2CO 



NATURE 



[May 3, 1917 



Stancescu ; Explosive potential in carbon dioxide at 

 high pressures. Experiments with carbon dioxide at 

 pressures between five and forty-five atmospheres, and 

 with striking distance between the plates (d) varying 

 between 0-34 mm. and 224 mm., proved that the 

 explosive potential V = F(md), where m is the number 

 <if molecules in unit volume of gas. — P. Woog and J. 

 Sarriau : A method of observation and measurement of 

 rapidly periodic magnetic phenomena. An application 

 of the Koenig manometric capsule. — M. Trabut : The 

 hybrid origin of cultivated lucerne. — A. Guilliermond : 

 The alterations and the characters of the chondriom(> 

 in the epidermal cells of the tulip flower. 



-BOOKS RECEIVED. 



The Secretionvof Urine. By Prof. A. R. Cushny. 



Pp. xi + 241. (London: Longmans and Co.) 95. net. 



The Borderlands of Science. By Dr. A. T. Schofield. 



Pp. viii + 255. (London: Cassell and Co., Ltd.) 6s. 



net. 



The Distribution of Attention. By E. N. McQueen. 

 Pp. vi + i42. (Cambridge: At the University Press.) 

 5s. net. 



Electric and Magnetic Measurements. By C. M. 

 Smith. Pp. xii + 373. (New York: The Macmillan 

 Co.; London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) los. 6d. net. 

 Science Francaise Scolastique Allemande. By Prof. 

 G. Papillault. Pp. 154. (Paris : F. Alcan.) 2 fr. 50. 

 ' Theophrastus : Enquiry into Plants, and Minor Works 

 on Odours and Weather Signs. With an English 

 translation by Sir A. Hort. (Loeb Classical Library.) 

 2 vols. Vol. i., pp. xxviii + 474; vol. ii., pp. ix + 499. 

 (London : W. Heinemann.) 55. net each vol. 



Stresses in Wire-wrapped Guns and in Gun Car- 

 riages. By Lt.-Col. C. d'H. Ruggles. Pp. xi + 259. 

 (New York : J. Wiley and Sons, Inc. ; London : Chap- 

 man and Hall, Ltd.) 135. 6d. net. 



The Chemistry of Dyestuffs. By M. Fort and Dr. 

 L. L. Lloyd. Pp. xi + 311. (Cambridge: At the 

 University Press.), ys. 6d. net. 



The Mexican Indians North of Mexico. By W. H. 

 Miner. Pp. xi+169. (Cambridge : At the University 

 Press.) 3s, net. 



Ethnobotany of the Tewa Indians. B3' W. W. 

 Robbins, G. P. Harrington, and B. Freire-Marreco. 

 Pp. xii+124 (Washington: Government Printing 

 Office.) 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY. May 3. 

 RovAi, SociBTv, at 4. — Election of Fellows. At 4.30. — CroonL-in 'Lecture : 



The Ex-citation Wave in the Heart: Dr. Thomas Lewis. 

 RcYAL Institution, at 3. — Pagan Religion at tHe Time of Coming of 



Ch'istianity ; Pr if. Gilbert Mu ray. 

 Mathematicai, "Society at 5.30. Sir George Stokes and the Theory of 



Unif>rm Convergence : G. H. Hardy. — A Symm trical Condition for 



<o-Apolar Triads on a Cubic Curve : Dr. W. P. iMilne. 

 Iron and Steei In.stitu e, at 10.30 a.m. — S-tel Ineot Defrcts: J. N. 



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



especially of Iron and Ste*-! : F. C. Thompson. j 



Institute of Metals, at 8.30. — Seventh May Lecture : Researches m.-ide" 



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



W. K. Dalby. 

 LiNNEAN Society, at 8. — A Monograph of the Genns Fumaria: H. W, 



Piigsley. — The Flowers of the Ma' ua, Bassia lafifofia, Po.\b. : G. M. 



Rxan. — An Autograph of Vice-Admiral Bligh (1751-1817): C. D. 



Sherborn.— Two Critical Plants of the Greek Flora : C. C. Laraita.— 



(1) Paracuba'is, a New Genus and Sp- cies of Terrestrial Isopoda from 



British Guiana: (2) The Oral -Appendages of Certain Species of Marine 



Isopoda : Dr. W. E. Collinee. 

 Chemical Society, at S.^Researches on Asymmetric Nitrosen Com- 

 ( pounds. I. : 5-Aminosalic' lie Acid and Relat*-d Compounds; II. : Some 

 , Nitrated Oxydiphenvlamines ; III.: Oxyphenyglycine : The late R. 



Mel ola H. S. FpstfT, and R. Brightman. — Contrihutions to the 



Chemistrj' of Caramel. I.: Caramelan : Miss M. Cunningham, and C. 



Dorec. 



FRIDAY, May 4. 

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



Steed. 

 ll|ON akdSte-el 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. Langenbrrg. — Origin and D velopment of the 

 Railway Kail: G. P. Raidnbaugh.— Case Hardening of Ir.>n by Boron: 

 N. T>chischewsky.— Determinatinn of the Line S.E. in the Iron-Carbon 

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

 Tschisthewsky and N Schulgin. 

 Geologists' A.ssociation, at j.v3. — The Correlation of the Ingleionian 

 Slate- : J. F. N. Green. — The Landslips ol Folkestone v\ arren and the 

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



SATURDAY, May 5. 

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

 Thomson. 



MONO A Y, -May 7. 

 Victoria Institute, 314.30. — The Pre-requisites of a Christian Philosophy : 



Rev. Dr. Whately. 

 Aristotelian Society, at 8. — The Basis of Critical Realism : Prof. 



G. Dawes Hicks. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — Race and Nationality : Dr. 



Marion Newbig^n. 

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

 Supplies. II. : Oversea Iron Fields which Supply the British Market: 

 Prot. W. G Feamsidf.s. 

 Society of Engineers, at 5.30. — The Goods Clearing House System 

 Explained : Lord Headley. 



TUESDAY, May 8. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — Rhythmic Action in Muscle and in Nerve : 

 Pi of. C. S. Sherrington. 



WEDNESDA Y, May 9. 

 Royal Society of Arts, at 4.30. — Works Organisation and Efficiency : 

 Prof. W. Ripper. 



THURSDAY, May 10. 



Rdyal Society, at 4.30. — Probable Papers: Permanent Periodicity in 



Sunspots: Sir Joseph Larmor and N. Yamaga. — The Hig'i-freqiiency 



KcMbtance of Multiply Stranded Insul.ted Wire: Prof. G. W. O Howe. 



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



Christianity : Prof. Gilbert Murray. 



FRIDAY, MiVY II. 

 Royal Institution, at 5.30. — Radioactive Haloes : Prof. J. Joly. 

 . Royal Astronomical Society, ai 5. 



SATURDAY, May 12. 

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

 Thomson. 



CONTENTS. PAGB 



The Problem of Heredity, By Sir E. Ray Lankester, 



K.C.B , F.R.S. 181 



Generalised Co-ordinates. By G. B. M. ..... 182 



Tropical Agriculture 183 



Our Bookshtlf 183 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Science Teaching and National Character. — Prof. 



Ramsay Muir; The Editor. 184 



The Frequency of Snow in London. — L. C. W. 



Bonacina , 185 



Scarcity of Wasps in Kashmir in 1916. — ^J. Eversbed, 



F.R.S. . . 185 



Cdfrrt/(?;//a j?7/i/«rt and the Carat Weight. — ^J, H. Cosie 185 



The British Science Guild 186 



The Public Services of India ,• • • '87 



The National Importance of Farm Vermin. By 



Dr. Walter E. Collinge . 188 



Notes 189 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Persistent Aurora I93, 



A New Catalogue of Doub'e Stars I93 



Report of Mount Wilson Observatory I93 



The Pay and Supply of Teachers. By G. D. 



Dunkerley and Alex. Blades ... ... I94 



Soil Aeration in Agriculture. By E. H. R. . . 195 

 The Indian Associationfor the Cultivation of Science 195 

 National Reconstruction. By the Right Hon. Lord 



Sydenham, F.R.S 196 



University and Educational Intelligence 198 



Societies and Academies i99 



Books Received , 260 



Diary of Societies 200 



Editorial and Publishing Offices : 



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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 :■ Gerrarc 8830, 



NO. 2479, VOL. 99] 



O 



