62 4 



NA TURE 



[April 26, 1906 



is accelerated by the presence of an oxidising agent. The 

 gold compound produced forms brilliant, colourless, six- 

 sided lozenges, and contains 454 per cent, of gold.— The 

 molecular condition in solution of ferrous oxalate, a cor- 

 rection : S. E. Sheppard and C. E. K. Mees.— Acetyl 

 and benzoyl derivatives of phthalimide and phthalamic acid : 

 A. W. Titherley and W. L. Hicks.— The dynamic 

 isomerism of phloroglucinol : E. P. Hedley. The follow- 

 ing conclusions were established :— (1) that in neutral solu- 

 tions phloroglucinol exists in both modifications, the enol 

 being greatly in preponderance over the keto-form ; and 

 (2) that this equilibrium is undisturbed oy the class of 

 solvent. — Studies in asymmetric synthesis, v., asymmetric 

 syntheses from /-bornyl pyruvate: A. McKemie and H. 

 Wren. — /-Methylo'dohexvlidene-(4)-acetic acid : W. H. 

 Perkin, jun., 'and W. j. Pope.— Condensation of benzo- 

 phenone chloride with a- and /3-naphthols : G. W. Clough. 

 — The constitution of coerulignone (cediret), a preliminary 

 note: J. Moir. — A comparative crystallographic study of 

 the perchlorates and permanganates of the alkalis and the 

 ammonium radical : T. V. Barker. On comparing the 

 perchlorates with the permanganates, it is found thai the 

 effect of replacing an atom of chlorine by one of manganese 

 is much the same as that induced by the substitution of 

 sulphur by selenium, say, in the sulphates of the same 

 metals. The crystallographic evidence for placing man- 

 ganese in the seventh group of the periodic classification, 

 so far as such evidence goes, is therefore of the strongest 

 possible kind. — Contribution to the theory of isomorphism 

 based on experiments on the regular growths of crystals 

 of one substance upon those of another : T. V. Barker. — 

 Constitution of salicin. Synthesis of pentamethylsalicin : 

 J. C. Irvine and R. E. Rose. It is shown that salicin 

 (and hence also helicin and populin) contains the same 

 7-oxidic linking as the methylglucosides and sucrose. — A 

 product of the action of isoamyl nitrite on pyrogallol : 

 A. G. Perkin and A. B. Steven. The main bulk of the 

 product formed in this reaction has the composition 

 C.,11,0,, and it appears likely that it may consist of 

 hydroxy-o-benzoquinone. — A reaction of ellagic .mil 

 flavellagic acids : A. G. Perkin. Ellagic acid is oxidis"d 

 by sulphuric acid to a compound having the formula 

 C'uH^O,,,. Flavellagic acid yields a similar oxidation pro- 

 duct. — Some thio- and dithio-carbamide derivatives of 

 ethyleneaniline and the ethylenetoluidines : O. C. M. 

 Davis. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, A 



Royal Institution, at s.— The Digestive 

 Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell. 



Society of Arts, at 4.30.— Seistan, Past and Present : Colonel A. H. 

 McMahon. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Long Flame Arc 

 Lamp; : L. Andrews. 



Mathematical Societv. at s 30. — Perretuants ami Contraperpeltiants : 

 Prof. E. B. Elliott.— (1) A Question in ihe Theory of Aggregates; 

 (2) The Canonical Forms of the Ternary S.xtic and Quaternary Quartic : 

 Pr. f. A. C. Dixon.— On ihe Question of the Existence of Transfinite 

 Numbers: P. E. B. lourdain.— Some Theorems connected with Abels 

 Theorem on the Continuity of Power Series: G. H. Hardy.-On a ^et 

 of Intervals about the Rational Numbers: A. R. Richardson- On Two 

 Cubicsin Triangular Relation : Prof. F. Morley.— On the Accuracy of 

 Interpolation by Finite Differences: W. F. Sheppard. 



in Birds and Ma 



WEDNESDAY, May 2. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 3.— The Fourteenth ''Jam. 



Forrest" Lecture: Unsolved Problems in Metallurgy : R. A. Hadneld. 

 Society or Arts, at 8.— Submarine Signalling : J. B. Millet. 

 Entomological Society, at 8. ■ . ■ 



Society of Public Analysts, at 8.— The Estimation of Fat in Horn 



genised Milk : H. Droop Richmond.— Milk Analysis :_H. Droop Ric 



FRIDAY, Aprii 



Royal Institution, at a.— Ore Deposits and their Distribution in 

 Depth : Prof. J. W. Gregory, F.R.S. 



Institution of Mechanical Enginfers. at 8.— Petroleum Fuel in 

 Locomotives on the Tehuantepec National Railroad of Mexico : Louis 

 Greaven. 



Phvsical Society, at 5. 



Aeronautical Societv, al 8.— The Use of the Balloon in ihe National 



Antarctic Expedition: Captain Robert Falcon Scott, R.N. —The 



Experiments of the Broiheis Wright: Sir Hiram S. Maxim— The 



Carrying Power of Aeroplanes : M. Jose Weiss. 



MONDA V, Ahril 30 



Institute OF Actuaries, at 5. — Reversionary Securities as Investments : 

 C. R. V. Coutts. 



TUF.SDA Y. May t. 



Society of Arts, at 4. 3 o.-Social Condiiions in Aus ralia : Hon. J. G. 

 Jenkins, Agent-General for South Australia. 



Zoological S.-ciety, at 8.30. — Additi nal Notes on Anthropoid Apes, 

 with Exhibition of Specimens : Hon Walter Rothschild —On Mammals 

 collected in South-west Australia by Mr W. E Halston : Oldfield 

 Thomas, F.R.S.— On the Leoidoptera collected during the Recent 

 Expedition to Tibet: H. J. EKves, F.R.S. , and Sir George Hampson, 



of Safin 

 of Cocoanut Oil 

 —On the Presence a> 

 .ns : R. R. Tatlock a 

 of Linseed, Olive and Otr 



. _..d E. H. Miller.— Note on the Composit: 

 Parkes.— On the Polenske Meihod for the Detei 

 Butter: Dr. S. Rideal and H. G. Harrison. 

 Detection of Cyanogen in Java and other Be; 

 R. T. Thomson.--On the Examinatic 

 Oils: R. T. Thomson and H. Dunlop. 



THURSDAY, May 3. 



Royal Society, at 4. — Election of Fellows.— At 4.30.— Probable Papa I 

 OnaStatic Method of Comparing the Densities of Gases: Prof. R. Threlf: 1, 

 F.R.S.-The Stability of Submarines: Sir William H. White, K.C.I:.. 

 FRS — The Action on Bacteria of Electrical Discharges of Huh 

 Potential and Rapid Frequency : A. G. R. Houlerton and A. M. Kell 1 

 —The Action of Pituitary Extracts upon the Kidney : Prof. E. A. 

 Schafer, F.R.S., and P. T. Herring. 



Royal Institution, at 5.— The Digestive Tract in Birds and Mamma : 

 Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell. 



Chemical Society, at 8.30.— The Relation between Absorption-Spec a 

 and Chemical Constitution, part v. : The AtoNitroso-compounds : EC Q 

 Baly, E. G. Marsden, and A W. Stewart.— The Action of Tribroi A 

 propane on the Sodium Derivative of Ethyl Malonate, part ii. : W. I.'. 

 Perkin, jun., and J. L. Simonsen.-Brazilin and Hajmatoxylin, p r 

 vii Some Derivatives of Brazilein : P. Engels, and W. H. Perl ,. 

 jun.— Pipilzahoic Acid : J. M. Sanders— The Constitution of the 

 Hydroxides and Cyanides obtained from Acridine, Methylacridine and 

 Phenanihridine Methiodides : C. K. Tinkler.— The Constitution of Am- 

 monium Amalgam : E. M. Rich and M. W. Travers.— Action of Light 

 on Potassium Ferrocyanide : G. W. A. Foster. 



Linnean Society, at 8.— Origin of Gymnosperrris {Continuation 0/ />.w- 

 cussion): Dr. D. H. Scott, F.R.S. 



Civil and Mechanical Engineers' Society, al 8.— Some Observations 

 on Bacterial Tank Operations : Dr. W. O. Travis. 



Km 



NO. I904, VOL. 7l\ 



CONTENTS. page 



The New Organic Chemistry. Bv W. J. P 601 



The System of the Fixed Stars. By W. E. P. . . . 603 

 A Physiological Study of the British Flora . . 

 Our Book Shelf: — 



" Rowing and Track Athletics" 605* 



Huffel : " Economie Forestiere" 605 



Luciani : " Physiologie des Menschen." — Dr. J. A. 



Milroy . 606 



Baccioni : " Seta Artificiale " 606 



Classen: " Zwolf Vorlesungen fiber die Natur des 



Lichtes" 606 



Moye: "Ala Poursuite d'une Ombre " 606 



Correns : " Ueber Vererbungsgeselze " . . • . . . n6 

 Letters to the Editor : 



Diurnal Varittion of Ionisaiion in Closed Vessels. — 



Dr. O. W. Richardson . . 



The New Spot on Jupiter. — W. F. Denning ... 17 

 Utilisation of Nitrogen in Air by Plants. — Thos. 



Jamieson ; A. D. H. "< 



A Horizontal Rainbow.— W. R. M. Church . . 8 

 The San Francisco Earthquake of April 18. By 



Dr. C. Davison 



The Life of the Australian Blacks. (Illustrated.) By 



N. W. T. > 



Boric Acid as a Food Preservative fi 



Prof. W. F. R. Weldon, F.R.S 



Prof. Pierre Curie. By F. S ' 6 



Notes 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Employment of Selenium Cells during Total Solar 



Eclipse 



Catalogue of Pleiades Stars 



The Total Solar Eclipse of the Sun of January, 1907 . 



Observations of Nebulae 



A Large Photographic Nebula in Scorpio 



Canadian Tides 



The Intestinal Tract of Mammals. By E. A. M. 

 Scientific Reports of the Local Government Board. 



By Prof. R. T. Hewlett . 



Infra-Red Spectra. By W. E. R 



Diseases of Vines I 



Earthquake Origins. By R D. Oldham 



Currents in the Straits of Messina 



A Periodical for Palaeontologists. By B. B. W . . 



University and Educational Intelligence 



Societies and Academies 



Diary of Societies 4 



B *1 <M 





