96 



NATURE 



[November 23, 1899 



light by screens of homogeneous colour, and measuring the 

 intensity of the transmitted light with a simple Foucault or 

 Bunsen photometer. The screens were previously carefully 

 examined by Frauenhofer's method, and the wave-length of the 

 light transmitted by the screen exactly determined. — On the 

 atomic weight ot the metal in radio-active barium chloride, 

 by Mme. Sklodowska Curie. Fractional crystallisation of 

 barium chloride obtained from uranium minerals gave a salt 

 which concentrated the radio-activity in the least soluble 

 portions. The atomic weight was found to increase with the 

 radioactivity, the maximum value obtained being 145 "8 as com- 

 pared with I37'8 for the inactive barium. These results confirm 

 the original view of the existence of a new element, radium. — 

 On the preparation and properties of the crystallised phosphides 

 of strontium and barium, by M. A. Jaboin. Crystallised stron- 

 tium phosphide is prepared in a pure state by heating pure 

 strontium phosphate with lamp black in the electric furnace. 

 The phosphide has a dark colour, breaks with a crystalline 

 fracture, and is rapidly attacked by moist air, or by chlorine, 

 at about 30° C. At the temperature of the electric furnace 



.•carbon replaces the phosphorus slowly, giving strontium carbide. 

 Barium phosphide is prepared in a similar manner and has 



.corresponding properties. — On the estimation of phosphorus in 

 organic compounds, by M. Ch. Marie. The organic material is 

 •destroyed by heating with nitric acid and potassium perman- 

 ganate, and the phosphoric acid precipitated with molybdate, 



.certain special precautions being necessary. — On some new 

 asymmetric compounds of nitrogen obtained synthetically and 

 possessing rotatory power, by MM. W. J. Pope and S. J. 

 •Peachey. a - Benzyl - phenyl - allyl - methylammonium iodide 

 is heated with dextrocamphorosulphonate of silver, the silver 

 iodide filtered off, and the resulting salt recrystallised from a 

 mixture of acetone and ethyl acetate. From the less soluble 

 fractions a dextrorotatory form (Mi,— -i- 208°) is readily iso- 

 lated, the more soluble salt (Md = -87°) being Isevorotatory. 

 From these salts a dextrorotatory iodide (an = 52° •4), bromide 

 <ao = -f 68°6), and a laevorotatory iodide (ou — - 5i°'4) and 

 bromide (a» = - 67° "3) were obtained. In these compounds the 

 rotatory power is clearly due to the asymmetrical arrangement of 

 the groups round the nitrogen atom, — On the absorption of 

 iodine by plants, by M. P. Bourcet. From a series of analyses 

 of plants grown under identical conditions in soil containing 

 iodides, it was found that certain plants absorb much more iodine 

 than others, some absorbing none at all. —On the morphology 

 and sexual evolution of a parasite of Hemioniscus balani, by 

 MM. Maurice Coullery and Felix Mesnil. — On the absorptive 

 power of seeds for moisture, by M. L. Maquenne. — On the 

 origin of the symmetry in crystallised bodies and of polymor- 

 phism, by M. Fred Wallerant. — The relations existing between 

 diuretic actions and osmotic properties of the sugars, by MM. 

 E. Hedon and J. Arrous. — On lipase in pathological conditions, 

 by MM. Ch. Achard and A. Clerc. — New experiments relating 

 to the antiphylloxeric disinfection of vine plants, by MM. 

 .Georges Couanon, Joseph Michon and E. Salomon. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, November 23. 



iRoYAL Society, at 4.30. — (i) Note on the Spectrum of Silicium ; (2) Pre- 

 liminary Table of_ Wave-lengths of Enhanced Lines : Sir J. Norman 



iepora : Prof. S. 



Lockyer, K.C.B., F.R.S.— The Colour-Physiology of //^j>/o/j'^« varians: 

 F. W. Keeble and F. W. Gamble.— The Medusae of Millei 

 J. Hickson, F.R.S. 

 Society of Arts, at 4.30.— Old and New Colombo : John Ferguson, 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8!— The Cost of Steam 

 Raising: John Holliday.— Influence of Cheap Fuels on the Cost of 

 Electrical Energy : R. E. Crompton. 



FRIDAY, November 24. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 8.— Openings for Me- 

 chanical Engineers in China : The Right Hon. Rear-Admiral Lord 

 Charles Beresford, C.B. 



Physical Society, at 5. — (i) On the Conductivities of certain Hetero- 

 geneous Media for a Steady Flux having a Potential ; {2) On the Thermal 

 Conductivities of Mixtures and of their Constituents : Dr. C. H. Lees. 



MONO A Y, November 27. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— Enamelling upon Metals : H. H. Cunynghame, 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30.— Desert Sand Dunes: Vaughan 



Cornish. 

 Institute of Actuaries, at 5.30. 



TUESDA Y, November 28. 



Zoological Society, at 8.30. — On the Hatching-stage of the Land 

 Pagurines : L. A. Bornadaile. — General Ace )unt of an Expedition to the 

 Gambia Colony and Protectorate in 1898-09 : J. S. Budgett.— On the 

 Relations of the Efferent Branchial Blood-vessels to the " Circnlus 

 Cephalicus" in Teleostean Fishes: Dr. W. G. Ridewood.— On the Rep- 

 tiles. Batrachians, and Fishes collected by the late Mr. John Whitehead 

 in the Interior of Hainan : G. A. Boulenger, F.R.S. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, .at Z.— Papers to be further discussed : 

 The Waterloo and City Railway; The Electrical Equipment of the Water- 

 loo and City Railway. And, time permitting. Paper to be read with 



a view to discussion : Combined Refuse-destructors and Power-plants : 

 C. Newton Russell. 



Royal Photographic Society, at 8.— Practical Three-colour Lantern 



Slide Making. 



THURSDAY, November 30. 

 Royal Society, at 4.— Anniversary Meeting. 



Institution of CivilEngineers, at 8.— Bridges for Light Railways: 

 L. H. Rugg. 



FRIDAY, December i. 



Geologists' Association, at 8. — The Zones of the White Chalk of the 

 English Coast. I. Kent and Sussex : Dr. A. W. Rowe.— A New Rhaetic 

 Section at Bristol : W. H. Wickes. 



NO. 1569, VOL. 61] 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Applications of Thermodynamics to Chemistry. 



By Prof. G. H. Bryan, F.R.S 73 



The Continuity of the Erythrean Rift Valley. By 



J. W. G 75 



Modern Surgery. By D'A. P 76 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Merriman : "Elements of Precise Surveying and 



Geodesy."— Sir C. W. Wilson, K.C.B., F.R.S. 77 

 Gregory and Simmons : " Experimental Science (Physio- 

 graphy : Section I. ) " 77 



"Tito Nenci."— W. F. K 77 



Aflalo : " Types of British Animals " 77 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Stockholm International Conference on the Exploration 



of the Sea.— Prof. W. A. Herdman, F.R.S. . 78 

 The Meteors of Biela's Comet. — E. C. Willis ; W. F. 



Denning 78 



Recent Developments of Wireless Telegraphy ... 78 

 Some Recent Work of the Marine Biological 



Association 79 



The Old Red Sandstone of Shetland 80 



Sir J. William Dawson, C.M.G., LL.D., F.R.S., &c. 



By H. B. W. 80 



The Leonids. By W. F. Denning; Dr. G.Johnstone 



Stoney, F.R.S., &c 81 



Notes. [Illustrated.) 83 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Holmes' Comet (18990') 87 



Comet Giacobini (1899 «) 87 



Refraction Effect of Comet Swift (1899 I) 87 



Predominance of Spiral Nebulae 87 



Bulletin Astronomique 87 



The Fitting of the Cycle to its Rider. ( With Z>ia- 



^ra;«.f.) By R. E. Crompton and C. Crompton . , 87 

 Note on the Distance to which Explosions are felt 



and heard. [Illustrated.) By Dr. Charles Davison 91 



The Hurter Memorial Lecture 92 



University and Educational Intelligence 92 



Scientific Serials 93 



Societies and Academies 93 



Diary of Societies 96 



