72 



NATURE 



[November 21, 1901 



in the same direction can be effected : the images are moving 

 point-charges. Attention is drawn to the inequality of the 

 action and reaction in some of these cases, and the results are 

 shown to be consistent with expressions obtained for the energy 

 of the field.— On some phenomena connected with the combina- 

 licm of hydrogen and chlorine under the influence of light, by 

 Mr. 1'. V. Bevan. When light of sufficient intensity acts on a 

 mixture of hydrogen and chlorine in equal proportions the first 

 effect observed is an increase in the volume of the mixture. 

 This is shown to be due to a rise in temperature caused by the 

 heat evolved in the formation of hydrochloric .acid. It is also 

 shown that the fall in temperature of the gas mixture to that of 

 the surrounding medium accounts for the observed decrease in 

 volume after light ceases to act on the mixture. 



Manchkster. 

 Literary and Philosophical Society, November 12.— 

 Mr. Charles Bailey, president, in the chair.— .VIr. \V. B. Faraday 

 showed stone adze, one of several similar implements which 

 tiave beeii found, from time to time, near Leek. lie suggested 

 a comparison with the Eolithic stone implements which were 



• recently shown to the Society by Mr. K. D. Darbyshire.~Dr. 

 Charles M. Lees described the Hampson air-liquefying apparatus 

 presented to the physical laboratories of the Owens College by 

 Sir Henry E. Roscoe. After explaining the principle on which 

 the action of the apparatus depends, and describing the experi- 



.ments of Joule and T omson which led to the discovery of 

 that principle, Dr. Lees gave a n'miitJ of the present state of I 

 knowledge of the properties of liquid air and of other bodies 

 ■when cooled do n to the temperature of liquid air. 



P.\RIS. j 



Acidemy of Sciences, November 11. — M. Bouquet de la 

 "Grye in the chair. — Extract from a letter of M. Jansson, noting 

 the successful results of the eclipse expedition at.Cairo (see p. 62). 

 — On a new method of manipulating liquefied gas in sealed tubes, 

 by .M Henri Moissan. Since solid carbonic acid can now be 

 readily obtained, experiments were made with various liquids 

 as .solvents to see what temperatures could be reached, the 

 evaporation being increased by a current of dry air. Of the 

 liquids tried, methyl and ethyl alcohols, methyl chloride, alde- 

 hyde, acetic ether and acetone, the last named proved to 

 be the best, a temperature of -98' C. being obtained by its 

 means. If the current of dry air is previously cooled to — So°, 

 the second mixture of acetone and carbon dioxide reaches 

 -llo'C. Details are then given of the best method of 

 storing pure gases in the liquid form in sealed tubes, and of the 

 '.precautions necessary. — On the action of the metal ammoniums 

 ■upon hydrogen sulphide, by M. Henri .Moissan. --^t a tempera- 

 ture between -75° and -70' liquid sulphuretted hydrogen reacts 

 •upon lithium-ammonium, giving a sulphide of lithium-ammonia 

 and free hydrogen. The molecule (NII4),,, ifit is produced in this 

 ■reaction, is not stable at this low temperature and splits up into 

 ammonia and hydrogen. The reaction with calcium-ammonium 

 is similar. — On the origin of the starch in the grain of wheat, by 

 MM. 1'. P. Deherain and C. Dupont. — On the absence of elec- 

 tric displacement during the movement of a mass of air in 

 a magnetic field, by M. R. Blondlot. The experiments de- 

 scribed were undertaken with a view of deciding between two 

 opposed theories. It was found that in air there is no displace- 

 ment ; this is contrary to the theory of Hertz on the 

 electrodynamics of bodies in motion, but is in agreement 

 with the theory of II. A. Lorentz. — On rational deferential 

 equations, by M. Edmond Maillet. — On the number of roots 

 common to several equations, by M. A. Davidoglou. — A new 

 method for the study of microphonic currents, by ^I. A. Blondel. 

 The amplitude of the oscillations is increased by a suitable 

 resonator, and a bifilar oscillograph used giving deviations of 

 several millimetres for one milliampere. A diagram of the 

 curves obtained with the five vowels accompanies the paper. — 

 On the formation of ozone, by M. A. Chassy. A given volume 

 of oxygen was submitted in an ozoniser to a current of known 

 iniensiiy. It was found that the law of increase of ozone was 

 the same whatever the intensity of the electric current. A feeble 

 current always produced the same effect as an intense current, 

 provided that it acted over a time .sufficiently long, or that the 

 flow of the gas was sufficiently slow. — The application to man of 

 the regeneration of confined air by means of sodium peroxide, 

 by MM. A. Desgrez and V. lialihazard. A description of the 

 improvements in detail of an apparatus previously described. 



NO. 1673, VOL. 65] 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, NovEMiiEK J]. 



RovAL Society, at 4.30.— On Skin-currents. Pan II. Observations on 

 C-its: Dr. Waller, F.R.S.-The New Biological Test for Blood in 

 reLition to Zoological Clnssification : Dr. G. H. F. Nutt.ill.— On the 

 Inheritance of Ihe Mental Characteristics in Man : Prof K. Pearson 

 F.R.S.— Observations on the Cerebral Cortex of the Ape (Preliminary 

 Communic-ition) : A. S. F. Griinbaum and Prof Sherrington, F.R.S.— 

 On the Process of Hair Turning White: Prof E. Metchinkoff, 

 For.Mem.R.S. 



LiNNEAN SociETV, at 8.— Rcport On the Botanic.ll Publications of the 

 United Kingdom as a Part of the International Catalogue of Scientific 

 Literature : B. Daydon Jackson. 



Chemical Socirtv, at 8.— On the Oxidation of Sulphurous Acid to 

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

 Active 3-hydroxyl«utyric Acids: A. McKenzie.— On the Hydrochloride of 

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

 of Asarutn Catruinise : V. li. Power and F. H. Lees —Note on the Re- 

 1 of Trinitrobenzene and Trinitrotoluene with H ydrogen Sulphide : 



t 8. — Presidential Address. 



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

 Institution ofElbctrical Engineei 



FRIDAY. November 22. 

 Physicac Society, at 5.— (1) Multiple Transmission Fixed Arm Spectro- 

 scopes ; (2) On the Measurement of Young's Modulus : Prof W. Cassie.— 

 Notes on Gas Therniometry, Part II. : Dr. P. Chappuis. 

 MONO A Y, November 25. 

 Royal Geographicai. Society, at 8.30.— Four Years' Travel and Survey 

 in Persia : Major Molesworth Sykes — Dr. Vaughan Cornish will exhibit 

 a Cinemltograph Repiesentation of the Severn Bore. 

 Society op Arts, at 8.— Chemistry of Confectioners' Materials and Pro- 

 cesses : William J.igo. 

 Institute of Actuaries, at 5.30,— The Case for Census Reform : G. H. 

 Ryan. 



TUESDA Y. November 26. 

 Anthropological Institute, at 8. 30. — Exhibition of Palaeolithic Imple- 

 Savernake: E. Willett.— Exhibition of "Totem" Stones, 



collected by the Hon. A. Herbert : N. W. Thomas, 



the Sand Mounds of Samthorpe : Rev. R. F, Gatty. 

 Institution OP Civil Engineers, at 8. — Train Resistanc 



Aspinall. 



WEDNESDAY, November 27. 

 Society op Arts, at 8. — I.ealher for Bookbinding: Di 



Parker. 



THURSDAY, November 28. 

 Royal Society, at 4.30. 

 Institu rn>\ OF Klp.ctkical Enginkkrs, at 8. 



f Flints from 



CONTENTS. PACK 



Zoological Problems studied by a Psychologist, 

 Psychological Problems studied by a Zoologist. 



By E. B. P 49 



Cellulose. By Dr. F. Mollwo Perkin 52 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Praeger : " Irish Topographical Botany " ; Macdougal : 



" Practical Text-book of Plant Physiology " ... S3 

 Bailey: " Botany, an Elementary Text for Schools " . 53 

 San Juan : " (i) Curso Elemental de Fisica Moderna" ; 



(2) " Elementos de Fisica Moderna" 53 



Letters to the Editor :— 



Effect of a Magnetic Field on Spectra of Helium and 

 Mercury.— Prof. Andrew Gray, F. R.S., and Dr. 



Walter Stewart 54 



Observations of Leonid Meteors. — E. C. Willis . . 54 

 A Curious Flame. (IlliislrateJ.) — Douglas Carnegie 54 

 An Attempt to Ascertain the Date of the Original 

 Construction of Stonehenge from its Orientation. 

 (Itliistraled.) By Sir Norman Lockyer, K.C.B,, 



F.R.S., and F. C. Penrose, F.R.S 55 



Two BoDks of Travel. {Illustrated.) By K. L. . . 57 



Notes 59 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



The Annular Eclipse of the Sun, November 10, tgoi . 62 



The Leonid Meteors, November, iqoi 62 



Structure of the Region around Nova Persei 62 



Proper Motion of Nova Persei 62 



New Variable Stars . . 6j 



Determination of Orbital Elements 6j 



The International Meeting of Physiologists at 



Turin 63 



On a Late Pleistocene Deposit containing Mammoth. 



Hy Prof. T. McKenny Hughes, F.R.S 67 



Some Seasonal Variations in the British Isles. By 

 W. N. Shaw, F.R.S., ami K. Waley Cohen . . . . 6S 



Research in University Education 69 



University and Educational Intelligerce 70 



Societies and Academies 71 



Diary of Societies 72 



