240 



NA TURE 



[December 23, 1909 



weighed are determined. This occlusion of air results in 

 the density assumed in the corrections to the weight in a 

 vacuum JDeing taken too low. — L. Bruningrhaus : A 

 relation between absorption and phosphorescence. — J. 

 TafTanel : Experiments relating to the propagation of 

 coal-dust explosions in mine workings. The inflammation 

 of the coal-dust was started in these experiments either 

 by exploding a small charge of dynamite or some cubic 

 metres of a mixture of methane and air. Measurements 

 of the velocity of propagation of the wave at varying 

 distances from the firing point were made, and the effect 

 of obstructions and changes in the direction of the gallery 

 studied. — E. Goutal : The estimation of carbon monoxide 

 in steel. In a previous paper the author has shown that 

 during the solution of iron or steel in cupric chloride a 

 small amount of carbon monoxide is given off, correspond- 

 ing to about 0006 per cent, of the carbon in the steel. 

 The first experiments were carried out with iodine pent- 

 oxide as the oxidising agent ; it is now shown that identical 

 results are obtained when blood is used as the reagent. 

 An amount of carbon monoxide of 00142 per cent, by 

 weight represents the limit of saturation for solid steel. — 

 Emm. Pozzi-Escot : The separation of vanadium, molyb- 

 denum, chromium, and nickel in special steels. — G. 

 Chesneau : The analysis of niobites and tantalites. The 

 proposed process is described in detail, and as an example 

 of its application the complete analysis of a tantalite is 

 given. — P. Freundler : Some c-oxyindazylic derivatives.^ — 

 Marcel Godchot : Some derivatives of dicyclohexylphenyl- 

 methane. — M. Chevalier : The scientific expedition to 

 eastern Africa, September and October, 1909. — ll. Trabut : 

 Some facts relating to the hybridation of Citrus and on 

 the origin of Citrus aurantium. — E. Coquide : The 

 plurality of the types of vegetation in the peaty soils of 

 the north of France. — A. Prunet : The resistance of the 

 Japanese chestnut to disease (maladie de Vencre). The 

 chestnut has been destroyed in various parts by a crypto- 

 ganiic disease of the roots, and experiments have been made 

 during the last six years on the possibility of replacing the 

 French trees by an American or Japanese variety. " The 

 .■American tree did not resist the disease, but so far the 

 Japanese tree appears to be immune. The latter grows 

 well, and its introduction may have important economic 

 consequences. — Paul Becquerel : The variations of Zinnia 

 elegans under the action of traumatisms. — Emile Gautre- 

 let : The partial transformation of fatty food materials 

 by pepsic and pancreatic digestion in vitro. It is shown 

 that mannites are the result of this partial digestion. — 

 H. Guillemard, R. Moog-, and G. Regrnier ; The 

 dehydration of the organism by the pulmonary and 

 cutaneous channels and its variation with altitude. — 

 Maurice Holderer ; The influence of the reaction of the 

 medium on the filtration of the diastases. Sucrase from 

 Aspergillus niger was chosen as the diastase for these 

 experiments. In media neutral to phenolphthalein, this 

 sucrase passes entirely through porcelain filters ; in media 

 neutral to methyl orange, the sucrase is completely re- 

 tained by the filter. — R. Anthony : The elevation of Z'eitgo- 

 pterus punctatiis at the maritime laboratory of Saint-Vaast- 

 la-Hougue. — L. de Launay : The characteristic features 

 of hydrothermal springs. — Paul Lemoine : The magnitude 

 of the shrinking produced by the folds of the Paris basin. 

 -^G. Delepine : The succession of fauna and the distribu- 

 tion _ of the facies of the Carboniferous limestone of 

 Belgium. — Ren^ Gambier and Armand Renier : Observa- 

 tions on Pinakodendron. — E. A. Martel : The subterranean 

 hydrology of the massif of Pen^-BIanque or Arbas, Haute- 

 Garonne. — Charles Moureu and A. Lepape : The gases 

 from thermal springs : the presence of krypton and xenon. 

 The gases from twenty-six springs were freed from gases 

 other than the rare gases in the usual way. The residual 

 rare gases were fractionated, firstly, by wood charcoal at 

 the temperature of liquid air, thus separating the helium 

 and neon, and the remainder further treated with charcoal 

 at —23° C. The xenon and krypton were then obtained 

 from the charcoal. These two gases were identified in 

 every one of the waters examined. Blank experiments 

 were also carried out to guard against the possibility of 

 a leakage of air into the apparatus during the analyses, 

 with negative results. 



NO. 2095, VOL. 82] 



Calcutta. 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal, December i. — W. A. Inglis : 

 Rivers of Bengal. The author refers to Captain Hirst's 

 article on the Kosi River, and discusses the general ques- 

 tion of the construction of marginal embankments, which 

 have for their object the prevention of the overflow of 

 floods. — D. Hooper : The secretion of Phromnia margin- 

 ella. In north-east India the larvae of these insects secrete 

 in the dry weather a saccharine substance, which gives to 

 the plants they affect a snow-white appearance. The 

 chief constituent of this deposit is dulcitol (dulcite). The 

 Phromnias are frequently found upon Celastrus, Elaeo- 

 denoton, and other species of Celastrinea, and it is interest- 

 ing to know that chemists have isolated dulcitol from 

 several plants of this natural order. — Hem Chandra Das- 

 Gupta : A probable identity between Clypeaster com- 

 planatus, Duncan and Sladen, and Clypeaster Duncanensis, 

 Noetling. The author gives reasons for thinking that 

 Clypeaster Duncanensis, Noetl., was founded on large 

 specimens of Clypeaster complanatus, Duncan and Sladen. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Cambridge Natural History 211 



Mortality Tables 212 



Modern Ordnance. By W. H. W 213 



Vegetable Proteins. By E. F. A 214 



Morphology and Medicine. By A. K 214 



Elementary Books on Botany 215 



Our Book Shelf:— 



" Geology in the Field" 215 



"Who's Who, 1910" ; "Who's Who Year Book for 

 1910 " ; " The Writers' and Artists' Year Book, 

 1910 " ; "The Englishwoman's Year Book and 



Directory, 1910"; " Hazell's Annual for 1910" . . 216 



Battell : " The New Ph)sics : Sound" 216 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Function of Reissner's Fibre and the Ependymal 

 Groove. — Prof. Arthur Dendy, F.R.S. ; 



Geo. E. NichoUs. (Illustrated.) 217 



Nitrogen-fixing Bacteria and Non-Leguminous Plants. 

 —Prof. W. B. Bottomley; A. D. Hall, 



F.R.S 218 



Positions of Birds' Nests in Hedges. — G. W. Mur- 

 doch 219 



Radium and Cancer. By E. F. B 219 



The Great Wall of China. (Illustrated.) By J. T. 220 

 Dr. Ludwig Mond, F.R.S. By Sir Edward Thorpe, 



C.B., F.R.S 221 



Sir Alfred Jones, K.CM.G. By Sir W. T. 



Thiselton-Dyer, K.C.M.G., F.R.S 223 



Notes 224 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Daniel's Comet, 19096' 227 



Halley's Comet 227 



Subjective Phenomena on Mars 227 



Temperature Classification of Stars 228 



A New Variable Star, or a Nova 228 



The " Companion to the Observatory " 228 



The Relation of Science to Human Life. By Prof. 



A. Sedgwick, F.R.S 228 



The New Department of Botany at University 



College, London 232 



Indian Guild of Science and Technology .... 233 



The Physical Society's Exhibition 234 



Experiments on Compound Stress 234 



The Parasites of the Grouse. By G. H. C 235 



University and Educational Intelligence 235 



i Societies and Academies 236 



