i68 



NA TURE 



[December 19, 1907 



for the alomir weight of nitrogen of 14-010 inslcnd of 

 the 14005 of M. Berthelot. — The non-existence of a 

 common solvent for white and red phosphorus : Alb. 

 Colson. The author has been unable to dissolve red 

 phosphorus in essence of turpentine, and there seems to 

 be no solvent known which will dissolve both varieties. — 

 The equilibrium of the nickel-bismuth system : A. 

 Portewin. The state of equilibrium is only attained for 

 alloys of the pure metals. — \n apparatus designed for the 

 production of spark spectra of solutions : A. de Gramont. 

 In the apparatus, a drawing of which is given, the spark 

 is produced between two drops of the liquid held up in 

 capillary tubes of fused quartz. The spectra are free from 

 the lines of platinum and silicon. — The identity of graphite 

 and the graphitic carbon set free from castings during 

 tempering : Georges Charpy, The experiments described 

 lead to the conclusion, contrary to the views of Forquignon 

 and of Wust and Geiger, that these two forms of carbon 

 are the same. — The action of phosphorus trihydride on 

 mercuric chloride and bromide : P. Lemoult. — Carbon 

 monoxide in coal gas : L^o Vig^non. The larger the 

 amount of oxygen in the coal the larger is the proportion 

 of carbon monoxide and dioxide in the gas obtained from 

 it. .At a temperature of 900° C, rather less than one- 

 third of the oxygen of the coal is found in the gas in the 

 form of these two oxides. — The transformation of barbaloin 

 into an isomeric aloin ; fl-barbaloin and the existence of 

 the latter in several kinds of aloes : E. Leger. — The 

 dissociation of combinations of colouring acids to basic 



colours by adsorbing substances : L. Celet-Jolivet. 



Sparteine. The isomerisation of a-mcthvl-sparteine : 



Charles Moureu and Amand Valeur The 'svnthesis of 



symmetrical phenylated anilidophenosafrani'ne : Ph. 

 Barbier and P. Sisley — The deposit of evergreen copper : 

 Etienne A. Rittei-. — The occurrence of granite in the 

 diamond-bearing chimney of De Beers : L. Dc Launay. 

 Some time ago the author predicted that granite woukl 

 be encountered fn a boring at Kimberley at a depth of 

 about 600 metres, and his views have been confirmed by 

 the discovery of granite in this chimnev at a depth of 64'] 

 metres.— Remarks on the affinities of the Malpighiacea; of 

 Madagascar, concerning the new genus Tricomariopsis : 

 ilarcel Dubai-d.— The variations of drv weight in the 

 higher plants under different luminous' intensities : W. 

 Lubimenko. — The influence of the hygrometric state of 

 the air on the preservation of seeds : E. Demoussy. 

 U'hen the hygrometric state, at 25° C.,.is above 0.7. nianv 

 seeds rapidly perish, the seeds of the Crucifera^ being the 

 most resistant.— The inosites from Gui : Georges Tanret. 

 — A colour reaction for use with fungi : L. Arnould and 

 A, Goris. — The fatigue of earth : I. !?ouget and D. 

 Chouchak.— Two hybrids of the peacock and Cochin 

 C liin.i fowl : G. !?ays-Mellier and E. Trouessart. — 

 Histolysis of the muscles after the nuptial flight in ants : 

 Charles Janet — The periodic variations of sign of photo- 

 'tropism in Clihannrius misanihropus : Mile. .Anna 

 Drrewina.— The action of the ichthyotoxins on the nervous 

 s\stem of animals immunised against these substances. 



Contribution to the study of immunitv : E. Gley The 



favourable influence of small doses of zinc on the vegeta- 

 tion of Sterifimatocystis nigra : Maurice Javillier.— The 

 presence of ohosphorus in the fattv material of micro- 

 organisms : E. axilairt-.— The conditions of hvdrolvsis of 

 the protoplasmids : A. Etard and A. Vila.— The effects of 

 light on the vision : Jules Amar. Excluding pathological 

 conditions, an excess of light puts the eyes into a bad 

 condition for their normal working. — The influence of the 

 illumination round the observer on the acuteness of vision 

 for night signals in navigation : Andri? Broca and M. 

 Polack. — The presence of yeasts in the f.itlv bodies of 

 several Coccideas : A. Conte and L. Gaucheron.— The 

 trypanolylic property of the serum in experimental nagana : 

 A. Ridet and G. Vallet. — The pathogeny of glaucoma ; 

 A. Terson. — The death of infants by the thvmus and in 

 chloroform anaesthesia. Anatomical.' phvsiological, and 

 clinical study : R. Robinson.— The action of chlorine on 

 the tubercle bacillus: MM. Moussu and Goupil.— The 

 presence of the Trias in the mountains of Gigondas 

 (\aucluse), and the phenomena of charriai^c which are 



observed in this massif : E. Joleaud The' Neocretarean 



of Argolide : Ph. Negris and Const. A. Ktenas.- The 



discovery of vertebrates in the Oligocenc of Fronsadais, 

 basin of the Gironde : G. Vasseur. — Some new fossil plants 

 in the .Sparnacean of the Paris region : P. H. Fritel. — 

 Study of a specimen taken from the sea bottom of the 

 Channel near the coast : J. Thouiet. 



Asiatic Society of Ucngal, Novt-mli-r 6 — Note on the 

 common English merlin (.Esalon rcgidiis) and its train- 

 ing : Lieut. -Colonel D. C. Phillott. — A case of lateral 

 floral proliferation of the inflorescence of the pine-apple — 

 Ananas sativus, Schult. f. : Captain A. T. Oage. De- 

 scriptions with figures of a pine-apple surrounded by many 

 small elongated pine-apples after the manner of a hen- 

 and-chickens daisy. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



rf/URSDAY, December 19. 



of Tetramelhyl Glucose : J. C. 

 )f Mercerised Cotton ; 



f)-N 3 



Preliminary Note: J. Hiibner.— Attempted Synthesis of I Di- 



3-CH-S 

 naphthacridine ; Condensation of Methylene Dichloride and i-Substi- 

 tuted-2-Naphthylamine~ : A. Senier and P. C. Austin. 

 LiNNEAN SociETV, at 8.— On Mendelism and Sex : Dr. Archdall Reid. 

 Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, at 8. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8.— Electrical Power in 

 Railway Goods Waiehouses: H. Henderson. 



FRIDAY, December 20. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Mechanical and Therma 

 Efficiency of a Petrol Engine : L. G. E. Morse. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 8.— Notes on the Manu- 

 facture and Upkeep of Milling Cutters ; Dr. H. T. Ashlon. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Mathematics in Botany • . • 145 



Organic Chemistry for Medical Students. By J. B. C. 146 

 Our Book Shelf: — 



Ward: "Some Nature Biographies"; Kearton : 



" The Fairyland of Living Things." — R. L. . 147 

 Verworn : " Physiologisches Piaktikum fiir Medi- 



ziner."- W. D. H 148 



lloyt and Grover : "River Discharge" . . . . 148 



Westlake : " Cnnstructions in Practical Geometry " . 148 

 Letters to the Editor :^ 



The International Memorial Statue of Lamarck. — 



Sir E. Ray Lankester, K.C.B., F.R.S. ... 149 



Mulattos. — H. G. Wells 149 



Nest Eggs of Platypus. — Prof. Gregg Wilson . . 149 

 Sulphur as an Insulator. —Rev. F. J. Jervis-Smith, 



F.R.S 149 



Notes on Ancient British Monuments. III. (Il/iis- 



traUd.) By Sir Norman Lockyer, K.C.B., F.R.S. 150 



The Increased Endowment of Universities .... 152 



Notes 154 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Maximum of Mira, 1906 158 



A Further Observation of Comet 1907^ 158 



Spectroscopic Determination of the Rotation cf the 



Sun 15S 



Newly discovered Spectroscopic Binaries 158 



The Astrographic Catalogue 158 



Stars having Peculiar Sjiectra 158 



Weakened Lines in Sun-spot Spectra 158 



Exhibition of Physical Apparatus. By C. H. L. . . 159 

 On the Incidence of Daylight as a Determining 

 Factor in Bird-Migration. By Prof. E. A. Schafer, 



F.R.S 159 



Cretan Exploration 163 



A Lunar " New Jerusalem " 163 



University and Educational Intelligence. (Il/iis/raled.) 163 



Societies and Acace nies 164 



Diary of Societies 16S 



NO. 1990, VOL. 'J-j'\ 



