144 



NA TURE 



[December 7, 1899 



with the temperature, requiring^ several months at 250°, five 

 weeks at 350°, seventy hours at 440°, and only one 

 hour at 600°. Starting with the system silver, 

 hydrochloric acid, a limit was similarly obtained for 

 each temperature ; but the final state of equilibrium was not 

 the same as in the first case for temperatures below 600°. It is 

 an example of the false equilibrium of M. Duhem. — On cam- 

 phenylone, by MM. E. E. Blaise and G. Blanc. Camphene is 

 treated with nitrogen peroxide at 0°, and the nitrate converted 

 into camphenylone by treatment with potash. This ketone is 

 treated with hydroxylamine, and the oxime dehydrated with 

 acetyl chloride. The nitrite thus obtained gives on reduction a 

 base, which is not identical with dihydroaminocampholene or 

 the aminocampholenes. Hence camphenylone and its deriva- 

 tives do not contain the trimethylcyclopentanic ring which 

 exists in bodies belonging to the camphor series. — The colouring 

 matter of digitalis, by MM. Adrian and A. Trillat. The new 

 substance forms yellow needles, and has the composition 

 C,6H]j04. It is very stable towards chemical reagents. — On 

 an experiment relating to submarine currents, by M. J. Thoulet. 

 — The resistance of seeds to high temperatures, by M. Victor 

 Jodin. If seeds are gradually dried they will resist a tempera- 

 . ture of 100°. Thus some seeds heated directly to 98° for ten 

 hours were all killed; but if heated for twenty-four hours at 

 60° and then ten hours at 98°, from 30 to 60 per cent, of the 

 seeds germinated. — On the glacial period in the Central Car- 

 pathians, by M. E. de Martonne. A detailed topographical 

 study confirmed the views of Lehmann, showing undoubted 

 signs of glacial action in the Carpathians. —The negative 

 variation is not an infallible sign of nervous activity, by M. A. 

 Herzen. — Cellular embolism, by MM. Charrin and Levaditi. — 

 On a case of endothelioma of bone, by M. Paul Berger. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA y, December 7. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Vapour-density of Bromine at High Tempera- 

 tures : Dr. E. P. Perman and G. A. S. Atkinson. — Polytremacis and the 

 Ancestry of Helioporidae : Dr. J. W. Gregory.— Gjld Aluminium Alloys : 

 C. T. Heycock, F.R.S., andF. H. Neville, F.R.S.— On the Association of 

 Attributes in Statistics ; with Examples from the Material of the Child- 

 iiood 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 Steam 

 K.iising : John HoUiday. — Influence of Cheap Fuels on the Cost of 

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



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— On some 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 of 

 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. 

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

 jExhibition of Apparatus and Stereoscopic Skiagrams : Mackenzie 

 iDayidson.^Bullet in the Brain : J. Moore. 



i="/f/Z>v4r, December 8 



Physical Society (City and Guilds' Technical College, Leonard Street, 



. Finsbury), at 5. — Cylindrical Lenses : Prof. Silvanus Thompson, F.R.S. 

 — Exact Formulae for Lenses : T. H. Blakesley. — On an Organic Com- 

 pound of Great Double-Refraction : Prof. Silvanus Thompson, F.R.S. 

 UovAL Astronomical Society, at 8. — Note on the Values of the Co- 

 efficients of the Terms of the Third Order in the Lunar Theory : E. W. 

 Brown. — Observations of the Leonids at the University Observatory, 

 Oxford : H. H. Turner. — On the Proper Motions of Berlin B. 5072 and 

 5073: F. A. Bellamy. — New Nebulae discovered Photographically with 

 the Crossley Reflector of the Lick Observatory : J. E. Keeler. — Observa- 

 tions of the Leonids : Durham Observatory. — On the Relation between 

 Magnetic Disturbance and the Period of Solar Spot Frequency : W. 

 Ellis. — The Extra-Equatorial Currents of Jupiter in 1899 : Rev. T. E. R. 

 Phillips. 



IMalacological Society, at 8. — On the Anatomy of Hemiplecta 

 J^loweri, Smith, from Perak, with Notes on some other Eastern Genera : 

 Lieut.-Colonel H. H. Godwin-Austen.— (i) Note on AmpuUaria Bro- 

 Jiardi, Granger ; (2) Description of a New Species of Leptopoma from 

 Borneo : E. A Smith. — Note on the Anatomy of Zonites RoUei, Kobelt : 

 W. E. CoUinge. — On some Recent Conchological Discoveries in Victoria : 

 Mrs. A. F. Kenyon. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 8. — A Continuous Mean- 

 Pressure Indicator for Steam-Engines : Prof. William Ripper. 



MONDAY, December ii. 

 Society of Arts, at 8. — Art Enamelling upon Metals : H. H. Cunyng- 



hame. 

 Aoy\l Jeographical Society, at 8.30.— A Journey through Abyssinia 



io the Nile : H. Weld Blundell. 



TUESDAY, December 12. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Combined Refuse-destructors 

 and Power-plants : C. Newton Russell. 



Anthropological Institute, at 8.30. — Survival in Primitive Rites Oi 

 the Disposal of the Dead, with special reference to India : Wm. Crooke.> 



Royal Hhotogkaphic Society, at 8.— (i) Notes on the U.se of the 

 Dallmeyer P'ocometer ; (2) The Origination of Printing Types by Photo- 

 graphic Methods : T. Bolas. 



WEDNESDAY, December 13. 



Society of Arts, at 8. — Sea Angling and Legislation : F. G. Aflalo. 

 THURSDAY, December 14. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. 



Society of Arts, at 4.30. — Round about the Andamans and Nicobars : 

 Colonel R. C. Temple. 



Mathematical Society, at 8.— Sums of Greatest Integers: G. B. 

 Mathews, F.R.S.— Note on Circular Cubics : A. B. Basset, F.R.S.— 

 Formulae involving Central Differences ; and their Application to the 

 Calculation and Extension of Mathematical Tables : W. F. Sheppard — 

 On the Expression of Spherical Harmonics as Fractional Differential 

 Coefficients: J. Rose-Innes.— The Genesis of the Double Gamma 

 Functions : E. D. Barnes. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Discussion on _Mr. 

 Crompton 's and Mr. John HoUoway's Papers. — Electrical Time Service : 

 F. Hope- Jones. 



FRIDAY, December 15. 



Epidemiological Society, at 8.30. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at I 



-On Sludge : Blamey Stevens. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Lyon Playfair's Life. By H. E. R 122 



The Gold-Fields of Alaska. By G. W. L 122 



A New Text-Book on Chemistry. By W. A. S. . . 125 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Earl: " Elements of Natural Philosophy " 125 



Cooper: " Elementary Practical Chemistry " . ... 126 

 Reynolds : "The Teaching of Geography in Switzer- 

 land and North Italy " .126 



Herdman : " Liverpool Marine Biology Committee's 



Memoirs. I. Ascidia " 126 



Muir : ** The Story of the Wanderings of Atoms, 



especially those of Carbon " 126 



Ormerod : " General Index, by Robert Newstead, 

 F.E.S., Curator of the Grosvenor Museum, Chester, 

 to Annual Reports of Observations of Injurious 



Insects, 1877-1898."— W. F. K 126 



Sharpe : " A Hand-List of the Genera and Species of 



Birds" 126 



Physicist : " Human Nature : its Principles and the 



Principles of Physiognomy" 127 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Cause of the Darjeeling Landslips. — T. H. 



Holland 127 



Barisal Guns.— Henry S. Schurr 127 



Butterfly Shadows.— Commander D.W^ilson-Barker 128 

 A Canadian Lake of Subterranean Inflow.— Andrew 



T. Drummond 128 



Cause of Recent Sunset Colours.— Horace Darwin . 128 

 Substitute for Gas in Laboratories. — William 



Gannon ... 128 



The Methods of Inorganic Evolution. By Sir 



Norman Lockyer, K.C.B., F.R.S 129 



Testimonial to Major-General Sir J. F. D. Donnelly, 



K.C.B 132 



The November Meteors. By Dr. W. J. S. Lockyer 132 



Ferdinand Tiemann 133 



Notes. {Illustrated.) 134 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Astronomical Occurrences in December 137 



Mercury and Jupiter as Morning Stars 137 



Holmes' Comet (1899^) 137 



Comet Giacobini (1899 £) 137 



Spectrum of P Cygni 137 



Anniversary Meeting of the Royal Society .... 137 



Stereochemistry and Physiology 140 



University and Educational Intelligence 141 



Societies and Academies 142 



Diary of Societies 144 



NO. I 57 I, VOL. 61] 



