240 



NA TURE 



[July 9, 1908 



mercury must be rigorously hemispherical, and this was 

 secured by carrying it in a glass vessel, optically worked, 

 of 40 mm. radius. Results are given for solutions of 

 sulphuric acid, sodium sulphate, hydrochloric acid, and the 

 iodide and bromide of potassium. — The action of metallic 

 oxides on the primary alcohols : Paul Sabatier and A. 

 Mailhe. The oxides examined fall into four groups : — 

 (i) not undergoing reduction, and exerting no appreciable 

 effect on the primary alcohols under 400° C. ; (2) those 

 rapidly reduced by the alcohol to the metal or lower oxide ; 

 (3) those which are not reduced, but decompose the alcohol 

 catalytically into aldehyde and hydrogen, or ethylenic 

 hydrocarbon and water ; (4) oxides slowly reduced, exert- 

 ing a catalytic action. The detailed results will be given 

 in a later paper. — Observations on the sun made at the 

 Observatory of Lyons during the first quarter of 1908 : 

 J. Guillaume. Observations were made on forty-one 

 days, and the results are given in three tables showing 

 the number of spots, their distribution in latitude, and the 

 distribution of the facul,-E in latitude. — Ruled surfaces : 

 A. Oemoulin. — The canonical products of infinite genus: 

 Arnaud Denjoy. — The partial differential equation of 

 vibrating membranes : M. Sanielevici. — The existence of 

 spark lines (enhanced lines) in flames at various tempera- 

 tures, and on the modifications which thev undergo : G. A. 

 Hemsalech and C. de Watteville. The intensity of 

 numerous iron lines has been studied by the authors' 

 method in flames of different temperatures (air-coal gas, 

 oxygen-coal gas, and o.xygen-hydrogen), and it is found 

 that the spark lines are most marlsed in the coolest flame, 

 air-coal gas, and hence it is concluded that the action of 

 the temperature cannot be considered as the fundamental 

 factor in the production of the enhanced lines. — The pre- 

 paration of the alkaline chloroiridites : ^L Vexes. A claim 

 for priority against ^L Marcel DeMpine. — The molecular 

 weights of the phosphoric acids determined by cryoscopy : 

 H. Giran. The molecular weights found in acetic acid 

 solution fall with the age of the solution ; the true molecular 

 weight for each acid at the moment of solution is deduced 

 from a time curve. The formula deduced from these 

 experiments for metaphosphoric acid is 5(HPO,), for pyro- 

 phosphoric acid 3(H,P,0.), and for or'thophosphoric acid 

 2(H,PO,). — The magnetic oxides of chromium : Ivan 

 Shukofr. From the magnetic properties of the mixture of 

 oxides obtained by gently heating chromic anhydride, there 

 would appear to be a magnetic oxide of chromium of the 

 composition Cr^O,. — The tellurides of arsenic and bismuth. 

 The cryoscopic constant of tellurium : H. Pelabon. — The 

 mechanism of the synthesis of the cyclic nitrogen com- 

 pounds : L. J. Simon. — The method of Messinger and 

 Vortmann for the estimation of some phenols. The separa- 

 tion of salicylic acid : J. Bougault. By the action of 

 iodine and an alkali upon salicylic acid, a red, insoluble 

 substance is produced, which can be used for the quanti- 

 tative determination of salicylic acid. — Three new primarv 

 alcohols resulting from the condensation of sodium 

 benzylate with propyl, butyl, and isoamyl alcohols : Marcel 

 Guerbet. — Researches on di's-azoic compounds : H. Duval. 

 — The products of condensation of ortho- and ^nra-nitro- 

 benzyl chloride with acetylacetone : M. Mech. — The origin 

 of the colouring matter of red grapes and other vegetable 

 organs : J. Uaborde. — The oxidation of eugenol by the 

 oxidising ferment of fungi and by perchloride of iron; the 

 preparation of dchydroeugenol : H. Cousin and H. 

 Herissey. Oxidation of eugenol both by ferric chloride 

 and by the biochemical method gives a new phenol, 

 dehydrodieugenol, the acetic and benzoic esters of which 

 are described. — The influence of certain combinations of 

 iron compared with the . peroxydases in the catalvsis of 

 hydriodic acid by hydrogen peroxide: J. Wolff and E. 

 de Stceklin. — The influence of the temperature of sterilisa- 

 tion of must and that of fermentation on the bouquet of 

 wines: .\. Rosenstiehl. Both the temperature of 

 sterilisation and of fermentation of must can be lowered 

 with advantage to the quality of the wine produced. — The 

 comparative development of tubercles and roots : ■ G. 

 Andre. — The development of the notochord in the bonv 

 fishes : Louis Roule. From a study of the development of 

 the notochord in the common perch (Perca flitviatilis), the 

 author comes to the conclusion that there is not a complete 

 homology between the notochord of Vertebrates and Tuni- 



NO. 20ig, VOL. 78] 



cates. — BuK jiar epistasy of nasal origin : Pierre Bonnier. 

 — The geology of eastern Corsica : Pierre Termier and 

 Eugene Maury. — The rameal origin of ulodendroid 

 cicatrices of liothrodcndron punclatiim : Arniand Renier. 

 — Report of the committee appointed to consider the dis- 

 tribution of the Bonaparte fund for 1908. 



New South W.vles. 

 Linnean Society, April 29. — Mr. A. H. S. Lucas, presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — A revision of the Australian species of 

 Adelium (Coleoptera) : H. J. Carter. When Blessig re- 

 viewed the Australian Heteromera in 1862, fifteen species 

 of Adelium were recognised. In the meantime, the number 

 of described species has increased to eighty. The oppor- 

 tunity of comparing his collection with types in the British 

 Museum and in the Paris and Brussels Museums during 

 a recent visit to Europe had enabled the author to submit 

 the species to a critical revision, the outcome of which is 

 a proposed reduction of the number to fifty-four, by the 

 reference of ten species to other genera, and the omission 

 of synonyms. It is also noted that the so-called species 

 of Adelium of New Zealand and New Caledonia belong to 

 different genera, so that it is probable that the genus 

 Adelium is confined to Australia and Tasmania. — A revision 

 of the Thynnida; (Hymenoptera) of Australia, part ii. : 

 R. E. Turner. Part ii. of the revision deals with the 

 genus Thynnus. The species are very diverse in appear- 

 ance and structure, but it is thought to be best, in the 

 present state of knowledge, to group them in subgenera 

 rather than to propose an excessive number of new genera, 

 some of w-hich might have to be sunk when additional 

 material is available. The .Australian species number 213. 

 and fall into ten subgenera. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



African Nature Notes. By Sir H. H. Johnston, 



G.C.M.G., K.C.B. 217 



Water Power 218 



The Discovery of the Weight of the Air. By 



W. A. D 219 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Stevens : '* Plant Anatomy from the Standpoint of 

 the Development and Functions of the Tissues, and 



Handbook of Micro-technic " 219 



Sheringham : " Elements of Angling. A Book for 



Beginners." — L. W. B 220 



Williams and Fisher : " Elements of the Theory and 



Practice of Cookery" 220 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Spectrum of the Radium Emanation. — Prof. E. 



Rutherford, F.R.S., and T. Royds 220 



The Recent Nocturnal Glows. — Prof. Bohuslav 



Brauner 221 



A Long-hved Solar Halo. — Catharine O. Stevens . 221 



Genial June. — W. F. Denning 221 



The Darwin-Wallace Jubilee Celebration at the 



Linnean Society. (Illustrated.) By A. D 221 



The Daylight Sav ng Bill 223 



Women and the Fellowship of the Chemical 



Society 226 



Notes 228 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Radial Velocities of Ninety-nine Stars 232 



The Observation of Coloured Stars 232 



Photometric Observations of Eros 232 



The Photography of Very Faint Spectra 232 



July and August Meteors. By ^A^. F. Denning . . 232 



Magnetic Resolution of Spectral Lints 233 



Social Anthropology 233 



Recent Researches in the Structure of the Universe. 

 II. (lllusti-atcd.) By Prof. J. C. Kapteyn .... 234 



University and Educational Intelligence 237 



Societies and Academies 238 



