6i6 



NA TURE 



[October 22, 1903 



and neotropical regions. — Dr. Chapman also exhibited 

 living imagines of Crinopteryx familiella. These had just 

 emerged at Reigate, where they and their parents, de- 

 scended from pupae brought from Cannes in March, 1901, 

 had lived out of doors during their active existence, being 

 brought into the house only during their pupal aestivation. 

 This seemed noteworthy in so southern (Mediterranean) 

 a species. The experiment seemed quite likely to continue 

 successful for the next generation. — Mr. Ambrose Quail 

 read papers on the antennae of the Hepialidae and on 

 Epalxiphora axenana, Theyr. — Mr. Gilbert J. Arrow read 

 a paper on the laparostict lamelicorn Coleoptera of Grenada 

 and St. Vincent, West Indies. — Mr. T. H. Taylor com- 

 municated notes on the habits of Chironomus (orthocladius) 

 sordidellus. — Mr. F. Du Cane Godman, F.R.S., communi- 

 cated descriptions of some new species of Erycinidse. — Mr. 

 W. L. Distant communicated additions to the rhynchotal 

 fauna of Central America. — Dr. D. Sharp, F.R.S., read a 

 paper on the egg-cases and early stages of some Cassididae. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, October 12.— M. Albert Gaudry 

 in the chair. — The perpetual secretary announced to the 

 Academy the death of Prof. Rudolf Lipschitz, correspondant 

 for the section of geometry. — On the relations between the 

 theory of double integrals of the second species and that 

 of the integrals of total differentials, by M. Emile Picard. 

 — On the temperature of inflammation and on the slow 

 combustion of sulphur in oxygen and in air, by M. Henri 

 Moissan. The temperature of inflammation of sulphur 

 is 282° C. in oxygen and 363° in air, at atmospheric 

 pressure. Sulphur dioxide can be detected after twelve 

 hours at 100° C, giving a distinct quantity of solid at 

 — 186°. — Palaeontological observations in Alaska, by M. 

 Albert Gaudry. The abundance of mammoth remains near 

 Yukon leads to the conclusion that at a far distant epoch 

 the climate was far less severe than at present. — On the 

 new function Ea{x), by M. G. Mittag-Leffler.— The de- 

 tection and estimation of urea in the tissues and in the 

 blood of vertebrate animals, by M. Nestor Grehant. The 

 alcohol extract is evaporated at 50° C, the residue treated 

 with nitrous acid, and the gases pumped out, the carbon 

 dioxide being measured. Both the blood and muscles of 

 mammals were found to contain urea, of birds, none. — On 

 linear equations of finite differences, by M. Alf. Guldberg- 

 — On the working of coherers, by M. Albert Turpain, — 

 Contact electrification and the theory of colloid solutions, 

 by M. Jean Perrin, If a substance in contact with water 

 takes a strong electrification and small surface tension, the 

 stable state of the system will be realised by an emulsion 

 of granules of fixed diameter, dispersed in the water. — The 

 action of carbonic acid under pressure on metallic phos- 

 phates, by M. A. Barille. — On a series of bismuth com- 

 pounds, by MM. G. Urbain and H. Lacombe. From an 

 examination of the double nitrates, the author concludes 

 that bismuth stands in the same relation to the rare earths 

 as zinc does to magnesium. — On the estimation of vanadium 

 in metallurgical products, by M. Em. Campagne. The 

 metal is converted into chloride, the bulk of the ferric 

 chloride removed by ether, and the vanadium converted into 

 VOCI2 by evaporation with hydrochloric acid. This is 

 converted into sulphate, and titrated with permanganate. — 

 On the nitric esters of the alcohol-acids, by M. H. Duval. 

 The preparation and properties of the nitrates of glycoUic, 

 malic, and glyceric acids are described. — The abnormal 

 fixation of trioxymethylene on certain organo-magnesium 

 derivatives, by MM. M. Tiffenau and R. Delang^e. The 

 compound obtained by the action of magnesium upon benzyl 

 chloride behaves abnormally with trioxymethylene, giving 

 orthotolyl alcohol, CH3.CeH,.CH^OH, instead of the phenyl- 

 ethyl alcohol, C^H-.CHj.CHjOH, which might have been 

 expected. The magnesium compound, however, possesses 

 the normal constitution, CjHj.CHj.Mg.Cl, as is shown by 

 the production of phenylacetic acid by the action of carbon 

 dioxide. — The action of mixed organo-magnesium com- 

 pounds upon amides : a new method for the preparation of 

 ketones, by M. Constantin Beis. When an amide is heated 

 on the water bath with an excess of an organo-magnesium 

 compound, and the product treated with water, ketones are 

 produced. Methyl-ethyl-ketone, diethyl-ketone, methyl- 



propyl-ketone, isobutyl-ethyl-ketone, acetophenone, and 

 phenyl-ethyl-ketone have been prepared by this method, 

 which appears to be of general application. — On the 

 oscillatory movements of Convoluta roscoffensis, by M. 

 Georges Bohn. — On the vegetative apparatus of the yellow 

 rust of cereals, by M. Jakob Eriksson. — The necessity of 

 a microbial symbiosis for obtaining a culture of the Myxo- 

 mycetes, by M. Pinoy. — On a new mineral species, by 

 M. A. Lacroix. The mineral, which is named grandi 

 dierite, has the composition 



7SiO,.ii(Al,Fe),03.7(Mg,Fe,Ca)0.2(Na,K,H),0, 

 and is one of the most basic silicates known. It was found 

 in South Madagascar. — On the Turonian cf Abou Roach 

 (Egypt), by M. R. Fourtau. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



FRIDAY, October 23. 



Physical Society, at 5.— The Bending of Magnetometer Deflection-Bars : 



Dr C. Chree, F.R.S.— On the Magnetism of Basalt and the Magnetic 



Behaviour of Basaltic Bars when Heated in Air : Dr. G. E. Allen.— 



Some Experiments with Electrical Oscillations : Dr. W. Watson, 



SA TURD A V, OcTOBBR 24. 



Essex Field Club.— Annual Cryptogamic Meeting at High Beech, 



Epping Forest ; Referees : Dr. M. C. Cooke and Mr. George Massee. 



SATURDAY, October 31. 



Essex Field Club, at 6.30.— Exhibition of a Series of Photographs of 



Fungi, by means of the Lantern: Mr. Somerville Hastings. — Seed 



Dispersal : Prof. G. S. Boulger. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Ancient Calendars. By W. T. L 593 



Physiological Chemistry. By Prof. W. D. 



Halliburton, F.R S 594 



Popular American Entomology 595 



Our Book Shelf:— 



" Catalogue of Books, Manuscripts, Maps, and Draw- 

 ings in the British Museum (Natural History)." — 



R- L 596 



Mudge and Maslen : "A Class Book of Botany" , . 596 

 Perrin : "Traite deChimie physique, Les Principes" . 597 

 Timpany: "The Arithmetic of Elementary Physics 



and Chemistry " 597 



Miron : " Gisements mineraux. Stratigraphie et 



Composition " 597 



Letters to the Editor :— 



Human Science and Education. — Prof. P. Gardner , 597 

 Uniformity in Scientific Literature. — Prof. G. H. 



Bryan, F.R. S 598 



Expansion Curves. {With Diagram.) — Prof. Alfred 



Lodge •••... 599 



Rocket Lightning. {Illustrated.) — Prof. J. D. 



Everett, F.R.S. ; W. H. Everett 599 



Our Winters in Relation to Bruckner's Cycle. ( With 



Diagram.)— PtX^y.. B. MacDowall 600 



An Ant Robbed by a Lizard. — ^J. W^. Stack . . . 600 

 A New Mechanical Theory of the .ffither. By Prof, 



G. H. Bryan, F.R.S 600 



The Effect of Education and Legislation on Trade, 



By Dr. F. Mollwo Perkin 602 



Notes 603 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Search-Ephemeris for Comet 1896 v • , , 606 



A Novel Feature for Geodetical Instruments . , . , 606 



The Path of Comet 1894 I. (Denning) 606 



Observations of Mars • 606 



Natal Government Observatory . . • 607 



Inheritance of Psychical and Physical Characters 



in Man. By Prof. Karl Pearson, F.R.S, ... 607 



The Application of Low Temperatures to the Study 



of Biological Problems. By Dr. Allan Macfadyen 608 

 Physics at the British Association. By Dr, C. H, 



Lees 609 



Chemistry at the British Association . 611 



Geology at the British Association. By H, W, M, . 612 



Zoology at the British Association 614 



University and Educational Intelligence 614 



Societies and Academies 615 



Diary of Societies 615 



NO. 1773. 'VOL. 68] 



