192 



NATURE 



[December 22, 1904 



fectly normal, and show no signs of decomposition or of 

 localised corrosion. The advantages of this method of ex- 

 amining arable earths, when used to supplement the results 

 of a chemical examination, are pointed out. — On a new 

 potato suitable for cultivation in damp soils : M. 

 Labergrerie. So/an»»?i Co^nmerson^, which up to the pre- 

 sent has been regarded as only good for forage, has been 

 found to give an excellent edible tuber, and it possesses the 

 great advantage of preferring a damp soil for its growth. 

 — On the gasification of vegetable combustibles and the 

 generation of an economical motive power in agriculture : 

 L. Bordenave. .'\n account of the production of gaseous 

 fuel from agricultural refuse, used in conjunction with a 

 gas engine designed for gas of low calorific value. — The 

 Coal-measures in French Lorraine : Francis Laur. The 

 views of the author regarding the prolongation of the 

 Saarbruck basin into France, following an axial line 

 Neukirchen-Pont-i-Mousson, have been confirmed by two 

 borings 700 metres deep. Further borings are in progress 

 for the thorough exploration of the coal field. The coal 

 contains 2 per cent, of moisture, 36 per cent, of volatile 

 matter, 49 per cent, of coke, and 13 per cent, of ash. — 

 Glacial growth at the end of the nineteenth century, and 

 the different factors which have determined the anomalies 

 of this growth in the massif of Pelvoux : Ch. Jacob and 

 G. Flusin, The observations put forward furnish an ex- 

 planation of the anomalies of glacier growth in this region 

 indicated in 1900 by Kilian. — On subterranean corrosion at 

 Wells (England), and the chronometry of subterranean 

 erosion : E. \. Martel. 



New South \V.4Les. 



Linnean Society, October 26. — Dr. T. Storie Dixson, 

 president, in the chair. — Notes on .Australian Lycienidse, 

 part iv. G. .A. Waterhouse and R. E. Turner. — Re- 

 visional notes on Australian Carabida;, part i., tribes 

 Carabini, Pamborini, Pseudoz^enini, Clivinini, and the genus 

 Nebriosoma : T. G. Sloane. — Notes on the native flora of 

 New South Wales, part ii. : R. H. Cambase. The route 

 traversed — Boggabri to Tingha, via Narrabri, Moree, 

 Warialda, and Inverell — offers sufficient variations in alti- 

 tude and geological formation (including portion of the 

 black soil plains) to provide interesting examples of the 

 results traceable to these factors in the distribution of species 

 under Australian conditions. Thus the effect of climatic 

 influence is exhibited by such species as Eucalyptus 

 sideroxylon (ironbark or mugga), E. conica (a box-tree), and 

 E. melanopJiloia (silver-leaved ironbark), which in the south 

 grow at lower elevations than is the case towards the north, 

 where they are able to ascend the mountains owing to the 

 warmth of northern latitudes being tempered by the in- 

 creased elevation. The same influence also allows certain 

 eastern and western species to mingle on the northern high- 

 lands, while in the south the Great Dividing Range serves 

 as a cold barrier to keep them apart. .As an instance of 

 the influence of geological formation, the case of a sand- 

 stone area between Boggabri and Narrabri was mentioned ; 

 here Angophora lanceolata is a conspicuous feature of the 

 flora. — Notes from the Botanic Gardens, Sydney, No. 10 : 

 J. H. Maiden and E. Betche. — Miscellaneous notes 

 (chief!y taxonomic) on Eucalyptus, part i. : J. H. Maiden. 

 The author deals with some plants formerly included under 

 E. amygdalina, Labill. The confusion which has gathered 

 around E. radiata. Hook. f. (non Sieb.), is finally cleared 

 up. That " white gum " included under radiata by Ben- 

 tham and others is described as a new variety or species 

 under the name E. numerosa, from the number of fruits in 

 an umbel. 



GOTTINGEX. 



Royal Society of Sciences. — The Nachrichten (physico- 

 mathematical section), part v. for 1904, contains the follow- 

 ing memoirs communicated to the society : — 



July 23.. — A. Sommerfeld ; Contributions to the theory 

 of electrons ; (2) bases of a general dynamic of the electron. 

 G. V. d. Borne : Seismic records in Gottingen, July- 

 December, 1903. W. Voigt : The action of electric vibra- 

 tions upon optically active bodies. M. Laue : On the pro- 

 pagation of radiation in dispersive and absorptive media. 



September 10. — J. Thomae : On a Gaussian series in 

 various parts of its region of convergence. 



NO. 1832, vol.. 71] 



India. 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal, November 2. — ^Some archaeo- 

 logical remains in Bishnath : W. N. Edwards. The old 

 earthworks round Bishnath and Pertabghur are described, 

 as well as the Buroi Fortification. — Novici^ Indicse, xxiii., 

 four orchids new to the Indian flora: D. Prain. Descrip- 

 tions of two new species, yiicrostylis Cardoni from Chota 

 Nagpur, and Eiilophia Catnpbellii from Manbhum and 

 Singbhum ; and also of Lecanorchis japonica, Bl., and 

 L. tnalaccensis, Ridl., orchids now first added to the Indian 

 flora. — Noviciae Indicas, xxiv. , some new Indian plants : 

 D. Prain. Some notes on species of the orders .Anonacese, 

 Sterculiacese, Celastraceae, Leguminosje, Rosaceae, Com- 

 bretacese, Orobanchaces, Labiatse, and Monotropeae, 

 together with descriptions of new species. — .A language map 

 of west Tibet with notes : .A. H. Francke. The distribu- 

 tion is given of the Rong, Leth, Sham, Purig, and Balti 

 dialects in the Indus and Shayog valleys, and in Zangskhar 

 and Rubshu. — .Additions to the collection of oriental snakes 

 in the Indian Museum, Calcutta : Nelson Annandaie. -A 

 paper adding to our knowledge of the distribution of 

 Typhlopidae, Uropeltidae, Colubridae, and Viperidae in India. 

 — On Dioscorea deltoidca. Wall., D. qiiinqueloba, Thunb., 

 and their allies : D. Prain and I. H. Burkili. 



CONTENTS. PAOE 



A Zoological Tribute. ByJ. A. T 169 



Synthesis of Vital Products . 170 



lonisation and Absorption. By Dr. O. W. Richardson 172 



Laboratory Exercises in Brewing 173 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Gurwitsch : " Morphologie und Biologieder Zelle." — 



J. B. F. . .■ 174 



Barnard and Child : " A New Geometry for Senior 



Forms" 174 



Strauss: "Studien liber die Albuminoide mit besonderer 

 Beriicksichtigung des Spongin und der Keratine." — 



W. D. H 174 



Somers : " Pages from a Country Diary " . ... 175 

 Weston : "A Scheme for the Detection of the more 



common Classes of Carbon Compounds " 175 



" Photograms of the A'ear 1904" 175 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Ileterogenetic Fungus-germs. — George Massee . . 175 



Note on Radio-activity. — W. Ternent Cooke . . . 176 



Blue Flints at Bournemouth —J. W. Sharpe . . 176 



Intelligence of .Animals.--Rev. Joseph Meehan . . 176 

 Some Scientific Centres. VI.— The Physical 

 Laboratory at the Museum d'Histoire naturelle. 



{.Illustrated.) By John Butler Burke 177 



The " Nature-Study " of Birds. {Illustrated.) By 



R. L 179 



The Artificial Production of Rubies by Fusion . . iSo 



Calcium Metal. By R. S. Hutton iSo 



Notes. (Illustrated.) 181 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Discovery of a New Comet (1904 rf) 185 



Tempel's Comet (1904 ,) 185 



Encke's Comet (1904 /') 185 



Observations of Occultations by Planets 185 



Relative Drift of the I lyades Stars 185 



Designations of the \"ariable Stars discovered during 



1904 . . 185 



The " Companion to the Observatory " 186 



Glaciation in North America. (Illustraled.) By 



G. A. J. C. . ■ l86 



The People of the North-East of Scotland .... i86 



Hydrology in the United States 187 



A Bibliography of Agricultural Science 188 



University and Educational Intelligence 1S8 



Societies and Academies 1S9 



