336 



NATURE 



[February 6, 1902 



on an axis, straight, curved, or tortuous, by Mr. G. H. Knibbs. 

 In this paper the author showed that certain theorems developed 

 in two previous papers might be extended greatly in gener- 

 ality, and were applicable to quanta determinations in //dimen- 

 sional space. — Rock-holes used by the aborigines for warming 

 water, by Mr. R. H. Mathews. The author showed that the 

 natives were in the habit of immersing heated stones in small 

 quantities of water for the purpose of warming it for drinking, 

 and in some cases to assist in cooking their food. — Some abor- 

 iginal tribes of Western Australia, by Mr. R. II, Mathews. Mr. 

 Mathews also contributed an article on some aboriginal tribes 

 of Western Australia, describing their divisions into inter- 

 marrying sections ; lists of totems, comprising animals, plants 

 and other natural objects, attached to each of the sections, were 

 also given. The laws regulating marriage and descent were 

 explained, together with a brief outline of the structure of the 

 language. Mention was made of their legends, knowledge of the 

 cardinal points, and customs of genital mutilation, the whole 

 concluding with a comprehensive vocabulary. — Projects for 

 water conservation, irrigation and drainage in New South 

 Wales, by Mr. M. G. McKinney. 



St. Louis. 

 Academy of Science, January 6.— Mr. Henry W. Eliot, 

 president, in the chair. —On behalf of herself and a consider- 

 able number of other persons, Mrs. William Bouton presented 

 to the Academy a collection of 633 butterflies mounted on 

 Denton tablets, on condition that the collection should be made 

 accessible to the public. The following papers were presented 

 by title : — New species of plants from Missouri, by Messrs. K. K. 

 Mackenzie and B. F. Bush.— Revision of the North American 

 species of Triodia, by Mr. B. F. Bush.— Prof. A. S. Chessin ex- 

 hibited a gyroscope and explained how an accurately con- 

 structed and rapidly rotated gyroscope might be made to indi- 

 cate the position of the meridian plane, the direction of the 

 polar axis of the earth and the latitude of the place of obser- 

 vation, thus serving the purpose of the mariner's compass, but 

 more accurately, because of the fact that the compass indicates 

 the magnetic pole and not the true pole. The following 

 formula; pertaining to the subject were furnished :— 



T-^ /A-fCr+A, .j,,^^ / A-hCi + A, ^ 

 V Gun cos A. V Can 



•where T and T' are the durations of a complete oscillation of 

 the gyroscope when its axis is made to remain in the horizontal 

 and the meridian planes respectively ; to and D, the angular 

 velocities of rotation of the earth and the gyroscope respec- 

 tively ; A, Aj, Aj and C, C,, C„ the equatorial and the axial 

 moments of inertia of the gyro.scope and the two rings on which 

 it is mounted. From these formul;^ the latitude (A) of the place 

 of observation is derived, namely : — 



cos \ = ^.,-. 



— Prof. F. E. Nipher made a further statement concerning his 

 results in the attempt to produce ether waves by the explosion 

 of dynamite. He had obtained some results which seemed to 

 show that magnetic effects could be thus produced. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA K, Februakv 6. 



Royal Socibtv, at 4.30.— The Sir.-itifications of Hydrogen: Sir William 

 Crooke«, F.R.S. — The Density and Cocfiicient of Cubical Expansion of 

 Ice : Dr. J. H. Vincent. — On the Increase of Electrical Resistivity 

 caused by alloying Iron with various Elements, and the Specific Heat of 

 those Elements: Prof. W. F. Barrett, F. R.S.— Continuous Electrical 

 Calorimetry: Prof. H. L. Callendar, F.R..S. 



Society ok Arts, at 4.30.— The Coal Resources of India : Prof. 

 W. R. Dunstan, F.R.S. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— On a Method oflnvcsligating the Oravitational 

 Sensitiveness of the Root-lip: F. Darwin, F.R.S. — An Extinct Family 

 of Ferns: Dr. D. H. Scott, F.R.S. 



Chemical Society, at 8.— An Investigation into the Composition of 

 Brittle Platinum: W.N. Hartley.— Conversion of /-Hydroxycamphenc 

 inlog-Halogen Derivatives of Camphor : M. O. Forster. -Tetrazoline, 

 Part II. : S. Ruhcmann and H E. Slaplcton.-(i) The Solubilities of 

 ihc Calcium Salts of the Acids of the Acetic Acid Series; (2) The Equi- 

 librium between a Solid and its Saturated Solution at various Tempera- 

 • tures : J. S. Lumsden. — The Influence of Temperature on Association in 

 Benzene Solution, and the Value of the Molecular Rise of Boiling Point 

 for Benzene at Different Temperatures : W. R. Innes.— The Magnetic 



NO. 1684, VOL. 65I 



Rotation of Ring Compounds ; Camphor, Limoneiie, Carvene, Pinene, 

 and some of their Derivatives: VV, H. Perkin. sen., F.R.S.— Polymerisa- 

 tion Products from Diazoacetic Ester : O. Silberrad. 



Rontgen Society, at 8,30.— A System of Radiography: E. W. H. 

 .Shenton. 



FRIDAY, February 7. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— The New Mammal from Central Africa and 

 other Giraffe-like Animals : Prof. E. Ray Lankester, F.R.S. 



Geologists' Association, at 7,30.— Annual General Meeting.— Address 

 on a Dozen Years of Ixjndon Geology (Eocene, Chalk, and Underground) : 

 W. Whitaker, F.R.S., President. 



MONDAY, February 10. 

 Society op Arts, at 8.— Personal Jewellery from Prehistoric Times : 



Cyril Davenport. 

 iMPRRiAi. Institute, at 8, 30. —The Coloured Races in Australia: Hon. 



Sir Horace Tozer, K,C M.G. 

 Royal Geographical Society, at 8.30.— The Ancient Kingdom of 



Kongo ; Rev. Thomas Lewis. 



TUESDAY, February ii. 

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



Dr. A. Macfadyen. 

 Institution OP Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Port of Dundee: G. C. 



Buchanan. 



IVEDNESDAY, February u 

 Sanitary lNSTlTUTE,.^t8;^-Discussion on the Prevention of Small-Pox in 



the Metropolis : OpeneSTby A. Wynter Blyth. 



THURSDAY. February 13. 

 Royal Society, at 4.30. 

 Institution op Electrical Engineers, at ■•8. — Researches on the 



Electrical Conductivity and Magnetic Properties of upwards of 100 



different Alloys of Iron: Prof. W. F. Barrett, F.R.S., and W. 



Brown. — On some Conclusions deduced from the preceding Paper : 



Prof W. F. Barrett, F.R.S. 

 Mathematical Society, at 5.30. — On the Density of Linear Sets of 



Points : W. H. Young.- On Plane Cubics : Prof. A'. C. Dixon. 

 FRIDA Y, February 14. 

 Royal Institution, at g.— Magic Squares and other Problems on a 



Chess Board : Major P. A. MacMahon, F.R.S. 

 Physical Society, at 5.— Annual General Meeting. — Address by the 



President, Prof S. P. Thompson, F.R.S.— Mr. T. H. I.ittlewood will 



exhibit an Atwood's Machine. 

 Royal Astronomical Society, at 3. — Annual General Meeting. 

 Malacolocical Society, at 8. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Some Public Health Aspects of 



the Question of Sewage Disposal : C. Johnston. 



SATURDAY, February 15. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Some Electrical Developments : Lord Ray- 

 leigh, F.R.S. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Religion as a Scientific Study. By E. Sidney 



Hartland 313 



Chemistry for Colleges 314 



Hydraulics 315 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Gegenbaur : " Erlebtes und Erstrebtes." — H. G. . . 316 



Selous: "Beautiful Birds."— F. E. B 316 



Siebert : " Lehrbuch der Chemie und Mineralogie" . 317 



*' Knowledge" 317 



Hudson: " A Geography of Wales" 317 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Fall of Mud or Dust.— Sir Edw. Fry, F.R.S. . . 317 

 Change of Pitch of Sound with Distance. — R. 



Freeman 317 



A Lunar Romance. {lUustraleJ.) F. C. Constable; 



The Reviewer 318 



Cherry Leaf Disease.— Alfred O. Walker .... 318 

 Extremes of Climate in the British Empire. — Dr. 



Hugh Robert Mill 318 



Elementary School Mathematics.— John S. Yeo . 318 



Electrification of Glass.— F. Hodson 319 



The Dangerous Side of India, (///iislraleti.) . . . 319 

 Report of the Indian Plague Commission. By Dr. 



E. Klein, F.R.S 320 



A. W. Bennett. By S. A. S 321 



Notes 321 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Early Observations of Algol Stars 325 



United Slates Naval Observatory Report 326 



The Discovery of the Future By H. G. Wells . . 326 

 The West Indian Agricultural Conference, igo2. 



By Prof. J P. d'Albuqurrque 331 



The Leonid Shower of 1901. By W. F. Denning; 332 



University and Educational Intelligence .... 333 



Societies and Academies 333 



Diary of Societies ... 336 



