144 



NA TURE 



[December 8, i! 



sun's rays. That it is not a solitary instance o( this cuckoo 

 depositing its egg in the nesl of this gloom-loving species is 

 borne out by the fact that the same pair of rock warblers built 

 again in a rocky chamber about two hundred yards away from 

 their previous nesting site 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA V, December 8. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. —Effects of Prolonged Healing on the Magnetic 

 Properties of Iron : S. R. Rogct —On the Topographical Anatomy of 

 the Abdominal Viscera, especially the Gastro-intcstinal Canal : Prof. 

 Addison. — Mathematical Contributions to Ihe Theory of Evolution. VI. 

 Reproductive Selection. Part I. Theoretical ; Prof. Pearson Part II. 

 On the Inheritance of Fertility in Man : Prof. Pearson and Miss Lee. 

 Part III. On the Inheritance of Fecundity in Thoroughbred Racehorses : 

 Prof. Pearson, with assistance of I.. B. Moore.— Nitragin and the 

 N.idulesof Leguminous Plants: Miss Maria Daw-on 



M\THKMATICAL SociETV, al 8.— On Groups of the Order /■■(?»: Prof. 

 Bumside, F.R.S.— On Simultaneous Partial Differential Equations: J. 

 E. Campbell. 



INSTITUTION OF Electrical Engineers, at 8.— iTiprovement in Mag- 

 netic Space Telegraphy : Prof. Oliver Lodge. F R.S. And, if time 



permit : Telegraphy by Magnetic Induction ; Sydney Everard. 

 FRIDA Y, December 9. 



Physical Society, at 5. —Longitudinal Vibrations in Solid and Hollow 

 Cylinders; Dr. C. Chrce, F.R.S— On the Thermal Propeuies of Normal 

 Penlane: J Rose-Innes and Dr. Sydney Voung F.R.S. 



Royal Astronomical Society, al 8.— The Division Errors of the 

 Greenwich Transil-Circlc : F. W. Dyson and W. G. Thackeray,- On 

 a New Instrument for Mc.xsuring Astrophotographic Plates: Dr. David 

 Gill. — Observations of the Leonids, 1898 November, made at Cambridge 

 Observatory : A. R. Hinks.— Note on the Effect of Wear on the Errors 

 of Micrometer Screws: Dr. David Gill.— On a Probable Instance of 

 Periodically-Recurrent Disturbances on the Surface of Jupiter : W. F. 

 Denning. — Observations of Comet Cjddington (c 1898): John Tebbutt. 

 The E,vtra- Equatorial Currents of Jupiter during the Apparition of 1807- 

 08 , Rev. T. E, R. Phillips. 



Malacological Society, at 8.— Notes on a Third Collection of Marine 

 Shells from the Andaman Islands, with Descriptions of New Species of 

 .^lilra: J. Cosmo Melvill and E. R Sykes,— Description of Three New 

 Species of Marine Shells from N.W, Australia: Edgar .A, S.nith.— The 

 Melaniidae, a Heterogeneous Family : J. E, S. Moore,- On the Affinities 

 oi DorUK'ania {Litchtsis) minima : M, F. Woodward, 



MONDAY, December 12. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— Acetylene : Prof. Vivian B. Lewes. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30.— Exploration in the Caroline 

 Islands: F. W, Christian. 



TUESDA Y. December 13, 



Zoological Society, at S.io,— On the (Jerebral Convolutions of the 



Gorilla: F, E. Beddard. F,R,S,-On certain Characters of Reproduced 



Appendages in Arthropoda. and panic ilarly in the Blattidae: H. H. 



Brindley.— Contributions 10 the Osteology of Birds. Part II. Impennes : 



l Engineers, al 8.— Paper to be discussed : The 

 Is and Buildings : Francis Fox. 

 at 5.30. 



W. P. Pycraft 

 Institution of C 



Ventilation of Ti 

 R >YAL Statistical Soc 



Sjciety or Arts, 



Royal Society, 

 1 of Antago 



IVeO.VESJAY, December 14. 



ial Education : Sir Albert Rollit. 



The Act 



THURSDA K, December 15. 



\.-^o.— Probable Papers: On the 



" " ' Fifth Note : Prof Shei 



ion of Magnetised Electrodes upon Electrical Discharge Pheno- 

 Rarefied Ga,sei,. Preliminary Note: C, E, S. Phillips, -Observ- 

 attons on the Anatomy, Physiology, and Degenerations of the Nervous 

 System ol the Bird : Prof. Ruben Bo>;ce and Dr, W B. Warrinston.— 

 >fote on the Dcnsiiies of .\tmospheric Nitrogen, Pure Nitrogen, and 

 Argon : Prof. W, Rams.iy, F R,S, 

 LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— Sketch of the Zoology and Botany of the Altai 

 Mountains: H.J, EUes. F.R,S.-A Descriplion of some Marine and 

 Freshwater Crustacea from Franz Josef Land, collected by W, S. Bruce, 

 of the Jackson-Harmswonh Expedition : Thos. Scott, 



•iNSTiroTlos op Electrical Engineers, at 8. 



■ClEMiCAL SicIETY, al 8.— The Inleraclion of Ethylic Sodiomalonale 

 and Mesityl Oxide : Dr. A, W Crossley -Derivatives of Camphoric 

 Acid, Part III,: Dr, F S, Kipping, F,R,S,— Synthesis of 0/3/3 Tri- 

 methylglularic Acid : H, Perkin, jun., F.R.S,, and Dr, J, F. Thorpe. 



FRIDA V. December i6. 

 (mstitution of Civil Engineers, at 8 -The Kentish Town Widening. 



Midland Railway : Walter Daniel. 

 QusKBTT Microscopical Club. s\t 8. 



BOOKS, PAMPHLET, SERIALS, &c., RECEIVED. 



Books.— The Tutorial Algebra: W. Hrigg< and G, H, Bryan, Part 2 

 (Clive).— Elementary Botany : I'rof (j F. Alkinson (.\ew Voik Holt) — 

 Through New Guinea and other Cannibal Countries; H. Cayley-Websler 

 (Unwin),-Flora Capensis, Vol. vi. (Reeve).-Flora o( Tropicl Africa, 

 ""' ■ (Reeve),— Geological Survey of Canada, Annual Report (new 



.-ries). Vol, ix,, i896(Ottawa. DawsonX-Physicil Chemislrv for Beginners 

 Dr. van Devenler. translated by Dr. R. A. Uhfeldt (Arnold). -My Horse 

 n_y I^vc ; S.Buckman-Linard (Unwin). — Matter, Energy, Force and 



rk (Prof. 

 Spectra: J V, 

 Lussac, Joule 



. W. Holman (Macmillan),- 

 1 Fraun'iofer(Harper).— The Fn 



nd Tho 

 -Chei 



NO. I 5 19, VOL. 59] 



Pamphlet 



schwcig, View eg). 



Serials.— Bulletin of 

 (New Ygrk, MacmilUr 

 schaflen, Band i. Hefi 

 Society of Bengal, Vol 1 

 ings of the Royal Socit 

 (Edinburgh).-Zoologist, 

 vember (Ginn). " 

 Vol ■■ ■" 



(Harper). 

 he Technologic 



itc 



Diffractic 

 : Expansion of Gases ; Gay- 



Dr. F. Fischer (Brauit- 



Mathematical Society, November 

 I.— Encyklopadie der Mathematischen-Wisseo- 

 I (Leipzig, Teubner) — Journal of the Asiatic 

 vii Parts 170, 171 and 173 (Calcutta;.— Proceed- 

 y of Edinburgh, Vol. xxii. No 2. Pp 137-948 

 November (West).— American Naturalist. No- 

 ns of the Academy of Science of St. Louis, 

 Louis).— Agricultural Gazette of New South 



Wales, September (Sylney). — Bulletin de la Soci<it6 Imperiale des Naiural- 

 istes de Moscou. 1S98. No. i (Moscou)— Monthly Weather Review, 

 October (Washington). — Longman's Magazine, December (Longmans).— 

 Chambers's Journal, December (Chambers). — Good Words, December and 

 Christmas (Isbister). — Sunday Magazine, December and Christmas (Is- 

 bister) — Bu letin of the Liverpool Museums, October (Liverpool) — Con- 

 tempo'arj' Review, December (Isbister). — Astrophysical Journal, Novem- 

 ber tChicago). — Natural Science, December (Dent). — National Review, 

 December (Arnold).— Fortnightly Review, December(Chapman).— Scrib- 

 ner's Magazine. December (Low). — Photogram. December (Dawbarn). — 

 Kew Bulletin, Addiiional Series, ii. (Eyre).— Century Magazine, December 

 (Macmillau)' —Humanitarian, December (Duckworth).— Zejtschrift fur 

 Physikalische Chemie, xxvii. Band, 3 Heft (Leipzig) —LAnthropologie. 

 tome ix. No. 5 (Paris).— Knowledge, December (Wiihcrby). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Physiological Selection. By E. B, P i2i 



The Theory of Groups. By Prof. H. Burkhardt . . 122 

 Our Book Shelf: — 



Ilyndman ; " Radiation : an Elementary Treatise on 

 Klectro magnetic Radiation, and on Riintgen and 



Cathode Kays." — ^J. Z . . 123 



Wright; " Four-footed Americans and their Kin." — 



R. L 124 



Houston : " Electricity made Easy, by Simple 



Language and Copious Illustration" . ... 124 

 Lambert : " Differential and Integral Calcu'us for 



Technical Schools and Colleges" 124 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Range of the Garefoxvl {.4/,n impennis). — 



Prof. Alfred Newton, F.R.S 125 



A.symmetry and Vitalism. — Prof. Karl Pearson, 



F.R.S 125 



AShagsMeal,— Prof. J. Joly, F.R.S 125 



I'eriodic Tides. — Captain Anthony S. Thomson . 125 

 Concerning the Thcrmudynamic Correction fur an Air 



Thermometer.— W. McF. Orr 126 



Science in Elementary Schools. — A. T. Simmons; 



Dr. J. H. Gladstone, F.R.S 126 



A Remedy fur Boukwurnis. — J. Ewen Davidson . 126 

 The I'roperties of Liquid Mixtures. — Prof. Sydney 



Young, F.R.S 127 



The Mildness of the Season.— A. B. Basset, F.R.S. 127 



Iridescent Clouds, — E. Armitage 127 



The Origin uf the Aurora Spectrum. — T. W. 



Backhouse 127 



Sven Hedins •' Through Asia." (Illiisliated.) By 



Dr. Hugh Robert Mill 127 



The American Agricultural Year-Book. {Illus- 



traUd.) 129 



Edwin Dunkin, FRS. By W. E. P 131 



Notes 132 



Our Astronomical Column; — 



The New Cumet Chase 135 



The Nebula ol Andromeda . , • 135 



The I'lanet Will D(^ 135 



A New Algol Variable 136 



The Geminids 136 



The Anniversary Meeting of the Royal Society . . 136 



University and Educational Intelligence 140 



Scientific Serials . . 140 



Societies and Academies 140 



Diary of Societies 144 



Books, Pamphlet, Serials, &c., Received 144 



