432 



NATURE 



[M.^RCH 5, 1896 



M. E. Barillot. — On the temperature of the sparks produced 

 by uranium, by M. Chesneau. — On a new mode of formation of 

 nitroprussides, by MM. C. Marie and R. Marquis. A mixture 

 of an alkaline ferrocyanide and nitrite is treated with carbon 

 dioxide. — On a crystallised ammonio-chromous carbonate, by 

 M. G. Bauge. — On veratrylamine, by M. C. Moureu. — Thermo- 

 chemical study of orthochlorobenzoic acid and some of its 

 derivatives, by M. P. Rivals. — Conversion of formaldehyde 

 solution into vapour for disinfecting purposes, by M. A. Trillat. 

 — On the Cretaceous fossils of Madagascar, by M. C. Deperet. — 

 Modifications in the structure of some Arthropods induced by 

 their living in caves, by M. A. Vire.— On phagocytosis in the 

 oyster, by M. J. Chatin. — On the combined action of light and 

 water in the disengagement of the perfume of plants, by M. E. 

 Mesnard. — Method for preventing the darkening of cider, by 

 MM. L. Dufour and L. Daniel. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



London. 



THURSDA y, March 5. 

 RoVAL Society, at 4.30. — Contributions to the Mathematical Theory of 



Evolution. Note on Reproductive Selection : Prof. Karl Pearson. — On 



the Diurnal Periodicity of Earthquakes : C. D.avison. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Masters of Modern Thought. I. Volt.aire : 



Rev. William Barry. 

 Linnean Society, at 8. — Segmentally-disposed Thoracic Glands in the 



Larvas of Trichoptera : Prof. Gustav Gilson. 

 Chemical Society, at 8. — On the Explosion of Cyanogen : H. B. Dixon, 



E. H. Strange, and E. Graham. — On the Mode of Burning of Carbon : H. 



B. Dixon. — On the Detonation of Chlorine Peroxide : H. B. Dixon and 

 J. A. Harker. — The Constitution of a New Acid resulting from the 

 Oxidation of Tartaric Acid : H. J. H. Fenton. 



Society of Antiquaries, at 8.^0. 



FRTDAY, March 6. 

 Royal Institution, at 9.— The Tunnel under the Th.-imes at Blackwall : 



A. R. Binnie. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 4.30.— A Plan for the Geographical 



Description of the British Islands on the Basis of the Ordnance Survey : 



Dr. Hugh Robert Mill. 

 Geologists' Association, at 8.—" Pebbly Gravel " from Goring Gap to 



the Norfolk Coast : A. E. Salter. — On some Pleistocene Ostracoda from 



Fulham : Frederick Chapman. 

 Quekett Microscopical Club, at 8. 



SATURDAY, March 7. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Light : Lord Ray leigh, F.R.S. 



SUNDA Y, March 8. 

 Sunday Lecture Society, at 4.— The New Far East ; the War between 



China and Japan : its True Meaning and its Results : Arthur Didsy. 

 MONDAY, March 9. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30.— On the Country of the Shans : 



Colonel R. G. Woodthorpe, C.B., R.E. 



TUESDA Y, March 10. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— The External Covering of Plants and Animals : 



Prof. Charles Stewart. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— English Book Illustrations, 1860-70 : Joseph 



Pennell. 

 Institution OF Civil Engineers, at 8.— Paper to be further discussed: 



On Littoral Drift in relation to River-Outfalls and to Harbour-Entrances : 



W. H. Wheeler. Papers to be read, time permitting : The Lixiviation 



of Silver Ores : J. H. Clemes.— Mining and Treatment of Copper Ore at 



Tharsis, Spain : C. F. Courtney.— Tin Smelting at Pulo Brani, Singapore : 



Messrs. J. McKillop and T. Flower-Ellis. 

 Anthropological Institute, at 8.30.— Some Account of the Shans and 



Hill Tribes of the States on the Mekong : Colonel R. G. Woodthorpe. 

 Royal Photographic Society, at 8.— Notes on Medical Photo-micro- 

 graphy : Edmund Roughton and Charles Cosens. 

 KOYAL Victoria Hall, at 8.30.— Railways and Railway Men : Sidney H. 



King's College Free Lectures, at 

 Bottomley. 



WEDNESDAY, March u. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— Peasant Life and Industries in Ireland : Prof. A. 



C. Haddon. 



Geological Society, at 8.— On an Alpine Nickel-bearing Serpentine with 

 Fulgurites: Miss E. Aston, with Petrographical Notes by Prof. T. G. 

 Bonney, F.R.S. —The Pliocene Glaciation, Pre-Glacial Valleys, and 

 Lake-Basins in Subalpine Switzerland : Dr. C. S. du Riche Preller.— 

 Notes concerning certain Linear Marks in a Sedimentary Rock : Dr. J. 

 E. Talmage, F.R.S. 



Pharmaceutical Society, at 8.30. 



THURSDAY, March 12. 

 Royal Society, at 4.^0.— Croonian Lecture : Observations upon Isolated 



Nerve : Dr. A. D. Waller, F.R.S. 

 Mathematical Society, at 8.— On the Enumeration of Groups of Toti- 



tives: Prof. Lloyd Tanner.— (i) The Catenary on the Paraboloid and 



Cone ; (2) The Motion of the Top : Prof Greenhill, F.R.S. 

 Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — High-Voltage Lamps and 



their Influence on Central Station Practice : G. L. Addenbrooke. 

 Society of Antiquaries, at 8.30. 



-Romance of Plant Life : Prof. 



NO. 1375, VOL. ^Z\ 



FRIDA Y, March 13. 

 Royal Astronomical Society, at 8. 

 Physical Society, at 8. 

 Malacological Society, at 8. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Tests of Centrifugal Pumps : J. 

 C. Cornock. 



SA TURD A Y, March 14. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Light : Lord Rayleigh, F.R.S. 

 Royal Botanic Society, at 3.45. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Annuaire de I'Observatoire Royal de Belgique, 1896 (Bruxelles). 

 — Elements of Botany : J. V. Bergen (Ginn). — The Geology and Scenery of 

 Sutherland : H. M. C.idell, 2nd edition (Edinburgh, Douglas). — A Contri- 

 bution to our Knowledge of Seedlings : Sir J. Lubbock, popular edition 

 (K. Paul). — Life, Letters, and Works of Louis Agassiz : J. Marcou, 2 Vols. 

 (Macmillan).— Grundriss der Psychologie : W. Wundt (Leipzig, Engel- 

 mann). 



Pamphlets. — Report on the Scientific Study of the Mental and Physical 

 Conditions of Childhood (London). — Esperienze coi Raggi di Roentgen : J. 

 Vicentini and G. Pacher (Venezia). — Hermann von Helmholtz's Untersuch- 

 ungen iiber die Grundlagen der Mathematik und Mechanik : Dr. L. 

 Koenigsberger (Leipzig, Teubner).— Travaux du Roseau M^ttorologique du 

 Sud-ouest de la Russie, 1894 : A. Klossovsky (Odessa). — Annates de 

 I'Observatoire Mittorologie de I'Universite Imp6riale de Odessa, 1894 : A. 

 Klossovsky (Odessa). 



Serials. — Journal of the College of Science, Imperial University, Japan, 

 Vol. viii. Part 2 ; Vol. ix. Part i (TokyO).— Botanische Jahrbucher fur 

 Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie, Einundzwanzigster 

 Band, 4 Heft (Leipzig, Engelm.inn). — Himmel und Erde, February (Berlin, 

 Paetel). — Bulletin de la Soci6t6 Imperi.-ile des Naturalistes de Moscou. 

 1895, No. 3 (Moscou). — The Photographic Times, February (New York). — 

 Sunday Magazine, March (Isbister). — Good Words, March (Isbister). — 

 Longman's Magazine, March (Longmans). — Quarterly Journal of Micro- 

 scopical Science, February (Churchill). — Chambers's Journal, March 

 (Chambers). — National Review, March (Arnold). — Century Magazine. 

 March (Macmillan). — Natural Science, March (Rait).— Humanitarian, 

 March (Hutchinson). — Zeitschrift fiir Physikalische Chemie, xix. Band, 

 2 Heft (Leipzig, Engelmann). — Transactions of the American Microscopical 

 Society, January (Buffalo). — Contemporary Review, March (Isbister). — 

 Scribner's Magazine, March (S. Low).— History of Mankind : F. Ratzel, 

 translated. Part 6 (Macmillan). — Bulletins de l,a Soci^t^ d'Anthropologie de 

 Paris, 1896, Fasc. 5 (Paris, Masson). — Fortnightly Review, March (Chap- 

 man). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Theories of Evolution. By E. B. P 409 



Completion of the " Index Catalogue " 410 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Gerard: " Mesures Electriques." — W. W 411 



Webb: "Problems in the Use and Adjustment of 



Engineering Instruments" 41 1 



Ellis: " Graphic Arithmetic " 41 1 



Letters to the Editor:— 



The Sacred Tree of Kum-Bum.— W. T. Thiselton- 



Dyer, CM. G., F.R.S 412 



The Rontgen Rays.— Prof. Oliver J. Lodge, F.R.S.; 

 Prof. Andrew Gray; Alfred 'W. Porter; Prof. 



W. M, Hicks, F.R.S. ; J. William Gifford . . 412 



Crush-Conglomerates in Ireland. — Alex. McHenry. 414 



Science and Morals. — Henry 'Wilde, F.R.S. . . . 414 



Inverted Images.— Alfred W. Bennett 414 



Remarkable Sounds.— Kumagusu Minakata . . . 414 

 The Shifting of Spectral Lines. I. {With Diagram.) 



By J. Norman Lockyer, C.B., F.R.S 415. 



The Varangerfjord Region and the Forthcoming 



Solar Eclipse. {Illustrated.) By Dr. Hans Reusch 417 

 The Rontgen Rays. {Illustrated.) By Profs. E. 



■Waymouth Reid and J. P. Kuenen 419 



Notes 419 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Dimensions of Saturn 424 



The Surface of Mars 424 



The Eclipsoscope 424 



Australian Longitudes 424 



Investigations on Rontgen Rays. By Prof, E. 



Salvioni. {Translated.) 424 



The London City Companies' Grants to Science 



and Education 425 



Zoological Nomenclature 427 



Science in the Magazines 428 



Smithsonian Investigations . • 428 



University and Educational Intelligence 429 



Scientific Serials 430 



Societies and Academies 430 



Diary of Societies 432 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 432: 



