72 



NA TURE 



[May 1 8, 1905 



M. Roederer. Stroniium ammonium is prepared in a 

 similar manner to thn compounds of ammonia with barium 

 and calcium, and lia> the analogous formula Ba(NH,)j.— 

 Osmosis through tuhns of fused quartz : G. Belloc. The 

 passage of gases through quartz tubes appears to be the 

 result of a kind of ilevitrification caused by moisture and 

 high temperature, Ih.- tendency to crystallisation being 

 clearly made out under the microscope.— On a new osmium 

 compound and a new reaction for osmium : Pmerua 

 Alvarez. The process is based on the formation of a 

 green compound of h\driodic acid and osmium iodide of 

 great tinctorial power^— The action of alkalis on aqueous 

 solutions of acetol : Andre Kling. The behaviour of acetol 

 on neutralisation witli bases seemed to point to its being a 

 pseudo-acid, and this view was confirmed by a study of 

 the changes in its electrical conductivity. — On the 

 saccharification by malt of artificial starch : Eug. Roux. 

 — ^The action of metal ammoniums on the halogen deri- 

 vatives of methane : E , Chablay. The equation 



2N-H,Na-h2CII,( l = -'NaCl-hCH,-hCH3.NH..-HNH, 



was found to represent the reaction between methyl chloride 

 and sodium ammoniiim. The reactions with chloroform 

 and iodoform were more complicated.— On the use of metal 

 ammoniums in organic chemistry : the formation of 

 primary amines : Paul Lebeau.— On a new method of 

 characterising the purity of milk based on the estimation 

 of the ammonia : .\. Trillat and M. Sauton. Ammonia 

 should not be present in normal pure milk ; its presence 

 is evidence of poUuticm. — On polymorphic transformations 

 by mechanical action ; Fred. Walierant.— On the state of 

 preservation of minerals in arable earth : M. Cayeux. In 

 opposition to the views of MM. Delage and Lagatu, the 

 author finds that minerals in an altered state are always 

 present in arable earth. — New species of endophytes of 

 orchids : Noel Bernard.— The culture of Morchella : Ch. 

 Repin. — The elective .u tion of chloroform on the liver ; 

 M. Doyon and J. Billet. — On the toxicity of the urinary 

 alkaloids : H. Guillemand and P. Vranceano. — The 

 e.stimation of the sug.ir in the blood at the moment of 

 accouchement in. Ihi- ijoat without udders : M. Porcher. 

 — The influence of sexuality on the nutrition of Bonibix 

 mori at the later stages of its evolution. The localisation 

 of the glycogen, fat, and soluble albumen in the course 

 of nymphosis : C. Vaney and F. Maignon. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, M.^v i3. 

 Royal Society, at 4.30.— On Lesage s Theory of Gravitation and the 

 Repulsion of Light : Prof G. H. Darwin, F.R.S.— The Atomic Weight of 

 Chlorine ; an Attempt to Determine the Equivalent of Chlorine by direct 

 burning with Hydrogen : Prof. H. B. Dixon, F.R.S., and E. C. Edgar. 

 —The Flow o( the River H hames in Relation to British Pressure and 

 Rainfall: Sir Norman Lockyer, K.C.B,, F.R.S., and Dr. W. J. S, 

 Lockyer.— Thorianite, a New Mineral, from Ceylon: Prof W. R. 

 Dunstan. F.R.S.. and G. S. Blake.— .-^Modified Apparatus for the 

 Measurement of Colour, and its Application to the Determination 

 of the Colour Sensations: Sir William Abney, K.C.B., F.RS.- 

 Further Observations on the Germination of the Seed of the Castor Oil 

 Plant (JHcimis cointminis): Prof. J. Reynolds Green, F.R S , and 

 H. Jackson.— On the Efferent Relationship of the Optic Thalamus and 

 Deiter's Nucleus to the Spinal Cord, with Special Reference to the 

 Cerebellar Influx Theory (Hughlin.as Jackson) and the Genesis of 

 Decerebrate Rigidity (Sherrington) : Dr. F. H Thiele.— On Reciprocal 

 Innervation of Antagonistic Muscles. Eighth Note: Prof. C S. Sher- 

 rington, F.R.S.— The Structure and Function of Nerve Fibres. Pre- 

 liminary Communication and Addendum : Prof. G. S. Macdonald.— On 

 ilie Occurrence ol Anof/icles (J/>':,.K/j'(<i) Listoni in Calcutta : Major 

 A. Alcock, C.I.E., F.R.S., and Major J. R. Adie.— On the Chemical 

 Mechanism of Gastric Secretion : Dr. J. S. Edkins.— Contributions to 

 the Physiology of Mammalian Reproduction. Part I. The Oistrous 

 C;ycle in the Dog. Part II. The Ovary as an Organ of Internal 

 Secretion : F. H. A. Marshall and W. A. Jolly. 



Royal Institution, at =. -Flame: Sir James Dewar, F.R.S. 



-Society of Arts, at 4 ,io —Plague in India: Dr. C. Creighion. 



Fakaday Society, at 8 —An Application to Electrolytes of the Hydrate 

 Theory of Solutions: Dr. T. M. Lowry. 



FRIDAY. M.\v 10. 

 Royal Institution, at .j. — The Native Races of the British East .Africa 



Protectorate : Sir Charles Eiiot, K.C.M G. 

 .i?lDEMlOLOGICAL SociEFY, at S. 30.— Phihisis Rates; their Significance 



and their Teaching: Dr. A. Ransome, F.R.S. —Demonstration of a 



New .Method for Recording the Incidence of Infectious Disease: 



C. H. Cooper. 



H. W. 



SA TURD A y, May 20. 

 RovAL Institution, at 3. — The Evolution of the Kingship in Early 

 Society : Dr. J. G. Frazer. 



MONO A K, May 22. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— The Uses of Electricity in Mine 



Ravenshaw. 

 Victoria Institute, at 4.30. — Minerals and Metals of the Old Testa 

 ment : Cavaliere W. P. Jervis. 



TUESDA F, May 23. 

 Society of Arts, at 4.30— The Cape to Cairo Railway: Sir Charle 



H. T. Metcalfe, Bart. 

 AnthkopologicalTn'STITUTE, at 8.15. —The Great Zimbabwe ; Franklii 



Whil 



WEDNESDAY, May 

 !.— Anniversary Meeting. 



LiNNEAN Society, 



Geological Society, .it 8— On the Igneous Rocks occurring between 



St. David's Head and Strumble Head (Pembrokeshire) : J. V. Elsden.— 



(i) The Rhietic and Contiguous Deposits of Glamorganshire ; (2) On the 



Occurrence of Rha;tic Rocks at Berrow Hill, near Tewkesbury 



(Gloucestershire): L. Richardson. 

 Society of Arts, at S. — Modern Lightning Conductors : Killingworth 



Hedges. 



THURSDA y. May 25. 

 Royal Society, at 4.30. — Croonian Lecture on '* The Globulins "' : W . B. 



Hardy, F.R.S. 

 Royal institution, at 5.— Electro-magnetic Waves: Prof J. A. Flem. 



ing. F.R.S. 

 Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8.— Wireless Telegraphy 



Measurements: W. Duddell and J. E. Taylor. 

 FRIDA y. May 26. 

 Royal Institution, at 0.— The Development of Spectro-chemistry : 



Prof. J. VV. Bruhl. 



SATURDAY, May 27. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — The Evolution of the Kingship in Early 



Society : Dr. J. G. Frazer. 



NO. 1855, VOL. 72] 



CONTENTS. p.\GE 



The Birds of Central America. By A. N 49 



Vector Mechanics 51 



Greater Austria. By G. A. J. C 51 



Economic Science 5- 



Our Book Shelf :— 



" Beit rage zur Physik der freien Atmospbiire." — 



G. C.'S 53 



Roberts: "The Inventor's Guide to Patent Law and 



the New Practice.'' — B. 53 



Ihlseng and Wilson : " .A. Manual of Mining " •53 



" The Practical Photographer " 54 



Granderye : " Determination des Especes minerales " 54 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



The Dvnamical Theory of Gases and of Radiation. — 



Lord Rayleigh, O.M., F.R.S 54 



The Cleavage of Slates. —Rev. O. Fisher ... .55 

 A Relation between Spring and Summer. ( I!'tf/i 



Diagram.) — Alex. B. MacDowall .56 

 Fictitious Problems in Mathematics. — An Old Aver- 

 age College Don ; The Reviewer 56 



Scientific Results of the National Antarctic Expedi- 

 tion, (/lllis/raled.) . . 57 



The State and Higher Education , 5S 



Meeting of the British Association in South Africa 59 



Sir Bernhard Samuelson, P.C, Bart., F.R.S 60 



Dr. Otto von Struve 61 



Notes 6r 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Orbit of Comet 1905 a 66, 



Provisional Elements for Jupiter's Sixth Satellite . . . 66 J 



Winter Fireb.iUs in 1905 66 



Observations and Light-curves of Several Variable 



Stars ■ 66 



Observations of " D3" in the Solar Spectrum ... 66 



Brightness of Jupiter's Satellites . . .... 66 



Variable Stars in the Small Magellanic C'oud .66 



Sanitation in the Tropics. (n/!istraic-d.\ By Prof. 



R. T, Hewlett 67 



Iron and Steel Institute . 68 



Higher Education in London 69 



University and Educationallntelligence . . 70 



Societies and Academies ... 71 



Diary of Societies 72 



