July 23, 1903] 



NATURE 



279 



The June number of Biometrika contains an interesting 

 contribution to the discussion on Mendel's theory of in- 

 heritance by Prof. Weldon, in which further difficulties are 

 put forward against the acceptance of the laws as inter- 

 preted and amended by Mr. Bateson. Mr. Darbishire 

 gives, in the same number, his third record of the hybrids 

 between waltzing mice and albinos, and Mr. Woods an 

 account of his experiments in breeding rabbits as bearing 

 upon the principles of the same theory. Among other 

 interesting papers there will be found what appear to be 

 preliminary attempts on the part of Mr. Geoffrey Smith to 

 determine the mass relations of nucleus and cytoplasm in 

 Actinosphcerium, and of Dr. Warren to determine the 

 relationship between the size of the cell and the size of the 

 body in Daphnia. Further work in this very interesting 

 but difficult field of research is much needed. 



The North American representatives of the widely spread 

 group of diminutive ants, known as Leptothorax, are re- 

 vised by Mr. W. M. Wheeler in the Proceedings of the 

 Philadelphia Academy (pp. 215 et seq). The small size 

 and concealed position of the colonies of these ants (which 

 in general contain only from 25 to 50 individuals) account 

 to a great extent for our imperfect knowledge of the 

 group. 



In the June number of the American Naturalist Prof. B. 

 Dean records partial and complete albinism, as well as 

 polychromatism, in the hag-fishes. Since one species of 

 the group is thus proved to possess a definite type of 

 coloration, it is inferred that myxinoids, as a whole, can 

 scarcely differ in this respect from true fishes, in which 

 deep-sea forms are uniformly coloured, while shallow water 

 types are variegated. Hence follows the further inference 

 that the few existing forms are survivors of a once numerous 

 tribe. Later on in the same issue Mr. C. J. Herrick 

 discusses the sense-organs in the skin of fishes, and con- 

 cludes that those species which possess terminal nerve-buds 

 in the lateral line system of the outer skin detect and taste 

 their food by means of these organs, while those which 

 lack these structures in the skin have the sense of taste 

 confined to the mouth. 



An extremely suggestive and interesting paper by Dr. 

 Lewkowitsch, dealing with problems in the fat industry, 

 appears in the Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry^ 

 vol. xxii. No. 10. The author is of the opinion that a 

 fresh wave of inventive activity is approaching in the 

 various branches of the fat industry, and in his paper points 

 out a series of problems which await solution at the present 

 moment. Industries having for their object the refining 

 of fats and oils, industries in which the glycerides undergo 

 a chemical change but are not saponified, and those indus- 

 tries based on the saponification of fats and oils, are all 

 dealt with in the paper. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during 

 the past week include a Sooty Mangabey (Cercocebus 

 fuliginosus), a Black Hornbill (Sphagolobus atratus) from 

 West Africa, presented by Mr. T. Wright; two Arabian 

 Gazelles {Gazella arabica) from Sheik Osman, Arabia, pre- 

 sented by Messrs. Wheatley and Glossop, R.N. ; a Brazilian 

 Tapir (Tapirus americanus) from South America, an 

 Amazonian Manatee {Manatus inunguis) from the River 

 Amazon, presented by Mr. Charles Booth ; a Grey Squirrel 

 {Sciurus cinereus) from North America, presented by the 

 Lady Kintore ; a Campbell's Monkey (Cercopithecus camp- 

 belli) from West Africa, a White Stork {Ciconia alba), 

 European, deposited. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Bright Spots on Saturn. — Mr. W. F. Denning sends us 

 the following approximate times of transit of two bright 

 spots across the central meridian of Saturn, and the times 

 of rising and southing of the planet during the next fort- 

 night : — 



NO. 1760, VOL. 68] 



The spots are separated by about three hours (=108°) oi 

 longitude, and are conspicuous objects when the planet is 

 well defined. 



Spectroscopic Observations of Nova Geminorum. — 

 Photographs obtained in April by Prof. Perrine, using the 

 Crossley reflector, show that, despite its reddish colour, 

 the light from Nova Geminorum was rich in actinic rays. 

 They do not show any trace of nebulosity around the star 

 such as was obtained in the case of Nova Persei. 



Spectrograms obtained with the small slitless spectro- 

 scope attached to the Crossley reflector, show that in the 

 region photographed — Hfi to A. 335 — the spectrum somewhat 

 resembles that obtained by Messrs. Wright and Campbell 

 for Nova Persei in April, 1901, and consists of bright lines 

 and bands superposed on a continuous spectrum ; these lines 

 are almost all accounted for by the hydrogen lines in that 

 region. He and HC, as well as the lines at X 339 and 

 A 346, were the strongest lines in Nova Persei, but they 

 are very weak in the recent Nova, whereas H/3 and H5 are 

 strong in the latter but very weak in the former spectrum ; 

 the chief nebular line, \ 501, which was conspicuous in 

 the spectrum of Nova Persei, is not shown in these spectro- 

 grams of Nova Geminorum. These differences may be due 

 to the difl'erent stages of development of the two stars. 



A comparison of two spectrograms obtained on April 2 

 and 8 respectively, show a considerable alteration in the 

 six days interval, particularly in the ultra-violet region, 

 where the continuous spectrum became weaker and the 

 bands at X\ 350, 374 and 384 consequently appeared 

 stronger ; \ 339 and \ 346 also appeared to have developed. 

 H/3 appeared weaker, and there was a faint condensation 

 in the region of X 501. This condensation appeared as a 

 fairly well-marked line on a later photograph obtained on 

 May II. Visual observations showed a strong Ha line 

 and a condensation in the region about D, and D„. 



An ordinary photograph exposed on April 22, 23 and 24 

 for 6h. 29m. showed no trace of nebulosity around the 

 Nova. 



Reproductions of these region photographs and spectro- 

 grams, and a detailed account of the visual and photo- 

 graphic observations of Profs. Reese and Curtis accompany 

 Prof. Aitken's article in Lick Bulletin, No. 37. 



Measurement of the Intensity of Feeble Illuminations. 

 — M. Touchet, of Paris, has devised an apparatus for 

 measuring the intensities of such feeble illuminations as 

 the Zodiacal Light and the Gegenschein. It is similar in 

 appearance to a theodolite, but has a flame of constant 

 illuminating power so arranged as to illuminate the field 

 through a variable slit. This slit may be opened and 

 closed, like the slit of an ordinary spectroscope, by a screw 

 having a divided head, so that the intensity of the field 

 illumination may be instantly made equal to that of the 

 light it is desired to measure, and readings, which are 

 reducible to a standard, thus obtained {Bulletin de la 

 SociHi Astronomique de France, July). 



