NA TURE 



[March 4, 1909 



of 141^; this figure is nearly identical with the specific 

 rotatory power of maltose in dilute solution (i4o''-4). The 

 conclusion drawn from the whole of these experiments is 

 that starch is a unique chemical species, and is simply 

 a condensation product of maltose. — The maltases of 

 maize : R. Huerre. — The digestion of mannancs and 

 galactanes : H. Bierry and J. Giaja. — A mould in tanning 

 with oil : Andre Piedallu. An account of the appearance 

 of 'Slonasciis furpKreiis in various culture media. This 

 fungus acidifies oils, thickens, and colours them brown ; 

 it secretes an oxydase, and appears to play an important 

 part in the preparation of chamois leather. — The composi- 

 tion and utilisation of the pulp from sisal hemp after 

 removal of the fibre : A. Hebert and F. Heim. — Com- 

 parison betwe.en the commencement of the development of 

 a perennial and annual plant : G. Andre. — .^ variety of 

 organic iron in plants : P. J. Tarbouriech and P. Sagret. 

 The plant Riimcx ohtusiflonis contains the highest propor- 

 tion of iron in any plant yet known, and this iron is pre- 

 sent in a form not reacting with the ordinary reagents for 

 iron. The iron compound, which contains carbon, 

 hydrogen, nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron (6-36 per cent.), 

 is extracted from the root by alcohol containing i per cent, 

 of hydrochloric acid. — Concerning the anatomy of the 

 human thymus : Henri Rieffel and Jacques Ue Mee. A 

 reply to a criticism by M. Cruchct of a former paper by 

 the authors. — The histological structure of- the seminal 

 receptacle of Pcriplancta oricntalis : L. Bordas. — The 

 dangers of chloroform. Incoagulability of the blood and 

 necrosis of the liver following after chloroform anaesthesia : 

 -M. Doyon, — The sterilisation of potable water bv means 

 of the quartz mercury vapour lamp : Jules Courmont and 

 Th. Nogier. Potable water containing Eberth's bacillus 

 or Co\i conimuius is sterilised in one minute within a 

 range of 30 cm. from the lamp. — Measurements in 

 d'.Arsonvalisation : E. Doumer. — The treatment of radio- 

 dermatitis bv the high-frequency spark : M. de Keating 

 Hort. — Diaphylactic centres : Pierre Bonnier. — The sense 

 of orientation and topographical memory in Patella 

 vulgata : H. 'Pieron. — The study of the geological dis- 

 tribution of the Bryozoa : Ferdinand Canii. 



of Geographical DiRtributit 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, March 4. 



R.ivAL Society, at 4.30. -On the Presence of Haem-agglutinins, HaMn- 

 ODSonins, and Ha:moIysins in the Blood obtained from Infectious and 

 Non-infectious Diseases in Man (Second Repo-t): L. S. Dudgeon.— The 

 Action on Glucosides by Bacteria of the Acid-fast Group, wiih a New 

 Method of isolating Human Tubercle Bacilli directly from Tuberculous 

 Material contaminated with other Micro-organisms (Preliminary- Note): 

 F. W. Twort.— The Effect of Heat upon the Electrical State of Living 

 Tissues : Dr. A. D. Waller. F.R.S. 



RovAL Institution, at 3.— Proble) 

 Mexico: Dr. Hans Gadow, F.R.S. 



RoNTGF.N Society, at 8.15. — Some Vacuum Tube Phenomena: A. \. 

 Campbell Swinton. 



LiNNEAN Society, at 8.— A Contribution to the Montane Flora of Fiji, 

 including Cryptogams, with Ecological Notes; Miss L. S. Gihbs. 



Civil and Mechanical Engineers' Society, at 8.— .Some Commercial 

 .Aspects of the Management of Central Electricity Supply Slations- 

 R. Borlase Matthews. 



FRIDAY, March 5. 



CiFOLOr.iSTs' Association, at 8.— On the Sections of Inferior Oolite on the 

 .Midford-Camerton Section of the Limpley Stoke Railway, Somerset • 

 L. Richardson.— The Geology of the Paris Basin : F. D.-llfus. 



Institution OF Civil Engineers, at 8.— Slips in Railway Earthworks: 



E. G. L. Lovegrove. 



SATURDAY, March 6. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Properties of Matter : Sir I. ]. Thomson 

 F.R.S. 



Essex Field Club, at 6 (at Essex Museum, Stratford).— Some Essex 

 Well-sections (Part iv): W. Whitaker, F. K.S.— Remarks on a Hone 

 Object found at Braintree, Essex, and Comparison of Similar Objects 

 found elsewhere: Francis W. Reader. — Insect Transformations: 



F. Enoch. 



• MONDAY, March 8. 

 Geographical Society, at 8.30. — Explorations in Central .\sia : 



8.— Modern Methods of Anilic 



Dr. M. A. Stein 



ation : Lenn Gaster. 



TUESDAY, March 9. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— The Evolution of the Brain as an Organ of 



Mind : Prof. F. W. Mott, F.R.S. 

 Royal Anthkoi-olocical In,stitute, at 8.15.— The Vedd.-is : Dr. C. G. 



Seligmann. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Concrete and Masonry Dam 



Construction in New South Wales : L. A. B Wade. 

 iVEDNESDAV, March 10. 

 Geological Sociktv, at 8.— Some Notes on the Neighbourhood of 



Victoria Falls: Thomas Codrington.— A Contribution to the Petrography 



-'■•'-- '"-•°'' " 1 the West of England : H.H.Thomas. 



of the New Red Sandsi 



Society of Arts, at 8.— The Applicition of the Microscope to the Study 

 of Metals : Walter Rosenhain. 



THURSDAY, March ii. 



Royal Society, at ^.jo.— Probable Papers: N te on the Stability of 

 Jacobi's Ellipsoid: Sir George H. Darwin, K.C.B., F.R.S— On the 

 Wa\'e-lengths of Lines in the Secondary Spectrum of Hydrogen : H. F,. 

 Watson. — The Measurement of Dielectric Constants by the Oscillations 

 of Ellip.soidsand Cylinders in a Field of Force : Prof. W. M. Thornton. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— Recent Advances in Agricultural Science: 

 \. D. Hall. 



Mathematical Society, at 5.30. — The Kinetic Image of a Convected 

 Electric System in a Ccnducting Plane Sheet : Prof. J. Larmor.— On an 

 Integral Equation: G. H. Hardy.— The Use of Generalised Line, Sur- 

 face, and Volume Integrals in Electrodynamics: H. Bateman. 



Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8.— The Dielectric Strength 

 of Compressed Air : E. A. Watson. 



FRIDAY, March ij. 



Royal Institution, at 9. — Modern Submarine Telegraphy : S. G. Brown. 



Physical Society, at 8.— The F.ffect of Radiations on the Brush Dis- 

 charge : A. E. Garrett. — On Pirani's Method of Measuring the Self- 

 inductance of a Coil : E. C. Snow. — Exhibition of a High Potential 

 Primary Battery : W. S. Tucker.— On the Least Moment of Inertia of an 

 Angle Bar Section: H. S. Rowell.; 



Malacological Society, at 8. — Description of a New Species of Oliva 

 from the Andaman Islands : F. G. Bridgman.— Notes on the Genera 

 Cypriea and Trivia : H. O. N. Shaw.— On the Shell Mound at Sidon : 

 On the Habitat of Certain Species of Clausilia from the Coast of Syria : 

 Rev. H. A. Cooke. — Notes on the Species of Cyclopborus found at Hong 

 Kong: Staff-Surgeon K. H. Jones, R.N.— On the " Conchological Illustra- 

 tions," by G. B. Sowerby, juii., and the "Descriptive Catalogue of 

 Shtlls," by J. E. Gray; C. Davies Sherborn.-On the Dale of Issue of 

 Sowerby's - Conchological Illustr.aiions" : H. O. N. Shaw. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Aspects of Modern Science i 



The Experimental Method in Zoological Research. 



By Dr. Francis H. A. Marshall 2 



Modern Pharmacognosy. By Prof. Henry G. 



Greenish 3 



Science in the Textile Industries. By Prof. 



Walter M. Gardner 4 



Treatment and Disposal of Sewage. l!y Edward 



Ardern 5 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Despaux : " Explication niechanique des Proprietes de 



la Matiere, Cohesion, Affinile, Gravitation, &c." . 6 

 Chappuis and Berget : " Lecons de Physique 



generale" 6 



Rohmann : " Biochemie. Ein Lehrbuch fiir Mediziner, 



Zoologen und BolaniUer." — W. D. H 6 



Workman and Cracknell : " Geometry, Theoretical 



and Practical '' 7 



Letters to tbe Editor : — 



The 7 Rays of Uranium. — Frederick Soddy and 



Alexander S. Russell 8 



The Radio-active Deposits from Actinium. — S. 



Russ . . 8 



The Production of Prolonged Apncea in Man. — W. G . 



Royal-Dawson 8 



A Winter Retreat. — Prof. John G. McKendrick, 



F.R.S 8 



Priestley .and Coulomb's Law. —C. J. Woodward . S 

 Barometric Oscillation. — W. H. Dines, F.R.S. . . 8 

 Life and Letters of Piof. A. Newton, F.R.S.— A. F. R. 



Wollaston 8 



The Anthropology of the Murray Islanders. (Illiis- 



Iraled.) 9 



The Californian Earthquake of 1906. (Illustrated.) . 10 



Radio-thorium By Frederick Soddy 12 



The Poor Law Commission Report 12 



The Meteoric Fireball of February 22 and its 



Streak. By W. F. Denning 13 



Notes 14 



Our Astrononaical Column : — 



The Spectra of Various Nebulas 19 



The Proposed Programme of Work for the Reynolds 



Reflector at Helwan, Egypt 19 



Observations of Comet Tempelg-Swift 19 



The Levels of Sun-spots . 19 



A New "Cave-nebula'' in Cepheus , . 19 



The Recent Magnitude of Nova Pcrsei 19 



Double-star Measures . 19 



Scientific Research and the Carnegie Trust .... 20 

 The Functions of Technical Colleges. By Dr. 



George T. Beilby, F.R.S. ... 22 



University and Educational Intelligence . .26 



Societies and Academies 27 



Diary of Societies yi 



NO. 205,3, VOL. 



