on 

 the Thermal Conductivity of Wires : A. Johnstone. — Cohesion : Prof. H. 

 Chatley. 



MONDA Y, April 30. 



Royal Society of Arts, at "4.30.— The National Shortage of Iron Ore 

 Supplies. I. : Available Home Supplies of Iron Ore : Prof. W. G. 

 Fearnsides. ** 



TUESDAY, May i. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — Tetanus : Prof. C. S. Sherrington. 



Faraday Society, at 8. — Discttsst'on : Osmotic Pressure: Opener: Prof. 

 A. W. Porter.— Papers : The Colloidal Membrane : Its Properties and its 

 Function in the Osmotic System : Dr. F. Tinker.— Osmotic Pressure in 

 Relation to the Constitution of Water and the Hydrates of the Solute : 

 W. R. Bousfield. 



RoNTGEN Society, at 8.15. 



ZooLOGiCAi Society, at 5.30. 



RovAL Anthropological Institute, at 5. — Some Human and Animal 

 Bones, Flint Implements, etc., discovered in Two Ancient Occupation- 

 levels in a Small Valley near Ipswich : J. Reid Moir. 



WEDNESDA Y, May 2. 



Geological Society, at 5.30. — Supplementary Notes on Aclisina, De 

 Koninck, and Aclisoides, Donald, with Descriptions of New Species : 

 J. Longstaff.— The Microscopic Material of the Bunter PebHle Beds of 

 Nottinghamshire, and its probable Source of Origin : T. H. Burton. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 4.30. — Herb-growing in the British Empire: 

 Its Past, Present, and Future : J. C. Shenstone. 



Entomological Society, at 8. 



Institution of Civil Enginf.ers, at 5.30.— James Forrest Lecture : The 

 Standardisation of Engineerinc Materials, and its Influence on the Pros- 

 perity of the Country : Sir J. Wolfe Barry, K.C. B. 



Sociktv of Public Analysts, at 8.— The Kstimation of Phenacetin and 

 Allied C'impounds by means of Hypochlorous Acid : A. D. Powell. — A 

 Kapid Method for the Determination of Nickel and Cobilt in Ores and 

 Alloys : Dr W. R. Schoeller and A. R. Powell.— Note on Opium Poison 

 ing Ca.ses : J. Webster. 



THURSDAY, May 3. 



Royal Society, atN4.3o.—Croonian Lecture : The Excitation Wave in 

 the He.irt : Dr. Thomas Lewis. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Pagan Religion at the Time of Coming of 

 Christianity: Prof. Gilbert Mm ray. 



Mathematical Society at 5.30. 



Iron and Steel In.stituie, at 10.30 a.m. — S'eel Ingot Defects: J. N. 

 Kilby. — Influence of Surface Tension on the Properties of Metals, 

 Especially of Iron and Steel : F. C Thompson. 



Institute of Metals, at 8.30. — Seventh May Lecture : Researches made 

 Possible by the Autographic Load-Extension Optical Indicator : Prof. 

 W. E. Dalby. 



FRIDAY, May 4. 



RovAL Institution, at 5.30. — Some Guarantees of Liberty: H. Wickham 

 Steed. 



Iron and Steel Institute, at 10 a.m. — The Penetration of the Hardening 

 Effect in Chromium and Copper Steels : L. Grenet. — Cementation by Gas 

 under Pressure: F. C Langenberg. — Origin and Development of the 

 Railway Rail : G. P. Raidabaugh. — Case Hardening of Iron by Boron : 

 N. Tschischewsky. — Determination of the Line S.E. in the Iron-Carbon 

 Diagram by Etching Sections at High Temperatures in vacuo: N. 

 Tschischewsky and N. Schulgin. 



Geologists' Association, at 7.30. — The Correlation of the Ing'eionian 

 Slates : J. F. N. Green. — The Landslips of Folkestone Warren and the 

 Thickness of the Lower Chalk and Gault near Dover : C. W. Osman. 



SA TURDA Y, May 5. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— The Electrical Properties of Gases : Sir J. J. 

 Thomson. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Memories of Sir David Gill. By B. Baillaud, 



Director of the Paris Observatory 161 



Sugar and the Tinned Fruit Industry 162 



Our Bookshelf . . , 163 



Letters to the Editoi': — 



Aeroplanes and Atmospheric Gustiness. — Gordon 



Dobson ; C. E. Stromeyer ... 164 



Gravitation and Thermodynamics.^ — Dr. P. E. Shaw 165 

 Floating Earths.— J. OfFord; S. Reinach . .165 

 The New Food Orders.— Prof. W. M. Bayliss, 



F.R.S 165 



Empire Development and Organisation. By 



H. C. H. C 165 



National Reforms in Education ... . . 167 

 Co-operation in Russian and British Scientific 



Undertakings. By Prof, B. Menschutkin .... 168 



Notes 169 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



A New Comet . 172 



Comet (^ 1916 (Wolf) 172 



The April Lyrids 172 



Stellar Spectra of Class R 172 



Ben Nevis and Glen Coe. {Illustrated.) By Prof. 



J. W. Gregory, F.R.S 173 



The Genetics of Silkworms 174 



New Determinations of Proper Motions of Stars. 



By Dr. Andrew C. D. Crommelin 175 



Civil Service Estimates for Science and Education 175 



University and Educational Intelligence 177 



Societies and Academies 178 



Books Received 180 



Diary of Societies 180 



Editorial and Publishing Offices : 



MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltd., 



ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON, W.C. 2 



Advertisements and business letters to be addressed to the 

 Publishers. 



Editorial Communications to the Editor. 

 Telegraphic Address : Phusis, London. 

 Telephone Number : Gekrard 8830. 



NO. 2478, VOL. 99] 



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