30 



NA TURE 



[March 3, 1910 



general, of crystals possessing rotatory power. The salt 

 Isolated by Wyrouboff was dextrorotatory only. The 

 author has accidentally obtained a lajvorotatory variety, 

 gind has been able to show that these two forms differ 

 greatly in stability, the laevo variety passing over completely 

 into the dcxtro form on re-crystallising from water. The 

 two species differ considerably in their solubility. — J. 

 Wolff : The action of the alkaline dibasic phosphates on 

 tyrosinase. A reply to some remarks of M. Agulhon. 

 Experiments are cited in detail showing that the action 

 of the enzyme is much assisted by the presence of sodium 

 phosphate, although at the commencement the phosphate 

 retards the reaction. — M. Billon-Dagruerre : The sterilisa- 

 tion of liquids by radiations of very short wave-length. 

 The invisible region of the spectrum, with wave-lengths 

 between 1030 and 1100 Angstrom units, is the seat of 

 radiations possessing a chemical action about twenty-five 

 times greater than the ultra-violet rays produced by mercury 

 vapour lamps. The apparatus described utilises these very 

 short radiations ; details are given of its sterilising activity, 

 and a domestic installation is figured possessing advantages 

 economically over the mercury vapour lamp steriliser. — 

 Paul Hallez : The protection encystment of Prostoma 

 lumbricoidcum. — H. Vincent : The active immunisation of 

 man against typhoid fever. A new antityphoid vaccine.— 

 F. Kerforne : The pre-Hercynian movements of the 

 Breton massif. — M. de Montessus de Ballore : The baro- 

 graph considered as a recording seismoscope. Records on 

 barographs have frequently been found to show disturb- 

 ances^ corresponding to earthquake shocks. From the 

 examination of four years' barograms taken at Santiago, 

 it is concluded that the barograph cannot be regarded as 

 a useful seismoscope. — F. Dienert : The estimation of 

 fluorescent substances in the control of the sterilisation of 

 water. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Makch 3. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — The Depression of Freezing Point in very Dilute 

 Aqueous Solutions : T. G. Bedford.— Sturm-Liouville Series of Normal 

 Functions in the Theory of Integral Equations: J. Mercer.— The Solu- 

 bility of Xenon, Krypton, Argon, Neon, and Helium in Water : A. von 

 AntropofF. — Measurements of the Absolute Indices of Refraction in 

 Strained Glass : Dr. L. N. G. Filon. 



Royal Institution, .at 3.— Illumination, Natural and Artificial (Experi- 

 mentally Illustrated) : Prof. S. P. Thompson, F.R.S. 



RoNTGF.N Society, at 8.15.— Dental X-ray Technique : C. A. Clark. 



LiNNEA>r Society, at 8.— Our British Nesting Terns : W. Bickerton. 

 FRIDAY, March 4. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— Magnetic Storms : Dr. C. Chree, F.R.S. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Reinforced Concrete as applied 

 to Retaining-walls, Reservoirs, and Dams : A. J. Hart. 



Geologists' Association, at 8.— On a Fuller's Earth Section at Combe 

 • Hay, near B.ath : L. Richardson.— Some Notes on the Superficial 



, Geology and Physical Features of Epping Forest : S. Hazzledine Warren. 

 SATURDAY, March 5. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Electric Waves and the Electromagnetic 

 Theory of Light : Sir J. J. Thomson, F.R.S. 



Essex Field Club (at the Essex Museum, Stratford, Essex), at 6.— 

 Some Notes on the Cricket-bat Willow {Salix alba, var. coeruha) in 

 Essex : Miller Christy. --Report on the Lichens of Epping Forest (first 

 paper), together with some General Remarks on the Group : R. Paulson 

 and P. G, Thompson. 



, . MONDA Y, March 7. 



Aristotelian Society, at 8.— The Reality of Individua : Miss H. D. 

 Oakeley. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30.— Land and People in the Kasai 

 Basin of the Congo : E. 'I'ordsy. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 8.— Lead Work: L. Weaver. 



Society of Chemical Industry, at 8.— The Rational Analysis of Clays : 

 W. C. Hancock.— On the Application of Pressure Gas to Furnace Use: 

 A. W. Onslow.— A New Gas Sampling Tube: G. Nevill Huntly.— The 

 Complete Analysis of Leather,. and a Common Mistake in the Deter- 

 mination of the Degree of Tannage: Dr. J. Gordon Parker and M. 



■ Paul. — The Spontaneous Decomposition' of Blasting Gelatine: J. B. 

 Henderson. 



Society of Engineers, at 7.30.— Sewage Disposal Ideals : W. C. 

 Easdale. 



Victoria Institute, at 4.30.— Assiir and Nineveli: Dr. T. G. Pinches. 

 TUESDA Y, March 8. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— The Emotions and their Expression : Prof. 

 . F. W. Mott, F.R.S. . 



Royal Anthropological Institute, at 8. 15.- Exhibition of the Gibraltar 

 Skull, with Lantern- Demonstration of Certain Features Characteristic 



^ of Palaeolithic Man : Dr. A- Keith. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Birmingham Sewage-disposal 

 Works : J. D. Watson.— Salisbury Drainage : W. J. E. Binnie. 

 WED-NESDAY, March 9. 



Qeologicaj, Society, at S.^The Carboniferous Succession in Gower 



_ (Glamorganshire) : E. E. L. Dixon and A. Vaughan. 



RoVal Society op Arts, at'8.— The Public T'rusteeand his Work : C. J. 



? Stewart. ,. . ' . ^ . ■ 



NO. 2105, VOL. 83] 





THURSDAY, March 10. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Probable Papers '. The Causes of the Absorption 

 of Oxygen by the Lungs (Preliminary Communication): C. Gordon 

 Douglas and Dr. J. S. Haldane, F.R.S. — The Action of Nicotine .ind 

 other Pyridine Bases unon Muscle: Dr. V. H. Veley, F.R.S., and Dr. 

 A D. Waller, F.R.S. — The Extinction of Sound in a Viscous Atmosphere 

 by Small Obstacles of Cylindrical and Spherical Form : C. J. T. Sewell. 

 — The lonisation of Various Gases by the Rays of Actiiiium; Dr. R. D. 

 Kleeman. 



Mathematical Society, at 5.30. — Forms for the Remainder in the Euler- 

 Maclaurin Sum-formula: W. F. Sheppard. — The Scattering of Light by 

 a Large Conducting Sphere : J. W. Nicholson. 



Institution op Electrical Enginefrs, at 8.— Short Circuiting of 

 Large Electric Generators and the Resulting Forces on Armature 

 Windings ; The Design of Turbo Field Magnets for K. C. Generators 

 with Special Reference to Large Units at High Spee-ls : Miles Walker. 



Royal Society op Arts, at 4.30. — Indian State Forestry : Saint-Hill 

 Eardley-Wilmot. 



FRIDAY, March ii. 



Royal Institution, at 9. — lonisation of Gases and Chemical Change: 

 Dr. H. Brereton Baker, F.R.S. 



Physical Society, at 8. — On Coherers : Dr. W. H. Eccles. — Earth-air 

 Electric Currents: Dr. G. C. Simpson. — An Automatic Toepler Pump 

 designed to Collect the Gas from the Apparatus being Exhausted : Dr. 

 B. D. Steele. 



MalacOlogical Society, at 8. — Pleistocene, Holocene, and Recent Non- 

 marine Mollusca from Mallorca. Marine Shells from Alcudia, Mallorca: 

 Rev. R, Ashmgron BuUen. — Classification of the Gastropoda : R. J. 

 Lechmere Guppy. — On the Occurrence in England of Valvata iiia^ro- 

 stoma, Steen : A. S. Kennard and A. W. Stelfox. — Descriptibn of a New 

 Species of Helicodonta from Spain : G. K. Gude. 



• - SATURDAY, March 12. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — Electric Waves arid ths Electromagnetic 

 Theory of Light : Sr J. J. Thomson, F.R.S. 



CONTENTS. PAG« 



An Encyclopaedic Treatise on the Protozoa. By 



Prof. E. A. Minchin i 



The Early History of New Zealand. By A. D. . 3 



Chemical Control of Foodstuffs. By C. S 3 



The Movements of Chromatophores in Plants . . 4 



Modern Algebra 4 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Moreux : " Les Tremblements de Terre." — Prof. J. 



Milne, F.R.S. 



Dannerth : " The Methods of Textile Chemistry, 

 being the Syllabus of a Lecture Course adapted 



for use in Textile Laboratories " 5 



Smalian : " Naturwissenschaftliches Unterrichtsweik 



ftir hohere Madchenschulen " 6 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Meaning of " lonisation." — A. S. 



The Fertilising Influence of Sunlight. — Dr. E. J. 



Russell 



The Spectrum of Bacterial Luminosity. — Dr. R. W. 



Forsyth 7 



Self- fertilisation and Loss of Vigour. — A. B. Bruce 7 

 Vision and Colour Vision.— Dr. F. W. Edridge- 



Green 



Th€ Methods of Bird Fanciers.— E. L. ; Wilfred 



Mark Webb 



Title of the Natural History Museum. — F. Howard 



Collins 



North Polar Oceanography. {Illustrated.) By Dr. 



William S. Bruce . 



Aeroplane Stability. By Prof. G. H. Bryan, F.R.S. 

 The Work of the Woburn Fruit Farm. By 



E.J. R ...... 13 



Underground Topography in li-eland. ByG. A.J. C. 14 



Notes . 15 



Our Astronomical Column:— 



Astronomical Occurrences in March 19 



Comet igioa. {Illustrated.) 19 



Fireball of February 17 ...... 20 



Halley's Comet 20 



Pidoux's Comet, igio*^ 20 



The Naked-eye Sun-spot Group 20 



The Brennan Mono-rail System. {Illustrated.) . . 20 

 The Fuel Question in the United States ... 21 

 The Scientific Reports of the Local Government 



Board. By Prof. R. T. Hewlett 22 



Scientific Activity in New Zealand . 22 



The Work of Lord Kelvin in Telegraphy and 



Navigation. By Prof. J. A. Evi^ing, C.B., F.R.S. 23 

 University and Educational Intelligence ..... 27 



Societies and Academies '. ............. 28 



Diary of Societies .,..■.;■.... . . : . . . . 30 



