January i, 1903 J 



NATURE 



215 



limestone of Durham, by Mr. George Abbott. Trie Permian 

 Limestone covers about Ij square miles near Sunderland ; it 

 alternates with beds of marl containing concretionary limestone- 

 balls, and attains a thickness of 65 feet or so. The cellular 

 limestones frequently contain more than 97 per cent, of calcium 

 carbonate. Magnesium carbonate occupies the interspaces or 

 "cells" of this limestone, and also the spaces between the 

 balls. The patterns met with in it can be arranged into two 

 chief classes, conveniently termed honeycomb and coralloid, 

 each with two varieties ; both classes have begun with either 

 parallel or divergent systems of rods. The second stage is 

 the development of nodes at regular distances on neighbouring 

 rods, and these in the third stage, by lateral growth, become 

 bands. Finally, in the fourth stage the interspaces become filled 

 up. The upper beds are usually the most nearly solid. In the 

 coralloid class, the nodes and bands are smaller and more 

 numerous than in the honeycomb class. In both classes, tubes 

 are frequently formed. The rods have generally grown down- 

 wards, but upward and lateral growth is common. 



Anthropological Institute, December 9, 1902. — Dr. A. C. 

 Haddon, F.R.S., in the chair. — Mr. C. Lumholtz, of the 

 American Museum of Natural History, read a paper on 

 the symbolism in art of the Iluichol Indians of Mexico. — Messrs. 

 Nelson Annandale and H. C. Robinson read a paper on some 

 results of an expedition to the Malay Peninsula. The paper 

 described the districts which were visited by the authors, the 

 investigations undertaken and the material obtained. I. The 

 civilised tribes are as follow : — (1) Malays and Siamese of the 

 district between Singora and Jainbu. Physical differences 

 between the two are slight or absent; there is evidence of an 

 admixture of aboriginal blood, though the aborigines are now 

 practically extinct in the district. Two distinct physical types are 

 to be recognised, but neither can be associated with one people or 

 the other. Mohammedan and Buddhist customs were noted. The 

 amusements, opium-smoking, diseases and modes of burial were 

 described. (2) The South Perak Malays are distinct from the 

 people of Patani, their standards of civilisation more occidental, 

 but their race is non-persistent, being swamped by immigration. 



(3) In Selangor there is no long-established Malay population. 



(4) The Samsams of Tiang are identical with or nearly related 

 to the Malays of Upper Perak, but certain physical differences 

 from the Malays of South Perak were noted, and- their language, 

 religion and weapons were described. II. The savage tribes are 

 the following : — (5) Seitiangs'. Their distribution, social status, 

 physical characters and mode of life were described. (6) Sakais, 

 Their distribution and relationship to Semangs were noted, and 

 their mode of life, external relations and burial customs. 



(7) OrangLaut Kappir of Trang. Their possible relationships 

 were discussed, with their dialect, religion and customs. 



Cambridge. 



Philosophical Society, November 24, 1902.— Dr. Baker, 

 president, in the chair. — The origin of the thoroughbred horse, 

 by Prof. Ridgcway (see p. 1S7). — Note on the resolution of com- 

 pound characters by cross-breeding, by Mr. W. Batcson. In 

 this note, the case of resolution of character recorded by de Vries 

 (" Mutationstbeorie," Lief. iv. p. 196) is discussed. A red Antir- 

 rhinum crossed with a white gave hybrids which on self-fertilisation 

 gave four forms in numbers suggesting the ratio 9:3:3:1. 

 These results are treated by de Vries as phenomena of " di- 

 hybridisation," but in the present communication it is pointed 

 out that the facts so far do not preclude an apparently simpler 

 account. — Notes on rearing the later stages of echinoid larva:, by 

 Mr. L. Doncaster. The difficulties which workers at echinoid 

 development have met with in rearing the larva: were pointed 

 out, and the methods used by MacBride and others were 

 described. At Naples in the spring and summer of 1902, it was 

 found possible to rear larva? of Strongylocenlrotus lividus, 

 Ethinus microtuberculalus and their hybrids beyond the meta- 

 morphosis without using either a plunger or specially large jars. 

 The larva: were kept in four litre jars, and supplied about five 

 times a week with fresh sea-water taken several kilometres from 

 the coast. The larva: usually developed healthily and metamor- 

 phosed about thirty days after the fertilisation of the eggs. Other 

 species, such as Sphaertchinus granulans, however, could not be 

 induced to develop by 'these means. The hybrid urchins lived for 

 only a few days after the metamorphosis, but those of Strongylo- 



NO. 173 I, VOL. 67] 



centrotus were kept in some cases for a month, but did not change 

 greatly during that time. The later larva: and young urchins of 

 the two species mentioned resembled one another very closely. — 

 (1) On the Galois theory of differential equations ; (2) On the 

 structure of continuous groups, by the president. — Note on spon- 

 taneous ionisation in air at different temperatures and pressures, 

 by Mr. J. Patterson. The object of the experiment was to find, if 

 possible, the cause of the so-called spontaneous ionisation in air. 

 To measure the spontaneous ionisation at different temperatures, 

 the air was contained in an insulated iron cylinder containing 

 about thirteen litres, and the rate of leak was measured between 

 the walls of the vessel and an insulated electrode. This elec- 

 trode was connected to one pair of quadrants of a very delicate 

 electrometer and the rate of leak observed. The experiments 

 showed that from the temperature of the room (20° C.) to 

 about 500 C. the current through the gas was constant, the air in 

 the cylinder being at atmospheric pressure throughout the invesii- 

 gation. To measure the ionisation at different pressures, the 

 same cylinder and electrode were used. The joints were made 

 air-tight with sealing-wax and the air filtered through glass 

 wool. The results showed that down to a pressure of about 

 J< atmos. the current through the gas was independent of the 

 pressure and that for pressure below 90 mm. of mercury the 

 ionisation was proportional to the pressure. Using the value 

 6x10-"' for e, the charge on an ion, the number of ions 

 produced per c.c. per sec. was about 30. The results of the 

 experiments indicate that the " spontaneous ionisation " is really 

 due to easily absorbed radiation from the walls of the vessel.— 

 Note on the behaviour of a potassium amalgam kathode in a 

 vacuum tube, by Mr. T. Lyman. 



Manchester. 

 Literary and Philosophical Society, December 16, 1902. 

 — Mr. Charles Bailey, president, in the chair. — Mr. Frank 

 Southern and Dr. Charles H. Lees exhibited some Japanese 

 magic mirrors. — Mr. R. W. Ellison exhibited a series of eggs 

 of the common guillemot {Uria troile), showing great variety in 

 coloration and design of markings, eggs of various shades of 

 green, blue, yellow, brown and red being prominent. — Mr. 

 C. E. Stromeyer read a paper on the graphic computation of 

 lenses, in which he described a simple method of computing 

 oblique rays of light which do not cross the optic axis of a lens 

 system. — Mr. A. Adamson read a paper on a simple form of 

 vernier microscope. The apparatus is specially devised to suit 

 the elementary student in a physical laboratory who is familiar 

 with the use of the vernier and who wishes to calibrate or 

 determine the bore of a glass tube by measuring the length of a 

 mercury thread within it. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, December 22, 1902. — M. Bouquet 

 de la Grye in the chair. — The president delivered his annual 

 address. — The prizes offered for the year 1902 were awarded 

 as follows : — In geometry, the subject proposed for the Grand 

 Prize was to improve in an important point the application of 

 the theory of continuous groups to the theory of partial differ- 

 ential equations, the memoir crowned being that of M. Ernest 

 Vessiot, M. Jean le Roux receiving a very honourable mention ; 

 the Bordin Prize is not awarded, M. de Tannenberg receiving 

 an honourable mention for perfecting the theory of surfaces 

 applicable to the paraboloid of revolution ; the Francceur 

 Prize is awarded to M. Emile Lemoine for the whole of his 

 works on geometry, and the Poncelet Prize to M. Maurice 

 d'Ocagne for his works on nomography. In mechanics, the 

 Extraordinary Prize of 6000 francs is divided between M. 

 Komazotti and M. Driencourt, M. Hartmann receiving a 

 Montyon Prize, for his experiments on the production of 

 the lines of slipping on the surface of elastic bodies 

 due to their deformation, and M. Renard the Plumey 

 Prize, for the whole of his works. In astronomy, the 

 Pierre Guzman Prize is not awarded, the Lalande Prize 

 falling to M. Trepied, the Valz Prize to M. Hartivig, 

 the Damoiseau Prize to M. Gaillot, for his study of 

 the theory of the motion of Saturn, the Janssen gold medal to 

 M. le Comte Aymar de la Baume-Pluvinel, an encouragement 

 and a Janssen medal being accorded to M. Jean Binot. In 

 geography and navigation, the Binoux Prize is divided between 

 MM. Claude, Marcel Monnier and Delpeuch. In physics, the 

 Hebert Prize is awarded to M. C. F. Guilbert, for his work 



