NA TURE 



[December 31, 1908 



sun, made at the Observatory of Lyons during the third 

 quarter of igo8 : J. Guillaume. Observations were tal<en 

 on sixty-seven days, and the results are summarised in 

 three tables giving the number of spots, their distribution 

 in latitude, and the distribution of the faculae in latitude. 

 — The eyelid of Lie : A. Demoulin. — The singularities of 

 analytical functions : Paul Dienes. — Multiform integrals of 

 differential equations of the first order : Pierre Boutroux. 

 — The condition that seven right lines should be situated 

 on a surface of the fourth degree : E. Traynard. — The 

 Thomson formula, T = 2;r\/CL, relating to the discharge 

 of a condenser : Andr^ Leaute. In the case of coils 

 carrying several layers of wire, tlie capacity is no longer 

 negligible, and the Thomson formula requires modification. 

 The theory of this case is developed in the present paper, 

 and it is shown that the current due to the discharge of 

 a condenser through a coil with two layers may be con- 

 sidered as formed by the superposition of an infinite 

 number of sinusoidal currents, the amplitude of which 

 tends towards zero with the period. This theory explains 

 the presence of striae in induction sparks. — The radiation 

 and temperature of the flame of the Bunsen burner : E. 

 Bauer. The temperature of the Bunsen flame found by 

 these measurements is 1760° + 50, and is near the 1870° 

 found by M. Fcry, on the assumption that the emission 

 of the D line is a purely thermal phenomenon. — Super- 

 tension and viscosity : Ch. Marie.^The synthesis of 

 ammonia by means of peat : H. Woltereck. — The incon- 

 veniences of potassium bichromate when used as a pre- 

 servative for milk samples intended for analysis :. A. 

 Monvoisin. The addition of o-i per cent, of potassium 

 bichromate to milk samples intended for analysis is at 

 present compulsory in France. This addition prevents the 

 detection of added formaldehyde or hydrogen peroxide, and 

 also renders it impossible to state whether the milk has 

 been heated or not. — Contribution to the study of the 

 humic matter in peat wool : L. Roger and E. Vulquin. 

 — The reciprocal influence of respiratory phenomena and 

 the behaviour in certain Actinia : Henri Pieron. — The 

 development and aflinities of Sorosphaera Veronicae : R. 

 Maire and A. Tison, — Carpocyphosis : the normal anatomy 

 and pathology of the lower radio-cubital articulation : R. 

 Robinson. — The discovery of a human skeleton at 

 Chapellp-aux-Saints (Corrfeze) : A. and J. Bouyssonie and 

 L. Bardon. Details of the discovery and removal of this 

 fossil skeleton, described by M. Boule in the Comptes 

 rendiis of last week. Both above and around the skeleton 

 were many broken bones, as well as tools of flint and 

 quartz. The animal remains included the reindeer, horse, 

 and a large ruminant. — -The anatomy of the appendicular 

 organs of the female reproductive apparatus of Periplaneta 

 orientalis : L. Bordas. — Experimental researches on the 

 evolutive mutations of certain crustaceans : Edmond 

 Bordaere. — The upper limit of the proportion of the 

 encephalus with respect to the weight of the body in birds : 

 Louis Lapicque. — Syllis vivipara and the problem of its 



sexuality : Aug. Michel Filtration of the X-rays by 



aluminium : M. Guilleminot. — Geological structure in 

 the Salzkammergut in the neighbourhood of Ischl and 

 Aussee : Emile Haugr. — The hydrography and climate of 

 Algeria since the Oligocene epoch : J. Savornin. — The 

 substratum of the nappe du charriage in the Peloponnesus : 

 Ph. Nearris.-^The supposed submarine spring of the Port- 

 Miou (Bouche.s-du-Rhene) : E. A. Martel. This spring, 

 the existence of which has been described in various works 

 for the last 200 years, does not appear to exist. — The 



variations of climate : Henryk Arctowski The seismic 



disturbances of December 12 and 18, 1908 : Alfred Angrot. 

 — The traces of a positive movement along the western 

 coast of Corsica, and its function in the morphologv and 

 evolution of the coast-line : Paul Casteinau. — The telluric 

 currents between stations of different altitude : Bernard 

 Brunhes. 



New South Wales. 

 Royal Society, November 4.— Mr. W. M. Hamlet, presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — Note on pucherite from West Australia : 

 E. Griffiths. The physical properties and composition of 

 the mineral agree with those recorded in Dana's " Svstem 

 of Mineralogy " for the mineral pucherite. This is believed 

 to be the first recorded occurrence of pucherite in .Australia. 



NO. 2044, VOL. 79] 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



il/O^Zi/JF, January 4. 



SociETV OF Chemical Indu.strv, at 8.— Cinchnnamine and Certain 

 Other Rare Alkaloids : 1!. F. Howard and O. Chick.— Reactions between 

 Dyes and Fibres ; W. P. Dreaper anil A. Wilson.— A Physico-chemical 

 Method for Comparing the Antiseptic Value of Disinfectants : Drs. S. B. 

 Schryver and R. Lessing. 



Victoria Institute, at 4.^0. — Life in a Country Town of Lycaonia — 

 (Conditions of Christian Life under the Eastern Empire) : Sir W. M. 

 Ramsay. 



THURSDAY, January 7. 



RoNTC.EN Society, at 8.15— A Description of Three Sub-standards of 

 Radio-activity recently prepared for the Rontgen Society : C. E. S. 

 Phillips. — A New Localising Apparatus designed by Staff-Surgeon Dr. 



. Gillelt: H. C. Head. 



CONTENTS. p.iiGE 



Essential Oils and Essences 241 



A Monograph on the Frog 242 



Modern Organic Chemistry. By J. B. C 243 



The Curvature Method of Teaching Geometrical 



Optics 243 



Economic Zoology. By Prof. G. H. Carpenter . , 244 



Observation, Study, and Naming of Plants .... 245 



Elementary Physics 246 



Our Book Shelf: — 



Abderhalden : " Text-book of Physiological Chemis- 

 try, in Thirty Lectures."— W. D. H 246 



Lewis: " Double Star Astronomy " 247 



Wallace : " The Threshold of Music " 247 



Foppl : " Vorlesungen iiber technische Mechanik " . 247 



Read : " Fads and Feeding."— W. D. H 248 



Dreyfus: " Cher Nervose Dyspepsie " .• 248 



Read: " The Metaphysics of Nature" 248 



" The Reliquary and Illustrated ArchjBologist " . . . 249 

 " The Class-room Atlas of Physical, Political, Bibli- 

 cal, and Classical Ceography " 249 



Hazelhurst : " Flashes from the Orient, or a Thousand 



and One Mornings with Poesy" 249 



"The Country Home" 249 



Letter to the Editor:— 



The Objective Demonstration of the Rotation of the 

 Plane of Polaiisation of Light by Optically Active 



Liquids.— T. S. Patterson 249 



The Financial Status of the University Professor. 



By G. H. B 249 



The Vacations of a Naturalist. (Illustrated.) By 



J. W. E. . 252 



The Headmasters' Conference. By G. F. D. . . 253 



Birds in Relation to Agriculture 254 



Notes. (Jllifihaii-d.) . . 255 



Our Astronomical Colutnn : — 



Search for an Ultra-Neptunian Planet 260 



Further Observations of Trlorehouse's Comet, igoSt . 260 



The Figure of the Sun 260 



A Remarkaiile Meteor 261 



Sun-.spots in 1907 261 



The Parallax of 61 Cygni 261 



Advance in Knowledge of Cancer. By E. F. B. . 261 



Studies in Anthropology 264 



Hygiene — Personal and Environmental . . 264 



Prehistoric Pottery in America. {Illusti-ated.) . . . 265 



Inheritance in Silkworms 265 



The Oldest European Sediments. By G. A. J. C. . 266 



Meteoric Shower of January. By W. F. Denning . 266 



University and Educational Intelligence 266 



Societies and Academies, i/l/intru/rd.) 267 



Diary of Societies 270 



