NATURE 



[July 20, 191 1 



M. Javoiic : The Wolf comet. Observations made at Nice 

 with the day tier equatorial of 76 cm. aperture. Data 

 given for July 5 and 7. The comet appears like a star 

 below the 14th magnitude. — Silvanus P. Thompson: A 

 new mi ihuil ol harmonic analysis by the algebraic sum- 

 mation oi determined ordinates. The method described is 

 specially adapted for the harmonic analysis of tides, of 

 diurnal magnetic variations, and of the periodic motion 

 ui the mechanisms for the distribution of steam in steam 

 engines. — (1. Sagnac : Interferential strioscopy and strio- 

 graph} analogous with the Foucault and Topler optical 

 method of striae. — Ch. Fabry and H. Buisson : The 

 radiation from mercury vapour lamps. The numerous 

 applications of quartz mercury vapour lamps renders desir- 

 able precise measurements of the yield of radiation, visible 

 and ultraviolet, under various conditions of employment. 

 The proportion of ultraviolet rays emitted by a given lamp 

 depends greatly on whether it is water-cooled or not, and 

 also upon the age of the lamp. — L. Benoist : The applica- 

 tion of the chemical harmonica to chronophotography. An 

 acetylene flame, issuing from a fine jet, is placed in a glass 

 chimney, and from the pure note thus obtained the time 

 of vibration can be determined with considerable accuracy. 

 A mirror is fixed to the rotating apparatus the velocity of 

 which it required to measure. The high actinic power of 

 the flame renders the application of photography very easy. 

 — M. Girousse : A means of suppressing the troubles 

 caused on telegraph lines by energy-carrying cables. A 

 description of a simplification of the method proposed by 

 Voisenat. The immunity obtained against an alternating 

 current has been proved experimentally, and details are 

 given. — R. Boulouch : The sine relation of Abbe is a con- 

 dition of stigmatism. The condition of true aplanetism. — ■ 

 A. and L. Lumiere and A. Seyewetz : The development 

 of photographic images after fixing. If a very dilute solu- 

 tion of sodium thiosulphate is used for fixing, the Neuhauss 

 method can be much simplified. The formula; of the solu- 

 tions taken are given, and also an alternative solution 

 containing mercury salts instead of silver. — Marcel 

 Guichard : The extraction of the gases from copper heated 

 in a vacuum. The complete elimination of the gases from 

 copper by heating is difficult to realise, and requires in 

 all cases a very lengthy period of heating. — H. Gault : 

 The lactonisation of the a-ketonic esters, cc-ketoadipic ester, 

 and in general, the esters of a-ketomonoacids and a-keto- 

 diacids under the influence of condensing agents, forms 

 lactones by the elimination of a molecule of alcohol between 

 two molecules of the ester. Several examples are worked 

 out in detail. — Ph. Dumesnil : The preparation of some 

 unsymmetrical benzyl-dialkvlacetic acids. Starting with 

 ketones of the type C.H^CO.CfR^.R,), preparedly the 

 method of Haller and Baur, the prolonged action of sodium 

 amide in boiling xylene upon these ketones gives the amide 

 NH 2 .CO.C(R 1 R 2 R a ), from which the corresponding acid is 

 readily obtained by hydrolysis with sulphuric acid. — E. 

 Leger : The constitution of some nitro derivatives obtained 

 by the action of nitric acid upon the aloins. — A. H. 

 Richard : A dimethylpentene obtained by the action of 

 heat upon a dimethylcaoutchouc. Methyl-isoprene poly- 

 merises in exactly the same manner as isoprene. Undei 

 the influence of light and heat it gives a rubber-like mass : 

 the dry distillation of the latter gives a homoterpene as 

 the principal product. — M. Gard : Is the law of uniformity 

 of hybrids of the first generation absolute? It has been 

 found that for the genus Cistus the uniformity found by 

 Naudin is not fixed. — J. E. Abelous and E. Bardier ": 

 The influence of oxidation on the toxicity of urohypoten- 

 sine. The toxic power of urohypotensine is increased by 

 oxidation. — II. Bierry and |. Larpruier des Bancels : 

 I In action oi the light emitted by the mercur) lamp upon 

 solutions of chlorophyll. M and Mine. Lapicque : The 

 useful duration of the discharges of condensers: experi- 

 ments on the snail. — A. Imbert : A tudy of 

 work done by a file. The curves obtained showed clearly 

 the differences between .111 apprentice and a practised 

 workman : pathological conditions in the latter are also 

 • ht put, a fact of medico-legal importance. — 

 J. Bergonie : The respiratoi j in chronic 

 articular rheumatism and the modifications which they 

 undergo by n electrically stimulated. The 

 respirator} exchanges, in subjects affected by chronic 

 articular rheumatism, are very appreciably lowered, in one 



NO. 2 177, VOL. 87] 



case to about 3/5 of the normal. The light bath appeared 

 to be without any influence on these cases, but muscular 

 exercise, electrically stimulated, caused these exchanges to 

 approach the normal. — Jules Courmont and A. Rochain : 

 Vaccination against the pyocyanic infection by the in- 

 testinal method. — A. Sartory : The value of Meyer's 

 reagent in the examination of the blood. Meyer's reagent 

 ought not to be considered as a specific test for blood in 

 chemico-legal researches, and should only be used for 

 corroborative put poses. — A. Fernbach and M. Schoen : 

 Some observations on the mechanism of the mode of action 

 of the proteolytic diastases. — Alexandre Lebedeff : The 

 mechanism of alcoholic fermentation. — J. Wolff and E. de 

 Stcecklin : The specificity of various combinations of iron 

 from the point of view of their peroxidasic properties. A 

 reply to some criticisms of H. Colin and A. S^n^chal, the 

 authors giving the results of fresh experiments in support 

 of their views. — Paul Hallos : The double function of the 

 ovaries in some Polyclads. 



CONTENTS. page 



A Detective's Vade Mecum ... 69 



The Geness of Civilisation. By A. E. Crawley . . 71 



Cambridgeshire and the Isle . .... 72 



The Sugar Cane and Cane Sugar. By C. S. . . . 73 



Laboratory Methods in Zoology . . 73 

 Construction in Earthquake Countries. By Prof. 



John Milne, F. R.S 74 



Our Book Shelf 75 



Letters to the Editor: - 



The Deformation of Rocks under Tidal Load. — Dr. 



C. Chree, F.R.S 76 



Hamilton and Tait.— Dr. C. G. Knott 77 



The Fruitir.gof the Tamarisk. -Clement Reid, F.R.S. 77 



Sunshine and Fleas. — Prof. D'Arcy W. Thompson 77 

 The Oban PennatuHda Again. — Prof. W. A. 



Herdman, F.R.S. .... 77 

 On the Non-simultaneity of Suddenly Beginning Mag- 

 netic Storms. — R. L. Faris ... 78 



The Number of Possible Elements and Mendeleeff's 



"Cubic" Periodic System. — A. van den Broek . 78 

 Phases of Evolution and Heredity. — Dr. D. Berry 



Hart ; The Reviewer 78 



Available Laboratory Attendants. — G. E. Reiss . . 78 



Mersenne's Numbers. — Herbert J. Woodall . . 78 

 The Fox and the Fleas.— Sir William A. Tilden, 



F.R S 78 



Cabbage White Butterfly.— E. W. Read 78 



Notes on the History of the Science Museum. — II. 



By Sir Norman Lockyer, K.C.B., F.R.S 79 



The Royal Commission on Tuberculosis . . . . 81 

 The Gyrostatic Compass. {Illustrated.) By C. V. 



Boys, F.R.S. 83 



The Preservation of Ancient Monuments. By Rev. 



John Griffith . . S4 



The Portsmouth Meeting of the British Association S4 



Notes . 86 



Our Astronomical Column:— 



Comet, 1911/1 ... 90 



The Solar Eclipse of April 28, 191 1 90 



The Light of Algol's Companion 9 1 



Observations of Mira • . . 91 



Micrometer Measures of Jupiter 9 1 



Photographs of the Aurora Borealis 9 1 



The Ephemeris for Halley's Comet 9 1 



The Differential Quality of the Moon's Reflected Light 91 



Sutton Double Star Observations .... 91 



The Canyon D r ( Butte, M "rites . 91 

 University Development in Wales. (Illustrated.) By 



Prof. G. H. Bryan. F.R.S 91 



Technical Training and University Grants .... 93 



Applications of Sc ence to Industry 94 



Trials of Road Materials and Construction .... 95 



Meteorological Repoits 95 



Bird- Notes. (/...■ 1. By R. L 96 



American Ethnology. By Dr. A. C. Haddon, 



F.R.S 97 



Radiant Matter. 1.' 'ustrated). By Prof. J. Joly, 



F.R.S 9S 



University and Educational Intelligence 101 



Societies and Academies 101 



