184 



NATURE 



[October 10, 19 12 



•C. tanret. Details are given of the method of ex- 

 traction and of the chemical and physical properties 

 • of the quebrachite.— A. Fernbach : A new form of 

 soluble starch. Weak solutions of starch in water, 

 not containing more than 2 per cent, of starch, are 

 poured into a large excess of acetone, and the pre- 

 cipitate extracted with pure acetone, and dried in a 

 vacuum. The starch thus obtained is distinguished 

 bv the property of dissolving easily in cold water, and 

 this solution yields with iodine very pure blue colora- 

 tions. — J. Wolff : Some new properties of the per- 

 oxydases and their mode of working in the absence 

 of peroxide. — Jacques Parisot and M. Vernier : Re- 

 searches on the toxicity of fungi. Their hjemolytic 

 power. It is shown that the hsemolytic power of 

 fungj, when it exists, is very strong, both in vitro and 

 in vivo. This property is possessed by some of the 

 edible fungi, and it is pojnted out that a very long 

 exposure to a high temperature during cooking is 

 required to destroy this poisonous property. — Maurice 

 Lugeon : The tectonic of the Morcles strata and its 

 consequences. — De Montessus de Ballore : Seismo- 

 log.ical observations made at the island of Paques. — 

 Henrv Hubert : The aerial currents in western Africa. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Einfiihrung in die Mathematik fiir Biologen und 

 Chemiker. Prof. L. Michaelis. Pp. vii + 253. (Ber- 

 lin : J. Springer.) 7.80 marks. 



The Cambridge Manuals of Science and Literature : 

 The Individual in the Animal Kingdom. By J. S. 

 Huxley. Pp. xi -1-167. The Work of Rain and Rivers. 

 By Prof. T. G. Bonney. Pp. viii+144. The Psycho- 

 logy of Insanity. By Dr. B. Hart. Pp. ix-i-176. 

 House-flies and How they Spread Disease. By Dr. 

 C. G. Hewitt. Pp. xii+122. Brewing. By A. C. 

 Chapman. Pp. xi + 130. Heredity in the Light of 

 Recent Research. By L. Doncaster. Second edition. 

 Pp. X+160. (Cambridge University Press.) is. net 

 each. 



Die Existenz der Molekiile. By Prof. T. Svedberg. 

 Pp. viii + 243 + 4 plates. (Leipzig: Akademische Ver- 

 lagsgesellschaft m.b.H.) 12 marks. 



Untersuchungen iiber die Bildungsverhaltnisse der 

 ozeanischen Salzablagerungen insbesondere des Stass- 

 furter Salzlagers. By J. H. van't Hoff and others. 

 Edited by Profs. H. Precht and E. Cohen. Pp. xx + 

 374 + 8 plates. (Leipzig: Akademische \'erlagsgesell- 

 schaft m.b.H.) 16 marks. 



Sylviculture in the Tropics. By A. F. Broun. Pp. 

 xviii + 3og. (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 

 Ss. 6(i." net. 



La Cementazione dell' Acciaio. By Dr. F. Giolitti. 

 Pp. xi + 506. (Torino: Unione Tipografico-Editrice 

 Torinese.) 



Handbuch der Spectroscopic. By Prof. H. Kayser. 

 Serhster Band. Pp. vi + 1067. (Leipzig : S. Hirzel.) 



Hvpnotism and Disease. By Dr. H. C. Miller. 

 Pp. 252. (London : T. Fisher Unwin.) 5s. net. 



Survey of India. Professional Paper, No. 13 : 

 Investigation of the Theory of Isostasy in India. By 

 Major H. L. Crosthwait. Pp. iii+14 + map. (Dehra 

 Dun : Trigonometrical Survey of India.) 



Biomechanik und Biogenesis. By Prof. M. Bene- 

 •dikt. Pp. iii + 88. (Jena: G. Fischer.) 2 marks. 



Richtlinien des Entwicklungs- und Vererbungs- 

 problems. By Dr. A. Greil. Zweiter Teil. Pp. iii-l- 

 364. (Jena : G. Fischer.) 10 marks. 



Junior Sound and Light. By Drs. R. W. Stewart 

 and J. Satterlv. Pp. 227. (London : W. B. Clive.) 

 2S. 6d. 



MO. 2241, VOL. 90] 



The Marine Mammals in the Anatomical Museum 

 of the University of Edinburgh. By Sir W. Turner. 

 Pp. xv + 207. (London : Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 

 6s. net. 



Narrative of the Visit to India of their Majesties 

 King George V. and Queen Mary, and of the Corona- 

 tion Durbar held at Delhi, December 12, igii. By 

 the Hon. J. Fortescue. Pp. viii-l-324. (London : 

 Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 10s. 6d. net . 



The Theory of Light. By the late Prof. T. Preston. 

 Fourth edition. Edited by Prof. W. E. Thrift. Pp. 

 xxiii-i-6i8. (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd.) 155. 

 net. 



Education and National Life. By Dr. H. Dyer. 

 Pp. 112. (London : Blackie and Son, Ltd.) is. net. 



Vibration and Life. By Dr. D. T. Smith. Pp. 178. 

 (Boston : R. G. Badger.) 1.50 dollars net. 



The Composition of the Atmosphere : with Special 

 Reference to its O.xyp'en Content. By F. G. Bene- 

 dict. Pp. iii+iis. (Washington: Carnegie Institu- 

 tion.) 



A Bicvcle Ergometer with an Electric Brake. Bv 

 F. G. 'Benedict and W. G. Cady. Pp. iii-l-44. 

 (Washington : Carnegie Institution.) 



The Production of Elliptic Interferences in Relation 

 to Interferometry. By C. Barus. Part ii. Pp. vi-1- 

 7g-i68. (Washington : Carnegie Institution.) 



CONTENTS. PAGK 



Five New School Geographies 157 



Laboratory Chemistry 1 5S 



Local and General Geology. By Prof, Grenville A.J. 



Cole 159 



What is Instinct ? 160 



Our Bookshelf 160 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Sailing Flighl nf Birds, {ir/t/i Dic^nvi,.)-'PToi. 



Edwin H. Hall 161 



Errors of tlie Computed Times of Solar Eclipse Theno- 

 mena.— Dr. A. M. W. Downing, F.R.S. ; Dr. 



William J. S. Lockyer 162 



A Flower-saiu-tuary. — Frank H. Perrycoste ; Right 

 Hon. Sir Edw. Fry, G.C.B., F.R.S. ; A. R. 



Horwood 162 



The Summer of 1912. — Rev. Dr. A. Irving . . . . 163 

 Turkish Earthquake of September 13. — George W. 



Walker 163 



The Northern Elephant Seal, {n/inlra/cii.) .... 164 

 The Natural History of the Dead Sea and Jordan 



Valley. By T. G. B 165 



The Medical New Year 166 



The Church Congress at Middlesbrough 167 



Notes 16S 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Gale's Comet, 1912a ■ ■ I7- 



.Sun-spot Activiiy '73 



The Syslemaiic Motions of Sun-spots 1/3 



The Parallax of Nova Lacertiie I73 



The Royal Hungarian Astrophysical Observatory . . 173 



Observations of Variable Stars '73 



Bird Notes. By R. L 173 



Experimental Work at an Agricultural College. 



{l/liis/ra/.d.) By Prof. J. R. Ainsworth-Davis . . 174 



Additional Forthcoming Books of Science .... 174 

 The British Association at Dundee : — 



Section K. — Bo'any.— Opening Address by Prof. 

 Frederick Keeble, Sc.D., President of the 



Section 175 



University and Educational Intelligence 182 



Societies and Academies 183 



Books Received . 184 



