24 



NA rURE 



[May 5, 1904 



actions and its boiling point (—116° C). — The lead- 

 aluminium alloys : H. Pecheux. Alloys containing 93, 

 q5 and 98 per cent, of aluminium were obtained, the proper- 

 ties of which are described. — On colloidal gold : -M. 

 Hanriot. Colloidal gold, prepared by the method of 

 Henrich, e-xhibits properties which are inconsistent with 

 the assumption that it consists merely of finely divided 

 gold. — A new indicator and its application tp the detection 

 of boric acid : Lucien Robin. The indicator proposeu is 

 e.\tracted from mimosa flowers by weak alcohol. Its 

 general behaviour is similar to that of phenol-phthalein, 

 with the advantage that it can be used in the presence of 

 ammonia. It gives a characteristic reaction with borates, 

 and may be used for this purpose in the analysis of food 

 products. — The action of magnesium and organo-magnesium 

 compounds on bromophenetol : \'. Grignard. Bromo- 

 phenetol reacts readily with magnesium powder, giving 

 ethylene and C5H5O : MgBr instead of the normal com- 

 pound C.HjOCHXH.MgBr.— On the lactone of oxy-' 

 crotonic acid and the 7-substituted crotonic acids : -'a. 

 Lespjeau. — Researches on the dinaphthopyranic series : 

 R. Fosse. — Remarks on some peculiarities of the flora of 

 Long Island : Ph. Eberhardt. The views of the author 

 given in previous papers on the influence of the amount 

 of atmospheric moisture on the growth and development 

 of plants have received confirmation from a study of the 

 growth of vegetation on Long Island. — Researches on the 

 browning of the vine : L. Ravaz. The browning of the 

 vine is a particular case of impoverishment of the plant 

 brought about by production. It may be avoided by the 

 use of manures rich in potash. — On the evolution of the 

 relief of the plateau of Mehedinti, Roumania : E. 

 de Martonne. — On the faults and undulations of the 

 secondary and tertiary layers of the Loir : Jules Welsch. 

 — On an albumen extracted from the eggs of fishes : the 

 romparative chemistry of the sexual products in the same 

 species ; L. Hugounenq. — Autolysis of the tissues of the 

 animal organism and the genesis of morbid phenomena : 

 ■\. Charrin. — The colloidal state of metals in mineral 

 waters ; natural oxydases and their therapeutic action : 

 F. Garrig^ou. — On a mechanical apparatus allowing of 

 trepanning and vibratory massage : M. Bercut. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA V, May 5. 



Royal Society, at 4.— Election of Fellows.— At 4.30— Experiment-S on 

 a Method of Preventing Death from Snake Bite, capable of Common 

 and Easy Practical Application : Sir Lauder Brunton, K.R.S., Sir Joseph 

 Fayrer, Bart., F. R.S., and Dr. L. Rogers— A Research into the Heat 

 Regulation of the Body by an Investigaiion of Death I'emperatures : Dr. 

 E. M. Corner and Dr. J. E. H. Sawyer —(i) A Note on the Action of 

 Radium on Micro-organisms; (2) Further Note on Some Additional 

 Points in Connection with Chloroformed Calf Vaccine : Dr. A. B Green. 

 —On Certain Physical and Chemical Properties of Solutions of Chloro- 

 form in Water, Saline. Serum and Haimoglobin. A Contribution to the 

 Chemistry of Anaesthesia — Preliminary Communication ; Prof. B. Moore 

 and Dr. H. E. Roaf. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— British Freshwater Rhizopoda : J. Cash.— On 

 Coloration in Animals and Birds: J. Lewis Bonhote.— On the Cranial 

 Osteology of the Fishes of the Families Mormyrida;, Notopteridae and 

 Hyodontids : Dr. W. G. Ridewood. 



R6NTGEN Society, at 8.30. — The Rbntgen Society; its Past Work and 

 Future Prospects: J.J. Vezey.- Some Experiments with Alpha Rays: 



Chemical S()C1ety, at S.— The Slow Combustion of Ethane : W. A. Bone 

 and W.E. Stockings.— Note on the Hydrolysis of Starch by Diastase : J. S. 

 Ford.— The Reesin Acids of the Coniferie. Part 1. The Constitution of 

 Abietic Acid : T. H. Easterfield and G. Bagley.— The Action of Radium 

 Kays on the Halides of the Alkali Metals, and Analogous Effects pro- 

 duced by Heat ; W. Ackroyd.— The Dynamic Isomerism of Glucose and 

 of Galactose. Solubility as a means of Determining the Proportions 

 of Dynamic Isomerides in Equilibrium : T. M. Lowry.— A Study of the 

 Substitution Products of «r-Tetrahydro-(i-naphthylamine, a?-4-Bronio- 

 tetrahydro-a-naphthylamine and rt^--Tetrahydro-a-naphthylamine-4-sul- 

 phonic acid : G. T. Morgan, Miss F. M. G. Micklethwait, and H. B. 

 Winfield.— The Additive Products of Benzylideneaniline with Methyl- 

 acetoacetic Ester and Aceloacetic Ester ; F\ E. Francis and Miss M. 

 Taylor. 



Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, at 8. — Discussion on 

 Laboratory Equipment (conclusion). 



FRIDAY, May 6. 



Royal Institution, at 9. — Anthropoid Apes ; Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell. 



Physical Society, at S. — An Experiment with Lubiicating Oil: W. A. 

 Price. — Some Instruments for the Measurement of Large and Small 

 Alternating Currents; W. Duddell. — Exhibition of Apparatus from the 

 National Physical Laboratories. 



MONO A Y. May 9. 



Royal Institution, at 5. — General Monthly Meeting. 



Faraday Society, at 8.— Studies in Viscosity: Dr. C. E. Fawsill.— The 



NO. 1 801, VOL. 70] 



Electrolytic Oxidation of Anthracine: Alberto Fonlaria and F. Mollwo 

 Perkin. 



Society of Arts, at 4.3o.-The Majolica and Glazed Earthenware of 

 Tuscany : Prof. R Langton Douglas. 



TUESDAY, May 10. 



Royal Institution, at 5.— Meteorites : L. Fletcher, F.R.S. 



Society of Arts, at 8.— Crystalline Glazes and their Application to the 

 Decoration of Pottery : W. Burton. 



WEDNESDAY. May ii. 



Society of Arts, at 8.— Early Painting in Miniature : R. R. Holmes. 



Geological Society, at S,-On some Quartziie-Dykes in ihe Mountain 

 Limestone near Snelston (Derbyshire) : H. H. Arnold-Bemrose.— Pheno- 

 mena bearing upon the Age of the Lake of Geneva : Dr. C. S. DuRiche 

 Preller. 



THURSDAY, May 12. 



Institution of Electrical Fngineers, at 8. — I the discussion on 

 Messrs. Merz and McLellan's paper is concluded at the meeting of 

 May 5, Messrs- Parsons, Sloney and Martin's paper on the Steam 

 Turbine as applied to Electrical Engineering will be read and discussed. 



Mathematical Society, at ^. 30.— Some Maihemaiical Instruments; 

 C. Cooke (communicated by Major P. A. MacMahon).— On the- 

 Evaluation of Certain Definite Integrals by Means of Gamma Functions : 

 A. L. Dixon.— Generalisations of I.egendre's Formula 



KE-(K-E)K'=J)r: 

 A. L. Dixon. — Note on the Integration of Linear DilTerential Equa- 

 tions : Dr. H. F. Baker. 



Society of Arts, at 4.30.— British Grown Tea: A. G. Stanton. 

 FRIDAY, May 13. 



RovAi. Astronomical Society, at 5. 



Malacological Society, at 8. — List of MoIIusca collected during the 

 Commission of H.M.S. IVaU-rivilck in the China Seas, 1Q00-1903, with. 

 Descriptions of New Species: Surgeon K. Hurlstone Jones, R.N. , and 

 H. B. Preston.— On a Carboniferous Nautiloid from ihe Isle of Man : 

 G. C. Crick.— Notes on the Genus Anoma : E. R. Sykes.— New Land 

 Shells from New Zealand : Henry Suter. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Metallurgy of Steel. By A. McWilliam ... i 

 From the Angler's Point of View. By L. W. B. . ^ 

 Our Book Shelf :— 



Neumeister : " Betrachtungen iiber das Wesen der 

 Lebenserscheinungen. Ein Beitrag zum Begtiff des 



Proloplasmas.'' — J. A. T 3. 



Streeter : " The Fat of the Land. The Story of an 



American Farm 4. 



Stark : " Die Dissoziierung und Umwandlung chemis- 



cher Atome." — O. W. R 4. 



Witchell : " Nature's Story of the Year " 4. 



Young : "Essays and Addresses" 4 



^urcht; : "The Globe Geogiaphy Readers. Senior. 



Our World-wide Empire" 4 



Letters to the Editor :— 



TheDisaster to Submarine Ai.— Prof. E. A. Schafer, 



F.R.S 5, 



The Life-history of Radium.— W. C. D. Whetham, 



F.R.S 5. 



Graphic Methods in an Educational Course on 



IVlechanics. — R. M. Milne 5 



Asser and the Solar Eclipse of October 29, 878. — 



Rev. C. S. Taylor fr 



"Abdominal Ribs" in Lacertilla. — Frank E. 



Beddard, F.R.S 6- 



Inheritance of Acquired Characters. — D. E. Hutchins 6 

 The Popularisation of Ethnological Museums. 

 {IlhisiraUd.) By Prof. A. C. Haddon, F.R.S. ... 7 



Round Kanchenjunga. (Illustraled.) S 



Higher Education in the United States. By A. T. S. 10 



Notes, {llluslralcd.) II 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Coinet 1904 <7 14. 



Diminution of the Intensity of the Solar Radiation . 14 

 The Periodical Apparition of the Martian Canals 14 



Elements and Compounds. (Il'it/i Diagi-ains.) By 



Piof. 'W. Ostwald " 15 



A Smithsonian Magazine of Science 20 



University and Educational Intelligence 21 



Societies and Academies 22 



Diary of Societies 24 



SUI'I'LEMENT. 



Lord Kelvin on Optical and Molecular Dynamics. 



ByJ. L iii 



Blood Relationships. By Dr. Charles J. Martin, 



F R.S vi 



The Moon xi 



Kinship and Marriage. By Ernest Crawley . . . xiii 



Sylviculture xiii 



Engineering in South Africa. By N. J. L xiv 



