528 



NA TURE 



[March 30, 1905 



agents, and is not characteristic of nitric acid.^ — On the 

 antiseptic properties of certain kinds of smoke and on their 

 utilisation : A. Trillat. In previous papers the author has 

 shown that formaldehyde is a constant constituent of 

 chimney smoke. He now finds that a polymerised form- 

 aldehyde is always present in soot, in proportions varying 

 from 028 per cent, to 034 per cent. — The effects of phos- 

 phorus on the coagulation of the blood. The origin of 

 fibrinogen : M. Doyon, .\. Morel, and N. Kareff. — The 

 duration of the process of stimulation for different muscles : 

 .M. and Madame L. Lapicque. — On the anatomical and 

 functional independence of the lobes of the liver : H. 

 Serege. The arguments from the anatomical and physio- 

 logical points of view are summarised and shown to be all 

 in favour of the independence of the lobes. — An experi- 

 mental study of the relations between the arterial pressure 

 and the pulmonary circulation in anaesthesia by chloro- 

 form. The determining cause of chloroform accidents : J. 

 Tissot. — On the measurement of disposable energy by a 

 self-registering integrating dynamometer : Charles Henry. 

 The apparatus consists essentially of a rubber ball filled 

 with mercury. The pressure of the hand on this raises a 

 mass of iron up and down a graduated tube, this iron 

 being connected with the registering appitratus. The area 

 registered measures the statical work done by the pressure 

 of the fingers. — The cardiac area in cured consumptive 

 cases : H. Guilleminot. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Makch 30. 



RuVAL Society, at 4.30.— On the Observations on Stars made in some 

 British Stone Circles (Preliminary Note;: Sir Norman Lockyer, 

 K.C.B., F.R.S.— On the Distribution of Velocity in a Viscous 

 Fluid over ihe Cross-section of a Pipe, and on the Action at the Critical 

 Velocity : J. Morrow.— The Direct Synthesis of Ammonia : Dr. E. P. 

 Perman.— The Determination of Vapour Pressure by Air Bubbling : Dr. 

 E. P. Perman and J. H. Davies. — Note on Fluorescence and Absorption : 

 J. B. Burke. — The Determination of the Specific Heat of Superheated 

 Steam by Throttling and other Experiments: A. H. Peake..— The A'<i& 

 of Diffusion in the Catalysis of Hydrogen Peroxide by Colloidal Platinum ; 

 G. Senter.— The Theory of Photographic Processes. Part II. On the 

 Chemical Dynamics of Development, including the Microscopy of the 

 Image : S. E. Sheppard and C. E. K. Mees. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at S. 



FRIDAY, March 31. 

 RoVAL Institution, at 9.— The Scientific Study of Dialects: Prof. J. 

 Wright. 



SATURDAY, April i. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— So.-ne Controverted Questions of Optics: 

 Lord Rayleigh. 



MONDAY, AiRiL 3. 

 Societv of Chemical Industry, at 8.— On the Formation of Sulphuric 

 Esters in the Nitration of Cellulose and their Influence on Stability: 

 C Napier Hake and R. J. Lewis.— The Proof of Percussion Caps: H. 

 W. Brownsdon. 

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

 Victoria Institute, at 4.30. 



TUESDA Kj April 4. 

 Royal Institution, at 5.— Tibet : Perceval Landon. 

 Faraday Society, at 8. — Alloys of Copper and Antimonyand Copper and 



Bi>muth : A. H. Hiorns.— Refractory Materials for Furnace Linings : 



E. Kilbum Scott.— Electrically Heated Carbon Tube Furnaces. Part I. : 



R. S. Hutton and W. H. Patterson. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at %.— Continued Discussion: 



Coolgardie VValer-Supply : C. S. R. Palmer. 



WEDNESDAY, April 5. 



Geological Society, at 8.— On the Divisions and Correlations of the 

 Upper Portion of the Coal-measures, with Special Reference to their 

 Development in the Midland Counties of England : R. Kidston, F.R.S.— 

 On ihe Age and Relations of the Phosphatic Chalk of Taplow : L. 

 Treacher and H. J. O. White. 



Entomological Society, at 8. 



Society of Public Analysts, at 8.— The Determination of Higher 

 Alcohols in Spirits. I. : Dr. Philip Schidrowitz and F. Kaye.— The 

 Action of slightly Alkaline Waters on Iron: C. H. Cribb and F. W. F. 

 Arnaud.— Notes on Preservatives : E. G. Clayton. 



Society OF Arts, at 8. — Ancient Architecture of the Great Zimbabwe: 

 R. N. Hall. 



THURSDAY, April 6. 



Royal Society, at i.^o.—Probabie Papers: On Reciprocal innervation 

 of Antagonistic Muscles, Seventh Note : Prof. C. S. Sherrington, F.R.S. 

 —The Influence of Cobra-Venom on the Proleid Metabolism : Dr. James 

 Scott. — Further Experiments and Histological Investigations on In- 

 tumescences, with some Observations on Nuclear Division in Pathological 

 Tissues : Miss E. Dale.— On the Tovin-Antitoxin Reaction, with Special 

 Reference to the Neutralisation of Lysin by Anlilysin : J. A. Craw.— On 

 the Nature of the Silver Reaction in Animal and Vegetable Tissues : Frof. 

 A. B. Macallum. 



NO. 1848, VOL. 71] 



Chemical Society, at B. — The Basic Properttes of Oxygen at Low 

 Temperatures. Additive Compounds of the Halogens with Organic 

 Substances containing Oxygen : D. Mcintosh.— Note on the Interaction 

 of Metallic Cyanides and Organic Halides : N. V. Sidgwick— The 

 Chemical Dynamics of the Reactions between Sodium Thiosulphate and 

 Organic Halogen Compounds. Part II. Halogen-substituted Acetates : 

 A. Slator.— The Chemical Kinetics of Reactions with inverse Reactions. 

 The Decomposition of Dimethylcarbamide : C. E. Fawsitt. — The 

 Taulomerism of Acetyl Thiocyanate : A. E. Dixon and J. Hawthorne. - 

 A Method of Determining the Specific Gravity of Soluble Salts by 

 Displacement in (heir own Mother Liquor, and its Application in the Case 

 of the Alkaline Halides: J. V. Buchanan.— The Combination of Mercap- 

 lans with Unsaturated Ketonic Compounds : S. Ruhemann.— A new- 

 Formation of Acetyicamphor : M. O. Forster and Miss H. M. Judd.— 

 Preparation and Properties of 1:4: 5-Trimethylglyoxaline : H. A. D. 

 Jowett.— Bromomethylheptylketone: H. A. D. Jowett — On the Exis- 

 tence of a Carbide of Magnesium : J. T. Nance.— The Action of Carbon 

 Monoxide on Ammonia : H. Jackson and D. N. Laurie.— Isomeric Salts 

 of the Type NR,R.>H3. A Correction. Isomeric Forms of (/-Bromo- and 

 rf-Chloro-camphorsulphonic Acids : F. S. Kipping.— Isomerism of 

 a-Bromo- and a-Chloro-camphor : F. S. Kipping. — /-Phenylethylamine : 

 F. S. Kipping and A. E. Hunter. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Discussion of the 

 Report to Council on the International Electrical Congress at St. Louis, 

 by W. Duddell, and of Papers on Systems of Electric Units Published in 

 Part clxx. (last issue) of the Jo: rnal. 



Royal Institution, at 5.— Synthetic Chemistry : Prof. R. Meldola, 

 F.R.S. 



Rontgen Society, at 8.15. — Exhibition Evening. 



Linnean Society, at 8.— Intra-axillary Scales of Aquatic Mono- 

 cotyledons : Prof R. J. Harvey Gibson. — ,\ further Communication on 

 the Study a( Petoniyxa falustris : Mrs. Veley. 



Society of Arts, at 4.30. — The Prospects of the Shan States : Sir I. 

 George Scott. 



FRIDAY, April 7. 



I 



Royal Institution, at 9.— > 



Institution of Civil Eng 



R. G. Clark. — Bath Corpora 



;rican Industry: Alfred Mosely. 



■EPS, at 8.— Cofferdams for Dock Us^ 



I Waterworks Extension : J. R- Fox. 



SATURDAY April 8. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — Some Controverted Questions of Optics: 



Lord Rayleigh, 

 The Essex Field Club, at 6.30. (At Essex Museum of Natural History, 



Stratford). ^Twenty-fifth Annual Meeting. — Natural History Mu 



F. W. Rudler. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Classification of the Sciences 505 



Elementary Mathematics 507 



Salt-beds and Oceans. By J. Y. B 508 



Evolution for Beginners. By F. A. D 509 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Chassevant : " Precis de Chimie physiologique." — 



W. D. H 509 



Sohns : " Unsere Pflanren " ; Maxwell: "Children's 



Wild Flowers" 510 



Gibson: " Superstitions about Animals " 510 



Letters to the Editor: — 



A Great Oxford Discovery. — Prof. Karl Pearson, 



F.R.S 510 



Inversions of Temperature and Humidity in Anti- 

 cyclones. — Dr. A. Lawrence Rotch 510 



The Planet Kortuna.— W. T 511 



City Development. (Illtistiated.) 511 



Nature's Ways. (Ilhislraled.) By R. L 512 



German Educational Exhibits at St. Louis .... 513 



Notes. (Illustrated.) 513 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Astronomical Occurrences in April 518 



Discovery of a New Comet, 1905 a 518 



Comet 1904 c (Borrelly) 518 



Observalions of the Recent Eclipse of the Moon . . . 518 



New Variable Stars in the Region about 5 Aquihtj . . 519 



Orbit of the Binary Star Cell 82 519 



Radial Velocities of Certain Stars 519 



Slur Phices in the Vulpecula Cluster 519 



The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey 519 



Protective Resemblance. {Illustrated.) 520 



Report of the Carnegie Institution, 1904. .... 521 

 The Reception and Utilisation of Energy by a 

 Green Leaf. {Witli J>ui-r,,,i,.) By Dr. Horace T. 



Brown, F.R.S ' 522 



University and Educational Intelligence . . 526 



Societies and Academies 527 



Diary of Societies 528 



