,12 



NATURE 



[July 27, 1893 



formula is incorrect. M. Ama^at hopes shortly to obtain some 

 more accurate results. — On glycolysis in normal and diabetic 

 blood, by MM. R. Lepine and Metroz. In diabetic blood the 

 absolute loss of sugar in vitro, although quite perceptible, is 

 very much less than it would be if the glycolytic energy were 

 normal ; it is, therefore, evident that the glycolytic energy must 

 be lowered. — On the new comet b 1893, by M. Quonisset. — 

 Observations of the new comet, b 1893, made at the Paris Ob- 

 servatory (west equatorial), byM. G. Bigourdan. — On studies of 

 the discharge of vapour through orifices, by M. H. Parenty. — 

 On the simplicity of samarium, M. Eug. Demarcay. From ex- 

 periments upon solutions of samarium salts it appears that the 

 suspicions entertained as to its elementary nature were un- 

 founded. — On cyclic condensations of carbon, by M. Gustave 

 Rousseau. M. Rousseau succeeded in preparing artificial black 

 diamonds by the decomposition of calcium acetylide in a current 

 of moist gas in a Ducretet electric furnace. Some of the grains 

 obtained were o'5 mm. in diameter. — On aminobutenediamide 

 and butanonediamide, by M. R. Thomas-Mamert. — On the 

 saturation of the nitrogens of nicotine and on an acetyl nicotine, 

 by M. A. Etard. — Rotatory powers of quinic acid derivatives, 

 byM. S. G. Cerkez. — Derivatives and constitution ofrhodinol 

 and essence of roses, by M. Ph. Barbier. — Laws of evolution of 

 digestion ; their interpretation, by M. J. Winter. — Does the 

 elasticity of the muscle diminish during contraction? by M. N. 

 Wedensky. — On the mechanism of the production of light in the 

 Orya harbarica of Algiers, by M. Raphael Dubois. — On the 

 pelagic fauna of the lakes of the French Jura, by MM. Jules de 

 Guerne and Jules Richard. — On a parasitic fungus of Cochylis, 

 by MM. C. Sauvageau and J. Perraud. 



GOTTINGEN. 



Royal Society of Sciences.— The Nachrichten from 

 January 18 10 April 12 contain the following papers of scientific 

 interest : — 



January 18. — E. Riecke : Thermodynamics of tourmaline, 

 and the mechanical theory of muscular contraction ; a criticism 

 of Miiller's hypothesis. H. Weber : Researches in the theory 

 of numbers in the domain of elliptic functions, I. 



January 25. — A. Peter : Contributions to our knowledge of 

 the Hieracea of Eastern Europe. \. The Pilosdloidea of the 

 Moscow district. P. Drude : The relation of the dielectric 

 constants to indices of refraction. The following theorem is 

 obtained : " The difference between the dielectric constant and 

 the square of the refractive index is equal to the sum of the 

 polarisation-constants of the molecular groups whose free 

 vibrations lie in the ultra-red." W. Voigt : Observations on 

 the torsional rigidity of rocksalt prisms. W. Voigt : Obser- 

 vations on the tensile strength of rock crystal and fluorspar. 

 F. Klein : The composition of binary quadratic forms. H. 

 Weber: On the theory of invariants. D. Hilbett : On the 

 ■transcendency of the numbers e and ir. 



February 8. — E. Ritter : Automorphic algebraic forms of 

 arbitrary species. 



Amsterdam. 



Royal Academy of Sciences, June 24. — Prof, van de Sande 

 -Bakhuyzen in the chair. — Mr. Kamerlingh Onnes gives the 

 results of some experiments made in the Leyden Laboratory (i) 

 by Dr. Kuenen, on the surface of v. d. Waals for mixtures. One 

 of the phases observed by Wroblewski in compressing air with 

 COj, and by Prof. Dewar in compressing CSj with COj is due 

 to insufficient mixing. (2) By Dr. Siertsema, on the magneto- 

 optic dispersion of oxygen. The apparatus used is like that of 

 Kundt and Rontgen, but the polariser and analyser are Nicols', 

 and the coil is magnetised by a dynamo of 8 h. p. The magnetic 

 rotation of the plane of polarisation diminishes regularly as the 

 wave-length increases. — Mr. J. A. C. Oudemans communicated 

 some remarks concerning Sir John Herschel's second method of 

 calculating the most probable orbit of a binary star, (Mems. of 

 the R.A.S., vol. xviii.). The apparent orbit is here deter- 

 mined analytically by applying the method of least squares to 

 the solution of the equations 



ax + ^y ■¥ -^x"- -f Ixy + ty" Jr \ — o, 



where o, 3, 7, 8, e are the unknown quantities, x, y the co- 

 ordinates given by the normal places. Sir John gave these equa- 

 tions equal weights, whereas the speaker proved that the weight 



of each equation = p - ' , P being = o -^ z-yx -f ly, and 

 MO. 1239, VOL. 48] 



Q = (8 -f 5;r -I- 26_y. In the example given by Sir John (the 

 orbit of 7 Virginis) / varies from the single to the treble. If 

 the weight of a normal place is estimated, from other considera- 

 tions {i.e. the power of the telescopes, the number of observa- 

 tions, &c. ), = f', the weight of the corresponding equation is to 

 be taken =//'. Mr. Franchimont asserts the possibility that 

 glucose, being aldehyde and alcohol together, would, by the 

 known interaction of these two functions, i.e. an addition, give 

 in some circumstances derivatives of a tautomeric form, an 

 oxide, whenever this does not exist in the free state. In such a 

 tautomeric form (the most probable is i '2) there is one asym- 

 metric carbon atom more than in the aldehydic form, and he 

 inclines to consider the two pentacetates as the stereoisomeric 

 derivatives of this carbon atom. The two pentacetates (also the 

 tetracetate chloride of Colley and the pentabenzoate of Skraup) 

 have no properties of aldehyde, neither of alcohol. They can- 

 not be compared with oxides, such as ethylenic-oxide. nor with 

 the lactones (olides). They differ in melting-point, solubility, 

 and optical activity. Both are dextrorotatory, but the power of 

 rotation of the one is very small, that of the other very great. 

 In association with Mr. Lobry de Bruyn he could not find any 

 difference in the chemical behaviour, so that no reason exists to 

 admit that they are structural i.-omeric. With ammonia they 

 seem to produce acetamide and the same product that is given 

 by glucose itself, isomeric with glucosamine and isoglucosamine. 

 The pentacetate with the higher melting-point can be trans- 

 formed in that with the lower by heating with zinc-chloride, the 

 presence of a solvent as xylene being favourable but not neces- 

 sary. The above considerations on the tautomeric form of glu- 

 cose can be applied on other aldols (olals) and throw new light 

 on their peculiar behaviour in some circumstances. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Rothamsted Jubilee 289 



The Origin and Development of Music. By Prof. C. 



Lloyd Morgan 290 



Earlier Recollections of Marianne North. By 



W. B. H 291 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Baldwin: " Elements of Psychology."— C. LI. M. . 292 

 Aveling : " An Introduction to the Study of 



Geology " 292 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Publication of Physical Papers. — Prof. Oliver J. 



Lodge, F.R.S. ; A. B. Basset, F.R.S 292 



Birds' Methods of Steering. — F. W. Headley . . . 293 

 Remarkable Hailstorms. {Illustrated.)— Ht. H. J. 



Johnston-Lavis 294 



A Substitute for Ampere's Swimmer. — Alfred 



Daniell 294 



The Jelley-fish of Lake Urumiah.— P. L. Sclater, 



F.R.S. ... 294 



Racial Dwarfs in the Pyrenees. — J. S. Stuart- 



Glennie 294 



The Nottingham Meeting of the British Associa- 

 tion. By Prof. Frank Clowes 295 



The Great Drought of 1893 29S 



Nicolas Ivanovich Lobatchefsky 296 



Notes . . 296 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Discovery of the New Comet yx> 



Comet Finlay (1886 VIL) 300 



Changes in the Spectrum of /3 Lyrae 3"' 



The Variable Star Y Cygni 301 



New Determination of the Constant of Universal 



Attraction 301 



The Coronal Atmosphere of the Sun .... ■ . . 301 



Variable Stars 30I 



Geographical Notes .301 



Some Recent Restorations of Dinosaurs. {Illus- 

 trated.) By R. Lydekker 302 



The International Maritime Congress 304 



The Luminiferous Ether 306 



The Nature of Depolarisers, By Prof. H. E. Arm- 

 strong, F.R.S. 308 



University and Educational Intelligence 309 



Scientific Serials 309 



Societies and Academies 309 



