96 



NATURE 



[May 24, 1900 



arsenide and antimonide. By the decomposition of these 

 substances the hydrides HjS, HaSe, PH3 and AsHj are ob- 

 tained in a very pure state. HbH., can also be prepared in 

 considerable quantity. — The estimation of thallium, by M. V. 

 Thomas. The oxidation of thallous to thallic salts is carried 

 out with bromoauric acid, the precipitated gold being weighed. 

 Provided that the quantity of thallium present is not too small, 

 the results are very exact. — Action of anhydrous aluminium 

 chloride upon acetylene, by M. E. Baud. The aluminium chloride 

 absorbs nearly four times its weight of acetylene, hydrogen, 

 marsh-gas and ethy lenic hydrocarbons being evolved. Complicated 

 condensation products are formed, which are being further ex- 

 amined. — Some new organometallic combinations of magnesium 

 and their application to syntheses of alcohols and hydro- 

 carbons, by M. V. Grignard (see p. 85).— Santalenes and 

 santalols, by M. M. Guerbet. A description of the isolation 

 of two alcohols and two hydrocarbons from essence of sandal- 

 wood, together with the products resulting from the action of 

 acetic acid, hydrochloric acid, and nitrosyl chloride upon the 

 hydrocarbons and acetic anhydride, and phos phorus pentoxide 

 upon the alcohols. — On tyrosinase, by M. C. Gessard. Tyrosinase 

 is a ferment isolated from fungi, it possessing oxidising powers, 

 giving a red oxidation product with tyrosin. — On the oxidation 

 of erythrite by the sorbose bacterium and production of a new 

 sugar, erythrulose, by M. Gabriel Bertrand (see p. 85). — 

 On the amount of iron in haemoglobin from the horse, by 

 MM. L Lapicque and H. Gilardoni. — On a method allowing 

 of the extraction of the sugar from molasses by means of the 

 ordinary boiling apparatus, by M. Paul Lecomte. — Chlorophyll 

 assimilation in plants confined in rooms, by M. Ed. Griffon. — 

 A new self-registering apparatus for continuous currents, by 

 MM. Auguste and Louis Lumiere. 



Corn NG EN. 



Royal Society of Sciences.— The Nachrichlen (mathe- 

 matico-physical section), Part iii., for 1899, contains the following 

 memoirs communicated to the Society : — 



October 28, 1899. — E. Riecke : Lichtenberg figures in the 

 interior of Rontgen tubes. — W, Voigt : on a problem of 

 Kohlrausch's in thermodynamics. — P. Gordan : new proof of 

 Hubert's theorem on homogeneous functions. 



November 25. — W. Kaufmann : outlines of an electro- 

 dynamical theory of gaseous discharges (Part i).. 



December 14. — W. Kaufmann : the same (Part ii. ). 



December 9. — G. Bohlmann : a problem concerning the 

 " smoothing-out " of statistical curves. 



January 13, 1900.— S. Kantor : a theorem in determinants. 

 — A. Schoenfiies : a proposition in the analysis of position. — 

 E. Neumann : on Robin's method for determining electrostatic 

 potential. 



February 8. — W. Voigt : remarks on the theory of so-called 

 thermomagnetic effects. 



February 3. — E. Zermelo : on the motion of a system of 

 points in relation to inequations of condition. 



February 17. — A. von Koenen : on the age of North German 

 Wealden formation ( Wdlderlhon). 



Amsterdam. 

 Royal Academy of Sciences, April 21.— Prof. H. G. Van 

 de Sande Bakhuyzen in the chair. — The following papers were 

 read : — Prof. Kluyver on approximation formulae concerning the 

 prime numbers, not exceeding a given limit. The author shows 

 that it is possible to express the approximate value of the sum 

 of the ( — J-)th powers of these prime numbers, if only their 

 total number be given. A similar formula gives an approxima- 

 tion to the value of the logarithm of the least common multiple 

 of all integers below a given number. — Prof Winkler, on behalf 

 of Mr. M. A. van Melle, on some reflexes in respiration in con- 

 nection with Laborde's method of reestablishing respiration 

 stopped by narcosis by rhythmically pulling the tongue. — Prof. 

 Franchimont, on behalf of Dr. Greshoff, on Echinopsine, a new 

 crystalline vegetable base. This communication was accom- 

 panied by remarks by Prof. Kobert, of Rostock, and Prof. Ver- 

 schaffelt, of Amsterdam. — Prof, van Bemmelen, on behalf of 

 Dr. F. A. H. Schreinemakers, on the composition of the vapour 

 phase in the system of water and phenol with one and with two 

 liquid phases.— Prof. Bakhuis Roozeboom, {a) on behalf of Dr. 

 A. Smits, on decreases in vapour tension and rises of the 

 boiling point in the case of diluted solutions ; {fi) on behalf of 



NO. 1595. VOL. 62] 



Dr. Ernst Cohen, on thermodynamics of Clark's normal 

 element. — All the above papers will be inserted in the Pro- 

 teedim^s. — The following papers were presented for publication 

 in the Pi-oceedings : — (a) One by Prof. Schoute, entitled 

 '* Joachimsthal Theorem for Normal Curves"; (d) one by 

 Prof Bakhuis Roozeboom, on behalf of Dr. Ernst Cohen, 

 entitled " Studies on Inversion (L)." 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY. May 24. 

 LiNNEAN Society at 3. — Anniversary Meeting. 



Imstitotion or Elbctrical Engineers, at 8.— Annual General 

 Meeting. 



FRIDAY, May 25. 

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

 Physical Society, at 5 — Experiments illustrating theAberration 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. 

 MO NBA Y, May 28. 

 Society of Arts, at 4.30. — Imperial Telegraphic Communication : Sir 

 Edward Sassoon. 



TUESDAY, May 29. 

 Anthropological Institute, at 8.30 — Early Communications between 

 Italy and Scandinavia: Dr. Oscar Montelius. 



WEDNESDA Y, May 30. 

 Society of Arts, at 8. — Russian Central Asia ; Countries and Peoples : 

 A. R. Colquhoun. 



THURSDAY, May 31. 

 Royal Society, at 4.30. — Probable Papers : Palaeolithic Man in Africa : 

 Sir John Evans, F.R.S. — On the Estimation of the Luminosity of 

 Coloured Surfaces used for Colour Discs : Sir W. de W. Abney, F.R.S. 

 — The Sensitiveness of Silver and of some other Metals to Light : Major- 

 General Waterhouse. — The Crystalline Structure of Metals (Second 

 Paper): Prof. Ewing, F.R.S., and W. Rosenhain.— '1 he Exact Histo- 

 logical Localisation of the Visual Area of the Human Cerebral Cortex : 

 Dr. J. S. Bolton. — Vapour-density of Bromine at High Temperatures 

 (Supplementary Note): Dr. E. P. Perman and G. A. S. Atkin.son. 

 FRIDAY, June i. 

 Royal Institution, at 9 — Bunsen : Sir Henry Roscoe, F.R.S. 

 Gioi.ogists'Association, at 8. — Our Older Sea Margins : Sir Archibald 

 Geikie, F.R.S. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Science of Bacteriology. By Dr. A. C. Houston 73 



Sunshine and Wine -growing. By A. J. B 74 



The Fauna of the Shetlands. By R. L 75 



Physical Chemistry. By Prof. Arthur Smithells . . 76 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Hampson : " Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalrenae 



in the British Museum."— W. F. K 77 



Riehl : " Giordano Bruno, zur erinnerung an den 17 



Februar, 1600."— H. W. B 77 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Escape of Gases from Atmospheres. — Dr. G. John- 

 stone Stoney, F.R.S 78 



*' Plotosus canius " and the "Snake-stone." — D. 



Hervey 79 



Micro photography, Isophotography, Megaphotography. 



—A. R. Hunt 79 



Comets and Corpuscular Matter.— F. H. Loring ^. . 80 

 A New Instrument to Measure and Record Sounds. 



{Illustrated.) By Dr. Benjamin F. Sharpe 80 



Notes 82 



Our Astronomical Column:— 



The Dark Fringes observed during Total Solar 



Eclipses 86 



Photometry of Corona, April 16, 1893 86 



Maximum Duration of Totality for Solar Eclipse . . . 86 

 Some Modern Explosives. {With Diagrams.) By 



Sir Andrew Noble, K.C.B., F.R.S 86 



The Use of Steel in Shipbuilding. (With Diagram.) 



By B. Martell 90 



University and Educational Intelligence 91 



Scientific Serials 92 



Societies and Academies 93 



Diary of Societies , 96 



