240 



NA TURE 



(January 9, 1902 



which was separated from many samples of inverting sugar. 

 The conditions necessary for the degradation are a moist state 

 of the sugar and a warm temperature. The formation of gum 

 levan is in al)eyance, probably on account of the infinitesimal 

 amount of nitio^enous food. The bacillus is widely distributed, 

 having been found in beet crystals from !■' ranee and Germany 

 and in cane sugar from Java, ligypt and .\ustralia. — The .icid fer- 

 mentation of raw sugar crystals, by Mr. R. Greig Smith. Bac. 

 kvanifortiiaiis may set up an acid fermentation whereuiJon the 

 sugar smells strongly of acetic and butyric acids. — Notes on the 

 botany of the interior of New South Wales, part v. , by Mr. R. H. 

 Cambage. The conspicuous vegetation of the country around 

 the Lachlan River, extending from Parkes to Marsden, is dealt 

 with. — Studies in Australian entomology. No. xi. Description 

 of anew ground-beetle from Victoria, by .Mr. Thomas G. Sloane. 

 The insect here described is a species of Morphnos, easily dis- 

 tinguished from the only other member of the genus, M. flm- 

 dersi. — On the skeleton of the snout and os caruncul.e of the 

 mammary fretus of monotremes, by Prof. J. T. Wilson. — The 

 protoconchs of some Port Jackson gasteropods, by Mr. II. 

 Leighton Kesteven. — Studies on Australian Mollusca, part v., 

 by Mr. C. Hedley. Several land shells hitherto unfigured, 

 collected by the Chevert Expedition, are herein illustrated. 



St. Louis. 



Academy of Science, December 2, 1901.— Mr. [. Arthur 

 Harris presented in abstract a paper on normal and teratological 

 thorns of Gkdilscliia triacaiilhos, L. — Prof. A. S. Chessin, of 

 Washington University, delivered an address on the harmony of 

 tone and colour. The speaker said that although the idea is not 

 new that colours, like tone.s, are subject to laws of harmony, he 

 did not know that any systematic theory concerning this had 

 thus far been presented, and the object of the paper was to 

 establish such a theory. A colour scale was constructed, and 

 the properties of the intervals corresponding to those appearing 

 in the musical scale were discussed, and the conclusion was 

 reached that within the limit of an octave the laws of harmony 

 in tone and colour are identical. — A paper by Prof. A. S. 

 Chessin, on the true potential of the force of gravity, was pre- 

 sented and read by title, the author remarking that this was 

 the first of a series of detailed papers bearing upon the general 

 subject, the broad conclusions concerning which he had pre- 

 sented in synopsis at a recent meeting of the Academy. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, January 9. 



Mathematical Societv, at 5.30.— Non-uniform Convergence, .ind the 



Integration of Series: ihe President.— Nelw .rk : S. Roberts, F.R.S.— 



On (Juartic Curves witti a Triple Point ; A. B. Basset, F.R.S.— On the 



Integrals of the Differential Equation 



dti 



d-.' 



■where y^j-)—<i.v*-(-44.v3-|-6<:.r-4-4,r'.t-(-t, Considered Geometrically : Prof. 

 W. Snow BurnsiJe.-On the Fundamental Theorem of Differential 

 Equations: W. H. Young. 

 iNSTlTUTtoN OF Electrical ENGINEERS, at 8. — Discusslou of the 

 Technical Reports on the Institution Visit to Germany, 1901, by the 

 Committees on Traction, Light and Power ; Manulacturing, and Tele- 

 graphs and Telephones. 



FRIDAY, January 10. 



Royal Astronomical Society, at 5. — The Attraction of the Hima'aya 

 Mount.iins upon Ihe Plumb-line in India: Major S G. liurr.ird.— The 

 Period and Light Curve of the Variable Star 6685 Y Lyra; : A. Stanley 

 Williams. — Note on a Further Attempt to observe the Corona without an 

 Eclipse : Rev. C D. P. Davies.— The Double Star 2 1639 Comx- 

 Berenicis : Thomas Lewis. 



Malacolocical Society, at 8. 



MOKDA r, January 13. 



Society of Arts, at 8.— The Purification .ind Slerilisation of Water : Dr. 

 Samuel Ridcat. 



RovAL Geographical Society, at 8 30. — From Shanghai to Bhamo : 

 Dr. R. Logan Jack. 



TUESDAY. ]k^v^m 14. 



Royal lNSTITt;T10N, at 3. -The Cell: Prof. A. Macfadyen. 



ZoologicalSociety, at8.3o.— ObservalioMS on some Mimetic Insects and 

 Spiders from Borneo and hingapore : R. Shelford —On Vari.iiion in the 

 Number and Arrangement of the Male Genital .\pertures in .Vrflirofs 

 «,.7TVc(Vi<i : F. H. A Marshall. -On som- R.-..arkible Digestive 

 Adaptations in Diprotodont Marsupi.il- : Ur. Einar I "nnlierg. 



Institution of Civil Knginfkrs, at 8.— American Workshop Methods 

 in Steel Construction: H. B. Moleswoith. 



NO. 1680, VOL. 65 J 



U^EDNESDAY, January 15 

 Society ofAhts. at 8.— Elliptographs : Frank J. Gr.iy. 

 Entomological Society, at 8.— Annual Meeting. 

 Rdvai. Meteorological Society, at 7.4s.— Annu.al General Meeting.— 



Address on The Klement of Chinee in relation to various Meteorological 



Problems : W. H. Dines, President. 

 Royal Microscopical Society, at 8.— Annual Meeting —Address by 



the President. 

 Geoorai'Hical Association, at 3-— Annual Meeting.— Address on The 



Importanceof Geography in Education: Right Hon. James Bryce, M.P. 



THURSDAY. January 16. 



Linnean Society, at 8.— On the Use of Linnean Specific Names: H. 

 and J. Groves.— Exhibitions : Br.anches of Cherry affecled by the 

 Gnomonia Disease, with Remarks on its Effects and Climatic Causes: 

 A. O. Walker— Photographs and Specimens of Heads of Wild Sheep, to 

 Illustrate a recent Suggestion as to the Use of Large Horns in Feral 

 Species : J. E. Harting. 



Chemical Society, at 8.— Myricetin, P.-irtII.: A. G. Perkin.— The 

 Colouring Matters of Green Ebony : A. G. Perkin .and S. H. C. Briggs. 

 —An Investigation of the Radioactive Emanation produced by Thorium 

 Compounds, I. : E. Rutherford and F. Soddy. 



FKIDAY, January 17. 

 Royal Institution, at q.— Interference of Sound : Lord Rayleigh. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Theory of Heat-Engines : 



Captain H. Riall Sankey. 

 Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 8.— Modern Machine 



Methods : H. F. L. Orcutt. 

 Epidemiological Societv, at 8.30. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Analysis of Memory. By Dr. W. Leslie Mackenzie 217 



A Lunar Romance 21S 



A Popular Work on Fishes 219 



The Problem of Truth. By R. G. N 220 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Hampson : "Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalasnce 



in the British Museum." 220 



Mercier : " Psychology Normal and Morbid." — • 



A. E. T 221 



" A Record of the Progress of the Zoological Society 



of London during the Nineteenth Century." . . . 221 



Loescher: " Leitfaden der Landschafts-Photographie." 221 



Giddings : " Inductive Sociology."— G. U. Y. . . . 221 



Hasluck : " Optical Lanterns and Accessories." . . 222 

 Fawdry : " Plane Geometrical Drawing, including 

 numerous Exercises and Army Examination I'apers, 



with Solutions." 222 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The "Chestnuts "of the Horse. -Frank E. Beddard, 



F.R.S 222 



Frost Patterns.— Prof. R. Meldola, F.R.S. ... 222 



Roads and National Welfare.— Prof. J. P. O'Reilly 222 

 Preoccupied Names in Zoology. — Prof. T. D. A. 



Cockerell 223 



A Luminous Centipede.— Rose Haig Thomas . . 223 



The New Planetoid.— S. B. Gaythorpe 223 



Scientific Ballooning. (Illusiraled.) By W. N. 



Shaw, F.R.S 224 



Gun Sights for Large and Small Ordnance. (Iltus- 



Ira/ed.) 226 



Notes 22S 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Annular Eclipse of the Sun, November II, 1901 232 



The Mammals of North America 232 



Prize Subjects of the Paris Academy of Sciences . 233 



Photographs of Snow Crystals. (Illustrated.) . . . 234 



A New Journal of Anatomy 236 



University and Educational Intelligence 237 



societies and Academies 23S 



'Jiarv of Societies 240 



