i6S 



NATURE 



[December 13, 1894 



United States. — On the identity ol the new comet with De 

 Vice's comet, by M. L. Schulhof^see our Astronomical Column, 

 December 6, p. 132). — Obser\-ations of the planet B H 1894, 

 discovered ;by M. Borrelly at Marseilles Observatorj-, Nov- 

 ember 19, 1S94 ; by M. Borrelly. — tin the distribution of 

 planets between Mars and Jupiter, by M. E. Roger. A 

 mathematical paper in continuation of a paper on the same 

 subject in the previous number. — On quasi alternate permuta- 

 tions, by M. Dcsiit. Andre. — On the temperature of the electric 

 arc, by M. J. Violle. The conclusion is drawn, from a 

 spectroscopic study of the poles and the arc itself, that the 

 temperature of the arc is generally higher than that of the 

 positive carbon, and that it increases with the electric 

 energj- employed. — On the solubility of ozone, by M. I'Abbe 

 Mailfert. At a pressure of 76 mm. water dissolves two- 

 thirds of its volume of ozone at 0° C, at 12° about 

 one-half. The solubility of ozone in water acidified 

 with sulphuric acid is the same as its solubility in pure 

 water up to about 20' C. ; more ozone is dissolved by 

 the acid solution above this temperature. The suggestion is 

 made that ozonised water might be employed as a disinfectant 

 and antiseptic. — On the superposition of the optical effects of 

 different asymmetric carbon atoms in the same active molecule, 

 by MM. Ph. A. Guye and M. Gautier. For the determination 

 of this point the authors have used in the present instance amyl 

 valerate. The ester produced by combining inactive amyl 

 alcohol with active valeric acid gives [o]t, = -• i oS", the corre- 

 sponding compound with active amyl alcohol and inactive 

 valeric acid gives [o]i) = -f 4'26' ; the ester obtained from active 

 alcohol and active acid gives [o]i, = ~ 5 "32°, while the sum of 

 the two former is -r 5 ZK^- Theoreti>:ally a better agreement 

 should be obtained by using the raccmic in place of the 

 inactive torms ; in this case the sum is 5 '62°. The differ- 

 ence is probably due merely to experimental errors. — 

 Experimental researches on the crystallisation point of 

 some organic substances, by M. Kaoul Pictet. The crystal- 

 lisation points of a number of organic substances are given, and 

 the results are embodied in a number of general conclusions 

 confirming previous work. — On the emission of a saccharine 

 liquid by the green parts of the orange-tree, by Dr. M. Biisgen. 

 The author calls attention to the part played by aphides and 

 similar parasites in the production of saccharine liquids from 

 plants, and includes the orange-tree among the cases of this 

 kind. — Osteomyelitis of the inferior maxillary in the kangaroo, 

 by MM. Lannelongue and Achard —On the action of the toxine 

 from the pyogenous Staphylococcus on the rabbit, and on the 

 secondary infections which it determines, by MM. Mosny and 

 G. Marcano. The loxine does not confer immunity against the 

 attacks of the living microbe. — Action of high pressures on 

 some bacteria, by M. H. Roger. Nutable differences were 

 observed between different bacteria in regard to their behaviour 

 under pressure. The virulence of the anthrax bacillus was very 

 much diminished by a pressure of 3000 kgms. — On the dis- 

 infection of fcecal matter, by M. H. Vincent. At about 16° C. 

 the disinfection of normal facal substances is brought about in 

 twenty-four hours by 6 kgms. of copper sulphate per cubic 

 metre. Eberth's bacillus is destroyed in typhoidal refuse by 

 5 kgms. per cubic metre, and the cholera bacillus by 3 '5 kgms. 

 of copper sulphate per cubic metre after twelve hours contact. — 

 Marine muds and their classification, by M. J. Thoulet. 



Berli.n. 



Physical Society, November 2. — Prof, du Bois Reymond, 

 President, in the chair. — The President alluded to the death of 

 Prof Pringsheim, and drew attention to his important re- 

 searches on the fertilisation of alga;. — Dr. C. H. Wind gave 

 a comprehensive review of the researches carried on by Dutch 

 observers with reference to Kerr's phenomenon. He then dis- 

 cussed I, orentz's theory, and described the elaborate experiments 

 made by Sissingh and Zeeman and by himself, which had 

 yielded results for iron, nickel, and cobalt, which were not 

 quite in accord with the theory. .Since the other theories as 

 to this phenomenon, as, for instance, that of Drude, are still 

 less in accord with experimental facts, the speaker had extended 

 I.orenlz's theory so as to take into account the results obtained 

 by Sissingh and Zeeman, and to bring the phenomenon of Kerr 

 into relation with that of Mall. This extension of the theory 

 had been accepted by Lorentz, and Dr. Wind is now engaged 

 nn the inveitigation of certain phases of Mall's phenomenon. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — In the Guiana Forest: J. Rodway (Unwin). — The Electro- 

 Plater's Handbook: ti. E. Bjoney, md edition (Whittaker). — Lehrbuch 

 der Botanik fur Hochschulen : Drs. Strasburger, Noll, Schenck. aad 

 Schimper (Jena. Fischer). — Lehrbuch der ZooloRie : Dr. R. Hertwig, Dritie 

 Auflage (Jena, Fischer). — Climbing in the Himalayas ; Maps and Scientific 

 Report^ : W. M. Conway (Unwin).— Ottica : Prof E. C^clcich (Milano. 

 Hocpli).— The Dynamics of Life: Dr. W. R Gowers (Churchill).— The 

 Planet Earth : R. A. Gregory (Macmillan). — Britain's Naval Power: H. 

 Williams (Macmillan). — The Warwick Shakespeare. "As you like it," edited 

 by J. C. Smith (Blackie). — The Teachers Manual of Lessons in Elcmentar>- 

 Science : H. Major (Blackie). — Handbuch der Stereochemie : Drs. Walden 

 and BischotT, ii. Band (Frankfurt a.M., Bechhold). — Forty-three Graphic 

 Tablcsor Diagrams for the Conversion of Measurements in Different Units : 

 Prof. R. H. Smith (Griffin).— Torpillcs SOches : E. Hennebert (Paris, 

 Gauthier-Villars). 



Pamphlet. — Gehirn und Seele : Prof. A. Forel (Bonn, Strauss). 



Serials.— Observator>*, December (Taylor and Francis). — Companion to 

 Observatory (Taylor and Francis). — Himmcl und Erde, December (Berlin, 

 Paeiel). — Geographical Journal, December (Stanford). — Natural History 

 of Plants: Kerner and Oliver, Part S (Blackie).— Yule Tide Annual 

 (Cassell). — Science Progress, December (Scientific Press). 



NO. 



131 I, VOL. 51] 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Dilettantism and Statistics. IJy Prof. Karl Pearson 145 



Water Supply and Water-works 146 



Hamilton's Pathology 148 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Fox : " The Mechanism of Weaving " 149 



Atkinson: " Memorials of Old Whitby " 149 



Haacke : " Die Schcipfung der Tierwelt " 149 



Hutton : " The Vaccination Question," 149 



Glaister : "Dr. William Smellie and his Contem- 

 poraries " 149 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Dr. Watt's Dictionary of the Economic Products of 

 India.— W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, C.M.G., 



F.R.S. ; Dr. V. Ball, F.R.S 150 



Drift-Bottles in the Irish Sea. — Prof. W. A. 



Herdman, F.R.S 151 



The Explosion of Gases in Glass Vessels. — Prof. 



H. B. Dixon, F.R.S 151 



The Kinetic Theory of Gases. — G. H. Bryan; Dr. 



J. Larmo.-, F.R.S 152 



Pecviliarities ol Psychical Research. — Prof. Karl 



Pearson 153 



Chronometer Trials.— William E. Plummer . . . 153 



Indo-Malayan Spiders. — B. A. Muirhead ■>.... 153 



Death-feigning in Snakes.— Gerard W. Butler . . 153 

 The Alleged Absoluteness of Motions of Rotation. — 



A. E. H. Love, F.R.S 153 



Gravitation. — Prof. Oliver J, Lodge. F.R.S. . . . 154 

 Outlines of Quaternions. — Lieut. -Colonel H. W. 



L. Hime 154 



The Warble Fly. (rilustraUd.) By W. F. Kirby . . 154 



Ferdinand de Lesseps 155 



Notes [HUiiirateJ) 156 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Motion and Magnitude 160 



The Recent Transit of Mercury 160 



The New Achromatic Object-glass. {Illustrated.) . 160 



Ephemeris for Swift's Comet i6c 



A New Star? 161 



Prof. Victor Meyer's New Method of Determining 



High Melting Points. Uy A. E. Tutton .... 161 



Science in the Magazines 161 



Oyster Culture on the West Coast of France. By 



Prof W. A. Herdman, F.R.S 162 



Endowment for Scientific Research and Publica- 

 tion. 1 164 



Scientific Serials 167 



Societies and Academies 167 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received ... 168 



