NA TURE 



[May 12, 1904 



current density of 20 to 80 amperes per square decimeter 

 dissolving from 04 to 06 gram per ampere hour. With 

 barium cyanide, barium platinocyanide is formed by the 

 action of the alternating current ; the yield of the platino- 

 cyanide is good. — The origin of the Blondlot rays given off 

 during chemicai reactions : Albert Colson, Chemical re- 

 actions in which Blondlot rays are given off are always 

 accompanied by physical actions, such as contraction or 

 cooling. — On cacodylic acid and amphoteric bodies : P.-Th. 

 Muller and Ed. Bauer. Different physicochemical 

 methods all lead to the same conclusion, that cacodylic acid 

 and its sodium salt have the same constitution ; it follows 

 that an amphoteric body is not necessarily a pseudo-acid. 

 — The reduction of silica by hydrogen : A. Dufour. Silica 

 is reduced at a high temperature by hydrogen, water and 

 hydrogen silicide being formed. The inverse reaction is 

 possible. This reduction explains the phenomenon of 

 devitrification of silica tubes when heated in the blowpipe, 

 and also gives a satisfactory e.xplanation of the experiments 

 of Boussingault and of Schutzenberger on the formation of 

 the silicide of platinum by silica at a distance in a current 

 of hydrogen. — On the zinc aluminium alloys : Hector 

 Pecheux. By treating zinc with aluminium in various 

 proportions, nine different well defined alloys have been 

 obtained, the physical and chemical properties of which are 

 described. — The action of diazobenzene chloride upon 

 diphenylamine : L^o Vignon and A. Simonet. Phenyl- 

 diazoamidobenzene is obtained in this reaction. — On allyl 

 and propenyl-alkyl ketones : E. E. Blaise. — The application 

 of the Grignard reaction to the halogen esters of tertiary 

 alcohols : L. Bouveault. By carefully regulating the 

 temperature the chloride of tertiary butyl alcohol reacts 

 normally with magnesium ; the product absorbs carbon 

 dioxide, giving pivalic acid. The reaction with ethyl 

 formate was also studied. — On the symmetrical dichloro- 

 methyl ether : Marcel Descude. Trichloride of phosphorus 

 and polyoxymethylene react on heating in the presence of 

 a little zinc chloride, giving a good yield of the above 

 substance. — On a method of isolating cytoplasmic sub- 

 stances : Maurice Nicloux. — New researches on aucubine : 

 Em. Bourquelot and H. Herissey. — Abnormal hybrids : 

 C. Vig^uier. — On the biology of Sterigmatocystis versicolor : 

 Henri Coupin and Jean Friedel. — A food substance 

 obtained from the pith of the Madagascar palm : R. 

 Gallerand. The flour made from this palm is distinguished 

 by its richness in albumenoid matter, of which it contains 

 IO-5 per cent. — On the presence of tin in the department of 

 Loz^re : Marcel Guedras. — Nervous oscillations studied by 

 means of the n-rays emitted by the nerve : Augustin 

 Charpentier. — The modifications undergone by the diges- 

 tive apparatus under the influence of diet : Camille 

 Spiess. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, May ij. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — If the d 



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

 May 5, Messrs. Parsons, Stoney and Martin's paper on the Steam 

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



Mathematical Society, at 5.30.— Some Malhemalical Instruments: 

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

 Evaluation of Certain Definite Integrals by Means of Gamma Functions : 

 A. L. Dixon. — Generalisations of Legendre's Formula 



KE'-(K-E)K'=Jir: 

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

 tions : Dr. H. F. Baker.— On Perpetuant Syzygies: A. Young and 

 P. W. Wood. 



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

 FRIDAY, May 13. 



Royal Astronomical Society, at 5.— Milky Way Charts of the Heavens 

 to Argelander's Scale i°=2omm., with description by H. Dennis Taylor 

 and Alfred Taylor of the Lenses and Mount: J. Franklin-Adams — 

 Methods of Correcting Moon's Tabular Longitude : P. H. Cowell.— 

 The Definitive Places of the Standard Stars for the Northern Zones of 

 the Astronomische Gesellschaft : A. M. W. Downing.— Note on the 

 Formulje connecting " Standard Coordinates" with Right Ascension and 

 Declination : F. W. Tlyion.—rrolmbte Paper .—On the Pivot Errors of 

 the RadclifTe Transit-Circle: A. A. Ramhaut.— On the new Greenwich 

 Micrometer for Measurement of Photographs of Eros : Communicated by 

 the Astronomer Royal.— Further Analyses of the Moon's Errors with the 

 Mean Elongation as Argument : P. H. Cowell. 



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

 Commission of H.M.S. Watenvltch in the China Seas, 1900-1903, with 

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

 H. B. Preston.- On a Carboniferous Nautiloid from the Isle of Man : 

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

 Shells from New Zealand : Henry Suter. 



MONO A y. May 16. _ 



Sociological Society at ^. — Eugenics ; its Definition, Scope and Aims 

 Francis Gallon, F.R.S. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 3. — Anniversary Meeting: Address 

 by the President. 



TUESDAY, May 17. 



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



Zoological Society, at 8.30. — On some Nudibranchs from East Africa 

 and Zanzibar. Part v. : Sir Charles Eliot.— Description of a new Tree- 

 Frog of the Genus Hyla, from British Guiana, carrying Eggs on the 

 Back: G. A. Boulenger. F.R.S. — Notes upon the Anatomy of certain 

 Boida;: F. E. Beddard, F.R.S. 



Royal Statistical Society, at 5. — Local Expenditure and Local 

 Indebtedness in England and Wales : R. J. Thompson. 



Society of Arts, at 8.- Pewter and the Revival of its Use: Lasenby 

 Liberty. 



WEDNESDAY, May 18. 



Royal Microscopical Society, at 8. — Note on Grayson s Rulings: 

 E. M. Nelson.— Exhibition of Flower Seeds under Microscopes : C. Beck. 



(Chemical Society, at 5.30. — Action of Nitrosyl Chloride on Pinene : 

 W. A. Tilden.— The Electrolytic Estimation of Minute Quantities of 

 Arsenic : H. J. S. Sand and J. E. Hackford.— The Decomposition of the 

 Alkylureas (a Preliminary Note) : C. E. Fawsilt.— The Action of Sodium 

 Methoxide and its Homologues on Benzophenone Chloride and Benzal 

 Chloride. Part ii : J. E. Mackenzie and A. F. Joseph.— The Formation 

 of Periodides in Nitrobenzene Solution, II. Periodides of the Alkali and 

 Alkaline Earth Metals: H. M. Dawson and Miss E. E. Goodson. 

 THURSDAY, May 19. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — The Bakerian Lecture will be delivered by 

 Prof. E. Rutherford, F.R.S.. on the Succession of Changes in Radio- 

 active Bodies. — The following papers will probably be read in title 

 only :— On Saturated Solutions : Earl of Berkeley.— On the Liquefied 

 Hydrides of Phosphorus, Sulphur, and the Halogens, as Conducting 

 Solvents. Hart i. : B. D. Steele and D. Mcintosh. Part ii. : D. Mcintosh 

 and E. H. Archibald.— On the General Theory of Integration: Dr. 

 W. H. Young. 



Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, at 8.— Miners' Phthisis — 

 its Causes and Prevention : Dr. J. S. Haldane and R. A. Thomas. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at S. — Discussion on Messrs. 

 Parsons, Stoney and Martin's paper, entitled The Steam Turbine as 

 applied to Electrical Engineering. 



FRIDAY, May 20. 



Royal Institution, at 9. — The Radiation and Emanation from Radium : 

 Prof. E. Rutherford, F.R.S. 



NO. 1802, VOL. 70] 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Sanitary Engineering. By T. H. B 25 



Gems and Precious Stones. By J. W.J 26 



Specialised Chemistry. By F. M. P 27 



Cheese-Mites 28 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Colton : " Zoology : Descriptive and Practical." — 



J. A. T 28 



Pierson : "Among the Garden People." — R. L. . . 29 



Tarr : "New Physical Geography" 29 



Btightwen :" Quiet Hours with Nature" 29 



Coupin : " Le Monde des Fourmis" 29 



Letters to the Editor :— 



The Life-history of Radium. — Fredk. Soddy ; Prof. 



J. Joly, F.R.S 30 



Behaviour of Radium Bromide Heated to High Tem- 

 peratures on Platinum. — Prof. J. Joly, F.R.S. . . 31 

 Electromotive Force between Two Phases of the 



Same Metal. — George Beilby 31 



A Simple Method of Showing Vortex Motion. — P. E. 



Belas - . . . 31 



Napiei's Logarithms. — G. B. M 31 



The Excavator's Vade Mecum. {[llustratt-d.) By 



H. W. B 31 



Prof. A. W. Williamson, F.R.S. By Dr. T. E. 



Thorpe, F.R.S 32 



Emile Duclaux. By Dr. Charles J. Martin, F.R.S. 34 



Sir H. M. Stanley 35 



International Association of Academies 35 



Notes 36 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Solar Work at the Smithsonian Asttophysical Observ- 

 atory 39 



Meteor Radiants Observed at Athens 39 



Solar Faculie and Prominence Variations 39 



Magnitude Observations of Nova Persei 39 



Comet I904(^ 39 



Orbit of the Spectroscopic Binary 1 Pegasi 40 



Iron and Steel Institute 40 



The South African Association 41 



The New Zealand Vegetable Caterpillar. By W. F. 



Kirby ... 44 



University and Educational Intelligence 44 



Societies and Academies 45 



Diary of Societies 48 



