376 



NA TURE 



I August 8, 1907 



Two research studentships in science of the value of 

 60/. and 4oi. respectively have been founded at University 

 College, London, by an anonymous donor ; they will be 

 awarded for the first time next session. 



A MOVEMENT is on foot in Glasgow to recognise in a 

 suitable manner the scientific services of Prof. J. G. 

 -McKendrick, F.R.S., and a committee of former pupils 

 and friends has been formed to raise a memorial to the 

 late Prof. Pirie, Aberdeen. 



Mr. VV. E. Curnock has been appointed head of the 

 department of mechanical engineering and building trades 

 at the Battersea Polytechnic. Mr. Curnock has for the 

 past three years been head of the engineering department 

 of the Technical College, Iluddersfield. 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, July 29.— M. A. Chauveau in the 



chair. — New contribution lo the sludy of the trypano- 

 somiasis of the Upper Niger : A. Lav'eran. An account 

 •of a new trypanosome to which the name T. soudaiieiise 

 hap been given. This parasite, .from a morphological 

 .point of view, resembles T. evaiisi, but differs from it in 

 its pathogenic action on animals, especially mice. Experi- 

 mental evidence is given that the trypanosome of Mai 

 de la Zousfana and El Dabab is probably T. soudanense. 

 — The function of the spleen in trypanosomiasis : A. 

 Laveran and M. Thiroux. A criticism of a paper on 

 the same subject by MM. Rodet and Vallet. The latter 

 regard the spleen as possessing trypanolytic properties, 

 but this view is disputed by the authors of the present 

 note.— The early diagnosis of tuberculosis by the 

 ophthalmo-reaction with tuberculin : A. Calmette. This 

 reaction, as applied by the author, consists in the appli- 

 cation to the eye of a i per cent, solution of dry tuberculin 

 precipitated by alcohol. In healthy subjects no reaction 

 is produced, but in tuberculous subjects a characteristic 

 conjunctival redness is produced within twenty-four hours. 

 This reaction has been utilised in nearly a thousand cases 

 with very satisfactory results, and in many instances, 

 •especially of children, has revealed tuberculous lesions the 

 -presence of which had not been suspected. — Mr. E. C. 

 Pickering was elected a corrcspondant for the section of 

 astronomy, in the place of the late M. Rayet. — .A. point 

 in the theory of the sun of M. Julius : Henri Bourget. 

 — Linear homogeneous representations of finite groups : 

 M. de Segruier. — Differential equations of the third order 

 with fixed critical points : M. Chaiy.— Differential equa- 

 tions of the third order the intr'gral of which is uniform : 

 Ren^ Garnier. — The representation of integral equations 

 of any degree: J. Massau. — The determination of the 

 altitude of the summit of .Aconcagua : Fr. Schrader. 

 The mean of two observations was 6953 metres. Full 

 details arc given of the method used. — lonisation bv 

 bubbling through liquids : L. Bloch. .■\ question of 

 priority resarding a recent note by M. de Broglie. — The 

 compressibility of gases in the neighbourhood "of atmo- 

 spheric pressure : Daniel Berthelot. The variation of yi-j 

 with the pressure has been studied for carbon dioxide, 

 nitrous oxide, and sulphur dioxide for pressures between 

 0-25 and 2-0 atmospheres. fietween these limits of 

 pressure the variation of pv is not, as has been assumed 

 by M. Guye, a linear function of the pressure, but is a 

 linear function of the densitv. — Nitrate of silver : calori- 

 metry at high temperatures : 'M. Guinchant. The calori- 

 meter is isolated by a vacuum jacket, and heated electric- 

 ally. It has been applied to measure direcllv the latent 

 heats of fusion of tin, mercuric iodide, and silver nitrate. 

 — Ortho- and pyro-arsenic acids : E. Baud. Pure pyro- 

 ■arsenic acid can be obtained by keeping .'\s„0..4H,0 over 

 strong sulphuric acid at a temperature of 15° C. to" 20° C. 

 From thermochemical experiments the author concludes 

 that orthoarsopic acid exists only in solution. The crystal* 

 which separate from this solution are the hydrate of 

 pyroarsenic acid.— The direct oxidation of phosphorus : 

 E. Jungfleisch. A detailed study of the combustion of 

 phosphorus In oxygen at low ' pressures, phosphorus 

 .inhydride being formed. Under special conditions as 

 snuch as o.s per cent, of the phosphorus can be converted 

 NO. T971 VOT.. 7(^1] 



into PjOj. — The properties and constitution of tantalum 

 steels : L^on Quillet. Four samples of steel were pre- 

 pared containing about 0-17 per cent, of carbon, 02 per 

 cent, of manganese, 02 per cent, of silica, and proportions 

 of tantalum varying from 009 per cent, to 1-05 per cent. 

 These steels were studied micrographically and as regards 

 their mechanical properties. Contrary to what has been 

 claimed for these steels, they show no property of any 

 importance. — Some derivatives of menthone : Evvind 

 Boedtker. — Two new glucosides, linarine and pecto- 

 linarine : T. Klobb. Thisc are obtained from the fiowcrs 

 and leaves of Linaria vulgaris. — ^The production of high 

 temperatures in labnrniory researches ; Leon Guillet. 

 Reclamation of priority against M. Chabri^. — The mode 

 of distribution of the muscular glycogen in well fed and 

 in starved subjects. The influence of the seasons on the 

 proportion of glycogen in the muscles : F. Maignon. — 

 The relative toxicity of the salts of chromium, aluminium, 

 and magnesium ; comparison with the analogous properties 

 of the rare earths : Alexandre Hebert. — The Inllucnce of 

 acids on the action of laccase : Gabriel Bertrand.- — The 

 influence of manganese salts on alcoholic yeasts : E. 

 Kayser and H. Marchand. — The urinary chroniogen 

 resulting from the administration of indol-carboxylic acid : 

 Ch. Porcher and Ch. Hervieux. — The dwarf coffee 

 plant of Sassandra, Cofjea hitmilis : Aug. Chevalier. — 

 The buccal incubation in Ariiis fissiis : Jacques Pellegrin. 

 • — Coccus aiiowahis and thn disease causing the blueing of 

 champagnes : E. Manceau. — The pharmacodynamical 



action of kolatine : J. Chevalier and A. Goris Some 



ophthalmological experiments made with the aid of a 

 mercury vapour lamp : P. Fortin. Certain details of 

 structure very ditificidt to observe with ordinary light are 

 readily perceived by the light of a Cooper-Hewitt lamp. 

 This light is also very useful in the study of colour blind- 

 ness. — The discovery of the sulpho-gypsum formation in 

 the basin of Seybouse : J. Dareste de la Chavanne. — 

 The lishes of the family of Cichlidea: found in the Tertiary 

 strata at Guelma : H. E. Sauvage. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Research in China 345 



The Exploration of Tibet. By L. A. W 346 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Sinel : "An Outline of the Natural History of our 



Shores."— R. A. T 347 



" Field Operations of the Bureau of Soils, 1904" . . 348 

 Lapponi : " Hypnotism and Spiritism — A Critical and 



Medical Study " 348 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Festival of St. Allian.— Rev. C. S. Taylor; Rev. 



John Griffith 348 



The Sun's Motion with respect to the .Ether. — Dr. 



C. V. Burton 349 



The Dog's Sense of Direction of Sound. — F. C. 



Constable 349 



The International Congress on School Hygiene . 349 



The British Association at Leicester 350 



Section B. — Chemistry. — Opening Addiess by Prof. 



A. Smithells, B.Sc, F.R.S., President of the 



Section .... 352 



Section C. — Geology. — Opening Address by Prof. 



J. W. Gregory, D.Sc, F.R.S., President of 



the Section 357 



Section E. — Geography. — Opening Address by 

 George G. Chisholm, M.A., B.Sc, President 



of the Section 363 



Notes 370 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astrographic Catalogue Work at the Perth Observ- 

 atory (VV.A.) 374 



Daniel's Comet {i907(/) 374 



Mars 374 



Some New Applications of the Spectroheliograph . 374 

 The " Annuario" of the Rio de Janeiro Observatory . 374 

 Perseids — Comet Daniel. By W. F. Denning . . . 375 

 The Annual Meeting of the British Medical Asso- 

 ciation 375 



University and Educational Intelligence 375 



Societies and Academies 376 



