390 



NA TURE 



[May 27, 1909 



with the first hypothesis. — The freezing point of gaseous 

 mixtures at very low temperatures : Georges Baume. An 

 apparatus is described and figured by means of which 

 accurately measured volumes of pure gases can be mixed 

 and frozen, and the freezing point determined. The 

 apparatus has been applied to the cases of mixtures of 

 methyl oxide and hydrochloric acid, methyl oxide and 

 sulphur dioxide, and methyl oxide and methyl chloride. — 

 The theory of organic bases according to the viscosity of 

 their solutions : D. E. Tsakalotos. From measurements 

 of the viscosity of aqueous solutions of trimethylamine, 

 pyridine, piperidine, and nicotine, the conclusion is drawn 

 that all these bases form molecular combinations with 

 water. — Study of the system water, liquid ammonia. 

 Concordance of the results with the hypothesis of 

 ammonium hydrate : E. Baud and L. Gay. Measure- 

 ments were made of the heat disengaged and the contrac- 

 tion accompanying the mixture of water and anhydrous 

 ammonia. The experimental results agree with the hypo- 

 thesis of the existence in aqueous solutions of ammonia 

 of the hydrate NHj.H,0, in equilibrium with water and 

 free ammonia. — The colouring properties of lead chromate : 

 L^o Vig^non. Chromate of lead in suspension is taken up 

 by cotton, wool, and silk, the depth of dye varying with 

 the proportion of chromate in the bath, but being nearly 

 identical for all three materials. — Dipropargyl : magnesium 

 derivative, octadiinedioic acid : MM. Lespieau and 

 Vavon. — The gaseous, respiratory exchanges of the aerial 

 vegetative organs of the vascular plants : G. Nicolas. — 

 The presence of indol-producing bodies in culture broths : 

 Ch. Porcher and L. Panisset. The use of the indol 

 reaction as a test for certain bacteria is liable to lead 

 in certain cases to erroneous conclusions, since the reaction 

 may sometimes be given by the original culture fluid. — 

 The action of the Bulgarian ferment yoghotirt on various 

 sugars : Gabriel Bertrand and F. Duchacek. Arabinose, 

 xylose, sorbose, maltose, saccharose, and mannitol are 

 not fermented by this agent, but glucose, mannose, 

 galactose, levulose, and lactose are easilv fermented. In 

 all cases the fermentative products contain d- and Wactic 

 acids, a small proportion of formic and acetic acids, and 

 succinic acid.. — The influence of boric acid on diastatic 

 actions : H. Agrulhon. — The ichthyological fauna of Lake 

 Tchad : J. Pellegrrin. — The stratigraphical characters of 

 the layers of the French and Swiss Alps : Emile Haugr. 

 — The tectonic of the southern slopes of the massifs of 

 Canigou and Puigmal : O. Mene:el. — The stratigraphical 

 results of an expedition in Chaouia, Morocco : Louis 

 Gentil. — The cranial capacity of fossil men of the type 

 known as Neanderthal : Marcellin Boule. Direct measure- 

 ments of the capacity of the fossil skull from La Chapelle- 

 aux-Saints gave a volume of about 1600 c.c, and it is 

 suggested that the volume of the Neanderthal skull is of 

 the same order, and that the 1230 c.c. attributed to it by 

 Schaafhausen. Huxley, and Schwalbe is too small. — The 

 bend of the Rhine at BSIe : Gabriel Eisenmeng:er. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDAY, May 27. 



Royal Societv, at 4.30.— Notes conrerning Tidal Oscillations upon a 

 Rotatine Globe: Lord Rayleigh, O.M.. F.R.S.— The Absolute Value 

 of the Mechanical Equivalent of Heat in Terms of the International 

 Electrical Units: Prof. H. T. Barnes —An Approximate Determination 

 of the Boiline Points of Metals: H. C. Greenwood.— Some Results in the 

 Theory of Elimination : A. L. Dixon.— The Liquidus Curves of the 

 Ternary System Aluminium-Copper-Tin : J. H. Andrew and C. A- 

 Edwards.— Studies on the Structure and Affinities of Cretaceous Plants: 

 Miss M. C. Slopes and Dr. K. Fujii. 



Royal Institution, at 3.-Ne>vfoundland : J. G. Millais. 



Institution of Mining Engineers, at ti. — Presidential address : Dr. 

 R. T. Moore.— Electricity in Coal-mines ; R. Nelson.— Comparison 

 between the Value of Surplus Gas from Regenerator Bye-product Coke- 

 ovens and Steam produced by the Waste Heat from Bye-product Coke- 

 ovens, with Special Reference to the Evence Copp^e new Bye-product 

 Ovens: M. H. Mills. 



FRIDAY, May 28. 



Royal Institution, at 9- — .Advances in onr Knowledge of Silicon as an 

 Orjanic Element : Dr. J. Emerson Reynolds, F.R S. 



Mil 



■ Mi 



! Support: P.of. W. R. Ci 

 Rosalind Young. 



SATURDAY, May 29. 

 Royal Institution, at 3.— The Secret Societi. 

 Dr. W. H. R. Rivers, F.R.S. 



NO. 2065, VOL. 80] 



0.30. — The Use r,i Concrete for 

 Mining in British Columbia: Mrs. 



TUESDAY, June i. 

 Royal Institution, at 3 — Biological Chemistry : Dr. F. Gowland 

 Hopkins, F.R.S. 



IVSDNESDA F, June 2. 

 Entomological Society, at 8.— On the Colonisation of New Nests by 



Myrmecophilous Coleoptera : H. St. J. Donisthorpe. 

 Society of Public .Analysts, at 8. 



THURSDAY, June 3. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — A Modern Railway Problem : Steam -■. 



Electricity : Prof. W. K. Dalby. 

 Linnean Society, at S. — On the Alcyonaria of the Seniark Expedition : 

 Prof. J. A. Thomson. — On the Cephalochordaof the Scalark Expedition : 

 H. A. S. Gibson.— Report on the Porifera collected by Mr. C. Crossland 

 in the Red Sea : R. W. Harold Row. 

 RoNTGEN Society, at 8.15.— .Annual General Meeting. 

 Institute of Actuaries, at 5. — Annual General Meeting. 



FRIDAY, June 4. 

 Royal Institution, at g. — Researches in Rodiotelegraphy : Prof. J. A. 



Fleming, F.R.S. 

 Geologists' Association, at 8. — The Fossiliferous Lower Keuper Rocks 

 of Worcestershire : L. J. Wills. 



SA TURD A Y. June 5. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — The Vitality of Seeds and Plants: (i) A 

 Vindication of the Vitality of Plants : Dr. F. F. Blackman, F.R.S. 



of the Banks' Islands 



CONTENTS, p.\GE 



Two Standard Works on Zoology. V,y Prof. G. H. 



Carpenter 361 



The Flora of the Presidency of Bombay 362 



The Teaching of Physical Chemistry. By A. F. . 363 



Electrical Engineering. By E. W. M 365 



Food and Nutrition. By C. Simmonds 366 



The Body at Work 366 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Foley : "British and American Customary and Metric 

 Legal Measures for Commercial and Technical 



Purposes."— T. H. L 367 



Smalian : " Leitfaden der Tierkunde fiir hiihere 

 Lehranstalten " ; Abel : " Bau und Geschichte der 



Erde " 367 



Muthesius : " Goethe und Pestalozzi " 368 



Fallex and Mairey : "La France et ses Colonies au 



Debut du XX'^ Siecle " 368 



Soddy : " The Interpretation of Radium " 368 



Fry : " Flower and Grass Calendars for Children " . 368 

 Letters to tbe Editor : — 



Baskets used in Repelling Demons. — Kumagusu 



Minakata 369 



Vapour-density and Smell. — Dr. E. P. Perman . . 369 



" Blowing" Wells.— Dr. A. Strahan, F.R.S. . . 370 



Natural History in India 370 



A Persian Treatise on Falconry. (Il/iisli-ated.) By 



J- E. H 371 



Dr. Sven Hedin on Central Asia. (Illustrated.) . . 372 

 The Teaching of Geometry. By Prof. George M. 



Minchin, F.R.S 373 



Photometric Units. By Dr. R. T. Glazebrook, 



F.R-S 374 



Notes 375 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



A General Solution of the Spectroheliograph .... 380 



The Brightness of the Corona 380 



A Standard Scale of Photographic Magnitudes . . . 3S0 



The Origins of Satellites . 380 



The Spectrum of Morehouse's Comet 380 



The Orbit of J Bootis 380 



The Birth of Worlds 380 



Selective Wireless Telegraphy. By Sir Oliver 



Lodge, F.R.S 3S1 



Marine Biology in the Tortugas 382 



The Relevance of Mathematics. By Philip E. B. 



Jourdain 3S2 



The Iron and Steel Institute 384 



Scientific Work in the English Potteries 385 



The Cultivation of Tea 385 



University and Educational Intelligence 3S6 



Societies and Academies 386 



Diary of Societies 390 



