48 



NA TURE 



[May 14, 1908 



determined by means of the Curie and Ch^neveau mag- 

 netic balance ; the oxide was found to be about I2.8 times 

 more magnetic than the oxide of iron, Fe.Oj. — The removal 

 of certain soluble substances from solution by precipitates ; 

 Paul Prion. It has been shown by Jean Perrin that con- 

 tact electrification plays an important part in certain 

 physicocheniical phenomena, and he has applied this to the 

 case of colloidal solutions. The author shows that similar 

 considerations are capable of explaining the removal of 

 soluble salts from solutions by precipitates. — The variation 

 of the electromotive force of liquid chains by the polarisa- 

 tion of interposed diaphragms : Pierre Girard. The modi- 

 fications in the voltage of liquid couples caused bv 

 diaphragms or membranes do not appear to be due to the 

 variation of the mobility of the ions in the interposed 

 medium. They appear rather to be due to phenomena of 

 contact electrification. — The synthesis of ammonia and 

 hydrocyanic acid : Herman C. Woltereck. By the passage 

 of air through a Dowson generator charged w-ith wood 

 carbon, considerable quantities of ammonia and hydro- 

 cyanic acid appear to be produced. If a mixture of air 

 and ammonia is passed over the heated carbon (at a 

 temperature of about 1100° C.) the yield of hydrocvanic 

 acid is increased, and the amount of ammonia found 

 exceeds that introduced with the air. — The estimation of 

 the halogens in organic chloro-bromo-compounds : H. 

 Baubigny. The method of combustion with sulphuric 

 and chromic acids has been modified for the analysis of 

 organic compounds containing both chlorine and bromine. 

 Test analyses are given showing the exactness of the 

 method. — A new method for the preparation of honiologues 

 of naphthalene : G. Darzens and H. Ront. An acvl 

 derivative of naphthalene is prepared by Friedel and Crafts 's 

 method, and this reduced by hydrogen in presence of re- 

 duced nickel. The yields are quantitative, and the addi- 

 tion of hydrogen to the ring has not been observed.— 

 The action of phenylmagnesium bromide upon the second 

 methyl ester of paradimethylamido-orthobenzoylbenzoii 

 acid : J. Perard. — The formation of the cvanohydrin of 

 benzoylacrylic acid : J. Bougrault. The addition appears 

 to be made at the etiivlene linl<ingf, the acid formed being 

 C„H,.CO.CH,.CH(CNJ.COJl.— The anatomy and develop- 

 ment of the embryo in palms, the Slusacea?, and 

 Cannace^ : C. L. Gatin. — The ecological characters of the 

 southern region of Kabylie du D.iurdjura : O. Lapie. — 

 Simple schizogony in Amoeha blattae : L. Mercier. — The 

 Sreology of the north and east of Corsica : E. Maury.— 

 The migration towards the north of the watershed in the 

 Lepontine .Alps : Gabriel Eisenmengrer. — The applic.ition 

 of wireless telegraphv to weathr^r forecasts : .Mfred Angot 

 (see p. 34). 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



THURSDA)-, Mav 14. 



RovAL Society, at 4.10.— Croonian I.tcture : The Slriictiire of the Cetitrnl 

 Nervous System of the Higher and Lower Animals : Prof. Gustaf Rel^ius, 

 For.Mem.R S. 



Royal Institution, at 3. — Mendelian Heredity : W. Bateson. F.R.S. 



Mathematical Society, at 5.10.— On the Invariants of the General 

 Linear Homopriphic Transformation in Two Varialiles : Maior P. A. 

 MacMahon —On the Order of the Group of Isomorphisms of an AbePan 

 Group: H. Hihon. 



Institution of Ei.eciricai. Engineers, at 8. — Switch Gear Cf^ntrnl 

 Apparatus and Relays for .Mlernating-current Circuits : Dr. C. C. 

 Garrard. 



IronandSteel In.stjtute, at 10.30 a.m.— On Improvements in Plate Roll- 

 ing Mills: A. Lamberton.— On the Physical Qualities of Steel in 7' elation 

 to its Mechanical Treatment: \. E. York.- On a New Fatigue Test for 

 Iron and .Steel : Dr. T. E. .Stanton. — On an Experimental Electric Fur- 

 nace for the Smelting of Iron : Prof. B. Igewsky. 

 FRIDAY. May i.;. 



Royal Institution, at 9.— The Past and Future of Tuberculosis: 

 H. T. Eulstrode. 



Iron and Stefl Institute, at 10.30 a.m.— On Cast Iron in the Cnn- 

 struction of Chemical Plant: F. J. R. Carulla.— On the .Application nf 

 Colour Photography to Metallography : E. F. Law.— On the Utilisation 

 of Blast-Furnace Slag for Portland Cement : C. von Schwarz.— On the 

 Department of Metallurgical Chemistry in the National Physical Labora- 

 tory : W. Rosenhain.— On the Pyrometric Installation of the Ordnance 

 Factories, Woolwich : J. Wesley Lambert 



Royal Society of Arts, at 8.— The Dangers of Coal Dust and their 

 Prevention : W. E. Garforth. 



MONDAY, May 18. 



Victoria Institute, at 4.30.— On the Evidence of Malav, Javanese, 

 Arabian and Persian Admixture in the Inca or Keshna Language of 

 Peru, amongst the Aymara, the Language of (he Peasant Class: F. W, 

 Christian. 



TUESDAY, May 19. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — Light : What it is w hich Vibrates : Prof. 



F. T. Trouton, F.R.S. 

 Royal Statistical Society, at 5. 

 Royal ANTiiRoroLociCAi. Institute, at 8. 15. —The Pagan Gwari of 



Northern Nigeria: L. W. la Chard. i 



WEDNESDAY, May 20. ' 



Royal Society OF Arts, at 8. — Industrial Entomology : or the Economic 



Importance of a Study of Insect Life : F. Martin Duncan. 

 Roval Meteorological Society, at 4.30. — Upper .\ir (!)bservations 



in Egypt : B. F. E. Keeling. — Balloon Experiments in Barbados, 



November 6-8, T907 : Prof. J. P. d' Albuquerque. — :jbservations on 



the Colour of Lightning, 1903-1907 : S. C. Russell. 

 Geological Society, at 8. On some Cretaceous Fish-Remains obtained 



bv Prof. Ennes de Souza from Ilheos, Bahia (Brazil): Dr. X. Smith 



Woodward, F.R.S. — On the Bala and Llandovery Rocks of Glyn Ceirio^ 



(North Wales): Dr. T. Groom and P. Lake. 

 Royal Microscopical Society, at 8. 



THURSDA Y, May 21. J 



Royal Society, at 4.30. — Probal'te Papers : On Some Features in the i 



Hereditary Transmission of the Albino Character and the lilack Piebald \ 



Coat in Rats: G. P. Mudge. — A Further Note on the Nutrition of the j 



Early Embryo, with Special Reference to the Chick : E. Emrys'Roberts. 



— The Antagonistic Action of Calcium upon the Inhibitory Effect of 



Magnesium : S. J. Mellzer and J. ."Viier. 

 Royal Institution, at 3. — 1 he Chemistry of Photography : Dr. Alexander 



Scott, F.R.S. 

 Royal Society of Arts, at 4.30. — The United Provinces of Agra and 



Gudh : a,. J. J. D. La Touchc, K.C.S.I. 

 Chemical Society, at 8.30. — Hydroaromatic Ketones, Preliminary Note : 



A. W Crossley and C. Gilling. — Titani-dihydroxymaleic Acid, and the 



Detection of Titanium : H. J. H. ^enton. — Some Experiments on Carbon 



at High Temperatures and Pressures, and Apparatus Therefor: R. 



Threlfall. — The Sulphides and Oxy-sulphides of Silicon : I. G. Rankin 



and S. M. Revington. 

 Institution of Electrical Engineers, at 8. — Recent Progress in 



Tungsten Metallic Filament Lamps: H. Hirst. 

 Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, at 8. 



CONTENTS. PAGB 



A Contribution to the History of Medicine ... 25 



TheCalifornia Earthquake. By Prof.J. Milne, F.R.S. 27 | 



Electric Railways. By Prof. Gisbert Kapp .... 27 

 Our Book Shelf: — 



Mathews: "Algebraic Equations"; Whittaker : 



" The Theory of Optical Instruments."— H. H. . 2S 

 Bruce : " Detection of the Common Food Adul- 

 terants." -C. S. . . 2S 



Ball: "Altitude Tables."— Count de Miremont . 29 



Castle : "Logarithmic and Other Tables for Schools" 29 



" Praise of a Simple Life " 29 



Letters to the Editor: — 



On the Radioactivity of Potassium and other Alk.ili 



Melals. — Prof. J. C. McLennan . . ... 29 

 Chemical Analysis of Water from Dew Ponds.— 



Sidney Skinner . -30 



The Reflection of Distant Lights on the Clouds. — 



Charles J. P. Cave . • jO 



Jupiter's Eighth Satellite. — Prof. George Forbes, 



F.R.S 30 



The Corrosion of Iron and Steel. — Dr. J. Newton 



Friend 31 



Fault Lines in the Atlantic. — Dr. Wm. S. Bruce . 31 

 The Pollination of the OHve.— Prof. T. D. A. 



Cockerell ... ... 31 



The (rdoratinn of Biids' Eggs. — R. L. Leslie . . , 31 



The Cruises of the f «///«//,). UHiistratcd.) By R. L. 32 



Albert de Lapparent. By A. G 33 



M. Albert Lancaster 33 



Notes. 34 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



The D., (Helium) Absorption Line in the Normal 



Solar Spectrum 38 



The Light-curve of 5 Cephei 38 



The Masses of a Carinae and o Pavonis . . . .38 

 The New Tower Telescope of the Mount Wilson 



Solar Observatory 38 



Further Observations of Jupiter's Eighth Satellite . . 38 



Observations of Perseids in 1907 38 



The Exi.nction of Malta Fever. {Illuslrated.) By 



Colonel David Bruce, C.B., F.R.S 39 



Russian Transliteration. By Prof. J. W. Gregory, 



F.R.S 42 



Dyeing Qualities of Natural and Synthetic Indigo . 43 



May Meteors. By W. F. Denning 4' 



University and Educational Intelligence . ... 43 



Societies and Acai emies . 45 



Diary of Societies . ... 48 



NO. 20 II, VOL. 78] 



