552 



NA TURE 



[April 9, 1908 



be of the greatest service to navigators within its radius. 

 —On the proposal of the president, the examination of 

 the proposition in the preceding note was referred to a 

 committee composed of the members of the sections of 

 astronomy, geography, navigation, and physics, together 

 with MM. Darboux, ' Poincar^, and Cailletet. — The carth- 

 qualie of March 26, 1908 (Chilapa, Mexico), registered at 

 Paris : G. Bigroiirdan. — The manuscripts of Evariste 

 Galois, catalogued by M. J. Jannery, and kept under this 

 heading at the library of the Institute of France. — The 

 rrlalions betwc-pri lecithin and tubercle bacilli and 

 tuberculin : A. Calmette, L. Massol, and M. Breton. 

 Using the htemolytic action of snalce poison in presence 

 of lecithin as a test, the authors prove that the tubercle 

 bacillus has an affinity for lecithin, and tuberculin behaves 

 in a similar manner. The bearing of this on the reaction 

 of tuberculin on the body is discussed. — The present state 

 of the problem of the dispersion of light rays in inter- 

 stellar spaces. A first attempt at the application to pro- 

 visional determinations of stellar distances : Charles 

 Nordmann, Discussing the recently published results of 

 M. Tikhoff, the author points out that both their methods, 

 although quite independent, lead to the same qualitative 

 results, namely, that there is really produced a dispersion 

 of light in inlerstellar space, and that it has the same 

 sense as ordinary refractive media. — k phenomenon 

 attributable to positive electrons in the spark spectrum of 

 vttrium : Jean Becquerel. The experimental study of the 

 Zeeman effect in the spark spectrum of yttrium gives 

 results which may be most simply explained by assuming 

 the presence of positive electrons. — The number of electrons 

 in the atom : J. Bosler. — The determination of the factor 

 of ionisation in solutions of hydrochloric acid : E. 

 Doumer. A study of the ratio of the volumes of hydrogen 

 and oxygen evolved during the electrolysis of solutions of 

 hydrochloric acid of different concentrations with anodes of 

 silver or mercury. — The density of the v.ipour of propionic 

 acid : A. Faucon, By the method of Dumas the vapour 

 densitv of propionic acid was found to vary from 3-27 at 

 123° C. to 257 at 210° C, the theoretical vapour density 

 being 2'55. Two thermodynamical formulae are applied to 

 the results to calculate the heat of vaporisation of pro- 

 pionic acid. — The OH(i)Cl(2 : 4 : 6) trichlorophenol and its 

 transformation into chloroquinones : E. Leger. The 

 trichlorophenol is prepared bv the action of a strong solu- 

 tion of sodium hypochlorite upon phenol ; nitric acid 

 0-41) converts this into a mixture of trichloroquinone and 

 tetrachloroquinone. — Styrolene oxide : MM. Tiffeneau and 

 Fourneau. — The 6-ixa-dialkyl-ketone alcohols : E. E. 

 Blaise and I. Herman. — The magmatic parameters of the 

 series from the volcano Monte Ferru, Sardinia : M. 

 Deprat. — Researches on the dcvelooment of Glocosporium 

 tiervisequum : A. Guilliermond. — The Lagoa Santa race 

 in the precolombian populations of the equator : M. 

 Rivet. — The American Synalpheae : M. Coutiere. — The 

 tectonic of the littoral of the Algero-Moroccan frontier : 

 Louis Gentii. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Ai.r.lq. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — The Animals of South Aineiica; R. Lydekker, 

 F R S. 



Institution of Electricat. Enginefks, at S. — Electric Supply Prospects 

 and Charges as affected hy Metallic Filament Lamps and Electric 

 Heatms: H. W. Handcock and A. H. Pykes. 



Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, a' 8.— The Electrical Equip- 

 ment of Gold Mines : H.J. S. Heather.— Addendum to Paper on Earth 

 Temperatures on Wit*atersrand Gold Fields : H. F. Marriott.— The 

 Carat Weijht: K. J. Vallentine.— An Electro-magnet for Testing the 

 Suitability 'if an Ore for Maenetic Separation: L. H. L. Huddart.-The 

 Gold Alluvials of the River Drau in Hungary: A. von Gernet 



FRIDA Y, Ai-Rii. 10. 

 Royal Institution, at 9.— The Carriers of Positive Electricity : Prof. J.J. 



Thomson, F.R.S. 

 R'"VAL Astronomical Societv, at 5. — Measures of Southern Double Stars 



in 1907 : J. L. .Scott. — Tables of the Hypergeometrical Functions 



f"('/fi. 5/6, s.sinSj), and f( - 1/6, 7/6, 1, sin2 ;) between the Limits 

 iota equals 00 and 180 Degrees: C. J. Merfield — On Pr. Roberts's Method 

 of Pctermining the Absolute Dimensions of an Algol Variable Star: Rev. I. 

 Stein - On ihe~ Orbit of 22 ; Seccbi 2=22481 EC ; P581 AB ; and y Velorum 

 = C<>peland t : T. I. J. See.— Note on Ihe Adop'ed Coordinates of the 

 Hombay (Colaba) Observatory: A M. W. r>o-.inm%.— Probable Pnfcrs :— 

 Description of a Long-focus Ccclostat Reflector : J. H. Reynolds.— Note 



on the newly-discovered Eighth Sa'ellite of Jupiter: Royal Observatory, 



Physical Society, at 8— .\n E.vperimental Investigation o( the Nature of 



ykays: Prof. W. H. Br-igg. F.R.'i., and Mr. Madsen.— Experiments 



on Artificial Fulgurites : Miss D. D. Butcher.— Short-spark Phenomena : 



W. Duddell, F.K.S. . J , 



Institution of Mechanical Enginefrs, at 8.— The Governing and the 



Regularity of Gas-engines: J. Atkinson —The Effect of Mi.vture 



Strength and Scavenging upon Thermal Efficiency : Prof. E. Hopkiiison. 



SATURDAY, Ai'RIL ii. 



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



Thomson, F.R.S. 



MONO A Y, April 13. 

 Royal Geograi'Hical Society, at 8.30.— Explorations on and Around 



Prince Charies Foreland, Spitsbergen : Dr. W. S. Bruce. 

 TUESDAY, April 14. 

 Royal Statistical Society, at 5. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Further Discussion; The king 



Edward VII.. Bridge, Newcastle-on Tyne : F. W. Davis and C. R. S. 



Kirkpatrick. 



WEDNESDAY, April 15. 

 Geological Society, at S.— The Geological Structure of the St. David's 



Area (Pembrokeshire) : J F. N. Green.— Notes on the Geology of Burma : 



L. V. Dalion. 

 Roval Meteorological Society, at 7.30. — Report on the Phenological 



Observations for 1907: E. Mawley.— The Anticyclonic Belt of the 



Southern Hemisphere : Col .nel H. E. Rawson, C E. 

 Royal Microscopical Society, at 8.— On Dendritic Growths of Copper 



Oxide in Paper: J. Strachan.— Nature's Protection of Insect Life: F. 



Enock. 

 Victoria Institute, at 3.30.— The Assuan and Elephantine P.-ipyn ; !>.-. 



L. Belleli. 



CONTENTS. PAGB 



Experimental Embryology. ByJ. A. T 529 



Geological Revivalism. By Prof. Grenville A. J. 



Cole 529 



Hydraulics 539 



Technical Chemical Analysis. By W. A. B. ... 531 



British Archaeologists in Italy. By H. H 532 



Our Book Shelf: — 



Hobart and Ellis : " Armature Construction " . - 532 

 YerUes : "The D.incing Mouse; a Study in Animal 



Behaviour."— W. B ,; 533 



Hoernle : " Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India " 533 

 Kelman : " The Sea-shore, Shown to the Children "— 



Frank Balfour Browne 533 



Royal 



534 



Engel : " Deviations des Coinpas" .... 

 "Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information. 



Botanic Gardens, Kew " 



Lloyd : "The Will to Doubt : an Essay in Philosophy 



for the General Thinker" 



Letters to the Editor — 



An Annotated Copy of Newton's " Principia. 



W. R. B. Prideaux . 



Proposed Alteration in the Calendar.— Dr. D. Mackie 

 Helium in the Atmosphere.— Dr. J. W. Evans 



April Meteors.— John R Henry 



Coloration of Glass and Quartz by Radium. — Charles 



E. S. Phillips 



An Early Notice of Neolithic Implements. — Prof. 



John L. Myres 



Notes on Ancient British Monuments. VIII. 

 The Aberdeen Circles (coHlinued). (Ilhutyatcd.) 

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



Trees. [IlluUratcJ.) By A. W. B 



Dr. James Bell, C.B., F.R.S. By T, E. T. 



Notes 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Comet igo?^ 



Oliservatory Map of the Moon ....... 



The Recent Maximum of Mira Ceti 



Sun-spot Observations 



Meridian Circle Observations of Parallax Stars . 



The Urcent Total Solar Fclipse 



A New Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere 

 The Hamburg Observatory .... 

 The Ziegler Polar Expedition {Uhislrated.) By Dr. 



C. Chree, F.R.S. . 



Sanatoria for Consumption. By Dr. R. Fielding. Quid 546 

 The Society of Dyers and Colourists 547 



Encke's Comet 547 



University and Educationallntelligence 54S 



So ieties •<n(1 Academies . 549 



Diary of Societies 552 



534 

 534 



534 

 534 

 535 

 535 



535 



535 



S.36 

 538 

 539 

 540 



544 

 544 

 544 

 544 

 544 

 544 

 544 

 544 



544 



NO. 2006, VOL. 77] 



