584 



NA TURE 



[February 20, 1908 



modificallons of gelatin in prcMiuc of cli'iirnlyles and non- 

 ilnclrolytps : J. Largiiier des Bancels. In presence of 

 iCTlain salts gelatin dissolves in wain- at the ordinary 

 temperature. At equal concpntrations, salts of divalent 

 metals exert a more powerful solvent action than salts 

 of monovalent metals. For the same metals nitrates exert 

 a more energetic action than chlorides. Certain non- 

 electrolytes, such as alcohol or acetone, also attack gelatin 

 more easily than pure water. — The rapid estimation of 

 potassium bichromate in milks : M. Gou&re. — The pre- 

 paration of dithymol : the .iition of liromiiv on dithymol. 

 H. Cousin and H. Herissey. Thi- cixiilation of the 

 thymol is carried out with ferric chloridi' in aqueous solu- 

 tion ; the yield is from 25 per cent, to 30 per cent. — 

 7-0.\ytetrolic acid : MM. Lespieau and Viguier. This 

 is prepared by the interaction of propargyl alcohol and 

 ethylmagnesium bromide, the reaction product being 

 treated with carbon dioxide. The addition products with 

 bromine have been studied. — Researches on a method of 

 preparing the cyclic aldehydes ; .M. Savariau. Phenyl- 

 magnesium ■ bromide reacts with chloral hydrate to give 

 the compound C„H5.CH(OH).CCI,, and this is converted 

 into benzaldehyde by boiling with a solution of an alkaline 

 carbonate. The method appears to be general, and mav 

 be useful in preparing small quantities of rare cyclic 

 aldehydes. — The action of alcohols upon sodium benzylate : 

 Marcel Guerbet. The action of sodium benzylate upon 

 benzyl alcohol at 225° C. gives rise to stilbene, dibenzyl. 

 toluene, and benzoic acid. — The chemical constitution and 

 biological properties of the protoplasma of Koch's bacillus : 

 Jules Auclair and Louis Paris. — Tyrosinase and racemic 

 tyrosine : Gabriel Bertrand and M. Rosenblatt. — The 

 genus .Seuratia and its connections with t'lpniidium : Paul 

 Viiiilemin. — The intramolecular respiration of the aerial 

 vegetative organs of vascular plants : i\. Nicolas. — The 

 multiplication in vitro of Treponema pallidnni : ('. 

 Lebailiy. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Fedruahv 20. 



Royal Society, at 4.^0.— Notes on the Application of Low Temperatures 

 to some Chemic.ll Problems, (i) Use of Charcoal in Vapour Density 

 Determination. (2) Rotatory Power of Organic Substances : Sir James 

 Dewar, F.R S., and Dr. H. O. Jones.-On the Osmo'ic Pressure of 

 Compressilile Solutions of any Degree of Concentration. Part 11. Cases 

 in which both Solvent and Solule are Volatile: A. W. Porter.— Effects 

 of SelfMnduction in an Iron Cylinder when traversed by Alternating 

 Currents : Prof Ernest Wilson -(i) On the Refractive Indices of Gaseous 



■ Nitric Oxide, Sulphur Dioxide, and Sulphur 'I rioxide. (2) On the Dis- 

 persion of Gaseous Mercury. Sulphur, Phosphoru.s, and Helium : C. Cuth- 

 bertson and E. Parr Metcalfe. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Wood : its Botanical and Technical Aspects : 



RTAi.i.uRr.Y, .T 8.— The Alloys of Gold and 

 .A. Me'hrd of_Settling Slimes.as applied to 



Prof. W. Somervill 



Institution OF MiMiNc; A 

 Tellurium : Dr. T. K. R 



their Sep.iration from Solution in Cyanide Treatment : H. G. Nichol 

 Two Deterrents to the Dissolution of Free Gold in the Cyanide Process : 

 D. Simpson. —.A Rapid Method for the Estimation of Arsenic in Ores ■ 

 H. E. Hooper.— The Indian Mint Assay of Silver Bullion : F. T. C. 

 Hughes. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— Experiments with Wild Species of Tuber-bearing 

 .Solanums : A. W. Sutton.- The I.ife-history and Larval Habits of 

 Tiger Beetles (Cicindela) : Dr. V. E. Shclford.— On a Possible Case of 

 Mimicry in the Common Sole: Dr. A. T. Masterman. -Exhibit : Stereo- 

 scopic Photographs of Alpine Plants in Natural Colours: T. Ernest 

 Waltham. 



Institution op Elei 

 way Goods Warehc 

 C. E. Taylor. 



Chemical Sccietv, at S.30.— The Action of Thionyl Chloride and of 

 Phosphorus Pentachlcride on the Methylene Ethers of Pyrocatechol 

 Derivatives : G. Barcer.— The Preparation of Conduclivity Water : H. 

 Hartley, N. P. Campbell and R. H. Poole.— Deiivativcs o( para-YA^a- 



■ ■ ' "' ;. Micklelhwait.— .4 Study 



G. T. Morgan and Miss 

 .if Silicon. Part VI. The 

 \ 1 Oxides : F. S. Kipping. 



ninobenzene : G. T. Morgan .' 

 of the Diazi-reaction in the D 

 F. M. G.Micldethwait.— Orgnr 

 Optically Active Sulphobenzylt 



Miss V. \t 



-A Simple M 



N. L. Gebhard. 



FRIDAY, February 21. 

 at 9.— The Elher of .Space : Sir Oliver Lodge, F.R.S- 

 " EERS at 8.— Annual Meeting.— 



Healer : Prof. J. Goodman and 



Feed-i 



Royal Insti 

 Institution of Mech 

 Tests of a Live Steal 

 D. B. MacLachlan. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.-Currents as a Cause of Coast 

 eiosion : G. O. Case. 



MONDA y, February 24. 

 VAL Society of -Arts, at 8.— The Theory and Practice of Clock Making 



H. H. Cunvngl- 

 OVAI. Geocrap 

 Congf^ : t 



Tho 



C.B. 



Society, at 8.30.— Travels in the Old Kingdom of 

 ,s Lewis. 



of Offices In 



Uses ami 

 ider British 



Institute of Actuaries, at 5.— .\ Review of the Investments 



Recent Years, with Notes on Stock Exchange Fluctuatii: 



Future Rate of Interest : P. L. Newman. 



TUESDAY, February 2;. 

 RoVAL Institution, at 3. — Membranes : Thtir Structure, 



Products: Prof. W. Slirling. 

 Royal Society of Aris, at 4.30. — Irrigation in Egypt ui 



D.rection : Sir Hanbury Brown, K.C.M.G. 

 Royal Anthroi-ologicai. Institute, at 8.15. —Montenegrin Manners and 



Customs : Miss M. Edith Durham. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The New York Rapid-transit 



Subway : W. B. Parsons. 

 Fakaday Society, at 8. — Hydrolysis as Illustrated by Heats of Neutral- 



isaiion : Dr. V. H. Veley, F.R.S.— A Study of the Sulphur Anion and of 



Complex Sulphur Anions: Dr. J. Knox. 



WEDNESDAY, February 26. 

 Royal Society of Arts, at" 8.— The Problem of Road Construction with 



a View to Presentand Future Requirements: H. S. Hele-Sliaw, F.R.S., 



and Douglas Mackenzie. ■ '. 

 British Astronomical Association, at 5.— .\ddress by Prof. H. H. 



Turner, F.k.S. 



THURSDA V, February 27. 

 Royal Society, at 4.30.— /VoiaWf /'a/tv-.- :— The Influence of Temper.i- 



lure on Phagocytosis: J. C.-G. -Ledipgham.— On the Maturation of the 



Ovum in the Guinea-pig : Prof, j; E.. S. Moore and Miss F. Twort. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Wood : its Botanical and Technical Aspects: 



Prof. W. SomerviUe. . ■ - 



Society of Dyers and Colourists, at 8. The Deterioration of Modem 



Dyed Leathers: M. C. Lamb.— A Note on. the (iermicidal Value .if 



Petroleum Benzine : F. J. Farrell and F. Howies. 

 - - ■■ /■■/;//)//)■, February 28. 

 Royal Institution, at 9.— Explosive Combustion, with Special Reference 



to that of Hydrocarbons : Prof. W. A. Bone, F.R.S. 

 Royal SociETY-OF'ARTS.at 8.-^The Removal of Dust and Fumes in 



Factories: Dr. J. S. Haldane, F.R S. 

 Physical Society, at 5.— Contact Potential Differences Determined by 

 )f Null Solutions: .S._\V. J. Snulh and_H. Moss. -.\n Experi- 



mental Examination of Gibbs" Theory of .Surface Tensi 

 .-Adsorption with an Application to the Theorj' of Dyeir 



as the Basis 

 Mr. Lewis. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Continuation Schools. By Prof. J. Wertheimer . 361 



Iceland Past and Present. By M. G. B 362 



Advanced Organic Chemistry. By F. M. P 363 



Our Book Shelf: — 



Fox-Strangways : " The Geology of the Leicestershire 



and South Derbyshire Coalfield" 364 



Lewis: " Inorganic Chemistry " 364 



Ball: "Altitude Tables" 365 



Shephard : " IVoblems in Strength of Maleiials '' ; 

 " Whittaker's .'\rithmetic of Electrical Engineering 

 for Technical .Students and Engineers" .... 365 



Richmond : " An P'ssay upon Disease : its Cause and 



Prevention " 31)3 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Radium and the Earth's Ifeat. — Prof. Harold A. 

 Wilson, F.R.S. : Hon. R. J. Strutt, F.R.S. . 365 



Ground Ice. —James Thomson 366 



The Stresses in Masonry Dams. {With Dia:;rain.) — 



Prof. Karl Pearson, F.R.S 366 



The Inheritance of "Acquired" Characters. — J. T. 



Cunningham 367 



Technical Research and the College System. — W. P. 



Dreaper 367 



A Variation in Annieba. — M. D. Hill 367 



An Alleged Originator of the Theory of Atoms. — Dr. 



J. L.'E. Dreyer 36S 



Notes on Ancient British Monuments. V. — 

 Avenues (i.i;;//;///.!/.!. (llhislinted.) By Sir Norman 



Lockyer, K C.B., F.R.S 36S 



A Study of the River Trent. {Illustrated.) 371 



The Sun and the Clock 372 



Iiish Fishery Investigations 373 



Notes 373 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Recent Spectrum and Magnitude of Nova Persei 



No. 2 377 



The Helium Line, D3, as a Dark Line in the Solar 



Spectrum 



A Detailed Study of the Photosphere 378 



Sectional Addresses at the Chicago Meeting of the 



American Association 378 



Copper Mirrors. Py Dr. F. D. Chatta way, F.R.S. . 380 



Geological Survey of Canada 380 



University and Educational Intelligence 



Societies and Academies 



Diary of Societies 384 



NO. IQ99. VOL. 77] 



