144 



NA TURE 



[June 9, 1904 



four hours with an alkyl-magnesium compound. Yields of 

 acetal amounting to about 75 per cent, of the theoretical 

 are obtained. These acetals are readily hydrolysed to the 

 corresponding aldehydes by dilute sulphuric acid. These 

 aldehydes, on treatment with hydroxylamine, do not give 

 oximes, but isoxazols, several of which are described. — 

 The differences of histological structure and secretion 

 between the anterior and posterior kidney in male elasmo- 

 branchs : I. Borcea. — On the respective functions of the 

 two parts of the adductor muscles in the lamellibranchs : 

 F. Marccau. — On the adaptation of the plant to the 

 intensity of light : M. Wiesner. — On the permeability of 

 the tegument of certain dried seeds to the atmosphere : 

 Paul Becquerel. If the tegument is carefully dried, it is 

 absolutely impermeable to the gases of the atmosphere. 

 In the presence of moisture, however, these gases pass 

 through. Hence the complete suspension of all the pheno- 

 mena of respiration of the seed is only realised in the 

 absence of moisture. — On the spontaneous radiations of 

 Sietigmatocystis versicolor : Paul Vuillemin. — A case of 

 the emission of the n-rays after death : Augustin 

 Charpentier. — The lipolytic property of the cytoplasma of 

 the castor-oil seed is not due to a soluble ferment : Maurice 

 Nicloux. — On an albumen extracted from the eggs of the 

 frog : J. Galimard. — On the condition of the starch in 

 stale bread : E. Roux. — The motive action of the pneumo- 

 gastric nerve on the biliary vesicle : D. Courtade and 

 J. F. Guyon. — On the toxicity of the chlorhydrate of 

 amylene : L. Launoy and F. Billon. — Contribution to the 

 studv of Bence-Jones albumosuria : G. Patein and Ch. 

 Michel. — The amount of albuminoid material necessary 

 in human diet : H. Labbe and M. Morchoisne. — On ten 

 cases of arterial hypertension treated by d'.Arsonvalisation ; 

 A. Moutier. In all the cases the arterial pressure was 

 reduced to the normal. At the same time, in some of the 

 cases, the symptroms of arterio-sclerosis disappeared in great 

 part. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, June 9. 

 RoVAr. ScciETV, at 4.30.— Notes on the Statolith Theory of Geolropism. 

 (i) E.xperiments on the Effects of Centrifuijal Force. (2) The Behaviour 

 of Tertiary Roots: F. Darwin, For.Sec.R.S., and Miss D. F. M. Pertz. 

 —The Fossil Flora of the Culm Measures of North-West Devon, and 

 the Palajobotanical Evidence with Regard to the Age of the Beds : 

 E. A. Newell Arber.— On the Structure and Affinities of Pala:odiscus and 

 .\gelacrinus : W. K. Spencer.— On the Ossiferous Cave-Deposits of 

 Cyprus, with Descriptions of the Remains of EUp'ms Cypriotes : Miss 

 D. M. A. Bate.— On the Physical Relation of Chloroform to Blood 



Dr. A. D. Waller, F.R.S — Contrib 

 Sea-Snake Venoms : Sir Thomas R. 

 Elliot, I. M.S. -On the Action of th 

 fthe Common Krait): Major R. H. 

 G. S. Carmichael.— On the Combinins Prop, 

 and on Complementoid: " - — - - . 

 Mathematical Sec 



the Study of the Action of 

 F.R.S. . and Major R. H 

 im n{ BuH^arus coeruku: 

 I.M.S,, W. C. Sillar, anc 

 ties of 'Serum-Compli 



rof. R. Muir and C. H. Browning. 



5-30 — The Application of Poisson's Formal: 



to Discontinuous Disturbances: Lord Rayleigh. — .Some Expansions foi 

 the Periods of the Jacobian Elliptic Functions: H. Bateman. — Types 

 of Covariants of any Degree in the Coefficients of Each of Any Number of 

 Binary Quantics : P. W. Wood. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 5. — Annual General Meeting. 



Faraday Society, at 8.— The Hard and Soft States in Metals: G. T. 

 Beilby. — The Electric Furnace ; its Origin, Transformations, and 

 Applications : Adolphe Minet. 



FRIDAY, June 10. 



Royal Astronomical Society, at 5.— The Rotation Period of Saturn : 

 W. F. Denning.— Analyses of Errors of Moon's Longitude for Inequali- 

 ties of Longer Periods ; Methods and Results : P. H. Cowell.— Note on 

 the Gyroscopic Collimator of Admiral Fleuriais : M. E. J. Gheury.— 



■ Variation in Latitude of the Greater Sun-Spot Disturbances, 1881-1903 : 

 Rev. A. L. Cortie. — The Miiss of Jupiter, and Corrections to the 

 Elements of the Orbits of the Satellites, from Heliometer Observations 

 made at the Cape, looi and 1902 : Bryan Cookson. — The Parallactic 

 Inequality — a Reply: P. H. Cosn^W— Promised Papers : Solar Parallax 

 from Observations of Eros : A. R. Hinks.— Note on the Distribution of 

 Sun-Spots in Heliographic Latitude: E. W. Maunder.— M.crometric 

 Measures of Double Stars made with ihe 2S-in. Refractor in 1903 : Royal 

 Observatory, Greenwich. — Sir David Gill will give an Account of the 

 New Clock of the Cape Observatory. 



Physical Society, at 3. — Projection of the Indicator Diagrams of a 

 Petrol Motor: Prof. Callendar, F.R.S.— A Model Illustrating the Pro- 

 pagation of a Periodic Electric Current in a Telephone Cable, and the 

 Simple Theory of Its Operation : Prof. Fleming, F.R.S.— Exhibition of 

 a Gyroscopic Collimator : M. E. J. Gheury. 



Malacological Society, at 8. — On Damayantia. sinithi, Godwin- 

 Austen and Collinge : Lt.-Col. H. H. Godwin-Austen.— Descriptions of 

 Twenty-nine Species of Gastropoda from the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, 

 and Arabian Sea, dredged by Mr. F. W. Townsend, 1903-4 : I. Cosmo 

 Melvill.— Co;j;« Coromandclicus, Sin, its Probable Aflinilies and 

 Systematic place in the family Conids : J. Cosmo Melvill.— Descrip- 

 tions of New Marine Shells from the Collection of the late Admiral 

 Keppel : G. B. Sowerby.— Note on Volnta bra^ieri, Cox : E. A. Smith, 



I.S.O.— On Doris plaiiala of Mierznd Hancock : SirC. Eliot, K.C M.G. 

 —Description of a Helicoid Land Shell from Central Australia : J. H. 

 Ponsonhy. — (^n Some Semi-fossil Land Shells found in the Hamakua 

 District, Hawaii : C. F. Ancey. 



MONDAY. June 13. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — Western Ugania : Rev. .\. B. 

 Fisher. 



TUESDAY. June 14. 



Royal PHOTOGRArKic Society, at 8.— A New Principle in Photo- 

 graphic Lens Construction ; Conrad Beck. 



WEDNESDAY. June 15. 



Royal Microscopical Society, at 8.— A Direct Proof of .\bbes 

 Theorems on the Microscopic Resolution of Gratings: Prof. J. D. 

 Everett, F.R.S.— Report on the Recent Foraminifera of the Malay 

 Ardiipelago, Part xvi : F. W. Millelt.— Lecture on Nature's Protection 

 of Insert Life, with Lantern Illustrations : F. Enock. 



Royal Meteorological Society, at 4.30. — Effects of a Lightning 

 Stroke at Earl's Fee, Bowers Gifford, Essex, April 13, 1904 : Rev. C. F. 

 Box —An Instrument for Determining the True Direction and Velocity 

 of the Wind at Sea : A. Lawrence Rotch. 



Chemical Society, at =;.3o.-(i) The Mechanical Analysis of Soils, and 

 the Composition of the Fractions resuhing Therefrom ; (a) The Effect of 

 the Long-continued Use of Sodium Nitrate on the Constitution of the 

 Soil: A. D. Hall— (il The Decomposition of Oxalates by Heat. (2) 

 Some Alkyl Derivatives of Sulphur. Selenium, and Tellurium : A. Scott. 

 — The Ultra-violet Absorption Spectra of certain Enol-keto-tautomerides. 

 Part I.: Acetylacetone and Ethyl Acetoacetate : E C. C. Baly and 

 C. H. Desch.— The Action of Acetyl Chloride on the Sodium Salt of 

 Diacetylacetone and the Constitution of Pyrone Comp"unds : I. N. 

 Collie.— Our Present Knowledge of the Chemistry of Indigo: W. P. 

 Bloxam. 



THURSDAY. June 16. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Prolahle Papers: The Decomposition of Am- 

 monia by He.at: Dr. E. P. Perman and G. A. S Atkinson.- On Flame 

 Spectra : C. de Watteville.— On the Origin and Growth of Ripple-Marks : 

 Mrs. H. Ayrton.— The Influence of Rainy Winds on Phthisis : Dr. W. 

 Gordon. 



Linnean Society, at 8. — Variations in the Arrangement of Hair in the 

 Horse: Dr. Walter Kidd.— An Account of the Jamaican Species of 

 Lepanthes : W Fawcett and Dr. A. B. Rendle —On the Blaze-currents 

 of Vegetable Tissues: Dr. A. D. Waller, F.R.S.— British Freshwater 

 Rhizopoda : James Cash. — Notes on the "Sudd" Formation of the 

 Upper Nile : A. F. Brown.— The Place of Linnajus in the History of 

 Botany : P. Olsson-Seflron. 



NO. 1806, VOL. 70] 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



An American Treatise on Naval Architecture. By 



Sir W. H. 'White, K.C. B, F.R.S 121 



New Electrical Text Books. By M. S. 122 



From Buffon to Darwin. By F. 'W. H 123 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Julian: "A Text-book of l^)uantitative Chemical 



Analysis." — J. B. C 123 



Seward: "Catalogue of the Mesozoic Plants in the 

 Department of Geology, British Museum (Natural 



History) " 124 



Schmidt :" Die Kathodenstrahlen." — H. A. W. . . 124 



Pearson : " An Introduction to Metal Working " . . 124 

 Letters to the Editor :- 



A Dynamical System illustrating the Spectrum Lines. — 



Prof. H. Nagaoka 124 



Electromotive Force between Two Phases of the same 



Metal.— Thos. Andrews. F.R.S. . 125 



Graphic Methods in an Educational Course in 



Mechanics. — A. P. Trotter 125 



Association of Economic Biologists. — Walter E. 



Collinge 125 



The Relation of Human to Bovine Tuberculosis. 



By G. D :26 



The International Association of Academies . . . 127 



Prof. Adolfo Cancani. By J. M 128 



Notes 129 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



.Spectrum and Orbit of 5 Orionis 132 



Anomalous Dispersion and Solar Phenomena .... 132 



Primitive Conditions of the Solar Nebula 132 



Invariability of Spark and Arc Wave-lenglhs .... 132 

 The Progress of Marine Biology. [lUiislralcd.) By 



H.S.H. Albert I., Prince of Monaco 133 



The Royal Observatory, Greenwich 135 



Higher Scientific Education in France 136 

 Soft Cheese-making in the Home Counties. By 



T. S. D 137 



Inheritance of Psychical and Physical Characters in 



Man, By F. A. D 137 



Anthropological Notes. By A. C. H 138 



International Oceanography. By H. N. D 139 



University and Educational Intelligence 139 



Societies and Academies. (Iluislialed.) 141 



Diary of Societies 144 



