43 2 



NA TURE 



[March i, 1906 



formaldehyde in caramelised substances : A. Trillat. 

 Quantities of formaldehyde varying from (races up to 

 . 2 y per cent, have been found in caramel; the higher the 

 temperature at which the caramel is formed, the higher the 

 ige of formaldehyde. This fact may account for 

 rved variation in fermentation of slightly burnt 

 su g ar . — The bryological vegetation of the Antarctic regions : 

 Jules Cardot. An account of forty-six mosses collected 

 in various Antarctic expeditions.— The sporulated yeasts ol 

 Glceosporium : P. Viala and P. Pacottet.— The influence 

 of grafting on the quality oi the grape and wine, and 

 its use in the systematic improvement ol sexual hybrids: 

 M. Curtel and A. Jurie. — The evolution of colonies of 

 Diplosoma spongiforme and the " displanchtomy " of the 

 ascidiozoids : Antoine Pixon. — The male and the sucker of 

 Nicothoa Astaci : A. Quidor.— The peat deposits of the 

 sea shores of Brittany, to the north of Morlaix, Finistere : 



L. Cayeux A whirlwind of very small dimensions: M. 



Luizet. 



CM 11 [TA. 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal, January 10.— Types of fever 

 in Calcutta : Major L. Rogers". — Description of two new 

 species of cyprinoid fishes from the Helmand basin : 

 C. Tate Regan. Five spei ies of fish were taken in the 

 stream of the Helmand basin bj the members of the recent 

 Seistan Arbitration Commission. Of these, two, Scaphiodon 

 macmqJwni and Nemachibus rhadinaeus, are described as 

 new Die origin of mankind (according to the Lamaic 

 mythology) Rai Saral Chandra Has Bahadur. In the 

 beginning of the Kalpa, when living beings had sprung up 

 in the regions ol the Rirab (Sumeru) mountain, situated 

 above the residence of the four Dika Pala (guardians of 

 the world called Maharaja Kayiko), two Devaputra (angels) 

 came down to this earth from Heaven, being miraculously 

 transformed into human shape. One of them was Nima 

 Rabnang, and thi other was Daioo Dimeh. These were 

 followed by other angels, whose term of residence in 

 Heaven had expired at the exhaustion of the merit they 

 had acquired before. Thus humanity evolving from 

 heavenly origin in course of time multiplied on earth. — 

 Persian folk songs: Major D. C. Phillott. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, March i. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.— An Experimental Inquiry into the Factors which 

 determine the Growth and Activity of the Mammary Glands Miss J. L 

 Lane-Claypon and Prof. E. H. Starling, F.R.S.— The Specificity of 

 the Opsonic Substances in the Blood Serum: Dr. W. Bulloch and 

 G. T. Western.— The Internal Anatomy of S omo.xys : Lieut. F. 

 •lulloch, R.A.M.C. 



Chemical Society, at 8.30.— Studies if Dynamic Isomerism. Part IV. 

 Stereoisomers Halogen Derivatives of Camphor: T. M. Lowry. 



Roval Institution, at 5 — 1 1 e Phjsiolcgy of Plaits: F. Darwin, 



Linnean Society, at 8.-0n a New Type of Stem from the Coal- 

 measures: Dr. D. H. Scott, F.R.S. — Notes on Some Species of Nereis 

 in the District of the Thames Estuary: Dr. H. C. Sorby, F.R.S. 



Civil and Mechanical Engineers' Society, ai 8.— Coast Lines 

 Prolected by chain cable Groynes : R. G. Allanson-Winn. 



Geologists Association, at 8.— Note on an Ostracodal Limestone from 

 Durlston Bay, Dorset : F. Chapman.— (1) Remarks on the Upper Chalk of 

 Surrey : (2) The Devonian Limestones of Luinmaton Hill, near Torquay : 

 A. I. Jukes-Browne. 



FRIDAY, March 2. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— Hippocrates and the Newly Discovered 

 Health Temple at Cos : Dr. R. Galon. 



SATURDAY, Maim 



Royal Institution, at 3.— '1 he Corpuscular Theory of Matter : Prof. 

 J. J. Thomson, F.R.S. 



: . M 



Society op Chemical Industry, at 8.— The Igniiion of Nitro-com- 



pound Explosives in Small Arm Cartridges : W.I) Borland. 

 Victoria Institute, at 4. ,0.— On the Bearing of Recent Oriental 



Discovery on Old Testament History : Rev. A. C Robinson. 

 TUESDA Y. March 6. 

 Royal Institution, at 5.— Food and Nutrition : Prof. W. Stirling. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— Imperial Questions in the West Indies: Sir 



Nevile Lubbock, K.C.M.G. 

 Zoological Society, at 

 Institution of Civil 1 NGINEERS, at 8. — Continued Discussion : A Plea 



for Better Country Roads: G. R. febb.— Country Roads for Modern 



Traffic: I. K. Blackwall — Probable Taper: The Widnes and Runcorn 



Transporter-Bridge: J. J. Webster. 



WEDNESDAY. March 7. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— Art in Painting and Photography : J. C. 



Dollman. 

 Entomological Society, at 8.— The late Prof. Packard's Paper on the 



Origin of Markings of Organisms: H. Rltringham. 

 Gfological Society, at 8.— On the Occur. ence of Limestone of the 



Lower Carboniferous Series in the Cannock Chase Portion of the South 



M. Cockil 



Dentaliida 



Staffordshire Coalfield: 



Richardson. 

 Society of Public An 



THURSDAY, March 3. 

 Royal Society, at 4.30.— Probable Papers: The Microscopic Changes 



in the Nervous System in a Case of Chronic Dourine or " Mai de Coit," 



and Comparison of the Same with Those found in Sleeping Sickness : Dr. 



F. W. Mott, F.R.S.— On the Relationship between Hemolysis and 



Phagocytosis of Red Blood Cells : Dr. R. D. Keith. 

 Royal Institution, at 5.— The Physiology of Plants : F. Darwin 



For. Sec.R.S. 

 Institution of Electrical Engineers, at S.— A New Single-Phase 



Commutator Motor : V. A. Fynn. 

 Mathematical Society, at 5.30. — On Function Sum Theorems con- 

 nected with the Series 1x" ,,"- : Prof. L.J. Rogers.— On Sommerfsld's 

 1 



Diffraction Problem and on Reflection by a Parabolic Mirror : Pror. H. 



FRIDAY, March q. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— Some Dietetic Problems: Dr JR. Hutchison. 



Physical Society, at 8. 



Malacological Society, at 8.— Descriptions of tweniyseven Marine 

 Gastropoda/and one Scaphopod, from ihe Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman : 

 J. C. Melvili.— Note on Capuhis lissus, Smith : J. C. Melvill. -Mollusca 

 from a Rainwash, 150 ft. O.D. at Harlton : Rev. R. Ashington Bullen.— 

 Report on a Small Collection of Land and Freshwater Shells from 

 Uganda, with Descriptions of two New Species of Limicolaria and one of 

 Maitensia: H. B. Preston.— On New Species of Polyplacophora from 

 South Australia: W. T. Bednall and E. H. V. Matthews. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Design of a Two-hinged 

 Spandrel-Braced Steel Arch : R. Freeman. 



SATURDAY, March 10. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — The Corpuscular Theory of Matter: Prof. 

 J. J. Thomson. F.R.S. 



CONTENTS. page 



Mathematical Astronomy. By R. A. S 409 



Ultramtcroscopic Studies of the Colloids. By Dr. 



J. A. Milroy 410 



Science in Archaeology 411 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Nicholson: "Smoke Abatement: a Manual for the 

 Use of Manufactures, Inspectois, Medical Officers 



of Health, Engineers, and Otheis " 411 



Rathgen and Auden : "The Preservation ol Anti- 

 quities, a Handbook for Curators " . .... 412 

 Goebel and Balfour: "Organography of Plants." — 



J. B. F 412 



Bernaid : "Catalogue of the Madieporariin Corals 



in the British Museum (Natural Historj) " .... 412 

 " Microscopes and Accessories : How to Make and 



Use Them."— Prof. R. T. Hewlett 412 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Cooperation between Scientific Libraries. — Dr. F. A. 



Bather 413 



The Blondlot »-Rays.— A. A. Campbell Swinton 413 

 A 300-Year Climatic and Solar Cycle. — Thos. W. 



Kingsmill ... 414 



The Origin of Bronze. — Dr. John W. Evans . 414 

 Result of War affected by Soldier's Stature. -Major- 



General W. E. Warrand 414 



Two Books on Birds. (Illustrated.) By O. V. Aplin 414 

 Studies of Clouds. {Illustrated.) By frof. H. Hilde- 



brand Hildebrandsson 416 



Transpacific Longitudes. By Dr. Otto Klo z 417 



The Kangra Eatthquake of April 4, 1905. (With 



Map.) 4'8 



Henry James Chaney 419 



Notes. (Illustrated.) 419 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Astrcnomical Occurrences in Maich 425 



Comet 1906a (Brooks) 425 



Comet 1905c (Giacobini) 425 



Lile of Pietro Tacchini ■ . 425 



Sun spot Spectra 4 2 5 



" The Heavens at a Glance 425 



The Landslide in the Rhymney Valley. By Prof. 



W. Galloway 425 



The Law Relating to Underground Waters. . . . 426 



Physical Research in America. By J. A. H 427 



Fireball of January 27, 1906. By W. F Denning . 427 

 Method of producing Waves of Krequen.y inter- 

 mediate between Heat Waves and Hertzian 

 Waves. Prof. Reginald A. Fessenden. (Illustrate,!.) 42S 

 University and Educational Intelligence . . . 428 



Societies and Academies . . 430 



Diary of Societies 43 2 



NO. 1896, VOL. 73] 



