2 l6 



NA TURE 



[June 27, 1907 



>tate of division. To produce this the air passes through 

 a glass bulb containing two electrodes of the metal under 

 examination. .-Xbout ten powerful sparks per second, 

 furnished by a condenser of high capacity, arc allowed to 

 pass between the two electrodes. Sufficient of the metal 

 is removed in this way to give a flame rich in lines. The 

 actual quantity used, however, is extremely small, and is 

 hardly weighable after some hours' sparking. The method 

 is therefore peculiarly adapted for studying the spectra 

 of rare and costly metals. — Photomicrography in colour 

 with autochrome plates by A. and L. Lumi6re : Ch. A. 

 Francois Franck. — Remark relating to the detection of 

 calcium : H. Baubigny. A reclamation of priority as 

 regards the use of an ammoniacal solution of potassium 

 ferrocyanide as a characteristic test for calcium. — The 

 absolute atomic weight of manganese ; Gustavus D. 

 Hinrichs. .Xn application of the author's method of 

 calculation to the experimental results of Baxter and 

 Hines. The value 5495 found by these workers is con- 

 verted into 55 exactly by these calculations. — Arsenic acid 

 and the methylarsenic acids : K. Baud and .-X. Astruc. 

 A thermochemical paper. — The action of fluorine on 

 selenium in the presence of glass : Paul Lebeau. Experi- 

 mental reasons are given for assuming that the substance 

 produced by the interaction of selenium and fluorine in 

 the presence of glass is not pure selenium hexafluoride, 

 but a mixture of at least two substances. — The solubility 

 of alumina in aluminium sulphide and of magnesia in 

 sulphide of magnesium : Marcel Houdard. The oxides of 

 both magnesium and aluminium have been obtained in a 

 crystalline form when fused with the corresponding sulphide 

 in the electric furnace. — The alloys of nickel and tin : Em. 

 Vigrouroux. The alloys of nickel and tin containing up 

 to 40 per cent, of the latter metal are feebly magnetic. 

 Under the action of nitric acid and potash a non-magnetic 

 alloy having the composition Ni,Sn can be isolated. — The 

 glycol of anethol ; its transformation into anisylacetone : 

 MM. Tiffeneau and Daufresne. — A new method of ring 

 formation of the substituted pimelic and adipic acids : 

 H. G. Blanc. The acid is converted into its anhydride by 

 treatment with acetic anhydride, and this, followed bv 

 slow distillation, gives the corresponding cyclic ketone. 

 The yields are very good ; details arc given of eleven 

 ketones prepared according to this method. — The dinuig- 

 nesium compound of i : 5-dibromopentane : \ . Grignard 

 and G. Vignon. Dibromopentane readily forms a 

 dimagnesium compound, soluble in ether. A preliminarv 

 account is given of the reactions of this substance with 

 carbon dioxide, ethyl acetate, and diacetyl. — The applica- 

 tion of the method of limiting densities to the liquetiable 

 gases : Ph. .A. Guye. The difficulty with these is the 

 accurate evaluation of the term A'„, representing the 

 deviation from Boyle's law. A linear e.xtrapolation from 

 densities measured at pressures between 0-5 and i atmo- 

 sphere is not sufficiently accurate, and the three modes 

 of parabolic extrapolation proposed by D. Berthelot do 

 not lead to identical results. It is pointed out that, 

 .•idmitting the idea of a gas constant, the parabolic extra- 

 polation will not hold good. — The kathodic phosphorescence 

 of complex systems. The paralysing action exercised bv 

 certain exciters of the rare earth series upon others of 

 the same series : G. Urbain and Clair Seal. — The 

 colloidal properties of starch : E. Fouard The com- 

 parative action of extracts of barley and of malt upon the 

 more resisting dextrins : J. Wolff. — The amount of oxygen 

 in oxyhemoglobin from the horse: MM. Piettre and 

 Vila. — The polymorphic transformations of isomorphous 



mixtures of three bodies : Fred. Wallerant The inverse 



bundle of ZiWa tnacroptcra : C. Gerbsr. — The detection of 

 invertine, sucrase, or saccharose in various organs of the 

 vine and in some fruits : V. Martinand. — Protective 

 and evasive autotomy : Henri tPieron. — The struc- 

 ture of the divided nerves in a strictly physiological 

 evolution : N. A. Barbieri. — The geology of the central 

 Sahara : R. Chudeau. — The presence of Carboniferous 

 strata in the neighbourhood of Taoudeni, south-western 

 .Sahara : G. B. M. Flamand. — The post-helvetian erup- 

 tions anterior to the recent volcanoes in the north-west of 

 Sardinia : M. Deprat. — The storm of May 22 1907, in 

 the department of Loiret : M. Maillard. 



NO. 1965, VOL. 76] 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THirnSDAy, JvNZ 27. 



Royal Society, at 4.3=.— Mn the Dynamic.%1 Theory of Gratings: 

 Lord Kayleigh, O.M., P. R.S.— On the Surface Tension of Liqaids in- 

 vestigated by the Method of Jet Vibration : S. D. Pederscn. —Cases of 

 Colour Bliidness. No. VI. 10 No. XVIII., together with Eleven Selected 

 Examples of Normal Colour Sensation: Dr. G. J. Burch, F.R.S.— On 

 the Occurrence of Post-Ielanic '1 remor in Several Types of Muscles ; 

 Dr. D. F. Harris. -On the Pressure of Bile Secretion and the Mechanism 

 ol Bile Absorption in Ob-truc-ion of the Bile Duct : P. 'I. Herring and 

 S. Simpson. — Further Mudiesof Gastrotoxic Serum '(Progress Report); 

 Dr. C. Bollon.— Observations on the Lile-hislory of Leucocvtes, Part 

 111. : C. E. Walker.— I he Annealing of Copper with Special Reference 

 to Dilatation : Piof. T. 'I'urner and D. M. Levy. — On a Standard of 

 Mutual Induction : A. Campbell.— A New Cur.ent Weigher and a 

 Detenninaiicn 01 ihe E.M.K. of the Normal Wes'on Cadmium Cell: 

 Prof. W. E. Avrton, F. K >., T. Mather, K.R.S., and F. E. Smith.— On 

 the Velocity of the Kathode ParticUs entitled by Vari tus Metals under 

 the Influence of Hootgen Rays and its Bearing on the Theory of Atomic 

 Disintegration : P. V. Innes.— On the Force Required to Stop a Moving 

 Electrified Sphere : G. F. C. Searle, F.K.S.— Some Notes on Carbon at 

 High Temperatures and Pressures : Hen. C. A. Parsons, C. B., F. R.S.— 

 The Hard and Soft States in Ductile Metals: G. T. Beilby, K.K.S.— 

 Ranges and Behaviour of Rifle Projectiles in the Air : A. Malloclt, 

 F.R.S.— Experiments on a New Kathode Dark Sp.-tce in Helium and 

 Hydrogen : F. W. Asion.— Note on the Use of the Radiometer in Ob- 

 serving Small Gas Pressures: Sir James Dewar, F.R.S— And other 

 Paper;.. 



/■■R/DAy, June 28. 



Physical Society, at 5 — Demonstr.-ition of the Us's of his Hot Wire 

 Oscillographs and Hot Wire Waumelers : J. T. Irwin.— Experiments 

 on the Production of Sand Ripples on the Sea Sh<jre : Mrs, Ayrlon.— 

 (i) A Cosine Hicker Photometer ; (2) Some Phenomena in Colour Vision : 

 J. S. Dow.— Description and Exhibition of Students' Apparatus for Mea- 

 suring Peimeability and Hysteresis: Prof. W. E. Ayrton and T. Mather. 



WEDNESDAY, July 3. 



British Astrono.mical Association, at 5. 



THURSDAY, July 4. 



Chemical Society, at 3.30.— /.jt^Nitroso and Nitrodimethyldihydroresor- 

 cin : P. Haas —The Structure of Carbonium Salts : F. Baker.-Sludies 

 of Dynamic Isomerism, Part VI.. The Influence of Impurities on ihe 

 Mutarotation of Nitiocamphor : T. M. Lowry and K. H. Magson. — 

 The Relation between Absorption Spectra and Chemical Constitution, 

 Part Vlll., The Phenyl Hydrazones and Osazones of a-Diketones : 

 E. C. C. Balv. W. B. Tuck, E. G. Marsden, and M. Gazdar.— Perman- 

 ganic .Acid : M. M. P. Muir. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Resins. By T, A. H 193 



The Works of C. F. Gauss. ByJ. L. E. D 194 



Nature and Floral Design. By Walter Crane . . . 194 



Some Recent Philosophical Works 195 



The "Imperial Gazetteer of India 197 



Our Book Shelf: — 



Hicks: "The Laboratory Book of Mineral Oil 



Testing."— J. B. C 198 



Arrhenius : " Theories of Chemistry " 19S 



Maeterlinck: " Life and Flowers" 19S 



Letter to the Editor: — 



Unscientific Adminislration. — Prof. G. H. Bryan, 



F.R.S 19S 



London Botanic Gardens. [ Illustralcd.) 199 



The National Physical Laboratory. By C. H. L. . 200 



Dr. Edward John Routh, F.R.S. ByJ. L 2C0 



Prof. A. S. Herschel, F.R.S. By W. F. Denning . 202 



Notes 203 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronomical Occurrences in July 207 



Comet 19071/ (Daniel) 207 



A Large Sun-spot. (lUustrated.) 207 



The Vai lability of Asteroids 207 



Comet 1907^- (Giacobini) 207 



The Engineering Conference 208 



The Royal Society Conversazione 2lo 



The Cruise of the ■' Neptune. " By L. C. B 211 



Natural History in Northumbria 211 



University and Educational Intelligence 212 



Societies and Academies 212 



Diary of Societies 216 



11 



