i68 



NA TURE 



[December 14, 1905 



ultra-violet phosphorescence of gadolinium : G. Urbain. 

 The phosphorescence spectrum is given by one element when 

 small quantities of a second element, called the excitor, are 

 present. Either of these, in the pure state, gives no phos- 

 phorescent spectrum. These considerations have been applied 

 to the examination of gadolinium, and the author regards 

 the spectrum attributed to a new element, victorium, by 

 Sir W. Crookes as due to a complex containing gado- 

 linium. — On the existence of caoutchouc in a genus of 

 Menispi 1 mat ea :: Jacques Maheu. — On prulaurasine, a 

 crystallised cyanhydric glucoside extracted from the leaves 

 of the cherry laurel : II. Herissey. The method of obtain- 

 ing this glucoside in a pure crystallised state from the 

 leaves is given. Its formula appears to be C M H 17 N0 6 , 

 and under the action of emulsin it is hydrolysed to hydro- 

 cyanic acid, glucose, and benzoic aldehyde. It is an 

 isomer of the amygdonitrilc-glucoside of Fischer and the 

 sambunigrin of Bourquelot and Danjou. — On the retro- 

 cerebral organ of certain rotifers: P. Marais de Beau- 

 champ. — On phototropism of the larva? of the lobster : 

 (1. Bohn. — On the geological structure of the eastern 

 Pyrenees : Pierre Termier. — On the orientation which an 

 elongated body will take when turning in a current of 

 fluid : E. Noel. — On the Devonian fossils of the eastern 

 Ahenet collected by M. Noel Yillatte : Emile Haug, The 

 collection of fossils made in the course of the Laperrine 

 expedition is sufficient to prove the presence of the three 

 principal subdivisions of the Devonian system, but the 

 stratigraphical relations between the different terms cannot 

 be exactly made out. — The influence of the summer rains 

 on the yield of springs in the plains : M. Houllier. — The 

 magnetic effects of lightning on volcanic rocks : Gaetano 

 Platania and Giovanni Platania. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, December 14. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.— An Investigation into the Structure of the 

 Lumbo-sacralcoccygeal Cord of the Macaque Monkey (Macaais sinuus) : 

 Miss M. P. Fitzgerald.— On the Distribution of Chlorides in Nerve 

 Cells and Fibres: Prof. A. B. Macallum and Miss M. L. Menten.— 

 The Mammalian Cerebral Cortex, with Special Reference to its Com- 

 parative Histology. I. Order Insectivora: Dr. G. A. Watson.— Observ- 

 ations on the Development of Ornithorhynchus : Prof. J. T. Wilson 

 and Dr. J. P. Hill.— Further Work on the Development of the 

 Hepatomonas of Kala-Azar and Cachexia! Fever from Leish man-Donovan 

 Bjdies : Dr. I.. Rogers.— The Action of Anaisthetics on Living Tissues. 

 Part I. The Action on Isolated Nerve : Dr. N. H. Alcock.— Report onjthe 

 Psychology and Sociology of the Todas and other Indian Tribes : 

 Dr. W. H. R. Rivers.— On the Sexualitv and Development of the Ascocarp 

 of Humaria Cranulata, Quel. : V. H. Blackman and Miss H. C. I. 

 Fraser. — On the Microsporangia of the Pteridospermese with Remarks on 

 their Relationship to Existing Groups : R. Kidston, F.R.S.— The 

 Araucariea:, Recent and Extinct: A.C.Seward, F.R.S., and Miss S. O. 

 Ford.— On the Spectrum of the Spontaneous Luminous Radiation of 

 Radium. Part IV. Extension of the Glow: Sir William Huggins, 

 K.C.B , O M., F. R.S., and Lady Huggins. 



Mathematical Society, at 5.30.— On Well-ordered Aggregates: Prof. 

 A C. Dixon. — Tables of Coefficients for Lagrange's Interpolation 

 Formula: Col. R. L. Hippisley.— On the Representation of certain 

 Asymptotic Series as Convergent Continued Fractions : Prof. L. J. 

 Rogers.— On a New Cubic Connected with the Triangle : H. L. 

 Trachtenberg.— Some Difficulties in the Theory of Transfinite Numbers 

 and Order Types : Hon. B. A. W. Russell.— The Imaginary in Geometry: 

 J. L. S. Hatton. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Adjourned Discussion : 



The Charing Cross Company's City of London Works : W. H. Patchell. 



FRIDAY, December 15. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at I.— Adjourned Discussion: 

 The Seventh Report to the Allocs Research Committee : On the Proper- 

 ties of a Series of Iron-Nickel-Manganese-Carbon Alloys : Dr. H. C. H. 

 Carpenter, and Messrs. R. A. Hadfield and Percy Longmuir.— Paper; 

 Behaviour of Materials of Consi ruction under Pure Shear : E. G. Izod. 



Physical SociF.TY(at Royal College of Science, South Kensington), at 7.— 

 Exhibition of Electrical, Optical and other Physical Apparatus. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Tests of Street Illumination in 

 Westminster : E. E. Mann. 



Aeronautical Society, at 8.— The Acoustical Experiments carried out 

 in Balloons by the late Rev. J. M. Bacon : Mss Gertrude Bacon. — The 

 Aeromobile: F. Webb.— A New Conlinuous Impulse Petrol Motor for 

 Dynamic Flying Machines : W. Cochrane. 



MONDAY, December 1 . 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30.— Anthropogeographical Investi- 

 gations in British New Guinea : Dr. C. G. Seligmann and Dr. W. Mersh 

 btrong. 



Society OF Arts, at 8.— The Measurement of High Frequency Currents 

 and Electric Waves : Prof. J A. Fleming, F.R.S. 



Institute of Actuaries, at 5.— Canadian Vital Statistics ; with Particu- 

 lar Reference to the Province of Ontario : M. D. Grant. 

 TUESDAY, Decemberio. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Economy in Factories: H. A. 

 Mavor. 



Anthropological Institute, at 8. 15.— The Origin of Eolithic Flints 

 by Natural Causes: S. H. Warren. 



NO. 1885, VOL. 73] 



Royal Statistical Society, at 5.— The Decline of Human Fertility in 

 the LTnited Kingdom and other Countries as shown by Corrected Birth- 

 Rates: Dr Arthur Newsholme and Dr. T. H. C. Stevenson.— Changes 

 in ihe Marriage- and Birth Rates in England and Wales during the Past 

 Half-century, with an Inquiry as to their Probable Causes : G. Udny 



WEDNESDAY. December 20. 



Geological Society, at 8.— (1) The Clunian Series of the Ludlow 

 District.— Miss G. L. Elles and Miss I. L. Slater; (2) The Carboniferous 

 Rocks of Rush (County Dublin) : Dr. C. A. Matley, with an Account of 

 the Faunal Succession and Correlation by Dr. A. Vaughan. 



Royal Meteorological Society, at 7.30.— Kile Observations from a 

 Trawler in the North Sea: G. C. Simpson. — Investigation of the Upper 

 Air in the West Indies by Means of Kites : C. J. P. Cave and W. H. 

 Dines, F.R.S. — Temperature Observations during the Partial Solar 

 Eclipse, August 30, 1905: W. H. Dines, F.R.S.— Comparison between 

 Glaishers Factors and Ferrel's Psychrometric Formula: J. R. Sutton.— 

 A Rapid Method of finding the Elastic Force of Aqueous Vapour, &c, 

 from Dry and Wet Bulb 1 heimometer Readings : Dr. J. Ball. 



Society of Arts, at 8.— The Aerograph Method of Distributing Colour : 

 Charles L. Burdick. 



Royal Microscopical Society, at 8.— A " Fern " Fructification from 

 the Lower Coal-measures of Shore, Lancashire : D. M. S. Watson.— 

 Exhibition of Balsam mounted Slides by the late Andrew Prilchard. 



Sociological Society, at 8.— The Russian Revolution and its Con- 

 sequences : Dr. G. de Wesselitsky. 



THURSDAY, December 21. 



Linnean Society, at 8.— Report on the Vienna Botanical Congress : 

 Dr. A. B. Rendle.— Cyrtandraceae malayanae novae: Dr. Fianz 

 Ktanzlin.— On Characa: from the Cape, collected by Major A. H. 

 Wolley-Dod : H. and J. Groves.— Note on the Distribution of Shortia, 

 Torr and Gray: B. Daydon Jackson. 



Chemical Society, at 8.30.— The Relation of Position Isomerism to 

 Optical Activity. Part V. The Rotation of the Menthyl Esters of the 

 Isomeric Dibromobenzoic Acids: I. B. Cohen and I. H. Zortman.— Azo- 

 derivatives from a-Naphtho-methylcoumarin : J. T. Hewitt and H. V. 

 Mitchell. — The Supposed Identity of Dihydrolaurolene and of Dihydro- 

 /Velaurolene with 1:1- Dimethylhexahydrobenzene : A. W. Crossley and 

 N. Renouf— The Slow Combustion of Carbon Disulphide : N. Smith. 



CONTENTS. page 



A Great Naturalist. By J. A. T 145 



A Higher Text-Book of Electricity and Magnetism 146 

 Bunsen's Collected Works. By Prof. Arthur 



Smithells, F.R.S 147 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Stephens and Chiistophers : "The Practical Study of 

 Malaria and other Blood Parasites."— Prof. R. T. 



Hewlett 148 



Kearton and Kearlon : " Piclures from Nature " . . 148 

 Tiabert : " Meteorologie und Klimatoiogie "... 149 

 Henderson : "A Popular Intioduction to Astronomy. " 



— W. E. R 149 



Diels and Pritzel : " Fragmenta Phyiographia; 



Australia? occidentalis " ... 149 



Sandys: " Sporting Sketches."— R. L 149 



Dowling : "Ships and Shipping." — Commander 



H. C. Lockyer, R.N 150 



Letters to the Editor : - 



The late Sir John BuidonSanderson. — Sir Lauder 



Brunton, F.R.S 150 



Nomenclature of Kinship : iis Extension. — Dr. 



Francis Galton, F.R.S 150 



Atomic Disintegration and the Distribution of the 

 Elements. — Frederick Soddy ; Norman R. 



Campbell; Geoffrey Martin 151 



Action of Wood on a Photographic Plate. — Dr. 



William J. Russell, F.R.S 152 



Magnetic Storms and Aurora;. — F. C. Dennett . . 152 

 Notes on Stonehenge IX.— Folklore and Tiadilions. 



(Illustrated.) By Sir Norman Lockyer, K. C.B., F. R. S. 153 

 An Australian Story Book. (Illustrated.) By A. C. H. 155 



Notes. (Illustrated.) 156 



Our Astronomical Column . — 



Another New Comet, 1905^ 160 



Comet 1905* 160 



Orbital Elements of Two Meteors 161 



Magnetic Disturbance during the Recent Auroral 



Display 161 



The Zodiacal Light to the North of the Sun . . . 161 

 Canadian Electric Power Stations at Niagara. 



(Illustrated.) By Orrin. E. Lunlap . 161 



Investigation of the Upper Air 162 



Botany at the British Association 162 



Prize Subjects of the Industrial Society of Mulhouse 164 



University and Educational Intelligence 165 



Societies and Academies 166 



Diary of Societies 16S 



