/- 



NA TURE 



[May 1 6, 1907 



authors showed photoj^raphs of the spark spectra of solu- 

 tions of these elements, using gold electrodes in the 

 manner described in a previous paper, and the progressive 

 disappearance of the lines on continued dilution was noted, 

 the lines surviving with i per cent., oi per cent., o-oi per 

 cent., and o-ooi per cent, of the element being tabulated. 

 The paper is part of a scheme of work designed to facili- 

 tate the use of the spectroscope in its application to 

 ordinary analytical work. The residuary or most per- 

 sistent lines of an element are not necessarily the most 

 intense as ordinarily tabulated, and when only a small 

 quantity of an element is present it is only those residuary 

 lines that show, hence the importance of their determin- 

 ation. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, ^ny 6. — V[. A. Chanveau in the 

 chair. — Study of the variations in the solar radiation : H. 

 Oeslandres. .After a discussion of the existing state of 

 knowledge in this subject, the author concludes that the 

 continuous study of the distribution of brightness over the 

 surface of the sun should be organised with great care ; 

 if it does not furnish the intensity of the variation of the 

 radiation, it shows the e.\istence of this variation, or at 

 least the existence of important disturbances, in a certain 

 and rapid manner. — An extension of the Friedel and Craft 

 reaction : .\. Haller and A. Guyot. A description of the 

 use of aluminium chloride in the condensation of secondary 

 amines and numerous organic substances. Among the 

 reactions studied are indigotin and dimethylaniline, benzil 

 and dimethylaniline, orlhodibenzoylbenzene, ethylphenyl- 

 glyo.xylate, benzophenone, isatin, all with the same base, 

 and other condensations with diethylaniline. — The zoo- 

 logical position, the affinities and development of Peneides 

 of the genus Funchalia : E. L. Bouvier. — The direct 

 hydrogenation of the fatty isocyanides : Paul Sabatier 

 and .\. Mailhe. In the presence of reduced nickel at a 

 temperature of ibo° C. to i8o° C, the primary reduction 

 product of the carbaminc R.N : C is the amine R.NH.CHj. 

 Some secondary amines are obtained as bye-products. — 

 Study of the relations between the solar activity and 

 the magnetic and electrical variations recorded at Tortosa, 

 Spain : MM. Cirera and Balcelli. A discussion of the 

 records for the first three months of the present year. — 

 Differential equations of the second and the first degree 

 the genera! integral of which is with fixed critical points : 

 Bertrand Gambier. — Certain congruences of lines : Ch. 

 Michel. — -An automatic damping arrangement for the roll- 

 ing of ships : V. Cremieu. — Plurivalent atoms : Henri 

 Pellat. By admitting the hypothesis that a plurivalent 

 atom consists of a collection of as many monovalent atoms 

 as there are units of valency, numerous facts in electro- 

 lysis can be explained. — \ speaking condenser : Timol^on 

 Areyropoulos. — Wireless telegraphy : L. Torres. A dis- 

 cussion and criticism from the point of view of priority of 

 a recent note on the same subject by M. Gabet. — The 

 absolute atomic weight of bromine : Gustavus D. 

 Hinrichs. A re-calculation of the analytical determin- 

 ations of Baxter, from which the value 8o-oo is obtained 

 instead of the value 79-<)53 deduced by Baxter. — The 

 application of the method of limiting densities to the per- 

 manent gases at o° C. ; the gas constant for perfect gases : 

 Philippe A. Guye. From a critical discussion of the ex- 

 perimental data, the author concludes that the gas con- 

 stant is not strictly constant, but increases with the critical 

 temperature of the gas, and varies 1/2800 between 

 hydrogen and nitric oxide. This variation is regular, and 

 can be represented by the formula R = 22, 410(1-)- lo-"'!';). 

 ^-Inactive dilactic acid : E. Jungrfleisch and H. 

 Godchot. — Decahydronaphthylketone-a and decahydro- 

 naphthylamine-a : Henri Leroux. — The origin of serpen- 

 tine and the crystallophyllian series of Aveyron and Gard : 

 Jules Berereron. — The culture of the forage Leguminos.-c : 

 J. Dumont and Ch. Dupont. — Sucrase in musts of apples 

 and ciders : G. Warcollier. — The nuclear evolution of the 

 schizonte of Agg^rci^ixta Ebcrthi : L. Legrer and O. 

 Duboscq. — The origin of the zonal anodian blastoderms : 

 Jan Tur — Researches on the labic activity of the gastric 

 mucus and on the supposed specific labogenic action of 



milk : Maurice Oehon The re-establishment of the 



pulsations of the heart in fibrillation : H. Kronecker. — 



NO. 1959, vol,. 76] 



The law of the hainolytic effect of the Becquerel rays : 

 C. J. Salomonsen and G. Dreyer. — The experimental 

 reproduction of granular conjunctivitis in the ape, Macacus 

 sinicus : C. Nicolle and M. Ciienod. — The organisation 

 and systematic position of the genus Sezannella : Ren6 

 Vigruier. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA V, M»Y ifi. 



?ovAL INSTlTUTIO^J, at ^. — Spectro^':opic Phenomena in Stars, {2) 

 Motion: H. F. Newall, FR.S. 



:hemical Sociktv, at 8.30.— The Relation Between the Crystilline form 

 and the Chemical Constitution of Simple Inorganic Substances: W. 

 Barlow and W. J. Pope —Experimental Investii;ation into the Process of 

 Dyeing: J. Hubner.— Some Derivatives of /iPvranol allied to certain 

 Derivatives of Brazilein .-md Hxmatein, Preliminary Communication : 

 W. H. Perkin, jun . and R. Robin-on— Mixed .Semioriho-)xalic 

 Compoiinds: G. D. Lander. — The Mechanism of Brominacion of 

 Acylamino-compounds, Preliminary Notice : J. B. ('ohen. 



NSTITLITION OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, at 8.— The Present State of 



Direct Current Design as Influenced by Interpoles: F. Handley Page 



nd Fielder J. Hi- 



FRIDAY, Vi.K\ 11. 



t g.— Seiches in the Lakes of Scotland : Prof. 



Royal Instituth 

 George Chrystal. 



THURSDAY. May 23, 



Royal Society, at i.-^o. —PnhaUe Papers : On the Two Modes of 

 Condensation of Water Vapour on Glass siurfaces, and their Analogy 

 with James Thomsons Curve of Transition from Gas 10 Liquid: Prof. 

 F. T. 1 ronton, F.R.S,— The Relation of Thallium to the Alkali MeUls : 

 a Study of Thallium Sulph.-ite and Selenate : Dr. A. E. H. Tutton, 

 F.R.S.— On the Frictional Resistances to the Flow of Air through a Pipe : 

 J. H. Grindleyand A. H. Gibson.— Chemical Reaction between Salts in 

 the Solid State: Dr. E. P. Perraan.— Studies on Enzyme Aciion, IX., 

 The Nature of Enzymes : Prof. H. E. .\rmstrone, F.R.S., and Dr. E. F. 

 Armstrong. — Studies on Enzyme Action The Enzymes of Yeist : 

 Amygdalase : R. J. Caldwell and S. L. Courtauld. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Chemical Progress— Works of Berthelot, 

 Mendeletff, and Moissan : Sir James Dew.ir, F.RS. 



Institution OF Elfctkical Engineers, at 8.— The Present State of 

 Direct Current Design as Inlluenred hv Interpoles: F. Handley Page 

 and Fielder J. Hiss.— Hot Wire Wait Meiers and Oscillographs: J. T. 



FRID.A r, May 24. 

 Royal Institution, at 9. — Recent Contributions to Electric Wave 



Telegraphy: Prof. J. A. Fleming, F.R.S. 

 LiNNEAN Society, at 8. — Anniversary Meeting. 

 Physical Society, at 5. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Development of the Human Embryo 49 



The Problem of Crystallisation 50 



Physics Irom Many Points of View 50 



The Prince of Entomology. By R. S 53 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Biles: "The Steam Turbine as Applied to Marine 



Purposes."— T. H. B 53 



Young : " A First Year's Course in Geometry and 



I^hysics " 54 



Deakin : " New Geometry Papers " 54 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Name of the Cave Horse.— R. Lydekker, F.R.S. 54 

 The Enigma of Life. — Dr. H. Charlton Bastian, 



F.R.S 54 



Radium and Geology.— Prof. J. Joly, F.R.S. ... 55 

 The Relationship of Lemurs and Apes. — H. F. 



Standing 55 



Imperial College of Science and Technology ... 56 



The Butterflies of India, (///iistralfd.) By W. F. K. 57 



The Royal Society Conversazione. (Uliistralcd.) . . S7 



Notes (lllustraU-d.) 6l 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



A Nebulous Background in Taurus 65 



The White Spot on Jupiter's Third Satellite 65 



The Meteorite friim Rich Mountain, North Carolina . 65 



Comet 1907(5 (Mellish) 65 



The Orbits of Four Double Stars 65 



The Discovery of Variable Stars 65 



The Radiant Point of the Bielids 65 



Iron and Steel Institute 65 



Chimaeroid Fishes 67 



Britannic Geology. (lUiislialed.) 67 



The Coats Observatory, Paisley. (IlliistiaUd.) ... 68 



University and Educational Intelligence 69 



Societies and Academies 70 



Diary of Societies 72 



