33^ 



NA TURK 



[January ^c, 1895 



neutral point is near the line D, on the more refrangible side. 

 The maximum intensity of the red colour is reached at a point 

 near C on the less refrangible side, and the maximum intensity 

 of the green colour is reached at a point rather nearer to F 

 than the mid-distance from /■ lo F. There is no second 

 neutral point in the blue. It does not seem iha' ihe 

 phenomena can be readily, if at all, accounted for on Heiiny's 

 theory. On the other hand, it is easily accounted fur on the 

 ^'oung•Helmhol•z theory by fusion of the fundamental sensa- 

 tions. — Ur. Xocl Paton read a paper, by Dr. John Douglas, 

 on metabolism in thyroid feeding. — Or, Richard Berry re->d a 

 paper on the anatomy of vermiform process and coerum. — Prof. 

 Tait communicated a paper on the ultimate slate of a system 

 of colliding particles, and the rate of approach to it. 

 Paris. 

 Academy cf Sciences. January 21. — M. Marey in the 

 chair. — On the variable star 6 (Algol) in Perseus, by M. K. 

 Tisserand. The author represents the variation in apparent 

 magnitude as being due to (l^ the e-vistence of one obscure 

 satellite with an elliptical orbit, and (2) a slight oblateness 

 of Ihe principal star, and shows that on these assumptions 

 the variation periods can be satisfactoiily represented 

 (.see "Our .\stromical Column"). — On boron steel, by 

 MM. H. Mnissan and G. Charpy. As Ihe result of a series of 

 comparative tests, it is found that boron (o'sS per cent, in alloy 

 uied) imparls the property of a great increase in tensile 

 strength by tempering without a corresponding increase of 

 hardness. .\ sample of carbon steel giving similar increase of 

 tensile strength on tempering, became so hard as 10 require 

 working on the emery-boh, whereas the boron-steel could siill 

 be worked with a file. — Morphology of the lymphatic system. 

 On the origin of the lymphatics in the skin of the frog, by M. 

 L. Ranvier. — On the perforation of armour.plates, by M. E. 

 Vallier. — On the production of the glycolytic ferment, by M. R. 

 Lcpine. The author is of opinion that the glycolytic ferment 

 is produced from diastase, lie relies on ihe increase of gly- 

 colytic power of pancreas when treated with ildute sulphuric 

 acid, in conjunction with the loss of saccharifying power and 

 gain of glycolytic power suffered by maltine when similarly 

 treated with rliluteacid. — /u'sumt' of solar observations, made at 

 the Royal Observatory of the Roman College, during the three 

 last quarters of 1894. A letier from M. P. Tacchini «ent to the 

 President. — On the convergence of determinants of infinite order 

 and of continued fractions, by M. H. von Koch. — Influence of 

 the rhythm of successions of interruptions on the sensitiveness 

 to light, by M. Chailes Henry. The investigation had for 

 object the determination of the sensitiveness of the eye to 

 interrupted light. rays of different types. The conclusion is 

 drawn that it is possible lo augment the luminous range of a 

 signal by means of a succession of interruijicd r.iys following a 

 sufficiently complex nnn rhythmic law. — Influence of tempera- 

 lure on the transformation of amorphous zinc sulphide, by M. 

 A. Villiers. — Failure of the Kjeldahl method for estimation of 

 nitrogen when applied to chloroplatinales, by M. iJelepine. In 

 Ihe cases of trimethylamine and ammonium plaiinochlorides, 

 the author finds by the permanganate modification of the 

 Kjeldahl process a considerable deficiency in ammonia obtained. 

 This deficiency is attributed to a reaction of free chlorine with 

 the ammonia, as follows : 



(Nn,).jPtCI, + 3CI, = PtCl, + 8HCI + N,. 

 — (In arabinochloral and xylochloral, by M. Hanriot. — A new 

 synthesis of anthracene, by M. Delacre. Anthracene is pro- 

 duced from benzyl trichloracctate and benzene, by heating these 

 (obrtances in presence of aluminium chloride, and distilling the 

 resaltaot ether, when it decomposes giving carbon dioxi<le and 

 anihracene. — A contribution lo the study of Ihe ethereal salts 

 o( Ihe tartaric acids, by MM. Ph. .\. (luye and J. Fayollat. A 

 study of the rotatory power of nine of these esters in the light 

 of the theory of the product of asymmetry. — On a parasite of 

 Lampyrii iflenJiduIn, by M. A. Giuvel. The author names 

 the newly-described parasile Slyloj^ammui lamfyridis. — On 

 »ome bacteria from the Dinanlitn (Culm), by M. B. Renault. 

 — On Ihe development of sieve tubes in the Angiospernis, by M. 

 Chauvcand. The author concludes ihat (1) the rule of indirect 

 <levelopment of sieve-tubes is far from general. Both direct 

 and indirect methods of development may occur in the same 

 bundle. (2) The presence of companion cells is not absolutely 

 characleri.slic of the sieve-lubes of Angiosperms. — On the Chili- 

 Ar^cnline earthquake of October 27, 1S94, by M. A. F. 

 Nogucf. — Note on Uredo viliiiJa, by M, I.. Daille. 



NO. I 3 18, VOL. 51] 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVFD. 



Books. — A First Step in Euclid : T. G. Bradshaw (Macmillan).— Memoir 

 of Sir Andrew Crorntiie Ramsay : Sir A. Geikie (Macmillan).— A Hand- 

 book to the British Mammalia : R. Lvdekker (Allen) —The O.eal 

 Problem of SuKsiance and its Attributes (K. Paul). — .\ Travcrs le Cau- 

 case : E. I.cvier (Nenchatel. Attinper). — Forschuncsberichte aiis Her Bio- 

 lot;ischcn St.ition ^u Firm; Dr. O. Zacharias, Theil 3(Herlin. Friedl.inder). 

 — How 10 Live in Tropical Africa: t>r. J. Murray (Philip) — Field and 

 Garden Crops of the N.W.P. and Oudh : J. F Duthie, Part 3 (Roorkc). 



Pami'HLEts — Sur la Nature et rOriginc de I'Aurore Bor^ale ; A. 

 Paulsen (Copcnhagne).— Der L'^sischc Algorithmus : J. Honthciin (Berlin, 

 Dames). — International BeginainKs of the Congo Free State: Dr. J. .\ 

 Reeves (Baltimore). 



Serials. — Journal of the Sanitary Institute, January (Stanford).- 

 National- Geographic Magazine. December 39 (Washington). — Transactions 

 of ti»e American Institute of Electrical Engineers, November and December 

 (New York). — linpenal University. College of .Agriculture. Bulletin Vol. ii 

 No. 3 ( I r.kyu). — Records of the Botanical Survey of India. Vol. i. Nos. 3 

 and 4 (Calcutta). — Psychological Review, January (Macmillan). — Monist, 

 January (Chicago), — Himmelund Erde. Januar>- (Berlin). — English Illus- 

 trated Magaiit.e. February (Strand). — Sundfty Magazine, Kebru.'U'y (Is- 

 bister) —Good Words. February llsbister). — Astrophysiral Journal, 

 January (Wesley). — Longman's Magarine, February (Longmans). — Cham- 

 bers's Journal, February (Chambers). — Observations Internationales 

 Pjlaires. 1882-3 Exixidition D.innise. Observations faite« a Godihaab. 

 tome i. livr. 2 (Copenhague). — Humanitarian, Febniary (Hutchinson). — 

 Natural Scier-:e, February ( -tait) —American Naturalist. January (Wes. 

 ley). — Journal of the College of Science, Imperial University, Japan, 

 vol. \ii. Parts 2 and 3 (TokyO). — Transactions of the Linnean Society of 

 London, Vol. '^v. Part a. On the Flora of Mount Ivinabalu in North 

 Borneo: Dr. O. Stapf (Linnean Society). — Ergebnisse der Beobachtungs- 

 stationen an den Deutscben iCusten uber die Phy.sikaltschen Eigenschafteti 

 der Ostsee und Nordsee und die Fischerei, Heft x-6 (Kiel, Lipsius). 



CONTENTS. 



PA Of 



■ 3'.> 



■ 3'7 



Geo-Morphology- By Dr. J. W. Gregory 



Organic Chemistry 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Wyalt : "British Birds: being Coloured Illustrations 

 of all the Species of Passerine Birds resident in 

 Ihe British Isles, with some Notes in reference to 



Iheir Plumage" . . 31S 



Na'ie' : ".Standard Methods in Physics and Elec- 

 tricity Criticised, and a Test for Electric Meters 



Proposed."— W. W. . . 318 



Slinao and Brooker : "Electrical Engineering, for 



Electric 1 ight Artisans and Students" 31S 



Orford : " Lens-Work for Amateurs " , . 318 



Rolleston an I Kaniliack : " Manu,al of Practical 



Mortiid .\nalotiiy" 318 



Letters to the Editor:— 



\ New Step in Statistical Science.— Francis Gallon, 



F.R.S 319 



The Kinetic Theory of G.'\ses. — G.H.Bryan 3m 



Bolizmann's Minimum Function. — S. H. Burbury, 



F.R.S 3.'0 



Electroscopes in Lecture. — Prof. Oliver J. Lodge, 



F.R.S 320 



The I'erscid Meteors. — W. F. Denning . . , 320 



The Artificial Spectrum Top. — Dr. F. W. Edridge- 



Green ; Charles E. Benham 331 



Snake Cannibalism.— H. Tsnagal 321 



More A\)out Moths. -L. C. Jones J2I 



The Physical Society's Abstracts of Physical 



Papers from Foreign Sources 321 



The Natural History of the Solway. liy G. Steward. 



son Brady 322 



Professor Arthur Cayley, F.R.S 323 



Notes 323 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Natal Observatory 327 



The New Duilley (Jb.servalory 327 



The Milky Way 327 



The System of .Mgol 328 



The Explosive Nature of the Sodium and Potas- 

 sium Derivatives of Niiromethane. liy A. E. 



Tutton • 328 



Recent Work at Harvard College Observatory 329 



Electric Discharge through Gases. (IlluUrattci.) By 



Prof. J. J. Thomson, F.R S 3^0 



University and Educational Intelligence 333 



Scientific Serials 333 



Societiea and Academies . . 334 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received ... 336 



