312 



NA TURE 



[January 29, 190^ 



by MM. Alfred Chatin and S. Nicoiau. The arc with iron 

 has always a greater bactericidal power than the arc between 

 -ordinary carbon poles, the effect being most marked with the 

 staphylococcus aureus and least with the anthrax bacillus, 

 but even in the latter case the ratio of the times required 

 for sterilisation was as 5 : 1 in favour of the poles containing 

 iron.— Researches on the toxic power of Ksopo or Tanghin 

 *de Menabe, by M. Lucien Camus. — The origin of pearls in 

 Mytilus gallo'provincialisj by M. Raphael Dubois. 



New South Wales. 

 Royal Society, November 5, 1902.— Prof. Warren, president, 

 in thechair.— NewSouth Wales Meteorites, by Prof. Liversidge, 

 F.R.S. Barratta Meteorites, Nos. 2 and 3. The first meteorite 

 from this locality was examined by the author in 1872 ; the later 

 ones were received in 1SS9. No. 2 weighed 3U lb. and No. 3 

 48 lb. ; they both very closely resemble the first one found in 

 appearance, specific gravity, &c No. 2 has, on analysis, been 

 found to resemble No. 1 also in chemical composition ; it is 

 essentially a mixture of enstatite, olivine, &c, with about 6 per 

 cent, of nickeliferous iron. No. 3 has not yet been analysed. 

 Giigoin Meteorites, Nos. 1 and 2. The weight of No. 1 was 

 67^ lb. and its sp. gr. 3'S57- They are both much fissured and 

 weathered. No 2 weighed 74 lb. and has a sp. gr. of 3757. 

 No. 1 has been found on analysis to resemble the Barratta 

 meteorites, but to contain more lime and alumina, and less iron 

 and magnesia and about 14 per cent, of nickeliferous iron. No. 

 2 has not yet been analysed. Boo%ahii{Bn%oldi) Meteorite. An 

 account of this meteorite was given by Mr. R. T. Baker about 

 two years ago ; it has since been analysed ; the principal 

 constituents are iron 91 "135, nickel S'636, cobalt 0*065 anc * 

 phosphorus 0*17. — Forests considered in their relation to 

 rainfall and the conservation of moisture, by Mr. J. H. Maiden. 

 A descriptive statement of the relation between forests and water 

 supply. Some uses of forests are, {a) to temper floods ; {!>) to 

 conserve springs and to aid in the more even distribution of 

 terrestrial waters ; (c) to prevent evaporation of water ; {d) to 

 give shelter to stock, crops, <N:c. ; [e) the leaves of forest trees, 

 &c. , afford manure and mutch. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA V, January 29. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — The Relation between Solar Prominences and 

 Terrestrial Magnetism : Sir Norman Lockyer, F.R.S., and Dr. W. J. S. 

 Lockyer.— The Bending of Electric Waves round a Conducting Obstacle : 

 H. M. Macdonald, F.R.S- — On Skew Refraction through a Lens ; and 

 on the Hollow Pencil given by an Annulus of a very Obliquely Placed 

 Lens: Prof. J. D. Everett, F.R.S.— On the Decline of the Injury 

 Current in Mammalian Nerve, and its Modification by Changes of 

 Temperature : Miss S. C M. Sowlon and J. S. Macdonald. 



Royal Institution, at 5. — Pre-Phoenician Writing in Crete and its 

 Bearings on the History of the Alphabet : Dr. A. J. Evans. 



FRIDA V. January 30. 



Royal Institution, at 9. — Vibration Problems in Engineering Science : 

 Prof. W. E. Dalby. 



Instit ution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — The Design of the Electrical 

 Equipment of a Light Railway: J. R.Macintosh. 

 SATURDAY, January 31. 



Essex Field Club (Essex Museum of Natural History, Stratford), at 

 6.30. — Proposals for a Photographic and Pictorial Survey of Essex : 

 A. E- Briscoe. 



MONDAY', February 2 



Society of Arts, at 8.— Paper Manufacture: Julius Hiibner. 



Victoria Institute, at 4.30. — On the Unseen Life ofourWorld, and 

 of Living Growth ; Design, Human and Divine : Prof. Lionel S. Beale, 

 F.R.S. 



Society of Chemical Industry, at 8. — Statistics of British and German 

 Chemical Trades for 1901, with Suggestions for Improving the Official 

 Tables: F. Evershed.— The Standardisation of Analytical Methods: 

 H. Droop Richmond. 



TUESDAY. February 3. 



Royal Institution, at 5.— The Physiology of Digestion : Prof. Allan 

 Macfadyen. 



Society of Arts, at 8. — Technical Education in Connection with the 

 Book-Producing Trades : Douglas Cockerel!. 



Mineralogical Society, at 8. — (1) On a Meteoric Stone seen to fall 

 on August 22, 1902, at Caratash, Smyrna ; (2) Note on the History of 

 the Mass of Meteoric Iron found in the Neighbourhood of Caperr, 

 Patagonia : L. Fletcher, F. R S. — On the Crystalline Forms of Carbides 

 and Silicides of Iron and Manganese : L. J. Spencer.— The Refractive 

 Indices of Pyromorphite : H. L. Bowman. — Note on Quartz Crystals 

 fromDeAar: T. V. Barker. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Discussion of papers on The 

 Nile Reservoir, Assuan : M- Fitzmaurice, C.M.G. — Sluices and Lock- 

 Gates of the Nile Reservoir, Assuan : F. W. S. Stokes. 



Zoological Society, at 8 30. — On the Hair-slope of fourTypical Animals : 

 Dr. W. Kidd. — A Prodromus of the Snakes hitherto recorded from China, 

 Japan and the Loochoo Islands : Capt. F. Wall. — On the Variation of the 



Elk : H. J. Elwes, F.R.S.— Note on the Wild Sheep of the Kopet Dagh : 

 R. Lydekker, F.R.S. 



WEDNESDA Y, February 4. 



Society of Electro-Chemists and Metallurgists (Faraday Club, 

 St. Ermin's Hotel, Westminster), at 5. — General Meeting to inaugurate 

 the work of the Society and elect a President and Council. 



Society of Arts, at S.— Methods of Mosaic Construction: W. L. H. 

 Hamilton. 



Society of Public Analysts, at 8. — Annual General Meeting. — At 8.30. 

 — The Determination of Glycerine in crude Glycerines : Dr. Julius 

 Lewkowitsch. — (1) A Plea for the more Extended Consideration of Physics 

 in Analytical Methods; (2) Note on the Determination of Casein 

 precipitated by Rennet : H. Droop Richmond. 



Entomological Society, at S. — An Account of a Collection of Rhopalo- 

 cera made on the Anambara Creek in Nigeria, West Africa : Percy I. 

 Lathv ; On the Hypsid Genus Deilemera, Hubner : Colonel C. 

 Swinhoe. 



Geological Society, at 8. — (1) The Granite and Greisen of Cligga 

 Head (West Cornwall) ; (2) Notes on the Geology of Patagonia : J. B. 

 Scrivenor. 



THURSDAY, February 5- 



Royal Society, at 430. — Probable Papers : — The Brain of the 

 Archaeoceti : Prof. Elliot Smith. — On the Negative Variation in the 

 Nerves of Warm-Blooded Animals: Dr. N. H. Alcock— Primitive Knot 

 and Early Gastrulation Cavity coexisting with Independent Primitive 

 Streak in Ornithorhynchus : Prof. J. T. Wilson and J. P. Hill. 



Royal Institution, at 5. — Arctic and Antarctic Exploration: Sir 

 Clements Markham. K.C.B. 



Chemical Society, at 8. — (1) A New Vapour-Density Apparatus ; (2) A 

 New Principle for the Construction of a Pyrometer : J. S. Lumsden. 



Linnean Society, at 8. — Stephanospermum, Brongniart, a Genus of 

 Fossil Gymnospermous Seeds: Prof. F. W. Oliver 



Rontgen Society, at 8.30. — Discussion on Some Points suggested by 

 the Presidential Address of November, 1902, opened by J. H. Gardiner. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Adjourned Dis- 

 cussion on the Metric System. 



CONTENTS. page 



Science and the Navy ... 289 



A Psychologist on Evolution. By F. A. D. ... 292 

 A History of Aeronautics. By Prof. G. H. Bryan, 



F.R.S 293 



Terrestrial Magnetism 294 



Our Book Shelf : 



Robertson: " Letters on Reasoning." — A. E. T. . . 294 

 Watt and Philip: "Electro-plating and Electro-re- 

 fining."— M. S 295 



Smith and Hall : " The Teaching of Chemistry and 

 Physics in the Secondary School." — Prof. A. 



Smithells, F.R.S 295 



Waterhouse : " Index Zoologicus." — R. L 295 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Genius and the Struggle for Existence. — Dr. Alfred R. 



Wallace, F.R.S 296 



The Holy Shroud.— Prof. T. G Bonney, F.R.S. 296 

 The Herbarium of Ferrante Imperato at Naples. — 



Prof. Italo Giglioli 296 



A Curious Projectile Force. — Sir Norman Lock- 

 yer, K.C.B. , F.R.S 297 



The Principle of Least Action. Lagrange's Equations. 



Oliver Heaviside, F.R.S 297 



Leonids of 1902, and Quadrantids of 1903. — John R. 



Henry 298 



American Association for the Advancement of 



Science 298 



Bubonic Plague at Home and Abroad. By Dr. 



E. Klein, F.R.S 299 



The Archives of Phonographic Records. (Illus- 

 trated.) By C. C. G 301 



Prof. Ladislav Celakovsk^. By W. C. W 302 



Notes. (Illustrated.) v . . 302 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronomical Occurrences in February 306 



Comet 1902 d (Giacobini) 307 



Comet 1903 a (Giacobini) ... 307 



Search- Ephemeris for the Comet Tempel 3 -Swift . . . 307 



A Bright Meteor 307 



The Planet Mars 307 



Report of the Harvard College Observatory .... 307 

 A Record of the Total Solar Eclipse of 1898. By 



H. P 307 



Characteristics cf Recent Volcanic Eruptions. 



(Illustrated.) By Dr. Tempest Anderson 308 



The Zoological Society's Meeting 309 



University and Educational Intelligence ... . 309 



Scientific Serials 310 



Societies and Academies 310 



Diary of Societies 312 



NO. 1735, VOL. 67] 



