NATURE 



[January 23, 1902 



barometer. — The earthquakes due to folding in the Erzgebirge, 

 by M. F. de Monlessus de Ballore. The numerous slight 

 earthquakes in this region are traced to the effect of three long 

 folds in the strata, the Erzebirge being the longest and highest 

 of the three. — On the aberration of sphericiiy of the eye, by M. 

 (ieorges Weiss. — -The preparation and properties of strontium 

 hydride, by M. Henri Gautier. A strontium-cadmium alloy 

 containing about 45 per cent, of strontium is heated in a current 

 of hydrogen to a dull red heat. The hydrogen is slowly absorbed 

 and the cadmium volatilised. Towards the end of the operation 

 the temperature is raised until the ma.ss is fused. Analyses of 

 the compound showed that its composition wasSrfl.,. It proved 

 to be analogous both in composition and properties to the calcium 

 hydride of Moissan. — On the chemical equilibrium of the iron- 

 carbon systems, by MM. Georges Charpy and Louis Grenet. The 

 theory of Uakhuis-Roozeboom on the constitution of the com- 

 pounds of iron and carbon, although complete from the theo- 

 retical side, has met with some objections from the pr.actical 

 point of view. The separation of graphite would appear to be 

 largely conditioned by the amount of silicon present. An 

 experimental study of the effect of silicon is given in the 

 present paper. — On the thermoelectricity of steels and nickel- 

 steels, by M. G. Belloc. The proportions of nickel in the 

 nickel-steels studied varied from 5 to 35 per cent. The 

 general form of the curve giving the relation between the 

 electromotive force and the temperature for platinum-nickel 

 steel couples is parabolic, the alloy containing 5 per cent, of 

 nickel being exceptional in this respect. The steels containing 

 5 per cent, and 28 per cent, of nickel at about 400° to 500° C. 

 show brusque variations, indicating molecular transformations. 

 The 28 per cent, nickel steel is remarkable for its high neutral 

 point and the great electromotive force developed. — The action 

 of mixed organo-magnesium compounds upon trioxymethylene, 

 by MM. V. Grignard and L. Tissier. Trioxymethylene reacts 

 slowly at the boiling temperature upon an ethereal solution of 

 the organo-magnesium compounds with the formation of primary 

 alcohols. Numerous alcohols have been thus prepared syn- 

 thetically, and the method appears to be of wide generality. 

 Thus starting with ethyl bromide, normal propyl alcohol is 

 obtained with a 65 per cent, yield ; the reaction also holds in 

 the aromatic series. — The preparation and properties of the 

 imido-dithjocarbonic esters, by M. Marcel Delcpine. — On the 

 inversion of saccharose, by M. P. Petit. An attempt at the 

 direct measurement of the heat of inversion of sugar. — On the 

 solubility of calcium phosphate in pure water, by M. A. Rindell. 

 — On the methods for the volumetric estimation of copper, iron, 

 antimony, zinc dust, sulphur in sulphides, and glucose by means 

 of stannous chloride, by M. Fred. Weil. — On the geographical 

 •distribution and adaptation to fresh water of some marine forms, 

 by MM. C. \'aney and A. Conte. — On a crustacean commensal 

 with Piigurus, Gnathoiiiyiis Gcrlachei, a tyjie of a new family of 

 schizopods, by MM. Jules Bonnier and Charles Perez. — The 

 action of tannins and colouring matters on the activity of yeasts, 

 by M. A. Rosenstiehl. — The mechanism of synthesis of an 

 isomeric leucine, by MM. A. Etard and A. Vila Leucine 

 derived synthetically from amyl alcohol is different from 

 biological leucine. — On the extraction of boletol, by .M. Gabriel 

 Bertrand. — On the fracture of the fore-arm due to a premature 

 explosion in an automobile motor, by M. II. Soret. — The 

 discovery of the mammoth and of a Palicolithic station in Basse- 

 Provence, by M. Repelin. — On the structureof the subterranean 

 hydrographic network in limestone regions, by M. F. Fournier. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Januarv 23. 



Royal Society, ai 4.30.— (1) Mathemaikal Contribuiions to the Theory 

 of Evolution. XI. On the Inltucncc of Natur.il Selection on the Variability 

 .ind Correlation of Organs ; (2) On the Correlation of Intellectual Ability 

 with the Size .and Shape of the Head. Pieliminary Notice: Prof. K. 

 Pearson, K.R S.— A Short Description of the Culicida: of India, .■ ith 

 Descriptions of New Species of Anopheles: F. V. Theobald.— The 

 Affinity of Tmesipteris with the Sphenjphyllales : Prof A. P. VV. Thom.-is. 

 — On the Excretory Organs of Amphio.\us : IC. S. Goodrich.— On the 

 Mechanism of the so.callcd "Peripheral Rellex Secretion" of the 

 Pancreas. Preliminary Communication : Ur \V. M. Bayliss and Prof. 

 E. H. Starling, F.R.J. 



KovAL Institution, ,it 3.- Recent Excivaiions at Delphi .ind in the 

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



Society of Arts, at 4.30.— Bengal : the Land nnd its People: F. H. 

 Skrine. 



Institution of ElectricalEncineers, at 8.— Earth Currents derived 

 from Distributing Systems : E. B. Wedmorc. 



FRIDA y, January 24. 

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

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

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

 Large. 



SATURDAY, January 25. 

 Essex Field Club (at Essex Museum of Natural History, Stratford, 

 Essex),_at 6.30. — Note on Occurrence of Atnanita citrirui, Gon. and 

 Rab., in Epping Forest : George Massee. — Local Archxological Ex. 

 ploration : Charles H. Read. 



ATONDAV, }f.n\l\m 27. 

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



Samuel Rideal. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30.— The Maldive Islands : J. 



Stanley Gardiner. 

 Institute of Actuaries, at 5.30.— The Actuarial Aspects of Recent 



Legislation, in the United Kingdom and other Countries, on the Subject 



of Compensation to Workmen for Accidents : John Nicoli. 



TUESDA y, January 28. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — The Cell : its Means of OflTence and Defence : 



Dr. Allan Macfadyen. 

 Society of Arts, at 4.30.— To the Victoria Nyanza by the Uganda 



Railway : Commander B. Whitehouse. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Sewerage Systems of 



Sydney, N.S.W., and its Suburbs: J. Davis.— The Bacterial Treatment 



of Trades Waste: W. Naylor. 



IVEDNESDA y, January 29. 

 Society op Arts, at 8. — Technical Education as applied to Paper 

 Making: Clayton Be.idle.. 



THURSDAY, January 30. 



Royal Society, at 4.^o.-/V^/<i//^ Fafers: The Chemxal Oiiginsof the 

 Lines in Nova Persei : Sir N. Lockyer, K.C.B., F.R.S.— The Specific 

 Volumes of Oxygen and Niliogen Vapour at ■ The Boiling Point of 

 Oxygen: Prof. James Dewar, F.R.S.— The Distribution of Magnetism 

 as affected by Induced Currents in an Iron Cylinder when rotated in a 

 Magnetic Field : Prof. Ernest Wilson. 



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

 Greek Islands : Dr. A. S. Murray. 



FRIDAY, January 31. 



Royal Institution, at 9. — The Ions of Electrolysis: Prof. A. Crum 

 Brown, F.R.S. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — The Quay-Walls of Keysham 

 Harbour : J. C. CoUett and W. H. C. Clay. 



NO. 1682, VOL. 65] 



CONTENTS. PACK 



An " Energetic " View of Existence. By W. R. . . 265 



The Civilisations of the Old and New Worlds . . 268 



Geometry— Not in Euclid's Order 270 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Long: "The Small Farm and its Man.agement." — 



R. W 271 



Seurat : " L'Huilre Peiliere, Nacre et Perles" ... 271 

 Martineau : " Voices of Nature and Lessons from 



Science" 271 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The tjuadrantid Meteors, 1902. — John R. Henry . 272 

 Sir Walter Raleigh and Evolution. — Agnes Robertson 272 



The Teaching of Mathematics.— C. J. Forth ... 272 

 Birds Capturing Butterflies in Flight. — Oswald H. 



Latter 273 



An Unusual Rainbow. — Thomas Fuller 273 



Change of Pitch of Sound with Distance. — Paul R. 



Heyl 273 



To the Mountains of the Moon. (Illustrated.) . . . 273 

 The Reclamation of the Zuiderzee. By W. H. 



Wheeler 275 



Small-Pox in London 277 



Notes. (lUustralcJ.) 278 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Dimensions of the Planets and Satellites 28* 



Harvard College Observatory Report, 1901 282 



Total i:cli|,se of the Sun, M;iy iS, 1901 2S3 



A Magazine of Science and Philosophy. By W. R. 283 



University and Educational Intelligence 2S3 



bocieties and Academies, (lltiislraleil.) 2S41 



Diary of Societies 2881 



