NA TURE 



[May 17, 1900 



silver derivative, and then treating this with the alkyl iodide. 

 The reactions of the ester so obtained are clearly those of the 

 enolic ester, the alkyl group not being directly united to carbon. 

 — The arable earths of the Canton of Redon from the point of 

 view of phosphoric acid, by M. G. Lechartier. The analyses 

 given show how it is that certain lands in the Canton have been 

 successfully cultivated from time immemorial, without the use of 

 phosphatic manures. — Geographical positions and magnetic ob- 

 servations on the eastern coast of Madagascar, by M. P. Colin. 

 The latitude and longitude of Vatomandry and Mahanoro have 

 been redetermined, and also the values of the magnetic elements 

 at those places. The results show that the existing maps require 

 correction in some respects. — Prof. Burdon-Sanderson was 

 elected a Correspondant for the Section of Medicine and 

 Surgery in the place of the late Sir James Paget. — Positions 

 of fundamental polar stars determined at the Observatory of 

 Lyons, by M. Y. Gonnessiat. — Shooting stars observed at 

 Athens during the year 1899, by M. D. Eginitis. — On the 

 method of Neumann and the problem of Dirichlet. by M. A. 

 Korn. — On an application of the method of successive approxi- 

 mations, by M. A. Davidoglou. — On the distribution of prime 

 numbers, by M. Helge von Koch. — On gas engines, by M. L. 

 Marchis. A reply to the criticisms of M. Witz. — An electrically 

 driven pendulum, by M. Ch. Fery. The mechanism described is 

 arranged so as to leave the pendulum as far as possible uncon- 

 strained. — The heat of neutralisation of hydrogen peroxide by 

 lime, by M. de Forcrand.— Solubility of a mixture of salts having a 

 common ion, by M. Charles Touren. The curve showing the 

 relation between the solubility of potassium bromide in solutions 

 of potassium bromide of different concentrations is not coin- 

 cident with the corresponding curve for potassium nitrate and 

 chloride. Hence the law proposed by Nernst, that equivalent 

 SDlutions of nitrate and bromide should lower the solubility of 

 the chloride to the same extent, is not verified. The author 



motes as an interesting application of the phase rule that the 

 study of the solubility of a mixture of salts may show that they 



:are isomorphous, when direct proof may be difficult. — The 



-action of phenyl isocyanate and of aniline upon some 7-ketonic 

 acids, by M. T. Klobb. — Some new compounds of antipyrine 



•with mercury halides, by MM. J. Ville and Ch. Astre. — On 

 acetylphenylacetylene and benzoyl-phenylacetylene, by MM. 

 Ch. Moureu and R. Delange. Acetyl-phenylacelylene is 

 quantitatively decomposed by alcoholic potash into phenyl- 

 acetylene and potassium acetate ; benzoyl-phenylacetylene re- 

 acts differently, acetophenone being produced. — On the stability 

 of siccharose solutions, by M. Q^lchsner de Conmck. — Study of 

 the hydrolysis of fibrous tissue, by M. A. Elard. The fibrous 

 tissue of beef, hydrolysed with sulphuric acid, gives a poly- 

 saccharide, but practically no leucine. — On some fresh-water 

 Palaeinonidae of Madagascar, by M. H. Coutiere. — On a new 

 edible tuber from the Soudan, the Ousounify, by M. Maxime 

 Cornu. The Ousounify is a tuber resembling the potato in 

 taste, which is cultivated and sold in the Soudan. It is a 

 labiate, and is provisionally named Plectranthus Coppini.. It 



'has the advantage over the potato that it can be grown in a truly 

 tropical climate. — On the mineralogical composition of the 

 teschenites, by M. A. Lacroix. The hornblende teschenites of 

 Madagascar are analogous, both in structure and mineralogical 

 composition, to the teschenites from Portugal and the Pyrenees, 

 but they contain the nepheline intact. The teschenites from 

 both regions were probably originally identical from the 

 mineralogical point of view. — On the excitement of the electrical 

 nerve of the gymnotus by its own current, by M. Mendelssohn. 

 The electric nerve of the torpedo fish may be excited by its own 

 current. — On the southern aurora observed during the wintering 

 of the Belgian Antarctic expedition. — Barometric deviations 

 produced on the parallel on successive days of the synodic 

 revolution, by M. A. Poincare. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, May 17. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.— The Circulation of the Surface Waters of the 

 North Atlantic Ocean : H. ^f. Dickson. — (i) On Cerebral Anaemia and 

 •he Effects which follow Ligation of the Cerebral Arteries ; (2) The In- 

 fluence of Increased Atmospheric Pressure on the Circulation of the 

 Blood. Preliminary Note : Dr. Leonard Hill. — Contributions to the 

 Comparative Ariatomy of the Mammalian Eye, chiefly based on Ophthal- 

 moscopic Examination : Dr. Lindsay Johnson. 



RovAL Institution, at 3 — A Century of Chemistry at the Royal Insti- 

 tution : Prof. J. Dewar, F.R.S. 



NO. 1594. VOL. 62] 



t 4.30.— The Freshwater Fishes of Africa: G. A. 

 Section), at 4.30. — The Industrial Development 

 -Alternating Current 



Zoological Society, a 



Boulenger, F.R.S. 

 Society of ARTs(Indian 



of India : J. A. Balnes. 



INI5TITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 8.- 



Induction Motors: A. C. Eborall. 

 Chemical Socif.tv. at 8.— Chlorine Derivatives of Pyridine. VI. The 



Orientation of some Aminochloropyridines : W. J. Sell and F. W. 



Dootson. 



FRIDA Y, May i8. 

 Royal Institution,. at 9 — The Structure of Metals: Prof. J. A. Ewing, 



F.R.S. 

 Epidemiological Society, at 8.30. 



SATURDAY, May 19. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. —South Africa : Past and Future: Dr. Alfred 

 Hillier. 



MONDAY, May 21. 

 Society of Arts, at B.^The Incandescent Gas Mantle and its Use : 



Prof. Vivian B. Lewes. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 3. — Anniversary Meeting. 

 Victoria Institute, at 4.30. — Ethics : Rev. Dr. Wace. 



TUESDAY, May 22. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Brain Tissue and Thought : Dr. A. Hill. 



Zoological Society, at 8.30. — On the Development of the Skeleton of 

 the Tuatera, Sphenodon (Hatteria) punctatus : Prof. G. B. Howes, 

 F.R.S., and H. H. Swinnerton.— On Crustaceans from the Falkland 

 Islands collected by Mr. Rupert Vallentin : Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing, 

 F.R.S — The Significance of the Hair-slope in certain Mammals: Dr. 

 Walter Kidd. 



Royal Photographic Society, at 8. — Hydroquinone .and Colour Im- 

 pressions : Alfred Watkins. 



WEDNESDA Y, M.\y 23. 



Society of Arts, at 8. — Salmon Legislation : J. Willis-Bund. 



Geological Society, at 8. — The Igneous Rocks of the Coast of County 

 Waterford : F. R. C Reed.— On a New Type of Rock from Kentallen and 

 elsewhere, and its Relations to other Igneous Rocks in Argyllshire : 

 J. B. Hill and H. Kynaston. 



THURSDAY, May 24. 



Linnean Society at 3. — Anniversary Meeting. 



Institution of Electrical Engineer;,, at 8.— Annual General 

 Meeting. 



FRIDAY, May 25. 



Royal Institution, at 9. — The Great Alpine Tunnels : Francis Fox. 



Physical Sociktv, at 5. — Experiments illustrating the Aberralior called 

 Coma: Prof. S. P. Thompson, F.R.S.— Notes on the Measurement of 

 some Standard Resistances: R. T. Glazebrook, F.R.S.— On the 

 Strength of Ductile Materials under Combined Stresses: J. J. Guest. 



CONTENTS. PACK 



Biology as an " Exact " Science. By F. A. D. . . 49 



Hertz's Mechanics. By A. E. H. L 50 



Assyrian and Babylonian Astrology 51 



The Science of Number. By G. B. M 52 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Riedel : " Atlas of Urinary Sediments, with special 



reference to their Clinical Significance " 53 



Gardner : " Dante" . . 53 



Roberts: " The Farmstead."— W. S 53 



Snelgrove : " Object Lessons in Botany from Forest, 



Field, Wayside and Garden" 53 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Percussion Caps for Shooting in Schools. — Sir Lauder 



Brunton, F.R.S 54 



Escape of Gases from Planetary Atmospheres. — S. R. 



Cook 54 



Racket Feathers.— L. W, Wiglesworth ; The 



Reviewer f 54 



The Approaching Total Eclipse of the Sun. By 



Charles P. Butler 54 



The Royal Society Selected Candidates 56 



Lieut. -General Pitt-Rivers, F.R.S. By A. C. H. . 59 



Notes 60 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Unpublished Observations at Radcliffe Observatory, 



1774-1838 • 64 



Maximum Duration for a Total Solar Eclipse .... 64 

 The Fresh-water Lochs of Scotland. {Illustrated.) 

 By Sir John Murray, K.C.B., F.R.S., and F. P. 



Pullar . 65 



Iron and Steel Institute 67 



The Royal Society Conversazione 67 



University and Educational Intelligence 69 



Scientific Serials 69 



Societies and Academies 70 



Diary of Societies 72 



