192 
NATURE 
| DecEMBER 20, 1906 
mentioned that the rainy season, January to March, was 
that of greatest activity. Many points of resemblance 
between Samoan and Hawaiian lavas command attention. 
—Sand-movement on the New South Wales coast: G. H. 
Halligan. The principal factors which govern the move- 
ment of sand and shingle on the littoral being ocean and 
tidal currents, wave action, and wind, the following matters 
are discussed :—the effects of strong and weak “currents, 
counter currents, and currents due to tidal flow upon the 
direction and rate of sand-travel; the movement of beach 
material due to tidal current a negligible quantity ; sand- 
movement more pronounced during flood tide as compared 
with ebb tide; a projecting headland may cause a current 
on its northern or southern side, according as its northern 
side 1s concave or convex, or whether the headland is at 
right angles to the course of the current, or meets it at an 
angle; the influence of the prevailing and the dominant 
winds upon sand-travel as shown by an analysis of the 
winds recorded at Sydney during the decade 1894-1903, and 
at the Clarence River from March, 1877, to August, 1886; 
the manner in which sand and shingle are moved by wave 
action and by currents, and the reasons why the sand 
on the coast of New South Wales is more readily moved 
to the south than to the north, where strong eddy currents 
do not exist; predominant influence of the strong southerly 
winds on the movement of sand above the limit of wave 
action, with instances of the northerly movement of sand- 
dunes on the coast.—The minerals and genesis of the veins 
and ‘ Schlieren ’’ traversing the zgirine-syenite in the 
Bowral quarries: D. Mawson. The veins ordinarily 
occupy fissures which may be very local, extending only 
a few inches, or at other times continuous by the establish- 
ment of connections between minor openings. They are 
classified as (1) veins of bitumen distilled from the under- 
lying Coal-measures; (2) simple pegmatite veins of (a) 
small, and (b) of larger dimensions, which have originated 
by sweating from the sides, or by the residual gaseous 
and more liquid contents of the solidifying rock collecting 
largely in the same fashion, and crystallising out as a 
coarse-grained product ; and (3) veins exhibiting well- 
marked flow-structure and of finer grain, more nearly 
related to the aplites—The fixation of nitrogen by 
Azotobacter chroococcum: Dr. R. Greig-Smith. Azoto- 
bacter is a slime-forming microorganism, and in combin- 
ation with other bacteria, such as Bact. radiobacter and 
Bact. levaniformans, with which it appears to associate, it 
quickly produces a luxuriant growth of slime on saccharine 
media. There is also a fixation of nitrogen, but this, as 
has been pointed out by Beijerinck and v. Delden, is 
caused by Azotobacter, and not by the other bacteria, which, 
however, may render assistance.—The fixation of nitrogen 
by Rhizobium leguminosarum: Dr. R. Greig-Smith. The 
investigation showed that races of the nodule former can 
fix atmospheric nitrogen in artificial culture, and that the 
fixation is coincident with, and proportional to, the form- 
ation of slime. Under conditions which assist cell growth, 
but which preclude the formation of slime, there is no 
fixation, and conversely, under conditions which assist the 
formation, such as the presence of another bacterium, 
there is an increased fixation. 
Care Town. 
South African Philosophical Society. October 31.— 
J. C. Beattie, president, in the chair.—A series of 
mounted Cape Alcyonaria (Ccelenterates) obtained by the 
Government Biological Department: J. Stuart Thomson. 
The specimens exhibited were of remarkable beauty in 
form and colouring. One of the most interesting of the 
forms exhibited was Anthoptilum thomsont, a_ colony 
measuring about 3 feet long and occurring in abundance 
at certain places, probably forming miniature animal forests 
at the bottom of the sea.—Connection between the rainfall 
at Durban and at Mauritius: T. F. Clanton. The note 
arises out of an inquiry into the possibility of seasonal 
weather forecasts for Mauritius. Examination shows that 
the monthly departures from average of the various meteor- 
ological elements at Durban have no connection with those 
at Mauritius. It appears, however, that winter droughts 
in Durban have invariably been followed by summer 
droughts in Mauritius at intervals of from three to seven 
NO. 1938, VOL. 75| 
months, and that prolonged droughts in Natal or those 
commencing in the summer may be either accompanied or 
followed by prolonged droughts in Mauritius. There is 
some evidence to show that the interval depends upon the 
time of commencement of the drought at Durban.—Dis- 
cussion of the errors of certain types of minimum spirit 
thermometers in use at the Royal Alfred Observatory, 
Mauritius: A. Walter. The conclusions arrived at are :— 
(1) the minimum thermometers (even the so-called ‘* sensi- 
tive ’’) should never be used as ordinary thermometers ; 
(2) the errors from comparisons at certain temperatures 
may be as much as 2°; (3) the absolute minima obtained 
with the spherical bulb thermometers may amount to as 
much as +3°.—The chemical composition of berry wax : 
Dr. B. van der Riet. In this paper the author drew a 
comparison between constants found for berry wax (from 
berries of Myrica cordifolia) and those quoted for myrtle 
wax (from berries of various species of Myrica), by Dr. 
J. Lewkowitsch in his treatise on the chemical analysis 
of oils, fats, and waxes. 
DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20. 
INSTITUTION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 8.—The Track Circuit as 
Installed on Steam Railways: H. G. Brown. 
Linnean Society, at 8,—Botanical Results of the Third Tanganyika 
Expedition, 1904-5: Dr. A. B. Rendle and others.—Fossil Foraminifera 
of Victoria ; the Baleombian Deposits of Port Phillip: F. Chapman.— 
Exhibition: Albino Woodlice: Wilfred Mark Webb. 
CHEMICAL SOCIETY, at 8.30.—A New Laboratory Method for the prepar- 
ation of Hydrogen Sulphide: F. R. L Wilson.—The Reaction of Acids 
with Methyl Orange: V. He Veley.—(1) Contributions to the Study of 
the Calcium Phosphates, The Hydrates of the Calcium Hydrogen 
Orthophosphates ; Q Gnas to the Study of the Calcium Phos- 
phates, II., The Action of Ammonia Gas on the Calcium Hydrogen 
Orthophosphates : H. Bassett, jun. 
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27. 
Rovat INSTITUTION, at 3.—Signalling to a Distance: Ancient Ways of 
Signalling and their Modern Development: W. Duddell. 
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29. 
Rovat INsTITUTION, at 3.—Signalling to a Distance! 
Electric Telegraph: W. Duddell. 
the Invention of the 
CONTENTS. PAGE 
Two Histories of Samra Steet?) <= 2 er 169 
Monasticism . - ae yO. 
The Plants of Kumaon. By AMBER... | ci iyi 
Engineering Design and Drawing. By T. H, Bie > 172 
Our Book Shelf :— 
Filchner: ‘‘ Das Kloster Kumbum in Tibet.’’—Lieut. - 
Col. L. A. Waddell . 172 
Macpherson: ‘* A Century’ s Progress i in n Astronomy.” 
—W.E-R.. . RTI 1G 56) 107/3) 
Walesiecehbe World’s Calendar ” 2) al co) Me agen Ree 
Letters to the Editor: 
Cutting a Round Gass on Scientific Vemetes (With 
Diagram.)—F.G. . : Pierre) Fonte 7/5} 
Anode Rays.—Dr, R. S. “Willows. . 173 
The Development of Modern Artillery and ape 
sives. (J//ustrated.) By J. S.S. B. 174 
A Half-dozen Illustrated Nature Books. (Tlus- 
trated.)—By R.L. . . ts Gos) 40 
The Treatmentiof:Cancer . ... . .. a ue 2 eee ay 
Nubian) Antiquities; 9. . . \) - . \ecnenemne ; 178 
Notes) nee ° 6, as Sate SO 178 
Our Astronomical Column :— 
Systematic Stellar Motions’: -0-) 2.) s)le nO 
The Spectrocomparator .. . 182 
Measurements of the Effective Wave- lengths i in | Stellar 
Spectray =) Fb icc'e!, te) 
Early Observations of Jupiter’: s Sixth Satellite 182 
Observations of the August Meteors . . Bake cr tee) 
Geology in the United States and Canada. Uta 
trated.) .. ae ‘ Se Wo? 
Scientific Fishery Investigations Reino to <b ees 
Agricultural Research . . 185 
Some New Methods in Meteorology. “Dr. Charles 
Chree, F.R.S. A 3 ReReLSO 
University and Educational ‘Intelligence sq etn LOT, 
Societiessand Academiesi seams tent 187 
DiaryjofiSocireties:. 0.) sme manent ee mn 192 
