624 
NATURE 
[AprRIL 29, 1897 
Agafnoff. No sort of parallelism appears to exist between 
transparency to ultra-violet rays and the Rontgen rays, the sul- 
phates, for example, being nearly opaque to the latter, although 
very transparent to the former. The reverse of this occurs with 
most crystallised organic compounds.—On dark light, by M. 
Perrigot. The results obtained by M. G. Le Bon, stated by 
him to be due to special rays, the ‘‘ dark light,” are shown to 
be capable of another explanation, the ebonite sheet used being 
itself slightly transparent to white light.—On the separation of 
chlorine and bromine, by MM. H. Baubigny and P. Rivals. 
In presence of an excess of copper salts (sulphate), bromides 
are totally decomposed in neutral solutions at the ordinary tem- 
peratures. The application of this method to test mixtures of 
chlorides and bromides gave satisfactory results.—Separation of 
nickel, cobalt, and iron, and of cobalt and aluminium, by M. E. 
Pinerua. Chloride of nickel is quite insoluble in ether saturated 
with hydrogen chloride, the chlorides of cobalt and iron, on the 
other hand, being easily soluble in this reagent. The method 
is sufficiently sensitive to detect the presence of nickel and iron 
in the ‘* pure” cobalt chloride of commerce, and cobalt and iron 
in the nickel chloride sold as pure.—On cholesterine, by M. Ch. 
‘Cloéz.—On the grafting of Helzanthus annus and Helianthus 
Zetiflorus, by M. L. Daniel.—The proper motion of the sun, by 
M. Delauney.—On a new gas battery, serving as an accumu- 
lator, by M. C. Gaudet. 
DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 
THURSDAY, Aprit 29 
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, at 4.—Annual Meeting. 
‘CHEMICAL Society, at 8.—Monochlordiparaconic Acid and some Condensa- 
tions: Dr. H. C. Myers.—On the Decomposition of Iron Pyrites : W. A. 
Caldecott. 
‘CamerRA Cus, at 8.15 —The Automatic Teiephone: S. B. Apostoloft. 
FRIDAY, Aprit 30. 
Roya. INsTITUTION, at 9.—Kathode Rays: Prof. J. J. Thomson, F.R.S. 
EPIDEMIOLOGICAL SociETy, at 8.—Some Observations on the Infectivity of 
Diphtheria, and its Relation to School Closure : Dr. Louis Parkes. 
SATURDAY, May t. 
Roya InstTiTuTION, at 5.—Annual Meeting. 
Geo.ocists’ Association.—Excursion to Cookham. Leave Paddington 
1.40 p-m. 3 arrive Cookham 2.30 p.m. Director: LI]. Treacher. 
Lonpon GEoLocicaL Frerp Crass.—Excursion to Leith Hill. 
Greensand. Leave London Bridge, 2; arrive Holmwood, 3.17- 
MONDAY, May 3. 
Society oF ARTS, at 4.30.—Designin Lettering : Lewis Foreman Day. 
Society or CHEMICAL INDusTRY, at 8. 
VicToRIA INSTITUTE, at 4.30.—Nippur : its Inscriptions. 
‘CAMERA Cup, at 8.15.—Opening Address: Captain W. de W. Abney.— 
Photography at Sea: Captain Wilson Barker. 
TUESDAY, May 4. 
Roya InsTiTUTION, at 3.—Volcanoes: Dr. Tempest Anderson. 
Society or Arts, at 4.30.—The Arctic and Antarctic: Aubyn Trevor- 
Battye. 
ZOOLOGICAL Society, at 8.30.—On the General Zoological Results of the 
. Tanganyika Expedition of 1895-96 : J. E.S. Moore.—On some European 
Slugs of the Genus Arion : Walter E. Collinge.—Field-Notes on the 
Antelopes of the Mau District, British East Africa; Frederick J. Jackson. 
With Notes by P. L. Sclater. 
Royat Victoria HALL, at 8.30.—Mountains of Skye: Dr. T. K. Rose. 
GRESHAM COLLEGE (Basinghall Street), at 6.—Planets Saturn, Uranus, and 
Neptune: Rey. Edmund Ledger. 
WEDNESDAY, May 5. 
Society oF Arts, at 8.—The Railway to India: C. E. D. Black. 
ENTOMOLOGICAL SOcIETY, at 8.—Homceochromatic Groups of Butterflies : 
Mr. Blandford. 
Society oF Pusiic ANALYsTS, at 8.—The Value of the Nitrogen Factor 
in the Analysis of Decomposed Milks: Alfred Smetham and J. B. Ash- 
worth.—Notes on the Influence of Boric Acid upon the Action of Digestive 
Ferments: R. A. Cripps. 
GRESHAM COLLEGE (Basinghall Street), at 6.—Planets Saturn, Uranus, and 
Neptune: Rev. Edmund Ledger. 
THURSDAY, May 6. 
Roya InstituTion, at 3.—Liquid Air as an Agent of Research: Prof. J. 
Dewar, F.R.S. 
Society oF ARTS, at 4.30.—Katistan: its Manners and Customs: Sir 
George Scott Robertson, K.C.S.1. 
LINNEAN SOCIETY, at 8. 
CHEMICAL Society, at 8.—A Bunsen Burner for Acetylene : A. E. Munby. 
—On the Reactions between Lead and the Oxides of Sulphur: H. C. 
Jenkins and A. E. Smith.— Ballot for Election of Fellows. 
GresHAM COLLEGE (Basinghall Street), at 6.—Planets Saturn, Uranus, 
and Neptune: Rey. Edmund Ledger. 
FRIDAY, May 7. 
INSTITUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, at 7.30.—Experiments on 
Propeller Ventilating Fans, and on the Electric Motor driving them: 
William G. Walker. 
Geo.ocists’ AssociaTION, at 8.—Coral Islands : W. W. Watts. 
GresHamM COLLEGE (Basinghall Street), at 6.—Planets Saturn, Uranus, 
and Neptune: Rey. Edmund Ledger. 
NO. 1435, VOL. 55] 
Lower 
SATURDAY, May 8. 
Roya Botanic Society, at 4. 
Gro.ocists’ Association—Excursion to Southborough and Tunbridge 
Wells. Director: G. Abbott. Leave Charing Cross Station (S.E.Ri) 
g-22 a.-m.; arrive Southborough 10,50 a.m. 
Lonvon Geo.ocicat Fietp Ciass.—Excursion to Caterham to Redhill, 
zwia Godstone. Upper Greensand. Leave Cannon Street 2.173 arrive 
Caterham 3.12. 
BOOKS, PAMPHLETS, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 
Books.—Queen’s College, Galway, Calendar for 1896-97 (Dublin, 
Ponsonby).—Royal University of Ireland, Exam. Papers, 1896 (Dublin, 
Ponsonby).—Les Transformateurs de Tension a Courants Altcrnatifs : F, 
Loppé (Paris, Gauthier-Villars).—A Treatise on Practical Plane and Solid 
Geometry: T. J. Evans and W. W. F. Pullen (Chapman).—Societa Reale 
di Napoli. Atti della Reale Accademia delle Scienze Fisiche e Matematiche. 
Serie seconda, vol. viii. (Napoli).—Respiratory Proteids: Dr. A. B. Griffiths 
(L. Reeve).—Tea : a Text-book of Tea-planting and Manufacture : D. Crole 
(Lockwood).—The Materials of Construction: Prof. J. B. Johnson (New 
York, Wiley ; London, Chapman).—Festschrift zum Siebenzigsten geburt- 
stage von Carl Gegenbaur, Dritter Band (Leipzig, Engelmann).—Royal 
University of Ireland, Calendar 1897 (Dublin, Thom).—The Pamirs and the 
Source of the Oxus: G. N. Curzon (Royal Geographical Society). 
Pampu.ets.—Fiinfter Jahres-Bericht des Sonnblick-Vereines fiir da 
Jahr 1896 (Wien).—The Street Railway System of Philadelphia: Prof F 
W. Speirs (Baltimore). 
SERIALS.—Proceedings of the Physical Society, April (Taylor).—Journal 
of the Institution of Electrical Engineers, April (Spon).—Journal of the 
Chemical Society, March (Gurney).—Lloyd’s Natural History. British 
Birds: Dr. R. B. Sharpe, Parts x. and xi. (Lloyd).—American Naturalist, 
April (Philadelphia).—Journal of the Franklin Institute, April (Phila- 
delphia).—Terrestrial Magnetism, March (Cincinnati). Bulletin de la Société 
Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou, 1896, No. 3 (Moscou).—Beitrage zur 
Geophysik, 3 Band, 2 Heft (Leipzig, Engelmann).—Journal of the Sanitary 
Institute, April (Stanford).—Zeitschrift fiir Physikalische Chemie, xxii. 
Band, 3 Heft (Leipzig, Engelmann).—Studien iiber Dampfspannkraft- 
messungen, 2 Abthg. 1 Halfte (Basel, Schwabe).—Lean’s Royal Navy 
List, April (Witherby).—English Illustrated Magazine, May (198 Strand).— 
Good Words, May (Isbister).—Sunday Magazine, May (Isbister).—Astro- 
physical Journal, April (Chicago).—Longman’s Magazine, May (Longmans). 
—Quarterly Review, May (Murray). 
CONTENTS. 
The Life and Work of Charles Pritchard ..... 
Water and its Purification. ByJoseph Lunt... 
The Land of the Lamas. By PPK. 3 / ones 
Our Book Shelf :— 
Hurdis: ‘* Rough Notes and Memoranda relating to 
the Natural History of the Bermudas.”—R. L.. . 
Vogt: ‘*Das Wesen der Electricitat und des Mag- 
netismus auf Grund eines einheitlichen Substanzbe- 
-‘griffes.?—=Ji ‘S.)Tis eae: 0) eae 
Somervllle : ‘Farm and Garden Insects”... . . 
Woolacott : ‘ Geology of North-east Durham”. «° 
Letters to the Editor :— 
Rate of Racial Change that accompanies Different 
Degrees of Severity in Selection.—Francis Galton, 
The Effect of Réntgen Rays on Liquid and Solid 
Insulators. —Prof. J. J. Thomson, F.R.S.. .. 
The Theory of Dissociation into Ions.—W. C. 
Dampier Whetham..... 
Mosquito Bites. —W. F. Sinclair ...... 
The Natural History of Worms. (///ustrated.) . 
India-rubber and Gutta-percha, and their Sources. 
By Johniijacksony iirc). Dae eee 
The Resources and the Needs of Cambridge Uni- 
versity "ers oo ome Neh. ss) won ta 
INotes (0% tic ete nein tomes) =) "= iceman 
Our Astronomical Column:— 
Peculiar Stellar’'Spectrayiee= wom): “sisi seuiemerie 
The Plane? Mercuryinseens ue). ec 5 
Nova Aurigee ec. (ae RCs eh oo 
‘The Simplon ‘Tunnel pyeeeie ) <ak> = - b-eeee nes 
On the Colour and Colour-Patterns of Moths and 
Butterflies. By A. R. W. SERIE osc oS 
The Primate Brain. By Dr. W. B. Benham... . 
Lecture-Room Demonstration of Orbits of Bodies 
under the Action of a Central Attraction. (///zs- 
trated.) By R.W. Wood... . .. ‘oXcet eeZe 
University and Educational Intelligence ..... 
Societies and Academies. (///ustraled.) . . 1... 
Diary of Societies oo soo Reka tek) 
Books, Pamphlets, and Serials Received ... . 
| 607 
612 
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