May 30, 1 901] 



NA TURE 



119 



figures of powders, by F. Auerbach. — On the influence of 

 temperature on the elasticity of metals, byC. Schaefer. Experi- 

 ments were carried out on nine metals, and the value of the 

 torsion modulus measured at - lS6°C., - 70° C. and about 20° C. 

 If the temperature coefficients of the different metals are plotted 

 as ordinates, and the melting points as abscissa;, a smooth curve 

 passes through the whole of the results. — Remarks on a paper 

 of T. Middel on the cause of the thermal change of delicacy 

 in balances, by W. Felgentraeger. — Liquid crystals, by O. 

 Lehmann. A reply to some remarks of G. Tammann. — On 

 the distribution of electricity on an ellipsoid, by G. Jaeger. 



Symons's Miteorologkal Magazine for May contains a useful 

 reference table of the annual means and extremes of the 

 meteorological observations taken at Camden Square for each 

 of the forty years 1858-97. During the years 1898 and 1899 

 Mr. Symons gave for each month the means and extremes for 

 the various elements, and the present third set of tables com- 

 pletes this unique and valuable record of the climate of London. 

 It may not be out of place to quote a few of the extreme values 

 of the period in question, which are shown by a glance at the 

 table, although we have referred to most of them on former 

 occasions. The highest solar radiation temperature (since 1870) 

 was I37°7 in 1S81, and the lowest terrestrial radiation temper- 

 atures (since i860) were o°'6 in the same year and o"-5 in 1867. 

 The extremes in the screen were 94°'6 in 18S1 and 6°'7 in 1867. 

 The same low reading occurred in i860, and 7°-3 in the severe 

 frost of 1S95. The greatest rainfall (34'o8 inches) occurred in 

 187S, and the least (16-93 inches) in 1864. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



London 

 Anthropological Institute, May 14 — Mr. R. Shelford, of 

 Sarawak, exhibited a number of carved bamboos and com- 

 mented on the elements of Dyak decorative art. — Mr. W. 

 MacDougall read a paper by Dr. Hose and himself on the 

 animal cults of Sarawak. He showed that though many of 

 them exhibit elements frequently associated with totemism, such 

 as the respect paid to an animal believed to be the resting-place 

 of the soul of a deceased ancestor, totemism itself could not be 

 regarded as the starting-point of any of the cults, and was at 

 most only present in a rudimentary stage. He also gave details 

 as to the beliefs of the Sea Dyaks about the Nyarong or spirit- 

 helper believed to be acquired by some men in dreams. 



Edinburgh. 

 Royal Society, May 8. — Dr. Burgess in the chair. — Prof. 

 Copeland and Dr. J. Halm, in further notes on the new star 

 in Perseus, gave a description of the changes which had accom- 

 panied the star's decrease in brightness. One of the most 

 interesting features was the periodicity which had recently es- 

 tablished itself, indicating a period of three to five days with a 

 possible longer period of several weeks. The corresponding 

 changes in the spectrum were also discussed, the apparent 

 shifting of certain bands being explained as due to the fading of 

 the one and the relative brightening of the other of two over- 

 lapping bands. Broadly speaking, the change in the spectrum 

 had been towards the nebular type. It was suggested that the 

 absorption bands flanking the bright bands were an effect of 

 high internal pressure. — Prof. John Gibson read a paper on 

 certain relations between the electrical conductivity and the 

 chemical character of solutions, following up a previous com- 

 munication published three years ago. The paper w.^s based 

 upon a large number of experiments, some of which had been 

 going on for years and were not yet completed. The broad 

 principle underlying the results he had obtained was that in 

 solutions inter-molecular reactions tend towards maximum 

 specific electrical conductivity. In one series of experiments 

 solutions of hydrochloric acid of varying concentration were 

 formed and a small proportionate quantity of chromic anhydride 

 added to each. In strong solutions above the concentration 

 which gives the maximum specific conductivity, the reaction, re- 

 presented by the equation 12HCI + 2Cr03 = 2CrCl3 + 6H,0 + 3CI0 

 and indicated to the eye by the change in colour, went on more 

 rapidly the further removed the concentration was from that 

 which corresponds to the maximum specific conductivity. In 

 one experiment the critical concentration of lS'2 per cent, was 

 used and the mixture kept in the dark. The reaction is not 



JIO. 1648, VOL. 64] 



yet complete, although three years have elapsed. With a 20 per 

 cent, solution the reaction was completed in about six months, 

 and with a 24 per cent, solution in less than one month. Similar 

 results were obtained with other solutions involving more 

 rapid reactions, requiring for their completion times comprised 

 within a small number of weeks or even minutes. In the case 

 of sugar solutions another determining factor came in, namely, 

 the viscosity, a diminution in which by the destruction of 

 the sugar by sulphuric acid increases the conductivity in- 

 dependently of change in concentration. An interesting illus- 

 tration of the saine principle was afforded by the fact that in 

 vinous fermentation a greater concentration than about 14 per 

 cent, cannot be obtained. By making a series of artificial musts 

 with proper proportions of salts, sugar and alcohol so as to 

 represent approximately successive stages of the fermentation, 

 Dr. Gibson found that the conductivity approached a maximum 

 as the concentration of alcohol approached 14 per cent. The 

 paper ended with a novel and interesting discussion of the 

 phenomena of plant life along the same broad physico-chemical 

 lines. The rSle of the inorganic salts necessarily present in the 

 sap, the special usefulness of certain salts and the influence of 

 varying concentration were discussed and connected with 

 principles in regard to photochemical action and chemical 

 action generally embodied in two short papers read in 1897 and 

 published in iheSocXtiy's Proceedings. — Prof. George Forbes, 

 F.R.S., read an additional note on the Ultra-Neptunian planet 

 the existence of which is indicated by its action on comets, sup- 

 plementing papers on the same subject published twenty years 

 ago. The general idea was that comets were attracted into the 

 solar system by the action of outlying planets ; and there were 

 seven comets having aphelion positions corresponding with 

 positions of a planet revolving round the sun at a distance 100 

 times that of the earth, with a period of about 1000 years. It 

 was suggested that this planet, by its disturbing action on the 

 comet of 1264 and 1556, which had not reappeared as expected 

 in 1848, had so altered the elements of the orbit as to make it 

 no longer recognisable ; and reasons were given in favour of the 

 identification of the lost comet with either the comet 1844 (3) or 

 the comet 1843 (2J, both of which had parabolic orbits assigned. 

 If these were assumed to be ellipses of the proper size the 

 aphelion positions would not be far removed from the positions 

 occupied by the supposed planet. To produce the changes 

 demanded in the orbit the mass of the supposed planet would, 

 however, require to be greater than that of Jupiter. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, May 20. — M. Fouque in the chair. 

 — On the total eclipse of May 18, by M. J. Janssen. A short 

 report on observations of the recent eclipse by M. de la Baume, 

 at Sumatra. The rotation of the sun's corona, and the presence 

 of Fraunhofer's lines in the light thereof, have not been confirmed. 

 — Researches on the condition of alumina in soils, by M. T. 

 Schlresing. A number of specimens of earth from Madagascar 

 were found to contain considerable quantities of alumina, either 

 in the free state or in the form of a silicate readily attacked by 

 dilute caustic soda solution. The greater part of the alumina or 

 the silicate exists in a pulverulent, sandy state, and is not the 

 cause of the tenacity of the soil ; it has no adverse influence on 

 vegetation. — M. Laveran was elected to fill the vacancy in the 

 Section of Medicine and Surgery caused by the decease of M. 

 Potain. — On the eclipse of Jupiter's fourth satellite, observed at 

 Paris, May 17. 1901, by M. G. Bigourdan. — Observations of tne 

 brightness of Nova Persei, by M. Luizet. The variations in the 

 brightness of this star are said to show no regular periodicity. — On 

 regular groups of a finite order, by M. Leon Autonne. — On the 

 molecular depressions of the temperature of maximum density 

 of water produced by the dissolution of the chlorides, bromides 

 and iodides of potassium, sodium, rubidium, lithium and am- 

 monium ; the relations between these depressions, by M. L. C. 

 de Coppet. The experimental results are given in tabular form. 

 The lowering of the temperature of maximum density is propor- 

 tional to the quantity of salt dissolved, whilst the molecttlar 

 lowering is almost constant. Lithium salts, however, are an 

 exception to the latter rule, their molecular lowering increasing 

 with the concentration. The salts of sodium are the most, and 

 those of lithium the least, active. Iodides produce a greater 

 depression than bromides, and bromides than chlorides, the re- 

 lations between the observed values being the same for all the 

 metals of the group. — Alcohols and calcium carbide, by M. 

 Pierre Lefebvre. A continuation of previous work on the 



