450 



NA TURE 



[February i i, 1909 



dangerous to man than other arsenical compounds pre- 

 viously proposed. — Concerning the anatomy of the human 

 thymus : Ren^ Cruchet. The results recently published 

 by MM. Henri Rieffel and Jacques Le Mee confirm the 

 results published by the author seven years ago. — New 

 cytological researches on the aseptic autolysis of the liver : 

 L. Launoy. — Researches on the contagion of tuberculosis 

 by air : M. Le Noir and Jean Camus. Experiments made 

 with the air of a hospital ward filled with tuberculous 

 patients showed that while no bacilli could be detected in 

 the air, the dust was infected. — The duration of the hvpo- 

 tensive effects resulting from high-frequency currents : 

 E. Doumer. The good effects are in general durable. 

 In cases where there was a tendency to relapse, a very 

 short course of the original treatment was sufficient 

 again to lower the blood pressure. — The immediate and 

 ultimate results of arterio-venous suture : .Albert Frouin. 

 — The various types of stolon in Syllidians, especially a 

 new species CSyllis cirropunciata) : ' Aug. Michel. — The 

 evolutive cycles of a Scyphistome : Edgard Herouard. — 

 The existence of coal at Gironcourt-sur-Vraine (N'osges) : 

 Ren^ Nickles. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Februakv ii. 



Royal Societv, at 4.30.— The Nerves of the Atrio-ventricular Bundle • 

 J. Gordon Wilson.— .An Experimental Estimation of the Theory of 

 Ancestral Contributions in Heredity: A D. Darbishire.-On the 

 Determination of a CoefBrient by which the Rale of Diffusion of 

 btain and other Substances into Living Cells ran he measured and hv 

 which Bacteria and other Cells mav be Differentiated : H. C. Ross.— The 

 Origin and Destiny of Cholesterol in the Animal Organism. Part III 

 The Absorption of Cholesterol from the Food and its Appearance in ihe 

 Klood : C. Ttorit and J. A. Gardner —On the Origin and Destiny of 

 Cholesterol in the Animal Organism. Part IV.. The Cholesterol Contents 

 of Eggs and Chicks : G. VV. Ellis and J. A. Gardner. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8.-Use of Large Gas 

 Engines for Generating Power : L. Andrews and R. Porter. 



Mathematical Societv, at s.io — O.i the Relation between Pfaff's Pro- 

 blem .and the Calculus of Variations: Prof. A. C. Dixon. -On Implicit 

 Functions .and their Differentials: Dr. W. H. Young. -On a Certain 

 Family of Cubic Surfaces: W. H. Salmon.-Some Fundamental Pro" 

 perties of Lehesgue Integrals in a Two dimensional Domain: Dr E W 

 Hobson.-Modular Invariants of a General System of Linear Fo^ms ': 

 Prof. L. E Dickson.— 1 he Conformal Transformations of a Space of Four 

 Dimensions and the Generalisation of the Lorentz Einstein Principle : 

 tl. Uateman and E. Cunningham.— On Indeterminate Forms : Dr W. H 

 Young. 



FRIDAY, Feiiruarv 12. 



'*'J?*!; Institution, at 9.— The Electrical Properties of Flame : Prof 

 H. A. Wilson, F.R.S. 



P"/?'""- Society, at 8.— Annual General Meeting. — Presidential 



Malacological Society, at 8.— Annual General Meeting.— Presidential 

 Address : Darwinism and Malacology : B. B. Woodward. 



Institution of Civil Engineek5. at 8.— The Design and Construction of 

 Docks : Sir Whately Eliot. truciion 01 



Royal Society of 

 tion : Leon Gaster 



Victoria Instituti ,. 



Lands : Dr. T. G. Pinch 



MONDA V, February 15. 

 Art.s, at 8.— Modern Meihods of .Anificiallllu 



:. at 4.30.— Discoveries in Babylonia and Ncighboiiriiif 



TUESDAY, February 16. 



Royal Institution, at 3.-The Architectural and Sculptural Antiquities 

 of India: Prof. A. A. M.acdonell. 



Zoological Society, at 8.30,-The Fauna of the Cocos- Keeling Aioll • 

 f. Wood-Jones.- Contributions to the Anatomy r,f certain Uneul-ta 

 including Tapiriis, Hyrax, and Antilocaora: F. E. Beddard. F.R.S. -1 

 Le Rhinoceros Blanc du Soudan : Prof E. L. Trouessart. 



Royal Statistical Society, at 5.-Forestry in Some of its Economic 

 .Aspects : Prof. VV. S merville. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Design of Marine Sleam- 

 Lurbines : S. J. Reed. 



Royal .Society of Arts, at 8.-The Commercial Relations of Fiance and 

 Great Britain : Yves Gu>oi. 



WEDNESDAY, Fkbruarv 17. 



Royal Microscopical Society, at 8.-On a Germap. Silver Powell Port- 

 able Microscope, made in 1850 : A. A. C. E. Merlin : The " Red Snow " 

 Plant, Sphaerella nivalis : U. S. West. 



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

 Observations for 1908; E. Mawley.— I'he Cold Spell at the End of 



December, 190S; W. Ma 



NO. 2050, VOL 



79] 



THURSDAY, February i3. 



RnvAL Society, at ^.y,.— Probable Papers : On the Osmot 

 Calcium Ferrocyanide Solutions, Fart II., Weak Solutions : Earl of 

 Berkeley, F.R.S., E. G. J. Hartley and J. Stephenson.— On the Spon- 

 taneous Crystallisation of Monochloracetic Acid and its Mixtures with 

 Naphthalene: Prof. H. A. Miers F.R.S..and Miss F. Isaac— An Appa- 

 ratus for Measurements of the Defining Power of Objectives: J. de G. 

 Hunter. — On Best Conditions for Photographic Enlargement of Small 

 Solid Objects : A. Mallock, F.R.S. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — Problems of Geographical Distribution in 

 Mexico : Dr. Hans Gadow, F.R.S. 



LiNNE.\N Society, at 8. — Discussi n on Alternation of Generations: 

 opened by Dr. W. H. Lang. 



FRIDAY, Febru.arv 19. 

 Royal Institui ion, at 9. - Recent Advances in Means of Saving Life in 

 Coal Mines: Sir Henry Cunynghame, K.C.B. 



In- 



'Me 



. Eng 



-Further disctission .'The Filtration 

 Supply : John Don. 

 Institution of Cnii. Engineers, al 

 Practice: Dr. W. C. Unwin, F.R.S. 



in Ensii 



CONTENTS. F 



A Npw Encyclopaedia of Agriculture. By Dr. E. J. 



Russell 



The Campaign against Tuberculosis. By R. T. H. 



Tradition and Monumental Remains 



Vaccination and Opsonic Action 



Science out of School. By G. F. D 



Physical Acoustics . , 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Wheeler: "The Zonal-belt Hypothesis. A New 

 Explanation of the Cause of the Ice Ages." — 



G. A. J. C 



West and West : " A Monograph of Ihe British 



Desmidiacea:" . . 



McConnell : " Crops, their Characteristics and their 



Cultivation" , . 



Sotith ; " The Moth.s of the British Isles."— 



W. F. K. . 



Munro : " Le5 Stations lacustres d'Europe aux Ages 



de la Pierre et du Bronze" 



Stroobant : " Les Progrcs iticents de I'Astrononiie." — 



W. E. Rolston 



Letters to the Editor • — 



Seismograms of tlie Earthquake of January 23. ( With 



Diagram:)— TiT. R. T. Glazebrook, F.R.S. . . 



The Italian Earthquake.— Rev. Dr. A. Irving 



The Isothcrnnal Layer of the Atmosphere. — R. F. 



Hughes 



The Size of the Leather Turtle.— Dr. F. A. Lucas . 

 Moral Superiority among Birds, — Laura D. H. 



Dukes 



Women and the Fellowship of the Chemical Society 

 Periodicity in the Sun and the Red Variable Stars 

 The International Congress of Chemistry . 

 The Hutton Memorial Medal and Research Fund. 



Ulltislraled.) ... 



W. H. Hudleston, F.R.S. By H. B. W 



Notes 



Our Astionomical Column : 



Water-vapour Lines in the Sun-spot Spectrum . . . 

 The Spectrum and Form of Comet Morehouse . . . 



Parallax of 23 II Camelopardalis 



The Stars of the c and ac Subdivisions in the Maury 



Spectral Classification 



The Stars surrounding 59 Cygni 



Errors of Double-Star Measures 



Electrification of Railways 



The Telegraphic Transmission of Writing. [Illus- 



/ rated.) 



Some Entomological Papers . . 



The Charges on Ions. By Prof. John S. Townsend, 



F.R.S. . . 

 Meteorological Charts of the Indian Ocean . . 

 The Filtration and Purification of Water for Public 



Supply. (U'it/i /)/,r,-,-,(w.i-.) 



University and Educational Intelligence 



Societies and Academies 



Diary of Societies 



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