48 



NA rURE 



[NOVEMBEK 14, 1901 



which has been proved in the plant extracis in several ways. 

 It is a curious fact ihat the varieties «hich are the most esteemed 

 commercially are those which contain the greatest amount of 

 this oxydase. — On the Ihoga, on its exciting properties, its 

 composition, and on the new alkaloid, ibogaine, which it 

 contains, hy MM. J, DybowsUi and Ed. Landrin. A plant 

 much used by the natives in the French Congo, and called by 

 them ihoga, has been found to owe its sustaining and fatigue- 

 resisting properties to the presence of a new alkaloid, ihogaine, 

 to which the constitution C5.,II,ii;N„0.j is assigned. In small 

 doses this substance produces a peculiar excitement, in large 

 doses the effects resemble tho.se due to the absorption of alcohol 

 in excess. — The inlluence of methylal upon the growth of some 

 algos in soft water, by M. Raoul Bouilhac. Certain alga;, 

 nostoc and Jiiaboma, were placed in nutritive solutions and 

 exposed to light of feeble intensity, too feeble to enable the alga; 

 (o decompose carbonic acid ; it was found that under these 

 conditions growth could take place if a small quantity of methylal 

 were present. — Researches on the formation of the ovule and 

 <he embryonic sac in the Araliacea; and of the modifications 

 undergone by the tegument, by M. L. Ducamp. — The germina- 

 tion of the spores of Peniiilliiim in water, by M. Pierre Lesnge. 

 — The effects of freezing upon milk, by MM. F. Bordas and de 

 Raczkowski. — On the secular variations of terrestrial magnetism, 

 by M. \\ Raulin. — Experiments in maritime aeronautics, by 

 M. H. Herve. 



Nkw South Wales. 



Linnean Society, September 25. — Mr. J. H. Maiden, presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — Arachnida from the South Seas, by W. J. 

 Rainbow. Thirty-four species are enumerated, of which four 

 are described as new, namely, I.eptodrasius iiisiilanus, Argy- 

 i-odes walkeri, Diaea bipunctala and D. regale. The most 

 interesting of them is L. iiisulantis, as it records a new locality 

 for the genus. — On the systematic position of Purpura tritoui- 

 formis^ Blainv. , by II. L. Kesteven. Reasons are given for 

 removing P. Iriloniforinis from Urosalpiiix and Coiniuelta. and 

 transferring it to Purpura. In selecting the subgenus of the 

 latter for its reception, the resemblance of the larval shell and 

 anatomical characters to P. suciiinla cause the writer to 

 place it in Trochia. The names .Idamsia and Agiiewia con- 

 sequently lapse into the synonymy of TrocJiia. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY. November 14. 



Mathematical Societv, m 5.30.— Linear Groups in an Infinite Field : 

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

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

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

 minatim of all the Groups of Order i68 : Dr. G. A. Miller.— An Out- 

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

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

 the Composition of Permutation Groups : Prof W. Burnside, f'.R.S.— 

 •<i) On the Inversion of Plane Stress ; (2) On the Theory of Hele-Shaws 

 Experiments on Fluid Motion : J. H.JMichell.— Oil the Steady Mot' 

 a Sphere through Viscous Liquid 

 Hyperelliptic Integrals: A. L. D: 

 H. MacColl. 



FRIDAY, NovEM 



Stuart. — Addition Theorems for 

 n.— Limits of Logical Statements: 



EiMDEMlOLOCiCAL SOCIETY, at 8.30 —The President, Dr. Patrick Manson, 

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

 Beriberi. 



Institution of Mechanical Engi.seers, at 8. 



TUESDA Y. November iq. 



Zoological Society, at 8.30. — Okapia, a New Genus of Giraflida; from 

 Central Africa: Prof. E. Ray Lankester, F.R.S.— On the Giraffe dis- 

 covered by Sir Harry Johnslon, K.C.B., ne.ar Mount Elgon, Central 

 Africa: Oldfield Thomas, F.R.S.— On the Genital Oigans of the Male 

 Lcpidosiren and Protopterus : J. Graham Kerr. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at i.—Pa/cr to be further discusser!: 

 The Discharge of Sewage inlo a Tidal Estuary : W. Kaye Parry and 

 Dr. W E. Adeney.— .-I«ii', time permitting: The Treatment of Trades 

 Waste Bacterially : William Naylor. 



Roval Statistical Society, at 5.30.- Local and Imperial Burdens; 

 Lord Avchury, F.R.S. 



Rival PiiorooRAPHic Society, at 8.— Japan as illustrated by Herself: 

 J. W. Groves. 



WEDNESDAY, NovEMneR 20. 



Geo 



calSocietv, at 8.— On the Origin of Certain Concretions in the 

 Coal Me.-isures : H. B. Stocks.— Some Remarks on the Meteoro- 

 logical Conditions of the Pleistocene Epoch: Nils Ekholm.— Notes on 

 the Genus Lichas : V . R. C. Reed. 



sO. 1672, VOL. 65] 



Society, at 7.30.— The Exploration of the 

 ns of Kites: A. Lawrence Rolch. — Meteoro- 

 on to the Changes in the Vertical : Prot. John 



Royal Meteorologica 



Atmosphere at sea by m 



loeical Phenomena in rel 



Milne, F.R.S. 

 Royal Microscopical Society, at 8.— Stereomicrographj : Prof. G. P. 



Girdwoud, preceded at 7.30 by an Exhibition of some Antipoints seen 



under the Microscope : Conrad Reck. 

 .Society op Arts, at 8. — Opening Address: Sir William Her.ry Preece, 



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

 Entomological Societv, at 8. 



THURSDAY, November 21. 



Royal Society, at t.io.—rrolalle Pafers: On Skin-currents. Part II. 

 Observations on Cats: Dr. Waller, F.R.S.— The New Biological Test 

 m 10 Zoological Classification : Dr. G. H. F. Nutlall.— 

 the Cerebral Cortex of the Ape (Preliminary Com- 

 n): A. S. F. Grunbaum and Prof. Sherrington, F.R.S.-Onthe 

 Inheritance of the Mental Characteristics in Man : Prof. K. Pearson, 

 F.R.S. 



Linnean Society, at 8.— Report 

 United Kingdom as a Part of th^ 

 Literature : B. Daydon Jackson. 



Chemical Society, at 8.— On ihe Oxidation of Sulphurous Acid to 

 Dithionic Acid by Metallic Oxides : H. C. H. Carpenter,— Optically 

 Active )3-hydroxybulyric Acids: A. McKenzie.— On the Hydrochloride of 

 Thiocarbamide : H. P. Stevens.— The Constituents of ibe Essential Oil 

 of AsatumCanadense: F. B. Power and F. H. Lees-Note on the Re- 

 duction of Trinitroben/ene and Trinitrotoluene w ith Hydrogen Sulphide : 

 J. B. Cohen and H. D. Dakin. 



Institution opElbctrical Engineers, at B. 



for Blood 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



A Canadian Naturalist. By T. Digby Pigott, C.B. . 25 



Elementary Geometry 26 



Mosquitoes and Malaria in Mauritius. By H. E. A. 27 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Ward: " Disease in Plants."— J. B. F 28 



Step: "Shell Life: an Introduction to the British 



Mollusca."— (BV)2 . 29 



Ilargreaves : "Arithmetic" 29 



Wilkinson: " Intermediate Practical Physics." — S.S. 29 



Boulger : " Flowers of the Field " 29 



Hobson : " Correlation Tables of British Strata ... 29 

 Weber: "Die Partiellen Differentiel-gleichuiigen der 



mathematischen Physik, ' — G. H. B 30 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Total Solar Eclipse of September 9, 1904.— 



Dr. A. M. W. Downing, F.R.S 30 



The I)iluti.>n of Acetylene for Heating Purposes.— 



A. E. Munby 30 



Magnetic Iron Ore as a Material for Concrete Blocks. — 



Dr. H. Warth 31 



The San Clemente Island Goat.— Prof. T. D. A. 



Cockerell 31 



Fond of Oreat Snakes. — C. M. Rogers 31 



The Observatory of Mont Blanc 31 



Geology and Meteorology 32 



Animal Photography. (JlluslraUd.) By R. L. ... 33 



Notes 34 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Leonid Meteors 3^ 



Nebulosity surrounding Nova Persei 3S 



Mean Parallax of Stars 39 



Planetary Influence on Sun-spot Period 39 



Distribution of Cosmic Velocities 39 



The Influence of the Mediterranean Peoples in Pre- 

 historic Britain. By Prof. W. Boyd Dawkins, 



F.R.S 39 



The Movements of Plants. {Hiuslraled.) By Francis 



Darwin, F.R S 4° 



Lessons from Germany 44 



The Bicentennial of Yale University 44 



University and Educational Intelligence 46 



Societies and Academies 46 



Diary of Societies 48 



SUI'IM.EMENT. 



A Modern TextBook of Chemistry. By Prof R. 



Meldola, F.R.S iii 



Pra; Aryan Religion in Greece. By H. H iv 



Ancient Medicine and Botany. By J. F. P. . . . viii 



The Andes of Patagonia. By G. E. C ix 



Wireless Telegraphy. By M. S x 



