;6o 



NA TURE 



[May 19, 1910 



and contained in a thin quartz tube, has been proved to 

 result in polymers being formed. The residual gas in all 

 cases was pure, the polymers formed depositing on the 

 sides of the tube in liquid or solid form. Oxygen under 

 these conditions was proved definitely to give rise to ozone. 

 — Pablo-Martinez Strong: : The colloidal nature of the 

 chromopolysulphuric acids. It is shown that these acids 

 possess the properties of ti ue colloids.— V. Volmar : Some 

 trialkylacetonaphthones and their decomposition by sodium 

 amide. Ketones of the general type 



C.„H,-CO-C(R.R,R,) 



have been prepared. These are all split up by the action 

 of sodium amide, the a isomers giving products correspond- 

 ing to those obtained from the trialkylacetophenones, whilst 

 with the /3 products the inverse reaction takes place. — 

 V. Grisrnard and L. Zorn : The action of thionyl chloride 

 on mixed organo-magnesium compounds. Aromatic mag- 

 nesium compounds give rise to sulphinones ; fatty com- 

 pounds give a mixture of sulphinone, sulphide, and alcohol. 

 — P. Freundler : The chloranthranilic esters and their 

 condensation with nitroso-benzene. — M. Tiffeneau : The 

 action of dehydrating agents on some a-glycols. — L. Lutz : 

 The mode of formation of gum in Tragacanthoides. — Raoul 

 Combes : The part played by oxygen in the formation 

 and destruction of the anthocyanic red pigments in plants. 

 The experiments described prove that when the anthocyanic 

 pigments are formed the o.xygen is retained by the organs 

 in process of reddening, and there is at this time an 

 increase in the activity of the oxidation phenomena in 

 these organs. These results confirm those of Molliard. — 

 Vital Boulet : The endotroph mycorhizes of some fruit 

 trees. — Henri Coupin : The growth of some moulds in 

 oil. The growth of the moulds used in oil resembled the 

 growth in water more than that in air.— M. Maragre : 

 The development of the energy of the voice. The energy 

 of the voice is proportional to the volume of air expelled 

 from the lungs and the pressure exerted upon it. Respira- 

 tory exercises are described for increasing the capacity of 

 the lungs and for strengthening the muscles of the 

 abdominal wall.— Armand Dehorne : The longitudinal 

 division of the chromosomes in the spermatogonia of 

 Sabellaria spiniilosa. — J. P. Bounhiol : The thermic region 

 of the Algerian coast. The distribution of the temperature 

 of the sea off the Algerian coast has been studied with 

 a view to the establishment of the sardine in these waters. 

 — G. Baudran : The Koch bacilli. A glycerophosphate 

 medium. Maximum doses of iron and alumina.- — C. 

 Gerber : The caseification of raw milk by the* ferments 

 from boiled milk. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



MONDAY, May 23. 



Victoria Institute, at 4.30. — Heredity and Eugenics : the Rev. Prof 

 A. Caldecott. 



TUBS DA V, May 24. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Earth-tides : Prof. A. E. H. Lo%-e, F.R.S. 

 Royal Statistical Society, at 5. 



Zoological Society, at 8.30. — Observations on the .\natomy and General 

 Biology of some Members of the larger Cetacea : D. G. Lillie. — Zoolosjical 

 Results of the Third Tanganyika Expedition, conducted by Dr. W. A. 

 Cunnington, 1904-1905. Report <->n the Rotifera : C. F. Rousselet — 

 (i) The Marine Fauna of the Mersui Archipelago, Lower Burma, 

 collected by Jas. j. Simpson and K. N. Ru-lmose-Brown, University of 

 Aberdeen, February to May, igc-j : The Hydroids ; (2) Hydroids from 

 Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, collected by Dr. C. W. Andrews, K.R.S., 

 in 1908 : J. Ritchie. 



LlNNE.-VN Society, at 3. — Anniversary Meeting. 



WEDNESDAY, May 25. 



Roval Meteokological Society, at 4.30. — Daily Rainfall at the Royal 

 Observatory, Greenwich, 1841-1903 : \V. C. Na-h.— Low Temperature 

 Periods during the Winters 1Q08-9 and 1909-10 : L. C. VV. Bonacina. — 

 The Rate of Rainfall at Kew in 190? ; R. Corless. 



Geological Society, at 8. — Dedolomitization in the Marble of Port 

 bhepstone (Natal): Dr. F. H. Hatch and R. H. Kastall. — Recumbent 

 Folds in the Highland Schists: E. H. Bailey. 



British Astronomical Association, at 5. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 8. — Persia and the Regeneration of Islam : 

 Bernard Temple. 



THURSDAY, May 26. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Croonian Lecture : Alterations of the Develop- 

 ment and Forms of Plants as a Result of Environment : Prof. G. Klebs. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— The Constitution and Internal Structure of 

 Alloys: Dr. W. Rosenhain. 



Institution or Electrical Enginekrs, at 8. 



Royal Sociktv of Arts, at 4.30.— The People of Burma: Sir Richard 

 Carnac Temple, Bart., C.I.E. 



FRIDAY, May 27. 



Royal Institution, at 9. — The Forthcoming Antarctic Expedition : 

 Capt. R. F. Scott, R.N., C V.O. 



Royal Institution, at 3. -The World of Plants before the Appearance 

 of Flowers : Dr. D. H. Scott, F.R.S. 



Physical Society, at 5. — On an Oscillation Detector actuated solely by 

 Temperature Variation of Resi.'-tance : Dr. W. H. Eccles.— Exhibition of 

 a Resonance Transformer : A Eagle. — The Limitations of the Weston 

 Cell as a Standard of Electromotive Force : Dr. S. W. J. Smith. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 8. — Adjourned discussion 

 upon Mr. S. N. I'rayshaw's Paper on A Research on the Hardening of 

 Carbon and Low-tungsitn Tool-steels : Pmf. J. O. Arnold. — Comparison 

 ot the Tensile, Impact-tensile, and Repeated-lending Methods of I'esting 

 Steel : B. Blount, W. G. Kirkaldy, and Capt. H. Riall Sankey. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Comparative Physiology of Response in 

 Animals, By Prof. F. W. Gamble, F.R.S. ... 331 



Science and Belief . 332 



The Chemistry of the Sugars. By J. B. C. ... 333 



A Prospector's Handbook of Minerals 334 



Electric Discharges through Gases 334 



Two Biological Treatises. By F. A. D 335 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Harrap : " Metalography (Printing from Metals) " . 336 

 Wheeler : " Modern Telephotography ; a Practical 

 Manual of Working Methods and Application." — 



C.J 337 



Aldren-Turner and Stewart: "A Text-book of 



Nervou-! Diseases " 337 



*' Australasian Medical Congress. Transactions of 

 the Eighth Session held in Melbourne, Victoria, 



October. 1908" 337 



" Atlas of Japanese Vegetation " 338 



de Nansouty : " Actualites scientifiques " 338 



Gibbs and Richards: "Mathematical Tables: with 



Full Tables of Mathematical and General Constants" 338 

 Dobbs : " Weighing and Measuring. A Short Course 

 of Practical Exercises in Elementary Mathematics 



and Physics" 338 



Letters to the Editor : — 



A Sponge with a Siliceous and Calcareous Skeleton. 



{Illustrated.) R. Kirkpatrick 338 



A Difference in the Photoelectric Effect caused by 

 Incident and Divergent Light. — Dr. R. D. 



Kleeman 339 



Steam Tables.— Prof. Robert H. Smith ; The 



Reviewer 339 



Fireball in Sunshine.— W. F. Denning 339 



Observations of Halley's Comet and Venus. — E. T. 



Mullens 339 



Earwigs of India. — Dr. Malcolm Burr 339 



The Total Solar Eclipse of May 9, igio. {Illus- 

 trated.) By Dr. William J. S. Lockyer 340 



Sir William Huggins, K.C.B., O.M., F.R.S. By 



R. A. G 342 



Prof. Stanislao Cannizzaro. By T. E. T 343 



Prof. E. van Beneden. By A. S 344 



Notes . 345 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Halley's Comet 34^ 



The Spectra of Comets 349 



Observations of Southern Nebulae 349 



Observations of the Aurora 349 



British Science Guild 349 



Climatological Reports 351 



The Progress of Agriculture in India. By E. J. R. 352 

 The Messina Earthquake and its Predecessors. 



By C. D 353 



Magnetic Storms. {Illustrated.) By Dr. C. Chree, 



F.R.S 354 



University and Educational Intelligence 358 



Societies and Academies 359 



Diary of Societies 360 



NO. 2 I 16, VOL. '^l\ 



