NATURE 



[March 9, 1905 



phagocyiic resorption of the reprodurtive elements in the 

 seminal vesicles of Litjubrictis herculcus : Louis Brasil. — 

 On the practical importance of the determination of the 

 arterial pressure to avoid accidents in anaesthesia ; L. 

 Hallion. Remarks on a recent note of M. Tissot, and 

 directing attention to a paper published by the author and 

 M. Duplay in 1900 on the same subject. — The influence of 

 the radium emanation on the toxic power of snake poison : 

 C. Phisalix. Cobra poison, which is distinguished by re- 

 sistance to destruction by heat, is readily destroyed by the 

 radium radiations. On the other hand, the poisons from 

 the salamander and toad are unaffected by the emanation. — 

 The application of the vowel siren to the study of deafness : 

 M. Maragre. Each kind of deafness gives a special curve 

 with this instrument, the form of which is characteristic 

 of the seat of the lesion. — The glandular atrophic action of 

 the X-rays : Foveau de Courmelles. The ovaries, the 

 breasts, and the lymphatic ganglions can be atrophied under 

 the action of the X-rays. — On the application of thermometry 

 to water supply : E. .\. Martel. — The coal formation in the 

 Balkans : L. De Launay. — On the uniformity of composi- 

 tion of the .\mana meteorites : G. D. Hinrichs. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Maklh 9. 



ROVAL Society, at 4.30.— The Rate of Transmission of the Guatemala 

 Earthquake of April lo, 190= : R. D. Oldham.— Ionic Sizes in Relation 

 to the Conductivity of Electrolytes : W. R. Bousfield —Explosions of 

 Mixtures of Coal Gas and Air in a Closed Vessel : L. Bairstow and 

 A. D. Alexander.-On some Continuous Observations on the Rate of 

 Dissipation of Electric Charges in the Open Air : C. Coleridge Farr. 



RovAL Institution, at 5. — Recent Astronomical Progress : Prof. H. H. 

 Turner, F.R.S. 



Institution or Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Report on Experiments 

 carried out at the National Physical Laboratory : On the Effect of Heat 

 on the Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Dielectrics, and on the 

 Temperature Distribution in the Interior of Kield Coils : Dr. R. T. 

 Glazebrook, F.R.S.— On Temper.ature Curves and the Rating of 

 Electrical Machinery : R. Goldschmidt. 



Mathematical Society, at 5.30.— On the Weddle Quartic Surface : Mr. 

 H. Bateman —On the Projective Relations between Two Planes : Prof. 

 M. J. M. Hill, Dr. L. N. G. Filon and Mr. H. W. Chapman. -On the 

 Theory of Perpetuants ; Mr. P. W. Wood. 



FRIDAY. March 10. 



Royal Institution, at g.— The Structure of the Atom : Prof. J. T. 

 Thomson, F.R.S. 



RoYAi. Astronomical Society, at 5. — Theory of the Motion of the Moon. 

 Part IV. : Prof. E. W. Brown —The Great Nebula of ^ Eridani : Dr. 

 Max Wolf.— Observations of Uranus and Saturn: C.J. Merfield.— Ob- 

 servations of Uranus at Windsor, New South Wales : John Tebbutl.— 

 The Spectroheliograph of the Solar Physics Observatory : W. J. S. 

 Lockyer.— Nebular Photography ; a Suggestion : W. S. Franks. — The 

 Late Leonids of November, rqo4 : Rev. S. J. Johnson. — Magnetic Dis- 

 turbances and their Association with Sun-spots ; a Reply ; E. W. 

 Maunder. — Promised Papers : On the Large Sun-spot of 1905, January 

 29-February II, and the Contemporaneous Magnetic Disturbances, ob- 

 served at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich (communicated by the 

 Astronomer-Royal). — Notes on the Siderostat and Cffilostat : H C. 

 Plummer. 



Malacological Society, at 8.— On a Dibranchiate Cephalopod from the 

 Eocene of .\rabia : G. C. Crick.— Note on the Horizon and Locality of 

 the Type Specimen of Pleuronaulilus pulchcr: G. C. Crick.— New 

 Marine Mollusca from the Collection of the late Admiral Keppel : G. B. 

 Sowerby.- On the Occurrence of Internal Septa in Gtyptostcua new- 

 berryaniim : G. K. Gude.— Note on a Dart found in the Body Cavity of 

 Helix aspersa : R. G. Barnes. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Purification of Sewage : 

 F. G. Helsby.— The Purification of Sewage by Hydrolysis and Oxida- 

 tion ; F. O. Kirby. 



Physical .=^ociety, at 8.- On the Stresses in the Earth's Crust before and 

 after the Sinking of a Bore-hole : Dr. C. Chree, F.R.S —On the Lateral 

 Vibration of Barsof LTniform and Varying Sectional Area : J. Morrow. — 



Reading Resistance-Thi 

 Composite Thermocouples : A. Campbell. 



.ith 



.'\ppendix 



SATURDAY, March ii. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Electrical Properties of Radio-active Sub- 

 stances : Prol. J. J. Thomson, F.R.S. 



MONDAY, March 13. 

 Society of Arts, at 8. — Telephony : H. L. Webb. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30.— The .\nglo-German Boundary 

 Expedition in Nigeria: Colonel Louis Jackson, R.E. 



TUESDAY, March 14. 



Royal Institution, at 5.— Some Recent Biomelric Studies: Prof- K. 

 Pearson, F.R.S- 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Shipbuilding for the Navy: 

 Lord Brassey, K.C.B. r j, , 



.•Veuonactkal Society, at 8.— Some Recent Experiments in Aero- 

 dynamics : P. Y. Alexander.— The Shape of Navigable Balloons ; Eric 

 Stuart Bruce.— Automatic Stability : E. C. Hawkins.— Note on an 

 Aluminium Kite : Alan H. Burgoyne. 



.Anthropological Institute, at 8. 15. — Manners and Customs of the 

 Melanesians; Lantern Illustrations : Rev. W. H. Edgell. 



WEDNESDAY, March 15. 



Chemical Society, at 5.30.— The Velocity of Oxime Formation in Certain 

 Ketones: A. W. Stewart.— Catechin and Acacatechin ; Supplementary 

 Note : A. G. Perkin. — The Action of Ethyl Dibromopropanetetracarb- 

 oxylate on the Disodium Compound of Ethyl Propanetetracarboxylate ; 

 a Correction: W. H. Perkin. jun.— On Glutaconic Acid and the Con- 

 version of Glutaric Acid into Trimcthylenedicarboxyhc Acid : G- Tatter- 

 sail. -The Ultra-violet Absorption Spectra of Certain Enol-keto 'I'auto- 

 inerides: E. C. C. Baly and C. H. Desch.— Esterification Constants of 

 Substituted Acrylic Acids ; J. J. Sudborough and D J. Roberts. — 

 a-Chlorocinnamic Acids : J. J. Sudborough and T. C. James.— Di-oriho- 

 substituted Benzoic Acids. Part VI. Conversion of Methyl into l-.thyl 

 Esters : J. J. Sudborough and l'. H. Davies.- Simple Method for the 

 Estimation of Acetyl Groups: J. J. Sudborough and W. Thomas.— 

 Gynocardin, a New Cyanogenetic Glucoside ; F. B. Power and F. H. Lee?. 



Entomological Society, at 8. 



RovAL Microscopical Society, at 8.— A Review of Work done by 

 Metallographers : J. E. Stead, F-R.S. 



Royal Meteorological Society, at 7.30.— On the Growth of Instru- 

 mental Meteorology : R. Bentley. 



Minekai.ogical Society, at 8. --On Some New Mineral Localities in 

 Cornwall and Devon : A. E. I. M. Russell.- On a Crystal of Phcnakite 

 from East Africa; L. J. Spencer. — (i) Notes on Various Minerals from 

 the Binnenthal, Switzerland.— (2) A New Oxychloride of Copper from 

 Sierra Gordd, Chili : G. T. Prior and G. F. Herbert Smith. 

 THURSDAY, March 16. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Probable Papers : A Preliminary Note upon 

 the Question of the Nutrition of the Early Embryo : E. Kmrys-Roberts. 

 — On Reciprocal Innervation of Antagonistic Muscles. Seventh Note; 

 Prof. C. S. Sherrington, F.R.S.- On the Absence or Marked Diminution 

 of Free Hydrochloric Acid in the Gastric Contents, in Malignant Disease 

 of Organs other than the Stomach : Prof. B Moore, with W. Alexander, 

 R. E. Kelly, and H. E. Koaf.— On the Heterogenetic Origin of certain 

 Ciliated Infusoria from the Eggs of a Rotifer: Dr. H. C. Bastian, 

 F.R.S. 



Royal Institution, at 5. — Recent Astr. 

 Turner, F.R.S. 



Society of Arts, at 4.30. — Manipur 



Linnean Society, at 8- — Contnbutit 

 Otto Stapf. — Exhibitions: Penguins 

 Islands, and Scratched Rocks from 



1 Progress : Prof. H. H. 





ind its Tribes; T. C. Hodson. 

 IS to the Flora of Liberia : Dr. 

 tnd other Birds from the Falkland 

 Rockhopper's Rookery; R. Val- 



NO. 1845, VO'-" 71] 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Origin of Man. By A. K 433 



Chemistry for Youths : Mrs. Marcet Redeviva. By 



W. R 435 



Floral Morphology 436 



Scientific Aspects of Lawn Tennis 436 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Allen: "New Streets: Laying Out and Making 



Up."-C. V. B. 437 



Ball: " A Popular Guide to the Heavens " 437 



Hellmann : "Denkmaler mittelalterlicher Meteor- 



ologie" 438 



Finn; " The Birds of Calcutta. " — R. L 438 



Smith; " Toning Bromide Prints" 438 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Charge on the a Particles of Polonium and Radium. — 



Prof. J.J. Thomson, F. R. S. ; Frederick Soddy 438 

 The Pressure of Radiation. — Oliver Heaviside, 



F.R.S 439 



Secondary Rbnlgen Radiation. — Dr. Charles G. 



Barkia 440 



Dates of Publication of Scientific Books. — B. 



Hobson 440 



Some Scientific Centres. VIL — The Physiological 

 Research Laboratory of the University of 



London. (Il/iislialed.) 441 



The Monte Rosa and Col D'Olen International 



Laboratories. By Sir M. Foster, K.C.B., F.R.S. . 443 

 Neolithic Deposits in the North-east of Ireland. 



(Illustrated.) 444 



Notes 445 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Jupiter's Seventh Satellite 449 



Longitude Observations of Points on Mars 449 



Observations of Comets 449 



The (Government Observatory at Victoria 449 



Observations of Saturn's Satellites 449 



Bright Meteors . . 449 



The Magnetic Survey of the United States. [Illus- 

 trated. ) 449 



The Nest of the Fighting Fish. (Illustrated.) . . . 450 

 Some Recent Work of the U.S. Geological Survey 

 in the Western States. (Illustrated.) by G. W. L. 450 



Anthropological Notes 452 



University and Educationallntelligence .... 453 



Societies and Academies 454 



Diary of Societies 456 



