NA TURE 



[January 30, 1908 



benzenes : Isidore Bay. The carbon bisulphide is pre- 

 cipitated by phenylhydrazine, the precipitate washed with 

 pure benzene, and dried in vacuo. — The transformation of 

 the a-oxyacids into aldehydes by boiling their mercuric 

 salts in aqueous solution ; application to the preparation 

 of /-arabinose by means of mercuric gluconate : Marcel 

 Guerbet. — Some cases of the simultaneous production of 

 the I : 6- and 2 : 7-diniethylanthracencs : James Uavaux. 

 — Syntheses by means of ethyl and methyl adipates : L. 

 Bouveault and R. Locquin. — The action of nascent 

 hvpoiodous acid (iodine and sodium carbonate) on some 

 acids of the general formula R.CH : CH.CH„.CO,H, 

 R being C,,H, more or less substituted : J. Bougault. — 

 Some mineral salts which can act as peroxydases ; J. 

 Wolfr. — A new type of polycha^tal annelid : Ch. Gravier. 

 — The oculo-reaction in its relation to previous treatment 

 with tuberculin : H. Vallee. — A bacilliform piroplasmosis 

 observed in cattle in the neighbourhood of Algiers ; 

 H. Soulie and G. Roig:. 



GoTTINGEN. 



Royal Society of Sciences. — The Nachrichlen (physico- 

 mathematical section), part iv. for 1907, contains the 

 following memoirs communicated to the society : — 



January 12. — Seismic waves. (i) Theory of the 

 propagation of seismic waves ; (2) seismic time-curves : 

 E. Wiechert and K. Zoeppritz, 



July 6. — The uniformisation of algebraic curves : P. 

 Koebe. 



July 20. — Researches from the Gbttingen University 

 chemical laboratory, xviii. (i) The synthesis from nopinone 

 of a hydrocarbon related to /3-pinene ; (2) the synthesis of 

 homologous compounds of the dipentene series ; (3) syn- 

 theses in the terpinene series ; (4) the synthesis of anethol 

 from anise-aldehyde, and of isosafrol from piperonal ; 

 (5) the occurrence of sabinene in Ceylon oil of cardamoms 

 and majorana oil ; (6) isomeric camphenes and a new 

 camphene-camphor acid ; (7) condensation products of 

 cyclic ketones with aromatic aldehydes : O. Wallach. 



August 6. — A contribution to our knowledge of the light- 

 sense in chickens : D. Katz and G. Revesz. 



The official communications (part ii., iqo6), just pub- 

 lished, include a report by E. Klein on the progress of 

 the issue of Gauss's works. 



r Field on the GIo 



Alps of New 

 Emotion ; So 



Zeala 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, ]f,KV\K\ -50. 

 Royal Society, at 4.30.— On ih** Observation of Sun and Stars made in 

 some British Stone Circles. Third Note : The Aberdeenshire Circles • 

 Sir Norman Lockyer, K.C.B., F.R.S.— On the Non-periodic or 

 Residual Motion of Water moving in Stationary Waves: Mrs. Ayrton. — 

 The Refractive Index and Dispersion of Light in Argon and Helium ; 

 W. Burton.— On the Generation of a Luminous Glow in an Exhausted 

 r an Electrostatic Field, and the Action of a Magnetic 

 > produced : Rev. F. J. Jervis-Smith, F.R.S. 

 FRfDA)\ January 31. 

 Royal Institution, at 9.— Recent Researches on Radio-activity: Prof. 

 E. Rutherford, F.R.S. 



MONO A V, Febr 

 Victoria Institutf, at 4.30. — The Soutl 



their Glaciers : C. D. Fox. 

 Ari.stoteiian Society, at 8.— The Religious Emotion ; Some Results of 



Inductive Enquiry : Dr. A. Caldecott. 



Society of Chemical lNni:sTRv, at 8 - 



facture : Lieut. -Col. Sir Frederick Natha 



TUESDAY, Fehruarv 4. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Roman Britain : (b) Its Interior Civilisation : 



Prof. F- J. Haverfield. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at %.— Further dhcussion: Experi- 

 ) mental Investigations of the Stresses in Masonry Dan^s subjected to 

 Water Pressure : Sir J. W. Ottley, K.C.IE., and Dr. A. W. Brightmore. 

 — Stresses in Dams ; an Experimental Investigation by Means of India- 

 rubber Models: I, S. Wilson and W.. Gore.— Stresses in Masonry Dams: 

 E. P. Hill. 

 Zoological Society, at 8.30. — Cinematograph Demonstration of Results 

 of Natural Colour Photography with Zoological Subjects : F. Martin 

 Duncan.— The Duke of Bedford's Zoological Exploration in Easlern 

 Asia. VII. List of Mammals from the Tsu-shima Islands : O. Thomas. 

 —On the Presence of Gonadial Grooves in Awelia anritn : T. Goidev. 

 —The Duke of Bedford's Zrological Exploration in Ea.stem Asia. VIII. 

 A Collection of Freshwater Fishes fromCorea: C. Tate Regan. 

 WEDNESDA Y, February 5. 

 Geoi ogicai. Society, at 8. — On Antigorite and the Val .\ntigorio, with 

 other .Serpentines containing that Mineral; Prof. T. G. Bonnev, 

 The St. David's Head " Rock Series" (Pembrokeshire) : J. V. 



Notes o 



F.R.S.- 



ElsHen. 



Entomologk 



Society, at 8.— On Diaposematism, with Reference to 



some Limitations of th 

 Marshall. 

 SociETy OF -Arts, at 8.— 



Miille 



Hypothesis of Mimicry: Guy .A. K. 

 E. Gaudron. 



8.— War Balloons : 

 THURSDAY, February 6. 



Royal Society, at i.^o— ProiaHe Papers :— On ihe Wei,?ht of Precipi- 

 tum obtainable in Precipitin Interactions with Small Weights of Homolo- 

 gous Protein: Prof. D. A. Welsh and H. G. Ch.npman.- Nitrification 

 it; Acid Soils: A. D. Hall, N. H. J. Miller, and C. T. Gimingham.-A 

 Criticism of the Opsonic Theory based upon Studies carried out by 

 Means of Melanin: S. G. Shattock and L. S. Dudgeon —A Contribution 

 to the Study of the Mechanism of Respiration, with Especial Reference 

 to the Action of the Vertebral Column and Diaphragm : J. F. Halls 

 Dally. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— The Story of the Spanish Armada : Major 



1 Hu 



Elec 

 High Tension Ti 



Linnean Society, at 8. — Fruit; 

 Britain and the Netherlands 

 Disintegrating Peat and othe 

 Reid.— On a Botanical Exped 



" " :hanical Eng 



fGiNEERS, at 8. — Protective Devices for 

 uits: J. S. Peck. 



and Seeds from the Pre-GIacial Beds of 

 :iement Reid. F.R.S.— On a Method of 

 Deposits containing Fossil Seeds : Mrs. 

 on to Fokien : S. t. Dimn. 

 ERs' Society, at 8.- Some Devices for 

 the Absorption of Shock on Wheeled Vehicles : F. G. Woollard. 

 Chemical Society, at 8.30.— The Metallic Picrates : O. Silberrad and 

 H A. Phillips,— Organic Derivatives of Silicon. Part V, Benzylethyl- 

 silicone, Dibenzylsilicone and other Benzyl- and Benzylethyl-derivatives 

 of Silicane: R. Robison and F. S. Kipping. — Some Physico-chemical 

 Properties of Mixtures of Pyridine and Water: H. Hartley, N. G. 

 Thomas, and M. P. Applebey.— The Constitution of ITmbellulone, Part 

 III.: F. Tutin.— The Residual Affinity of the Coumarins and Thio- 

 coumarins as shown by their Additive Compounds : A. Clayton. — The 

 Influence of Foreign Substances on Certain Transition Temperatures, and 

 the Determination of Molecular Weights: H. M. Dawson and C. G. 

 lackson.— The Bromination of />-Hydro.\ydiphenyl.imine : Miss A. E. 

 "Smith and K. J. P. ( Irton.— Colour and Constitution of ac-Methine 

 Compounds, Part I. : F. G. Pope. — The Decomposition of Ammonium 

 Bichromate by Heat. Preliminary Notice : W. ^I. Hooton. 

 FRIDAY, February 7. 

 Royal Institution, at 9. — Napoleon and the Louvre : Humphry Ward. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— The Hygiene of the Pottery Trade : W. Burton. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Electric Hardening and An- 

 nealing Furnaces : P. T. Steinthal. 

 Geologists' Association, at 8.— Presidential Address: The Centenary of 



the Geological Society : R S. Herries. 

 Junior Institution of Engineers, at 8. — Aerial Navigation : H. 

 Chatley 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Function of the Stapes. By M. G 2S9 



Life and Death 289 



Philosophical Essays. By W. B 290 



Primitive Interpretations 291 



Our Book Shelf: — 



Bailey : " Cyclopedia of American Agriculture " . . 292 



" Penrose's Pictorial Annual, 1907-8" 292 



Remington: "The Education of To-morrow " . . . 292 

 Biden-Powell : "Scouting for Boys. A Handbook for 



Instruction in Good Citizenship " 293 



" Photograms of the Year 1907 " 293 



Letters to tr>e Editor : — 



Stabilit) in Flight.— A. Mallock, F.R.S 293 



The Inheritance of " Acquired " Characters. — Dr. G. 



Archdall Reid 293 



The Melanic Variety of the " Peppered" Moth. — A. 



Bacot 294 



Inductance in Parallel Wires. — Dr. J. W. Nicholson 295 



Stock Frost or Ground Ice.— Rev. John J. Hampson 295 

 The Production and Manipulation of India-Rubber. 



(/lliistmUd.) By C. Simmonds 296 



Scenery and Natural History of New Zealand. 



{lllustraled.) By Prof. Arthur Dendy 297 



Lieut. -Col. R. L.J. EUery, CM. G., F.R.S .... 298 



Notes 298 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronomical Occurrences in February 302 



Photographic Observations of Encke's Comet (1908a) 302 



Saturn, a New Ring Suspected 302 



Determination of the Moon's Light with a Selenium 



Photometer 3°^ 



A Useful Sun and Planet Chart 302 



Chicago Meeting of the American Association . . 302 



Stresses in Masonry Dams 303 



Austrian Science 304 



The Centenary of Davy's Discovery of the Metals 

 of the Alkalis. By Prof T. E. Thorpe, C.B., 



F.R.S • . . 305 



University and Educational Intelligence 309 



Societies and Acaaemies 310 



Diary of Societies 312 



NO. 1996, VOL. 77] 



