312 



NATURE 



[Jdlv 28, 1904 



germinating, is proved to be due to the hydrolytic action of 

 the cytoplasm on the oil. The name lipasHdine is proposed 

 for the active substance in the cytoplasm. The action 

 requires some acid to start it, but CO„ is proved by experi- 

 ment in vitro to be sufficient, and CO, is produced in 

 germination. — A new trypanosome in birds : M. Thiroux. 

 — Some phenomena during ovogenesis among the cirri- 

 pedes, particularly in Scalpellum velutinum : A. Gruvel. — 

 On the structure of the heart in gasteropods and lamelli- 

 branchs : F. Marceau. — On the development of black rot 

 (Guignardia BidweUii) : P. Viala and P. Pacottet. For 

 rapid development black rot requires a warm temperature 

 and a moist atmosphere, but at low temperatures growth 

 proceeds slowly. It is, moreover, highly resistant towards 

 acids and toxic substances generally. — Gar^waite, a new 

 fibrous basic rock of the North Urals : L. Duparc and 

 F. Pearce. — Stationary waves observed in the neighbour- 

 hood of the human body : Augustin Charpentier. — 

 Localisation of iodine in the African turtle : MM. Doyon 

 and Chenu. — Action of salts of the alkaline earths on 

 living substance : N. C. PaMlesco. — Influence of steril- 

 isation on food-stuffs : A. Charrin. — On the contractility 

 of protoplasm, i., action of chlorhydrate of amyleine on 

 ciliary movement : L. Launoy. — On the supposed chlorophyll 

 of silk : Jules Villard. 



July 18. — M. Mascart in the chair. — Experiments on the 

 slow oxidation of cyanogen and cyanides by free oxygen : 

 M. Berthelot. The absorption of oxygen from air by the 

 following solutions is examined : — potassium cyanide, 

 hvdrocyanic acid, and cyanogen in water and in alcohol, 

 aicohol alone, and alcoholic potash, also by these solutions 

 in the presence of mercury. Absorption of oxygen is 

 observed in every case, but becomes more rapid when the 

 tube is heated or exposed to light. When mercury is pre- 

 sent, the absorption of oxygen causes solution of some 

 mercury, particularly with the cyanides. — The natural 

 immunity of cynocephales towards trypanosomiases, and the 

 activity of their serum towards trypanosomes : A. Laveran. 

 — Hypsometric tables of Cretaceous strata in the north of 

 France : J. Gosselet. — Pamphlets presented to the 

 academy : — Considerations on the principles of arithmetic : 

 L. Gros. — Researches on the quantity of citric acid in 

 wines : Lucien Robin, — A work on tables of corrections of 

 the times of the moon's rising and setting : S. Abdullah. 

 — A supplement to the general problems of flight : i\I. 

 Averly. — The secretary read several telegrams concerning 

 the earthquakes of July 12 and 13. — Steered balloons. 

 Longitudinal stability : Ch. Renard. — On the anomalous 

 propagation of light in the neighbourhood of a focal line, 

 and on the interference of vibrations the amplitudes of 

 which are different functions of the distance : G. Sag^nac. 

 — On the disappearance of some of the silicon lines in the 

 spectra of certain stars : A. de Gramont. — Variation of 

 the index of refraction of an electrolyte under the action 

 of the current : H. Bordier. Chlorides of copper and of 

 zinc were used. It was found that, when the current is 

 constant, the reduction of index of refraction decreases with 

 increase in the concentration of the electrolyte, whilst, when 

 the concentration is constant, the decrease of refractive 

 index plotted in a curve against the strength of the current 

 forms a straight line. — The influence of the density of the 

 current in electrolysis with alternating current : .Andr6 

 Brochet and Joseph Petit. Nickel electrodes in a solution 

 of potassium cyanide were used, and the relation between 

 the amount of nickel dissolved and the density of the current 

 investigated for different frequencies, when the time and 

 total current were constant. — On the fundamental law of the 

 phenomena of osmosis ; E. Aries. — On the constitution of 

 dissolved salts : Albert Colson. The formula 



HSO.Zn— O— Zn— SO,H 

 is assigned to zinc sulphate from considerations of the 

 basic sulphates obtained by alkalis, and of the freezing 

 point of solutions of zinc sulphate. — On some crystalline 

 iodates of copper : A. Granger and A. de Schulten. — 

 Dextrolactic acid and Irevolactic acid are not alike in their 

 reactions : E. Jungpneisch. /-Lactic is much more easily 

 racemised than d-lactic, so much so that in separating rf- 

 and /- from i»-lactic by the quinine salts, d-lactic is easily 

 obtained, but the supposed /-lactic is mainly d+l. — Ortho- 

 phosphoric anilide and its homologues ; the non-existence 



NO. 18 I 3, VOL. 70] 



of the compound C^H^NH— P = (NCjHj, : P. Lemoult. 

 — Condensation of acetylene ketones with alcohols and 

 phenols : Ch. Moureu and M. Brachin. — .\ction of 

 oxalacetic ester on benzaldehyde in the presence of primary 

 amines : L. J. Simon and A. Conduche. — The heat of 

 neutralisation and acidity of monomethylarsenious acid : 

 .-\. Astruc and E. Baud. — On a frequent source of error 

 in the analvsis of coal : Just Alix and Isidore Bay. — On 

 some points in the anatomy of the cirripedes : A. Gruvel. 

 — Antiineridian plants : Edouard de JanczewsEci. — 

 Carpellised stamens of the wallflower ; C. Gerber. — 

 Bravais's law considered as a law of observation : G. 

 Friedel. — .V new theory of ouralitisation : L. Duparc and 

 Th. Hornun^. — On the terraces of the Carpathian rivers 

 in Roumania : E. de Martonne. — Researches on the 

 genital poisons of different animals : Gustave Loisel. The 

 extract of an ovary is always more poisonous than that of 

 a testis, and varies in different animals, that of the frog 

 being most poisonous towards a rabbit. The toxic effect 

 is nervous, producing tetanus and dyspnoea. — The influence 

 of lactation on the resistance of the organism to 

 morbid agencies : MM. Charrin and Vitry. A female in 

 lactation is less resistant than the normal to alkaloids 

 and bacteria. — The mechanical cleansing of the blood : Ch. 

 Repin. To remove poisonous substances from the blood 

 a method is used by which the plasma is removed, being 

 replaced by artificial serum, but the corpuscles, being 

 separated centrifugally, are immediately returned to the 

 blood stream. — Researches on arsenic in some food-stuffs : 

 \'. Bordas. — A new contribution to the bacterial purifi- 

 cation of spring and river waters by means of fine sand, 

 which is not submerged : P. Miquei and H. Mouchet. — 

 On the duration of the experiments in the treatment of 

 arterial hypertension by d'Arsonvalisation : A. Moutier. — 

 On a new type of piezometer : M. Buchanan. — The 

 Hirondelle deep in the archipelago of the Azores : M. 

 Thoulet. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Geologist as Geographer. By G. W. L 2S9 



Two Methods of Defending Free Trade. By A. L. B. 290 



Place-Names of Scotland .... ...... 292 



An Impressionist Text-Book of Paper Making 293 



The Development of the Human Brain. By G. C. C. 293 

 The Turbellaria as Parasites and Parasite-Carriers. 



By F. F. Laidlaw ... 294 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Boynton ; " Applications of the Kinetic Theory to 



Gases, Vapours, and .Solutions." — G. H. B. ... 295 



Winkelmann : " Handbuch der Physik " . . . 295 



Getman : " Laboratory Exercises in Physical 



Chemistry '' 296 



Anglais: " Les Animaiix domestiques." — R. L. . . . 296 

 Letters to the Editor :— 



Traction of Carriages. — Sir Oliver Lodge, F. R.S. . 296 



Lobster Hatching.— Prof. W. A. Herdman, F.R.S. 296 

 The Present Stale of Agricultural Education in 



England 297 



Two Books on Local Natural History. (Illustrated.) 



By R. L 298 



Relation of Rainfall to Run Off 299 



The Arapaho Sun Dance. (Illustrated.) By Dr. A. C. 



Haddon, F.R.S. . . 300 



The Ungulate Molar. (Illustrated.) By R. L. . . . 301 V^ 



Dr. Isaac Roberts, F.R.S 302 I 



Notes 303 " 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Astronomical Occurrences in August 308 



The Centenary of Doppler 308 



Saturn's Ninth Satellite (Phrebe) 308 



Principal Planes of the Stars 308 



The Persimmon Creek Meteorite 308 



Enhanced Lines of Titanium, Iron, and Nickel . . . 308 



Further Ephemeris for Comet 1904 a 308 



A Modified Form of the Newtonian Reflector .... 309 



Seismological Notes 309 



Agricultural Notes 310 



University and Educational Intelligence 311 



Societies and Academies 311 



