43* 



NATURE 



[January 30, [919 



that in each quarter the same days of the week would 

 fall > |! thi -.11111 dalrs of the corresponding months. 

 A tabular comparison of the present and proposed 

 dai is given, and possible objections an- met. — 

 1.. E. Berlin: The possible creation of a means of 



6 Bi Igian maritime communication betwei n Ant. 



.aid Marseilles.- Y. Delage : Suggestion on the 

 and causes "I segregative hereditj (Mendelian 

 characters) and of aggregative hen-din (non-Mendelian 

 characters). Commenting on the Mendelian theory as 

 at present developed, the author points out that to 

 reconcile the principles of the theory with observed 

 laets .1 constant stream of Fresh subsidiary hypotheses 

 is needed. As an alternative to the Mendelian theorj 

 tin' following is proposed : The hereditary mode is a 



function of the degree of heterogeneity of the parental 

 ehromatines. — C. (inichard : A series of surfaces of 

 constant total curvature such that their lines of curva- 

 ture form a network of the type />.V, - (/> ! -l)B\— 

 (i. A. Boulenger : K evolution reversible? Considera- 

 tions on certain fishes. The law of Dollo, that there 

 is no known case demonstrating in an irrefutable 

 manner the return of a modified organ to its primi- 

 tive condition, is called in question. After reference to 

 the work of W. D. Matthew and of L. Errara, 

 example are given in which there is an undoubted 

 return to a primitive form of teeth. These occur in 

 some African fishes belonging to the family of Cich- 

 lides (sometimes called Chromides). — H. Duport : 

 Partial differential equations. — J. Drach : Determina- 

 tion of the cases of reduction of the differential equa- 

 tion d'y/dx' = [<i>(x) + h]y. — C. Rabut : A new canonical 

 form of reinforced massifs. — Ch. Fremont : The pre- 

 mature rupture of pieces of steel submitted to repeated 

 stresses. R. Dubrissay, Tripier, and Toquet : A physico- 

 chemical method of estimating alkaline carbonates in 

 the presence ol free alkaline bases. Application to the 

 analysis of flue-gas. The method is based on the 

 fact that whilst the hydroxides of the alkali metals 

 increase the coefficient of reciprocal miscibility of 

 water and phenol, the alkaline carbonates act in the 

 Opposite sense. — ]•". Bourion and A. Senechal: The 

 evolution and oxidation of chromic hydrate in alkaline 

 solution.— P. Bugnon : A new method of selective 

 coloration of lignified plant membranes. The dye 

 suggested is Lichtgriin F.S. (the sodium salt of 

 diethyldibenzyldiamidotriphenvlcarbinol trisulphonic 



acid), details of the technique being given. Important 

 advantages' arc claimed for this stain. — M. Denis: 

 Some thalla of Aneura deprived of chlorophyll. — J. 

 Amar : The origin and consequences of feminine emo- 

 tivity. — G. Sanarelli : The pathogeny of cholera. The 

 natural defence of the peritoneum against the cholera 

 \ iln ions. 



January 13. — M. Lcion Guignard in the chair. — 

 G. Lippmann : The properties of electric circuits 

 deprived of resistance. The researches of H. K. 

 Onnes have shown that at the temperature of boiling 

 helium the' resistance- suddenly diminishes practically 

 to zero. Some mathematical consequences are 

 oul and applied to explain the results of some 

 of th. experiments of H. K. Onnes. — G. A. 

 Boulenger ; \ ease- of ontogenic evolution in an African 

 lizard, ias lugubris. — J. Chazy : Remark on the 



problems f wo and three bodies. — H. Bourget : The 

 algebraical lopment of the principal part of the 



perturbatiot 1 fallowing the method of Cauchy. 



— R. It, nil. inn : dification of the prism astrolabe 



designed to me: nre variations of latitude. — M. 

 Swyngedauw : The it fluence of the sheath on the 

 effective resistance : reactance of an armoured 



cable for the 3 harmoni The effective line resist- 



ance and reactance fot the harmonic 3 must be 

 determined on the cable in use. F. Bourion and A. 

 Senechal : The evolution and lagnetic properties • » f 

 NO. 25/0, VOL. I02] 



chromium hydrate in alkaline' solution. F. <i rand jean : 

 Calculation of the extraordinary rays for certain 



slimline- ol anisotropic liquids. I'. I'ruvost : The 



e\isiene. ol Coal Measures al greal depth at Merville 

 (Nord). Al a depth of 247 metres a black, bituminous 



scbisi was encountered, containing ;,j per cent, of 

 volatile matter. Tin- boring passes through ,1 metres 

 of the lower Coal Measures. S. Stefanescn : The 

 phylogeny of Elephas africanus. from a stud} of the 



he 1I1 the conclusion is drawn that the ancestors of 

 /-.. africanus have come directly from the bunolopho- 



dont mastodons. II. Hubert: Tin superposition of 



tin air currents above the peninsula of Cape Vert 

 (Senegal). E. Mesnard : The origin and the grouping 

 of meteorological phenomena. K. Mathias : Rain in 

 France : th' 1 parasite phenomenon. C. Somigliana : 

 The theory of seismic waves. A development and 

 discussion ol Ravlcigh's theory of waves. -L. EbU : 

 Vibrations of the soil caused by explosions. — Ch. 

 Dufour : Values e>f the magnetic elements at the 

 Observatory of Val-Joyeux on January 1 last. — J. 

 Pavillard : The female flower of Ruscus. — L. Daniel : 

 Experimental cultures by tin- sea-shore. — I.. I.apicque 

 and !•".. Barbe : The chlorine index as a comparative 

 measure of the richness of soils in humus. Soils 

 remove active chlorine from sodium hypochlorite 

 solutions in amounts which vary probably in the order 

 of the richness of the soil in humus. — D. Berthelol 

 and R. Trannoy : lli. absorbing power of drv or 

 moist earth for gaseous chlorine. These experiments 

 had their origin in an attempt to utilise earth as a 

 protection against poisonous gases in the field. 

 Details are given of the results obtained with six 

 soils, both dry and moist.— R. Dollfus : Continuity 

 cif the line of germinal cells in the Trematods 

 Digenea. J. I'anlel : Calcium in the normal physio- 

 logy of the Phasmides. — M. Baudouin : The flattening 

 of the upper part of the body of the humerus in 

 children of the Polished Stone period. 



Cape Town. 

 Royal Society of South Africa, October 30, 1918. 1 >' • 



J. D. F. Gilchrist, president, in the chair. — T. J. 

 Mackie : Haemolysis by serum in combination with 

 certain benzol bodies, ft has been shown that while 

 serum-complement acts as haemolysin in the presence- 

 of a specific immune bodv, and also along with col- 

 loidal silicic acid, serum is also capable of producing 

 lysis of red-blood corpuscles which have been treated 

 willi certain benzol bodies. The paper records the 

 result of experiments carried out with brilliant green. 



J. R. Sutton : A possible lunar influence upon the 



velocity of the wind at Kimberley. The object of this 

 paper is to discuss the question whether there is a 

 lunar term in the velocity of the wind at Kimberley. 

 The results of hourly ' observations made during 

 180 lunations reveal only one definite maximum and 

 minimum of velocity in the lunar curve, the former 

 falling 'about three hours before lunar midnight, the 

 latter just before lunar noon, the range being 0-20 

 mile an hour. When the' moon is in south declina- 

 tion the maximum of velocity is near lunar noon 

 and the minimum near lunar midnight, the- opposite 

 being the case- when the moon is north, the respec- 

 tive ranges of velocity being 032 and 0-55 mile an 

 hour, which are greater than one would have expected 

 to find. Miss Ethel M. Doidge : South African Peri- 

 sporiacese. V. : Notes on an interesting collection 

 from Natal. A number of leaf-fungi are described 

 from Natal, chiefly belonging to the genus Meliola, 

 and including hitherto undescribed species.— -A. 

 Young : Fusion of Karroo grits in contact with 

 dole rite intrusions. Certain unusual contact altera- 

 tions occurring in the Heilbron district were described. 



