2 iO 



NA TURE 



[January 5, 1905 



valent oxygen : E. E. Blaise. Ethyl ether and magnesium 

 iodide form a well defined, crystalline compound from 

 which the ether is only driven off when heated to tempera- 

 tures approaching 190° C. Its probable constitution is 

 given as 



' >o< >o-' ■■ , 



C,H/ Mt;'' "CoIU 

 in which the oxygen must be tetravalent. If this substance 

 is treated w-ith an ether containing an alkyl group of higher 

 molecular weight, as amyl ether, the latter replaces the 

 ethyl ether, and a vigorous reaction ensues. — On the re- 

 duction of the anhydrides of the dibasic acids : G. Blanc. 

 The anhydrides ' of pyrotartaric, aa-dimethylsuccinic, 

 aa-dimethylglutaric, ;80-dimethylglutaric, and camphoric 

 acids, when reduced wath sodium and absolute alcohol, give 

 good yields of the corresponding lactones. — A general 

 method for the synthesis of aldehydes with the aid of sub- 

 stituted glycidic acids : Georges Darzens. A mixture of 

 monochloracetic ester with any ketone is treated with sodium 

 ethylate in powder. The acid formed by this condensation 

 is unstable, and splits up easily into carbon dioxide and an 

 aldehyde of the type RR'CH— CHO, where the original 

 ketone was RR' : CO. The reaction has been applied to 

 a considerable number of ketones and found to be quite 

 general. — On the diastatic coagulation of starch : A. 

 Fernbach and J. Wolff. It is shown that the diastatic 

 coagulation of starch is only possible if it is in a state of 

 liquefaction, this being produced either by a liquefying 

 diastase or artificially. — On the combustion of sulphur in 

 the calorimetric bomb : H. Giran. The heat of combustion 

 of sulphur has been determined in the Berthelot bomb at 

 pressures varying between 25 and 45 atmospheres, with 

 the unexpected result that the heat of formation of sulphur 

 dioxide increases with the pressure. This result is regarded 

 as being possibly due to the formation of the persulphuric 

 anhydride of Berthelot. — On the electrical conductivity of 

 colloidal solutions : G. Mamtano. In order to eliminate 

 the effect possibly produced by the presence of minute traces 

 of electrolytes in solution, the conductivity of the colloidal 

 solutions was taken both before and after filtration through 

 a thin film of collodion, it having been shown by pre- 

 liminary experiments that solutions of pure electrolytes 

 undergo no appreciable change after such filtration. It 

 was found that the conductivity due to the fine particles 

 in suspension was practically nil. — On the comparative pro- 

 duction of alcohol and carbonic acid during fermentation : 

 M. Lindet and P. Marsais. The ratio of alcohol to 

 carbonic acid has been followed throughout the whole 

 course of a fermentation, the effect of varying temperature 

 being also studied. — Study of calcium carbide used as an 

 explosive in mining work : Marcel P. S. Guedras. The 

 cartridge used consisted of a charge of calcium carbide 

 separated by an insulating membrane from water. The 

 membrane is broken by a cap controlled electrically, and 

 after five minutes the explosive mixture is fired also by 

 electrical means. The explosion takes place in a manner 

 well adapted for mining work. — On the histology of the 

 mvocardium in the primitive molluscs : P. Vigier and Fr. 

 Vies. — Intranuclear fat in the suprarenal capsules of 

 mammals : P. Mulon. — On the migration of glucosides in 

 plants : W. Russell. — On the destruction of the winter egg 

 of Phylloxera by lysol : G. Cantin. An account of experi- 

 ments demonstrating the practical efficacy of a i per cent, 

 solution of lysol against the disease. — On the mineral 

 species of arable earth : \. Deiagre and H. Lagratu. — The 

 geology of Sahel. Algeria : General de Lamothe. — The 

 culture of the parasite of dysentery of warm countries : 

 A. Lesagre. — On infectious ana;mia of the horse : MM. 

 Carre and Vallee. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES 



THURSDAY, January 5 



lONTGi-N Society, at 8. 15.— Description of an .\utomatic \'acuum Pump ; 

 C E. S. Phillips. (The apparatus will \,^ »hown at w.rli,)— Exhibition 

 of a Method by which Strongly Adher<.nt Films of Aliiniinium may be 

 applied to Glass. — A Note on the Coloration of G'as.. by Radium 

 Radiation. 



^iviL AND Mechanical Encinebrs' SociErv, at 8.— Thaii es B .irage ; 

 James Casey. 



./?<?//?.-) F.Januarv 6. 



Incorporated Society of Medical Officers of Health, at t.so. — 

 The Report of the Inter-Departmental Committee on Physical Degenera- 

 tion : Sir Lauder Brunton, F.R.S. 



Geologists' Association, at S. — The Third Issue of the British Associa- 

 tion Geological Photographs : Dr. C G. Cullis. 



RovAT, Geographical Society, at 3.30. — National Antarctic Expedition : 

 Capt. R. F. Scott. (Lecture to Young People.) 

 MONDAV, January 9. 



Society of Chemical Industry, at 8. — Some Chamical Aspects of the 

 St. Louis Exhibition : Walter F. Reid. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30.— Mr. Reginald Enock's Jour- 

 neys in Peru : the President. 



TUESDA y, January 10. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Recent Visit to the 

 United States and Canada: Sir William Henry White, K.C.B. (The 

 .\ddress will be repeated on the following day at 3,30 p.m.) 

 WEDNESDAY, January ii. 



Society of Public Analysts, at S. — Brandy : Otto Hehner. 

 THURSDAY, January 12. 



Mathematical Society, at 5.30.— (generational Relations for the Abstract 

 Group simply Isomorphic with the Abstract Group LF(2,/"]; Dr 

 Bussey.— On a Class of Ex'pansions in Oscillating Functions : Prof. 

 A. C. Dixon.— Isogonai Transformation and the Diameter Transforma- 

 tion : H. L. Trachtenberg.— A Generalisation of the Legendre Poly- 

 nomial : H. Bateman — Current Flow in Rectangular Conductoi 

 H. Fletcher Moultcn.— Basic Generalisations of some well known 

 .\nal5tic Functions : Rev. F. H. Jackson. 



NO. i8;,6, VOL. 71] 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Modern Optical Methods. By Prof. G. H. Bryan, 



F.R.S 217 



American Cytology. By H. H. D 218 



Physical Research at Leyden 218 



Practical Silicate Analysis 219 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Lassar-Cohn and Tingle : " Application of some 

 General Reactions to Investigations in Organic 



Chemistry." — ^J. B. C 220 



Leonard and Salmon : " A Further Course of Piactical 



Science " 220 



Eichhorn : " Die drahllose Telegraphie " 220 



Campbell : " Notes on the Natural Hisioryof the Bell 



Rock."--R. L 221 



Bedding : " The British Journal Phoiographic 



Almanac, 1905 " 221 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Mean Temperatures of High Southern Latitudes. — 



Prof. Julius Hann 221 



Reversal of Charge fiom Electrical Induction 



Machines.— George W. Walker 221 



Fishing at Night. — F. G. Aflalo . 221 



The Cost of Chemical Synthesis. . R. J. Friswell . 222 



" Bastard " Logwood. — S. N. C 222 



Intelligence of Animals. — Dr. F. J. Allen ... 222 



A New Contribution to Assyrian History. {liltis- 



Irated. ) 222 



Seismology in Japan. (Illmtratfd.) 224 



The Founder of Australian Anthropology. (Illiis- 



Ira/fd.) By A. Ernest Crawley 225 



Changes Upon the Moon's Surface. {Illustrated) 



By Krof. William H. Pickering 226 



Sir Lowthian Bell, Bart, F.R.S 230 



Notes 230 



Our Astronomical Coluinn : — 



Another New Comet (1904 t) 233 



Comet 1904 d (Giacobini) 233 



Observations of Leonids at Harvard, 1904 233 



1 ight-curve of 5 Cephei 234 



Stiucture of the Third Cyanogen Band 234 



New Refaction Tables 234 



The "Annuaire" du Bureau des Longitudes .... 234 



Eclipse Results and Problems 234 



Bibliography of Contemporary Astronomical Works . 234 

 Prizes Proposed by the Paris Academy of Sciences 



for 1905 234 



Geological Notes. (Illustrated.) 235 



Agricultural Education and Research. By Prof. 



T. H. Middleton ... - 236 



Scientific Reports of the Local Government Board. 



By Prof. R. T. Hewlett 237 



University and Educational Intelligence 238 



Societies and Academies . 238 



Diary of Societies . . 240 



