96 



NA TURE 



[iXoVEMBER 23, 1893 



bird of the genus Drepanis, discovered by Mr. R. C. L. 

 Perkins in the island of Molokai, Sandwich Islands. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, November 13. — M. Loe*y in the 

 chair. — On the new s!ar of 1892, T Aurigas = 1953 Chandler, 

 •>y G. Bigourdan (see our Astronomical Column). — Observalions 

 of the comets 1893 II. (Rordame) and 1893 c (Brooks, 1893, 

 October 16), made at the Paiis Observatory, by the same author. 

 Observations of position ere given, extending from November 6 

 to 8. — Elements of Brooks's comet, by M. Schulhof. The 

 elements of this comet closely resemble those of the comet 

 1864 T. — Control of the trunnions of a meridian instrument by 

 Fizeau's interferential method, by Maurice Hamy. — Measure- 

 ment of the absorption of light by thin laminae possessing 

 metallic reflection, by M. Salvador Block. — Dc;termination of 

 the true atomic weight of hydrogen, by M. G. Hinrichs, 

 Taking a; abscissse the weights of hydrogen employed by 

 Keiser, Dittmar, and Morley, in their respective determinations 

 of the atomic weight of hydrogen, and as coordinates the values 

 found, the author has obtained a diagram which indicate^ that 

 the values vary according to the weight of gas used in the ex- 

 periments. In his opinion this proves that the ratio of H to O is 

 absolutely as i is to 16. — On bar) ta emetic, by M. E. Maumene. 

 — On the production of sucrose during the fermentation of 

 barley, by M. L. Lindet. The experiments described indicate 

 that sucrose and invert sugar increase proportionally to the 

 decrease of starch during the fermentation of barley. — On the 

 nitrification of prairie lands, by MM. J. Dumont and J. 

 Crochetelle. The following conclusions seem to bejustified by 

 the experiments : (1) Nitrification is forwarded in soils rich in 

 humus by the addition of small quantities of potassium carbonate 

 (2 or 3 pans per 1000) ; on the other hand, large quantities of 

 the carbonate are hurtful. (2) Potassium sulphate is efficacious, 

 and favours the production of nitrates when about seven or eight 

 jiarts per thousand are used. (3) Chloride of potassium only 

 exercises mediocre action. (4) Sodium carbonate does not ap- 

 pear to favour nitrification. — On the influence of mineral poisons 

 on lactic fermentation, by MM. A. Chassevant and C. Richet. 

 This paper is in continuation of a previous one. The authors 

 divide the toxic action of metallic salts on lactic fermentation 

 into two parts, terming the dose that retards the reproduction 

 and pullulation of the ferment atitigcnetique, while chat which 

 arrests functional activity is called antibiotiqite. It appears that 

 the antigentic dose may be as much as three times greater than 

 the antibiotic dose, though for certain metals the two quantities 

 are the same. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 

 London. 



THURSDAY, November 23. 



RovAL Society, at 4.30—00 the Photographic Arc Spectrum of Electro- 

 lytic Iron: Prof. Lockyer, F. K.S. —Magnetic tjbscrvations in .'^ene- 

 gambia : Prof. Thorpe, F.R.S., and P. L. Gray. — Alternate Current 

 Klectroly-is : Dr. Hopkinson, F.R.S, E. Wilson, and F. Lydall.— A 

 Certain Class of Generadng Functions in the Theory of Numbers: Major 

 MacMah.)n. F.R.S. —On ihe Whirling and Vibration of Shafts: S. 

 Uunkerley. — On Plane Cubics : Charlotte Angas Scott. 



iNsriTUTiON OP Electrical Engineers, at 8. — The Electrical Trans- 

 mission of Power from Niagara Falls : Prof. Geo. Forbes, F.R.S. (L)is- 

 .cussion). 



Sanitary Institute, at 8.— Metallic Dusts, Cutlery, Tool Making, and 

 olhcr Metal Trade ; Dr. jincla.r White. 



FRIDAY, NOVE.MBER 2». 



Physical Society, at 5. -The Magnetic Shielding of Concentric 'Spherical 

 Shells : Hrof A. W. Riicker, F. K.S— Ihe Action of Electro-Magnetic 

 Radiation on Films containing Metallic Powders: Prof. G. M. Mmchin. 



A^ateuk Scientific Society, at 7. — Exhibition ol Lantern Slides of 

 Raceiit Photographs of Volcanoes : L. \V. Fulcher. At 8.— The Dawn- 

 ing of Life : J. Wilson Wiley, 



SATURDAY, November 25. 

 Royal Botanic Society, at 3.45. 



SUNDAY, November 26. 



Sunday Lecture Society, at 4.— Cur.osities of Bird Life: Dr. R. 

 Bowdler Sharpe. 



MONO A Y, November 27. 



Royal Geographical Society (at the University of Lonlon, Burlington 

 Gardens, W.), ai 8.30.— Aritarctic Exploration : Dr. John Murray. 



NO. 1256. VOL. 49] 



TUESDA Y, November 28. ' 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, ai S. — TheTansa Works for the Water- 

 S'lpply of Bombay : William J. B. Gierke. — The Baroda Water-Works; 

 Jagannath Sadasewjee. — Ihe Water-Supply of Jeypore, Rajputana: 

 Col jnel S. S. Jacob. — On the Design of Masonry Dams : Prof. Franz 

 Kreuter. (Discussion.) 



THURSDA Y. November 30. 

 Sanitary Institute, at 8. — Textile Manufactures, Silk, Cotton, 

 Woollen, and Linen Industries : Dr. J. T. Arlidge. 



FRIDAY, December I. 



Geologists* Association, at 8. — Notes on a Discovery of Fossils at 

 Little Stairs Point. Sandown Bay, I.'-le of Wight: Thos, Leighton. — 

 Notes on the Sharks' Teeth from British Creiaceous Formations : A. 

 Smith Woodward. — The Breaking-up of the Ice on the St. Mary River, 

 Nova Scotia, and its Geological Lessons : Geoffrey F. Monckton. 



Institlition OF Civil Engineers, at 7.30. — Forms of Tensile Test-Pieces; 

 Leonard H. Appleby. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books. — Alembic Club Reprints, No. 4 : — Foundations of the MoUcular 

 Theory: J. Dalton, &c. (Edinburgh, Clay). — Practical Agricultural Che- 

 mistry: J. B. Coleman and F. 'I. Addyman (Longmans). — Methods of 

 Practical Hygiene, 2 Vols. : Prof. Lelimann, translated by W. Crookes 

 (K.. Paul). — Suicide and Insanity : Dr. S. A. K. Strahan (Sonnenschein). — 

 Mechanics of Hoisting Machinery : Dr. J. Weisbach and Prof. G. Herrmann, 

 translated by K. P. Dahlstrom (Macmillan). — In the High Heavens: Sir 

 R. S. Ball (Isbister).— Collected Mathematical Papers of Arthur Cayley, 

 vol. vi. (Cambridge University Press). — Cancer, Sarcoma, and other Morbid 

 Growths considered in Relation to the Sporozoa : J. J. Clarke (Baill.cre). — 

 International Maritime Congress, London, 1893, Sections i to 4. Minutes ot 

 Proceedmgs and General Report (Unwin Brothers). — Report of the Com- 

 missioner of Education for the Year 1889-90, v >N. 1 and 2 (Washington). — 

 Royal Natural History, vol. i, part r : edited by R. Lydekkur (Waine). — 

 The Beauties of Nature : Sir J. Lubbock. 5th edition (Macmillan). 



Pamphlet. — Owens College Museum Hand-books — General Guide to 

 the Contents of the Museum, 2nd edition (Manchester, Cornish). 



Serials. — BuUeiin Astronomique, October (Paris). —Meteorological Re- 

 cord, vol xiii. No. 49 (Stanford). — Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteoro- 

 logical Society, October (Stanford) — Journal of the College of Science, 

 Imperial University, Japan, vol. 6, part 3 (Tokyo). — Journal of the Franklin 

 Institute, November (Philadelphia) — Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, 

 vol 2, No. 2, Part 2 (Williams & Norgate) — Brain, Part 63 (Macmillan). — 

 Boletin de la Sociedad Geografica de Madrid, Tomo 35, Nos. i, 2, 3 

 (Madrid). — Journal of Marine Zoology and Microscopy, No. i (Jersey, Sinel 

 and Hornell). — Journal of the Polynesian Society, vol. 2, No. 3 (Welling- 

 ton). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Watson's Kinetic Theory of Gases. By Prof. P. G. 



Tait 73 



A History of Crustacea 74 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Mukhopadhyay " : "An Elementary Treatise on the 



Geometry of Conies " • • . 75 



Briggs and Edmondson : "The Geometrical Proper- 

 ties of the Sphere" -75 



Carroll : " A Key to Carroll's Geometry " 75 



Letters to the Editor :— 



" Geology in Nubibus " — A Reply to Dr. Wallace and 

 Mr. LaTouche. — Sir Henry H. Howorth, 



K.C.I.E., M.P., F.R.S 75 



Rock Basins in the Himalayas. — R. D. Oldham . . 77 

 "Composite" Dykes. {I/Zztsiraiec/.)— Henry E. 



Ede 77 



Weismannism. — Dr. George J. Romanes, F.R.S . 78 

 Correlation of Solar and Magnetic Phenomena. — 



A. R. Hinks ; William Ellis, F.R.S 78 



Artificial Amoeba? and Protoplasm. — Dr. John Berry 



Haycraft 79 



The Royal Society Club 79 



Tne De Morgan Medal So 



Notes ... So 



Cur Astronomical Column: — 



Mechanical Theory of Comets 84 



The New Star in Norma 85 



The Natal Observatory 85 



Magnitude and Position of T Aurigse 85 



The Period of Jupiter's Fifth Satellite 85 



Geographical Notes ... ... ... 85 



Hame. {Illustrated.). By Prof. Arthur Smithells . . 86 



University and Educational Intelligence 92 



Scientific Serials 92 



Societies and Academies 93 



Diary of Societies 9^ 



Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received 9^ 



