450 



NA TURE 



[February io, 19 io 



at the Central Laboratory in Paris. The general mean of 

 the results is 1-11829 mgr. silver per coulomb. — G. 

 Fouquet : The spontaneous crystallisation of sugar. — M. 

 Oberreit : The synthesis of 5 ; 7 : 5' : y'-tetrachlorindigo. 

 — P. Vwon : .Aniline emetic. This is prepared by the inter- 

 action of oxide of antimony and the acid tartrate of 

 aniline. Figures are given for its density, rotatory power, 

 solubility, and crystalline form. — Maurice Holderer : The 

 inlluence of the reaction of the medium on the filtration 

 of some malt diastases. — H. Agulhon : The use of boron 

 as a catalytic manure. From the experiments described it 

 Is concluded that boron is an element of use to the higher 

 plants. The addition of a small quantity of boron (in the 

 form of boric acid) to a culture medium or to a natural 

 soil leads to a sensible increase in the weight of dry 

 material formed. — Andr^ Brochet : The radio-activity of 

 some springs in the Vosges. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, FF.nRUARV 10. 



Royal Society, at j. 30. — Some Phenomena of Magnetic Disturbances at 

 Kew: Dr. C. Chree, F.R.S.— On a Novel Phenomenon in the Diurnal 

 Inequality of Terrestrial Magnetism at Certain Stations: R. B. Sangster. 

 —The Absorption Spectra of Vapours of the Alkali Metals : Prof. P. V. 

 Bevan. — On the Shapes of the Isoceotherms under Mountain Ranges in 

 Radio-active Districts: Prof. C. H. I.ees, F.R.S.-On the Propagation 

 of a Disturbance in a Fluid under Gravity: F. B. Pidduck.— On the Flow 

 of Water through Pipes and Passages having Converging or Diverging 

 Boundaries: Dr. A. H. Gibson.— The EfTect of Pressure upon Arc 

 Spectra : 1 itanium : R. Rossi. 



Institution of Ki.ectrical Engineers, at 8.— Losses off Transmission 

 Lines due to Brush Discharge, with Special Reference to the Case of 

 Direct Currents : E. A. Watson. 



■Mathematical Society, at 5.W.— A Note on Double-sixers of Lines : 

 H. W. Richmond.— On the Diffraction of a Solitary Wave : Prof. H. 

 Lamb.— Notes on Various Points in the Theory of Functions : Dr. H. F. 



Royal Geographical Society, at 5.— Waves in Water, Sand, and Snon- : 

 Dr. Vaughan Cornish. 



FRIDAY, February n. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— Electrical and other Properties of Sand : 

 C. E. S. Phillips. 



Physical Society, at 8.— Annual General Meeting. President's Address. 



Royal Astronomical Society, at 5. — .Anniversary Meeting. 



■Malacological Society, at 8.— Unio, Margaritana, Pseudanodonta, and 

 their Occurrence in the Thames Valley : Fritz Haas.— (i) Pleistocene, 

 Holocene, and recent Non-marine Mollusca from Mallorca ; (2) Marine 

 Mollusca from Alcudia, Mallorca: Rev. R. A-shington Bullen.— Descrip- 

 tion of a New Species of Vivipara from New Guinea: H. B. Preston. — 

 Description of a New Species of Unio from the English Wealden Forma- 

 tion : R. Bullen Newton. 



SATURDAY, February 12. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— Electric Waves and the Electromagnetic 

 Theory of Light : Sir J. J. Thomson, F.R.S. 



MONDAY, February 14. 

 Royal Society of Arts, at 8.— The Pttrol Motor : Prof. W. Watson, 



F.R.S. 



TUESDAY, February 15. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— The Emotions and their E.xpression : Prof. 



F. W. Mott, F.R.S. 

 Illuminating Engineering Society, at 8.— Glare, its Causes and 



Effects : Dr. J. H. Parsons. 

 Zoological Society, at 8.:!o.— Kinematograph Demonstration (Studies 



in the Society's Gardens) : (Charles Urban.— Additions to our Knowledge 



of the Fossorial Wasps of Australia : R. E. Turner.— Descriptions of 



New Lycajnida; and Hesperiida: from Tropical West Africa: H. H. 



Druce.— On certain Subcutaneous Fat-bodies in Toads of the Genus 



Bufo : C. L. Boulenger. 

 Institution of Civii. Engineers, at Z.—Furthir disuission : Notes on 



the Sheffield Water-supply and Statistics relating thereto : L. S. M. 



Marsh.— Statistical and Experimental Data on Filtration : W. R. 



Baldwin-Wiseman. 

 Royal Statistical Society, at 5. 



WEDNESDAY, February 16. 



Royal Microscopical Society, at 8.— Notes on Dcndrobrachia fallax, 

 Brook, a R.aie and Divergent Antipatharian : Prof. J. Anhur Thomson. 

 —(1) On the Measurement of the First Nine Groups of Grayson's !• inest 

 Twelve-band Plate ; (2) On the Measurement of the Diameter of the 

 Flagella of the Cholera Bacillus prepared by Loffler's Method : A. A. C. 

 Eliot Merlin. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 8.— The Lifeboat and its Work : Sir John 

 C. Lamb, C.B., C.M.G. 



Roval Meteorological Society, at 7.30.— Report on the Phenological 



Observations lor 1909 : E. Mawley.— The Nonh Atlantic Anticyclone. 



Tracks of the Centres of High Areas 18S2-3 : Colonel H. E. Rawson, C.B. 



THURSDAY, fEmw^m 17. 



Royal Society, at ^.^o.—Prviai/c Papers : Phosphorcscenc produced 

 by a and /3 Rays ; E. Marsden. — Theory of the Luminosity produced in 

 Certain Substances by a Rays: Prof. E. Rutherford, F.R.S.-(i The 

 Scattering of the a Particles by Matter ; (2) The lonisation produced by 

 an a Particle. Part II. : Connection between lonisation and Absorption ; 

 Dr. H. Geiger— The Influence of Pressure on the Boiling Points of 

 Metals : H. C. Greenwood. — On the Viscosities of the Gases of the Argon 

 Group : A. O. Rankine. 



NO. 2102, VOL. 82] 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Illumination, Natural and Artificial (Experi- 

 mentally Illustraied): Prof. S. P. Thompson, F.R.S. 



LlNNEAN Society, at 8. — The Plum-moths of the Seychelles Expedition: 

 T. B. Fletcher, R.N.— Die von Herm Hugh Scott, auf den Seychellen 

 gesammelten Embiidinen, Coniopterygiden und Hemerobiideen : Dr. G. 

 Enderlein.-Die Termiten der Seychellen-Region : Dr. Nils Hohngreen. 

 — On the Land and Amphibious Decapoda of Aldabra : L. A. Borradaile. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 4.30. — The Bombay Housing Question; 

 G. O. W. Dunn. 



Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, at 8. 



RnvAL Geographical Society, at 5.— Waves in Water, Sand, and Snow : 

 Dr. Vaughan Cornish. 



Royal Anthropological Institute, at 5.— Head Hunters in Assam : 

 T. C. Hodson. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Electric Clocks: F. 

 Hope-Jones. 



FRIDAY, February 18. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— Halley's Comet : Prof. H. H. Turner, F.R.S. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 8.— Annual General 

 Meeting. — Further discussion \ Ninth Report to the .MIoys Research 

 Committee : On the Properties of some Alloys of Copper, Aluminium, 

 and Manganese (with an Appendix on the Corrosion of Alloys of 

 Copper and Aluminium when Exposed to the Sea) : Dr. W. Rosenhain 

 and F. C. A. H. Lantsberry. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Irrigation Works: Sir R. 

 Hanbury Brown, K. C.M.G. 



SATURDAY, February 19. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — Electric Waves and the Electromagnetic 

 Theory of Light : Sir J. J. Thomson, F.R.S. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Nutrition of Plants. By Dr. E. J. Russell . . 421 



Modern Chemistry. By F. G. D 422 



Two Mammal Books. By R. L 423 



Religio Physici. By T. P. N 424 



Mathematical Principles and Practice 425 



Our Book Shelf;— 



Elderton and Elderton : "A Primer of Statistics" . . 426 

 Dowling : " All About Ships and Shipping : a Hand- 

 book of Popular Nautical Information " 426 



"Van Nostrand's Chemical Annual," 1909. — L. . . 426 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Surface Deformation and the Tides. { With Diagram.) 



— Prof. John Milne, F.R.S 427 



A Possible Identification of Comet i9og<;. — P. H. 



Cowell, F.R.S 427 



Pleochroic Halos.— Prof. J. Joly, F.R.S 428 



Dangerous Lecture Experiments. — E. R. Marie ; 



Henry C. Jenkins . . 428 



The iVIaintenance of Forced Oscillations. (Illiis- 



trati\l.)-C. V. Raman 428 



A Tertiary Leaf-cutting Bee. {Illustrated.) — Prof. 



T. D. A. Cockerell 429 



Tests for Colour-blindness.— Dr. F. W. Edridge- 



Green . . 429 



Observations of Halley's Comet. — P. M. Ryves . . 429 

 Recoids of the Earthquake of January 22. — Rev. 



Walter Sidgreaves 429 



The Mendel Jouinal. — "Ardent Mendelian " ; 



E. H. J. S 429 



The Interpretation of Topographic Maps. {Illus- 

 traied.) By P. F. K 430 



The Oxford University Museum. {Illustrated.) By 



F. A, D 432 



The Distribution of Fresh-water Eels. By A. E. H. 433 



The Paris Floods 434 



Prof. F. Purser 434 



Notes 435 



Our Astronomical Column :- 



New Elements for Halley's Comet 440 



Studies of Solar and Stellar Spectra 440 



Markings on Mars 440 



Elements and Ephemetis for Tempel's Comet (1873 



n.) 440 



The New Comet (igioa). {Illustrated.) 440 



A Finnish Ethnological Expedition to British 



Papua 442 



Recent Work of Geological Surveys. II. {Illus- 

 trated.) By G. A. J. C 443 



The Linnean Society's Discussion on the Origin 



of Vertebrates. By Prof. Arthur Dendy, F.R.S. . 445 



University and Educational Intelligence 446 



Societies and Academies 447 



Diary of Societies 450 



