2IO 



NATURE 



[April 15, 1909 



of radiation it is absolutely essential to use an integral 

 receiver. In the present paper a form of receiver is 

 described satisfying the necessary conditions, and with this 

 apparatus the exactitude of Stefan's law has been proved. 

 The clMistant found is 6-30 X io-'= watt/cm. % as against 

 the earlier figure of 5-32, for iro, from which o is 

 2 xio-'= watt/cm. = — The atmosphere of rooms for the 

 inhalation of mineral water in the form of fine spray. The 

 identification of the mineral water spray with the water 

 of _ the spring : M. Cany — The formation of graphitic 

 oxide and the definition of graphite : Georges Charpy. 

 Brodie's reagent, fuming nitric acid and potassium 

 chlorate, may be replaced by other oxidising mixtures, such 

 as concentrated sulphuric acid and potassium perman- 

 ganate or chromic acid. The reaction is accelerated by a 

 rise of temperature, but with loss of carbon as carbon 

 dioxide. The definition of graphite based on the action of 

 such oxidising mixtures is unsatisfactory.— The prepara- 

 tion of pure iodic anhydride : Marcel Guichard. The 

 iodic acid prepared by the action of sulphuric acid on 

 barium iodate is not pure, containing either barium 

 lodate or barium sulphate, according as the salt or the 

 acid is in excess. Iodic acid is very soluble in water 

 {1S7.4 per too), but is much less soluble in nitric acid 

 (S.G 1.4), and advantage is taken of this fact for the 

 purification of iodic acid. A better method is the oxida- 

 tion of iodine with nitric anhydride ; a yield of 40 per 

 cent, of the theoretical is thus obtained.— The complete 

 synthesis of laudanosine : Am(5 Pictet and Mile. M. 

 Finkelstein. This synthesis of laudanosine (methyl- 

 tetrahydropapaverine) is the first artificial preparation 'of 

 an opium alkaloid.— The catalytic preparation of the 

 ketones : J. B. Senderens. The catalytic production of 

 ethers by the action of alumina on the 'alcohols has been 

 found to be limited in practice to niethvl and ethyl ethers, 

 other condensation products appearing with the higher 

 alcohols. The corresponding reaction for the production of 

 ketones, on the other hand, is much more general. 

 Anhydrous thoria is used as the catalvtic agent, and the 

 fatty acid is found to give good yields of ketone at a 

 temperature of about 400° C. A description is given of 

 the preparation of dicthylketone, dipropylketone and 

 di-isopropylketone by this method.— The "formation of 

 peroxides in the oxidation of the organo-magnesium com- 

 pounds : H. Wuyts — The tetrahvd'ronaphthylglycols {cis 

 and irans)^ and their combination : Henri Ler'oux.— .\ new 

 region with sodic rocks in Auvergne. Tephrites and 

 nephelinitcs in " la Comt^ " : J. Giraud and A. 

 Plumandon. — The composition of bauxite : M. Arsan- 

 daux — .Some variations of Moiwphyllaea Horsfieldii : M. 

 Chifflot — The sexual reproduction of Endomvces 

 Magnnsn : A. Guilliermond — The exact estimation ' by 

 gasometry, of urea and urinarv ammonia : M. Florence. 

 —New analogic? between the natural and artificial 

 oxydases : J. _ Wolff.— Animal invertins and lactases : H. 

 Bierry.— Bovine piroplasmosis in the neighbourhood of 

 Algiers : H. Soulie and G. Roigr.— The calcification of 

 tuberculous lesions in bovine animals ; their richness in 

 Koch bacilli : M. Piettre. Calcification of tuberculous 

 lesions IS no sign of cure, and any therapeutic method 

 based on the introduction of calcium salts into the economy 

 ^ illusory.— The palleal cavitv and its attachments': 

 K6my Perrier and Henri Fischer.— The fossil Bryozoa 

 of the Middle Miocene of Marsa-Matrouh : Ferdinand 

 Canu.— The cause of the heat developed in the terrestrial 

 rocks : J. A. Le Bel. The effect observed appears to be 

 due to radiation, and not to radio-activity. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



FRIDAY, April 16. 



Malacolocical Society, at 8.— Description of Pomatias Ilarmcri n sp. 

 T''°S,ft'^/,^'^,^''''S°''^^"'=''- A- S. Kennard.-Fossil Pearl Growths: 

 J. Wilfrfd Jackson.-The New Zealand Athoracophorida, with Descrip- 

 tions of Two New Forms: Henry Suter.-On the Family Ampnllariida:, 

 No. I, Ampullanna Uemu stricto). List of Species, Varieties, and 

 bynonyms, with Descriptions of New Forms : G. B. Sowerbv 

 TUESDAY, Ai-im. 20. 



Royal iNsriTUTto^ at 3.-The Brain in Relation to Right-handedness 

 and Speech : Prof. F. W. Mott, F.R.S. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The New York Times 

 cuilding: C. T. Purdy. 



Royal Society of Arts, at .1.30.— South Africa : Hon. C. G. Murray. 



KOYAL Anthropological Institute, at 8.15.— The Blackfeet Indians 

 of Montana : W. MacLintock. 



NO. 2059, VOL. 80] 



WEDNESDAY, April 21. 

 Royal Meteorological Society, at 7.30.— Perrolalion, Evaporation, 

 and Condensation : B. Latham.— The Meteorological Conditions in the 

 Philippines, igoS: Rev. Jose Aigne', S.J. 

 Royal Micro.scopical Society, at 8.— On the Recent and Fossil 

 Foraminifera of the Shore-sands of Selsea Bill, Sussex: E. Htron- 

 Allen — The Dis.Tppearance of the Nucleolus in Mitosis: E. J. 

 Sheppard. 



THURSDAY, April 22. 

 Royal Society, at i.-io.— Probable Papers : Dynamic Osmotic Pressures ■ 

 The Earl of Berkeley, F.RS., and E. G. I. H.-irtley.-(i) 1 he Thecry 

 of Ancestral Contributions in Heredity ; (2) The Ancestral Gamelic 

 Correlations of a Mendelian Populati n Mating at Random" Hrof 

 Karl Pearson, F.R.S. -The Intracranial Vascular System of Sphenodon : 

 Prof. A. Dendv, F.R.S —On the Graphical Determination of Fresnel's 

 Integrals : |. H. Sha.xby. 



5.30.— The General Principles of the 

 F. Tavani.— The Equations of Electro- 

 of the Earth's Motion on Optical and 

 Hasstf. — The Solution of a Certain 

 Transcendental Equation : G. N. Watson. 

 Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8.— The Electrical System 

 of the London County Council Tramwavs : J. H. Rider. 

 FRIDAY, April 23. 

 ^a'*4'- '"^"■'""■'■'O^' =" 9.— Tantalum and its Industrial Applications: 



Physical Society, at 5.— On a Want of Symmetry shown by Secondary 

 X-Rays: Prof. W. H. Kragf;. F.R.S., and J. L. Glasson.-Transformations 

 of X-Rays : C. A. Sadler.— Theory of the Alternate Current Generator: 

 Prof T. K. Lyle. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— The Development of Hydro- 

 electric Power .'Schemes: with Special Reference to Works at 

 Kinlochleven : J. M. S. Culbertson. 



Institution of Mechanical Engineers, at 8.— Presidential Address : 

 J. A. F. Aspinall. 



Mathematical Soci 

 Theory of Integral Equ. _ _ 

 dynamics and the Null Influence 

 rrical Phenomena: H. R. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Popular Science. By William E. Rolston ..... 181 



Rare Elements. ByJ. H. G 182 



A General History of Science .....'.....'. 182 



Sanitary Science igj 



Crustacea of Norv/ay. By W. A. Cunnington . . 1S4 



British Fungi. By A. D. C 184 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Freeman: "The Planning of Fever Hospitals and 



Disinfectirg and Cleansing Stations" 185 



Johnson : " Photographic Optics and Colour Photo- 

 graphy, including the Camera, Kinematograph, 

 Optical Lantern, and the Theory and Practice of 



Image Formalion " igc 



Platen : Untersuchungen fossiler Htilzer aus dein 

 westen Vereinigten Staaten von Nordamerika " . . 185 

 Letters to the Editor : — 



The Rate of Fall of Fungus Spores in Air. {Illus- 



ti-ated.)—'Prof. A. H. Reginald Buller .... 1S6 

 lonisation by Rrintgen Rays. — Dr. Charles G. 



Barkla 187 



A Siinple Fabry and Perot Interferometer. (/Hits- 



/ra/«a'.)— Prof. James Barnes 187 



An Ornithological Coircidence.— Dr. Henry H. 



G'glioli 1S8 



April Meteors.— John R. Henry 18S 



The Gramophone as a Phonautograph. (///iislra/ed.) 



By Prof. John G. McKendiick, F.R.S 188 



The Poisons of the Pharmacy Act. By C. 



Simmonds jqj 



Rainfall in Italy ic 



Simple Studies in Natural History. {Illnslrated.) . . 192 

 International Chart of the Heavens .... 193 



Dr. Arthur Gamgee, F.R.S. By G. A. B. 194 



Notes ,96 



Our Astronomical Column : 



Observations of Comet Morehouse 200 



Measures of Double Stars 200 



Diameter and Position of Mercury . 200 



The Vatican Observatory 200 



Producer Gas for Engines. I. Processes and 

 Plants, {///iislrated.) ByJ. Emerson Dowson . . 200 



The Scope of Eugenics 203 



Scientific Work of the Local Government Board. 



Ky R- T. H 203 



German Anthropological Papers 204 



New Crucible Support and Furnace ...... 20^ 



The Defects of English Technical Education and 



the Remedy. By Dr. Robert Pohl 205 



University and Educational Intelligence 208 



Societies and Academies 209 



Diary of Societies . . 210 



