72 



NA TURE 



[November 16, 1905 



gas the density and velocit} ol which undergo abrupt vari- 

 ations. Such a wave is not purely adiabatic, even when 

 the gas is isolated from all sources of external heat. In 

 the case of a positive wave thi gas itself is a source of 

 heat, .mil the entropy of the system increases; the inverse 

 case is not possible — Remarks on the preceding note: M. 

 Hadamard. Researches "ii gravitation: V. Cremieu. It 

 is shown that it is possible to" repeat the Cavendish experi- 

 ment in liquids under conditions equal, if not superior, to 

 those realised in air. — On the electrical conductivity of 

 selenium : Maurice Coste. The selenium in these experi- 

 ments was placed between gold plates i mm. apart. The 

 gold has the advantage over other metals of not forming 

 a selenide, the conductivity of which might interfere with 

 the accuracy of the results. If the selenium is rapidly 

 cooled, the ' resistance is above 50 megohms, but after 

 annealing it falls to some thousand ohms. It has been 

 found that to obtain a selenium that is very sensitive to 

 the action of light it is necessary to have it in the metallic 

 state in a form as compact as possible. — The determination 

 of calorific conductivity: J. Thovert. — The ultra-violet 

 spectra of the purins : Ch. Dhere. Thirteen photographs 

 were made on the same plate, the first being the comparison 

 spectrum, the others the absorption spectra of the aqueous 

 solution of the purin considered with progressively in- 

 creasing thickness. Results are given for 6-oxypurin, 

 xanthin, and uric acid. — On the reduction of oxides and 

 on a new method of preparation of the compound SiMn, b\ 

 means ol aluminium: Em. Vigouroux. — Molecular trans- 

 positions and the migration of carboxyl in the- dehydration 

 ol certain acid-alcohols: E. E. Blaise and A. CoUrtot. 

 Hie ethyl ester of 0/3-dimethyl-/3-phenylhydracrylic acid, 

 under the influence of phosphoric anhydride, gives dimelhyl- 

 atropic acid. The removal of water in this reaction must 

 have been preceded by the migration of the carboxyl group, 

 and furnishes the first example of such a migration. — On 

 tin crystallography of a double compound of ammonium 

 chloride and nickel bromide : Fred. Wallerant. — Rheo- 

 tropism of some hydroids : Paul Hallez. — Experiments on 

 the toxicity of eggs: Gustave Loisel. The yolks of the 

 ega., ,,[ the chicken, duck, and tortoise contain substances 

 which, when injected into the veins, under the skin, or in 

 iln general cavity of the body, determine promptly the 

 death of the injected animals. — Contribution to the study 

 ol Corti's organ : M. Marage. — On the nature of the 

 pigments of the blood: MM. Piettre and Vila. The 

 author has repeated Nencki's work on the composition of 

 Teichmann's crystals, and obtains analytical results for the 

 substance which vary with varying conditions of prepar- 

 ation, and hence concludes that the formula attributed to 

 the substance is illusory. — Researches on the fatty acids. 

 Experimental lesions : Jean Camus and Ph. Pagniez. — On 

 the age of the Vire granite : A. Bigot. — On the parallelism 

 of the Upper Eocene strata of Biarritz and Vincentin : 

 Jean Boussac. — On the storm of July 4 in the district of 

 Orleans : M. Maillard. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, November 16. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.— The Physical and Chemical Properties of Iron 

 Carbonyl: Sir James Dewar, F.R.S., and H. O. [ones.— The Transit of 

 Inns in the Electric Arc : A. A. Campbell Swinton— First Photographs 

 of the Canals of Mars : Prof. Percival Lowell.— On the Laws of Radiation : 

 Prof. J. H. Jeans.-The Pressure of Explosions. Experiments on Solid 

 and Gaseous Explosives : J E. Petavel. — The Accurate Measurement of 

 Ionic Velocities : Dr. R. B Denison and Dr. B. D. Steele.— On Newton's 

 Rings termed by Metallic Reflection: Pro'. R. C. Maclautin. — The 

 lilectrical Conductivity of Dilute Solutions of Sulphuric Acid : W. C. D. 

 Whetham, F.R.S. 



Chemical Societv, at 8.30.— Silicon Researches, Part ix., Bromination 

 of Silicophenyl lmide and Amide, and Formation of a Compound in- 

 cluding (SiN): J. E. Reynolds. — Condensation of Ketones with 

 Mercury Cyanide: J. E. Marsh and R. de J. F. Struthers— Applica- 

 tion ol |]h Mm .. |,i M.iln.d of Molecular Weight Determination to 

 High Boilini Solvents: G. Barger and A. J. Ewins. -Green Compounds 

 ol Cobalt produced by Oxidising Agenls : R. G. Durrani.— Synthesis or 

 Tertiary Menllml and of Inactive Menthene: VV. H. Perkin, jun.— 

 Optically Active Reduced Naphthoic Acids, Part i., Dextro-AI-.'" "- 

 dihyilro-t-naphthoic Acid: R. H. Pickard and A. Neville. 



LiNNKAN Society, at 8.— Contributions to the Embryology of the 



Amentifera; : Dr. Margaret Benson, Elizabeth Sanday and Emily 



Berridge.— On the Ears of certain Sharks: Prof. Chas. Stewart, IKS. 



FRIDAY, November 17. 



Institution op Mechanical Engineers, at 8.— The Seventh Report 

 to the Alloys Research Committee ; On the Properties of a Series of 



Iron Nickel Manganese-Carbon Alloys: Dr. H. C. H. Carpen. -r, 

 R. A. Hadfield, and P. Longmuir. 



MONDA Y, November 20. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8. 33. — First Exploration of the Hoh- 

 Lumba and Sobson Glaciers (Himalaya) : Mrs. F. B. Workman. 



Sociological Society, at 8. — The Origin and Function of Religion: 

 A. E. Crawley. 



TUESDA Y, November 21. 



Anthropological Institute, at 8.15.— Exhibition of Photographs of 

 North American Indians : J. S. Chase. — Boomerangs : N. W. Thomas. 



Institution op Civil Engineers, at 8. — On Waterways in Great 

 Britain (Discussion) : J. A. Saner. 



WEDNESDAY. November 22. 



Geological Society, at 8.— On a New Specimen of the Chima-roid Fish 

 Myriacantkus paradoxus, Ag., from the Lower Lias of Lyme Regis: 

 Dr. A. Smith Woodward, F.R.S— The Rocks of the Cataracts of the 

 Kiver Madeira, and the adjoining Portions of the Beni and Mamore : 

 Dr. J. W. Evans.— The Donca^ter Earthquake of April 23, 1905: Dr. 

 C. Davison. 



Society of Arts, at 8. — The Cinematograph and its Applications : 

 F. Martin-Duncan. 



THURSDAY. November 23. 



Royal Society, at ^.-p.— Probable Papers: On the Nature of the 

 Galvanotropic Irritability of Roots : Dr. A. J. Ewart and Miss Bayliss. — 

 Some Observationson llcl-vits, I, in mirabilis, Hooker-f. : Prof. H. H. W. 

 Pearson.— On the Effects of Alkal.es and Acids, and of Alkaline and 

 Acid Salts, upon Growth and Cell Division in the Fertilised Eggs of 

 Echinus csadentus ; a Study in Relationship to the Causation of 

 Malignant Disease : Prof. B. Moore, Dr. H. E. Roaf, and E. Whiiley.— 

 A Note on the Effect of Acid, Alkali, and Certain Indicators in Arresting 

 or Otherwise Influencing ihe Development of the R-ggs of Pleuronectcs 

 plalessa and Echinus escn/cir/us : E. Whiiley.— On Certain Physical 

 and Chemical Properties of Solutions of Chloroform and other Anaes- 

 thetics. A Contribution to the Chemist rv of Anaesthesia. (Second Com- 

 munication) : Prof. B. Moore and Dr. H. E. Roaf.— (1) On the 

 Possibility of Determining the Presence or Absence of Tubercular Infec- 

 tion bv the Examination of a Patients Blood or Tissue Fluids : (2) On 

 Spontaneous Phagocytosis and on the Phagocytosis which is obtained 

 with the Heated Serum of Patients who have responded to Tubercular 

 Infection, or as the Case may be to the Inoculation of a Tubercle 

 Vaccine: Dr. A. E Wright and Staff-Surgeon S. T. Reid, R.N. —On 

 the Occurrence of the Heterotypical Mitosis in Cancer: Dr. E. F. 

 Bashford and J. A. Murray. 



CONTENTS. page 



" Mathematics " applied to Chemistry 49 



An Ornithologist's Journals 50 



Practical Sea fishing, liy Frank Balfour Browne 51 



Matter and Force 51 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Buckmaster : " A Descriptive Handbook of Architec- 

 ture." 52 



" Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society," 



Vol. ii 52 



Oates and Reid : " Catalogue of the Collection of 

 Birds' Eggs in the British Museum (Natural 



History)" 53 



Hulme, Parker, Seymour-Jones, Davenport, and 

 Williamson : " Leather for Libraries." — H. M. 53 



Letters to the Editor: 



British Mosses.— E. F 54 



Border occasionally seen between Light and Dark 

 Regions on Photographic Prints. — Sir Oliver 



Lodge, F.R.S 54 



Halation.— J. A. Cobb . ... 54 



The Engineer's Unit of Force. — D. J. Carnegie ; 



The Reviewer ... 54 



The Exploration of the Atmosphere over the 

 Tropical Oceans. {Illustrated.) By Dr. A. L. Rotch 



and L. Teisserenc de Bort 54 



South African Zoology and Palseontology. By R. L. 56 

 Scientific Research in the Philippine Islands {Illus- 

 trated.) By Prof. R. T. Hewlett 57 



Dr. Walter F. Wislicenus 57 



Notes 58 



Our Astronomical Column . — 



A Suggestion for the Next International Scheme . . 63 



Phcebe, the Ninth Satellite of Saturn 63 



Graphical Method of determining Altitudes and 



Azimuths . . 63 



The Meteors of Biela's Comet 64 



The Magnitude of u Argus ... 64 



Engineering at the British Association. ByT. H. B. 64 



Anthropology at the British Association 66 



The Solar Observatory on Mount Wilson, Cali- 

 fornia. [Illustrated.) By Prof. G. E. Hale .... 67 

 University and Educational Intelligence ... 69 



Societies and Academies. {Illustrated.) 70 



Diary of Societies 72 



NO. l88l, VOL. 73] 



