648 



NA TURE 



[OCTOBKR 26, 1905 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, October 16.— M. Troost in the 

 chair.— On the absolute desiccation of vegetable products ; 

 L. Nlaquenne. It is commonly assumed that when a 

 substance has been heated in an air oven at 100° C. to 

 120° C. until its weight becomes constant, all the moisture 

 has been driven off. The author shows that this is not 

 the case for substances such as starch and flour. For 

 complete drying, either a current of well dried gas must 

 be passed over the starch at about 120° C, or it must be 

 sealed up in a vacuum with a dehydrating agent for a 

 long period. — Presentation of the twelfth volume of the 

 •• M(4morial du D^p6t general de la Guerre " : Bouquet 

 de la Grye. This volume includes the measurements of 

 the new meridian of France from the bases of Paris, 

 Perpignan, and Cassel. Attention is directed to the 

 accuracy of the results obtained. — Preliminary note on the 

 observation of the total solar eclipse of August 30 made at 

 Guelma : MM. Bourgret and Montangerand. Fifteen 

 photographs were obtained during totality, different 

 coloured screens being interposed. The plates are all good, 

 and show excellent images of the corona and protuberances. 

 — Observations on the total eclipse of the sun of August 30 : 

 J. Comas Sola. The observations, which were made at 

 Vinaroz, included three photographs of the corona and of 

 the spectra of the chromosphere. — On functions having a 

 finite number of branches : Georges Remoundos. — On the 

 calculation of an arch in masonry : M. Auric. — On a 

 phenomenon of cooling observed in silver wires plunged 

 into water and through which electric currents are passing : 

 E. Rogrovsky. It is shown that the resistance of the wire 

 depends on the magnitude of the current passing through 

 it, this effect being due to the fact that all parts of the 

 wire are not, under these cond'tions, at the same tempera- 

 ture. It is necessary, to obtam exact values of the resist- 

 ance of wires in a liquid at the temperature of this liquid, 

 to extrapolate from a series of observations made with 

 different intensities of current. — On the forms of lightning 

 conductors : G. M. Stano'ievitch. — The basic character of 

 pyranic oxygen. Halogen compounds of dinaphthopyryl 

 with metals and metalloids : R. Fosse and L. Lesage. 



/CioHgK 

 The radical dinaphthopvrvl, — CH^ O, although not 



containing nitrogen, forms a large number of double salts, 

 examples of which with platinum, lead, iron, zinc, tin, 

 bismuth, arsenic, and antimony are given in the present 

 note. — On the development of amylase during the germin- 

 ation of seeds ; Jean Effront. The sugar-forming and 

 liquefying powers of malt do not develop at the same rate 

 during germination, the former being the more rapid and 

 reaching a maximum, whilst the latter steadily increases 

 with the time of germination. — The measurement of the 

 mechanical work obtainable from Limousin cattle : M. 

 Ringrelmann. — On a new flagellated parasite of Bomhyx 

 mori (Ilerpctomotias botnhycis) : C. Levaditi. 

 New South Wales. 

 Royal Society, September 6. — Mr. H. A. Lenehan, presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — Reinforced concrete, paper iii. : Prof. 

 W. H. Warren. The following matters were dealt with : — 

 («) The adhesion of cement mortar and concrete to steel. 

 {h} The experimental determination of the neutral axis in 

 a plain concrete, and also in a reinforced concrete beam, 

 and the curves of strain for loads increasing from zero to 

 the load producing fracture ; the determination of the 

 true form of the stress curve from the actual strain curve 

 in a plain and in a reinforced concrete beam, (c) The safe 

 working stresses and the fundamental equations recom- 

 mended for the design of reinforced concrete structure. — 

 The occurrence of inclusions of basic plutonic rocks in a 

 dvke near Kiama : C. A. Sussmilch. 



TUESDA F, October 31. 

 Faraday Society, at 8.— ;9/««fsi<"i.— Alternate Current Electrolysis : 

 Prof Ernest Wilson-Alternate Current Electrolysis as shown by 

 Oscillograph Records : W..R. Cooper.-Note on the Crystalline Structure 

 of Electro-deposited Copper : Prof. A. K. ;Huntington.-.SoiTie ObserY- 

 ations RespectinK the Relation of Stability 10 Electrochemical Efficiency 

 in Hypochlorite Production : W. Pollard Digby. 



WEDNESDAY, November t. 



fooETY°""puBMcT;;;;"TS, a. 8.-(.) A Rapid Method for the Deter- 



minalion of Tin in Copper-Tin Alloy. (2) Water from the Simplon. 



Tunnel: A. G. LeYy.-Notes on (i) Dika Oil; (2) Sur.n Fat: J. 



Lewkowitsch.— The Determination of O.xygen in Copper : L. Archbutt. 



THURSDAY. November 2. 



Chemical Society, at S.so.-Solulion and Pseudo-solution, part iv.. 

 Some of the Arsenious Properties of Arsenious Sulphide and I'ernc 

 Hydrate: E. Linder and H. Picton.— The Molecular Conductivity of 

 Water ■ P Blackman.— The Stereoisomerism of Substituted Ammonium 

 Conipounds: H. O. Jones.— The Influence of Yery Strong Electro- 

 magnetic Fields on the Spark Spectra of Ruthenium, Rhodium, and 

 Palladium • J. E Purvis.- Note on the Fluorides of Selenium and 

 Tellurium t. B. R. Prideaux.— The Constitution of Glutaconic Acid : 

 I F Thorpe.- Some Alkyl Derivatives of Glutaconic Acid and of 2 :6- 

 Dioxypyridine : H. Baron and J. F. Thoipe.-Note on the Formation of 

 P-Methylglutaconic Acid and of o/S-Dimethylgluiaconic Acid: !•. V. 

 Darbishire and J. F. Thorpe. , , ^. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— Plant Ecology, interpreted by Direct Response 

 to ihe Conditions of Life: Rev. G. Henslow. 



Rontgen Society, at 8.15.— The Ruhmkorff Coil : Prof. Wertheim- 

 S.ilomonsin. _ _ , 



Civil and Mechanical Engineers' Society, at 3.— Sea Defences: 

 Baton H. T. H. Siccama. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



FRIDA K, October 27. 

 Physical Society, at 5. — The Theory of Pbasemeters : Dr. W. E. 

 Sumpner. — Apparatus designed for measuring the Coronal Radiation 

 during an Eclipse : Prof. H. L. Callendar, F.R.S. 

 SA TURD A Y, October 28. 

 The Essex FieldClub, at 6.30 (at the Essex Museum of Natural History, 

 Stratford).— Straw-Plaiting; a Lost Essex Industry: J. Chalkley 

 Gould. 



NO. 1878, VOL. 72] 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Study of Fishes. By H. G 625 



The Far East 626 



Absorption Spectra. By E. C. C. B 627 



Our Book Shelf : — 



Yvert : " Identification por las Impresiones digito- 



palniares (La Dacliloscopia)." — E. H. J. S. . . . 628 

 " Science in South Africa : a Handbook and Review " 628 



Thomas : " Stone Gardens " 629 



Watson: " Oblique and Isometric Projection " . . . 629 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



Eclipse Phenomena.— Sir Oliver Lodge, F.R.S. . 629 

 Geometry of Position.— Sir Oliver Lodge, F.R.S. 629 

 Eclipse Predictions.— Dr. A. M. W. Downing, 



F.R.S 629 



ChehfersandHouse-flies.— Prof. SydneyJ. Hickson, 



F.R.S 629 



The Rudimentary Hind Limbs of the Bolne Snakes. — 



Frank E. Beddard, F.R.S 630 



A Rare (}ame Bird.— Sir Herbert Maxwell, Bart., 



F.R.S 630 



On a New Species of Guenon from the Cameroons. — 



Dr. Henry O. Forbes 630 



The Absorption Spectrum of Benzene in the Ultra- 

 violet Region.— Dr. E. C. C. Baly; Prof. J. 



Norman Collie, F.R.S 630 



Action of Radium Salts on Gelatin. — W. A. Douglas 



Rudge 631 



The Pioblem of " Shadow-bands."— Catharine O. 



Stevens 631 



Rhymes on the Value of rr, — ir 631 



Experiments on Variations of Lepidoptera by En- 

 vironment, (llhtstraled.) By F. Merrifield . . . 632 



Chemistry in the Service of the State 634 



On the Origin of Eoliths 635 



Notes .... 636 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



The Recent Large Sun-spot. {Illustrated.) .... 639 

 Further Results of the French Eclipse Expeditions . 639 



Nova Aquilie No. 2 640 



Star with a Large Proper Motion 640 



Observations of Perseids, August 640 



Mathematical and Physical Science at the British 



Association. By Dr. C. H. Lees 640 



Chemistry at the British Association 642 



Scientific Research in Medicine. By Dr. George 



Nuttall, F.R.S 643 



The Mechanics of the Ascent of Sap in Trees. By 



Prof. J. Larmor, F.R.S 644 



Experiments with the Langley Aerodrome. (Illus- 

 trated.) By Dr. S. P. Langley 645 



University and Educational Intelligence 646 



Societies and Academies 647 



Diary of Societies 64S 



