3 20 



NATURE 



[December 19, 1918 



gree with the results of differenl observers.— 

 Lieut. J. Logie : The origin of anticyclones and de- 

 pressions. In this paper Importance was laid on 



radiation as the chief cause of the difl s between 



cyclones and anticyclones. Cyclones are caused l^ 

 the local cooling of the air, and anticyclones )>\ heat- 

 ing, and iu.i the reverse, as commonly believed. 

 lii'-. Facts were in harmony with the theory pre- 

 sented, which was developed in mathematical form 

 in accordance with the ordinary Ras laws. Ii was 

 found thai the entropy of the air would be increased 

 in the region of origin, which, from the data as In 

 upper-air temperatures provided by -Mr. W. II. Dines, 

 was estimated as being at a height of four to sis 

 kilometres. The effect of differing density of the 

 air under the same pressure gradient was shown to 

 intensify the pressure differences. The radiative effect 

 might he obtained h\ the movement of air from 

 equator to pole, by changes of diathermancy due to 

 formation of thin haze, or by the covering of a large 

 tract of country by cloud, and these causes were con- 

 sidered adequate in giving the variation of radiative 

 effect required. 



Melbourne. 

 Royal Society of Victoria, October 10.— Mr. J. A. 

 Kershaw, president, in the chair. — W. M. Bale ; 

 Further notes on Australian Ihdroids. Part iv. In 

 this paper the author describes several new- species 

 from Victorian waters. Lytocarpus itrens, Kirchen- 

 pauer, from Moreton Bay specimens, is proved to be 

 the female form of /.. pkillipsinus, K. Notes are 

 added regarding the specific relationships of the Aus- 

 tralian brown Hydras, generally referred to H. dig- 

 actis (H. fii'.ca). It is possible that they belong to 

 other, European and American, species, which further 

 research will determine. 



Sydney. 



Koval Society of New South Wales, October 2. Mr. 



\Y. S. Dun, president, in the chair. — R. H. Cambage : 

 Acacia seedlings. Part iv. The author described the 

 seedlings of twelve species, and pointed out that 

 although bipinnate leaves are the dominant form in 

 seedlings of this genus, yet one species, A. alata, so 

 far as his tests had gone, did not appear to produce a 

 bipinnate leaf at all, but had simply pinnate leaves 

 and phyllodes. He stated that seeds of .1. melon- 

 oxylon and A. pennittervis had germinated after 

 having been in sea-water for 469 days, and of 

 A. farnesiana after 1^75 days. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Mnemonic Notation for Engineering Formula?. 

 Report of the Science Committee of the Concrete 

 Institute. With explanatorj notes by E. F. Etchells. 

 Pp. 110. (London: E. and F. N. Spon, Ltd.) 6.?. 

 net. 



Life of Frederick Courtenay Selous, D.S.O. R\ 

 J- !■'■ Mill lis. Pp. xi + 387. (London: Longmans 

 and Co.) zis. net. 



Tin- Sri. in.- and Practice of Manuring. By \Y. 

 Dyke. Revised and enlarged edition. Pp. iv + 157. 

 (London : The Lock-wood Press.) 2s. net. 



British Rainfall, 1.117. By Dr. H. R. Mill and 

 C. Salt,.-. Pp. .40. (London: E. Stanford, Ltd.) 



HIS. 



Mod. in Chemistn ami Chemical Industry of 

 Starch and Cellulose (with Reference to India). B\ 

 Prof. T. C < 'h.iudhm i. Pp. viiiH 156. (Calcutta and 

 London: Butterworth ;>n,\ ('u. 1 ;.i2 rupees net. 



Inn. an of Education, India. Progress of Educa- 

 tion in India, 1012-17. By 11. Sharp. Vol. i. 



NO. 2564, VOL. I02] 



Pp. vi+215. (Calcutta: Supt. Govt. Printing, [ni 

 11. 's, or vv- od. 

 II). Mexl Step in Religion. B5 Dr. R. W. Sellars. 

 Pp. 22S. 1 New Vork: The Macmillan Co.; Londi 

 Ian and Co., Ltd.) 1.50 dull.; 

 Will Life ol the World. By R. Lydekker. j vols. 



Vol. i., pp. \ivt472; vol. ii.; pp. xiir44.i; vol. iii., 

 pp. \i 157. (London: F. Warne and Co.) 4 guineas 

 ili.- three vols. 



An Introduction to the Study of Biological 

 Chemistry. By Prof. S. B. Schryver. Pp. 340. 

 (London and Edinburgh: T. C. and I-"., c. Jack, Ltd.) 

 6s. net. 



Mi. Grasses and Grasslands of South Africa. By 

 Prof. J. W. Hews. Pp. vi + 161. (Pietermaritzburg : 

 P. Davis and Sons, Ltd. I Js. '«/. int. 



rabies "I Refractive Indices. Vol. i. : Essential 

 Oils. Compiled by R. Kanthack. Edited by Dr. 

 J. X. Goldsmith. Pp. 148. (London: Adam Hi! 

 Ltd.) 15s. net. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, December iq. 



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

 Chemical Element as Enlarged by the Study of Radio-active Chaise. 



-.-vrnuTMN in- Electrical En-gineers, at 6.— P. Hunter-Brown : Carlion 

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

 trical Machinery. 



LLUMINATING ENGINEERING SOCIETY, at 8. — Dl'sCUSSfotl OJ>en(ii by the 



President: Summary of Progress in Photometry, with Special Reference 

 to War Problems. 



CONTENTS. pace 



Chemical Industry, Now and Hereafter 301 



Modern Developments in Metallurgy. ByH.C.H. C. 302 



A Natural History of Pheasants. By W. E. C. . . 302 



Our Bookshelf ;< 13 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Perception of Sound. — Rt. Hon. Lord Ray- 



leigb, O.M., F.R.S 304 



The Common Cause of Pure and Applied Science. — 



Lt. -Col. Arthur Smithells, F.R.S. . . 304 

 The Theory of Hormones Applied to Plants. — Prof. 



Arthur Keith, F.R.S 305 



Research Associations and Others 305 



The Future Development of the Internal-combus- 

 tion Engine. By H. E. W 307 



Nursing Habits of Ants and Termites. By F. A. D. 308 



Pbysics in Schools. By G. F. D 309 



Notes 310 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Fireball on December 6 ... 314 



Comet 19181/ (Schorr) 314 



Spectra of Binary Stars 3 '4 



A New " Solar Constant " Observatory 314 



Medical Research 314 



The British Glassware Industry 313 



The Antarctic Ice-cap and its Borders. By Sir 



Douglas Mawson ... . 315 



University and Educational Intelligence 316 



Societies and Academies 318 



Books Received 320 



Diary of Societies 320 



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Advertisements and business letters to be addressed tc the 

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Editorial Communications to the Editor. 

 Telegraphic Address: Phusis, London. 

 Telephone Number Gerrard 8830. 



