NATURE 



[July 28, 19 10 



H. Buisson and Ch. Fabry : The electric arc in an atmo- 

 sphere of feeble pressure. — M. Rouch : Observations of 

 atmospheric electricity made on Petermann Island during 

 the stay of the Charcot expedition. — William Duane : A 

 photographic method of registering a particles. — M. 

 Sarre : Sulphate of thorium. The author finds that 

 sulphate of thorium in aqueous solution shows a specific 

 resistance and a freezing point entirely in agreement with 

 the laws of Bouty and Raoult. Measurements also of con- 

 ductivity and freezing point of solutions containing i per 

 cent, of potassium sulphate sliow the existence of a double 

 •salt. — F. Bodroux : The action of some ether salts of 

 monobasic fatty acids on the mono-sodium derivative of 

 henzyl cyanide. — Marcel Guichard : The absorption of 

 iodine by solid bodies. The fixation of iodine by the 

 surface of a solid is a specific property, and the author 

 gives a list of a number of substances showing this 

 behaviour. — M. Card : Binary hybrids of the first genera- 

 tion in the get\us Cistus and Mendelian characters. — B. 

 Sauton : Influence of iron on the formation of the spores 

 of Aspergillus iiiger. — Pierre Marty : New observations on 

 the fossil flora of the Cantal. — Eugene Collin : .\ deter- 

 mination of the nature of the wicli of a Punic lamp. The 

 author believes the fibres to have been undoubtedly of flax. 

 — R^my Perrier and Henri Fischer : Some particular 

 points in the anatomy of molluscs of the genus Accra. — 

 MM. Jammes and Martin : The rdle of the chitin in the 

 development of nematode parasites. — Henry Penau : The 

 cytology of EiiSomyces albicans (P. Vuillemin). — .^m^d^e 

 Delcourt and Emile Guy£not : The possibility of studying 

 certain Diptera in a definite medium. — Charles Nfcolle 

 and E. Conseil : Experimental reproduction of exanthe- 

 matic typhus by direct inoculation with human virus. — 

 M. Lucet : The presence of Spirochetse in a case of 

 hsemorrhagic gastro-enteritis in a dog. 



Cape Town. 

 Royal Society of South Africa, June 15. — Mr. S. S. 

 Hough, F.R.S., president, in the chair. — Dr. A. Theiler : 



Note on Anaplasma marginalc, a new genus and species of 

 the Protozoa. This Anaplasma is transmitted by ticks, and 

 it is a noteworthy fact that the incubation time by tick 

 transmission is much longer than that after inoculation of 

 the animal with blood ; in the experiments carried out it 

 varied from fifty-five to seventy-five days. Blood of an 

 immune animal is infective ; such an animal forms the 

 reservoir of the virus. This is a peculiarity of the piro- 

 plasma diseases, to which group Anaplasmasis also belongs. 

 Dr. Theiler's opinion is that Anaplasmasis is probably the 

 disease which the farmer has hitherto called " gall sick- 

 ness." Up to the present four different parasites are, in 

 South Africa, found in the blood of immune cattle, and 

 they can all be transmitted by the inoculation of the blood 

 and by ticks. — Dr. R. Gonder : The development of 

 Piroplasma parviim (Protozoa) in the various organs of 

 cattle. The author suggests an explanation of the fact 

 that the blood of animals suffering from East Coast fever 

 injected into healthy animals does not transmit the disease. 

 It is possible, h? thinks, that the blood contains forms 

 which can develop in the tick, and which, when injected, 

 die. Concerning the place of the East Coast fever parasite 

 in protozoology, he thinks the proposition justifiable to 

 separate it from Piroplasma, and to substitute a new 

 generic name, "Theileria," as suggested bv Bettencourt. 



FORTHCOMING CONGRESSES. 



August i-6. — International Congress of Entomology. Brussels. Chair- 

 man of Local Committee for Great lintain ; Dr. G. B. Longstaff, Highlands, 

 Putney Heath, S.W. 



August 1-7. — French Association for the Advancement of Science. 

 Toulouse. President : Prof. Gariel. Address of Secretarj* : 28 rue 

 Serpente, Paris. 



August. — International Congre^*' of Photography. Brussels. Corre- 

 spondent for United Kingdom: Mr. Chapman Jones, 11 Eaton Rise, 

 Kaline, W. 



August 2-7. — International Congress on School Hygiene. Paris. General 

 Secretary; Dr. Dufestel, 10 Boulevard Magenta. Paris. Hon. Secretaries 

 for Great Britain : Royal Sanitary Institute, oo Buckingham Palace Road, 

 S.W. 



Auuust 15-20. — International Zoological Congress. Graz (Austria). 

 I'lc-ident : Prof. Ludwig von Graff. Address for inquiries: Prasidii 



NO. 2126, VOL. 84] 



des VIII. Internationalen Zoologen.Kongresses, Universitatsplatz 2, Graz 

 (Osterreirh). 



August iS-26. — International Geological Congress. Stockholm. General 

 Secretary : Prof. J. G. Andersson, Stockholm 3. 



August 29 to Sei'trmber 6. — International Union for Cooperation in 

 Solar Research. Mount Wilson Solar Observatory. British Member of 

 Executive Committee to whom inquiries should be addressed : Prof. A. 

 Schuster, F.R.S., Victoria Park, Manchester. 



August 31 to September 7. — British Association. Sheffield. President : 

 Prof. T. G. Bonnev. F. K S. Address for inquiries : General Secretaries 

 liurlington House, W. 



September 4-7.— Swiss Society of Natural Sciences. Bale. Secretary; 

 Dr. H. G. Stehlin, Museum of Natural History, Augustinergasse, B.ile. 



September 8-14. — International Congress of .Americanists. Mexico City. 

 General Secretary : Sr. Lie. D. Genaro Garcia, Museo Nacional, Mexico, 

 D.F. 



September 13-15. — International Congress of Radiology and Electricity. 

 Hrussels. General Secretary : I ir. J. Daniel, i rue de la Pr^vfite, Brussels. 

 Correspondents for United Kingidom : Prof. Rutherford and Dr. W. 

 Makower, University of Manchester, and Dr. \V, Deane Butcher, Holyrood, 

 Ealing, W. 



September iS-24. — German Association of Naturalists and Physicians. 

 Konigsberg. Secretaries : Prof. Lichtheim and Prof. F. Meyer, Drumm- 

 str. 25-29, Konigsberg. 



September 27-30. — International Physiological Congress. Vienna. 

 President : Prof. S. Exner. General Secretary for United Kingdom ; 

 Prof. E. B. Starling, University College, London, W.C. 



October 6-12. — Congres International du Fi-oid. Vienna. Correspon- 

 dent for United Kingdom ; Mr. R. M. Leonf^rd. 3 Oxford Court, Cannon 

 Street, E.C 



contents. page 



Planetology. By William E. Rolston 99 



Nature-study 100 



Tectinical Chemical Analysis loi 



British Fossils. By C. T. R loi 



Comparative Physiology. By W. D. H 102 



Our Book Shelf 103 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Antarctic Pycnogons. — Dr. W. T. Caiman .... 104 

 A New Italian Orchid. [/llust>ateci.)—Vi. Herbert 



Cox . 104 



Centre of Gravity of Annual Statistics. — A. Marshall IC4 



Present Meteoric Displays. — W. F. Denning . . . 105 



Pwdre Ser. — Prof. Frank Schlesinger ... . 105 

 The Ethnology, Botany, Geology, and Meteorology 

 of German Africa. (IlliislraleJ.) By Sir H. H. 



Johnston, G.C.M.G., K.C.B 106 



Cordite log 



The Sheffield Meeting of the British Association no 

 The Ultra-rapid Kinematograph. (Willi Diagt-am.) 



By Prof. C. V. Boys, F.R.S 112 



The Total Solar Eclipse, May 9, 1910. {Illustrated.) 



By Dr. William J. S. Lockyer 113 



John B. Carruthers 114 



Notes 115 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronomical Occurrences in August 120 



Subjective Phenomena on Mars 120 



The Genesis of Various Lunar Features 120 



Halley's Comet 120 



The Gnomon in Ancient Astronomy 120 



The Leeds Astronomical Society 120 



Recent Work of Geological Surveys. IV. {Illus- 

 trated.) By G. A. J. C 121 



Reports of Meteorological Observatories 123 



Science at the Japan-British Exhibition. By 



F. M. P 125 



The Progress of Cancer Research 126 



Manganese Mining in India. By J. W. G. ... 12S 



The Structure of Cretaceous Plants 129 



Archaeological and Anthropological Investigations 

 in Arkansas and Louisiana. (Illustrated.) By Dr. 



A. C. Haddon, F.R.S 129 



The Tabulation of Vital Statistics 130 



University and Educational Intelligence 130 



Societies and Academies 131 



Forthcoming Congresses 132 



