96 



NA TURE 



[May 26, 1904 



carbon and nitrogen are determined. For the last named 

 element the mean value is 14004, as against the figure of 

 i4057 of Stas. — On the preparation and properties of hypo- 

 phosphorous acid : C. Marie. Two methods are given, 

 starting from the barium and sodium salts respectively, 

 both of which yield a pure crystalline acid of melting point 

 ^6-5. The decomposition by heat was also studied, and the 

 ftiuation ordinarily accepted for this change shown to be 

 r-rroneous. — On a crystallised chromous tartrate : G. 

 Bauge. — Colouring matters derived from triphenylmethane : 

 Charles Lauth. — The preparation of the a-/3-ketonic esters : 

 L. Bouveault and A. Wahl. A study of the reaction 

 between nitrogen peroxide and ethyl isonitrosoacetoacetate. 

 — The action of phosphorus trichloride and some primary 

 cyclic amines at the boiling point ; the reduction of the 

 chloride with the formation of phosphorus : P. Letnoult. 

 — On some new polymers of formaldehyde : A. Seyewetz 

 and iVI. Gibello. — The action of paraformaldehyde upon the 

 sesquiterpenes : P. Genvressc. Carophyllene, clovene and 

 cadinene all combine with formaldehyde. — Researches on 

 the mechanism of the circulation of arom.atic compounds in 

 plants : Eug. Charabot and G. Laloue. — The action of 

 heat and acidity on amylase : P. Petit. — The organisation 

 and morphogeny of the .'Etheridae : R. Anthony. — Observ- 

 ations on Gymnoascus and Aspergillus : P. A. Dang:eard. 

 — Some remarks on the ancient Cryptogams and fossil 

 plant soils : B. Renault. — Study of the spinal cord by 

 means of the n-rays ; Andr^ Broca and A. Zimmern. 

 From their preliminary observations the authors conclude 

 that the e.xamination of the spinal cord by means of the 

 li-rays allows of the demonstration on the living man of 

 the existence of medullary centres, and even to gain some 

 idea of their degree of activity. — On the presence of geminal 

 nuclei in the cells of certain tissues of the guinea pig ; 

 Maurice Pacaut. — Light, food, and chlorophyll as modify- 

 ing factors in the development of Amphibia : Georges 

 Bohn. — On a mode of bacterial extraction of spring and 

 river water by means of fine sand : P. Miguel and H. 

 Mouchet. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, May 26. 

 RovAL Institution, at 5. — Literature and the State: H. G. Wells 

 Institution op Electrical Engineers, at 8. — High Speed Electric 



Railway Experiments on the Marienf'elde-Zossen Line: Alexander 



Siemens. 



FRTDAY, May 27. 

 RnvAL Institution, at q. — The Progress of Oceanography ; H.S.H. 



Albert Prince of Monaco. 

 Physical Society, at 5- — The Law of Action between Magnets and its 



bearing on the Determination of the Horizontal Component of the 



Earth's Magnetic Field with Unifilar Magnetometers : Dr. C. Chree. 



F.R.S.— On the Ascertained Absence of Effects of Mot ion through the 



Ether in Relation to the Constitution of Mrtter on the FitzGerald- 



Lrtrentz Hypothesis: Prof. J. Larmor, Sec.R.S. — On Cohertnce and 



Recoherence : Dr. P. E. Shaw and C. A. B. Garrett. 

 SATURDAY, May 28. 

 RnvAL Institution, at 3. — Spitsbergen in the 17th Century ; Sir W. 



Martin Conway. 



MONDAY, May 30. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8. 30. — A Journey to the North of the 



Argentine RepubHc : F. ODriscoll. 



TUESDAY, May 31. 

 Royal Institution, at 5.— The Solar Corona: H. F. Newall, F.R.S. 

 Society of Arts, at 4.30. — The Economic and Industrial Progress and 



Condition of India: J. E. O'Conor. 



WEDNESDAY, June i. 



Entomological Society, at 8. 



Society of Public Analysts, at 8.— The Analysis of Condensed Milk; 

 J. B. P. Harrison.— Roasted Beetroot : E. G. Clayton.— A Collection of 

 Readings with the Zeiss Oleo-Butyrometer : William Chattaway and 

 C. G. Moor. — Note on the Estimation of Sugars and Starch in Vegetable 

 Substances : John S. Ford. 



THURSDAY, June 2. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Probable Papers : — On the .Aurora Borealis and 

 the Electric Charge of the Sun: Prof. S. Arrhenius.— Colours in Metal 

 Glasses and in Metallic Films: J. C. Maxwell Garnett.-On a Direct 

 Method of Measuring the Coefficient of Volume-elasticity of Metals : 

 A. Mallock, F.R.S.— A Method of Measuring Directly High Osmotic 

 Pressures : The Earl of Berkeley and E, G. J. Hartley.- The .advancing 

 Front of the Train of Waves Emitted by a Theoretical Hertzian Oscil- 

 lator : Prof. A. E. H. Love, F.R.S.— On the General Circulation of the 

 Atmosphere in Middle and Higher Latitudes : Dr. W. N. Shaw, F.R.S 

 —On the Magnetic Change! of Length in Annealed Rods of Cobalt and 

 Nickel: Shelford Bidwell, F.R.S.— On the Electric Effect of Rotating 

 a Dielectric in a Magnetic Field ; Dr. Harold A. Wilson. 



NO. 1804, VOL. 70] 



Royal Institution, at 5. — Literature and the State : H. G. Wells. 



Linnean Society, at 8.— The Species of Impatiens in the Wallichian 

 Herbarium: Sir Jos. D. Hooker, G.C.S.I., F.R.S.— Biscayan Plankton, 

 Part III. Cha:tognathia : Dr. G. H. Fowler.— The Flow of Fluids in 

 Plant-stems : Prof. K. J. Anderson. 



Rontgen Society, at 8.30. — Experiments to Determine the Effects of 

 Frrm and Winding upon Resonance Phenomena : Dr. Clarence A. 

 Wright. 



Institution of Mining Engisfers, at 11 a.m. — Suggestions respecting 

 the Institution of Mining Engineers: Prof R A. S. Kedmayne.- Coal- 

 mining in the Faroe Islands : G. A. Greener.— Tin-mining in the Straits 

 Settlements, with a few Notes regarding Chinese Labour: W. T. 

 Saunders — Underground Temperatures, especially with regard to Coal- 

 mines: Dr. Hoefer.— The Hammer-Fennel Tachymeter-theodulite : A. O. 

 Eoll. — Notes on the Report of the Departmental Committee on the Use 

 of Electricity in Mines: Sydney F. Walker.— A Comparison of I hree- 

 phase and Continuous Currents for Mining Purposes : Roslyn Holiday. — 

 Electric and Compressed-air Locomotives : B. S. Randolph. -Work of 

 Conveyors on Longwall Faces : Robert G. Ware. 



Chemical Society, at 8.- /loNitrosocamphor : M. O. Forster.— Imino- 

 h thers and Allied Compounds corresponding with the Substituted Oxamic 

 Esters; G. D. Lander. — The Action of Heat on a-Hydroxycarboxylic 

 Acids: Part I. a-Hydroxystearic Acid; H. R. Le Sueur.— The Basic 

 Properiies of Oxygen. Additive Derivatives of the Halogen Acids and 

 Organic Compounds and the Higher Valencies of Oxygen. -Asymmetric 

 Oxygen ; E. H. Archibald and D. Mcintosh. 



FRIDAY, June 3. 



Royal Institution, at g.— The Development of the Theory of Electro- 

 lytic Dissociation : Prof. Svante Arrhenius. 



Institution of Mining Engineei.s, at 10.30 a.m.— The Firing of 

 Babcock Hollers with Coke-oven Gases ; T. Y. Greener.— Explosives and 

 Lamp I esting Station at Frameries : Victor Watteyne. — The Transvaal 

 Kroindiaai Conglomerates: A, R.Sawyer. — The Southern Rand Gold- 

 field : A. R. Sawyer.— The Occurrence of Cinnabar in British Columbia : 

 G. F. Monckton. -Prevention of Accidents in Winding: John H. 

 Merivale.— Petroleum and its Use for Illumination, Lubricating and Fuel 

 Purposes: P. Dvorkovitz.- The Analytical Valuation of lias Coals: 

 G. P. Lishman.— .\ New Process of Chlorination for Mixed Gold and 

 Silver Ores : H. F. Brown.— Graphite-mining in Ceylon and India- 

 Part 1. Cejlon : G. A. Stonier. 



W. Martin Conway. 



SATURDAY, June 4. 

 it 3. — Spitsbergen in the Se 



nteenth Century: Sir 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Steps Towards a New Principia. By Sir Oliver 



Lodge, F.R.S. .. . 73 



Sir A. Geikie's Recollections. By W. J 76 



The New Zealand Fauna. By R. L 78 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Gtinther : " A History of Ihe Daubeny Laboratory, 



Magdalen College, Oxford " 79 



Simroth : " Abiiss der Biologie der Tiere " 79 



Novitskiy : " From India to Fergana" 79 



Biin : " Dissertations on Leading Philosophical Topics" 79 

 Letters to the Editor: — 



Relation between Uranium and Radium in some 



Minerals. — Bertram B. Boltwood 80 



The Source of R^idium. — Prof. J. Joly, F.R.S.; 



Sir William Ramsay, K.C.B., F.R.S 80 



Radio-activity of Russian Muds and Electrification 



of Air by Metals. — Prof. L Borgmann .... 80 

 Graphic Methods in an Educational Course on 

 Mechanics. — A. P, Trotter ; S. Irwin Crookes . St 

 Eugenics ; its Definition, Scope and Aims. By Dr. 



Francis Galton, F.R.S 82 



Some German Public Laboratories. By W. A. C. . 83 



Dr. G.J. Allman, F.R.S 83 



Notes 83 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Astronomical Occuriences in June 87 



Comet 1904 rt .... 87 



The Stability of Solar Spectrun: Wave- Lengths. ... 87 



Vaiiable Star Observations 87 



Provisional Results of the International Latitude 



Service 87 



The Tissue-Lymph Circulation. {With Diagrams.) 



By Dr. George Oliver ^ . . . 88 



University and Educational Intelligence. 



{llluuratcd.) 92 



Societies and Academies 93 



Diary of Societies 96 



