272 



NATURE 



[August 24, 191 1 



with homopiperonylamine, hydroberberine has been 

 synthesised with homoveratryl-homopiperanylamine, and 

 veratryl-norhydrohydrastinine as intermediate steps. 

 Berberine has already been obtained from tetrahydro- 

 berberine, so that the synthesis is complete. — L. 

 Tchougaeff and G. Pigoulewsky : Dithiocampho- 

 <-arbonic acid. — S. Losanitch : The constitution of divalo- 

 lactone. — E. Caille : A modification of the Friedel and 

 Crafts reaction yielding a-naphthalenic ketones exclusively. 

 The reaction is effected in carbon bisulphide at a tempera- 

 ture of o° C. The yield of ketone is high, 60 per cent, to 

 So per cent. ; five examples of the application of the method 

 are given. — Maurice Arthus : The specific characters of 

 the antivenom serums. Anticobra serum and the poisons 

 of the hamadryas (Naja bungarus) and krait (Bungarus 

 coeruleus). — J. Courmont and A. Rochaix : Negative 

 attempts at antituberculous immunisation by the intestine. 

 — J. Kunckel d'Herculais : Observations on the habits of 

 a myriopod (Scutigera coleoplrata). Its utility in destroy- 

 ing flies. The action of its poison : its supposed accidental 

 presence in the digestive apparatus of man. — Pierre 

 Cit-ai-d : The preponderating rdle of two electrostatic 

 factors in the osmosis of solutions of electrolytes. Normal 

 osmotic movements. — Em. de Martonne : Results of the 

 morphological analysis of the erosion levels of the Arc 

 and Isere valleys. 



August 14. — M. Armand Gautier in the chair. — J. 

 Boussinesq : The spontaneous vibrations of a bar fixed 

 at the ends and impermeable to heat, which is put in 

 thermal equilibrium with an atmosphere at constant 

 temperature. Simplified solutions for two problems 

 previously studied by M. Roy and M. Annycke. — H. 

 Douville : The geological explorations of M. Perrier de la 

 Bathie in Madagascar. — Edouard Heckel : The cultural 

 bud mutations of Solatium maglia, and on the first cultural 

 results of these mutations. The first result has been the 

 production of a violet variety. The plants show great 

 resistance to cryptogamic diseases, and suggestions are put 

 forward as to a means of obtaining strains of potatoes 

 from wild plants capable of resisting disease. — A. 

 Calmette and L. Massol : The antigenic function of the 

 tuberculins. — M. Verschaffel : Observations of a double 

 shooting star. — Armand Denjoy : Analysis situs of the 

 plane. — Victor Henri : The influence of various physical 

 conditions on the ultra-violet radiation of quartz mercury 

 vapour lamps. Using the citrate of silver method described 

 in a previous note for measuring the intensity of the ultra- 

 violet radiation, the author has made determinations of 

 the activity of a Westinghouse Cooper-Hewitt lamp under 

 varying conditions of cooling. It was found that the ultra- 

 violet radiation of the lamp is more intense as the tempera- 

 ture of the luminous tube increases. Cooling the tube with 

 water gives only one-fourteenth of the ultra-violet radia- 

 tion obtained when the lamp is in air, the watts consumed 

 remaining the same. A study of the activity of six lamps 

 of different makes and ages showed that for experiments 

 in photochemistry a quartz mercury vapour lamp may be 

 relied upon as a constant source of ultra-violet rays, the 

 radiation being defined when the voltage, amperage, and 

 length of the tube are known. — G. Chesneau : The 

 analysis of monazite sands. Full details of the suggested 

 method are given, accompanied with a complete analysis 

 of a monazite sand from Madagascar. — M. Kunz : Feeling 

 at a distance as a factor in the power of orientation 

 possessed by the blind. A study of the so-called " sixth 

 sense " of the blind. This is found to be localised on the 

 skin, and is not exclusively an attribute of the blind. It 

 is not connected with the sense of hearing, as is shown by 

 the results of numerous experiments specially directed to 

 this point. — Emile Yung : The insensibility to light and 

 the blindness of the vine snail (Helix pomatia). 



Melbourne. 



Royal Societv of Victoria, June S. — Prof. E. W. Skeats 

 in the chair. — A. M. Lea : A new Australian genus of 

 Phoridae, associated with termites. — F. Chapman and 

 A. O. Thiele : A limburgite rock occurring as a volcanic 

 plug at Balwyn, near Doncaster. 



July 13. — Prof. E. W. Skeats in the chair. — Kathleen 

 E. Oliver : The displacement of the optic lobes during the 

 development of the brain of the fowl. The paper consists 



J l82, VOL. 87] 



mainly of a series of drawings in the round of the different 

 stages. — Helen Kelsey : Subdivision of the spinal canal 

 in the lumbar region of chick embryos. In chicks of 

 fifty-two hours' incubation the canalis centralis is bifur- 

 cated in the lumbar region. The observations extended 

 over three years, and a large series was examined. — A. 

 Crouvello : Description de quelques nouveaux especes de 

 Coleopteres australiennes. — F. Chapman : Some Silurian 

 species of the genus Lingula, with notes on its shell struc- 

 ture and a parasitic plant. Canals in the corneous 

 laminae were found in the fossil as in the recent L. albida. 

 — J. H. Catliff and C. J. Gabriel : Some new species of 

 Victorian Mollusca. One new genus, Edenttellina, and 

 eight new species, are described. — J. H. Cat lilt and C. J. 

 Gabriel : Additions to, and alterations of, the catalogue 

 of Victorian marine Mollusca. — F. L. Stillwell : Notes on 

 the geology of Broadmeadows. 



Cape Town. 

 Royal Society cf South Africa. July 19. — Mr. S. S. 

 Hough, F.R.S., president, in the chair. — J. C. Beattie : 

 Terrestrial isomagnetic lines in South Africa. 



CONTENTS. page 



Two Works on Wireless Telegraphy. By J. A. F. 239 



The Science of Shipbuilding. By W. H. W. . . 240 



Jurassic and Cretaceous Stratigraphy. ByJ. W. G. 241 



Practical Dietetics. By R. T. H 242 



Foiest Management. By A. W. B 243 



The Mechanics of the Social Body. By G. U. Y. 244 

 The Gum-trees of Australia. By W. Botting 



Hemsley, F.R S 245 



Airmen and Aviation 245 



Our Book Shelf 245 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Forest of Auchnacarry. — D. E. Hutchins . . . 247 



The Drought and the Birds. — Charlie Woods . . . 247 



A Handbook of Burma. (Illustrated.) 248 



Plague in England. By Prof. W. J. Simpson, 



C.M.G 249 



The Nutritive Value of Bread . .... £50 



The International Committee of Weights and 



Measures 251 



Australian Zoology 252 



Prof. W. Spring 252 



Notes 253 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



The Comets 1911^ and 191 u. (Illustrated.) .... 257 



The New Canals on Mars 25S 



A Quickly Moving Comet-like Object 25S 



Observations of Nova Lacertoe 258 



Prominences Observed on April 2S 25S 



A Star with Considerable Proper Motion 258 



An Astronomical Survey of Some Pembrokeshire 



Circles. By Rev. John Griffith 259 



Recent English Agricultural Publications . . . 259 



Medical Research in India. By R. T. H 259 



Marine Biology 260 



Rural Education. By J. J. G 260 



Eskimo Music 261 



The Knee-jerk 261 



Afforestation in Scotland ... 262 



Plankton Studies on the West Coast of Scotland 



and in the Irish Sea 262 



The Pruning of Trees in Towns ... ... 262 



An Exhibition of Biblical Natural History . . 263 

 Liebig and His Influence on the Progress of 

 Modern Chemistry. By Sir William A. Tilden. 



F.R.S 263 



Excavatiors at Meroe in Ethiopia. (Illustrated.) 



By Prof. J. Garstang 268 



University and Educational Intelligence 270 



Societies and Academies 271 



