;6o 



NA TURE 



[AVGUST lO, 1905 



and an alkyl magnesium halogen compound is due to a 

 secondary reaction resulting in the formation of a sub- 

 stituted ethylene. This tendency to the formation of an 

 unsaturated hydrocarbon is especially marked in the case 

 of the isobutyl derivatives. L)etails are given of several 

 cases. — On the theory of surfaces and of envelopes of 

 spheres in anallagmatic geometry : A. Demoulin. — On the 

 properties of a holomorphic function in a circle where it 

 docs not take the values zero and unity : Pierre Boutroux. 

 — On a new series of polynomials : A. Buhl. — On sliding 

 friction : M. de Sparre. .A solution of a problem 

 enunciated by M. .Appell in his treatise on mechanics. 

 — The passage of electricity through gaseous layers of 

 great thiclcness : E. Bouty. It has been shown in previous 

 papers that the critical field y = a^\i(f^h), where /i is the 

 pressure (above o-i mm. of mercury), a the dielectric 

 cohesion of the gas, and h a constant for the given flask 

 and gas. In the present communication the constant h 

 is found to be in inverse proportion with the thickness nf 

 the gaseous laver, c. The formula thus becomes 



'-Vv^^(^ + ')- 



where k is a constant which depends only on the nature 

 of the gas. — The electrolytic detector with a metallic 

 point : G. Ferrie. An experimental study of the use of 

 the imperfect contact of a fine metallic point and an 

 electrolyte as a detector for Hertzian oscillations. — On 

 the phenomenon of Marjorana : A. Cotton and H. 

 Mouton. .\ study of the behaviour of solutions of 

 colloidal iron hydroxide in a strong magnetic field. — On 

 a megaphone : G. Laudet and L. Gaumont. .\ gas 

 flame, mechanically controlled, is used lo intensifN the 

 sound waves. — On the state of matter in ihr neighbour- 

 hood of the critical point : Gabriel Bertrand and Jean 

 Lecarme. Experiments made upon solutions of potassium 

 bichromate in water and of alizarin in alcohol, at 

 temperatures slightly above the critical points, have led 

 to_ the conclusions that slightly above and below thi' 

 critical temperature both the liquid and gaseous states 

 exist simultaneously. — On the different states of oxidation 

 of aluminium powder : M. Kohn-Abrcst. .Aluminium 

 powder was heated by electrical means to various tempera- 

 tures in a current of air ; evidence was obtained of the 

 formation of an oxide AlO. — The influence of the fragility 

 of steel on the effects of mechanical treatment in a boiler 

 works : Ch. Fremont. — The modification produced in th'' 

 metal of rivets produced by the operation of riveting : 

 M. Charpy.— On the constitution of sparteine : Charles 

 Moureu and .Amand Valeur. The authors summarise 

 their recent work on this alkaloid, and propose a formula 

 for it which is completely in accord with the facts known 

 up to the present. — Chemical oxydases : G. Baudran. — 

 On the variations of the basic function in chromium salts : 

 .Albert Colson — On the presence of bile pigments in the 



metiicinal leach : Camille Spiess Folded faults and 



horizontal overlapping in the Mesozoic of Tortugal ; P. 

 Chotfat.— On the geology of the southern Carpathians : 

 (.. M. Murgroci — Observations on the mode of formation 

 of deposits of blende enclosed in the stratified rocks • A 

 Lodin. 



C.\LCUTTA. 



Asiatic Society of Bengal, June 7.— Religion and 

 customs of the Uraons or Oraons : Father Dehon, .S.J., 

 communicated by E. A. Gait. An account of the reputed 

 origin, mythology, ceremonies, and folklore of an agri- 

 cultural tribe now settled in Chota Nagpur, but thought 

 to have come from farther south. — Note on a decomposi- 

 tion product of a peculiar variety of Bundelkhand Gneiss : 

 G. Silberrad. A white clayev material found in the 

 Ajaigarh .State has been submitted bv the author to Dr. 

 O. T. Silberrad, the analysis of which is compared with 

 that of pinite. The two substances were found to resemble 

 one another. 



July 5. — Four new barnacles from the neighbourhood of 

 Java, with records of Indian pedunculate forms : Dr. N. 

 NO. 1867, VOL. 72] 



Annandale. Of the new species, two belong to the genus 

 Scalpellum, two to Alepas. Of the former, one is remark- 

 able for its great size and for the reduction of the calcified 

 valves ; the other for its habit of forming a regular, 

 branched, though not organically connected, colony of 

 several generations. One Alepas is larger than any 

 hitherto described. The specimens were presented to the 

 Indian Museum by the Eastern Telegraph Company, and 

 come, with one e.xception, from a depth of 160 fathoms. 

 .A list of the pedunculate cirripedes known from the seas 

 of British India is added. — .Additions to fhe collection of 

 Oriental snakes in the Indian Museum, part ii. ; Dr. N. 

 Annandale. \otes on specimens latelv received from 

 the .Andamans and Nicobars, with the description of a new 

 sea-snake and a list of the Ophidia known to occur in 

 these islands. — The Tibetan version of the Pramana- 

 samuccaya, the first Indian work on logic proper, recovered 

 from Tibet by the late Tibet Mission : Prof. .Satis Chandra 

 Vidyabhusana. — Materials for a flora of the Malavan 

 PeniiiMila, No. 17: .Sir George King;, F.R.S., and J.' S. 

 Gamble, F.R.S. This contribution commences with 

 natural order Myrsinea;, and is continued by Sapotacea?, 

 Ebenace.T?, Styrace.ne, and Oleaceae. The draft of Ebenace<-E 

 was prepared by Sir George King, that of the other orders 

 by Mr. J. S. Gamble; but the new species are given under 

 their joint names. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Sociological Speculations. By F. C. S. S 337 



Thermodynamics. By G. H. B -^g 



Fungus-Galls. By E. R. Burdon 339 



Our Book Shelf :— 



CoUinge : " Report on the Injurious Insects and other 

 Animals Observed in the Midland Counties during 



1904."— F. V. T 340 



Meyer : " Studies of the Museums and Kindred 

 Institutions of New York City, Albany, Buflalo, and 

 Chicago, with Notes on some European Institu- 

 tions." — R. L 3-0 



Lodge : " Notes on Assaying and Metallurgical 



Laboratory Experiments." — T. K. R 340 



" The Practical Photographer " 341 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Exploration of the Indian Ocean.— A. Sedgwick 



FR-S T\ '341 



The Problem of the Random Walk.— Prof. Karl 



Pearson, F.R.S ,42 



Proposed Magnetic and Allied Observations during 

 the Total Solar Eclipse on August 30. — Dr. L A. 



Bauer ,42 



British Fruit Growing.— Alfred O. Walker ... 342 

 Islands for Weather Forecasting Purpose?.— W. 



Ernest Cooke ,4, 



Duty-Free Alcohol,— Dr. F. MoUwo Perkin 344 



The Geology of South Africa. (lilustraUd.) By 



^^- ° 346 



Notes ^^y 



Our Astronomical Column :— 



Jupiter's Sixth and Seventh Satellites 352 



The Formation of the New North Polar Cap on 



Mars . . TC2 



Liquid Air— Production and Applications 352 



The Meeting of the British Medical Association . 354 



Some Aspects of Modern Weather Forecasting. By 



Dr. W. N. Shaw, F.R.S 354 



Breathing, in Living Beings. By Dr. William 



Stirling ^^^ 



University and Educational Intelligence . -357 



Societies and Academies 358 



