boo 



NA TURE 



[April 20, 1905 



had at the moment of solidification. — Contribution to the 

 study of ionisation in flames : Pierre Massoulier. The 

 conductivity of an ether flame is considerable. By intro- 

 ducing increasing proportions of carbon dioxide into this 

 flame, although the temperature is lowered, the ionisa- 

 tion, as measured by the current between two electrodes 

 in the flame, is increased. The results are interpreted by 

 the author as being due to the dissociation of the carbon 

 dioxide in the flame. — On the variation of the difference 

 of contact potential for miscible solutions of electrolytes : 

 M. Chanoz. — On the dichroism produced by radium in 

 colourless quartz and on a thermoelectric phenomenon 

 observed in striated smoky quartz ; \. EgrorofT. Colour- 

 less quartz, e.xposed to the action of radium for a week, 

 e.\hibited dichroism identical with that ordinarily observed 

 with smoky quartz. A plate of smoky quartz, heated to 

 100° C. and treated with a mixture of sulphur and red 

 lead, gave a figure reproducing the striations. — An auto- 

 matic damping arrangement applicable to pendular and 

 oscillatory movements : V. Cremieu. — On a photograph of 

 a lightning flash showing the air in incandescence : Em. 

 Touchet. The persistent glow which is visible in some 

 cases after a lightning flash is due to the incandescence of 

 the air. This effect is not physiological, as it is clearly 

 shown in some photographs taken by the author and by 

 other experimenters. — The etherification of glycerin : 

 Marcel P. S. Guedras. — The liquefaction of allene and 

 allylene : MM. Lespieau and Chavanne. The two gases 

 were prepared with great care in a pure state and solidified 

 in liquid air. .Allene melts at —146° C, boiling at 

 — 32° C, its critical point being about 121° C. Allylene 

 melts at —110° C, boils at — 23°.5 C, and has a critical 

 point of i29°-5 C, the temperatures being all measured 

 by an iron-constantan thermo-couple. The purity of the 

 gases was determined by a combustion analysis. — On the 

 hydrogenation of benzonitrile and paratoluonitrile : A. 

 Frebaiilt. Sabatier and Scnderens, who have already 

 applied their reaction to this case, found that nickel carried 

 the reduction too far, toluene and ammonia being the only 

 products, and were obliged to replace the nickel by copper 

 to obtain benzylamines. Working under somewhat 

 different conditions, the author has obtained results 

 with nickel. — Secondary diazoamines : L^o Vignon and .A. 

 Simonet. — On the hydrates of acetol : .Andr^ }f,\\n%. — 

 On the use of the metal ammoniums in chemistry : the 

 preparation of paraffins : Paul Lebeau (see p. 592). — On 

 isodimorphism ; Fred. Wallerant. — On a new indiarubber 

 Euphorbia : Henri Jumelle. This tree grows in the north- 

 west of Madagascar, and its indiarubber producing proper- 

 ties were discovered accidentally by the natives. It appears 

 to be a new species, and is named Euphorbia clastica. — 

 The action of ether and chloroform on dried seeds : Paul 

 Becquerel. The result is due to action of these sub- 

 stances on the fatty material of the cell, but the effect of 

 the chloroform is much more energetic. — On the formation 

 and function of fatty materials in fungi : -A. Perrier. It 

 is shown that the fat acts as a reserve food material for 

 the plant. — On some points of anatomy of the male organs 

 of the Edentata, and on their means of fixation : R^my 

 Perrier. It is shown that this is not a case of retro- 

 gression, but that the condition of the male organs corre- 

 sponds to a primitive form. This view confirms the 

 paljeontological results as to the age of the Edentata. — 

 The weight of the brain as a function of the body weight 

 in birds : L. Lapicque and P. Girard. The exponential 

 formula given by Dubois for expressing the weight of the 

 brain as a function of the body weight holds for the case 

 of birds, the index having the same numerical value as in 

 mammals (0-56). — On the alternation of eclipses and the 

 lustre of feebly lighted objects : Th. Lullin. — The spectro- 

 scopy of the blood and of oxyha?moglobin : M. Piettre 

 and -A. Vila. The reaction of sodium fluoride upon the 

 absorption spectrum of blood is a very delicate one, and 

 can be used to detect traces of fluorides down to t; parts in 

 a million. A diagram is given of the relation between the 

 intensity of the absorption bands of oxyhjemoglobin and 

 the dilution. — On the normal presence of alcohol and 

 acetone in the liquids and tissues of the organism : K. 

 Maigrnon. — Researches on haematogen : MM. Huerounenq 

 and Morel. — The influence of the state of liquefaction nf 

 Stan h nn its transformation by diastases : .A. Fernbach 



XO. 1 85 I, VOL. 71] 



and J. Wolff. — Experimental acid dyscrasia : M. Charrin. 



— On the age of the granite of the western .Alps and the 

 origin of the crystalline exotic blocks of Klippes : C. G. S. 

 Sandberg. — On the Lahore earthquake and the variations 

 of the magnetic needle at Paris : Th. Moureaux. Dis- 

 turbances of the magnetic records at Paris were observed 

 on the day of the Lahore earthquake. 



GOTTINGEN. 



Royal Society of Sciences. — The Nachriihtefi (physico- 

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

 ing memoirs communicated to the society : — 



October 29. — W. Voigt : Remarks on tensor-analysis. 

 A. Schcenflies : On the geometrical invariants of the 

 analysis of position. Eduard Riecke : Researches on the 

 phenomena of discharge in Geissler tubes. F. Bernstein : 

 On the theory of aggregates. 



December 17. — G. Hergloti : On the calculation of re- 

 tarded potentials. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, April 27. 

 Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Discussion: Mr. B. J. 

 Arnold's Address to the Joint Meeting at St. Louis on the Problem of the 

 Alternate Current Motor applied to Traction. — Paper: The Altera 

 Current Series Motor : F. Greedy. 



FRIDAY, April 2S. 

 Epidemiological Society, at 8.30. 



}t tne 



1 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Man and Scenery 577 



A Magnetic Survey of Japan. By Prof. Arthur 



Schuster, F.R.S 578 



The Technology of the Vegetable Fibres. By Prof. 



Aldred F. Barker 579 



English Estate Forestry 580 



Our Book Shelf:— 



" Index Kewensis Plantaium Phanerogamarum." — 



A. B. R 581 



Beavan : " Birds I have Known." — W. P. P. ... 581 



Muir : " The Elements of Chemistry " 582 



Salt : " Richard Jefteries : his Life and Ideals. " — R. L. 582 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Historical Note on Dust, Electrification, and Heat. — 



Sir Oliver Lodge, F.R.S 582 



The Late Prof. Tacchini.— Prof. R. Meldola, 



F.R.S 583 



Propagation of Earthquake Waves. — Rev. O. Fisher 5S3 

 The Ancient Races of the Thebaid.— Prof. Arthur 



Thomson ; Prof. Karl Pearson, F.R.S. ... 583 

 Inversions of Temperature on Ben Nevis. — Andrew 



Watt 583 



Sianton Drew. — A. L. Lewis 584 



Alcohol in Industry 5S4 



The Capital of Tibet. (Illustrated.) By T. H. H. .585 



The Treatment of Cancer with Radium 58S 



Notes 58S 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Astrophysical Work at the Smithsonian Institution . 592 



Value of the Astronomical Refraction Constant . . 592 



Reality of Various Features on Mars 592 



Stonyhurst College Observatory 592 



Nature of Sun-spots 592 



Instructions to Solar Observers 592 



Recent Changes in the Crater of Stromboli. ([lltis- 



trateJ.) By Dr. Tempest Anderson 593 



The Institution of Naval Architects 594 



Unsolved Problems in Electrical Engineering . . . 595 



University and Educational Intelligence 596 



Societies and Academies 596 



Diary of Societies 600 



