55: 



NA TURE 



[April 5, 1906 



market, contains about 90 per cent, of calcium hydride, 

 the remainder consisting chiefly of oxide and nitride One 

 kilogram of this, when acted on by water, gives about a 

 cubic metre of pure hydrogen. The lifting power of this 

 being about 1200 grams, calcium hydride has been already 

 used in aeronautics. — The action of the xanthic leuco- 

 maines on copper : N. Slomnesco. — A new type of 

 equilibrium reaction: L. J. Simon. The equilibrium 

 studied was the reaction between urethane and pyruvic 

 acid. — Practical details in the estimation of cadmium : H. 

 Baubigrny. — The estimation of the albumenoid material 

 in milk : MM. Trillat and Sauton. The method is based 

 upon the property of formaldehyde of rendering the milk 

 albumenoids insoluble without affecting their weight. The 

 working method is given, and also control analyses. — The 

 catalytic action exercised by alkaline and alkaline-earth 

 salts in the fixation of atmospheric oxygen by solutions of 

 polyphenols : E. Fouard. — The formation and distribution 

 of the terpene compounds in the bitter orange : Eug. 

 Charabot and G. Laloue. — A parasite of the pearl oyster 

 determining the production of fine pearls at the Gambier 

 Islands : L. G. Seurat. The parasite is named Tylo- 

 cephalum margaritiferae, and, owing to its pearl-forming 

 properties, is of considerable economic importance. — The 

 origin of the nerves : N. A. Barbieri. — Hajmatogen and 

 the formation of haemoglobin : 1,. Hugounenq and Albert 

 Morel. — Aseptic hyperthermia due to operations : MM. 

 Charrin and Jardry. — A contribution to the history of the 

 Piedmont geosynciinal : Emile Argrand. — A contribution to 

 the physical geography of the Atlas chain of Morocco: 

 Louis Gentil. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, 

 at 4.30.— On Retardat 



1 Electro- 



Method 



'Royal Society, at 4.30.— On Retardation of the Discharge of 

 scope by Means of certain Radio-active and other Sub. 

 W. S. Lazarus-Barlow.— ( In a Mineral, which retards 

 Discharge of an Electroscope : Dr. E H. Biichner.— On a 

 of obtaining Continuous Currents from a Magnetic Detector of the 

 Selr-Restoring Type : L. H. Walter -On the Distribution of Radium in 

 the Earth's Crust, and on the Earth's Internal Heat : Hon. R. I. Strutt, 

 F R.S.— On the Physiological Action of a recently discovered African 

 Arrow Poison : Dr. C. Bolton. 



Chemical Society, at 8.30. — An Improved Apparatus for measuring 

 Magnetic Rotations and obtaining a Powerful Sodium Light : W. H. 

 Perkin, Sen.— The Rusting oflron : G. T Moody— in the Determina- 

 tion of Carbon in Soils : A. D. Hall, N.H.J. Miller and N. Harmer — 

 The Electrolysis of the Salts of /33-Dimethylglutaric Acid : |. Walker 

 and J. K. Wood.— Bromo- and Hydroxy-derivatives of 0/3/3 /3-Tetra- 

 methylsuberic Acid : J. K. Wood.— Some new Orthoxylene Derivatives: 

 G. Stallard. — A new Solvent for Gold. Preliminary Note : J. Moir.— 

 The Molecular Condition in Solution of Ferrous Oxalate : a Correction : 

 S E. Sheppard and C. E. K. Mees. 



Royai. Institution, at 5. — Internal Combustion Engines: Prof. B. 

 Hopkinson. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8 — Electrical Equipment of 

 the Aberdare Collieries of the Powell DufTryn Company: C. P. Sparks.— 

 Mectric Winding considered Practically and Commercially: W. C. 

 Mountain onchtsion of Discussion). 



i— Exhibition: Some Plants new to the pre-Glacial 

 ain : Clement Reid, F.R S.— Papers : A Si 



Linnean Society, ; 



Flora of Great B 



Contribution to the Flora of Africa.— Rubia 



Spencer Moore. — The Anaiomy of the Stem 



ftoribunda, R.Br. : E. I. Schwartz.— Taiwan 



Conifera; from the Island of Formosa : B. Haya 

 Civil and Mechanical Engineers' Society, 



G DA. Meynell. 



FRIDAY, April 6. 

 Malacological Societ 



Genus Dyakia from Si 



Descriptions of new Sp 



S. I- Da Costa. — Note 



Newton.— Further Note 



Species : G. K. Gudi 



id Composite, Part II. : 

 and Leaf of Nuytsia 



8.— Steam Turbit 



at 8.— On a Species of the Land Molluscan 

 1: Lt.-Col. H. H. Godwin-Austen. F.R.S.— 

 esof Land Shells fr im Peru and Colombia : 

 n Swainson's Genus Volutilithes : R. Bullen 

 n the Genus Chloritis, with Description of new 

 ntata, Braun, in Holocene 

 Deposits in Great Britain : A. S. Kennard and B B. Woodward. 

 Royal Institution, at 9.— The Physical Basis of Life: W. P.. Hardy, 

 F.R.S. 



r.1-0 i-rs Association, at 8. — 'the Pressure-chipping of Flint, and the 



Question of Eolithk Man : S. H. Warren. 



SATURDAY, April 7. 



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

 J f. Thomson, F.R.S. 



The "Essex Field Club (at Essex Museum of Natural History, Stratford), 

 at 6.30.— Salt-making in Essex, Ancient and Modern : Miller Christy.— 

 Neolithic Man in Epping Forest: F. W. and H. Campion. 



MONDAY, April 9. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8 30.— Prestmation by H.E. the 



American Ambassador nf the Gold Medal of the American Geoaraphical 



Society to Captain R. F. Scott, Commander of the National Antarctic 



NO I9OI, VOL. 73] 



the Light of Modern 



Expedition.— Paper: Recent Exploration 1 

 Sir Henry McMahon, K. C.S.I. 

 Victoria Institute, at 4.30. — The Bible 

 Science : W. Woods Smyth. 



TUESDAY, April 10. 



ZOOLOGICAI Society, at S.30. — The Freshwater Fishes of the Island of 

 Trinidad, based on the Collection, and Notes and Sketches, made by Mr. 

 Lechmere Guppy, |un : C. Tate Regan.— The Marine Fauna of 

 Zanzibar and British East Africa from Collections made by Cyril 

 Crossland in the Years 1901-2. Alcyonaria: Prof. J. Arthur Thomson 

 and W. D. Henderson.— (1) Cyclopia in Osseous Fishes; (2) Notes on 

 Supernumerary Eyes, Local Deficiency and Reduplication of the Noto- 

 chord in Trout Kmbryos : Dr. I. F. Gemmill. 



Institution of Civil Knoineers, at 3.— On the Resistance of Iron and 

 Steel to Reversals of Direct Stress : Dr. T. E. Stanton and L. B lirstow. 



Faraday Society, at 8.— Note on the Rotating Electric Steel Furnace 

 in the Artillery Construction Works. Turin: R. Sussano.— Electro- 

 thermicsof Iron and Sieel : C A. Keller —Recent Developments in the 

 Gin Electric Sieel Furnace . G. Gin. -Note on the Cleaning of Work by 

 Means of the Electric Current : H. S. Coleman. 



WEDNESDAY, ArRii. 11. 

 Royal Astronomical Society, at 5. 



CONTENTS. page 



Ions, Electrons, and Corpuscles. By Dr. O. W. 



Richardson 529 



Another Plea for Rational Education. By A. T. S. 530 



A Mare's Nest. By A. D. H 531 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Low: " Technical Methods of Ore Analysis" . . 532 



Barrett: "The Lepidoptera of the British Islands. 



A Descriptive Account of the Families, Genera, 



and Species Indigenous to Great Britain and 



Ireland, their Preparatory States, Habits, and 



Localities."— W. F. K . 532 



Taylor: " A First Readerin Health and Temperance " 532 

 Letters to the Editor :- 



Spectral Series in Relation to Ions.— Dr. J. Stark . 533 

 The Kew Bulletin. — Sir W. T. Thiselton-Dyer, 



K.C.M.G., F.R.S. 534 



Interpretation of Meteorological Records. — Dr. John 



Aitken, F.R.S. . . 534 



Request for Prints of Photographic Poittaits. — Dr. 



Francis Galton, F.R.S. . . 534 



Peculiar Ice Formation.— W. B. Wright .... 534 

 Formula for finding the Date of Easter. — Chas. 



Leigh 535 



Chinese Names of Colours. — L 535 



The Adulteration of Butter.— J. H. Lester; C. 



Simmonds 535 



The Existence of Absolute Motion. — F. J. W. 



Whipple 535 



Sailing Craft in Europe and Asia. (Illustrated.) Bv 



Sir W. H. White, K.C.B., F.R.S 536 



The Solar Eclipse of 1905. (Illustrated.) By Dr. 



W. J. S. Lockyer 537 



The Story of an English Town. (Illustrated.) . . . 53S 



The Growth of Beet-Sugar in England . 539 



Prof. Lionel Smith Beale, F.R.S. By R. T. H. . 540 



Notes 54" 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronomical Occurrences in April 544 



Comet 1906* 544 



Comet 1905c 544 



A Systematic Study of Faint Stars 545 



Stars having Peculiar Spectra 545 



The Lunar Eclipse of February 8 545 



Parallel Running of Alternate Current Genera- 

 tors. (With Diagrams.) 545 



Geological Notes. By G. A. J. C .546 



The Forthcoming International Congress of 



Applied Chemistry . 54S 



Physical Condition of Children in Elementary 



Schools 54S 



Studies of Native Tribes 549 



Polonium and Radio-Tellurium 549 



Mediterranean Fever 550 



University and Educational Intelligence 550 



Societies and Academies . . 551 



Diary of Societies 55 2 



