24 



NA TURE 



[November 7, 1901 



tin in a plaliniim dish, and llie second upon Ihe formalion of a 

 double salt with cxsiuni iodide, and examination under Ihe 

 microscope of the crystalline deposit. --Researches in plants on 

 cane sugar with the aid of inverlin and of glucosides with the 

 aid of eniulsin, by M. Ed. Hourquelot. — On the estiination nf 

 the alkalinity of the blood, by MM. August Lumicre, Louis 

 Lumiere and Henri Barbier. After a comparison of the 

 results obtained by various methods thai have been suggested 

 the authors adopt an iodonietric method, the results given in 

 this way being regarded as much more exact than those obtained 

 in the usual way. — The liberoligneoiis bundles of ferns. The 

 nnion and separation of the liberoligneous elements, and some 

 consequences, l)y MM. C Eg. Bertrand and F. Cornaille. — On 

 two stales of the living substance, by M. Kelix Le Danlec. — 

 Remarks concerning the formation and origin of fine pearls, liy 

 M. L. G. Seurat. A criticism of the theory put forward by M. R. 

 Dubois. — The nematod of the beet-root (Helerodera Sfhaclii), 

 by M. Willot. — On the mode of production of divergent 

 luminous rays at l8o° fiom the sun, by M. G. Sagnac. 



New South Wales. 

 Royal Society, September 4.— Mr. H. C. Russell, F.R.S., 

 president, in the chair. — Recurrence of rain — the relation 

 between the moon's motion in declination and the quantity of 

 rain in New South Wales, by H. C. Russell, F. R.S. The 

 paper was essentially a continuation of that on the periodicity 

 of good and bad seasons, read June 3, 1896. The author stated 

 that while coastal rains were irregular, those of the interior 

 .showed a 19-year periodicity. Regretting that observations 

 did not extend over a more lengthy period, it was pointed out 

 that some rain records of Horsham, Victoria, d iting back to 

 1S48 were valuable, our first record at Bathurst beginning in 

 1S5S. To minimise possible errors, the averages of neighbour- 

 ing stations were taken. An illustrative diagram accompanied 

 the paper, the author slating that between 1S50 and 1851, 1S69 

 and 1S70, and 1S8S and 1889, the thick vertical lines— nineteen 

 years apart — divided the records in "natural spaces" in which 

 the first six years had abundance of rain, and the remainder was 

 a " dry period." The first bad year of the series we were stated 

 to be now in was 1S95. the loss of sheep from starvation between 

 1S95 and igoo being alleged to be 25,000,000, not including the 

 loss of 20,000,000 natural increase. The diagram showed also 

 the curve of extreme southerly declination of Ihe moon for each 

 year. The author, in conclusion, stated that rain is shown for 

 three periods of nearly nineteen years each, " to come in times 

 of abundance when Ihe moon is in certain degrees of her motion 

 south, and when the moon begins to go north, the droughty 

 conditions prevail for seven or eight years," which he says is 

 " either a marvellous coincidence, or it is a law connecting the 

 two ]ihenomena," and he is convinced that there is some con- 

 nection between the two. — The theory of city design, by G. H. 

 Knibbs. The subject was systematically treated under the 

 following headings: (i) introductory; (2) general idea of 

 a city ; (3) radial street-system ; (4) position of radial 

 centres ; (5) combination of radial and rectangular street- 

 systems ; (6) curved streets; (7) cardinal direction of rect- 

 angular streets ; (8) width of streets ; (9) localisation of 

 the various types of street ; (10) grade and cross-section of 

 .streets; (11) engineering features of streets; (12) size of 

 blocks between streets; (13) height of buildings ; (14) theory 

 of aspect; (15) the a-sthetics of design; (16) sites for monu- 

 mental buildings and monuments; (17) treatment of street; 

 from the standpoint of esthetics; (18) public parks and gardenss 

 (19) hygienic elements of design; (20) the preliminaries of 

 design ; (21) conclusion. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAV. NovEMiiF.R 7. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8. — On the Life-history of the Black-currant Mite 

 (Phyloftus ribis): Mr. Warburton and Miss Embleton.— Notes on the 

 types of Species of C.i^^-r in Boott's Herbarium : C. li. Clarke, K.R.S. 



RoNTGEN Society, at 8.30.— Presidential Address : Herbert Jackson. 



Chemical Society, at 8.— Note on the Non-existence of a Higher Oxide 

 of Hydrogen than the Di-oxide : Prof. W. Ramsay, K.R.S. —The 

 Electrolytic Reduction of Nitrourea: G. W. F. Holroyd.-(i) The Con- 

 stitution of Pilocarpine, III. ; (2) A New Synthesis of a-Kthyl Tricarb- 

 allylic Acid: H. A. D. Jowell.— The Action of Nitric .\cid on Methyl 

 Dimethylacetoacet.ite : Prof. W. H. Perkin, F.R.S.— <i) An Incrustation 

 from the Stone G;illcry of St. Paul's Cathedral ; (a) Note on Asbestos : 

 E. G. Clayton.— Liquid Nitrogen Peroxide as a Solvent : Prof. P. F. 

 Frankland, F.R.S., and R. C. Farmer. 



NO. I 67 I, vol.. 65] 



FRIDAY November ?. 



Royal Astkcnomical Soi iftv, al 5.— Recent Observations of the Posi- 

 tion of Nova .-Vurigx, maile witli the 4c-inrh Telescope of the ^'crkes Ob- 

 servatory : Prof. E. K. IJ.irnarJ. — The Determination of .Selenographic 

 Positions and the Measurement of Lunar Photographs, II.: S. A. 

 Saunder. — Kphcmeris for Physical Observations of the Moon for iqo2 : 

 A. C. D. Crommelin —A New Method of InterpoL-ition : T. C. Hudson. 

 —On Periodic Orbits in the Neighbourhood of Centres of Libralion : 

 H. C. Plummet.— The Spectrum of Nova Persei from February 28 to 

 April 26, 1901 : Rev. W. Sidgreaves.— Ephemeris for Physical Observa- 

 tions of Jupiter, 1902-1: A C. D. Crommelin. — On the Variation of 

 TCentauri: A. W. Roberts.— Comparison of the Geocentric Places of 

 Uranus, Neptune and the Sun, calculated from Newcomb's Tables, with 

 their Places calculated from Le Verriers Tables, for 1904 : Dr. A. M W. 

 T)owning. — On the Abnormal Photographic Image of Nova Persei: 

 E. M. Antoniadi. Vrobable Papers : Determination of Kiistner's Mag- 

 nitude Equation from Comparison of his Meridian Obser\'ations in Zones 

 -t-24' to -f- 27', with Measures of Photographic Plates taken at theUniversity 

 Observatory, Oxford : H. H. Turner —On the Place of the Variable RU 

 Herculis and Neighbouring Stars, from Photographic Me-asurcs: F. A. 

 Bellamy. — First Reduction of Photographs of Eros made at Cambridge 

 for the Determination of Solar Parallax : A. R. Hinks. 



Mal\cological Society, at 8.— Note on the Type-specimen of BeUm- 

 noteHthisinmlefioret,]. Buckman ; G. C. Crick.— Description of TwoNew 

 Helicoid Landshells from Hriiish New Guinea : H. B Preston. -On the 

 Fate of the Type-specimen of Volitta roadkniihtae : Mrs. A. F. Kenyon. 

 Description of a New Species of Hclicina from Guatemala : E. R. Sykes. 



MONDAY, November ii. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30. — Opening Address : The Presi- 

 dent —The Uganda Protectorate. Ruwenzoriand the Semliki Forest : Sir 

 Harry Johnston, K.C.B. 



TUBS DA y. November 12. 



■The Di-scharge of Sewage into 



nd Dr. 



[in Resist- 



a Tidal Estuary : W. Kaye Pa: 

 ance : John A. F. Aspinall. 



tllN'ER^LOGlCAL SociETV. at 8. — Anniversary Meeting. — Papen: On 

 Baumhauerite, a New Mineral, Dufr^nosite and Hyalophane, from the 

 Binnenthal : R. H. Solly.— Analyses of Marshite and Miersite : G. T. 

 Plior.— On the Hornsilvers : G. T. Prior and L. J. Spencer.— On Gibbsite 

 from the Paini Hills in Souihern India: Dr. H. Warth.— Onthe Occur- 

 rence of Gold in the Klondike ; Re.sults of a Visit in 1901 : Prof. H. A. 

 Miers, F.R.S. 



THURSDAY, November 14. 



Mathematical Society, at 5.30. — Linear Groups in an Infinite Field : 

 Dr. L. E Dickson.— Note on the Algebraic Properties of Pfaffians : J. 

 Brill.— On Burmann's Theorem : Prof. A. C. Dixon.— The Puiseux 

 Diagram and Differential Equations: R. W. H. T. Hudson.— Deter- 

 mination of all the Groups of Order 168 : Dr. G. A. Miller.— An Out- 

 line of a Theory of Divergent Integrals: G. H. Hardy.— On the Repre- 

 sentation of a Group of Finite Order as a Permutation Group; and on 

 the Composition of Permutation Groups : Prof. W. Burnside, F.R.S. 

 FRIDAY, November 15. 



epidemiological Society, at 8.30 —The president. Dr. Patrick Manse n, 

 C.M.G., F.R.S., will deliver his Inaugural Address on the /Etiology of 

 Beriberi. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Hind-brain of the Monotreme. By C. S. S. . . i 



Divergent Series. By G. B. M 2 



Our Book Shelf:— 



"The Chemical Essays of Charles William Scheele." 



-A. S 3 



Kidd : " Use-Inheritance; Illustrated by the Direction 



of Hair on the Bodies of Animals." — R. L 4 



Bergen: " Foundations of Botany " 4 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Exploration of the Atmosphere over the Ocean. — 



Dr. A. Lawrence Rotch 4 



ACurious Flame. — Prof. Arthur Smithells, F.R.S.; 



Herbert King 4 



The Colours of (iuillemots' Eggs. — R. J. Ussher . . 5 

 The Tercentenary of Tycho Brahe's Death. (Illus- 

 trated.)— H'C. J. L. E. Dreyer ; Prof. Bohuslav 



Brauner 5 



Studies on the Ethnography of the North Queens- 

 land Aborigines 9 



Charles Meldrum. By Dr. Alexander Buchan, F.R.S. 9 



Notes II 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Period of Algol 15 



The Melbourne Observatory 1$ 



Royal Alfred Observatory, Mauritius 15 



The Significance of Certain Features and Types of 



the External Ear. ■ (/////.t/ra/;,/.) By Dr. Arthur Keith 16 



School Board Exhibition of Scientific Apparatus . . 21 



University and Educational Intelligence 21 



Scientific Serials 22 



Societies and Acade.i.iiS 22 



Diary of Societies . 24 



