MO 



NA TURE 



[January 5, 1899 



comparison of ihe elasticity of vulcanised india-rubber with that 

 of muscle in a slate of physiological work. The results are 

 expressed graphically in a series of six diagrams. — Histology of 

 the skin : Ihe epidermal fat of birds, by M. L. Ranvier. A 

 study of the cause of the difierence between the epidermal wax 

 of mammals and the fatty material obtained from the feet of 

 bird.s. A tangential section from the scaly portion of a chicken's 

 foot, stained with osmic acid, showed that the epidermal cells 

 are charged with liquid oily drops. — On a ))hotograph of the 

 nebula of Baleine obtained at the Observatory of Toulouse, by 

 MM. Bailland and Bourget. The spiral in the nucleus, first 

 described by Lord Rosse, is very clearly marked in the photo- 

 graph. — Observations and elements cifthe new Chase comet, by M. 

 G. Fayet. — On difl'erential sy.stems the integration of which can 

 be reduced to that of total differential equations, by M. Riquier. — 

 On differential equations of the first order, by M. Armand 

 Cahen. — On linear total differential equations, by M. Alf. 

 Guldberg. — On the velocity of sound in dry air at 

 0° C, by M. A. Leduc. A reply to the criticisms of M. 

 Violle. — Influence of pressure on the initial polarisation 

 capacity, by M. A. Chassy. Polarisation cells containing elec- 

 trodes of various metals, as well as platinum black, were sub- 

 mitted to pressures ranging from i to 2000 atmospheres, without 

 any appreciable change in the value of the polarisation capacity 

 being noticeable. It is hence concluded that the phenomenon 

 of initial polarisation does not correspond to an electrolytic 

 decomposition into gaseous elements. — Radioconductors, with 

 gold and platinum filings, by M. Edouard Branly. The use of 

 gold powder for the preparation of tubes used in the detection 

 of Hertzian waves has been negatived by Prof. Oliver Lodge ; 

 but the author finds, on the contrary, that although the success- 

 ful use ol tubes of this metal requires more delicate handling 

 than other powders, this objection is more than counterbalanced 

 by the extreme sensitiveness of the apparatus. — On a solution 

 of the problem of multiconimunication in telegraphy by the use 

 of electric o.scillations, by XL Albert Turpain. Having given 

 several stations, A, B, C, . . . L, N, distributed along a single 

 wire A N, the arrangement described permits of the simul- 

 taneous telegraphic or telephonic transmission of message be- 

 tween any pair of stations. — Remarks un the simple kathode 

 rays, by XL II. Deslandres. A discussion of the views of M. 

 Goldstein, and of his claims to priority on this subject. — On a 

 new strongly radio-active substance contained in pitchblende, 

 by M. and Mme. P. Curie and M. G. Bemon (see p. 232). — 

 ■On the spectrum of a new radio-aciive substance, by M. Eug. 

 Demarcay. — Researches on the separation and estimation of the 

 halogen elements in their combinations with silver, by M. H. 

 Baubigny. The mixed halogen silver salts are treated in the 

 moist state with sulphuric acid and potassium bichromate at 

 90^-95° C. Under these conditions the iodide is quantitatively 

 converted into iodate, and the chlorine and bromine set free. 

 The test analyses are very satisfactory. — Action of oxidising 

 agents upon some fatty and aromatic amines, by MM. (!Echsner 

 de Coninck and A. Combe. In presence of energetic oxidising 

 agents the fatty amines are gradually decomposed, giving CO5 

 and Nj. Under the same conditions the aromatic amines 

 give colouring matters which are slowly decomposed with 

 evolution of COj. — Thermal study of normal propylmalonic acid. 

 Heat of formation of the solid potassium salt, by XL G. Massol. 

 — On the oxidation products of oxygluconic acid, by M. Leon 

 Boutroux. Oxidation with nitric acid gave racemic, trioxy- 

 glutaric, glyoxylic, and dioxybutyric acids. — The anti-virulent 

 power of the serum of man and animals immunised against 

 vaccinal or variolic infection, by MM. Beclcre, Chambon, 

 Menard, and Jousset. — On an example of Dasyptltis scabra, by 

 M. Leon Vaillant. — Fall of fossilised crustacean ostracods ob- 

 served at Oullins, near Lyons, September 24, by M. Lortcl.— 

 Contribution to the study of the morphology of the Craspc- 

 domonadeic, by M. |. Kunsllcr. — On the presence of Kiiiiis 

 sylvestris in the qualcrnian gravels near Troyes, by M. P. 

 Fliche. The remains found consist of the wood, roots, branches, 

 bark, and cones, the latter being es|iecially well preserved. The 

 fossils do not occur in the base of the gravel, but are very 

 abundant in the middle region. —On the discovery of graptolitlis 

 in the conglomerates of the vosgian grit in the neighbourhood of 

 Raon I'Ktape, by M. Bleichcr.— Appearance of the bear in the 

 Miocene period, by M. Claude Gaillard. — On the folding nf 

 strata near Belledonc, by M. P. Lory. —On the foldings of the 

 Cretaceous strata of the A<fuitaine basin, by M. Ph. Glangeaud. 

 — (Jn the origin of the iron ore of the Neocomian at Bray, by 

 the superficial alteration of iron carbonate, and on the importance 

 NO. 1523, VOt.. 59] 



and continuity in depth of the carbonated ore, by XL W. de 

 Xlercey. — Observations by M. de Lapparent on the preceding 

 paper. — On the existence near Corinth of Iherzolites identical 

 with those found in the Pyrenees, by M. A. Lacroix. — On a 

 new law relating to the grouping of crystals, by XL I"r. Wallerant. 

 — New researches on a means of preventing oak wood from 

 being worm-eaten, by XL Kmile Xler. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



TUESDA V. January 10. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— High-Speed Engines: John 

 Handsley Dales. 



.\NTHROPOLOGiCAL INSTITUTE, at 8. 30. — On Microncsian Weapons, 

 Dress, Implements. &c. : F. W. Christian. 



WEDNESDAY, ]ssK\K^ \\. 



.SOCIETY OF Arts, at 7. — Juvenile Lecture : Some Ways in which Animals 

 Breathe : Prof. F. Jeffrey Bell. 



THURSDAY, January 12. 



Mathematical Society, ai 8.— On a Determin.int each of whose Ele- 

 ments is the prduct of* Factors; Prof. W. H. Melzler.— Propenies of 

 Hyper-space, in relation to Systems of Forces, the Kinematics of Rigid 

 Bodies, and Cliffords Parallels : A. N. Whitehead.— A Simple Method 

 of Factorising Large Composite Numbers of any unknown form : D. 

 Biddle.— Zeroes of the Bessel Functions (second paper): H. M. Mac- 

 donald. 



Institution OF Electrical Engineers, at 8. 



BOOKS and SERIAUS RECEIVED. 



Books — Catalogue of the I^pidoptera Phalsenae in the British Museum ; 

 Sir G. F. Hampson (London).— Plates to ditto.— The Brain Machine : Dr. 

 A Wilson (Churchill). — Les Terres Rares : P. Truchot (Paris, CarriS).— 

 Advanced Inorganic Chemistry : Dr. G. H. Bailey (Clive).— The Principles 

 of Stratigraphical Geology : J. E. Marr (Camhrldge University Press).— 

 Octonions: Prof A. McAulay (Cambridge University Press).— Scientific 

 Papers of Prof. P. G. Tail, Vol. i. (Cambridge University Press).— Spherical 

 Trigonometiy : W. W. Lane (Macmillan). — Introduction to the Theory of 

 Analytic Functions ; Profs. Harkness and Morley (Macmillan). 



Serials. — Longman's Magazine, January (Longmans). — Agricultural 

 Gazelle of New South Wales. October (Sydney) —National Review, 

 January (.\rnold)— Bulletin of the American Mathematical Society, 

 December (N V., Macmillan).— Physical Review, September-October 

 (Macmillan).— Humanitarian, January (Duckworth).— Contemporary Re- 

 view, January (Isbister) . — Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society, 

 January (ir; Victoria Street). — Journal oflhe Royal Microscopical Society. 

 December (Williams). — Journal of Experimental Medicine, Vol. 3, No. 6 

 K ppleton). — .American Naturalist, December (Ginn).— Brain, Part 83 

 Macmillan). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



An Evolutional Polemic. By Prof. R. Meldola, • 



F.R.S 217 



The Tides Popularly and Properly Treated. By 



W. E. P 219 



Flora of Roumania. By Dr. O. Stapf 221 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Ltivcndal : " De Danske Barkbiller (Scolytid.-e et 



l^latypodid.'e Daniciv^" — W. F. H. B 221 



Hyne : " Through Arctic Lapland '' 222 



Garrison : " The New Gulliver " 222 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Converse of the Zeeman Effect.— Prof. Geo. Fras. 



Fitzgerald, F.R.S 222 



Flow of Water. (/l/uslralcJ.)—T?rol. H. S. Hele- 



Shaw 222 



Etherion, a New Gas?— Dr. M. Smoluchowski de 



Smolan 223 



The Curve of Life. (IVilh £>iaip;tm.)—DT. W. 



Ainslie HoUis .... 224 



The Alleged Destruclicm of Swallows and XIartins in 



Italy. — Richard Bagot . 224 



Radiation Phenomena in the Magnetic Field, ( ll'it/i 



Diaip-ams.) By Prof. Thomas Preston 224 



Recent Work in Comparative Myology 229 



Rev. Bartholomew Price, F.R.S 229 



Notes 230 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Comet Chase 233 



Planet Wilt (1)1 J I S9S) 233 



[ .\stronon\ic;il Photography with Small Instruments . 233 



A New \arialile in Cassiopeia 23; 



Observations of o Orionis 233 



Prizes Proposed by the Paris Academy of Sciences 



for 1899 233 



Magnetic Surveys. By Prof. A. Gray, F.R.S. . . . 234 



Progressive Education 235 



University and Educational Intelligence 238 



Societies and Academies 239 



I Diary of Societies 240 



i Books and Serials Received .... 240 



