5'o 



NA TURE 



has been worked out, and the corresponding acid prepared 

 and described. — J. Bougault : The action of nascent 

 hypoiodous acid on the unsaturated acids : a-cyclogeranic 

 acid. — Fr^d^ric Reverdin : The action of concentrated sul- 

 phuric acid on some aromatic nitramines. — L. Barthe : 

 The action of sulphosalicylic acid on trisodium phosphate. — 

 .\ug. Chevalier : The forest resources of the Ivory Coast : 

 the results of the scientific expedition to western Africa. 

 Wood, rubber and oils. — L. Blaringhem : A new form 

 obtained after mutilation, Nigella daiyiascena polycephala. — 

 J. B. Geze : The agricultural development in the Bouches- 

 du-Rh6ne of a spontaneous species of Typha (T. angustata) 

 not previously noted in France. — L. Leger and Ed. Hesse : 

 Cnidosporidia and the larvae of Ephemera. — L. Joubin : 

 A young Spirula. — Mme. Phisalix : The physiological action 

 of the mucus of batrachians on these animals themselves 

 and on snakes. This action is the same as that of snake 

 poison. — L. Jammes and A. Martin : The adaptation of 

 parasitic nematodes to the temperature of their hosts. — E. 

 Grynfeitt : The tensor muscle of the choroid in teleos- 

 teans. — J. Thoulet : The genesis of the submarine rocks 

 known under the names of mattes. — .'\ndr6 Brochet : The 

 relation between the radio-activity and richness in dry ex- 

 tract of the thermal waters of Plombi^res. — Louis Besson : 

 A sort of white rainbow observed at Paris. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Februarv 24. 



Royal Society, at .i.^io.— Colour-blindness and the Trichromatic Theory 

 of Colour Vision: Sir William Abney, K.C.B., F.R.S.— Contributions 

 to the Biochemistry of Growth : (a) The Total Nitrogen Metabolism of 

 Rats bearing Malignant New Growths : {b) Distribution of Nitrogenous 

 Substances in Tumour and Somatic Tissues : W. Cramer and H. Pringle. 

 — The Alcoholic Ferment of Yeast Juice : Part V., The Function of 

 Phosphates in Alcoholic Fermentation: Dr. A. Harden, F.R.S., and 

 W. I. Young. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — Illumination, Natural and -Artificial: Prof. 

 S. P. Thompson, F.R.S. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. 



FRIDAY, February 25. 



Royal Institution, at 0. — Colours of Sea and Sky : Lord Kayleigh 

 O.M., F.R.S. 



Physical Society, at 5.— Telephone Circuits: Prof. J. Perry, F.R.S.— 

 On the Laws regarding the Direction of Thermo-electric Currents 

 enunciated by M. Thomas: Prof. C. H. Lees, F.R.S.— A New Method 

 of Determining Thermal Conductivity : H. R. Nettleton. 



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

 Hanbury Brown, K.C.M.G. 



SATURDAY, February 26. 

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

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



MONDAY, February 28. 

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



F.R.S. (Lecture IV.) 

 Institute of -Actuaries, at 5.— Som«^ Notes on the Establishment of 



the Office of Public Trustee in England : W. C. Sharman. 



TUESDAY, March 



nd their E.vpression : Prof 



Royal Institution, at 3. 

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



Zoological Society, at 8.30.— On the Varieiies of Mus rattits'm Egypt, 

 with General Notes on the Species having reference to Variation and 

 Heredity : J. Lewis Ronhote. — Zoological Collections from Northern 

 Rhodesia and Adjacent Territories: Lepidoptera Heteroceia : Sir George 

 F. Hampson, Bart. — The Urogenital Organs of Chiiitaera tiionstrosa : 

 T. H. Burlend. 



Institution of Civil Engii 

 River Tunnels of the Huds 

 Jacobs. 



Royal Society of Arts, at 4.30. — Fruit Production in the British 

 Empire : Dr. John McCall. 



WEDNESDAY, March 2. 



Society of Public -Analysts, at 8. — The Composition of Painters' 

 Driers: T. H. Coste and E. R. Andrews. — Note on the Analysis of 

 Ultramarine Blue: E. R. Andrews.— The Culorimetric Estimation of 

 Small Quantities of Bromine in the Presence of L-arae Quantities of 

 Chlorine and Small Quantities of Iodine: W. J. Dibdin and Leonard H. 

 Cooper. — Note on the Kjeldahl Estimation of Nitrogen in Fatty Sub- 

 srances : J. A. Brown. 



RovAL Society of Arts, at 3. — The Teaching of Design : E. Cooke. 



En roMOLOGlCAL Society, at 8. — Descriptions of New Algerian Hymen- 

 ontera (Sphegidse) : the late Edward Saunders. — On the Tetriginse 

 (Orthoptera) in the Oxford University Museum (Third Paper) : J. L. 

 Hancock. 



NO. 2104, VOL. 82] 



[Fe8ruaky 24, 1910 



THURSDAY, March 3. 

 ,. 10.— Probable Papers: The Depression of Freezing 



Bedford. — Sturm- 

 the Theory of Integral Equa- 

 1, Krypton, Argon, Neon, and 



, Natural and Artificial (Experi- 



Point in very Dilute Aqueous Solut 



I.iouviile Series of Normal Functions ' 



lions: J. Mercer.-The Solubility of X. 



Helium in Water : A. von AmropolT. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— lUuminatii 



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

 Rontcen Society, at S.is.-Dental X-ray Technique : C. A. Clark. 

 Linnean Society, at 8.-Our British Nesting Terns : W. Bickeiton. 



FRIDAY, March 4. 

 RovAL Institution, at 9.— Magnetic Storms : Dr. C. Chree, F.R.S. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — Reinforced Concrete as applied 

 to Retaining-walls. Reservoirs, and Dams ; A. J. Hart. 



SATURDAY, March 5. 

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

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



CONTENTS. PAGE 



A Text-book of Botany. By J. B. F 481 



The Agriculture of Modern Egypt 482 



The Binnenthal 482 



Hydraulics. By B. C 483 



Works on Physics 484 



Functional Psychology. By W. B 485 



Our Book Shelf:— 



" Das Kaninchen. Zugleich eine Einftihrung in die 



Organisation der Saugetiere" 485 



Graves : " The Irish Fairy Book."— Rev. John 



Griffith 486 



Kennedy; " Space and Spirit " 486 



Fischer : " Introduction to the Preparation of Organic 



Compounds." — J. B. C 486 



Letters to the Editor : — 



The Meaning of " lonisaiion."— Prof. Henry E. 



Armstrong, F.R.S 487 



The Flow of Sand. — A. S. E. Ackermann ; 



Chatles E. S. Phillips 487 



The Heredity of Sex.— Dr. Frederick Keeble . . 487 

 Geology and the Earth's Axis of Rotation. — Hugh 



Birrell 488 



Secondary Cells in Tropical Climates. — Prof. E. P. 



Harrison 488 



The Invention of the Slide Rule.— Prof. Florian 



Cajori 489 



Aged Tadpoles.— Oswald H. Latter 489 



Title of the Natural History Museum.— Bernard 



Hobson 4?9 



The New Canals of Mars. {Ilhislrated.) By Prof. 



Percival Lowell 489 



Properties of Polonium. By Prof. E. Rutherford, 



F.R.S 491 



The Discovery of a Skeleton of Palaeolithic Man. 



By A. C. H 492 



Tropical Agriculture. {Illustrated.) By W. G. F. . 492 



Reform of the Calendar. By W. T. Lynn .... 493 



Notes 4 4 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Discovery of a New Comet, 1910/1 499 



Comet 19103 499 



Halley's Comet 499 



The (,>ueslion of "Absoibing Matter " in Space 1 . . 500 



Photographic Observations of ri Aquilae 500 



Ephenieii> for Daniel's Comet, 19091? 5°° 



Presentation to Sir Edward Thorpe, F.R.S. . . . 500 

 Brilliant Meteor of February 17. By W. F. 



Denning 5°° 



The Hydrography of the North Sea and Adjacent 



Waters. By Dr. H. N. Dickson 501 



The Thomsen Memorial Lecture. By Sir Edward 



Thorpe, C.B., F.R.S 501 



University and Educational Intelligence 505 



Societies and Academies S°7 



Diary of Societies 5'° 



