2^0 



NA TURE 



[July 4, 1907 



and the earth's internal heat, the nature of radium and 

 the phenomena accompanying its disintegration being de- 

 scribed. The consequences of the acceptance of the theory 

 that the present internal heat of the earth is due to radium 

 contained in the crust were detailed, and the immense 

 importance of the theory in connection with the problems 

 of geological time fully considered. The concluding portion 

 consisted of a consideration of the question of the influence 

 on climate of possible variations in the composition of the 

 atmosphere, more especially with regard to its carbon 

 dioxide content. The manner in which climate is in- 

 fluenced by the amount of this substance in the air was 

 clearly described, and the causes leading up to its removal 

 or replacement were discussed. Consideration was also 

 given to the possibility of climate being influenced by the 

 earth's internal heat. The address concluded with a brief 

 account of some of the proofs of the former glaciation of 

 the earth's surface to regions well within the tropics, and 

 with the possible explanation of this phenomenon by muta- 

 tions in climate caused by variations in the carbon dioxide 

 in the atmosphere. — Ordinary monthly meeting, Mr. 

 A. H. S. Lucas, president, in the chair. — Decapod 

 Crustacea from Norfolk Island : the late F. E. Grant and 

 Allan R. McCiilloch. — Descriptions of Australian Micro- 

 lepidoptera, part xix., Plutellidje : E. Meyrick. In the 

 " Handbook of British Lepidoptera," the family Plutellidaj 

 was regarded as comprising the three groups Yponomeuta, 

 Glyphipteryx, and IMutella. In the present paper, not 

 without due consideration, the family receives a more ex- 

 tended application so as to include, in addition, Gracilaria 

 and Zelleria, formerly included in the Tineidas. 



April 24. — Mr. A. H. S. Lucas, president, in the chair. 

 — Descriptions of new or little-known Desmids found in 

 New South Wales : G. I. Playfair. Dr. Otto Nordstedt 

 has recorded nine species from the Blue Mountains, and 

 Dr. M. Raciborski seventy-seven species from Centennial 

 Park, Sydney, the papers of these two writers represent- 

 ing the only published contributions to a knowledge of 

 New South Wales Desmids available at present. The 

 material studied by the author represents about 350 species, 

 of which 230 have been identified as forms not restricted 

 to New South Wales, fifty require further investigation, 

 and seventy are treated and figured in the present 

 paper, of which fiftv are regarded as previously un- 

 described. — Revision of the Thynnidje (Hymenoptera), 

 part i. : Rowland E. Turner. The present paper, part i., 

 treats of the subfamilies Diamminae and Thynninje, the 

 former comprising only one genus, Diamma, represented 

 by a single species, and the latter seven genera and two 

 subgenera, represented by 102 species, of which forty-six 

 are described as new. — Contributions to a knowledge of 

 Australian Foraminifera, part ii. : E. J. Goddard and 

 H. I. Jensen. The material described in this and previous 

 papers has been obtained from localities sufficiently far 

 removed from one another to enable the authors to make 

 ■deductions regarding the distribution of Foraminifera in 

 Australian waters, and also to discuss the probable con- 

 ditions of climate and deposition at the time the Table 

 Cape beds were laid down. 



Calcutta. 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal, May I. — An abnormal branch of 

 the mango {Maiigijcra indica, Linn.) : I. H. Burkill and 

 G. Chunder Bose. A young grafted mango bore two 

 abnormal branches, which were leafy along one side, but 

 flowering along the other. The internal anatomy of the 

 larger branch was studied, and it was ascertained that the 

 xylem was much more developed on the leafy than on the 

 flowering side. — Note on the Shahin falcons (Falco 

 peregrinalor and F. barhanis) : Lieut. -Colonel D. C. 

 Phillott. Their habits, breeding, employment in falconry, 

 and Eastern names. — Note on the red-headed merlin 

 (j^ salon chiquera) : Lieut. -Colonel D. C. Phillott. Its 

 breeding, habits, and use in falconry. — Magnetic induction 

 in spheroids : D. N. Mallick. This paper deals with the 

 problem of magnetic induction in a magnetic substance in 

 the form of a prolate spheroid, due to a current circulating 

 in a wire wrapped round it along a part of its length. — 

 The fats of Garcinia species : D. Hooper. The author 

 enumerates four species of Garcinia the seeds of which 

 are known to yield fixed oils, employed for lighting, edible, 



NO. 1966, VOL. 76] 



and medicinal purposes. Two of these have been examined 

 by the author, who confirms the analysis of Heise in show- 

 ing that the fat of G. indica consists chiefly of oleodistearin, 

 and from an examination of gamboge butter, the semi- 

 solid fat of G. MoicUa, its constitution is shown to be 

 that of stearo-diolein. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, July 4. 



Chbuical Societv, al S.30.— /.vcNltroso and Nilrodimethyldihydroresnr- 

 cin : P. Haas— The Siructure of Carboniiim S.ilts : F. Baker.-Studies 

 of Dynamic Isomerism, I>jrt VI.. The Influence of Impurities 011 ihe 

 Mutarolation of Nittocamphor : T. M. Lowry and K. H. Magson.— 

 The Relation between Absorption Spectra and Chemical Conslilutibn, 

 Part Vlll., The Phenyl Hydrazones and Osazonei of a-Diketone> : 

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

 ganic Acid : M. M. P. Muir. 



Association of Economic Biologists (Imperial ■ Institute), at 

 11.30 a.m. — Some Notes on Ticks: C. Warburton. — \ Remedy for the 

 Spruce-gall and Larch-blight Diseases: E. R. Burdon.— Demonstration 

 in the Public Galleries of the Imperial institute by Mr. W. G. Freeman, 

 the Superintendent of the Colonial Collections. — Al 2 p.m. — A Noie on 

 the Cecidomvids or Gall-midges ; W. E. Collinge. — The -American 

 Gooseberry-mildew, and the Pioposed 1-egislalive Measures: E. S. 

 Salmon. — The Bionomics of the Calypterate Muscida;, and their Eco- 

 nomic Significance: C. Gordon Hewitt. 



PR! DA Y, July 5. 



Geologists' Association, at 8. — The Geology of the Appleby District, 

 Westmorland : Dr. J. E. Marr, F.R.S. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Construction of Dytiamos. By Prof. Gisbert 



Kapp , 2:7 



Stokes's Scientific Career and Influence. By Prof. 



Horace Lamb, F.R.S 218 



Five Small Geographies. By A. M. D 219 



Some Aspects of Humanism 220 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Withers: "Euclid's Parallel Postulate: its Nature, 



Validity, and Place in Geometrical Systems" . . 220 

 Fitting : " Die Reizleitungsvorgange bei den Pflanzen " 221 

 Vos : " Birds and their Nests and Eggs found in and 



near Great Towns." — R. L 221 



Thomas : " Kinship Organisations and Group Mar- 

 ri.ige in Australia." — Rev. A. E. Crawley . . . 221 

 Letters to the Editor: — 



Absorption of the Air for Light of Short Wave- 

 lengths. — Prof Theodore Lyman 222 



The Structure of the .Ether.— E. Cunningham . . 222 

 Root Action and Bacteria. — Spencer U. Pickering, 



F.R.S.; Dr. Edward J. Russell 222 



The Shape of the Earth 223 



Presentation of the Freedom of the City of London 



to Lord Lister 224 



The Extension of the British Museum 224 



Notes 225 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Comet 19071!" (Daniel) 229 



Peculiar Spectrum of e Capricorni 229 



Atmospheric Currents in Celestial Bodies 229 



Observations of Planets 229 



The Melbourne Observatory 229 



Pawnee Traditions. By E. Sidney Hartland . . . 230 

 Plant Diseases and Remedies. By Fred. V. 



Theobald 230 



The Position and Prospects of Chemical Research 

 in Great Britain. By Prof. Raphael Meldola, 



F.R.S 231 



University and Educational Intelligence 235 



Societies and Academies 236 



Diary of Societies 240 



