644 



NA TURE 



[October 27, 1904 



in latitude, and the distribution of the faculac in latitude. — 

 The elements of molecular vibrations in relation with the 

 sense of propagation of sound waves : L. Bard. In view 

 of the impossibility of explaining the orientation of sound 

 by the ear by the usual theories, the author propounds two 

 hypotheses to explain this. — Researches on the boiling points 

 of mixtures of volatile liquids : C. Marie. The boiling 

 point constants of a given pair of volatile liquids and a non- 

 volatile substance being given, the question is raised as to 

 whether it is possible to calculate, a priori, the value of the 

 boiling point constant corresponding to the mixture. This 

 calculation has been made by Neinst, and an experimental 

 study of this formula has been made by the author with 

 mixtures of water and alcohol and resorcinol. The 

 divergence between the theory and the results of the ex- 

 periments is considerable, and an examination of the funda- 

 mental assumptions used in the formula is made to see if 

 the cause of the divergence can be elucidated. Further 

 experiments are required before the theory can be completely 

 made out. — The action of solutions of organomagnesium 

 compounds on the halogen derivatives of phosphorus, 

 aisenic, and antimony: V. Auger and M. Billy. Phos- 

 phorus trichloride reacts violently with solutions of mag- 

 nesium methyl iodide, giving the chloride of tetramethyl- 

 phosphonium, phosphorus iodide, and magnesium chloride. 

 With chloride of arsenic the chief product of the reaction 

 is trimethylarsine oxide ; with antimonv trichloride several 

 substances are formed, from which, by treatment with 

 potassium iodide, the iodide of ethylstibine can be isolated. 

 — On an organic persulphate : R. Fosse and P. Bertrand. 

 The sulphate of dinaphthopyranol, obtained by treating 

 dinaphthopyranol with dilute sulphuric acid, possesses 

 oxidising properties, setting free iodine from an acidified 

 solution of potassium iodide, and oxidising alcohol to alde- 

 hyde. It thus appears to be a true persulphate, analogous 

 in composition with Caro's acid. — The constitution of 

 rosaniline salts and the mechanism of their formation : Jules 

 Schmidlin. — .Anthracene tetrahydride and octahydride ; 

 Marcel Godchot. These hydrides have been obtained by 

 applying- the method of .Sabatier and .Senderens. The octa- 

 hydride is the more stable of the two, and is the main pro- 

 duct when the hydrogenation is carried out at 200° C. The 

 oxidation products and the reactions with the halogens have 

 been studied. — On the origin of the carbonic acid of the seed 

 during germination : Edouard Urbain. It is established 

 that the carbon dioxide is produced at the expense of the 

 albuminoid materials of the seed. — Study on the successive 

 states of plant material : Eug. Charabot and Alex. 

 Hebert — Vital periodicity of animals submitted to the 

 oscillations of level in deep sea : Georges Bohn. — The 

 agglutinating cells in the Eolidia : Paul Abric. — Descrip- 

 tion of some new species of trypanosomes and parasitic 

 Hajmogregarina of marine Teleostea : E. Brumpt and C. 

 Lebailly. — On the auxospores of two pelagic diatoms : 

 J. Pavillard. — The geology of the Ortler region : Pierre 

 Termier. — On macles : G. Friedel. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES, 



FRIDAY, OcToi.ER 28. 



Physical Society, at 5.— An Interference Apparatus for the Calibration 



of Extensometers : John Morrow and E. L. Watkin.— A Sensitive 



Hygrometer ; Dr. W. M. Thornton.— Note on a Property of Lenses : 



Dr. G. E. Allan. 



SA TVRDA Y, October 29. 

 Essex Field Club, at 6.30 (at Essex Museum of Natural History, 

 Stratford). — Fresh-Water Biological Research and Biological Stations ; 

 D. J. Scourfield. 



TUESDAY, NoiEMCER i. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at S. — Inaugural Address by the 

 president, Sir Guilford L. Molesworth, K.C.I.E. — Presentation of the 

 Councirs Awards, and Reception in the I.il^rary. 



WEDNESDAY, Noikmber a. 



Society of Public Analysts, at 8.— The Detection and Estimation of 

 Small Quantities of Maltose in the Presence of Dextrose : Julian L. 

 Baker and W. D. Dick.~The Use of Palladium-Hydrogen as a Reduc- 

 ing Agent in Quantitative Analysis : Alfred C. Chapman.— Some Recent 

 .\bnormal Milk Results : Sidney Harvey. 



Entomological Society, at 8. 



THURSDAY, November 3. 

 Chemical Society, at 8.— Note on the Action of Nitric Acid on ihe 

 Ethers: J. B. Cohen and J. Gatecliff.^The Condensation of Form- 

 aldehyde with Acetone (Preliminary Note) : E. A. Werner.— Union 



of Hydrogen and Chlorine. Rate of Decay of Activity of Chlorine: 

 J. W. Mellor- The Action of Phthalic Anhydride on a-Naphthyl- 

 magnesium-bromide : S. S. Pickles and C. Weizmann. — The Con. 

 stitution of Nitrogen Iodide: O. Silberrad. — The Available Plant 

 Food in Soils: H. Ingle.— The Combustion of Ethylene: W. A. 

 Bone and R. V. Wheeler.— The Decomposition of Methylurea : C. E. 

 Fawsitt —The Influence of Certain Salts and Organic Bodies on the 

 Oxidation of Guaiacum : Miss E. G. Willcock.— The Influence of Potass- 

 ium Persulphate on the Estimation of Hydrogen Peroxide: J. A. N. 

 Friend.— The Dynamic Isomerism of o- and P-Crotonic Acids (Preliminary 

 Note) : R. S. Morrell and E. K. Hanson.— The Influence of Sunlight on 

 the Dissolving of Gold in an Aqueous Solution of Potassium Cyanide : 

 W. A. Caldecott : (i) The Fractional Hydrolysis of Amygdalinic -Acid; 

 (2) Isoamygdaline ; H. D. Dakin. 



Rontgen Society, at 8.15.— The Presidential Address : C. Thurston 

 Holland. 



FRIDAY, November 4. 



Geologists' Association, at 8. — Conversazione. 

 MONDAY, November 7. 



Royal Geographical Society (Albert Hall), at 8.30— The Work of the 

 National Antarctic Expedition : Captain R. F. Scott, R.N. 

 TUESDAY, November 8. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Coast Erosion : A. E. Carey.— 

 Sea-Coast Erosion on the Holderness Coast of Yorkshire: E. R. 

 Matthews. 



FRIDAY, November ii. 



Royal Astronomical Society, at 5. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Hallet's Comparative Anatomy. By G. E. S. ... 621 



Liquid Crystals 622 



The Testing of Steels. By A. McW 622 



Chemistry of the Proteids ... 623 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Freund : "Elements of General Radio-Therapy for 



Practitioners" . 624 



Huxley : " Physiography. An Introduction to the 



Study of Nature." — A. F. 624 



Detto : "Die Theorie der Direkten Anpassung und 

 ihre Bedeutung fiir das Anpassungs- und Deszen- 



denzproblem " 625 



Mcintosh : " The Photographic Reference Book" . . 625 

 "Transaciions of the South African Philosophical 



Society."— W. F. K .625 



Someiville :" Toning Bromides and Lantern Slides" 625 

 Letters to the Editor :— 



Further Discovery of Dodos' Bones. — Prof. Alfred 



Newton, F.R.'S 626 



The Forest-pig of Central Africa. — Dr. P. L. Sclater, 



F.R.S. . ■. . . . 626 



Average Number of Kinsfolk in each Degree. — Dr. 



Francis Galton, F.R.S ... 626 



Mendel's Law.— Prof. Karl Pearson, F.R.S. . . 626 

 The Formation of Polonium from Radium. — Hon. 



R. J. Strutt ... 627 



Misuse ofWords and Phrases.— A. B. Basset, F.R.S. 627 

 The British Association and Referees. — William 



Ackroyd 627 



Striped Hawk-moths in Sligo.— Rev. Joseph Meehan 62S 

 The Simplon Tunnel. {Illintratcd.) By Francis Fox 628 

 Water-droppers and Radium Collectors. By Dr. 



C. Chree, F.R.S 630 



Notes 630 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



A New Variable Star 634 



Ephemeris for Tempel's Second Comet 634 



Phcebe : Saturn's Ninth Satellite 634 



Faint Stars near the Trapezium in the Orion Nebula . 634 



Photographic Determination of Parallax 634 



The Classification of the Stars According to their 

 Temperature and Chemistry. (Illustyated.) By 



Prof. A. Fowler 635 



The Falkland Islands and their Fauna. [Illustrated.) 

 R. L 



By 



637 



The St. Louis International Electrical Congress. 



By W. Duddell 638 



Physiological Chemistryin the University of Glasgow 640 



Condensation Nuclei. By C. T. R. Wilson, F.R.S. 641 



University and Educational Intelligence 642 



Societies and Academies 643 



Diary of Societies . . 644 



NO. 1826, VOL. 70] 



