48 



NA TURE 



[November io, 1904 



side tube, wpII cooled, and containing charcoal. The effect 

 of some of the impurities in the gas was thus eliminated. 

 The atomic weight deduced for nitrogen from these experi- 

 ments is 14013. Previous values obtained in the author's 

 laboratory by different methods are, from the limiting 

 density of nitrogen, 14004 ; by weighing nitrous oxide, 

 14-007; by the volume analysis of the same gas, 14019. 

 The mean of the four methods gives 14011. — On the 

 oxidation of ethyl and methyl alcohols at the temperature 

 of their boiling points : Ren6 Duchemin and Jacques 

 Dourlen. The rapid deterioration of some alcohol lamps 

 had been attributed to the presence of some acid impurities 

 in the alcohol used. It is now shown that these alcohols 

 are rapidly oxidised at their boiling points in the presence 

 of copper, and the effects noticed are possibly due to this 

 action. — On the anatomy of some fishes of the genus 

 Orestias : Jacques Pellegrin. The difference in the 

 pharyngeal apparatus in these fishes is caused by a special 

 adaptation due to the special food, small molluscs with 

 very hard shells. — Contribution to the study of resorption 

 of the vitellus during the embryonic development : H. 

 Dubuisson. — On the coincidence between the geosynclinals 

 and the great circles of maximum seismicity : de .Montessus 

 de Ballore. — On the continuity of the tectonic phenomena 

 between the Ortler and the Hohe Tauern : Pierre Termier. 

 — On the pit of Trou-de-Souci. Cote-d'Or : E. A. Martel. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, November io 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8.— The premiums awarded 

 for papers read or published during the session 1901-4 will be presented, 

 and the president, Mr. Alexander Siemens, will deliver his inaugural 

 address. 



Mathematical Society, at 5.30. — Annual General Meeting. — Presi- 

 dential Address on the Theory of Waves on Liquids : Prof. H. Lamb.— 

 Note on the Application of the Method of Images to Problems of Vibra- 

 tions : Prof. V. Volterra.— On the Zeros of Certain Classes of Integral 

 Taylor's Series : G. H. Hardy.— The Linear Difference Equation of 

 the First Order: Rev. E. W. Barnes- -Curves en a Conicoid : H. 

 Hilton.— Remarks on Alternants and Continuous Groups: Dr. H. F. 

 Baker.— On the Expansion of the Elliptic and Zeta Functions of 5K in 

 Powers of q : Dr. J. W. L. Glaisher. -Examples of Perpetuants : 

 J. E. Wright.— Two Simple Results in the Attraction of Uniform Wires 

 obtained by Quaternions, with, for comparison, their Verificaiion by 

 the Geometry of the Complex: Prof. R. W. Genese— On the Reduci- 

 bility of Covariants of Binary Quantics of Infinite Order : P. W. 

 Wood.— On some Properties of Groups of Odd Order: Prof. W. Eurn- 





FRIDA r, November 



RovAi. Astronomical Society, at 5.— Note on the Variation of »j Aurigse : 

 Col. E. E. Markwick.— On a very Sensitive Method of Determining the 

 Irregularities of a Pivot; on the Pivot Errors of the Radcliffe Transit 

 Circle, and their Effects on the Right Ascensions of the Radcliffe Cata- 

 logue for 1890: A. A. Rambaut.— The Determination of Selenographic 

 Positions and the Measurement of Lunar Photographs : Third Paper- 

 Results of the Measurement of Four Paris Negatives : S. A. Saunder. — 

 Discussion of the Long-Period Terms in the Moon's Longitude: P. H. 

 Cowell. — A Determination of the Apex of the Solar Motion and the 

 Constant of Precession from a Comparison of Groombridge's Catalogue 

 (1810) with Modern Greenwich Observations: F. W. Dyson and W. G. 

 "Thackeray.— Magnetic Disturbances 1882 to i8cj3, as Recorded at the 

 Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and their Ai^sociation with Sun-spots : 

 E. W. Maunder.— Ephemeris for Physical Observations of the Moon, 

 1905 : A. C. D. Crommehn. 



Malacological Society, at 8.— Descriptions of Three New Species of 

 Opisthostoma from Borneo : E. A. Smith, l.S.O. — Two Apparently New 

 Species of Planispira from the Islands of Java and Gisser : Rev. R. Asb- 

 ingcon Bullen. — The Anatomy of SiUqua patula, Dixon : H. Howard 

 Bloomer.- On the Genus Tomigerus, with Descriptions of New Species : 

 H. von Ihering. — Notes on Some New Zealand Pleurotomidae : Henry 

 Suter.— Notes on Some Species of Chione from New Zealand : Henry 

 Suter. 



Sociological Society, at 4.— Relation between Sociology and Ethics: 

 Prof. HGffding. 



Physical Society, at 8. — Investigation of the Variations of Magnetic 



Hysteresis with Frequency: Prof. T. R. Lyle.— The Determination "i 



the ^Iean Spherical Candle Power of Incandescent and Arc Lamps : G. B. 



Dyke. — Exhibition of Physical Apparatus : Robert Paul. 



TUESDAY, November 15. 



Institution yF Civil Engineers, at 8. — Discussion of Papers — Coast 

 Erosion ; A. E. Carey, and Erosion on the Holderness Coast of Yorkshire : 

 E. R. Matthews. — Succeeding Paper :— Distribution of Eleciiical Energy : 

 J. F. C. Snell. 



Zoological Society, at 8.30.^1) On Mammals from the Island of Fer- 

 nando Po, collected by Mr. E. Seimund ; (2) On Hylochoerus, the 

 Forest-pig of Central Africa: Oldfield Thomas, F.R.S — On the Species 

 of Crowned Cranes : Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell.— On the Mouse-hares of 

 the Genus Ochoiona : J. Lewis Bonhote. 



Minekalogical Society, at 8. — Anniversary Meeting. — New Localities 

 for Gyrolite and Tobermorite : J. Currie. — Occurrence of Brookite with 

 Anatase in the Cleveland Ironstone : C. R. Lindsey. — (1) Some Applica- 



NO. 1828, VOL. 71 



tions of the Gnomonic Projection to Crystallography ; (2) The Consiruc- 

 of Crystallographic Projections: H. Hilton. — Some New Forms 



Quartz-wedge and their Uses: J. 

 Minerals from the Binnenthal ; (2) On s 

 R. H. Solly. 



WEDNESDAY, N. 

 ;:hemical Society, at 5.30.— The I 

 thalene Series : R. Meldola and T- H. Li 

 of Mercurous Nitrite and of us Conversic 

 Nitrates: P. C. Ray.— Amide Chloroiodides 

 Synthesis of Isocaprolactone and some Deri\ 

 G. Tattersall.— The Influence of Substitution i 

 of Oxidation of the Side-chain, 11. Oxidati 

 i of Toluene : J. B. Cohen and J. Mill 



Evans.— (i) On Three 



le Curious Crystals of Blende 



[BEE 16. 



of the Amidines of the Naph- 

 — Theory of the Production 

 n into various Mercury 

 G. D. Lander —A New 

 itives: D. T. Jones and 

 1 the Nucleus on the Rate 

 n of the Halogen Deriva- 

 The Halogen Derivatives 

 of Naphthacenequinone : S. S. Pickles and C Weizmann. — Constitution of 

 Pyrazolldone Derivatives : B. Prentice. 

 Royal Microscopical Society, at S.— Theories of Microscopic Vision 



(a Vindication of the Abbe Theory): A. E. Conrady. 

 Entomological Society, at 8. 



koyal Meteorological Society, at 7.30. — Meteorological Observing in 



the Antarciic : Lieut. Charles Royds, R.N. — Decrease of Fog in London 



during recent Years : F.J. Brodie.— Hurricane in Fiji, January 21-22, 



1904 : K. L. Holmes. 



Society of Arts, at S.— Inaugural Address by Sir William Abney, K.C-B. 



THURSDAY, Nove.mber 17. 

 Royal Society, j 



contents. page 



Justus von Liebig and Friedrich Mohr. By T. E. T. 25 

 The Bionomics of Exotic Flowers. By Prof, Percy 



Groom ... 26 



Recent Philosphical Works 27 



The Christian Century in Japan. By F. Victor Dickins 27 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Hutchison : " Lectures on the Diseases of Children " . 28 

 Riggs : " Elementary Manual for the Chemical Labora- 

 tory."— C. S 28 



Wegner : " Die Einheit der Naturkrafte in der Thermo- 



dynamik " 29 



Jones : *' The Science and Practice of Photography." — 



C. E. Kenneth Mees . . 29 



p'orel and Wheeler : " Ants and Some Other Insect.';, 



An Inquiry into the Psychic Powers of these Animals " 29 

 Letters to the Editor :— 



Archebiosis and Heterogenesis. — Dr. H. Charlton 



Bastian, F.R.S.; Ed 30 



Average Number of Kinsfolk in each Degree. — Dr. 



Francis Galtoii, F.R.S 30 



Misuse of Words and Phrases. — A. B. Basset, F.R.S 30 

 The Coming Shower of Leonids. — W. F. Denning; 



John R. Henry .30 



The Definition of Entropy. — Prof, G. H. Bryan, 



F,R,S 31 



The Direction of the Spiral in the Petals of Seleni- 



pedium, — George Wherry 31 



Thinking Cats.— R. Langton Cole 31 



Change in the Colour of -Moss Agate. — W. A. Whitton 31 



The Origin of Life. — Geologist 31 



On the Occurrence of Widmannstatten's Figures in 

 Steel Castings, (niustrat,;!.) By Prof. J, O, Arnold 



and A. McWilliam .... 32 



Forestry in the United States. (Illustrated.) 32 



Technical Education in London. By A. 1", S, ... 34 



Notes 35 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Apparatus for Measuring the Velocity of the Earth's 



Rotation. {Illiisti-atcd.) 39 



The Peiseid Shower 40 



The Dumb-bell Nebula ■ 40 



Harvard College Observatory 40 



Iron and Steel Institute . 40 



The International Electrical Congress at St, Louis 41 

 The National Antarctic Expedition . . .41 

 Mount Everest : The Story of a Long Controversy. 



(Illustrated.) By Major S. G. Burrard, F.R.S. ... 42 



University and Educational Intelhgence 46 



Societies and Academies 46 



Diary of Societies , 48 



