504 



NA TURE 



[March 26, 1908 



human skulls, dating from prehistoric times to the present 

 dav the author considers that asymmetry is the normal 

 foi-m of the human figure, and is not, as supposed by 

 l.ombroso, a sign of (Regeneration. A simple physiological 

 reason is put forward as the cause of this asymmetry, 

 which is regarded as the necessary result of the erect posi- 

 tion of the human species. — The quantity of X-rays 

 absorbed and transmitted by the successive layers of 

 tissues : H. Guilleminot. — \n attempt at grafting 

 articular tissues : Henri Judet. 



Calcutta. 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal, ^far<•h 4. — Certain unpub- 

 lised drawings of antiquities in Orissa and northern 

 Circars ; Manmohan ChaEcravarti. This paper invites 

 attention to the eleven folios of drawings received by the 

 societv in December, 1822, and forming a part of the 

 remarkable collection of Lieut. -Colonel Colin Mackenzie. 

 It takes up two of the folios dealing with the antiquities 

 of Orissa and northern Circars ; the one of the smaller 

 size (B) has eighty-five originals, while the other of the 

 larger size has two originals and thirty-two duplicates, 

 and gives a brief description of each in the Appendices A 

 and B. They contain interesting drawings of Hindu 

 sculptures, pillars, and other architectural designs, drawn 

 in 1815. — The exact determination of the fastness of the 

 more common indigenous dyes of Bengal, and comparison 

 with typical synthetic dye-stuffs, part ii., dyeing on silk : 

 E. R. Watson. — Oil of Lawsonia alba : D. Hooper. — A 

 general theory of osculating conies : Prof. Syamadas 

 Mukhopadhyaya. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA V, M.^KCH 56. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.— Hakcrian Lecture: The Thermal mi Eleclric.il 

 Conductivities of Metals and .\lloys at Low Temperatures; Prof C. H. 

 Lees, K.R..S —Note on the Values of the Board of Trade Standards of 

 Current and Electromotive Force : T. Mather, F. K.S., and F. E. Smith.— 

 Note on the Rise of Meteorological Balloons and the Temperalure of the 

 Upper Air : A. Mallock, F.R S. 



RovAL Society of Arts, at 8.— The Navigation of the Aiv : Dr. H. S. 

 Hele-Shaw, F.R.S. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Standardisation in Various Aspects: (2) Elec- 

 trical Engineering : Dr. R. T. Glazebrook, F.R S. 



Chemical Society, at 5.— Annual General Meeting.— Presidential Address : 

 The Electron as an Element; Sir William Ramsay, K.C.B., F.R.S. 

 FRIDAY, March 27. 



Royal Institution, at o- — Radio-active Change in the Earth : the Hon. 

 R. J. Strutt, F.R.S. 



Physical Society, at 5.— (1) Notes on the Plug Permeameler; (2) On the 

 Use of Shunts and Transformers with Alternate Current Mersurins Instru- 

 ments; (3) On Wattmeters ; (4) E.-cperlmental Dem->nstr ition of Alternate 

 Current Wave Propagation in a Helix : Dr. C. V. Drysdale. 



Institution' of Mechanical Engineers, at 8.— Combustion Processe-: in 

 English Locomotive Fire-Boxes : Dr. F. J Bri.slee.— Combustion Pro- 

 cesses in American Locomotive Fire-Boxes ; L. H. Fry. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30.— .A. Canoe Journey to the Plains 

 of the Caribou : E. Thompson Seton. 



SATURDAY, March =3. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Electric Dischaiges through Gases : Prof. J. J. 

 Thomson, F.R.S. 



MONO A V, March 30. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — Geographical Conditions alTect- 

 ing the British Empire ; (i) British Islands : H. J. Mackinder. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 8.— Fuel and its Future: Prof V. E. 

 Lewes. 



Institute of Actuaries, at 5.— On Reversionarv Bonuses as affected by 

 E.vpenses and Variations in Rates of Mortality ; H. H. Austin, 

 rUESDA Y, March 31. 



Royal Institution, at 3.-The Egyptian Sudan ; its History, Monuments, 

 and Peoples, Past and Present : Dr. E. A. Wallis Budge. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Some Methods of Heating 

 adopted in Hospitals and .Asylums recently built : E. R. Dolby. 

 WEDNESDAY, April i. 



Royal Society of .Arts, at 8. — Dr. Schlick's Gyroscopic .\pparatus for 

 Preventing Ships from Rolling ; M. Wurl. 



Geoiogicai. Society, at 8. —The Geological Structure of the St. Davids 

 Area (Pembrokeshire) ; J, F. N. Green. 



Society of Public Analysts, at 8.— Lead in Tartaric Acid, Cream of 

 Tart.arand Baking Powdeis: The Pre.sident.— (i) The Nitrog;n Factor 

 for Casein ; (2) The Recovery of Amyl Alcohol from W.xste Gerber 

 Liquors: H. D. Richmond.- Carapa Oil : Dr. J. Lewkowitsch.— A Rapid 

 Method for the Estimation of Mercuric Salts in Aqueous Solution ; S. G. 



Li. 



ojMOi.ogical Society, 



THURSDAY. April 2. 

 ioVAi. Society, at ^.^o.— Probable Papers : Complete Survey of the Cell 

 Lamination of the Cerebral Cortex of the Lemur : Dr. F. W. Motl, 

 l-.R.S.. and Mi«s A. M. Kelley.— The Alcoholic Ferment of Yeast Juice. 

 Pan HI. Tlie Function of Phosphates in the Fermentation of Glucose 



by Yeast Juice : A. H.arden and W. J. Young.— The Antagonistic Action 

 of Calcium uoon the Inhibitory Effect of Majnesium ; S. J. Melzler and 

 T. Auer.— Studies on Enzvne .\ciion, XL, The Hydrolysis of Raffinose : 

 Prof H. E. Armstrong, F.R.S., and W. H. Glover.— Studies on Enzyme 

 Action, XIL, Emulsin: Prof H. E. Armstrong, F.R.S., Dr. E. F. 

 .Armstrong, and E. Horton. — On .Some Features in the Hereditary Trans- 

 mission ol the Albino Character and the Black Piebald Coat in Rats, 

 Paper II.; G. P. Mudge. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— The Animals of jAfrica : R. Lydekker. F.R.S. 



Royal Society of .-Vrts, at 8.— The Navigation of the Air : Prof. H. S. 

 HeleShaw, F.R.S. 



Linnean Society, at 8.— .Mtitude and Distribution of Plants in Southern 

 Mexico; Dr. Hans Gadow, F.K.S.— The Anatomy of sirae Sapotaceous 

 Seedlings: Miss Winifred Smith.— Notes on some Sponges recently 

 collected in Scotland : Dr. N. Annandale. 



Civil and Mechanical Engineers' Society, at 8.— Efficiency of Boiler 

 Heating Surface : C. Humphrey Wingtield. 



Chemical Society, at 8.30. — The Condensation of Epichlorohydrin with 

 Phenols ; D. R. Boyd and E. R. Marie.— Rate of Hydrolysis of Chloro- 

 acelates and Bromoacetates. and of a-Chlorohydrin by Water and by 

 Alkali, and the Influence of Neutral Salts on the Reaction Velocities. 

 Preliminary Note : G. Senter. — ^A New General Method of Preparing 

 Diazonium Bromides : F. D. Chattaway.— On the Probable Nature of the 

 Impurity found in the Triphenylmethane Spectrum; W. N. Hartley.— 

 The Absorption Spectrum of Triphenylmethane ; A. G. G. Leonard. — 

 The Constituents of Cyprus Origanum Oil. Isolation of a New Terpene 

 (Origanene); S. S. Pickles. 



Instituiton of Electrical Engineers, at 8.— High Speed Electrical 

 Machinery : G. Stoney and \. H. Law. 



FRIDAY, April 3. 

 Royal' Institution, at 9.— The Modern Motor Car: Lord Montagu of 



Beaulieu. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Notes on the Foundations of an 



Indian Bridge : G. W. N. Rose. 



r.-l TURD A Y, April 4. 

 ,. — Electric Discharges .thri 



gh Gases: Prof J. J. 



NO. 2004, VOL. ']']'\ 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Misleading Seismology 481 



German School Botany 481 



Elementary Physics 482 



Our Book Shelf: — 



Bell ; " The Mechanism of Speech." — Prof. John 



G. McKendrick, F.R.S 483 



South : " The Moths of the Briti.sh Isles."— W. F. K. 483 

 Kienitz-Gerloff ; "Physiologic und Anatomie des 

 Menschen niit ausblicken auf den ganzen Kreis der 



Wirbeltiere."— W. W 484 



Stephenson; " The Elements of Geography " . . . 484 

 Hemmelmayr and Btunner ; " Lehrbuch der Chemie 

 und Minetalogie fiir die vierte Klasse der Real- 



schulen " 484 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Cotton Plant. — W. Lawrence Balls ; Lieut. - 



Colonel D. Prain, CLE., F.R.S 484 



The Isoihermal Layer of the Atmosphere.— C. E. 



Stromeyer; W. H. Dines, F.R.S 481; 



The Penetrating Radiation. — Prof. A. S. Eve . . . 486 

 Mosaic Origin of the Atomic Theory. — Dr. John 



Knott 486 



Tabulated Values of Certain Integrals. — Harry M. 



Elder 486 



Notes on Ancient British Monuments. VII. — The 

 Aberdeen Circles (t>«//;«/,,i'). (lUustratcL) By Sir 



Norman Lockyer, K.C.B., F.R. S ^487 



Proposed Alteration in the Calendar. By W. T. L 489 

 Peculiarities in the Structure of some Heavenly 



Bodies 49° 



Sir John Eliot, K.C.I. E., F.R.S. By A. P 490 



Notes 492 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Water Vapour in the Martian Atmosphere 497 



The Dispersion of Light in Interstellar Space .... 497 



The Moving Object near Jupiter 497 



Distiibulion of Standard Time in Egypt 497 



tlbservations of Algol Variables 497 



Ntbukv and Nebulosities observed by Prof. Barnard . 497 



Russian Scientific Publications . 498 



The Corals of Hawaii. By Prof. S. J. Hickson, F.R.S. 499 

 Commemorative Dinner to Sir William Ramsay, 



K.C.B., F.R.S 500 



New Slide-rules 500 



University and Educationallntelligence 501 



Societies and Academies 5°' 



Diary of Societies 504 



