288 



NA TURE 



[January 19, 1905 



— On the rational estimation of gluten in wheaten flour : 

 E. Fleurent. It is shown that by taking certain pre- 

 cautions as to the temperature and lime contents of the 

 wash water, and fixing the time of washing, it is possible 

 to obtain results by the mechanical method which agree 

 well with the chemical method. — Physicochemical re- 

 searches on haemolysis : Victor Henri. — The comet e 1904, 

 discovered December 28, 1904, at the Observatory of 

 Marseilles : M. Borrelly. — The provisional elements of the 

 new Borrelly comet (1904 December 28) : G. Fayet and 

 E. Maubant. — On the isochronism of the pendulum in 

 the astronomical clock ; Ch. Fery. For an amplitude 

 between 2° 13' and 2° 29', that is, for a variation of 

 amplitude of about 9 mm., the variation of the rate was 

 nil, or there was a minimum for the time of oscillation. 

 This result is probably due to a want of isochronism of 

 the escapement. — On the value of the magnetic elements 

 on January i : Th. Moureaux. — Osmotic communication 

 in fishes between the internal and external media : Jean 

 Gautrelet. Referring to a recent paper by M. Ouinton, 

 the author directs attention to a paper of his bearing on 

 the same subject published in 1902. — On the infection of 

 Padda oryzivora by Trypanosoma paddae and by Halteri- 

 diuin Danilewskyi : M. ThiroMX. 



INDT.H. 



Asiatic Society of Bengal, December 7, 1904. — The 

 lizards of the Andamans, with the description of a new 

 gecko and a note on the reproduced tail in Ptychozoon 

 homocephalum : N. Annandale. Out of the nine geckos 

 recorded from the Andamans, five or possibly si.x would 

 seem to have been carried thither by man. The remaining 

 three are indigenous. One of the three is very nearly 

 related to forms on the nearest mainland, the second has 

 Malabar affinities, and the third Madagascan. The author 

 describes Gonatodes Andersonii — a new species. The scales 

 of the reproduced part of the tail, dorsal and ventral sur- 

 faces, of Ptychozoon homocephalum are slightly smaller 

 than those of the uninjured part, and the dorsal tubercles 

 are absent : also the loose membrane is narrower, asym- 

 metric, and not lobed. This last point is important, as 

 Miiller had thought the lobes of specific importance. — The 

 occurrence of an aquatic glow-worm in India : N. 

 Annandale. .\ glow-worm larva of aquatic habit has 

 been found in a tank in the neighbourhood of Calcutt.T. 

 The only other aquatic glow-worm recorded was found in 

 Lower Siam. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Janu.\ry 19. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.— The Dual Force of the Dividing Cell. Part i. : 



The Achromatic Spindle Figure illustrated by Magnetic Chains of 



Force : Prof. M. Hartog.— Note on the Effects produced on'Rats by the 



Trypanosomata of Gambia Fever and Sleeping Sickness : H. G. Plim- 



mer. — Further Histological Studies on the Localisation of Cerebral 



Function. The Brains of Felis, Canis, and Sus, compared with that of 



Homo: Dr. A. W. Campbell.— E.tperiments on the Nature of the 



Opsonic Action of the Blood Serum : Dr. \V. Bulloch and E. E. Atkin. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8. — Botanical Collecting: Dr. A. Henry — On the 



Cranial Osteology of the Families Osteoglossida;, Pantodontidje, and 



PhractolEemidse : Dr. W. G. Ridewood. 



Society of Arts, at 4.30.— The Gates of Tibet : Douglas W. Freshfield. 



.f/f/ZI^K, January =0. 

 Royal Institution, at 9. — New Low Temperature Phenomena; Sir 



J. Dewar, F.R.S. 

 Epidemiological Society, at 8.30. 



Institution op Mechanical Engineers, at 8. — Some Impressions of 

 American Workshops : A. J. Gimson. — Waterworks Pumping Engines in 

 the United Slates and Canada : J. Barr.—Some Features in the Design 

 and Construction of .American Planing Machines: A. Kenrick. lun. : 

 Engines at the Power Stations, and at the St. Louis E.Yhibition : 

 A. Saxon. 



MONDAY, Jancaky =3. 

 Sociological Society, at S.— Civics : as Applied Sociology, Part ii : 

 Prof. Patrick Geddes. 



iCAL Society, at 8.30. — The Great Zimbabwe and 

 ins in Rhodesia : R. N. Hall, 

 at 8.— Reservoir, Stylographic and Fountain Pens : 



other Ancient Ru 



Society of Arts, 



J. P. Maginnis. 



TUESDA Y, January 24. 

 ROVAL Institution, at 5.— The Structure and Life of Animals: Prof. 



L. C. Miall, F.R.S. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at S,— Notes on the Working of the 



Shone System of Sewerage at Karachi : J. V. Brunton. — The Sewerage of 



Douglas, Isle of Man : E. H. Stevenson and E. K. Bur.stal. 

 .\nthropological Institute, at 8.30.— Annual General Meeting. 



President's .Address, &c. 



WEDNESDAY, January 25. 



Society of Arts, at 8.— London Electric Railways : Hon. Robert P. 

 Porter. 



THURSDAY, January 26. 



Royal Society, at 4.30 — iPrc/.ato Papers: On the Boring of the 

 Simplon Tunnel, and the Distribution of Temperature that was En- 

 countered : Francis Fox- — On the Comparison of the Platinum Scale of 

 Temperature with the Normal Scale at Temperatures between 444° and 

 -iQo'C, with Notes on Cunslant Temperatures below the Melting 

 Point of Ice : Prof M. W. Tr.ivers, F.R.S., and A. S. C. Gwyer.-On 

 the Modulus of Torsional Rigidity of Quartz Fibres, and its Tempera- 

 ture Coefficient : Dr. F. Hor'on.— On a Method of Finding the Con- 

 ductivity for Heat: Prof C. Niven, F.R.S.— Exterior Ballistics. "Error 

 of the Day" and other Corrections to Naval Range-Tables: Prof. 

 G. Forbes, F.R.S.— The Theory of Symmetrical Optical Objectives. 

 Part ii, : S. D. Chalmers.— On the Drift produced in Ions by Electro- 

 magnetic Disturbances, and a Theory of Radio-activity : G. W. Walker. 

 — Coloration of Glass by Natural Solar and other Radiations : Sir 

 William Crookes, F.R.S.— On the " Blaze-Currents " of the Gall Bladder 

 of the Frog : Mrs. Waller. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Fuel Economy in Steam 

 Power Plants : W. H. Booth and J. B. C. Kershaw. (Conclusion of 

 discussion.) 



FRIDAY. January 27. 



Royal Institution, at 9. — The Life-History of the Emperor Penguin : 

 Dr. Edward A. Wilson. 



Physical Society, at 5. — Action of a Magnetic Field on the Discharge 

 through a Gas : Dr. R. S. Willows.— Action of Radium on the Electric 

 Spark : Dr. R. S. Willows and J. Peck.— The Slow Stretch in india- 

 rubber. Glass, and Metal Wires when subjected to a Constant Pull : 

 P. Phillips.- Determination of Youngs Modulus for Glass: C. A. Bell. 

 —Some Methods for Studying the Viscosity of Solids: Dr. Boris 

 Weinberg. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Concrete-Making on the 

 Admiralty Harbour Works, Dover : T. L. Matthews. 



NO. 1838, VOL. 71] 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Zoological Books from Germany. By J. A. T. 265 



An American Text-Book of Geology. By A. H. . . 267 



The Topography of British India 268 



Physical and Physiological Aspects of Light. By 



Dr. Reginald Morton . . . . ■ . 269 



A Book on Ink. ByC. Simmonds 269 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Driesch : " Naturbegriffe and Naturerteile " .... 270 

 Stewart: "Higher Text-book of Magnetism and 



Electricity" 270 



Hibbert : "Life and Energy — Four Addresses " . . 271 

 Knox : " Glossary of Geographical and Topographical 



Terms" ■ 271 



" Blackie's Handy Bcok of Logarithms " ; " Vier- und 



ftinfstellige Logaiithmentafeln " 271 



Theobald: "Second Report on Economic Zoology: 



British Museum (Natural History)" 272 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Heterogenetic Origin of Fungus-germs. — Dr. H. 



Charlton Bastian 272 



Compulsory Greek at Canibridge.--John C. Willis. — 273 



Polyhedral Soap-films.— W. F. Warth 273 



Reversal of Charge from Electrical Induction 



Machines. — V. Schaifers 274 



The Construction of Simple Electroscopes for Ex- 

 periments on Radioactivity. {Illtistraled.) By 



Dr. O. W. Richardson 274 



Geological Survey of Canada 276 



Recent Exploration in the Mentone Caves. [Illus- 



tratcd.) 276 



The Scientific Exploration of Lake Tanganyika . . 277 



Notes 27S 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Observations of Comets 1904 (/and 1904 f 281 



Ephemeris for Comet TempeU 1904 c 282 



Seasonal Development iif Martian Canals 282 



Variable Stars and Nebulous Areas in Scorpio . . . 282 



Report of the Natal Observatory 282 



The Jesuit Observatory at Belen, Havana 282 



The Discovery of Jupiter's Sixth Satellite. By 



W. E. R 2S2 



Atmospheric and Oceanic Carbon Dioxide. By Dr. 



A. Harden ... - 283 



Conference of Public School Science Masters. By 



Wilfred Mark Webb 284 



Prize Awards of the Royal Society of Edinburgh . . 285 



University and Educational Intelligence 285 



Societies and Academies 287 



Diary of Societies 288 



