312 



NA TURE 



[July 26, 1906 



Upper Niger: a new pathogenic trypanosome : A. 

 Laveran. The new species was obtained from a ram, in- 

 oculated from the blood of a horse infected in the Bari 

 region, and is named Trypan, cazalhoiii. This trypano- 

 some is clearly distinguished from neighbouring species by 

 its pathogenic action upon animals. — The chlorides and 

 sulphates of rubidium and caesium : M. de Forcrand. A 

 thermochemical paper. — The secondary alcohols of the 

 octane (CH3),.CH.(CH,),,.CH, : Louis Henry. A dis- 

 cussion on the relations existing between the boiling points 

 of the secondary alcohols and the position of the hydroxyl 

 group in the chain. — The effect of breathing air containing 

 from 5 per cent, to lo per cent, of carbon ; N. Grehant. 

 Tile effect of increasing the carbonic acid content of the 

 air from the normal amount to 5 per cent, is to set up 

 more rapid breathing, but the composition of the gases of 

 the blood remains nearly constant. When the proportion 

 of carbonic acid was increased to 10 per cent., the re- 

 spiratory movements were three times as fast as with 

 pure air ; the oxygen in the blood gases was still constant, 

 but the carbonic acid was increased from 38-4 per cent, to 

 42S per cent. — A reflection heliometer : Milan Stefanik. 

 — A preliminary measurement of the lines of the solar 

 s|)fctrum in the infra-red : G. Millochau. The results of 

 I hi' application of a method indicated in a previous note. 

 Measurements of 106 lines are given for wave-lengths 

 A ^025.5 to \ 9325-2. — The theory of ensembles : Jules 

 Konigr. — The measurement of the capacity and self-induc- 

 tion of telegraph lines : M. Devaux-Charbonnel. Details 

 are given of the methods used to prevent the interference 

 of parasitic currents. It was found that the capacity of 

 air lines is higher than their theoretical value, and varies 

 with the hygrometric state of the atmosphere. — The deter- 

 mination, in wave-lengths, of the photographed absorption 

 bands of the colouring matters of the blood : Louis Lewin, 

 .\. Miethei and E. Stenger. — The action of the silent 

 discharge on cyanogen : H. Gaudechon. Nitrogen is set 

 free and a solid body deposited, the latter not being merely 

 a polymeride of cyanogen, since the values of n in the 

 formula C„N., varied from 4-4 to 5-0 in different experi- 

 ments. — Amido-acids derived from the albumens : Albert 

 Morel. An account of the preparation of some substituted 

 ureas of glycocoll, including glycocoll-urea, a mixed urea 

 of glycocoli and leucine, and of glycocoll and tyrosin. 

 None of these compounds was capable of hydrolysis with 

 digestive ferments. — Condensations with anthranol : R. 

 Padova. — The reduction of the primary unsaturated 

 alroh<ils of the fatty series by the metal-ammoniums : E. 

 Chablay. With allyl alcohol, one molecule is converted 

 into sodium allylate and a second into propylene. The 

 reaction is quantitative, and forms a good method for the 

 preparation of pure propylene. — The transformation of some 

 secondary-tertiary a-glycols into ketones, and the trans- 

 position of hydrobenzoin : MM. Tiffeneau and Dorlen- 

 court. — The isomorphism of potassium chlorate and 

 nitrate : Jean Herbette. It is shown in the case of these 

 two salts that the properties of mixed crystals in a series 

 of isomorphous mixtures are not necessarily intermediate 

 between those of the extreme terms of the series, the pure 

 salts. — The influence of the absorption of sugar on the 

 phenomena of germination of young plants : W. Lubi- 

 tnenko. When fermentable sugars are absorbed by the 

 plant, the latter behaves physiologically like a yeast placed 

 imdor aerobic conditions. — Variations in the nutritive ex- 

 changes under the influence of muscular work developed 

 during rriountain climbing : H. Guillemard and R. 

 Moog. — The temporary disappearance of the trypanosomes 

 of nagana in infected dogs ; Gabriel Roux and L^on 

 Lacomme. — The geology of the Djebel Ouenza district, on 

 the borders of Tunis and .Mgeria : Pierre Terfnier. — The 

 terrestrial magnetic inclination in prehistoric limes : Paul 

 L. Mercanton. — The trajectories of electric corpuscles in 

 space under the influence of terrestrial magnetism, with 

 applications to the aurora bdrcalis and magnetic disturb- 

 ances : Carl Stormer. — The aurora borealis : P. Villard. 

 — The supposed law of monthly distribution of earth- 

 quakes : F. de Montessus de Ballore. The :mthor con- 

 cludes that earthquakes occur at any time of the year, and 

 that' there is no ground for supposi'ng a maximum earth- 

 quake frequency in anv special month. 



NO. IQl 7, VOL 74] 



New South Wales. 

 Linnean Society, May 30. — Mr. Thos. Steel, president, 

 in the chair. — The genus Cardiothorax, with descriptions 

 of new species of Australian Coleoptera, part ii. : H. J. 

 Carter. All workers in Australian entomology who are 

 precluded from an examination of types in European 

 museums find their difliculties increased by the want of 

 information on many of the commoner species. The pre- 

 sent paper is an attempt to clear up much of the confusion 

 that has existed as to the nomenclature, identification, and 

 geographical distribution in one of the larger genera of the 

 family Tenebrionida;, subfamily Helopides, viz. the genus 

 Cardiothorax. — Preliminary note on the geological history 

 of the \\'arrumbungle Mountains district : H. I. Jensen. 

 It is shown in this note that the Warrumbungle Moun- 

 tains are the remnants of a dome-shaped mass of volcanic 

 rocks dissected by arid agencies. The erosion has pro- 

 duced a land form similar to that described by Ida H. 

 Ogilvie under the new name of " conoplain " (American 

 Geologist, July, 1905). It is also shown that this cono- 

 plain is surrounded by a peneplain dissected by arid 

 agencies and base-levelled to the level of the Western 

 Plains. — Descriptions of new species of Australian Coleo- 

 ptera. part viii. : A. M. Lea. The paper contains de- 

 scriptions of twenty-two new species and one new genera 

 fa blind one) of StaphylinidrE, a new genus of Paussida>, 

 a remarkable new genus of Ptinidac, the only known species 

 Df which occurs in ants' nests, an Inopeplus, a Pelonium 

 (a genus of Cleridas not hitherto recorded from .Australia), 

 four species of Lathridius, and a beautiful Lemodes. — New 

 Australian species of the family Agrionidae (Neuroptera : 

 Odonata) : R. J. Tillyard. Eleven new species are added 

 to the .Australian list, bringing the total for this family 

 up from twenty-eight to thirty-nine. Seven genera are 

 represented, of which two have not before been recorded 

 for Australia. Of the species described, ten are new to 

 science, and the eleventh has only been recorded before 

 from Central Africa, where it is common. 



CONTENTS. PACE 



Sir Henry Roscoe's Reminiscences. By W. A. S. . 289 



With Wires and Without. By Maurice Solomon . 290 



Theoretical Biology. By J. A. T 292 



Economic Zoology. By Fred. V. Theobald .... 293 



The Feeling for Nature 293 



Our Book Shelf : — 



"A Handbook of York and District."— T. S. ... 294 

 Smith: "Bacteria in Relation to Plant Diseases." — 



Prof. R. T. Hewlett . 294 



Thomson: "Outlines of Zoology." — F. W. H. , , 294 

 Seton : "Animal Heroes; being the Histories of a 

 Cat, a Dng, a Pigeon, a Lynx, two Wolves, and a 



Reindeer." — R. L 295 



Marriott: " Some Facts about the Weather " . . . . 295 

 Letters to the Editor: — 



Osmotic Pressure. - W. C. D. Whetham, F. R.S, . 795 



The Fertilisation of Pieris.--!. Henry Burkill . 296 



Australian Origins. (lUiislrated.) By N. W. T. . 296 

 Some Results of the " Belgica" Expedition. (H/ns- 



Iral.-d.) ByJ. W. G . 29S 



Yellow Jack. (I II list rated) By Dr. J. W. W. 



Stephens ... 299 



Scientific Work of the Survey of India 301 



Notes. (I/liistrated.) 302 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Reflecting Telescopes of Short Focus 306 



The Astronomical Society of Canada 3c6 



Magnitudes and Places of 251 Pleiades Stars . . . 306 



Elements and F.phemeris of Jupiter's Seventh Satellite 306 



Observations of Minor Planets and Comets . . . 306 

 Opening of a New Laboratory at the Rothamsted 



Experimental Station . . . . 3^7 



Recent Researches in Regional Geology. By 



G. A, J C 307 



Meteorological Reports 308 



Colouring of Guereza Monkeys. (Ilhutralcd) . . . 309 



Electricity in Mines 309 



University and Educational Intelligence 310 



Societies and Academies 310 



