300 



NATURE 



•[December \2. 1918 



lions. P. Humbert: The Poincare' Mir fair- of ord 

 — J. de Schokalsky ; I he hydrographical exploration uf 

 thi coasts of Siberia in 1918 by the Russian Marine 

 Ministry. J. Mueller: The solubility of copper 

 hydroxide in presence of sodium and potassium 

 hydroxides. Concentrated solutions "i caustic potash 

 and soda keep in solution appreciable quantities of 

 coppei hydroxide. On diluting and boiling, in some 

 cases all the copper is >iill held in solution; in others 

 some of tin* copper is precipitated. No organic sub- 

 stance OT Other metallic oxide was present in these 

 experiments. — T. Komninos : A new synthesis id 

 aromatic from fatty compounds. Acetone and malonyl 

 chloride react in presence of marble, and from the 

 products of the reaction the substance 



(II, CO I'll. CO CH S COC1 

 was isolated. This loses another molecule of hydrogen 

 chloride under the action of marble, giving phloro- 

 glucinol, This synthesis can probably be generalised. 

 — J. de Lapparenit : The felspar crystals developed in 

 limestones of the Upper Pyrenees Cretacean. — M. 

 Milliard j The production of glycocoll by Isaria dcnsa. 

 The growth of this fungus on gelatine gives a yield 

 of 33 per cent, of this amino-acid, whilst the acid 

 hydrolysis of gelatine gives only half this amount. 

 Fibrin, hydrolysed by acids, gives only 3 per cent, of 

 aminoacetic acid, whilst the fungus gives a 38 per 

 cent, yield. — J. Amar : The mental function in 

 feminine work. — P. Godin : Practical application of the 

 " Fiche scolaire" (mental and physical record) to a 

 pupil followed from 11 to i2i years of age. — J. 

 Nageotte and L. Sencert : Functii nal grafts of dead 

 arteries. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Archaeological Survey of India. New Imperial 

 Series. Vol. xl. The Astronomical Observatories of 

 Jai Singh. By G. R. Kaye. Pp. viii+ 151+xxvi plates. 

 (Calcutta.) 23s. 



Submarine and Anti-Submarine. Be Sir H. New- 

 bolt. Pp. viii + 312. (London: Longmans and Co.) 

 js. 6d. net. 



Cotton. By C Bigwood. Pp. viii+204. ("Staple 

 Trades and Industries.") (London: Constable and 

 Co.. Ltd.) 6s. 6d. net. 



The Psychology of Conviction: A Study of Beliefs 

 and Attitudes. By Prof. J. Jastrow. Pp. xix + 387. 

 (Boston and New York : Houghton Mifflin Co. ; 

 London : Constable and Co., Ltd.) 10s. 6d. net. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY. December i*. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.— Leonard Hill and Hargood Ash : The Cooling 

 and Evaporative Powers of the Atmosphere, as Determined hy the Kata- 

 thermometer.— H. C. Bazett : Observations on Changes in the P.lood 

 Pressure and Blood Volume following Operations in Man.— Dr. M. C. 

 Slopes : The Four Visible Ingredients in Banded Bituminous Coal. 



Optical Society, at S.— Instructor-Commander T. V. Baker and Major 

 L. N. G. Filon : An Empirical Formula for the Longitudina I Spherical 

 Aberrations in a Thick Lens.— Major E. O. Henrici : Spirit Levels. 



Institution ofSElectrical Engineers, at 6.— Discussion on Electric 

 Welding. 



Mathematical Society, at s.— G. H. Hardyand J. E. Littlewood : Appli- 

 cations of the Method of Farey Dissection in the Analytic Theory of 

 Numbers: (it A New Solution of Waring's Problem: "(3) Proof that 

 every Large Number is the Sum of at most 33 Biquadrates: (3) The 

 Riemann Hypothesis and the Expression of a Number as the Sum of a 

 Stated Number of Primes.— N. M. Shah and B. M. Wilson : Numerical 

 Data connected with Goldbach's Theorem. 



FRIDAY. December 13. 



Royal Astronomical Society, at 5 — J. Lunt : The Dark Line Spec- 

 trum of Nova Geminorum No. 2.— A. Kine : A Shower of Shooting 

 Stars from the Pleiades.— J. H. Jeans : The Evolution of Binary Ssytems. 

 — C. P. Butler: The Presence of G and K Type Bands in the Early 

 Spectra of Nova Aouilsr III (1918).— Probable Paper : A. A. Ramhaut : 

 Observations of the Magnitude of Nova Aqui'a:, rgtS, made at Radeliffe 

 Observatory, Oxford, and a Comparison with the Radeliffe Magnitudes of 

 Nova Persei, iqoi. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 6. 



MONO A Y, December 16. 



Royal Geographical Society, at s. 



Kovai. Societv or Arts, at 5 .-Prof. J. C. Philip: Phy ical Chtmistry 

 and its Bearing on the Chemical and Allied Industries. 



ARISTOTELIAN SOCIETY, at 8.- Prof. John Laird: Synthesis and Dis- 

 covery. 



TUESDAY, December , 7 . 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 5.30.— Paters /,. 11. 



Leemmg : Road-corrugation. — K. Wood : Investigations in the Siructure 

 of Koad-surfaces.— T. B. Bower: Notes on Road I 

 Maintenance. 



' o] Petroleum Technologists, at 5 <o— Dr 



Perkm : The Production of Oil from Mineral Sources. 

 Royal s 11 T v, at 5.15.— Dr. John Brownlec : : 



Biology of a Life Table. 



WEDNESDAY, December 18. 

 Geological Society, at 5.30. 

 Royal Microscopical Society, at 8.— Col. A. Casiellan 



I)ise.,-es met will, in the Balkanic War Zone. 

 Royal Meteorological Society, at 5.— Capt. C 

 1.— C. E. P. Bruuks : Notes 



Mollwo 

 :s on the 



Journal at W'eiHai-Wei, kept by Commander A. E. H 

 1916.— CapL E. H. Chapman : The Ai 

 Certain Elements and a Note on the Cho 



J. P. Cave, R.E. : 



R Meteorological 



al Syrr 



of Sc 



THURSDAY, December iq. 

 Chemical Society, at 8.— Prof. F. Soddy : The Conception of the 



Chemical Element as Enlarged by the Study of Radio-aciive Change. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 6.— P. Hunter-Brown : Carbon 

 Brushes Considered in Relation to the Design and Operation of Elec- 

 trical Machinery. 



Illuminating Engineering Socii 

 President : Summary of Progress 



to War Pruble 



V, at 8.— Discussion ,'/,.. 

 Photometry, with Special Referenc 



NO. 2563, VOL. I02] 



CONTENTS. page 



Lichens: their Description and Classification. By 



W. W 281 



Imperial Telegraph Facilities and their Adminis- 

 tration. By A. J. S 28s 



The Art of Travel. By R. N. R. B 283 



Our Bookshelf 283 



Letters to the Editor:— 



The Late Mr. R. P. Gregory.— Prof. W. Bateson, 



F.R.S 284 



Cyclonic Circulation. — J. S. Dines 284 



Fuel Economisers. — Dr. John Aitken, F.R.S. ; 



Prof. C. V. Boys, F.R.S 285 



A Mistaken Butterfly. — S. Robson . 285 



Chemical Correlation in the Growth of Plants. By 



Prof. W. M. Bayliss, F.R.S 285 



The Prevention of Venereal Diseases 2S7 



Work at the National Physical Laboratory .... 287 



Notes 28S 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Dwarf Stars 292 



The Sun's Rotation 292 



The Canadian 72-in. Reflecting Telescope 292 



The Education Act of 1918 and its Possibilities . . 293 



The Public Health. By R. T. H 294 



An Institute of Physical and Chemical Research 



for Japan 294 



The Laboratory in the Service of the Hospital. By 



Dr. C.H. Browning 295 



University and Educational Intelligence 298 



Societies and Academies 298 



Books Received 300 



Diary of Societies 300 



Editorial and Publishing Offices : 



MACMILLAN AND CO., Ltd., 



ST. MARTIN'S STREET, LONDON, W.C.2. 



ertisements and business letters to be addressed to the 

 Publishers. 



Editorial Communications to the Editor. 

 Telegraphic Address : Pntsis, London. 

 Telephone Number Gerhard 8830. 



