NATURE 



[June 20, 1901 



calorific convection and the cooling power of liquids, by M. ]. 

 Boussinesq. — On the series of Bernoulli, by M. G. Mittag- 

 Leffler. — On the Eulerian incomplete integrals of the second 

 species and the indefinite integrals of the preceding functions, 

 by M. E. Vallier. — On the region of convergence of an infinite 

 integral, by M. E. Phragmen. — On a remarkable invariant of 

 certain transformations realised by self-recording apparatus, by 

 M. Rabat. — The laws of Gay-Lussac and the dissociation of 

 gaseous compounds, by M. A. Ponsot. It is usually held that 

 the law of Avogadro is an approximate law which tends to be- 

 come more exact as the volume increases. According to the 

 investigation in the present paper this is not the case. — The 

 vibrations produced in a wire with an influence machine, by 

 M. D. Negreano. If an insulated stretched wire contained in a 

 tube is connected with one of the poles of a Wimshurst influence 

 machine, transverse vibrations are set up in the wire, and if 

 viewed in the dark, portions of the wire become visible. — On an 

 electrolytic rectifier, by M. Ch. PoUak. A description of the 

 conditions under which it is possible to use aluminium electrodes 

 in an electrolytic apparatus for rectifying alternating currents, 

 together with the precautions necessary in forming the plates. — 

 On an electrical grisoumeter, by M. G. Leon. Two small 

 platinum wires forming two of the arms of a Wheatstone's bridge 

 are kept at a red heat by a small battery of accumulators, one of 

 the wires being placed in pure air and the other in the atmo- 

 sphere containing methane. The presence of the methane causes 

 a rise in the temperature of the latter wire which results in a 

 deflection of the galvanometer, this deflection being propor- 

 tional to the amount of marsh gas present. — On the experimental 

 verification of a law of chemical mechanics, by M. H. Pelabon. 

 The reaction between hydrogen and mercuric sulphide has been 

 experimentally studied and the results applied to the verification 

 of the formula p\p«jpiPi=fX^). — The action of a metallic 

 hydrate upon a salt of another metal. Basic salts with two 

 metals, by M. A. Recoura. Results of experiments upon the 

 reactions between copper hydrate upon solutions of zinc sulphate, 

 and of the sulphates of cadmium, manganese, cobalt, nickel 

 and copper. — On the imidodithiocarbonic esters, RN : C(SR').j, 

 by M. Marcel Delepine. — On the active erythritols, by 

 MM. L. Maquenne and G. Bertrand. Measurements of the 

 rotatory power of the two erythritols in water and in alcohol, and 

 description of the preparation of the tetra-acetyl, benzoyl and 

 valeryl derivatives, and also of the oxidation products. — Study 

 ■of a densimeter for the determination of the baking value of 

 wheaten flour, by M. E. Fleurent. — Analysis of some travertines 

 from the Vichy basin, by MM. C. Girard and F. Bordas. — On 

 the olivine gabbro from Kosswinsky-Kamen (Ural), by MM. 

 L. Duparc and F. Pearce. — On the fimction of the eustatic 

 oscillations of the level of the base in the formation of systems 

 of terraces in some valleys, by M. D. Lamothe. — On the mor- 

 phology of the sexual elements in some species of Stylorhynchus 

 by M. Louis Leger. — On the constant presence of a gregariniform 

 stage in the cycle of evolution of hematozoa of malaria, by 

 M. A. Billet. — New observations on the parthenogenesis of the 

 sea urchin, by M. G. Viguier. — On the use of silicotungstic 

 acid as a reagent for the alkaloids of urine. The variations of 

 alkaloidal nitrogen, by M. H. Guillemard. The ratio of the 

 alkaloidal nitrogen to the total nitrogen existing in urine varies 

 to some extent with the food, but in certain febrile diseases 

 this ratio undergoes enormous variations, there being in the 

 latter case a considerable increase in both the absolute and 

 ■relative quantities of the alkaloids eliminated. — On the otoliths 

 of the frog, by M. Marage. — On a new method of examination 

 for the typhoid bacillus, by M. R. Cambier. It is found that 

 if a sterile broth contained in a tube of biscuit porcelain, which 

 latter dips also into sterile broth, is inoculated with the typhoid 

 bacillus, in the course of its growth the bacillus is able to 

 make its way through the porcelain, even although this same 

 porcelain is quite capable of filtering off the bacillus in the 

 ordinary way. It was found that the more actively motile the 

 bacillus the more easily was the filter penetrated in this way. 

 Several other species of bacilli were found to be capable of 

 traversing the walls of the filter in a similar way, but none of the 

 species examined up to the present pass through so rapidly as 

 the typhoid bacillus. On the basis of these observations the 

 author founds a method of determining the presence of this 

 bacillus in potable water, and he has been able to recognise 

 the Ebert bacillus in water from the Seine and the Marne and 

 also in the waters from certain springs. — Six months' meteor- 

 ological observations at (Juito, by M. F. Gonnessiat. 



NO. 1 65 I, VOL. 64] 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, June 20. 

 Royal Society, at 4.30. — The Nature and Origin of the Poison of Lot7ts 

 arabkus : W. R. Dunslan, F.R.S., and T. A. Henry.— (.) On the 

 Mathematical Theory of Errors of Judgment, with Special Reference to 

 the Personal Equation ; (2) Mathematical Contributions to the Theory of 

 Evolution. X. Supplement to a Memoir on Skew Variation : Prof. K. 

 Pearson, F.R.S.— On the Application of Maxwell's Curves to Three- 

 Colour Work, with Especial Reference to the Nature of the Inks to be 

 employed, and to the Determination of the Suitable Light-filters : Dr. 

 R. S. Clay.— On the Structure and Affinities of Difteris, with Notes on 

 the Geological History of the Dipleridinac : A. C. Seward, F.R.S., and 

 Miss E. Dale.— (i) Further Observations on Nova Persei, No. 3 ; (2) Total 

 Eclipse of the Sun, May 23, 1900: Account of the Observations made by 

 the Solar Physics Observatory Eclipse Expedition and the Officers and 

 Men of H. M.S. Tlicseiis. at Santa Pola, Spain : Sir Norman I.ockyer, 

 K.C.B., F.R.S.— The Mech.-inism of the Electric Arc : Mrs. H. Ayrton. 

 — .\nd other Papers. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— On the Freshwater Algae of Ceylon : W. West 

 and G. S. West.— On Coprophilous Fungi : George Massee and E. 

 Salmon.— Revision of the Genus Hypericopbyllum, Steetz, with Notes 

 on certain Genera with which it has been confused : N. E. Brown. 



Chemical Society, at 8.— Ballot for the Election of Fellows.— The Direct 

 Union of Carbon and Hydrogen, Part 11.: W. A. Bone and D. S. Jerdan. 

 — Ammonium and other Imidosulphites : E. Divers and M. Ogawa. — 

 Nitrilosulphates : E. Divers and T. Haga, — The Decomposition of ■ 

 Hydrocarbons at High Temperatures : W. A. Bone and D. S Jerdan.— 

 The Sugars from Cellulose : H. J. H. Fenton.— On a Theory of Chemical 

 Combination : G. Martin.— On the Occurrence of Paraffins in the Leaf 

 of Tobacco : Dr. T. E. Thorpe, C.B., F. K.S., and John Holmes.— Studies 

 in the Camphane Series, Part IV.: M. O. Forsler.— On the Decomposi- 

 tion of Carbon Dioxide, when submitted to Electric Discharge at Low 

 Pressures : Dr. J. N. Collie, F.R.S.— Two New Substances in Lemon 

 Oil : H. E. Burgess. 



MONDAY, June 24. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — The Belgian Antarctic Expedi- 

 tillon : Henryk Ar<jtowski. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Charles St. John. By T. Digby Pigott, C.B. ... 177 



Exercises in Hygiene 178 



Public Water-Supplies 179 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Bornstein : " Leitfaden der Wetterkunde. Gemeinver- 



standlich bearbeitet " 180 



St. Clair : " Myths of Greece explained and dated. 

 An Embalmed History from Uranus to Perseus, 

 including the Eleusinian Mysteries and the 



Olympic Games" 180 



Letters to the Editor ; — 



Does Chemical Transformation Influence Weight? — 



Lord Rayleigh, F.R.S 181 



The National Antarctic Expedition. — Prof. J. W. 



Gregory, F.R.S 181 



The Settlement of Solid Matter in Fresh and Salt 



Water.— W. H. Wheeler iSi 



The Subjective Lowering of Pitch.— Prof. F. J. 

 Allen ; G. W. Hemming; E. Hurren Harding 182 



The National Antarctic Expedition 182 



The Telegraphone. (llluslyated.) 1S3 



The Ninth Jubilee of Glasgow University ... 186 



Notes. (Illustrated.) 1S7 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Observations of Nova Persei 191 



Comet 1901 a 191 



New Variable Stars 191 



Forms of Images in Stellar Photography 191 



The Sixth Annual Congress of the South-eastern 



Union of Scientific Societies 192 



Some Recent Work on Diffusion. II. (Illustrated.) 



By Dr. Horace T. Brown, F.R.S 193 



A Long Period Sunspot Variation. (With Diagrams.) 



By Dr. William J. S. Lockyer 196 



University and Educational Intelligence 19S 



Scientific Serial 19S 



Societies and Academies 19S 



Diary of Societies 200 



