1 68 



NA TURE 



[December 19, 1901 



— On the existence in cold-blooded animals of a regulating 

 apparatus for heat, by M. J- P- Langlois. Reptiles with imper- 

 meable sUin have the power of regulating their temperature 

 when it reaches 39° and when the calorific rays strike the head 

 directly. — On the salutary effects of potatoes substituted for 

 bread in diabetics in high doses suflicient 10 maintain the 

 equivalence of the food ration, by M. A. Mosse. The car- 

 bohydrates which may be given to diabetics can be divided 

 into three classes— harmful, indifferent and doubtful — and the 

 potato has been generally placed in this last group. From the 

 experiments here described, the author concludes that the potato 

 is not only permissible, but useful, and may be advantageously 

 substituted for bread. — Organic variations in the hen with 

 respect to its food, by M. F. Houssay. — On the transformations of 

 the germinative vesicle in lizards, by Mile. Marie Loyez. — Pro- 

 perties of the liheroligneous chains in ferns, by MM. C. E. 

 Bertrand and F. Cornaille. — A contribution to the study of a 

 new disease of the potato produced by the Bacillus solancola, by 

 M. G. Delacroix. — The influence of nutritive mineral .salts on 

 the production of nodosities in peas, by M. E. Marchal. — Con- 

 clusions to be drawn from the study of the series of homogeneous 

 enclosures in a volcanic rock ; the series of homogeneous en- 

 closures in the andesites from Mont-Dore, by M. A. Lacroix. — 

 The gases of the blood at different altitudes during a balloon 

 ascent, by MM. J. Tissot and Ilallion. The decrease of 

 atmospheric pressure caused by a balloon ascent causes a sensible 

 increase in the power of absorbing oxygen possessed by the 

 hemoglobin ; up to 3500 metres the carbonic acid contained in 

 the blood does not follow the law of solution of gases, on the 

 contrary it varies in the inverse sense. The nitrogen in the 

 blood follows the ordinary laws, the amount diminishing as the 

 pressure is reduced, — Reproductions of the Pakeolithic drawings 

 engraved on the walls of the cave of Combarelles, by MM. 

 Capitan and Breuil. The paper is accompanied with repro- 

 ductions of drawings of a horse, reindeer, mammoth and bison. 



New South Wales. 

 Linnean Society, October 30. — Mr. J. H. Maiden, presi- 

 dent, in the chair. —On Eucalyptus pulvcrulenta, Sims, by Mr. 

 J. 11. Maiden. The author shows that E. pulvei-uleiila, Sims, 

 .is conspecific with the "apple or peppermint" of Victoria (one 

 of the trees known as E. Sluarliana, F.v. M.) and the "red 

 or black peppermint " of New England (E. nova-anglica, Deane 

 and Maiden), both of which he considers to be lanceolar-leaved 

 forms of the species. — On Eucalyptus Stuartiana, F. v. M., by 

 J. H. Maiden. The author shows that at least three species of 

 trees have passed under this name, and expresses regret that it 

 is not possible to obliterate the name from the list of species. 

 As this is out of the question, he reiterates the former recom- 

 mendation of Mr. Deane and himself that its use be confined to 

 the " apple or but but " of Victoria and to the "apple or white 

 peppermint " of New South Wales, the species that probably 

 extends over a greater area than that of any of the other plants 

 included under the name, and the one which was perhaps most 

 frequently named E. Stuartiana by Mueller himself. — On 

 Eucalyptus Guiinii, Ilook. f., by Mr. J. H. Maiden. Theauthor 

 divides the species into the type-form and four varieties, viz., 

 vars. acervula, ovala, rubiJa and maculosa. — The guni-fermen- 

 .tation of sugar-cane juice, by Mr. R. Greig Smith. The viscosity 

 that occasionally develops in cane juice during the manufacture 

 of sugar has been traced to Bacillus Uvaniformans, n sp. , which 

 ■ ferments .saccharose producing gum, a mixture of reducing 

 sugars, carbon dioxide and a mixture of acids. Neither mannite 

 .nor alcohol is formed. In a culture medium containing 

 •100 grms. saccharose, I grm. peptone and salts dissolved in a 

 ilitre of water, 31 grms. gum and 60 grms. mixed reducing 

 sugars were produced in seven days at 37° C. The gum is formed 

 from saccharose, but not from lactose, dextrose, levulose, 

 maltose, starch or vegetable infusions without .saccharose. 

 Peptone increases the gum and acids relatively, and decreases 

 the mixed reducing sugar.s. The fermentation goes on, though 

 slowly, in weak peptone ('ooi percent.) solutions. The chemical 

 and optical properties of the gum, whicli is probably the dittluent 

 capsule of the bacillus, show it to be different from inulin, 

 levulan and other previously described gums ; it has, therefore, 

 been named levan. Carbon dioxide is produced in good amount, 

 I '28 grms. being formed from 100 grms. saccharose in five days. 

 The acids are comparatively small in amount, and consist of 

 active and inactive lactic, butyric, acetic, formic and capric 

 acids. These occur in the ratio of about 60 of lactic acid to 



NO. 1677. VOL. 65] 



t of the rest. Many races of Bac. levani for titans were sepa- 

 rated from other sources, and these showed that the organism is 

 related to the potato group of bacilli as a whole and not to any 

 one so-called species. — The chemical properties of bacterial gum 

 levan, by Mr. Thos. Steel. The chemical properties of levan, 

 the new gum produced by the action on sugar of the bacillus 

 described by Mr. R. Greig Smith in the preceding paper, are 

 described. The relationship of levan to other similar known 

 substances is detailed, and it is shown to differ in important 

 respects from inulin, the body which it most nearly resembles 

 generally. The gum found in sugar-cane suffering from the well- 

 known " gumming " disease is quite distinct from levan. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY. Decemhek iq. 



Linnean Societv, at 8.— On ihe Brain of Recent and Fossil Lemurs : Dr. 

 G. Elliot Smitli.— On the Ostracoda collected round the Funafuti : F. 

 Chapman. — Kxhibitions: A Gigantic Argulus from Japan and a Speci- 

 men dredged at the Cape : Ptof. G. B. Howes, F.R.b.— A New Poljzoon 

 from Tanganyika: J. E. S. Moore.— An Example of Whites Thrush 

 (Tiirdus varius), shot near Clavering, Essex : Miller Christy. 



Chemical Sociktv, at 8.— (i) Corydaline. Part VIL The Constitution 

 of Corydaline ; (2) The Relation of Corydaline to Berberine. The Oxida- 

 tion of Berberine with Nitric Acid : J. J. Debbie and A. Lauder.— The 

 RLignetic Rotation of some Polyhydric Alcohols, Hexoses, and Disac- 

 charoses: W. H. Pertiin. F.R.S.— Stereoisomeric Halogen Derivatives 

 of a-benzoylcamphor : H. O. Forster and F. M. G. Micklethwail.— Is 

 Argon an Elementary Substance V G. Martin. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at'8.— Seme Principles under- 

 lying the Protitable Sale of Electricity : Arthur VVrighl. 



Institution ok Mining and Metallurgy, at 5. — The Titration, Use 

 and Precipitation of Cyanide Solutions containing Copper: Walter H. 

 Virsoe.— Ore in Sight : J. D. Kendall.— Continuous Section System 

 Mine Sampling : M. H. Burnliam. 



FRIDAY. December 20. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Transmission Dynamometers: 

 A. M. Morgan. 



INSTIIUTION OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS, at 8.— The Microscopical 

 Examination of the Alloys of Copper and Tin : W. Campbell. 



CONTENTS, PAGE 



The Face of the Earth. l!y J. J. H. T 145 



The Chemistry of Dyeing 148 



Animal Life of the Congo Forest. By R. L. ... 148 

 Our Book Shelf:— 



Greenwell and Elsden : " Roads ; their Construction 



and Maintenance." 149 



Coulter and Chamberlain : " Morphology of Sperma- 



tophytes." 150 



Huin and Maire : "Guide Pratique pour les Calculs 

 de Rtisistance des chaudieres a vapeur et I'Essai des 



materiaux employt;s." — F. H. H 150 



Sliibel : " Ein Wort liber den Sitz der vulkanischen 



Kriifte in der Gegenwart." 150 



Hasluck : " Photographic Cameras and Accessories." 151 

 Murani : " Trattato elementare di Fisica."— G. H. B. 151 

 Leonard : " A First Course of Practical Science." . . 151 



Bertolio : Coltivazione delle Miniere." 151 



Clark : "The Ballads and Shorter Poems of Frederick 



V. Schiller." 151 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Humus as a Preservative against Frost. — Prof. 



W. R. Fisher 152 



A possible new Petroleum Field near Naples. — R. T. 



Gunther 152 



Automatic Actions. — Dr. W. Benthall 152 



Variation in Fowls. (Illustrated.) By W. B. 



Tegetmeier 152 



Fresh Light on the Antarctic, (/llustraltil.) .... 153 

 TheSpectraof Bright Southern Stars. By A. Fowler 155 

 Foreign Industrial Competition and Technical 



Education. By Arthur G. Green 156 



Notes '5S 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



.■\n Asteroid Orbit of (Jreat Eccentricity 161 



Bright Meteor of December 16 161 



The Inert Constituents of the Atmosphere, {/tlus- 



traled.). By Prof. W. Kamsay, F. R. S 161 



University and Educational Intelligence 164 



Societies and Academies. [Illustrated.) 163 



Diary of Societies '68 



