240 



NA TURE 



[April 22, 1909 



The distribution of ferments in plant members and tissues : 

 C Gerber. — The hypotensive function of choline in the 

 organism : Jean Gautrelet. By means of the Florence 

 reaction, choline has been recognised in various glands of 

 the horse, sheep, pig, ox, and dog. The hypotensive action 

 of the alcoholic extract is shown to be due to the choline 

 present, since this action disappears if the choline is pre- 

 cipitated. The alcoholic extract of the glands exactly 

 neutralises the hypertensive action of adrenalin. — The 

 mtra-dermo-reaction to tuberculin in the treatment of 

 tuberculosis : Charles Mantoux. The intradermal re- 

 action can be used to measure the sensibility of the sub- 

 ject, and to control the quantity of tuberculin necessary 

 for injection. The local reactions serve as a guide for 

 the conduct of the treatment, and render it much more 

 certain. — The treatment of genito-urinary troubles by 

 direct action on the nervous centres : Pierre Bonnier. 

 Details are given of the beneficial effects of slight 

 cauterisations of the nasal mucous membranes in various 

 diseases, especially those connected with the genito-urinary 

 functions. — Sero-anaphylaxis of the dog : Maurice Arthus. 

 — Sero-anaphylaxis of the rabbit : Maurice Arthus. 

 ^Sonie new facts concerning the transgressivity and the 

 tectonic observed in the mountains of Algeria and Tunis : 

 .T. Roussel. — ^The polar magnetic storms in 1882 and 

 rS83 : M. Birkeland. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, Aprtl 22. 



Royal Society, at 4.30.— Dynamic Osmotic Pressures: The Earl of 

 Berkeley, F.R.S., and E. G. J. Hartley.-(i) The Thecrv of Ancestral 

 Contributions in Heredity ; (2) The Ancestral Gametic Correlations of 

 a Mendelian Population Mating at Random : Prof. Karl Pearson, 

 F.R.S.— The Intracranial Vascular System of Sphenodon : Prof. A. 

 Dendy, F.R.S —On the Graphical Determination of Fresnel's Integrals : 

 r. H. Shaxby. 



Mathematical Society, at s.30.— The General I 

 Thcorv of Integral Equations: F. Tavani,— The Equ 

 dynamics and the Null Influence of the Earth's Motio: 

 Electrical Phenomena: H. R. Hasse'.— The Solutio 

 Transcendental Equation : G. N. Watson.— The Phy- 

 of Certain Conformal Transformations of a Space of Four Di 

 and the Representation of a Space Time Point by Means of a Sphere : 

 H. Batenian.— Some Criteria for the Residues of Eiahth and Othei 

 Powers : A. E. Western.- On the Discontinuities of a Function of One 

 or More Real Variables : Dr. W. H. Young. 



Institution of Mining ANn Metallurgy, at 8.~The Valuation ol 

 Mining Areas on the Rand : W. Fischer Wilkinson.— The " Wholesale ' 

 Idea in Gold Mining : W. R. Feldtmann.— The Compulation nf the 

 Present Value of Developed and Undeveloped Mines : W. H. Goodchild. 



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

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



FRIDAY, April 23. 

 Royal Institution, at 9.— Tantalum and its Industrial Applications 



:iples nf the 

 ns of Electro- 

 1 Optical and 

 jf a Certain 

 .il Applications 



Society. 



-On a Want of Syn 



:ry shown by Secondary 



X-Rays: Prof. W. H. Bragg, F.R.S., and J.'L. Glasson.— Tr 



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



Prof. T. R. 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. 



IiiisTiTUTiON OF Mechanical Engineers, at 8.— Presidential Address : 

 J. A. F. Aspinall. 



SA TURDA Y, April 24. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— The Earth Movements of the Italian Coast 

 and their Effects : R. T. Giinther. 



MONDAY, April 26. 

 Royal Society of Arts, at 8. — Aerial Flight : F.W. Lanchester. 

 Institute of Actuaries, at 5.— Notes on Mortality and Life Assurance 



in India : A. T. Winter. 

 Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8.— Road Motors ("James 



Forrest" Lecture): Colonel H. C. L. Holden, F.R.S. 



TUESDAY, April 27. 



Royal Institution, at 3.— The Brain in Relation to Right-handedness 

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



Royal Statistical Society, at 5. 



Zoological Society, at 8.30. 



Faraday Society, at 8. — Experiments on the Current- and Energy- 

 Efficiencies of the Finlay Alkali Chlorine Cell : Dr. F. G. Donnan, 

 Dr. J. T. Barker, and B. P. Hill.— On the Coefficients of Absorption of 

 Nitrogen and Oxygen in Distilled Water and Sea-water, and of Atmo- 

 spheric Carbonic Acid in Sea-water : Dr. C. J. J. Fox.— On the Electro- 

 motive Force of Certain Platinum Compounds, with Special Reference 

 II the Oxygen-Hydrogen Gas Cell : Dr. P. E. Spielmann. 



Institution of Civil Engineers, at 8. — .Annual General Meeting, 



NO. 2060, VOL. 80] 



WEDNESDAY, April 28. 

 Geological Society, at S.— The Boulders of the Cambridge Drift: their 



Distribution and Origin : R. H. Rastall and J. Romanes.— The Nephrite 



and Magnesian Rocks of the South Island of New Zealand : A. M. 



Finlayson. 

 RoVAL Society of Arts, at 8. — The Resources of the Peruvian Andes 



and the Amazon : C. R. Enoch. 

 British Astronomical Association, at 5. 



THURSDAY, April 20. 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Pyohabte Papers : A Phenomenon connecled 



with the Discharge of Electricity from Pointed Conductors (with a No 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Man's Hairy Covering. By Prof. G. Elliot Smith, 



F.R.S 211 



The Habitability of Mars . 212 



An Atlas of the Empire 215 



Industrial Electricity. By Prof. Gisbert Kapp ... 213 

 A German Text-book of Zoology. By A. D. ... 214 



Some New Chemical Books. By J. B. C 215 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Stijrring : "Mental Pathology in its Relation to 

 Normal Psychology. A Course of Lectures 

 delivered in the University of Leipzig" .... 216 

 Phin : " The Evolution of the Atmosphere as a Proof 

 of Design in Creation." — W. E. Rolston .... 216 



Bridges: " Essays and Addresses " 217 



Letters to the Editor :^ 



Upper Air Temperatures. — E. Gold 217 



The (ireenwich Winter of 1908-9. — Alex. B. 



MacDowall 21S 



¥\uofe%cence oi Liffiuiii! JVepki-ithuiii. — Dr. O. Stapf, 



F.R.S 21S 



Morphology of the Enteropneusta. — Dr. Arthur 



Willey, F.R.S 21S 



General Results of the Meteorological Cruises of 

 the Otaria on the Atlantic in 1905, 1906, and 1907. 

 [WilhDiaoranis.) By L. Teisserenc de Bort and 



Prof. A. Lawrence Rotch . 219 



Aviation, Mathematical and Otherwise. By Prof. 



G. H. Bryan, F.R.S 221 



Dew-Ponds. By E. A. M 223 



Notes 224 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Halley's Comet 228 



Pressure in the Sun's Atmosphere 229 



The Spectra of Nebulae . 229 



The Dibits of Spectroscopic Binaries 229 



The Circulaiity of Planetary Orbits 229 



The Natural History Museum. By Profs J. C. 

 Ewart, F.R.S , A. Sedgwick, F.R.S., Sydney J. 

 Hickson, F.R.S, and Gilbert C. Bourne .... 229 



Daylight and Darkness 230 



Producer Gas for Engine^. II Tests and 

 Efficiencies. (lllnslyated.) By J. Emerson 



Dowson 232 



Transatlantic Wireless Telegraphy. (Illuslratcd.) 



By Commendatore G. Marconi 233 



The Physics of Golf 237 



University and Educational Intelligence 237 



Societies and Academies 238 



Diary of Societies 240 



