240 



NATURE 



[July 7, 1904 



metres, and there seems no reason to suppose that the 

 signals could not be easily sent over much longer distances. 

 — On the distillation of a mixture of two metals : Henri 

 Moissan and M. O'Farrelley. Alloys of copper, lead, 

 zinc, cadmium, and tin were heated in carbon boats in the 

 electric furnace. The alloys behaved exactly as in an 

 ordinary fractional distillation, the composition varying 

 with the time of distillation and the quantity of metal dis- 

 tilled. Thus with alloys of zinc and copper, cadmium and 

 copper, lead and copper, a residue could be obtained after 

 a certain time consisting of pure copper. — The influence on 

 the rotatory power of certain molecules exerted by non- 

 saturated radicals. The allyl ethers of borneol, menthol, 

 methylcyclohexanol, and linalool : A. Haller and F. March. 

 With one exception, the ethers possess a higher rotatory 

 power than the active alcohols from which they are derived. 

 With the same exception, the molecular refractive powers 

 found are in accord with those calculated. — Muscular work 

 and the expenditure of energy in dynamic contraction : A. 

 Chauveau. — Improvements in the photographic method for 

 recording the action of the n-rays on a small electric spark : 

 R. Blondlot. The improvements on the method previously 

 described include the use of an aluminium lens for con- 

 centrating the rays from the Nernst lamp on the spark 

 gap, together with some details necessary for the working 

 of the spark. Very slow development of the negative is 

 required to bring out the effect clearly. — The action of 

 magnetic and electric forces on ponderable emission ; the 

 effect of air in motion on this emanation : R. Blondlot. 

 — M. Maquenne was elected a member of the section of 

 rural economy in the place of the late M. Duclaux, and 

 Prof. Waldmeyer a correspondant in the section of anatomy 

 and zoology in the place of Prof. A. Agassiz, elected 

 foreign associate. — On certain classes of isothermal 

 surfaces : L. Raffy. — On a class of partial differential 

 equations of the second order: j. Clairin. — Remarks on 

 the propagation of percussions in gases : E. Jougruet. — 

 On a new aerial helix : H. Herve and H. de la Vaulx. — - 

 The dielectric cohesion of the saturated vapour of mercury 

 and its mixtures : E. Bouty. The experiments were made 

 in a fused silica flask, which satisfied the necessary con- 

 dition of possessing no conductivity at the temperature of 

 the experiment. The cohesion of mercury vapour is only 

 085 that of air, which, having regard to the high density 

 of the vapour, is remarkably small. The effect of intro- 

 ducing various gases with the mercury vapour was also 

 studied. — The transport of ultramicroscopic particles in the 

 current : A. Cotton and H. Mouton. — On a new method 

 of three-colour photography : R. W. Wood. — On the yellow 

 and red varieties of thallium iodide and the determination 

 of the normal point of their reciprocal transformation : 

 D. Gernez. The transition point was determined as i68°, 

 or 22° lower than the figure usually accepted. — On the 

 nitrate and nitrite of thallium : U. Thomas. Thallous 

 nitrate is decomposed at 450°, furnishing nitrous anhydride 

 and a well crystallised sesquioxide, without any appreci- 

 able amount of nitrite being formed. The nitrite is de- 

 composed in an analogous manner. It was found that 

 thallous nitrate can be partly volatilised without decom- 

 position. — The total synthesis of rhodinol, the characteristic 

 alcohol of essence of roses : L. Bouveault and M. 

 Gourmand. Ethyl geraniate, treated with sodium and 

 absolute alcohol, gives a mixture of two alcohols, one of 

 which is rhodinol. This alcohol possesses a strong odour 

 of roses, and, except that it is inactive, shows all the 

 properties of the rhodinol extracted from essence of roses 

 and essence of pelargonium. A crystalline semicarbazone, 

 melting at 112°, has been prepared from its pyruvate, and 

 this has been found to be identical with the similar com- 

 pound prepared from the natural rhodinol. — On two homo- 

 logues of pyrocatechol : R. Delangfe. The preparation of 

 elhylpyrocatechol and isopropylpyrocatechol is described, 

 and their physical properties given. — On a new class of 

 ether-oxides : Marcel Descude. By the action of sodium 

 ethylate upon dichloromethylether, the ether 



C,H,— O— CH,— O— CH,— O— C,H, 



is obtained. In its chemical and physical properties it 

 approximates to the formals. — On methylarsenic : V. Auger. 

 Solutions of sodium methylarsenate reduced by heating in 

 the water bath with sodium hypophosphite give a yellow 



NO. 18 10, VOL. 70] 



oil of the empirical composition CHjAs. This can be 

 purified by fractional distillation in a vacuum, and cryo- 

 scopic determinations in benzene solution show that its 

 niolecular weight is four times that of the simple formula. 

 It polymerises readily in presence of hydrochloric acid, 

 giving a brown powder which has been mistaken for 

 arsenic. — On some mixed phosphorus acids derived from 

 hypophosphorous acid : C. Marie. — Additional ammoniacal 

 compounds of the rosanilines : Jules Schmidlin.^Study of 

 the variation of the mineral matters during the ripening 

 of seeds : G. Andre. — Researches on plant acidity ; Eug. 

 Charabot and Alex. Hebert. — The action of heat and 

 acidity on dissolved amylase : P. Petit. The diastatic 

 power of a malt may be increased by altering the acidity 

 of the solution to the point corresponding to coagulation 

 by heat. — Abnormal developments independent of the 

 medium : C. Vigruier. — On an unknown animal met with 

 in the Bay of Along : M. L'Eost. An account of an animal, 

 apparently a sea serpent, seen from the gunboat Diciiie on 

 February 25. Its length was estimated at 30 metres. — 

 The complete extraction of water and gases from seeds : 

 Paul Becquerel. — A resonance method for the determin- 

 ation of the frequency of nervous oscillations : Augustin 

 Charpentier. — On the urinary chromogen due to sub- 

 cutaneous injections of skatol : Ch. Porcher and Ch. 

 Hervieux. — The action of salts of the alkaline metals upon 

 the living substance : N. C. Paulesco. The limiting 

 quantities of salts of the alkalies which act upon yeast 

 under fixed conditions are proportional to their molecular 

 weights. — On the problem of " statical work " : hydro- 

 dynamical and electrodynamical paradoxes : Ernest Solvay. 

 — On the laws of the so-called " statical work " of muscle : 

 Ch. Henry. — On the toxic action of intestinal worms : 

 L. Jammea and H. Mandoul. — Observations at the 

 Franco-Scandinavian captive balloon station at Hald : 

 L. Teisserenc de Bort. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Harriman Alaska Expedition. By G. W. L. . 217 

 Joseph Priestley. By Dr. T. E. Thorpe, C.B., F.R.S. 218 



A Lady Entomologist 219 



Social Condition of Anthracite Miners. By B. H. B. 220 

 Our Book Shelf :— 



Prescott and Winslow : " Elements of Water Bac- 

 teriology" 221 



Anderson: "The Chemistry of Coke." — ^J. B. C. . . 221 

 Jannasch : " Praktischer Leitfaden der Gewichts- 



analyse. " — H. D. D 221 



Harris : " Practical Slide Making " 222 



Thomson :" Botany Rambles. Part ii. In the Summer" 222 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



The Exradio Spectrum. By Sir William Ramsay, 



K.C.B., F.R.S 222 



The Occurrence of Radium with Uranium. By Hon. 



R. J. Strutt 222 



Residual Affinity. — Prof. Percy F. Frankland, 



F.R.S 222 



Science in the Common Examination for Entrance to 



Public Schools. — Oswald H. Latter 223 



An Early Mercury Pump. — Prof. Herbert McLeod, 



F.R.S 223 



Hats and Hair 224 



The Mechanics of the Atmosphere. (Illtislrated.) By 



Dr. W. N. Shaw, F.R.S 225 



Notes 227 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Number of the Stars 230 



Radial Velocities of the Pleiades 230 



An Expedition for Solar Research 230 



The Orbit of Comet 1SS9 IV 231 



New Lists of Variable Stars 231 



The Education of the American Engineer. By 



A. T. S 231 



Archaeological Investigations in Russian Turkestan 232 

 Effect of Sound on Water Jets. (Illustrated.^ . . . 233 

 The Poison of the Banded Krait. By Prof. R. T. 



Hewlett . . 233 



Currents Around the Coasts of Newfoundland . . 234 



University and Educational InteUigence 235 



Societies and Academies . . 238 



