i6S 



NATURE 



[June 14, 1900 



electrical energy distributed by continuous currents, by MM. A. 

 and V. Guillet. — On a mode of decomposition of some metallic 

 chlorides, by M. CEchsner de Coninck. Gold can be completely 

 removed from solutions of auric chloride by filtering through 

 animal charcoal ; solutions of the perchlorides of platinum and 

 iron are also decomposed on filtration through animal charcoal. 

 No such decomposition could be observed with the chlorides of 

 nickel, cobalt, manganese, zinc, copper and magnesium. — On 

 the conditions of stability of rotatory power, by M. J. A. Le Bel. 

 It is found that at temperatures of ioo° or thereabouts, many 

 optically active bodies tend to lose their rotatory power by race- 

 misation ; on the other hand, if the asymmetric radicals grouped 

 round a central atom are increased in volume, the stability is 

 increased. — On the dihydroxylates, by M. de Forcrand.— 

 Addition of hydrogen to acetylene in presence of copper, by 

 MM. Paul Sabatier and J, B. Senderens. A mixture of 

 hydrogen and acetylene passed over reduced copper at a tem- 

 perature of 130° — 200°, reacts readily, forming ethane, ethylene 

 and other hydrocarbons, no acetylene remaining unchanged if 

 the hydrogen is in excess. — On the copper and mercury 

 organo-metallic compounds of diphenylcarbazone. — On acidi- 

 metry, by M. A. Astruc. A study of the behaviour of isethionic, 

 sulphanilic, meconic and mellic acids with indicators. — On a 

 new species of subterranean Isopod, Caecosphaeroma Faucheri, 

 by MM. Adrien DoUfus and Armand Vire. — Gregarinse and 

 intestinal epithelium, by MM. L. Leger and O. Duboscq. — On 

 the animal fossils collected by M. Villiaume in the carboniferous 

 strata near Nossi-Be, by M. H. Douville. The whole of the 

 carboniferous strata in the region of Nossi-Be belongs to the 

 Upper Lias, and is to be classified with the carboniferous strata 

 of the same age in the north of Persia.— On the vegetable 

 fossils collected by M. Villiaume in the carboniferous beds in the 

 north-west of Madagascar, by M. R. Zeiller. The conclusions 

 •drawn are in harmony with those drawn by M. Douville in the 

 previous paper from a study of the animal fossils. —The volcano 

 of Gravenoire and the mineral springs of Royat, by M. P. 

 -Glangeaud. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, June 14. 



JiRoYAL Society, at 4. — Election of Fellows. At 4.30. — Some New Ob 



servations on the Static Diffusion of Gases and Liquids, and their Signi- 

 ficance in certain Natural Processes occurring in Plants : H. T. Brown, 

 F.R.S., and F. Escombe.— The Electrical Effects of Light up in Green 

 Leaves (Preliminary Communication): Dr. A. D Waller, F.R.S. — The 

 Nature and Origin of the Poison of Egyptian Lotus (Lotus Arabicus): 

 W. R. Dunstan, F.R.S. , and T. A. Henry.— The Exact Histological 

 Localisation of the Visual Area of the Human Cerebral Cortex : Dr. J. S. 

 Bolton. — Data for the Problem of Evolution in Man. V. On the Corre- 

 lation between Duration of Life and the Number of Offspring : Miss M. 

 Beeton, G. U. Yule, and Prof. K. Pearson, F.R.S.— The Diffusion of 

 Ions produced in Air by the Action of a Radio-active Substance, Ultra- 

 violet Light and Point Discharges: J. S. Townsend. — On an Artificial 

 Retina and on a Theory of Vision, Part L : Prof. J. C. Bose. 

 Mathematical Society, at 5.30. — Some Multiform Solutions of the 

 Partial Differential Equations of Physical Mathematics and their Appli- 

 cations, Part ii.: H. S. Carslaw.— Some Quadrature Formulae : W. F. 

 Sheppard. — Notes on Concomitants of Binary Quantics : Prof. Elliott, 

 F.R.S.— Extensions of the Riemann-Roch Theorem in Plane Geometry : 

 Dr. Macaulay. — On the Invariants of a certain Differential Expression 

 -.connected with the Theory of Geodesies : J. E. Campbell. — On the Con- 

 stants which occur in the Differentiation of Theta Functions: Rev. M. 

 M. U. Wilkinson —On the Transitive Groups of Degree n and Class 

 .» — 1: Prof. W. Burnside, F.R.S.— The Invariant Syzygies of Lowest 

 Order for any Number of Quartics : A. Young. — Further Notes on Bi- 

 linear Forms : T. J. I'A. Bromwich. 



MONDAY, June 18. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — The Country between Lake 

 Rudolf and the Nile Valley : Captain M. S. Wellby. 

 TUESDAY, June 19. 

 Zoological Society, at 8.30.— On the Significance of the Hair-slope 

 in certain Mammals : Dr. Walter Kidd.— On the Anatomy of Bassari- 

 cyonalleni: F. E. Beddard, F.R.S. — Observations on the Habits and 

 Natural Surroundings of Insects and other Animals, made during the 

 " Skeat " Expedition to the Siamese Malay States : Nelson Annandale. 

 Royal Statistical Society, at 5.— The Defence Expenditure of the 



Empire : The Right Hon. Sir Charles W. Dilke, Bart. 

 iMiNERALOGiCAL Society, at 8. — OnConchite, a New Variety of Calcium 

 Carbonate : Miss Agnes Kelly. — On the General Determination of the 

 Three Principal Indices of Refrac.ion from Observations made in any 

 Arbitrary Zone : G. F. Herbert Smith.— On Monazite from Tintagel : 

 H. L. Bowman. — On the Oxidation of Pyrites by Underground Water : 

 Dr. J. W. Evans.— Petrological Notes : G. T. Prior.— A Quantitative 

 Determination of the Action of Hydrochloric Acid and Soda Solution on 

 the Enstatite and Felspar of the Mount Zomba Meteorite : L. Fletcher, 



WEDNESDAY, June 20. 

 Geological Society, at 8.— On the Skeleton of a Theriodont Reptile 

 from the Baviaans River(Cape Colony): Prof. H. G, Seeley, F.R.S.— On 



Radiolaria from the Upper Chalk at Coulsdon (Surrey): W. Murton 

 Holmes.— Fossils in the Oxford University Museum. IV. Notes on 

 some Undescribed Trilobites : H. H. Thomas. 

 Royal Meteorological Society, at 4.30.— Rainfall in the West and 

 East of England in Relation to Altitude above Sea-level : William 

 Marriott.— Description of Halliwell's Self-recording Rain Gauge : 

 Joseph Baxendell. 

 Royal Microscopical Society, at 8.— Demonstration on the Structure 

 of some P.-laeozoic Plants, with Sections of the Plants shown by the 

 Lantern : W. Carruthers, F.R.S. 



THURSDAY, June 21. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. ^ ^. . „ T^ » o 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— On some Scandinavian Crustacea : Dr. A. G. 



Ohlin.— The Subterranean Amphipoda of the British Islands : Chas. 



Chilton.— On certain Glands of Australian Earthworms : Miss Sweet.— 



Notes on Najas : Dr. A. B. Rendle. 



Zoological Society, at 4.30.— The Gigantic Sloths of Patagonia: Prof. 



E. Ray Lankester, F.R.S. 

 Anatomical Society (Owens College, Manchester), at 10.30.— Lantern 

 Demonstration onihe Comparative Anatomy and Histology of the True 

 Caecal Apex— the Appendix Vermiformis : Dr. R. J. Berry.— Lantern De- 

 monstration of some Surface Markings o f the Calvaria, and their Signi- 

 ficance : Prof Dixon. — Lantern Demonstration of Microphotographs of 

 the Maturation Stages in the Ovum of Echinus : Dr. T. H. Bryce.— 

 Some Points in the Anatomy of the Digestive System : Prof. Birming- 

 ham.— (a) Two Cases of Absent Vermiform Appendix ; (*) A Specimen 

 showing Direct Continuity between the Long External Lateral Liga- 

 ment of the Knee-joint and the Peroneus Longus Muscle ; (c) A Super- 

 numerary Bone in the Carpus connected with the Trapezium : Prof. 

 Fawcett.— A Note on the Genital Apparatus of the Jerboa : Dr. 

 Armour. 

 Chemical Society, at 8.— Ballot for the Election of Fellows.— Notes on 

 the Chemistry of Chlorophyll : Dr. L. Marchlewski and C. A. Schunck. 

 —Researches on Morphine, I.: Dr. S. B. Schryver and F. H. Lees.— 

 A New Series of Pentamethylene Derivatives, I. : Prof. W. H. Perkin, 

 ju-., F.R.S., Dr. J F. Thorpe, and C. W. Walker.— Experiments on 

 the Synthesis of Camphoric Acid. III. Tiie Action of Sodium and 

 Methyl Iodide on Ethvl-dimethyl-butanetricarboxylate : Prof. W. H. 

 Perkin, jun., F.R.S., and Dr. J. F. Thorpe.— On the Oxime of Mesox- 

 amide and some Allied Compounds : Miss M. A. Whiteley.— The Oxy- 

 phenoxy- and Pbenyleneoxy-acetic Acids : W. Carter and Dr. W. T. 

 Lawrence.— (i) The Condensation of Ethyl a-Bromo-isobutyrate with 

 Ethyl Malonates and Ethyl Cyanacetates : a-Methyl-a'-isobutylglutaric 

 Acid; (2) Methylisoamylsuccinic Acid, II.: Dr. W. T. Lawrence. 

 FRIDAY, June 22. 

 Physical Society, at 5.— Notes on Gas Thermometry: Dr. P. 

 Chappuis. — .V Comparison of Impure Platinum Thermometers : H. M. 

 Tory.— On the Law of Cailletet and Mathias and the Critical Density : 

 Prof. J. Young, F.R.S. 

 Anatomical Society (Owens College, Manchester), at 10.30. — Note on 

 the Configuration of the Heart in a Man and some other Mammalian 

 Groups: Dr. C. J. Patten.— On the Arrangement of the Pelvic Fasciae 

 and their Relationship to the Levator Ani : Dr. Peter Thompson.— («) A 

 Preliminary Note on the Development of the Sternum ; Qi) Specimens 

 of Diaphragmatic Hernia and of a Leit Inferior Vena Cava : Prof. 

 Paterson. — Preparations and Lantern Slides illustrating : (a) The 

 Anatomy of the Subclavian and Axillary Arteries ; (b) The Position and 

 Relations of the Eustachian Tubes : (c) Stereo.scopic Views of Anatomical 

 Preparations : Dr. Arthur Robinson. — A Series of Microscopical Pre- 

 parations illustratine the Development of the Posterior End of the 

 Aorta : Prof. Young and Dr. Arthur Robinson. ^Demonstration of a 

 Series of Preparations of the Posterior End of the Adult Aorta : Prof. 

 Young. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Malay Magic . . . • i45 



The Nansen North Polar Expedition. By A. C. S. ; 



R. L 146 



The Cyanide Process I48 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Wallace : " The Cause and Prevention of Decay in 



Teeth."— Dr. Harold Austen 149 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Atmospheric Electricity.— C. T. R. Wilson ... 149 

 Specimens of Dromaeus ater. — Prof. Alfred Newton, 



F.R.S. 151 



Effect of Iron upon the Growth of Grass. — A. T. F. 151 

 Sources and Properties of Becquerel Rays. By 



Prof. G. H. Bryan, F.R.S 151 



Modern Microscopes. {Illustrated.) By Alfred N. 



Disney 154 



The Forthcoming Meeting of the British Associa- 

 tion, By Ramsden Bacchus 156 



Notes 157 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Rotation Period of Venus 1 60 



New Variable in Auriga 161 



Photographic Observations of Satellite of Neptune . i6r 

 Some Notes on the Late Prof. Piazzi Smyth's Work 

 in Spectroscopy. By Prof. A. S. Herschel, 



F.R.S 161 



University and Educational Intelligence 165 



Societies and Academies 166 



Diary of Societies 16S 



NO. 1598, VOL. 62] 



