548 



NA rURE 



[September 26, 1901 



J. M. Willis. Only one double fluoride could be obtained of 

 the formula CsF.TeFj. — On the double chlorides of CKsium and 

 thorium, by H. L. Wells and J. M. Willis. —Studies of Eocene 

 mammalia in the Marsh collection, Peabody Museum, by T. L- 

 Wortman. — On the separation of the least volatile gases of 

 atmospheric air and their spectra, by G. D. Liveing and J. 

 Dewar (from the Pi-oceedings of the Royal Society). — The esti- 

 mation of calcium, strontium and barium as their oxalates, by 

 C. A. Peters. In the estimation of calcium by titration of the 

 oxalate with permanganate accurate results may be obtained 

 when hydrochloric acid (with a manganous salt) is used as a 

 .solvent. The conditions have also been worked out under 

 which barium and strontium can be accurately estimated as 

 oxalates. — On calaverite, by S. L. Penfield and W. E. Ford. 



Transactions of the American Mathematical Society, Tuly. — 

 On the convergence of continued fractions with complex ele- 

 ments, by E. B. Van Vleck. Few theorems of a general 

 character have hitherto been obtained, and these but of recent 

 date. The present paper recapitulates these, and some new 

 criteria are deduced. The demonstrations are based upon 

 certain equations which the writer believes to be new and of a 

 fundamental character. The references to previous memoirs 

 form a useful feature.— Geometry within a linear spherical com- 

 plex, by P. Y. Smith, is a paper devoted to the study of a 

 point-sphere correspondence of involutory character, which 

 appears as a direct generalisation from a certain point of view 

 of the well-known point-sphere correspondence arising in a 

 dilatation and the point-point correspondence of spherical inver- 

 sion. Illustrative problems are discussed. — A new determination 

 of the primitive continuous groups in two variables, by H. F. 

 Blichfeldt. These groups can, by a proper choice of the 

 variables, be transformed into /;-iy>(-//z;f^TO;/'// of the plane, a 

 result which Lie obtains after determining the canonical forms 

 of the primitive groups. This fact can, however, be established 

 from the general properties of such groups, and its use leads to 

 a new determination which it is the otiject of the paper to show. 

 — Determination of all the groups of order /'" which contain 

 the Abelian group of type (w-2,i), / being any prime, by 

 G. A. Miller. — On a fundamental property of a minimum in the 

 calculus of variations, and the proof of a theorem of Weier- 

 strass's, by W. F. Osgood. —Concerning Harnack's theory of 

 improper definite integrals, by E. H. Moore. The paper con- 

 siders the improper simple definite integrals of Ilarnack 

 (1S83, 1S84), and opens with a capital introduction to the 

 bibliography of the subject. — Zur linearen transformation der 

 ;&reihen, by F. Mertens. — All the papers were presented at 

 different meetings of the American Mathematical Society, 

 ranging from October 1900 to July 1901. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 



New South W.\les. 

 Linnean Society, July 31. — Mr. J. H. Maiden, president, 

 in the chair. — Further notes on supposed hybridisation among the 

 Eucalypts : with the description of a new species, by Henry Deane 

 and J. H. Maiden. — Notes on the botany of the interior of New 

 South Wales, part iv., by R. II. Cambage. The country particu- 

 larly referred to comprises the district between Mount Hope and 

 Parkes, the route traversed generally following the very low 

 range which forms the watershed between the Lachlan and the 

 Bogan Rivers. Malleeswere found to be numerous near Mount 

 Hope, but had ceased before Parkes was reached. Eucalyptus 

 conica, Deane and Maiden, and E. albens were met with near 

 Trundle. — Contributions to a knowledge of Australian Entozoa, 

 part i., description of a new species of Distomtim from the 

 Platypus, by S. J. Johnston. Distomuin ornitltorhynclii, n.sp., 

 is found in the stomach, duodenum and proximal portion of the 

 small intestine of the duckbill. The species falls into Dujardin's 

 subgenus Brachylaiiiius. — Revised census of the marine mollusca 

 of Tasmania, by Prof. Ralph Tate and W. L. May. By far 

 the greater number of the named species of Tasmania have 

 been known by description only, covered by the papers of 

 Tenison-Woods, 1875-81, and continued by Petterd and Bed- 

 dome to 1884 ; and in consequence many of the species have 

 been re-described under different names. The efforts of the 

 authors, carried on for many years, are to bring these little 

 known species into relationship with the constituents of neigh- 

 bouring local faunas. The authors have had access to very 



NO. 1665, VOL. 64] 



nearly all of the local types, and their knowledge of the Aus- 

 tralian fauna imparts to their interpretation of the Tasmanian 

 species a value which may be accepted as correct in the main. 

 The unfigured species, including about 30 new forms, number 

 120 or thereabouts, which are illustrated. Two new genera 

 are established, Tetteniella, based on Stylifir Tasmanica, 

 T.-Wds., which has the general form and aperture of Rissoina 

 and the heterostrophe nucleus of Eulimella ; and Tliraciopsis 

 (nomen mutandum) = ^AV;a, Angas iion Johnston (1861). A 

 new species of a previously unknown genus in .\ustralia, 

 Cyainium, is described. Among some of the several changes 

 in generic location is the transference of Coniinella tcnuicostata 

 to Piios in a sectional group belonging to the Older Tertiaries of 

 Australia. This is not the only instance of the survival of an 

 Eocene genus in an unique species in the waters of Southern 

 Australia and Tasmania. The number of species in the census 

 of Tenison-Woods has been considerably reduced, but many 

 extralimital species have been added. The total number is 

 676, grouped as follows : — Cephalopoda, 10 ; Gastropoda, 503 ; 

 Scaphopoda, 4 ; Lamellibranchiata, 156 : Palliobranchiata, 3. 



GOTTINGEN. 



Royal Society of Sciences. — The Naclirichten (physico- 

 mathematical section), part I for 1901, contains the following 

 memoirs communicated to the Society : — 



January 12. — W. Voigt : on the pyromagnetism and piezo- 

 magnetism of crystals. 



February 23. — W. Boy: on the representation of the projective 

 plane on a finite closed surface free from singularities. 



March 9. — E. Zermelo : on the addition of transfinite cardinal 

 numbers. H. Liebmann : on the flexure of the closed ring- 

 surface. W. Nernst and E. H. Riesenfeld : on electrolytic 

 phenomena at the common surface of two solvents. W. Kauf- 

 mann : on an analogy between the behaviour of Nernst's 

 " incandescent oxides " and that of conducting gases. 



May II. — Emil Cohn: on the equations of the electro- 

 magnetic field for bodies in motion. 



The Minutes of the Society contain brief reports on the 

 progress of the Mathematical Encyclopaedia, and of the new 

 edition of Gauss's works, together with an obituary notice of 

 Prof. Max Miiller. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Towers and Tanks for VVater-Supply 525 



Elementary Zoology 525 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Wundt : " Gustav Theodor Fechner."^A. E. T. . 526 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Two Problems of ('leometry. {Willi Diagrams.) — 



D. M. Y. Sommerville 526 



Aurorce .and Meteors.— Alex. C. Henderson ... 527 

 The Inverness Earthquake of September iS. By 



Dr. Charles Davison 527 



Dr. J. L. W. Thudicum • 527 



Notes 52S 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronomical Occurrences in October 532 



Fireball of September 14, 1901 532 



New Variable Star 77, 1901, Herculis 532 



The Glasgow Meeting of the British Association : — 

 Section E.— Geography. — Opening Address by Dr. 



Hugh Robert Mill, President of the Section . . 532 

 Section H.— Anthropology.— Opening Address by 

 Prof. D. J. Cunningham, F.R.S., President of 



the Section 539 



Section I.— Physiology.— Opening Address by Prof. 

 John G. McKendrick, F.R.S., President of the 



Section 545 



University and Educational Intelligence 547 



Scientific Serials -547 



Societies and Academies 54^ 



