24 



NATURE 



[May 2, 1907 



Calcutta. 



Asiatic Society of Bengal, April 3. — Specimens illus- 

 trating the fauna of ceilain brackish pools in the delta 

 of the Ganges : Dr. N. Annandale. This fauna has 

 become isolated recently, probably within the last half- 

 century, and presents many features of interest. It in- 

 cludes typical fresh-water Entomostraca, as well as two 

 cirripedes {Balanus amphitrile and B. patellaris), the 

 larva; of a mosquito (Anopheles rossii), numerous fresh- 

 water fish and molluscs, a hydrozoon (Irene ceylonensis), 

 and an actinian (Metridium scltillerianiini). The last is 

 probably the most interesting form now occurring in the 

 pools, as it appears to have undergone a very distinct 

 change, both in structure and in habits, since it was 

 described by the late Dr. F. Stolczka thirty-nine years 

 ago. — Note on the absorption of gases, vapours, and sub- 

 stances from solution by solids and amorphous substances : 

 Dr. M. W. Travera. In this note attention is directed 

 to the physical character of such phenomena as the absorp- 

 tion of moisture by organic materials. It has usually been 

 considered that such absorption must be attributed either 

 to surface condensation or to solid solution. It appears, 

 however, that substances which absorb gases or vapours 

 are invariably amorphous, and as amorphous substances 

 must be referred to the liquid rather than to the solid 

 phase, the use of the term solid solution is not permissible. 

 It is the author's opinion that such phenomena as the 

 absorption of water vapour by cotton or jute involve the 

 formation of a simple solution, the supposed solid phase 

 consisting really of a substance in the liquid phase, but 

 possessing a high viscosity. The law of distribution in 

 this particular case is exponential instead of linear, but it 

 tends to become linear as the temperature rises. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA V. May 2. 



Royal Society, at i. — Election of Fellows. — At 4.30. — The Spontaneous 

 Crystallisation of Binary Mixtures. Experiments on Salol and Betel : 

 Prof. H. A. Miers, F R.S., and Miss F. Isaac —On the Variation of 

 the Pressure developed during the tCxnIosion of Cordite in Closed Ve«els ; 

 Prof. C. H. Lees, F.R.S., and J. E. Petavel.— Spacedescribed ina Given 

 Time by a Projectile moving in Air : \. Mallock, F.R.S. 



Society of Arts, at 4.^0. — The Applicabili'y to India of Italian 

 Methods of Utilizing Silt : Sir Edward C. Buck, K. C.S.I. 



LlNNEAN Society, at 8. — The Fauna and Flora of Abvssinia compared 

 with Those of West Africa : Prof. F,. B. Ponllon, F R.S.— (i) Report on 

 the Marine Biology of the Sudanese Red Sei (Communicated with an 

 Introduction by the President) ; {2) Formation of the Shone Cliff near 

 Alexandria ; (3) Recent Historv of the Coral Reefs of the North-West 

 Shores of the Red Sea: Cyril Crossland.— Polyplaciphora collected bv 

 Mr. Cyril Crossland : E. R. Svkes.— On Chelonethi (Pseudoscorpions) 

 from Asia and Australia: C. J. With. — Note on the Function of the 

 Spiracle in certain Elasmobranchs : A. D. Darbishire. — Exhibits: (i) 

 Probate of the Will of Richard Anthony Salisbury; (2) Manuscripts 

 of Dr. W. T. Burchell, Presented to the University of Oxford by Francis 

 A. Burchell, Rhodes University College. Grahamstown, Grand-nephew 

 of the Great Naturalist and Explorer : Prof E, B. Poulton, F.R.S. 



Chemical Society, at 8.30.— (i) The Chemical Action of Exradio. 

 Part I., Action en Distilled Water; (2) The Chemical Action of 

 Exradio, Part 11 , Action on Copper Salts in Solution. Preliminary 

 Note : Sir W. Ramsay— Freezins Point Curves of the Menthyl 

 Mandelates : A. Findlav and E. M. Hickmans.— The Constitution of 

 Homo-eriodictyol. A Crystalline Substance from Eriodictyon Leaves ; 

 F. B. Power and F. Tutin.— The Relation between Valency and Heats 

 of Combustion. Preliminary note : G. Le Bas. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8.— The Use of Wooden 

 Poles for Overhead Power Transmission : C. Wade. 



•Ja 



FRIDAY, May 3. 

 Royal Institution, at p.— Dexterity and the Bend Sini 



Crichton-Browne, F.R.S. 

 Geologists' Association-, at 8.— The Igneous Rocks of the Bristol 



District: Prof. S. H. Reynolds. — The Carboniferojs Limestone Sections 



of Burrington Combe and Cheddar: T. F. Sibly— Recent Researches in 



the Lower Carboniferous Rocks : Dr. A. Vaughan. 



SATURDAY,MA-i i. 



-Scientific Woik in the Sea- Fisheries : Prof. 



Society 

 Enginee 



MONO A K, Ma 



TUESDA Y, May 7. 

 13. — Stimulation, Luminou 



Royal Institution, 



William Stirling. 

 Zoological Society, at 8.30. 



WEDNESDAY, May 8. 

 Society of Arts, at 8.— The Production of Coke : 



Domestic Fires : Paul Schlicht. 



NO. 1957, VOL. 76] 



and Chemical : Prof. 



tid its .Application 



THURSDAY, Mayq. 



Royal Society, at t.^o.—rtr/ai/e ra/tets : The Anatomy of the Jutiani- 

 aces considered from the Sjstematic Point of View : Dr. F. E. FriLsch. 

 —The Ascent of Water in Trees, Second Paper; Prof. A. J. Ewart.— 

 Increase in the Cnir.plcmentContent of Fresh BloodSerum : Dr. J. 

 Henderson Smilh. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Spectroscopic Phenomena in Stars, (i) 

 Chemistry: H. F. Newall,' P.R.S. 



Institution of Electkical Engineers, at 8. — Telephonic Trans- 

 mission Measurements ; K S. Cohen and 0. M. Shepherd. 



Iron and Stpel Institute, at 10.30 a.m.— Presidential Address. — Elec- 

 trically Driven Reversing Roller-Mills : D. Selby-Bigge.- (1) Steel 

 Makin? from High Silicon Phosphoric Pie Iron by the Basic Bessemer 

 Process: (2) Steel Making from Pie Iron containing Chromium. Nirkel, 

 and Cobalt ; A W. Richards.— The Use of Steam in Gas Producer 

 Piactice : Prof. W. A. Bone and R. V. Wheeler. 

 FRIDAY, May 10. 



Royal Institution, at 9. — Recent Excavations on Forum Romanum, 

 an i the Forum Ulpium : Signor Com" Giacomo Boni. "'H 



Society, at S. — Siereoscopy with long Base-line illustrated on 

 . T. C. Porl< 



\ 



the So 



Royal Astronomical Socii 



Malacological Society, at 8.— The Pairing of Linintua peugra-mAi 

 Flancirbis cmncus : W D. I ang.— Notes on Achatina denisoni, Reevlp, 

 and Achaliiia mngnifiia, Pfr. : E. A. Smith —Review of the New 

 Z.-aland Acmxidse, with Descriptions of New Species and Sub-species': 

 Henry Suter. -, 



Iron anh Steel Institute, at i:>.3o A.M. — Sentinel Pyrometers and their 

 Application to the Heat Treatment of Tool Steel : H. Brearley and F. 

 Colin Moorwood. — Induced Draught with Hot-air EconomiserS for Steel- 

 Works and Blast-Furnace Boilers: A. J. Capron. — The Influence of 

 Process of Manufacture on Some of the Properties of Steel ; F. W. 

 Harbord.— The Dislrihulion of Sulphur in Metal Ingot Moulds: J. 

 Henderson.— The Ageing of Mild Steel: C. E. Stromeyer.— Carbon- 

 Tungsten Steels : T. Sivinden.— The Nomenclature of Iron and Steel: 

 Report of a Committer of the International Association for Testing 

 Materials. 



SATURDAY, May 11. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Scientific Work in the Sea-Fisheries: Prof. 

 W. C. Mcintosh, F.R S. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Enigma of Life. ByJ. A. T i 



Zoology of the Indian Ocean 3 



Medical Meditations. By T. C. A 4 



Optical Instruments 5 



Our Book Shelf: — 



Simmersbach : " Die Eisenindustrie " 6 



Massee : " A Text-book of Fungi" 6 



English: Douglas English Nature Books. No. I. 

 " One Hundred Photographs from Life of the Shrew- 

 mouse, the Dormouse, the House-mouse, the Field- 

 mouse, the Meadow-mouse, and the Harvest-mouse" ; 

 Lodge : No. 2. "One Hundred Photographs of Bird- 

 life."— R. L 7 



Tinney : "Gold Mining Machinery: its Selection, 



. Arrangement, and Installation" 7 



Maxwell : " Memories of the Months " 7 



Letters to the Editor: — 



On the Relationship >>( Lemurs and Apes. — Prof. G. 



Elliot Smith .... 7 



Radium and Geology.— Prof. J. Joly, F.R.S. . 8 

 The Astronomical and Archaeological Value of the 



Welsh Gorsedd. (Il/iis/ni/cd.) By Rev. John Griffith 9 



Climatology of the United States ii 



Dedication of the Carnegie Institute 12 



Archaeology and the Assouan Dam 13 



May Meteors. By W. F. Denning 14 



Notes i^ 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronomical Occurrences in May 17 



Comet 19071^ (Mellish) 17 



The Ring of Minor Planets 17 



Positions of Phrebe, 1898-1904 17 



Observations of Thiity-three Variable Stars 17 



The Italian Prominence Observations, 1877-1883 . . 17 



The Spectrum of Mira 17 



The Harvard College Observatory 17 



North Polar Problems. By H.E. Dr. Fridtjof 



Nansen, G.C.V.0 18 



Seismotectonic Lines. By Dr. C. Davison i8 



Hydrates in Aqueous Solution. By F. M. P. ... 19 

 Production and Decay of Mediaeval Stained Glass. 



(Illiisti-ated.) By Noel Heaton 19 



University and Educational Intelligence 21 



Societies and Academies 21 



Diary of Societies 24 



