February 27, 1913] 



NATURE 



Edinburgh. 

 Royal Society, February 3. — Prof. Hudson Beare, 

 vice-president, in the chair. — J. S. Anderson and G. B. 

 Burnside : A new method of starting mercury-vapour 

 apparatus. The vacuum tube was so arranged tliat 

 liquid mercury filled the region which was subse- 

 quently to be filled with the incandescent vapour. 

 By an ingenious device the current as it passed by 

 the platinum into the interior of the tube heated the 

 lower end, expanding the mercury upwards past a 

 narrow constriction in tlie tube. The mercury column 

 became broken at this constriction, and at once a 

 small arc light through the mercury vapour was 

 formed. This rapidly grew, pushing the liquid mer- 

 cury to the other end of the tube. The resistance of 

 the circuit being thereby greatly increased, the heating 

 effect in the small outsicie coil was correspondingly 

 diminished, and thus automatically the lamp was its 

 own temperature regulator. Important details were 

 given as to the method of making the apparatus. — J. 

 McWhan : The electron theory of thermoelectricity. 

 This was an application of thermodynamic principles 

 to the electron tlieory of thermoelectricity, the 

 assumption being that from each metal at all tem- 

 peratures electrons evaporate producing a definite 

 electron pressure in the neighbourhood. Expressions 

 for the Thomson effect and for the thermoelectric 

 power were obtained. — N. P. Campbell : The applica- 

 tion of Manley's differential densimeter to the study 

 of sea waters on board ship. The differential densi- 

 meter was described in 1907 (see Nature, vol. Ixxvi., 

 p 311), and its use explained. Briefly described, it is 

 a modification of Hare's metliod for comparing densi- 

 ties of liquids. As originally constructed it was not 

 found very convenient for use on board ship. In the 

 present paper certain modifications are described, and 

 results are given showing that it can be used effec- 

 tively at sea. The density of each sample of sea 

 water may be determined with ease and accuracy at 

 the time it is collected. One great merit is that since 

 the sample being studied is balanced against a 

 standard solution of known density at the same tem- 

 perature, and since the temperature correction is the 

 same for both solutions, there is no necessity for 

 applying this temperature correction. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, February 17. — M. F. Guyon in 

 the chair. — G. Bigourdan : Observations of nebuL-e 

 made at the Paris Observatory. — Paul Appell : The 

 equilibrium of wires the elements of which attract or 

 repel each other as a function of the distance. — L. 

 Lecornu : Tlie cause of a boiler explosion. A discus- 

 sion of the causes of the explosion of a boiler forming 

 part of a hot-water system in a private house. — L. 

 Maquenne and E. Demoussy : The value of the chloro- 

 phyll coefficients and their relations with true respira- 

 tory coefficients. The results of a long series of ex- 

 periments are summarised in eleven conclusions, stress 

 being laid on the variation in the respiratory coefficient 

 of leaves with the stage of growth. — M. Gouy : The 

 production of intense magnetic fields at the surface 

 of the sun. A discussion of the possibility of the 

 views currently held regarding the production of in- 

 tense magnetic fields in sun-spots. — W. Kilian and Ch. 

 Pussenot : New data relating to the tectonic in the 

 neighbourhood of Briangon. — J. Violle : The incon- 

 venience which might be caused to telegraphs and 

 telephones in the neighbourhood of certain special 

 lightning conductors called niagaras. Report of a 

 committee on lightning conductors. It is recom- 

 mended that no receiving station or telegraph line 

 should be nearer than 20 metres to this special form 

 of lightning conductor. — M. Vuillemin was elected a 

 correspondant for the section of botany in the place of 

 NO. 2261, VOL. 90] 



the late M. Strasburger. — Maurice Gevrey : The nature 

 of the solutions of certain partial differential equations. 

 — A. Pcheborski : Some polynomials with minimum 

 deviations from zero within a given interval. — M. 

 Valiron : Integral functions of order zero. — Carl 

 Stiirmer : A mechanical problem and its applications 

 to cosmic physics. The results of a theorem on the 

 trajectories of electrified corpuscles in the field of an 

 elementary magnet. Amongst the applications men- 

 tioned as possible are the theory of the aurora borealis 

 of Arrhenius, and the experiments of Birkeland bear- 

 ing on the zodiacal light, comets, and Saturn's rings. 

 — U. Cisotti : The rigid movements of the surface of 

 a vortex. — A. Grumbach : The retardation of electro- 

 lysis with a polarising electromotive force. — Georges 

 Meslin : The reciprocal influence of parallel antennae 

 on the conditions of reception of Hertzian waves. — 

 .\ndre Blondel : The bipolar diagram of synchronised 

 alternators working as generators or receivers on a 

 network a constant potential. — G. Reboul : The influ- 

 ence of tlie geometric form of solids on the chemical 

 actions which they undergo. When a solid is acted 

 on by a gas the attack is most active at the points 

 where the curvature is greatest. — Jean Bielecki and 

 Victor Henri : A quantitative study of the absorption 

 of the ultra-violet rays by fatty acids and their esters 

 in aqueous and alcoholic solutions. In a body of the 

 formula Cj.H.,,,^ ,.C(-)oR the absorption is determined 

 by the acid group, the alkyl group having slight in- 

 fluence. — A. Seneclial : The violet chromium sulpliates. 

 A study of the water contents of the crystallised salt 

 in various degrees of hydration. — J. Bougault : Phenyl- 

 a-oxycrotonic acid. — P. Lebeau and A. Damiens : The 

 estimation of acetylene and ethylene hydrocarbons in 

 mixtures of gaseous hydrocarbons. An alkaline solu- 

 tion of the double iodide of mercury and potassium 

 is suggested as absorbent for gases of the acetylene 

 type; for ethylene, concentrated sulphuric acid con- 

 taining I per cent, of vanadic acid is shown to be a 

 satisfactory' reagent. — Pierre Lesage : The curve of the 

 limits of germination of seeds after remaining in 

 saline solutions. — R. de Litardiere : The variations of 

 volume of the nucleus and the cell in some ferns 

 during the heterotypical prophase. — G. Andrfi : The 

 migration of the mineral elements and the displace- 

 ment of these elements in leaves immersed in water. 

 — R. Fosse : The formation of urea by the higher 

 plants. — M. Tcherning : A theory of vision. — Jacques 

 Mawas : The asymmetry of the ciliary body and its 

 importance in astigmatic accommodation and move- 

 ments of the crystalline lens. — Jules Courmont and A. 

 Rocbaix : Immunisation against Staphylococcus 

 pyogenes aureus by way of the intestine. The intro- 

 duction of the dead organisms into the intestine con- 

 fers a certain degree of immunity, and the infection 

 is profoundly modified in its characters. — Casimir 

 Cepede : The Cytopleurosporea. — Venceslas Moycho : 

 Studv of the action of the ultra-violet rays on the ear 

 of the rabbit. — M. Deprat : The Palasozoic strata of 

 the Black River (Tonkin). — Maurice Lugeon : A new 

 mode of fluvial erosion. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Anatomical Model of the Mare. (London : Vinton 

 and Co., Ltd.) 2s. 6d. net. 



Streifziige an der Riviera. By Prof. E. Stras- 

 burger. Dritte Auflage. Pp. xxvi + 582. (Jena: G. 

 Fischer.) 10 marks. 



New Log and Versine Altitude Tables. By Lieut. 

 R. de .Aquino. Pp. v* + 36*. (London : J. D. Potter.) 

 2s. 6d. net. ^ 



Siebente Versammlung der internationalen Kom- 

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