90 



NA TURE 



[November i8, 1909 



temperature of the filament and watts consumed by the 

 carbon and tungsten incandescent lamps. — Georges 

 Claude : The frigorific recuperation of volatile liquids lost 

 in various industries. In many industries, especially in 

 the manufacture of artificial silk, smokeless powder and 

 celluloid, considerable quantities of alcohol and ether are 

 lost owing to the enormous dilution with air. A practical 

 system is described in which the air containing these 

 volatile vapours is compressed and gradually cooled by 

 expansion to a temperature of — ioo° C, a special device 

 being necessary for the preliminary separation of the 

 water. The method is shown to be capable of effecting 

 large economies in practice. — E. Reng^ade : The theo- 

 retical form of the cooling curves of binary mixtures. — 

 Marcel Delepine : The metallic iridio-sulphates. — A. 

 Guyot : New general methods for the synthesis of aromatic 

 aldehydes. The method is based on the condensation of a 

 phenol, hvdrocarbon, or amine with the a)3-diketonic esters 

 of the type X— CO— CO— CO_,R.— Charles Maugruin : 

 The acid properties of the halogen amides : the Hofmann 

 migration. The sodium derivative of bromacetamide, 

 CH;,CO.NaBr, has been isolated and its decompositions 

 studied. — N. Danaila : The oxidation of the dimethyl- 

 anilinisatins. — H. Masson : The composition of essence 

 of cloves. To the principal constituents already Icnown of 

 essence of cloves it is necessary to add methyl salicylate 

 and two aldehydes, o-methylfurfural and a dimethyl- 

 furfural. — P. .\. Dangeard : The photographic properties 

 of Chlorella vulgaris. — M. Biot : Concerning Trypanosoma 

 lewisi. — M. Glover : The examination of the respiration 

 and the graphical analysis of speech in special schools. 

 The radioscopic examination of the thorax has been found 

 of great value in examining the mode of breathing. — Paul 

 Hallez : The biological cycle of a form nearly related to 

 Otoplana. — P. Hachet-Souplet : The psychology of the 

 Artiozoa. — Mile. L. Chevroton and F. Vies : The kine- 

 matics of the segmentation of the egg and the chrono- 

 photography of the development of the sea-urchin. An 

 application of the method of Marey to the study of the 

 embryonic development of an animal. A series of photo- 

 graphs is taken at equal intervals of time, and the long 

 film, containing 7000 to Sooo images, examined in the 

 kinematograph. — >I. Sarthou : The presence in milk of 

 an anaeroxydase and a catalase. — M. Billon-Dagruerre : 

 A mode of integral sterilisation of liquids by radiations of 

 very short wave-length. Geissler tubes, made of quartz, 

 containing rarefied gases, give out rays of short wave- 

 length which are twenty-five times more powerful in pro- 

 ducing sterilisation than ordinary ultra-violet rays. Such 

 tubes are more economical than mercury vapour lamps, 

 requiring a primary current of 2 amperes at 4 to 6 volts. 

 ■ — E. Gley : The action of toxic serums and their anti- 

 toxins on the nervous system. Contribution to the study 

 of the mechanism of immunity. — E. Gley and V. 

 Pachon ; The action of toxic serums on the isolated heart 

 of animals immunised against these serums. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Novemiikr iS. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.— Rakerian Lecture: The Statistical and Thermo- 

 dynamical Relations of Radiant Energy : Sir J. Larmor. Sec R.S. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.-A New Tipulid Subfamily : W. Wescht— Fresh- 

 water Rhiiopods from the English Lake District : \. W. Brown. 



Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, at 8.— The Development of 

 Heavy Gravitation Stamps: W. A. Caldecott —Experiments in Revcr- 

 beratory Practice at Cananea, Mexico : L. D. Ricketts. 



FRIDAY, November 19. 

 In.stitution of Mechanical Engineers, at 8.— An Internal-combus- 

 tion Pump and other Applications of a N;w Principle : Herbert A. 

 Humphrey. 



MONDA Y, November =2. 

 RovAL Geographical Society, at 8.30.— A Naturalist's Travels on the 

 Congo-Zambezi Watershed : S. A. Neave. 



TUESDAY, November 23. 



Institution op Civil Engineers, at %.— Further discussion : The 

 Single-phase Electrification of the Heysh.im, Morecambe and Lancaster 

 Branch of ihe Midland Railway: J. D.ihiel and J. Sayers.— The Equip- 

 ment and Working-results of Ihe Mersey Railway under Sleam and under 

 Electric Traction : J. Shaw.— The Effect of Electrical Operation on the 

 Permanent-way Maintenance of Railways, as Illustrated on the Tyne- 

 mouth Branches of the Norlh-Eastern Railway : Dr. C. A. Harrison. 



Zoological Society, at S.^o. 



KG. 2090, VOL. 82] 



WEDNESDAY, November 24. 

 Royal Society of Arts, at 8.— Photo-Telegraphy : T. Thorne Baker. 

 British Astronomical Association, at 5. 



THURSDAY, November 25. 



Royal Society, at i.^o.—Prol^ailc Papers: On the Change in Hue of 

 Spectrum Colours by Dilution with White Light : Sir William de W. 

 Abney, K.C.B., F.R-S.— On the Nature of the Hydrogen Flocculi and 

 their Structure at Different Levels in the Solar Atmosphere : Prof. G. E. 

 Hale, For.Mem.R.S. and V. Ellerman.— The Boiling Point of Sulphur 

 corrected by Reference 10 New Observations on the .Absolute Expansion of 

 Mercury: Prof. H. L. Callendar, rF.R.S., and H. Moss.— (i) On the 

 Refraction and Dispersion of Neon ; (3I On the Refraction and Disper- 

 sion of Air, Oxygen, Hydrogen, and Nitrogen ; (3) On the Refraction 

 and Dispersion of Sulphur Dioxide and Hydrogen Sulphide, and their 

 Relation to those of their Constituents : C. Cuthbertsun and M. Cuth- 

 bertson.— On Flapping Flight : Prof. M. F. Fitzgerald.— The Crystalline 

 .>;tructure of Iron at High Temperatures : W. Rosenhain and J. C. W. 

 Humfrey.— The Relation of Thallium to the Alkali Metals : a Study of 

 Thallium-zinc Sulphate and Selenate : Dr. A. E, H. Tutton, F.R.S.— 

 And other papers. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — The Present Aspects of 

 Electric Lighting : H. W. Haridcock and A. H. Dykes. 



FRIDAY. November 26. 

 Physical Society, at 5.— The Effective Resistance and Inductance of a 

 Helical Coil: Dr. J. W. Nicholson -Ductile Materials under Combined 

 Stress: W. A. Scoble. -The Recoil of Radium C from Radium B : Dr. 

 W. Makower and Dr. Sidney Russ.— The Suns Motion with Respect to 

 the -Ether : Dr. C. V. Burton. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Cytological Aspects of Certain Biological Problems. 



By Prof. J. B. Farmer, F. R.S 61 



Metallic Alloys. By T. K. R 62 



Open-Air Studies at Home and Abroad 63 



Electromagnetic Theory 64 



Our Book shelf: — 



Burton and Hobson : "Handbook of Marks on Pot- 

 tery and Purcelain " 65 



Haddon : " The Races of Man and their Distribution " 65 

 Menzer : " Der nienschliche Organismus und seine 

 Gesunderhaltung"; Mangold : " Unsere Sinnesorgane 

 und ihre Funktion " ; Tillmanns : "Die moderne 

 Chirurgie Air gebildete Laien " ; Schumburg : " Die 

 Geschlechtskrankheiten, ihr Wesen, ihre Verbreit- 



ung, Beliiimpfung und Verhlitung." — R. T. H. . 66 



Connold : " Plant Galls of Great Britain " .... 66 



Mennell : " The Rhode«ian Miner's Handbook " . . 66 



Wargny : " Los Melodos de Integracion " 66 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Temperature of the Upper Part of Clouds. — 



Dr. John Aitken, F.R.S 67 



Lines of Force and Chemical Action of Light. — 



Prof. C. limiriazeff 67 



The Position of ihe Radio-active Elements in the 



Periodic Table. — A. T. Cameron . 67 



Radio-activity and the Rocks. — K. P. Mennell . . 68 



Magnetic Storms. — George W. Walker 69 



The Photometric Measurement of the Obliquity Factor 



of Diffraction. — C. V. Raman 69 



Mendellan Heredity : A Correction. — Prof. W. 



Bateson, F.R.S 69 



The Functions of the Martian Canals. — H. F. Hunt 69 



Gravity Survey. By A. K. H 69 



A New Oceanographical Expedition 71 



The Rev. W. H. Liallinger, F.R.S 71 



The Study of German in Schools 72 



Notes 73 



Our Astionomical Column: — 



A Brilliant Meteor 77 



Elements of Halley's Comet 77 



Recent Observations of Mars 77 



Perrine's Comet, 1909^^ 78 



The Liverpool Astronomical Society 78 



The Parallax of the Double Star 2 2398 78 



The Measurement of Solar Radiation. By Dr. C. 



Chree, F.R.S 78 



The Brenr an Mono-Rail System. (Illustrated.) . . 79 

 The Rise of Scientific Study in Scotland. By Sir 



William Turner, K.C.B., F.R.S. 79 



Experiments at High Temperatures and Pressures. 



(With Diagiams.) By Richard Threlfall, F.R.S. . 82 



University and Educational Intelligence 88 



Societies and Academies 88 



Diary of Societies 90 



