296 



A^A TURE 



[July 18, 1901 



isMihermal curves, by M. Demartres. — On the use in series of 

 disjunctive voltameters, by M. Ch. PoUalv. A note on a pre- 

 vious communication by the author. — On mani;anic phosphates, 

 by M. V. Auger. The phosphate obtained by heating nian- 

 L'nnese nitrate with phosphoric acid at 210° and extracting the 

 fused mass with water has the composition MnPBO.,i+ 14H.JO, 

 and is evidently a pyrophosphate ; it is dissolved by phosphoric 

 aci ', forming a violet solution which soon becomes opalescent 

 and deposits the normal phosphate, MnPOj-H H.jO. Manganese 

 metaphosphate, MnP^Og, is obtained by heating phosphorus 

 pentoxide with hydtated manganese dioxide. — Action of acid 

 chlorides on methanal, by M. Louis Henry. The author confirms 

 Descude's recent observation that the presence of zinc chloride 

 facilitates the action of acid chlorides on aldehydes. Benzoyl 

 chloride alone has no action on methanal ftrioxymethylene), but 

 in the presence of zinc chloride a rapid reaction takes place with 

 the form of a substance, crystallising in needles, which appears 

 to be chloromethyl benzoate. — Action of vegetable alkaloids on 

 some indicators, by M. A. Astruc. The behaviour of a number 

 o( alkaloids towards the indicators helianlhin, rosolic acid and 

 phenolphthalein was examined. In order to avoid the dissociating 

 influence of water, ethyl alcohol, amyl alcohol and benzene 

 were employed as solvents. The results obtained depend on 

 the solvent used in each case, as well as on the nature of the 

 alkaloid. — On dinaphthoxanthene, by M. R. Fosse. The action 

 of bromine on dinaphthoxanthene leads to the formation of 

 bromodinaphthoxanthene, a red, crystalline substance melting at 

 21S-220', which is remarkable in that when warmed with 

 alcohol it undergoes a reaction similar to that exhibited by 

 diazo-derivatives, hydrogen bromide, aldehyde and dinaphtho- 

 xanihene being produced. Bisdinaphthoxanthenamine, ob- 

 tained by the action of alcoholic ammonia on the above- 

 described bromine derivative, is a crystalline compound melt- 

 ing at 230°. Chlorodinaphthoxanthene crystallises in red 

 needles melting at 150". — Study of the product of the nitration 

 of acetoacetic ether, by MM. L. Bouveault and A. Bongert. 

 The compound previously described as produced by the nitra- 

 tion of acetoacetic ether is shown to be isomeric v\'ith, but quite 

 difl'erent in its reactions from, the substance which SchoU 

 obtained by the action of silver nitrate on ethyl bromacetate. — 

 On a method of synthesis of acetylenic aldehydes, by MM. Ch. 

 Moureu and R. Delange. The condensation of the ethers of 

 formic acid with the sodium derivatives of true acetylenic hydro- 

 carbons, R-CHCH, leads to the formation of acetylenic alde- 

 hydes, R - C = C - CHO, whilst the ethers of higher acids give 

 rise to acetylenic ketones. — Attempts to render vegetables im- 

 mune against cryptogamic diseases, by M. J. Beauverie. Seeds 

 and cuttings grown in soil in which the fungus Botrytis cinerea 

 had been previously allowed to develop were found to produce 

 plants capable of resisting the action of the fungus. — On the role 

 of leucocytes in elimination, by M. Henry Stassano. — Gluco- 

 proteins as new culture media, of definite chemical composition, 

 for the study of microbes, by M. Charles Lepierre. Nearly all 

 microbes, whether pathogenic or not, grow perfectly in liquids 

 in which the nitrogen is furnished exclusively by glucoproteins. 

 — The structure and function of the nervous system of an aceph- 

 aloid, by MM. N. Vaschide and C. Vurpas. — Acoustic conduc- 

 tivity and audition, by M. Pierre Bonnier. — On the intermittent 

 spring at Vesse, near Vichy, by M. F. Parmentier. The action 

 of this spring lasts for a period of an hour and takes place three 

 times in 25-27 hours. The water is thrown to a height of 7-8 

 metres and is accompanied by a copious evolution of carbon 

 dioxide ; it has a temperature of 31°, and yields a solid residue 

 of 5 '354 grams per litre consisting chiefly of sodium carbonate. 



New South Wales. 

 Royal Society, May i. — Prof. Liversidge, president, in 

 the chair.— Mr. H. C. Russell, CM. G., F.R.S., was elected 

 president for the current year. — Prof. Liversidge delivered an 

 address, in the course of which he referred to the Intercolonial 

 Catalogue of Scientific Literature. This work, he said, would 

 annually fill seventeen volumes, and would contain from 160,000 

 to 200,000 entries yearly, and would prove an inestimable boon, 

 as it would relieve scientific people from much of the trouble 

 now attendant upon hunting up references to scientific subjects. 

 He trusted that some efibrt would be made to collect and for- 

 ward material from Australia for inclusion in this catalogue. He 

 was also strongly in favour of a federation of the leading 

 scientific societies in Australia and the establishment of a 

 national Australian academy, and suggested that a site for such 



NO. 1655, VOL. 64] 



an academy, museums, art galleries, and a Federal University 

 and other scientific and educational societies might be reserved 

 in the capital of the Commonwealth. The organisation pro- 

 posed would somewhat resemble the Continental academies so 

 far as its scope was concerned, but under rules more like those 

 of the Royal Society of London. If the proposal were carried 

 out it would be of great benefit to Australia, not only in its 

 general usefulness, but in the stimulus it would give to the 

 younger scientific men, since election to it would depend upon 

 fitness and merit. It would be very gratifying to all who were 

 interested in the matter if, with the new century and the in- 

 auguration of the Commonwealth, there was increased attention 

 paid to the question of instruction in science in the schools and 

 better provision made in this direction, for it would be of great 

 usefulness in training the power of observation of the children 

 and teaching them to think about what they saw and heard. 

 Some of the teaching now done at the University should be 

 given in the schools, and the student would then gain valuable 

 time at the University for things he could not do at school. He 

 did not advocate the teaching of technical or applied sciences in 

 ordinary schools. It was to be regretted that the Sydney 

 University was probably the only modern University that ex- 

 cluded science from its entrance examinations. Prof. Liversidge 

 also made some observations in connection with the advantages 

 of a metric system of weights and measures and a decimal 

 system of coinage. He strongly recommended that its teaching 

 should be compulsory in all the schools of the State. The chief 

 defect of our present system of weights and measures was that 

 there was no simple connection between measures of length, 

 weight and capacity. Investigation showed that in countries 

 where the change to the metric system had been made, no great 

 difficulty was experienced, and an increase of trade had resulted. 

 He strongly urged that increased attention should be paid to 

 commercial education and suggested that, not only should it 

 include a certain amount of instruction in science, but that the 

 standard for the higher branches should be as high as for any 

 of the learned professions, also that part of the course should be 

 given at the University. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Modern Electrodynamics. By J. L 273 



Gilbert White of Selborne 276 



Cosmogony and Evolution. By W. E. P 277 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Reed; "The Geological History of the Rivers of 



East Yorkshire" 277 



Fergusson : " Fergusson's Surveying Circle and Per- 

 centage Tables" 27S 



Finn : '' How to Know the Indian Ducks." — R. L. . 278 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



On the Determination of Positions in Polar Explora- 

 tion. — E. Plumstead ... . . ... 278 



" First on the Antarctic Continent." — C. E. Borch- 



grevink .... 279 



The Settlement of Solid Matter in Fresh and Salt 



Water.— H. S Allen 279 



The Teaching of Mathematics.— F. L. Ward ... 280 



Curious Rain-drops.— M. S 2S0 



The Mycenaean Question. (Illustrated.) 280 



The South Eastern Agricultural College at Wye. 



(Illustrated.) 283 



The British Association. By Prof. Magnus Maclean 2S4 



Notes 285 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Wave-length of Green Corona Line 2S9 



Deformation of the Sun's Disc 289 



The Minor Planet Tercidina 2S9 



The Total Eclipse of May 18, 1901. (Illustrated.) . 289 

 The Aims of the National Physical Laboratory. By 



Dr. R. T. Glazebrook,F.R.S. 290 



On the Separation of the Least Volatile Gases of 

 Atmospheric Air, and their Spectra. By Prof. 

 G. D. Liveing, F.R.S., and Prof. J. Dewar, 



F.R.S 294 



University and Educational Intelligence 295 



Scientific Serial 295 



Societies and Academies 295 



