384 



NATURE 



[August 20, 1903 



was supplied by a large current through a small resistance 

 immersed in the liquid. The vessel containing the liquid 

 was surrounded bv a double-walled shield filled with the 

 saturated vapour of the liquid itself, and the mass evapor- 

 ated was measured by weighing on a delicate balance. 

 To have the vessel hanging freely from the one arm of 

 the balance and vet to keep it practically surrounded with 

 the saturated vapour were among the principal difficulties 

 to be surmounted. Promising results had already been 

 obtained.— Dr. Thomas Muir communicated a note on a 

 special circulant considered by Catalan. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, August lo.— M. Albert Gaudry in 

 th- chair —The president announced to the Academy the 

 death of M. Munier-Chalmas, member of the section of 

 mineralogy.— On aerodynamics and the theory of the 

 acoustical' field, bv M. le G^n^ral Sebert. Remarks on 

 the theory of M. Charbonnier on the waves set up in air 

 by projectiles moving with a greater velocity than that- of 

 sound.— Description of a new apparatus for the preparation 

 of pure gases, by M. Henri Moissan. The gases are 

 dried by cooling to about -70°,. and then liquefied by boil- 

 ing oxygen or air ; substances gaseous at this latter tempera- 

 ture are removed bv the mercury pump, and .the pure gas 

 allowed to boil off 'into a suitable, gasholder. Details are 

 given for carbon dioxide, hydrogen iodide, hydrogen 

 phosphide, and sulphide. By the use of suitable tempera- 

 tures the gas obtained from copper and dilute nitric acid 

 was separated into water, nitrous oxide, nitric oxide, and 

 nitrogen. -~On the mechanical analysis of soils, by M. Th. 

 Schloesing, sen. An apparatus is described permitting of 

 th-^ mechanical separation of earth into fractions depending 

 on the time taken to deposit from water. A microscopical 

 examination of the deposits, showed that the size of the 

 deposited grains varied with the time required to fall out. 

 Grains less than o 005mm. remain in suspension in pure 

 water for an indefinite time. — Corrections relating to a 

 note of M. Armand Gautier on the estimation of arsenic 

 in sea water, common salt, mineral water, and reagents. 

 In the original note, by an error, there is a confusion 

 between milligrammes and thousandths of a milli- 

 gramme which is here rectified. — On the death of M. 

 Prosper Henry, by M. Janssen. — On the relations between 

 the complete integrals of S. Lie and Lagrange, by M. N. 

 Saltykow. — The theory of the acoustical field and the in- 

 ternal friction of gases, by M. P. Charbonnier. — The 

 appearance of Bishop's Circle in 1903, by M. F. A. 

 Forel. This phenomenon, which appeared last in 1884, 

 after, the Krakatoa eruption, has been noticed again 

 this year, and is considered by the author to be connected 

 with the eruptions at Martinique. — On some binary com- 

 pounds of uranium, by >L A. Coloni. Compounds of 

 uranium with sulphur, selenium, tellurium, nitrogen, 

 phosphorus, arsenic, and antimony are described. — The 

 nature of the alkaline reaction of the blood and its estim- 

 ation, by M. H. Labbe. The alkalinity is not completely 

 removed by the precipitation of the phosphates by barium 

 chloride, and it is this residual alkalinity which is most 

 strongly affected by pathological variations. — Phenols and 

 phenolsulphonic acid in the animal economy, by M. L. 

 IWIonfet.— On the passage of the Rhine by the Doubs 

 valley arid Bresse valley during the Pliocene age, by M. le 

 G^n^ral de Lamothe. 



New South Wales. 

 Linnean Society, June 24.— Dr. T. Storie Dixson, presi- 

 dent, in the chair.— On the botany of the Darling, N.S.W., 

 by Mr. Fred. Turner. The characteristics of the flora of 

 the country lying between 29° and 33° S. lat., and 141° and 

 147° E. long., are discussed. The census of the Phanero- 

 gams and vascular Cryptogams now brought forward gives 

 a total of 314 genera and 760 species. — The corpus luteum 

 of Dasyurus viverrinus, with observations on the growth 

 and atrophy of the Graafian follicle, by Dr. F. P. Sandes. 

 The chief conclusions arrived at in this investigation may 

 be thus summarised : — (i) The characteristic cells of the 

 corpus luteum are formed by hypertrophy of the cells of the 

 membrana granulosa. (2) The theca interna folliculi is 

 rudimentary, and forms only the vascular connective tissue 

 of the corpus luteum. (3) The corpus luteum atreticum is 

 formed in the same way as the corpus luteum verum. (4) 



Other atresic follicles are reduced to fibrous tissue or remain 

 cystic. (5) The corpus luteum is probably a gland with an 

 internal secretion of use in the organism. It has the func- 

 tion of stopping ovulation during pregnancy and at the 

 cestral periods. — Notes on the genus Psychopsis, Newm., 

 with descriptions of new species, by Mr. W. W. FroKSatt. 

 Three species of the genus were noticed in a previous paper 

 in the Proceedings for 1902. From the study of a fine series 

 of specimens acquired in the interval, the author is now 

 able to show that it has been customary to apply Newman's 

 name, P. mimica, to what are in reality the representatives 

 of two different species. These are differentiated ; a second 

 species from Queensland is also described as new, raising 

 the total to five. — Notes on Prosobranchiata. No. 3. The 

 neanic shell of Melo diadema, Lamk., and the definition of 

 the nepionic stage in the gasteropod mollusc, by Mr. H. 

 Leighton Kesteven. A description of the mass of egg- 

 capsules of M. diadema is given, and attention is directed 

 to the sequence of the acquisition of the columellar plaits 

 which, in this species, is in perfect conformity with a 

 phylogenetic scheme of their origin advanced by Dr. Dall 

 in 1890. Then follows a comparison of the molluscan 

 stages of development with those of the Lepidoptera. — The 

 continental origin of Fiji, by Mr. W. G. Woolnougrh. 

 Part i., general geology. The author's provisional con- 

 clusions are:-^(i) That Viti Levu, the chief island of the 

 Fiji group, was part of a continental area probably united 

 to New Hebrides- and New Caledonia during early 

 Paljeozoic time, and that it remained a land area under- 

 going denudation probably to at least the close of Palaeozoic 

 time. (2) That in Mesozoic time and Older Tertiary time 

 subsidence predominated in the Fiji area, the subsidence 

 at Drau, in Viti Levu, carrying the island at least about 

 1300 feet further below the sea than it is at present. During 

 this period the Fiji Soapstone was deposited. (3) In late 

 Cainozoic time elevation set in, and synchronously with it 

 occurred violent and extensive eruptions of andesitic 

 dolerite and basalt. Elevation has continued into late 

 Cainozoic time, and may be still in progress. On the 

 whole, therefore, negative movement of the land has prob- 

 ably greatly predominated over positive movement since 

 Palaeozoic times. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



River Improvement 361 



The Fisherman in America. By L. W. B 363 



Technical Physics. By H. L. C 364 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Stevens: " An Introduction to Botany " '•363 



Sanger : "Kant's Lehre vom Glauben."— G. S. B. . 365 

 Kerr and Brown : " Elementary Physics. Practical 



and Theoretical " 365 



Pierson : " Among the Night People " 366 



Garvin : " Qualitative Chemical Analysis." — 



J. B. C 366 



Wallis and Mill :" British Rainfall, 1902" 366 



Letters to the Editor :— 



The Amount of Emanation and Helium from Radium. — 



Prof. E. Rutherford, F.R.S 366 



Summer Lightning. — Sir Arch. Geikie, F.R.S. . . 367 



A Mirage at Putney. — H. E. Wimperis 368 



The Southport Meeting of the British Associa- 

 tion : Sectional Arrangements 368 



Natives and Customs of Chutia Nagpore. {Illus- 

 trated.^ By J. F. Hewitt 369 



The Seismological Congress in Strassburg .... 371 



Notes 372 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Spectrum of Comet 1903 c 37^ 



The Spectroscopic Binary ;8 Scorpii 376 



Effects of Absorption on the Resolving Power of 



Spectroscopes 376 



A New Circumzenithal Apparatus. {With Diagram.) 376 



The Secchi Commemoration 376 



The New York Zoological Society. {Illustrated.) 



By R. L • . 376 



The Origin of Seed-bearing Plants. By Dr. D. H. 



Scott, F.R.S 377 



The Government Laboratory 382 



University and Educational Intelligence ..... 382 



Societies and Academies 383 



NO. 1764, VOL. 68] 



