i76 



NATURE 



[April 13, 1899 



showing the lines of force of an electric field in air, by M. E. 

 Bauilr'!aux. A non-metallic powder is sprinkled upon an in- 

 sulated horizontal sheet of glass placed in the electric field ; 

 on giving the plate a slight shock, the lines of force immediately 

 appear. Diamidophenol, crystallised in small needles two or 

 three millimetres in length, gives the best results; but, in de- 

 fault of this, sugar powder and many other substances give fair 

 figures. — On the reduction of calcium phosphate by carbon in 

 the electric arc, by M. Albert Renault. The results confirm 

 those given last week by M. Moissan.— Absence of free iodine 

 or gaseous iodide in the atmosphere of Toulouse, liy M. F. 

 Garrigou. Five hundred cubic metres of filtered air showed 

 no trace of iodine or any gaseous compound of iodine. — On the 

 acetone oils arising from the dry distillation of crude calcium 

 acetate as a source of the methyl-propyl ketones, by MM. A. 

 and P. Buisine. The mixture of ketones obtained by the dry 

 distillation of crude calcium acetate gives a fraction boiling at 

 70°, known commercially as acetone oil. Two specimeiis of 

 this were found to be rich in methyl-projiyl ketone and methyl- 

 isopropyl ketone. These ketones are readily separated from 

 the oil by means of alkaline bisulphite, and from each other by 

 repeated fractional distillation.— On solaninc, by MM. P. Caze- 

 neuve and P. Breteau.— Ice-breaking steamers in Russia, by M. 

 Venukoff. 



GOTTINGEN. 



Royal Society of Sciences.— December lo. — A. Sommer- 

 ■feld : The numerical solution of transcendental equations by 

 successive approximations. — D. Ililbert : On the theory of 

 quasi-abelian Zahlkbrper. — E. Ehlers : On Palolo {Eunice 

 ziridis. Or.). 



January 14. — J. Voigt : On the development of the intestinal 

 mucosa. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Ackil 13. 



RoVAL Institution, al 1.— The Atmosphere : Prof. J. Dewar, F.R.S. 



Mathematical Society, ai 8. — Note on the Characteristic Invariants 



of an .-Xsymmctric Optical System ; T. J. Bromwich. — Concerning the 



Four Known Simple Linear (iroupsof Order 25920, with an Introduction 



10 the Hyper-Abclian Linear Groups : Dr. L. E. Dickson.— On the 



Direct Determination of .Stress in an Elastic Solid, and on the Stress in 



a Rotating l.amina : J. H. Michell.— The Theorem of Residuation, 



Noethers Theorem, and ihe Riemann-Roch Theorem : Dr. F. S. 



Macaulay.— Oil Conformal Division: Lient.-Colonel Cunningham, R.E. 



Institution OF Electrical Engineers, at 8.— The Hissing of the 



Electric Arc : Mrs. Ayrton (Conclusion of Discussion.)— Experiments 



on Alternate Current Arcs by Aid of Oscillographs : W. .Duddell and E. 



W. Marchant. (Discussion to be opened by the Authors with an E.\hi- 



bition of Experiments.) 



FR/DA Y, April 14. 

 Roval Institution, at 9. — Earth Currents and Electric Traction : Prof 



A. W. Riicker, Sec. R.S. 

 Royal AsTROr^OMlCAL Society, at S.-F'unher Observations of Comet 

 Coddinglon (i- 1898): John Tebbutt— Photographs of the Radiant 

 of the Leonid Meteors, and Attempts to Pholograpli the Meteor Stream : 

 Dr. Isaac Roberts, F.R.S —Measures of Southern Double Stars: J. 

 L. Scott —On the Smallness of the Errors of Star Photographs due to 

 Optical Distortion of the Object-glass with which the Photograph is 

 taken: Prof H. H. Turner, F.R S.— Spectroscopic Determinations of 

 Velocity in the Line of Sight : H. F. Newall.—(i) Micrometer Measures 

 of Double Stars made with the zS.inch Refractor in the Years 1806-98 ; 

 (2) Observations of Planet Eros from Photographs taken with the 

 3o-inch Reflector of the Thompson Equatorial : Royal Observatory, 

 Greenwich. 

 •M\LAC(»LO(;lCAL Society, al 8. —Notes on Patudesirina Jenkinsi, Smith, 

 and /'. con/usn. Fraucnf. : A. S. Kennard and .1!. K. Woodward.— 

 Descriptions of Two Supposed New Species of Nassn : G. II. Sowcrby. — 

 On Supposed New Species oi Strcptaxis^ Amp/tidro»tus:^nti Buiimulus : 

 H. Fulton.— Remarks on the Genus Rhodta, with Descriptions of New 

 Species from South America ; also of a New Species of PnpuiHa from 

 New Guinea: S. I. DaCosta. 



MONDA Y, AiRiL 17. 

 Society OF Arts, at 8.— Leather Manufacture : Prof. Henry R. Procter. 

 Victoria Institute, al 4.30. — Sub-oceanic Terraces, Western Europe; 

 Prof. Hull, F.R.S. 



TUESDA Y. Ai-RiL 18. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Zebras and Zebra Hybrids: Prof. J. C. 



Ew.iri, F.R.S. „ , ^ . ,..,,„ 



Zoological Society, al 8.10.— On the Exiinci Birds of Patagonia. 

 1. The Skull and Skeleton of Phororhiuoi injlalui, Anieghino : C. W. 

 Andrews.- A Systematic Description o( Parasilic Copepod.i found on 

 Fishes, with an Enumeiation of the known S|K.cic> : .siaflTSurgeon P. 

 W. H.■^s^ett-Smilh, R.N. —On the Species of Cani.la* found on the 

 Continent ..f Africa : W. E. de Winlon. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 6. — Buenos Aires Harlwur Works , 



J. M. Dobson. 

 Rovai. Statistical S0CIF.TY, al 5.— The Statistical Aspect ol the Sugar 



Question : George Martineau. 

 &OYAL Photographic Society, at 8.— Apparatus lor Half-tone Process 

 Work. 



WEDNESDAY, April 19. 



Society of Art.s, at 8 —London's Water Supply : W.ilter Hunter. 



Rovai. Meteorological Society, at 7.30. — Soil Temperature: Henry 

 Mellish. — Some Phenomena connected with the Vertical Circulation of 

 the .\tmosphere : .Major.General H. Schaw, C.B. 



Rovai. Microscopical Society, at 8.— The Bioplasm of Man and the 

 Higher Animals, and its Influence in Tissue Formation, Action and 

 Metabolism : Prof. Lionel S. Beale, F.R.S. 



THURSDAY, April 20. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.— The Physiological Action of Choline and 

 Neurine: Dr. Mott, F.R.S., and Dr. Halliburton, F.R.S.— Intestinal 

 Absorption, especially on the Absorption of Serum, Peptone, and Glu- 

 cose : Prof. R. Waymouth Reid, F.R.S.— Studies on the Morphology of 

 Spore. producing Members. No. 4. The Leptosporangiate : Prof. F, O. 

 Bower, F.R.S.— Note on the Fertility of Different Breeds of Sheep, with 

 Remarks on the Prevalence of Abortion and Barrenness therein : W. 

 Heape. — Some further Remarks on Red-water or Texas Fever ; A. 

 Edington. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— The .Atmosphere: Prof. J. Dewar, F.R.S. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— The Botany of the Ceylon Palanas: H. W. H 

 Pearson. — Imitation as a Source of .\nomalies : Prof. R. J. Anderson. — 

 List of British and Irish Spidcrs.—Rev. O. Pickard Cambridge, F.R.S. 



Chemical Society, at 8. — Some Dipyridyl Derivatives from Citrazinic 

 Acid : W. J. Sell and H. Jackson.— On the Interaction of Mercurous and 

 Mercuric Nitrites, with the Nitrites of Silver and Sodium : P. C. Rav. 

 — The Synthesis and Preparation of Terebic and Terpenylic Acids : W. 

 Trevor Lawrence.— The Allotropic Modifications of Phosphorus : D. L. 

 Chapman. — ^-Isopropyl Glutaric Acid : K. H. Howies and J. F. Thorpe. 

 — Ethyl Ammoniumsulpbite : Edward Divers and M.vsataka Ogawa. — 

 Ethyl Ammonium Selenile and Non-existence of Amidoselenites (Seleno- 

 samates) : Edward Divers and Seihachi Hada. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— "James Forrest" Lecture: 

 Magnetism : Prof. J. .\. Ewing, F.R.S. 



FRIDAY, April 21. 



Royal Institution, at o. —Structure of the Brain in Relation to its 

 Functions: Frederick W.illcer Mott, F.R.S. 



BOOKS AND SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books.— An Introduction to the Carbon Compounds; R. H. Adie 

 (Clive).— A School Arithmetic : R. F. Macdonald (.M.icmillan).— A System 

 of Medicine : edited by Dr. T. Cliflford Allbutt. Vol. vi. (MacmillanV— The 

 Philippines and Round About : Major G. J. Vounghusband (Macmillan). 



Sfrials. — The Paidologist, .\pril (Cheltenham). — Geographical Journal, 

 April (Stanford). — Archives of the Roentgen Ray, February (Rebman). — 

 Engineering Magazine, April (Strand).— Mind, -April (Williams).— Journal 

 of the Royal Statistical Society, March (Stanford). 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Early Astronomy 553 



Life on an Atoll. By Prof. T. G. Bonney, F.R.S. . 554 



Natural Rights. By A. L. B 555 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Gellc : " L'.Vudition et ses Organes " 556 



Awdry ; " Early Chapters in Science " 556 



Warkworth : " Notes from a Diary in Asiatic 



Turkey" . 557 



\ an 't HofT: "Lectures on Theoretical and Physical 



Chemistry" . . 557 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Experiment to Illustrate the Zeeman F.fl'ect. — Prof. 



Geo. Eras. FitzGerald, F.R.S 557 



Formation of Kgg- capsules in Gasteropoda. — J. T. 



Cunningham 557 



The Natural Prey of the Lion. — Richard Crawshay 557 

 Precipitati.in of Cold by Charcoal. — James C. 



Richardson ; The Writer of the Note ... 558 



Instincts ol \V:is]>s. -Dr. David Wetterhan . . . 558 



Corundum and its Uses 558 



Multiple Vision. (Illuslrated.) By Shelford Bid- 

 well, F.R.S S59 



New Star in Sagittarius 561 



Franz Ritter von Hauer 561 



Notes 562 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Comet 1899 (I (Swift) 566 



Tattle's Comet ( 1 899 b) 566 



New Star Catalogue 566 



The Suns Heat 566 



Alloys. (/llu>ira.;,i.) 566 



A Treatise on Spines 568 



Fossil Jelly-Fish . . 568 



Seasonal Dimorphism in Lepidoptera. By Ro'and 



Trimen, F.R.S 568 



The Progress of Technical Education 573 



University and Educational Intelligence .... 574 



Scientific Serials . 575 



Societies and Academies 575 



Diary of Societies 576 



Books and Serials Received 576 



NO. 1537. VOL. 59] 



