794 
acids. There appear to be two stages in the enzyme 
activity of pancreatic amylase, the latter of which 
is promoted when lysine and tryptophane are added, 
indicating that these acids are closely bound in the 
enzyme molecule as in typical proteins.—A. J. Lotka : 
Note on the relative abundance of the elements in 
the earth’s crust. Arranging the elements appearing 
in the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere in 
the order of the percentage in which they occur 
according to Prof. Harkins’s data, some curious 
arithmetical properties of the percentages and atomic 
numbers appear. The results suggest that the earth’s 
crust may be the product of subatomic disintegration 
of the nucleus on which it rests—S. Lefschetz : 
Continuous transformations of manifolds.—J. W. 
Alexander: A lemma on systems of knotted curves. 
Every 3-dimensional closed orientable manifold may 
be generated by rotation about an axis of a Riemann 
surface with a fixed number of simple branch points, 
such that no branch point ever crosses the axis or 
merges into another.—W. M. Smallwood: The nerve 
net in the earthworm (preliminary report). Struc- 
tures considered to be nerve fibres pass round the 
cells in the circular and the longitudinal muscles 
of the body wall and each blood-vessel appears to 
have anervenet. The nerve net in the layer covering 
all the internal organs is very extensive, originating 
apparently in the body wall. The nephridia appear 
to have a particularly good nerve supply. 


Official Publications Received. 
Jahrbiicher der Zentralanstalt fiir Meteorologie und Geodynamik. 
Amtliche Veroffentlichung. Jahrgang 1918. Neue Folge, 55 Band. Pp. 
xiv+A24+B38+C30+F15. (Wien: Gerold und Komp.) 5 
Conseil Permanent International pour |’Exploration de la Mer. Rap- 
ports et Procés-Verbaux des Rénnions. Vol. 29: Rapport Atlantiqne 1921. 
(Travaux du Comité du Plateau Continental Atlantique) (Atlantie Slope 
Committee). Par Dr, Ed, Le Danois, Pp,75+19 planches. (Copenhague : 
A. F. Host et Fils.) 
Department of Commerce: Circular of the Bureau of Standards. No. 
138: A Decimal Classification of Radio Sabjects—an Extension of the 
Dewey System. Pp. 38. 10 cents. No. 142: Tables of Thermodynamic 
Properties of Ammonia. Pp. 48. 15 cents. (Washington: Government 
Printing Office.) 
Department of Commerce; U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Serial 
No. 216: Use of Geodetic Control for City Surveys. By Hugh C. Mitchell. 
(Special Publication No. 91.) Pp. v+80. (Washington: Government 
Printing Office.) 20 cents. 
Smithsonian Institution: Bureau of American Ethnology. Bulletin 77: 
Villages of the Algonquian, Siouan, and Caddoan Tribes West of the 
Mississippi. By David I. Bushnell, Jr. Pp. x+211+55 plates. (Wash- 
ington : Government Printing Office.) 
Department of the Interior: United States Geological Survey. Bulletin 
720: Eeonomic Geology of the Summerfield and Woodsfield Quadrangles, 
Ohio, with Descriptions of Coal and other Mineral Resources except Oil 
and Gas. By D. Dale Condit. Pp. 156+12 plates. 30 cents. Bulletin 
737: Manganese Deposits of East Tennessee. By G. W. Stose and F. C. 
Schrader. Pp. x+154+430 plates. 50 cents. (Washington: Government 
Printing Office.) 
Department of. Commerce: Technologic Papers of the Bureau of 
Standards. No. 235: Thermal Stresses in Steel Car Wheels... By George 
K. Burgess and G, Willard Quick. Pp. 367-403. (Washington : Govern- 
ment Printing Office.) 15 cents. 


Diary of Societies. 
SATURDAY, June 2. 
Royat InstituT1IoN oF GREAT Briratn, at 3,—Dr. A. W. Hill: The 
Vegetation of the Andes. 
MONDAY, June 4. 
Or CoNFERENCE AT THE SIxTH INTERNATIONAL MrNiNG EXHIBITION (at 
Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington), at 12 and 2.30.—E. H. Cunningham 
Craig: The Riddle of the Carpathians.—Dr. M. Kraus : Oil Deposits and 
the Tectonics of Vertical Pressure.—R. d'’Andrimont: Note on the 
Genesis of Hydrocarbons and their Localisation in certain Zones of the 
Earth's Crust. 
InsTITUTE OF ACTUARIES, at 5.—Annual General Meeting. 
Roya. InstituTION oF GREAT Britarn, at 5.—General Meeting. ; 
ARISTOTELIAN Society (at University of London Club), at 8.—Sir Leslie 
Mackenzie: What does Dr. Whitehead mean by “‘ Event”? ; 
Roya Socrery or CHEMICAL InpUsTRY (London Section) (at Chemical 
Society), at 8.—Dr. H. 8. Hele-Shaw: The Stream-line Filter. 
RoyaL GEOGRAPHICAL Soctety (at Molian Hall), at 8.30.—F. Rodd: 
Journeys in Air, 
TUESDAY, Jone 5. 
Ou. CoNFERENCE aT THE Sixt INTERNATIONAL MINING EXHIBITION (at 
Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington), at 12.—A. Beeby Thompson : Oilfield 
Waste. 
NO. 2796, VOL. IIT] 
NATURE 

[JUNE 2, 1923 
Roya Institution or Great Brirary, at 3.—Prof. W. M. Flinders 
Petrie: Discoveries in Egypt (3). 
Rovat Sociery or Arts (Dominions and Colonies Section), at 4.30,.— 
Sir Edward Dayson: The Economie Conference and Crown Colony 
Development. F 
FELLOWsHIP OF Meprcine (at Royal Society of Medicine), at 5.30.—R. 
A. Hendry : The Value of Antenatal Supervision } 
ROnTGEN Socrery (at Institution of Eleetrical Engineers), at 8.15.— 
Prof. 8. Russ: The Effects of X-rays of Different Wave-Lengths on 
Animal Tissue.—T. Thorne Baker: The Establishment of a Definite 
Relationship between Exposure and Density in an X-ray Plate. v 
WEDNESDAY, Jone 6. 
Royat Society or Meprcrn« (Surgery Section), at 5.30.—R. H. A. White- 
locke: The Treatment of Fractures of the Patella.—W. White: ;The 
Closure of the Supra-pubic Fistula following Prostatectomy : Observa- 
tions on Sixty-eight Cases. 
GEoLogicat Society or Lonpon, at 5.30.—Dr. H. Bolton : A new Blattoid 
Wing from the Harrow Hill Mine, Drybrook, Forest of Dean.—Dr. 
C. E. Tilley : Contact-Metamorphism in the Comrie Area of the Perth- 
shire Highlands. 
yf 
InsTITUTION OF ELEcTRICAL ExGinrers (Wireless Section), at 6.—C. E. 
Horton: Wireless Direction-finding in Steel Ships. 
ENTOMOLOGICAL Society or Lonpon, at 8, 
THURSDAY, June 7. 
Ott ConFERENCE aT THE SrxtH INTERNATIONAL MintnG Exarpition (at 
Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington), at 12 and 2.30.—Prof. J. Voitesti : 
The Mode of Appearance of the Petroleum Deposits in the Carpathian 
Region, with general consideration on the Genesis of the Petroleum 
and the Source of the Actual Deposits.—Major J. A. Lautier: An 
Economic Study of Petroleum Mining by Underground Drainage. 
Roya InsTiTUTION OF GREAT BRITAIN, at 3.—Sir William M. Bayliss: 
The Nature of Enzyme Action (2). 
Roya Socrery, at 4.30,—Sir Charles Sherrington and B. G. T. Liddell : 
Stimulus Rhythm in Reflex Tetanic Contraction.—K. N. Moss: Some 
Effects of High Air Temperatures and Muscular Exertion upon Colliers. 
—F. A. E. Crew : The Significance of an Achondroplasia-like Condition 
met with in Cattle. 
Linnean Society or Lonpoy, at 5, . 
Roya CoLieGe or Prysicians or Lonpon, at 5.—Prof. J. B. Leathes: 
The Réle of Fats in Vital Phenomena. (Croonian Lectures (1).) 
Cuemicat Sociery, at 8.—H, Hunter: Investigations on the Dependence 
of Rotatory Power on Chemical Constitution. Part XX. The Rational 
Study of Optical Properties: Refraction a Constitutive Property.— 
A. E. Goddard: Researches on Indium. Part I. Diphenyl Indium 
Chloride and Phenyl Indium Oxide.—E, P. Perman and W. J. Howells: 
The Properties of Ammonium Nitrate. Part VI. The Reciprocal Salt 
Pair, Ammonium Nitrate and Potassium Sulphate.—E. W. Lanfear and 
J. F. Thorpe: Ring Chain Tantomerism. Part VI. The Mechanism of 
the Keto-cyclol Change in the Propane Series,—E. H. Usherwood : The 
Reversibility of Additive Reactions. Part I. The Aldol Reaction.— 
C. K. Ingold: Mechanism of the Pinacone-pinacoline and Wagner- 
Merrwein Transformations.—A. E. Goddard : Researches on Antimony. 
Part I. Tri-m-xylylstibine and its Derivatives. - 
Royat Society or Mepicrne (Obstetrics and Gynecology Section), at §.— 
V. Bonney: Diurnal Incontinence of Urine in Women.—L. Phillips: 
The Treatment of Dysmenorrhcea, with Analysis of 100 Cases. 
FRIDAY, Jone 8. 
Ort CoNFERENCE AT THE SixvH INTERNATIONAL MiniING Exuipition (at 
Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington), at 12 and 2.30.—O, A. Young and 
8. D. Tuthill: The Standardisation Movement in America, and its 
Relation to and Application towards the Elimination of Waste in the 
Petroleum Industry.—G. Howell: The Caribbean Oil Region. 
Dresev Enarye Users’ Assocr tion (at Institution of Electrical Engineers) 
at 2.30.—Eng.-Commdr. W. P. Sillince: Losses in Heat Engines and 
Means of Avoiding Them. 
Royat ASTRONOMICAL Society, at 5.—W. S. Adams and G, Strémberg: 
Stellar Velocity and Absolute Magnitude: Note on a Paper by Prof. 
Eddington and Miss Douglas.—A. Buxton: Note on the Effect of 
Astigmatism on Star-Dises. ! 
PuysicaL Sociery oF Lonpon (at Imperial College of Science and 
Technology), at 5.—Prof. J. G. Gray : A General Solution of the Problem 
of Finding the True Vertical for All Types of Marine and Aerial Craft, 
to be followed by a discussion. 4 
Mavacotoeicat Socrety or Lonpon (at Linnean Society), at 6. 
Roya Society or Mepricine (Ophthalmology Section) (Annual General 
Meeting), at 8.30.—Miss Ida C. Mann: Some Su 
bryology of Congenital Crescents.—P. Doyne: The ‘ournée Reaction. 
Roya INstTiruTion oF Great Briraty, at 9.—Miss Joan Evans: Jewels 
of the Renaissance. 
SATURDAY, June 9. 
Roya. IsstiruTion OF Great Briratn, at 3.—Dr. A. W. Hill: The New 
Zealand Flora. i 
PUBLIC LECTURES. ’ 
MONDAY, June 4. 
University CoLvecr, at 5.30.—Prof. H. A. Lorentz: Problems in 
Relativity. (Succeeding Lectures on June 5 and 7.) ‘ 
TUESDAY, Jung 5. 
Krno's Cotvece, at 5.30.—Miss Hilda D. Oakeley: The Conflict. within 
the Greek Moral Ideal. (Succeeding Lectures on June 12 and 19.) 
WEDNESDAY, June 6. 
University CoLurcr, at 5.—Prof. G. N. Lewis: The Structure and ‘ 
Behaviour of the Molecule. (Succeeding Lectures on June 8 and 12.) 
THURSDAY, June 7. 
Sr. Mary's Hosritat (Institute of Pathology and Research), at 4.30.— 
Prof. F. G. Hopkins: An Oxidising Agent in Living Tissues. 
eee 
estions on the Em- — 

