June 4, 1908J 



NA TURE 



117 



intensity which must result, if the sound, entering one 

 ear, is ' transmitted (as from psychophysiological data we 

 know that it must be) across the head by bone conduction 

 to the opposite ear. This suggestion receives support 

 from a detailed mathematical consideration of the con- 

 ditions. It may be added that the writers hope in a future 

 paper to discuss the applicability of this explanation to the 

 interesting experiments which Lord Rayleigh has brought 

 forward. 



March 5. — " The Relation between Wind Velocity at 

 1000 Metres .Mtitude and the Surface Pressure Distribu- 

 tion." By E. Gold. Communicated by Dr. W. N. Shaw, 

 F.R.S. 



It is a matter of common observation that the wind does 

 not blow along the pressure gradient, but in well-exposed 

 situations more nearly at right angles to it or along the 

 isobars. It is equally well known that near the centres 

 of anticvclonic or high-pressure areas the winds are very 

 light, aiid it has been customary to attribute this fact to 

 the coincident occurrence of small gradients of pressure. 

 It appears, however, that these latter results, instead of 

 being mutually explanatory, are both due to the effective 

 centrifugal force arising 'from the earth's rotation, the 

 admitted cause of the tendency to motion along the 

 isobars. 



If we express the fact that for steady horizontal motion 

 in a path of curvature i/r, the part of the centrifugal 

 force arising from the motion of the wind is balanced by 

 the effective gradient of pressure, we obtain the equation 



(jyr sin A + w)^_I dfi (ivr sin A)- 



direction. Further 



where p is atmospheric pressure, p density, v velocity of 

 moving air, A latitude, and io the angular velocity of the 

 earth about its axis. If there is no friction, the variation 

 of p along the path must be zero or the path must be an 

 Isobar. If dpidr be negative, corresponding to a path 

 concave towards the higher pressure, v and uir sin A must 

 have opposite signs, or the air must rotate in a clockwise 



in this case - -,- cannot exceL-d 

 p or 



''•''" "" -- numerically, and v cannot exceed wr sin A, so 



r 

 that for steady motion in anticvclonic regions there are 

 definite limits to the gradient and velocity. 



A general idea of the importance of this result is to be 

 gained from the fact that at no point within 100 miles of 

 the centre of an anticyclonic system of circular isobars in 

 latitude 50° can the theoretical steady wind velocity exceed 

 twenty miles per hour. 



It is shown by analogy with the motion of a particle 

 on the earth's surface that the time necessary for bring- 

 ing about the state of steady motion is small enough for 

 us to expect it to be the general state except where 

 obstacles set up eddies. It is proved that the velocity 

 calculated from the above equation is, for a given surf.ace- 

 pressure distribution, independent of the altitude provided 

 there is no horizontal temperature gradient and the neces- 

 sary corrections are given for the case of varying tempera- 

 ture when the direction of the horizontal isotherms does 

 not change with altitude. The values of the theoretical 

 steady velocity can by this means be calculated for any 

 altitude from the surface observations. This was done for 

 Berlin for 8 a.m. on each day of the year 1905, the 

 temperature correction being disregarded. The results 

 were compared with the actual velocities observed at locfo 

 metres' altitude in kite and balloon ascents. The theo- 

 retical and observed values showed a striking agreement 

 both in direction and in magnitude, proving that the effect 

 of surface irregularities on the horizontal air motion is 

 practically obliterated at 1000 metres, and that we can 

 obtain definite values for the wind velocity at moderate 

 altitudes from the surface observations of pressure and 

 temperature with a good degree of accuracy. 



April 2.—" The Alcoholic Ferment of Yeast-juice. 

 Part iii. The Function of Phosphates in the Fermentation 

 of Glucose bv Yeast-juice." By A. Harden and \V. J. 

 Youn^. Communicated by C. J. Martin, F.R.S. 



NO. 20I4) VOL. 78I 



(i) The addition of a phosphate to a fermenting mixture 

 of glucose and yeast-juice not only produces a temporary 

 acceleration in the rate of fermentation, but, in addition to 

 this, an increased total fermentation. 



(2) This last effect is due to the fact that the hexose- 

 phosphate formed during the period of temporary accelera- 

 tion is continually hydrolysed by an enzyme, with produc- 

 tion of free phosphate, which again enters into reaction, 

 and thus brings about an increased fermentation. 



(3) It appears probable that the presence of phosphate 

 is essential for the alcoholic fermentation of glucose by 

 veast-juice, the reaction which occurs being the follow- 

 ing :— 



(0 2C,H,,0, + 2RJlPO. = 2CO.-f2C,H„0 + 



" C;H,„0,(P0,R,),-f2H,0. 



This reaction is only realised in the presence of the 

 ferment and coferment discussed in previous communica- 

 tions, phosphate alone being unable, in the absence of 

 coferment, to bring about fermentation in a mixture of 

 ferment and glucose. 



The hexosephosphate thus formed is then hydrolysed : — 



(2) C„H,„0,(PO,R,), + 2H,0 = C,H„0.-f2R,HPO,. 



The rate at which this set;ond reaction occurs determines 

 the rate of fermentation observed when glucose is fer- 

 mented by yeast-juice. 



(4) An optimum concentration of phosphate exists which 

 produces a maximum initial rate of fermentation. Increase 

 of concentration beyond this optimum diminishes the rate 

 of fermentation. 



Entomological Society, May 6.— Mr. C. O. Waterhouse, 

 president, in the chair. — Exhibits. — .A. H. Jones : An 

 example of the melanic ab. nigra of Tephrosia coiisonaria 

 bred from the ovum from a wild ? taken near Maidstone, 

 and a living larva of Scsia andrciiiforinis feeding in the 

 stem of Viburnum lantana. — R. Shelford : Specimens of 

 insects in amber showing several forms closely allied to 

 those of existing insects, one orthopteron being very near 

 to Ectobia Jappcnica. — President : A living example of 

 Blatta found in bananas from Mexico. Mr. Shelford said 

 he thought the species to be Pandora niveus, Lin. — 

 H. M. Edelsten ; A living larva of Nudaria senex, and' 

 living larva and pupa of Calligenia miniata. — O. E. 

 Janson : A white aberration of Epinephde jurtina, taken 

 in Holme Park, Sussex, in June, 1904.— Lieut. -Colonel N. 

 Manders : .\ collection of butterflies from Bourbon 

 demonstrating examples of mimicry and the effects of the 

 interaction of species.— W. J. Lucas: (i) A glow-worm 

 found at Oxshott on May 4, inside the shell of the snail 

 Helix cantiana. There was no doubt that the larva was 

 feeding on the snail, for on breaking away parts of the 

 shell the moist remains of it were found near the apex. 

 (2) The (J, 9, and nymph of the dragon-fly Oxygastra 

 curlisii, first described by the late J. C Dale, and at 

 that time supposed to be confined to the British Islands. 



H. St. J. Donisthorpc : An example of the beetle 



Xantholinus distans, Kr., taken at Helton, near Dumfries, 

 on May i, a species new to the British list.— Pa/ics.— The 

 British dragon-flies of the "Dale collection": W. J. 

 Lucas.— The distinctness of several species of Everes, 

 determined by their genitalia : Dr. T. A. Chapman. The 

 author announced as the result of his investigations that 

 Evcrcs argiades. Pall., and the so-called var. coretas, were 

 separate, though very nearly allied species. 



Geological Society, M^y 6.— Prof. W J. Sollas, F.R.S., 

 president, in the chair.— Solution valleys in the Glyme area 

 of Oxfordshire : Rev. E. C. Spicer. This area is part 

 of the gently tilted great oolite limestone plateau, m- 

 dented bv sunken valleys, principally with a strike-and-dip 

 trend, that appear to be subsidence valleys. They begin 

 suddenly, and descend with sinuous curves to a mam valley. 

 The main valley likewise enters a stream valley. The 

 stream valley develops into a broad, sinuous river valley, 

 over which a small river stream meanders. The plateau 

 area is free from drift and from marks of surface denuda- 

 tion ; there are no marks of marine currents or of ice, 

 no wind-gaps suggest beheaded streams, nor is thera 



