312 



NA TURE 



[July 30, 1903 



foil owing to the fact that cold platinum, which is opaque 

 to these rays, becomes transparent on heating. — Study of 

 the molecular deformations of a steel bar submitted to 

 thrust, by M. L. Fraichet. — Photographs of the Borelly 

 comet (1903 c), by M. Qudnisset. These photographs were 

 taken at the author's observatory at Nanterre, and in pairs, 

 so as to give a stereoscopic representation. — On the theory 

 of the acoustic field, by M. Charbonnier. The theory 

 serves to explain certain photographs of projectiles obtained 

 by Dr. Mach, of Vienna, and is the basis of Gossot's method 

 of measuring the velocity of projectiles. — Contribution to 

 the study of superheating, by M. A. Petot. — Sublimation 

 curves, by M. A. Bouzat. A comparison of the sublimation 

 curves of carbon dioxide, ammonium sulphide, and 

 ammonium carbonate with the dissociation curve of the 

 compound of silver chloride and ammonia. — On the law of 

 recombination of ions, by M. P. Langevin. An expression 

 is developed which gives the ratio of recombinations to the 

 number of collisions between two ions of opposite sign, and 

 is verified by comparison with the experimental values for 

 air and carbon dioxide. — On commutation in continuous 

 current dynamos, by M. Iliovici. — The influence of tempera- 

 ture on the dichroism of mixed liquids, and a proof of the 

 law of indices, by M. Georges Meslin, Substances are 

 chosen for which the value of the index of the liquid but 

 very slightly exceeds the mean value for the solid. The 

 change in sign of the dichroism with rise of temperature 

 was experimentally verified in a number of cases. — On 

 photographic spectrophotometry, by M. C. Camichel. 

 Various catalytic reactions brought about by metals and the 

 accelerating and retarding influences, by M. A. Trillat. 

 Reactions between copper or platinum and the vapour of 

 alcohols of oxidising, reducing, condensing, or saponifying 

 effects. The reactions are considerably affected by traces 

 of impurities, and the copper must first be tarnished by heat- 

 ing in air. — On ferrisulphuric acid and ethyl ferrisulphate, 

 by M. A. Recoura. The ethyl ester is obtained by boiling 

 the acid with alcohol as a yellow solid. On heating the 

 acid, it loses simultaneously one molecule of sulphuric acid 

 and two of water, leading the author to assign to it the 

 formula Fe,03.3S03.H2SO,.2H,0 + 6H20.— Prussian and 

 TurnbuU's blues. A new class of complex cyanides, by 

 M. P. Chretien. A soluble acid blue or hydrodiferrocyanic 

 acid, Fe2CygH,3H20, is obtained by the spontaneous de- 

 composition of hydroferrocyanic acid at about 20°. It 

 reacts with alkalis as follows : — Fe,CygH + 4KOH = 

 FeCysK^+Fe(OH)3 + H20. This and other reactions are 

 studied thermochemically. — On spartein. General charac- 

 teristics ; action of some reducing agents, by MM. Ch. 

 Moureu and A. Valeur. This communication contains a 

 repetition of previous work on spartein, and an account of 

 unsuccessful attempts to obtain reduction products. — On the 

 isonitrosomalonic ethers and their conversion into mesoxalic 

 ethers, by MM. L. Bouveault and A. Wahl. The methyl 

 and ethyl ethers were obtained pure, and converted into the 

 corresponding mesoxalic ether by means of nitrogen 

 peroxide. — Action of ammonia on the compound of oxide of 

 ethylene and ;8-o-cyclohexanediol, by M. L6on Brunei. 

 With an excess of ammonia o-aminocyclohexanol is 

 obtained ; with less ammonia, more complicated substances. 

 — Researches on the nutrition of etiolated plants, by M. G. 

 Andre. — On the phospho-organic reserve material of plants, 

 by M. S. Posternak. The method is given for the separ- 

 ation of this substance as the salt of an acid, CH5PO5, from 

 seeds and other parts of plants. In this way 70 per cent, 

 to 90 per cent, of the phosphorus in the seeds can be 

 accounted for, lecithine representing only i per cent, to 

 7 per cent, of the phosphorus. — On roots trained by experi- 

 ment to grow upwards, by M. H. Ricome. The plants 

 (beans) were attached to the end of a long thread kept 

 oscillating. The development of the root and longitudinal 

 growth were perfectly normal. — A resinous Granadilla, by 

 M. Henri Jumelle. The exudation from the base of the 

 stem of this plant, the Ophiocaulon Firingalavense, is a resin 

 rather than a wax, and contains 83 per cent, of true resin, 

 which is deposited as an amorphous mass from solvents. — 

 Contribution to the study of the Aepyornis of Madagascar, by 

 M. Guillaume Grandidier. Particulars of the lower portions 

 of a skeleton of the Aepyornis ingens. — On basic inclusions 

 from the volcanoes of Martinique and St. Vincent, by M. A. 

 Lacroix. — Contribution to the study of congenital changes 

 in the nervous system, by MM. Claude Vurpas and Andr^ 



Ldri. — On the organic respiratory gases in diabetes, by 

 M. J. Le Goff. These gases contain acetone, which wa& 

 separated as iodoform and estimated. In one case it 

 amounted to nearly 3 grammes in twenty-four hours. — On 

 the retention of irritability of certain organs separated 

 from the body and immersed in an artificial nutritive- 

 medium, by MM. E. H^don and C. Fleig:. — The formation 

 of callus, by MM. V. Cornil and P. Coudray. — Observ- 

 ations on the sea-level since historic and prehistoric times, 

 by M. Ph. N6grris. From the fact that two ancient piers 

 at the south entrance of the Straits of Leucade are now 

 nearly three metres under water, and from the encroach- 

 ments of the sea in various parts of the Mediterranean 

 during the last 2500 years, conclusions are drawn as to the 

 change of level of the latter during a long period. — On the 

 use of fluorescein in subterranean hydrology, by M. E. A.. 

 Martel. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



A Modern Physicist 289 



Micro-organisms in the Arts and Manufactures. By 



Prof. G. Sims Woodhead agO' 



Visual Purple. By Dr. W. H. R. Rivers 291 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Bretzl : " Botanische Forschungen des Alexander- 



zuges" 292 



Harrison: "Practical Plane and Solid Geometry for 



Elementary Students " 295 



Wintelen : *' Die Aluminium-Industrie." — F. M. P. 293 

 Aschan : " Die Konstitution des Kamphers and 



seiner wichtigsten Derivate."— J. E. N 293 



Manno : " Theorie der Bewegungsiibertragung." — 



R. W, H. T. H 294 



Letters to the Editor :— 



On a Map that will Solve Problems in the Use of the 

 Globes. {With Diagram.) Prof. J. D. Everett, 



F.R.S 294 



Action of Tesla Coil on Radiometer. -—Prof. P. L, 



Narasu 295, 



Tides at Port Darwin.— R. W. Chapman 295 



Spirals in Nature and Art.— Theodore Andrea 



Cook 296 



Distribution of Calostoma. — Kumagusu Mina- 



kata ; Geo. Massee 296 



School Geometry Reform. — Prof. Frank R. Barrell 296 

 The Moon's Phases and Thunderstorms. — Ottavio 



Zanotti Bianco 296 



The New Mammoth at St. Petersburg. {Illustrated.) 



By A. S. W 297 



The Ethnology of the Malay Peninsula, {llltti- 



trated.) 2gS 



Electrochemistry in America 299 



Notes 301 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronomical Occurrences in August 305 



Photographs of Comet 1902 b 305 



The New Observatory for Buluwayo 305 



The System of e Hydrse 305 



Wave-lengths of Silicon Lines 306 



The Eclipse of the Moon 306 



A Method of Applying the Rays from Radium and 

 Thorium to the Treatment of Consumption. By 



Frederick Soddy 306 



The Chemistry of the Albumins. By Dr. Arthur 



Harden 307 



The Antarctic Expeditions 307 



The Structure of Spectra 30& 



Congress of the Sanitary Institute. By E. White 



Wallis 309 



The Museums Association 310 



University and Educational Intelligence 31a 



Societies and Academies " 311 



NO. 1 76 I, VOL. 68] 



