44 = 



NATURE 



[September 28, 191 1 



spend the afternoons in their employers' workshops. The 

 experiment is interesting as an attempt to solve the 

 problem of providing instruction for the artisan without 

 the drawbacks involved in attendance at evening classes 

 after a strenuous day's work. In the evening classes an 

 important series of lectures on illuminating engineering is 

 being given jointly by the electrical engineering, technical 

 chemistry, and technical optics departments. 



The calendar of the University of Bristol for the session 

 1911-12, which is now available, reminds us that the 

 University of Bristol Act was passed in 1909 only, and 

 that excellent progress has been made since that date in 

 establishing the various departments of the University 

 which is to serve the west of England. Several institu- 

 tions in the neighbourhood have been affiliated with the 

 University. The work of the faculty of engineering in all 

 its branches is carried on in the Merchant Venturers' 

 Technical College, agreements between the University and 

 the Society of Merchant Venturers having been signed in 

 July, 1909, and May, 1911. In July, 1910, the Royal 

 Agricultural College, Cirencester, became associated with 

 the University for the purpose of instruction in agri- 

 culture, forestry, veterinary science, and kindred subjects. 

 Two theological colleges in Bristol are similarly associated 

 for instruction in theology and certain linguistic subjects. 

 There are, in addition, day training colleges for teachers, 

 and the University is fortunate in the number of institu- 

 tions near it open to students of medicine for hospital 

 practice and clinical instruction. A public health labora- 

 tory has been established to enable medical men in the 

 area to obtain trustworthy information and reports upon 

 pathological material, and of placing at the disposal of 

 authorities dealing with drinking water, persons con- 

 cerned with the supply or consumption of milk, and those 

 engaged in manufacturing processes, the resources of a 

 properly equipped bacteriological research laboratory. It 

 is clear that the University authorities are fully alive to 

 their opportunities of influencing the life and industries of 

 the counties surrounding the University, and that it will 

 not be long before the good effects of higher instruction 

 in the various branches of knowledge will follow. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, September 18. — M. Armanri Gautier 

 in the chair. — Ch. Lallemand : The deformations result- 

 ing from the mode of construction of the international map 

 of the world on the scale of one millionth. The author 

 establishes simplified formula for the construction of the 

 map, having regard to the accuracy possible with the scale 

 chosen. It is shown that the linear and angular errors, 

 due to the method employed, would be much less than 

 those due to the hygrometric deformations of the paper 

 on which the map is printed. — Edm. van Aubel : Hall's 

 phenomenon and the transversal thermo-magnetic effi 1 1 

 in graphite. Details of measurement of the thermo- 

 electric power of a graphite-copper thermocouple. This 

 was found to be + 17-8 microvolts per degree between 

 21-0° C. and 57-6° C, and iS-i microvolts per degree 

 between 20-9° C. and 98-55° C. — Georges Baume and 

 Albert F. O. Germann : Fusibility curves of gaseous 

 mixtures : the Oxonian systems formed by acetylene, 

 ethylene, nitric oxide, and methyl oxide. Diagrams are 

 given showing the fusibility curves of the systems (methyl 

 oxide-acetylene), (methyl oxide-ethylene), and (methyl oxide- 

 nitric oxide). Each of these curves shows a clearly marked 

 angular point corresponding to the molecular proportions 

 ((CHj^O+C.H,), ((CH,),0+C,H 4 ), and ((CHJ.O + zNO). 

 — J. Bougault and C. Charaux : Lactarinic acid, a keto- 

 stearic acid extracted from some fungi of the genus 

 Lactarius. This acid is present in the free state in 

 L. theiogalus, L. plumbcus, L. pyrogalus, and L. uvidus, 

 and can be extracted by boiling alcohol. The propertii 

 of the acid are described; it is shown to be a 1. tostearii 

 acid of the composition C^H^O,. — P. Gaubert : The 

 indices of refraction of some crystalline liquids. Measure- 

 ments of the refractive indices of propionate, benzoate, 

 acetate, and caproate of cholesterol are given. — E. Kayser 

 and H. Delaval : Contribution to the study of ropy 

 bread. — Charles Nicolle, A. Conor, and E. Conseil : 



NO. 2187, VOL. 87] 



The nature and the seat of the pathogenic agent in 

 exan thematic typhus. Experiments are adduced in support 

 of the hypothesis that the virus is localised in the leuco- 

 cytes. The blood was separated by centrifugation ; the 

 white corpuscles proved on inoculation to be the most 

 virulent ; the plasma is less active, and appears to owe 

 its poisonous action to the leucocytic de'bris difficult of 

 removal ; the wasted red corpuscles are inactive. The 

 blood serum was proved to be inoffensive to man, and the 

 cephalorachidian fluid, devoid of cells, proved to be also 

 inactive. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



TUESDAY, Octobek 3. 



Faraday Society, at 8.— The "Paragon" Electric Furnace and Recent 



Developments in Metallurcy : J. Harden. — Progress in the Electro- 



rnetallurrjyoflronand Steel : Donald F. Campbell.— The Herinc " Pinch 



ElTect " Furnace : E. Kilbnrn Scott. 



WEDNESDAY, Octobi r i 



Entomological Society, at B.— Rerort on a Collection of B byludao 



nom Central Africa, with Descriptions of New Species : Prof. 

 Mario Bezzi. 



CONTENTS. page 



The Stone Age in North America 409 



The Vulcanicity of Our Earth. By Prof. John Milne, 



F.R.S 410 



Biometrical Methods for Psychologists. By E. H. 



J. S 411 



Electric Cranes. By Prof. Gisbert Kapp 411 



Morphology of the Vertebrates 412 



The Principle of Relativity. By E. E. F 413 



Our Book Shelf . 413 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The " Earthquake House " at Comrie — Cecil Carus- 



Wilson 415 



The Upper Trade-winds — Dr. W. van Bemmelen . 415 

 Rainfall in the Summer of 191 1. (With Diagram.) — 



Alex. B. MacDowall 415 



Limits of Explosibility in Gaseous Mixtures — Dr. 



E. P. Perman . 416 



Working Hypotheses v. Collection of Bare Facts — 



Sir Oliver Lodge, F.R.S . . 416 



Use of Wind-furnaces in Smelting— Sir H. T. Wood 416 



Meteor-showers— John R. Henry 416 



Habits of Dogs— H. C. Chadwick ; H. Fergie 



Woods 417 



The Turin Meeting of the International Electro- 

 technical Commission 417 



Plantsof Coal-measures. (Illustrated.) By E.A.N. A. 418 

 The Electiical Exhibition at Olympia . . . . 420 



A Country in the Making. By Prof. J. A. Green 421 



Dr. F. W. Pavy, F.R.S. By Dr. Frederick Taylor 421 



Notes 422 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Astronomical Occurrences for October 427 



Another New Comet, 191 1 /" 427 



Discovery of Borrelly's Comet (1905 II., 1911*) . . 427 



The Kiess Comet, 191 \b 427 



Brooks's Comet, 191 1< 427 



The Spectrum of Morehouse's Comet (19081) . . . 427 



Meteor Observations 427 



fhe British Association at Portsmouth : — 



Section L. — Educalit nal Science. — Opening Address 

 (Abridged) by ihe Right Rev. J. E. C. Welldon, 



D.D., President of the Section 428 



Chemistry at the British Association 434 



Geology at the British Association 437 



Aeronautics at the British Association 439 



The Institute of Metals 440 



University and Educational Intelligence 441 



Societies and Academies 44 2 



Diary of Societies 44 2 



