20 



NATURE 



[November 30, 1899 



new planets (e w) and (e r) made at the Observatory of Algiers 

 with the 31-6 cm. equatorial, by MM. Rambaud and Sy. — 

 Observations of the sun made at the Observatory of Lyons 

 during the second quarter of 1899, by M. J. Guillaume. The 

 results are collected in three tables, showing the number and 

 area of spots, distribution of the spots in latitude, and of the 

 faculae in latitude. — Contribution to the theory of the func- 

 tion ^(j-) of Riemann, by M. Edm. Landau. — On systems 

 simultaneously isolated, by M. Andrade. — A new theory of the 

 optical phenomena of the entanglement of ether by matter, by 

 M. G. Sagnac. — On a new binocular lens, by M. Emile Berger. 

 — Chemical effects produced by the Becquerel rays, by M. P. 

 Curie and Mme. Curie. Radio-active barium chloride possesses 

 the property of converting oxygen into ozone. This necessitates 

 an expenditure of energy, and hence is a proof that the radiation 

 represents a continual disengagement of energy. — Reciprocal 

 displacement of metals, by M. Alb. Colson. The disturbing 

 effects of oxygen and occluded gases were eliminated in these 

 experiments by working in a Crookes vacuum. It was found 

 that the reactions 



and 



HgaCla -I- 2 Ag = 2Hg + 2 AgCl 



AgS-fHg=HgS-l-Ag 

 are reversible, the reaction being limited by a definite pressure 

 of mercury vapour for a given temperature. — ^Action of nitric 

 -oxide upon chromic dichlorhydrin, by M. V. Thomas. Nitric 

 oxide combines vigorously with chromyl dichloride, giving an 

 amorphous compound, the results of the analysis of which can 

 be best expressed by CrgCl507.2N0.2. — On a methylene sulphate, 

 by M. Marcel Delepine. By the interaction of dry trioxy- 

 methylene and fuming sulphuric acid, a neutral crystallised 

 substance, CH2O.SO3, is obtained, thermochemical data for 

 which are given. — On a mode of synthesis of parabanic acid, 

 by M. P. Cazeneuve. Oxamide added to boiling phenyl car- 

 bonate gives parabanic acid and phenol, the acid being 

 identified by means of its silver salt. The yields do not 

 •exceed 5 per cent, of the oxamide employed. — On a new 

 Myxosporidium, Nosema Stepham, a parasite of Flesus passer, by 

 M. Hagenmuller. — On the cytological phenomena preceding 

 iind accompanying the formation of the teleutospore in Puccinia 

 Liliacearutn, by M. R. Maire. — On the histological modific- 

 ations produced in stems by the action of Phytopttis, by M. 

 Marin Molliard. The chemical action which corresponds to 

 •the presence of parasites such as Phytoptus determines the 

 iformation of a new tissue which differentiates itself at the 

 vexpense of any cells, independently of what these cells would 

 have become in the ordinary course of development. — On the 

 negative variation of the axial nervous current, by M. Mendels- 

 sohn. — The cryoscopy of urine as an aid to diagnosis, by MM. 

 H. Claude and V. Balthazard. — Effect of a diet poor in chlorides 

 jupon the treatment of epilepsy by sodium bromide, by MM. 

 "Ch. Richet and Ed. Toulouse. The use of sodium bromide in 

 ithe treatment of epilepsy, although efficacious to a certain 

 extent, leads to other troubles owing to the large doses neces- 

 sary, 8 to 15 grams per day. By the use of a diet as free as 

 possible from salt, equally good effects were produced with only 

 2 to 4 grams of sodium bromide daily. The special diet appears 

 to have no effect upon the general nutrition. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, November 30. 

 Royal Society, at 4.— Anniversary Meeting. 

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

 L. H. Rugg. 



FRIDAY, December i. 

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

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

 Section at Bristol : W. H. Wickes. 



MONDAY, December 4. 

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

 S):iSTY OP Chemical Industry, at 8.— The Fireproofing and Preserv- 

 ing of Timber : Sherard Cowper-Coles. 

 Victoria Institute, at 4.30. — Pictorial Art among the Australian 

 Aborigines: R. H. Mathews. 



TUESDA Y, December 5. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at i,.— Paper to be further discussed : 



The Waterloo and City Railway, and its Electrical Equipment. Paper 



to be read with a view to discussion : Combined Refuse-destructors and 

 Power-plants : C. Newton Russell. 



WEDNESDA Y, December 6. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— Artificial Silk : Joseph Cash. 

 ^Geological Society, at 8. — On the Occurrence in British Carboniferous 

 Rocks of the Devonian Genus Palaeoneilo, with a Description of the 

 Species Palaeoneilo carbonifer : Dr. WheeltonJ Hind.— On the Geology 



and Fossil Corals and Echinids of Somaliland : Dr. J. W. Gregory — 

 Note on Drift-gravels at West Wickham, Kent : G. Clinch. 



Society op Public Analysts, at 8.— Note on Asafoetida : C. G. Moor. 

 —On some Analy.ses of Modern Dry Champagne : Dr. P. Schidrowitz' 

 and Dr. Otto Rosenheim.— On the Determination of the Iodine Value • 

 Dr. J. J. A. Wijs.— Treacle or Golden Syrup : E. W. T. Jones.— On a 

 Method for Distinguishing between Hops and Quassia : Alfred C. 

 Chapman. 



Entomological Society, at 8. 



THURSDAY, December 7. 



Royal Society, at ^.j,o.— Probable Papers: Vapour-density of Bromine 

 at High Temperatures : Dr. E. P. Perman and G. A. S. Atkinson.— 



Polytremacis and the Ancestry of Helioporidse : Dr. J. W. Gregory. 



Gjld Aluminium Alloys: C. T. Heycock. F.R.S., and F. H. Neville, 

 F.R.S.— On the Association Attributes in Statistics ; with Examples 

 from the Material of the Childhood Society, &c. : G. U. Yule.- Data for 

 the Problem of Evolution in Man. III. On the Magnitude of certain 

 Coefficients of Correlation in Man, &c. : Prof Karl Pearson, F.R.S. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8.— The Cost of Ste.am 

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

 Electrical Energy : R. E. Crompton. (Adjourned Discussion.) 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8. — Onsome Vegetable Poisons used for the Cap- 

 ture of Fish by the Australian Aborigines : J. W. Fawcett.— On some 

 New Zealand Schizopoda : G. M. Thomson. — On the Structure 01 

 Porites: H. M. Bernard. 



Chemical Society, at 8.— Ballot for the Election of Fellows.— The 

 Oxidation- of certain Organic Acids in presence of Iron : H. J. H 

 Fenton, F.R.S., and H. O. Jones.— The Determination of the Constitu- 

 tion of Fatty Acids, Part II. : Dr. A. W. Crossley and H. R. Le Sueur. 

 — On Sulphates of the Form R'2S04, 2M"S04, especially those of Iso- 

 metric Crystallisation : F. R. Mallet. 



RoNTGEN Society, at 8.— Observations on Practical X-Ray Work, with 

 Exhibition of Apparatus and Stereoscopic Skiagrams : Mackenzie 

 Davidson. — Bullet in the Brain : J. Moore. 



FRIDAY, December 8. 

 Royal Astronomical Society, at 8. 



NO. 1570, VOL. 61] 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Inheritance of Deafness. By Dr. Macleod 



Yearsley 97 



The Liquefaction of Gases . 98 



A Contribution to Zoo-geography. By F. E. B. . 99 



A Text-book of Heat Motors. By H. B 100 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Harrison and Baxandall : " Practical Plane and Solid 



Geometry for Advanced Students " loi 



Kcippen: "Grundlinien der maritimen Meteorologie" loi 

 Lengfeld : " Inorganic Chemical Preparations." — 



A. S loi 



Muir : " The Utility of Sulphate of Ammonia in 



Agriculture" . . loi 



•'Euclid Books L-IV." 102 



Gardiner: " Sylvia in Flo werland " 102 



Yorke : " Magnetism and Electricity " 102 



Lowerison : " Field and Folklore " 102 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Stockholm Conference on the Exploration of the 



Sea. — George Murray, F.R.S 102 



Bust of Sir George Stokes.— Prof. John Perry, 



F.R.S. . . 102 



A Geometric Determination of the Median Value of 

 a System of Normal Variants, from Two of its 

 Centiles. (IVtlA Diagrams.) — Dr. Francis 



Gallon, F.R.S 102 



On the Cause of Dark Lightning and the Clayden 



Effect. {Ilhislraled.)—'Proi. R. W. Wood . 104 



Experiments on the Floral Colours. — P. Q. Keegan 105 



The Colour of Flints.— W. H. Wheeler 106 



The Proposed Changes in the Mathematical Tripos 106 

 The Resistance of the Air. {Illustrated.) By Prof. 



G. H. Bryan, F.R.S 107 



Dr. Henry Hicks, F.R.S. By H. B. W 109 



Notes. (Illustrated.) no 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Holmes' Comet (1899^) 114 



Comet Giacobini (1899 ^) 114 



Spectroscopic Binaries 114 



Position of Perth Observatory 114 



Variations in the Spectrum of Orion Nebula .... 114 

 A New Rocking Microtome. (Illustrated.) By 



M. F. W 115 



Corresponding Societies of the British Association 115 



Progress of Agricultural Chemistry 116 



University and Educational Intelligence 118 



Societies and Academies 118 



Diary of Societies 120 



