264 



NA TURE 



[January 16, 1902 



and biological characteristics. — Contribution to the study of 

 phosphorus as a plant food, by M. Th. Schlresing, jun. — New 

 observations on the evolution and origin of Peripatus, by M. 

 E. L. Bouvier. — On the orientation of the Crinorhiza, by M. 

 E. Topsent. — On the discovery of a nummulitic layer in a 

 boring executed at St. Louis, Senegal, by M. G. Vasseur. 

 From these observations the conclusion is drawn that towards 

 the end of the lower Eocene period the sea, forming a vast gulf 

 in the eastern portion of the Lybian desert and in the Arabian 

 desert, and covering a part of Algeria, bent round to the north- 

 west of the .\frican continent and followed at a distance the line 

 of the Atlantic coast, reaching on the south the basin of St. 

 Louis. — Comparison of the Cretaceous basins of Eaux-Chaudes, 

 Gudre and Gavarnic, by M. A. Bresson. 



St. Louis. 

 Academy of Science, December i6, 1901. — A paper by 

 Messrs. K. K. MacKenzie and B. F. Bush, entitled "The Lespe- 

 dezas of Missouri," was presented by title. — Prof. F. L. .Soldan 

 delivered an address on the advance made in education during the 

 nineteentlj century, stating that the most characteristic feature 

 of the century's progress lay' in the epoch of expansion and 

 organisation which it marked. The influence of Pestalozzi, 

 Froebel, Horace Mann, William T. Harris and other distin- 

 guished educators was traced, the marked change in opinion 

 concerning the commercial value of education brought out by 

 the Centennial Exposition of 1S76 was indicated, and the 

 establishment of a true University grade in the United States with 

 the opening of the Johns Hopkins University, the year follow- 

 ing, was commented on. — Prof. F. E. Nipher stated that he 

 had continued his experiments on the production of ether dis- 

 turbances by explosions, and by the motion of masses of matter. 

 He had apparently succeeded in eliminating the effects of the 

 -shock of the air-wave upon the magnet-needle. The needle is 

 . adjusted to a condition approaching maximum sensitiveness. 

 There is no iron about the apparatus, except what is contained 

 in the needle and in the compensating magnets. The latter are 

 clamped in place so that the structure on which they are mounted 

 may be pounded by a mallet without disturbing the needle. 

 Rowland effects due to convection of electrified particles have 

 also been eliminated. There remains a marked deflection of 

 the needle, seeming to indicate that an ether distortion or wave 

 originates in a sharp or violent explosion. This result is so 

 airiazing that it is announced with the statement that the whole 

 subject is yet under the most searching examination. The 

 coherer and the receiver of the telephone are to be used in two 

 wholly different plans of experiment, in one of which the effects 

 along the entire track of a leaden bullet are to be summed up in 

 an alternating current. The results which seem to have been 

 reached are in entire harmony with the well-known experiment 

 of Michelson and Morley, who found that the ether within the 

 building in which they worked was being carried along with the 

 building and with the earth in its orbital motion. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, January 16. 

 LiNNEAN SociETV, at 8.— On the Use of Linne,-in .Specific Names: H. 

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

 Gnonioni.i Disease, with Remarks on its Effects and Climatic Causes : 

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

 Illustralc a recent Suggestion as to the Use of Large Horns in Keral 

 Species: J. E. H.-»rting. 

 Chemical SociKTV, at 8.— Myricetin, Part II. : A. G. Perkin.— The 

 Colouring Matters of Green Ebony : A. G. Perl<in and S. H. C. Briggs. 

 —An Investigation of the Radioactive Emanation produced by Thorium 

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

 FRIDAY, January 17. 

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

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



Captain H. Riall Sankey. 

 Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 8.— Modern Machine 



Methods: H. K. L. Orcutt. . ^ „ 



ElMDEMlOLOGICAL SoClETV, al 8.30 —Dysentery in Asylums: Dr. Mott, 

 F.R.S.— The Relation of the Dysentery of Asylums to that of South 

 Africa: Dr. Washbourn, C.M.G. 



MONO A Y, January 20. 

 Society op Arts, at 8.— The Purification and Sterilisation of Water : Dr. 

 Samuel Rideal. 



TUESDAY, i\v\j\«\ 21. 

 RovAL Institution, at 3.— The Cell: its Means of Offence and Defence: 



Prof. A. Macfadyen. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— The Architect's Use of Enamelled Tiles: H.iKey 

 Ricardo. 



RovAL Statistical Society, at 5.— Tonnage Siaiistics of the Decade 

 1891-1900 : Sir John Glover. 



Anthropological Institute, at 8.30 —On some Rude Stone Monu- 

 ments in Yorkshire : A. L, Lewis. — On a Group of C.iirns with Megalithic 

 Cists in the West of Scotland, .ind the Human Rem.iins associated there- 

 with : Dr. T. H. Bryce 



Institution op Civil Engineers, at i.—Pafcr lo ic furtherdiicussed : 

 American Workshop Methods in Steel Construction: H. B. Molesworth. 



WEDNESDAY, January 22. 



Society op Arts, at 8. — Scientific Observations at High Altitudes : Rev. 

 J. M. Bacon. 



Geological Society, at 8. — The Fossiliferous Silurian Beds and Asso- 

 ciated Igneous Rocks of the Clogher Head District (Co. Kerry): Prof. 

 .S. H. Reynolds and C. I. Gardiner. — A Process for the Mineral Analysts 

 of Rocks: Prof. W. J. Sollas, F.R.S. 



THURSDA Y, January 23. 



RoVAL Society, at 4.30. — Prohalle Papers : (i) Mathematical Conlribu- 

 lions to the Theory of Evolution. XI. On the Influence of Natural 

 Selection on the Variability and Correlation of Organs ; (2) On the Corre. 

 lation of Intellectual Ability with the Size and Shape of the Head. 

 Preliminary Notice : Prof. K. Pearson, F.RS.— AShort Description of 

 the (bulicidK of India, with Descriptions of New Species of Anopheles: 

 F. V. Theobald.— The Affinity of Tmesipteris with the Sphenophj Hales : 

 Prof. A. P. W. Thomas,— On the Excretory Organs of Amphioxus: E. S. 

 Goodrich. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Recent Excavations at Delphi and in the 

 Greek Islands : Dr. -A. S. Murray. 



SociETv OF Arts, at 4.30.— Bengal : the Land .-ind its People: F. H. 

 Skrine. 



Institution of ElectricalEngineers, at 8.— Earth Cuncnts derived 

 from Distributing Systems : E. B. Wedmore. 



FRIDAY, January 34. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— The Discovery of the Future : H. G. Wells. 



Physical Society, at 5.— The Factoiscf Heat. Part I. : James Swin- 

 burne.— Exhibition of some Twinned Crystals of Selenile : Eustace 

 Large. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Psychology of Language. By A. E. T 241 



Electrical Engineering Testing. By D. K. M. . . 242 



Burma 243 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Stark and Sclater : "The Birds of South Africa."— 



R. L .... 244 



Marriage: " Elementary Telephotography " .... 244 

 Bedding: "The British Journal Photographic 



Almanac, 1902" . 244 



Astruc : " Encyclopedic Scientifique des Aide- 



Memoire : Le Vin." — A. J. B 245 



Boon: "A Commercial Geography of Foreign Nations" 245 



O'Donahue: " .Mining Calculations " 245 



Letters to the Editor:' — 



The Inheritance of Mental Characters. — Prof. 



T. D. A. Cockerell; Prof. Karl Pearson, F.R.S. 245 

 Magnetostricticm of some Ferromagnetic Substances. 



— H. Nagaska, K. Honda 246 



Results of International Magnetic Observations made 

 during the Total Solar Eclipse of May 17- 18, 1901. 



— Dr. L. A. Bauer 246 



The Roots of the Equation H = tan «. — C. A. Chant 247 



A Model Geyser. {Illustrated.) A. E. Munby . 247 



Birds Capturing Butterflies in Flight. — A E. McKay 247 

 The Farmers'Vears. I. (lllustraiea.) By Sir Norman 



Lockyer, K.C.B., F.R.S 248 



Habits of Insects. (lllustraie,l.) 250 



Some Scientific Centres. III. The Laboratory of 



Henri Moissan. (IlliislrjleJ.) 252 



Notes 254 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Diameter of Jupiter 258 



" The Heavens at a Glance," 1902 258 



Variable Star Catalogue 25S 



Catalogue of too New Double Stars 25S 



The Teaching of Mathematics in Public Schools . 258 



Conference of Science Teachers. By A. T. Simmons 259 



A New Range Kinder, (/lliislralf.i.) 261 



University and Educational Intelligence 261 



Scientific Seiials 262 



Societies and Academies 263 



Diary of Societies 264 



NO. 1 68 I, VOL. 65] 



