NA TURE 



[May 31, 1906 



camphor derivatives. Isolaurolene and isolauronolic acid : 

 G. Blanc. The starting point of these syntheses is 

 aa-dimethyladipic acid, the synthesis of which has been 

 described in a previous note. The anhydride of this acid by 

 slow distillation at the ordinary pressure gives 2 : 2-dimethyl- 

 cvclopentanone. The tertiary alcohol obtained from this 

 by Grignard's reaction on distillation at ordinary atmo- 

 spheric pressure splits up into water and isolaurolene. — 

 a-Chlorocyclohexanone and its derivatives : L. Bouveault 

 and F. Chereau. This substance is obtained by chlorin- 

 ating either cyclohexanone or cyclohexanol in the presence 

 of calcium carbonate. The chlorine in this derivative is 

 reactive, potassium carbonate solution giving a-oxycyclo- 

 hexanone. Substituted homologues of cyclohexanone are 

 obtained without difficulty by the action of alkyl-magnesium 

 compounds on chlorocyclohexanone ; the methyl, ethyl, and 

 isopropyl derivatives are described. — Stereoisomerism in the 

 group of unsaturated a;8-acyclic compounds : E. F. Blaise 

 and P. Bagrard. — The genus Mascarenhasia : Marcel 

 Oubard. — A case of a green organ deprived of assimil- 

 ating power : Jean Friedel. The ovary of Omithogalum 

 arabicum is green and contains chlorophyll, but is devoid 

 of assimilating power, although the ovary of Omithogalum 

 umhellalum, which is also green, has a well-developed 

 assimilating power. The difference is possibly due to a 

 superficial alteration of the chlorophyll grains. — The 

 diseases of the coffee plant in the Congo Free State : 

 E. De Wiideman. — The replacement of the vibrating 

 muscles of the wing by adipocyte columns in ants after 

 the nuptial flight : Charles Janet. — A new myxosporidium 

 of the common tench : Louis Legrer. This species was 

 discovered in looking for the cause of a heavy mortality 

 of the tench, and is named by the author Chi. crisfatum. 

 The disease of the fish was due to other causes. — 

 Culture of the spirillum of recurrent African fever in man 

 (tick fever) : C. Levaditi. Details of the method of culture 

 are given. The virulence of the spirillum was maintained 

 through a long series of cultures. — The pathogeny of 

 tuberculosis : H. Vallee. — The terraces of the Rhone 

 valley below Lyons : M. de Lamothe. — The tectonic and 

 stratigraphical relations of Sicily and Tunis : Emile 

 Haugr. — The geology of Calabria : Maurice Lugreon and 

 Emile Argrand. — A method of taking samples of sea-water 

 for bacteriological studies : P. Portier and J. Richard. 

 The construction and use of the apparatus are made clear 

 by four diagrams. — The increase in the flow due to the 

 cold season in the Seine and Loire basins : Edmond 

 Maillet. — The mineralisation of subterranean waters and 

 the causes of its variation : F. Dienert. — The Abannets of 

 Nimes, Belgium : E. A. Marvel and E. Van den Broeck. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, May 31. 



Society, at 4-50.— On the Main Source of " Precipitable " Sub- 

 let and on the Role of the Homologous Proteid in Precipitin Reac- 

 tions : D. A. Welsh and H. G. Chapman.— The Viscosity of the Blood : 

 A. du Pre Dennin? and J. H. VVatson.— The Affinity Constants of 

 Amphoteric Electrolytes, i., Methyl Derivatives of Para-Aminobenzoic 

 Acid and of Glycine : T. Johnston.— The Affinity Constants of Ampho- 

 teric Electrolytes, ii.. Methyl Derivatives of Ortho- and Meta-amino- 

 benzoic Acids : A. C. Gumming.— The Affinity Constants of Amphoteric 

 Electrolytes, iii.. Methylated Amino-acids : Prof. J. Walker, F.R.S. 

 ?OYAL Institution, at 5.— Man and the Glacial Period : Prof. W. J. 

 SoUas, F.R.S. 



FRIDA r, June i. 



TUESDAY. June 5. 



Royal Institution, at 5.— Northern Winter Sports, Sweden and its 

 People : Colonel V. Balck. 



IVEDJVESDAY, June 6. 



Society of Public Analysts, at 8. 



Entomological Society, at 8. — (t) Predaceous Insects; (2) On some 

 Formi of Pafi/io dariianns : Prof E. B. Poulton, F.R.S.— Notes on the 

 Blattida: : R. Shelford— On the Bionomics of some Buuerflies from the 

 Victoria Nyanza Region : S. A. Neave. 



NO. 1909, VOL. 74] 



THURSDAY, ]v<iEj. 



Royal Society, at ^.-^o.—Probable Papers : On the Osmotic P: 

 some C^oncentrated Solutions : The Earl of Berkeley and K. G. J. 

 Hartley — An Account of the Pendulum Observations made at Kew and 

 Greenwich Observatories in 1003: Major G. P. Leno.\-Conyngham.— 

 The Self-induction of an Iron Cylinder: Prof. E. Wilson. 



Royal Institution, at 5.— Man and the Glacial Period: Prof. \V. J. 

 Sollas, F.R.S. 



Linnean Society, at 8. — On Two New Species of Populus from 

 Darjeeling: H. H. Haines.— Biscayan Plankton, part viii., The 

 Cephalopoda : W. E. Hoyle.— Part ix.. The Medusa;: E. T. Browne. 



Chemical Society, at 8.30.— Ammonium Selenate and the Question of 

 Isodimorphism in the Alkali Series: A. E. H. Tutton. — .^n Improved 

 Beckman Apparatus for Molecular Weight Determination : J. M. 

 Sanders.- Resolution of Lactic Acid by Morphine: J. C. Iivine.- The 

 Vapour Pressures of Binary Mixtures, part i.. The Possible Types of 

 Vapour-pressure Curves : A. Marshall —.Action of Sodium on aa-Dichlor. 

 propylene; 1. Smedley. — Thiocarbamide as a Solvent for Gold : J. Moir. 

 —The Action of Sulphur Dioxide and Aluminium Chloride on Aromatic 

 Compounds : S. Smiles and R. Le Rossignol. 



FRIDAY, June 8. 

 Royal Institution, at 9.— Studies on Charcoal and Liquid Air: Sir 



James Dewar, F.R.S. 

 Physical Society, at 8.- On the Solution of Problems in Diffraction by 



the Aid of Contour Integration : H. Davies.— The Effect of R.-»dium in 



Facilitating the Visible Electric Discharge in z'acuo : A. A. Campbell 



Swinton.— Mr. J. Goold's Experiments with a Vibrating Steel Plate, 



exhibited by Messrs. Newton and Co.— Fluid (liquid) resistance : Col. de 



Villamil. 

 Roval Astronomical Society, at s. 

 GEOLOGIST.S' Association, at 8.— The Higher Zones of the Upper Chalk 



in the Western Part of the London Basin : H. J. Osborne White and 



LI. Treacher. 

 Malacolocical Society, at 8. — Mollusca of the Porcupine Expeditions, 



1869-70. Supplemental Notes, part iii. : E. R. Sykes.— Notes on the 



Dates of Publication of the "Mineral Conchology" and "Genera Rec. 



Foss. Shells": E. R. Sykes.— Description of Oliva ispidula, L.. var. 



longispira: F. G. Bridgman.— On Chloriris hcteromplmlus : H. A. 



Pilsbry. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Family Ability. By 1 97 



Topographical Surveying. By H. N. D gS 



Garden Shrimps. By T. R. R. S 99 



Australian Ethnology. Hy N. W. T 100 



The Breeding Industry. By Dr. Francis H. A. 



Marshall loi 



Our Book Shelf: — 



Norton : "The Elements of Geology." — G. A. J. C. 102 



Lector : " Letters from the Dead to the Dead" . . . 102 

 Langeron : " Alias colorie des Plantes et des Animaux 



des Cotes de France " 102 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Osmotic Pressure. --W. C. D. Whetham, F.R.S. . 102 

 A New Vesuvian Mineral. — Dr. H. J. Johnston- 



Lavis 103 



The Photography of the Fundus Oculi. (lllia- 



tiatcd.) By Dr. J. Herbert Harsons 104 



The Birds of the Isle of Man. {Illustrated.) By F. . 105 



The Beaufort Scale. By W. E. P. 106 



Prof. Metschnikoff's Harben Lectures 107 



Notes, (Illustrated.) loS 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronotnical Occurrences in June 112 



Photographing the Corona without a Total Eclipse . 112 



Terrestrial Temperatures and the Solar Radiation . 112 



The Distribution of the Stars 112 



Observations of Comets 112 



The Tarpan and its Relationship with Wild and 

 Domestic Horses. (IHttstrated.) By Prof. J. C, 



Ewart, F.R.S iij 



The Figure and Stability of a Liquid Satellite. By 



Sir G. H. Darwin, K.C.B., F.R.S 115 



The Rusting of Iron 116 



University and Educational Intelligence 117 



Societies and Academies iiS 



Diary of Societies 120 



