640 



NA TURE 



[OcTOlil'.k 29, 1896 



other investigators. At a higli degree of rarefaction in the 

 vacuum-lubes the penetrating power of the rays through flesh 

 and hone is very different, so that the outlines of the bones are 

 very distinct, whilst, when the rarefaction is less great, these two 

 bodies transmit the rays in about the same degree. — Prof. 

 Kamerlingh Onnes made, on behalf of Dr. L. II. Siertsema, a 

 communication on measurements of magnetic rotations, carried 

 out in the Leyden Physical Laboratory. With the apparatus 

 described in former communications determinations have been 

 made of the absolute rotation constant of water, with the object 

 of controlling the reduction-factor, with which the rotation 

 determination has been reduced to an absolute measure. The 

 result found is o'0i302' at I3'4 , which corresponds very well 

 with the constants found by Arons and by Rodger and Watson. 

 A second communication again gave the results for gases, as they 

 have undergone a slight alteration, owing to a necessary correc- 

 tion in the manometer readings. — Prof. Kamerlingh Onnes also 

 communicated Dr. Zeeman's measurements on the variation of 

 the absorption of electrical waves with the wave-length and the 

 concentration of the electrolyte. The results, which hold good 

 between limits given in detail in the paper, are : the coefficient 

 of absorption changes as the square root of the conductivity of 

 the solution, and it does not change, if conductivity and wave- 

 length vary in the same ratio. — Prof. P^ngelmann communicated 

 the results of an investigation into reflexes of the auricle of 

 the heart, made by Mr. J. J. L. Muskens in the Utrecht 

 Physiological Laboratory, by experimenting upon frogs' hearts. 



DIARY OF SOCIETIES. 



FRIDA )', Ocioi.ER 30. 

 Physical Society, at 5.— Special Meeting, after which, at an Ordinary 

 Meetinj; — A Satisfactory Method of measuring Electrolytic Contluctivity 

 by means of Continuous Currents : I'rof. W. Stroud and J. B. Henderson. 

 — A Telemetrical Spherometer and Focometer : Prof. W. Stroud. — An 

 Experimental E.\hibition : R. Appleyard. 



SATURDAY, OcTtiiiER 31. 



Essex Field Ci.ub, at 6.30 (at Chingford) — Short Report, by the Curator, 

 on the first year's work at the Epping Forest Museum. —Our Forest 

 Trees, and How they should be represenl-d in tiie Museum : Prof, tj S 

 Boulger.— Notes on the Conference of 1 lelegates of the Corresponding 

 Societies of the British Association, Liverpool, 1S96: T. V. Holmes. 

 MONDAY, Ndvemiier 2. 



Society of Chemical Industry, at 8. — The Production of Inoculating 

 Materials for Use in Agriculture (Nitragin): Dr. J. A. Voelcker.— The 

 Smelting and Refining of Cyanide Bullion : Arthur Caldecott. 



TUESDAY, November 3. 



at 8.— Address by J. Wolfe B.-Trry, 



C.l:., F.R.S., the Pr. 



.ident. 



IVEDNESDA Y. Xove.mhek 4. 



Geological Society, at S.— Additional Note on the Sections near the 

 Summit of the Furka Pass (S»it/erland) : T. G. Bonney. F.R..').— Geo- 

 logic-al and Petr -Eraphical Studies of the Sudbury' Nickel District 

 (Canada): T. L. Walker (communicated by J. J. H. Teall, F.R.S ).— 

 On the Distribution in .Space of the Accessory Shocks of the Great 

 Japanese Earthquake of 1891. 3 



Entomological Society, at 8. 



Institution of Mechanical Exgi.seers, .at 7.30.— Research Committee 

 on the Value of the Steam J.-»cket ; Experiment on a Locomotive Engine : 

 Prof. T. Hudson Heare and Bryan Donkin —Transmission of Heat from 

 Surfa'-e ConHensation through Metal Cylinders : Lieut. -Colonel English 



ts, at 8.— Note on Ginger : Thos. B. Blunt.— 

 iric Acid in Fats : Otto Hehner and C. A. 

 >n Lead in Canadian Cheese: F. Wallis 



THURSDAY, Nt<\KmmR s- "'"* 



HEMICAL Society, at 8.— The Constitution of Nitrogen Iodide : dTTF. 

 D. Chattaway.— Note on the Solution and Diffusion of certain Metals in 

 Mercury: Prof Roberts-Austen, C.B , F. R.S.— Compounds of Metallic 



"■■■'—■■-• ■•'- '-'■^ : r. Rettie.— The Economical Preparation of 



: 'I'tie Reduction of Nitrosnlphates ; and Amide- 

 'i . I . F. R.S., and Dr. T. Haga.— The Molecular 

 , !i "lie Acid: Joji Sakurai — Physiological 

 I \ id: Dr. Oscar Loew.— Imidosulphonates. 

 I .U.S., and Dr. T. Haea.— How Mercurous and 

 ito e:ich O'her: Seihachi Hada.— The Effect of 

 Heat on Aoueous Solutions of Chrome Alum : Margaret D. Dou?al.— 

 The Saponification of Ethylic Dicarbajiyl Gluiaco.'ate : Dr. H. W. 

 Bolam.— The Periodic Law: R. M. Deeley.— The Colouring Matter* 

 occurring in British Plants : A. G. Perkin.— Carbohydrates of Cereal 

 Straws: C. F. Cro-s?, E.J Bevin, and Claude Smith. 

 T.innean Society, at 8.— Mediteirane.an Bryozoa ; A. W. Waters.— On 

 .some New Sp cies of Crassula from South Africa : Dr. S. Schiinland.-- 

 Holothurians of New Zealand : A. H. Uendy. 



IF Mechanical Engineers, at 7.30.— Breakdowns of Sla- 

 i-Engines : Michael Lnngridge. . -, 

 FRIDAY, Novi£mhi.;r 6. 

 Geologists' Associ.\tion, at 8. — Conversa/ionc .and Exhibition of 

 Specimens. 



tionary St' 



BOOKS, PAMPHLET, and SERIALS RECEIVED. 



Books.— General Report on the Operations of the Survey of India U" 

 partment, 1894-95 (Calcutta).- Pr.acocal Work in Physics; W. G. Wool- 

 combe. Part i. Light .-ind Sound (Oxford, Clarendon Press).— Firth Col- 

 lege, Sheffield," Sheflield School of Medicine, Calendar, 1896-97 (Sheffield).— 

 Elements of Mechanics : Dr. T. W. Wright (Spon),— A History of Garden- 

 ing in England : Hon. Alicia Amherst, jnd edition (Qu.aritch).— Les Galcts 

 Coloriis du M.1S d'Azil : Ed. Piette (Paris, Masson).— The Method of 

 D.arwin : F. Cr.ainer (Chicago, McClurg).-Les Accumulateurs Electriqucs: 

 F. Loppi (Paris, Gauthier-Villars) -Annalen der Kaiserlichen UniversitSts- 

 Sternwarte in Strassburg, i. Band (Karlsruhe) —Journal of the Right Hon. 

 Sir Joseph B.anks, edited by Sir J. D. Hooker (Macmillan).— Index Operum 

 Leonardi Eulcri : J. G. Hagen (lierolini. Dames).— Experience : Rev. W. 

 Richmond (Sonncnschcin).— A New Course of Experimental Chemistry, 

 revised edition (Murby).— The Ufe and Letters of George John Romanes, 

 new edition (Longni.ms). —Report on the Geodetic Survey of .South Africa, 

 executed by Lieut. Colonel Morris in 1883-1892 (Cape Town, Richards).— 

 Model Drawing and Sharing from Casts: T. C. Harfield (Chapman).— 

 Cheese and Cheese m.aking, &c. : J. Long and J. Benson (Chanm.in).— An 

 Introduction to Human Physiology : Dr. D. J. Waller, third edition (Long- 

 m.ans).- Die Miner.alogie des Harzes, .and Atlas : Dr. O Luedecke (Berlin, 

 Gebriider Borntraeger). 



Pamihlkt.— Sociedad Cientifica Argentina. Semill.as y Frutos: Prof. A. 

 (xdl.ardo (Buenos Aires). 



Seuials. — Journal of the Chemical Society, October (Gurney). — Record 

 of Technical and Secondary Education, October (Macmillan).— Quarterly 

 Review, October (Murray).— Psychologischc Arbeiten, i. Band, 4 Heft 

 (Leipzig, Engehnnnn). — L'Anthiopologic, tome vii. No. 4(Paris. M.asson).— 

 American Naturalist, October (Philadelphia).— Journal of the Fr.ankliii 

 Institute, October (Philadelphia).— Zeitschrift ftir Physikalische Chemie, 

 xxi. Band, i Heft (Leipzig).— The B.achelor of Arts, October (New York).— 

 Journal of Anatomy and Physiology, October (Ciriffin) — Astrophysica! 

 Journal, October (Chicago).— Brain, Parts 74 and 75 (M.acmillan).- Royal 

 Natural History. Part 36 (Warne).— Bibliotheca Geographica, Band 2, 

 Jahrg. 1893 (Berlin, Kuhl)— Proceedings of the Roy.al Society, Edinburgh, 

 Session 1895-96, Vol xxi. N0.2, Pp. 6s to 160 (Ejiinburgh).-Journal of the 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. Ixv. Part 2, No. 2 (Calcutta).— Sunday 

 Magazine, November (Isbister) —Good Words, November (Isbister). — 

 Hiinmel und Krde, November (Berlin, Paetel).— American Journal of 

 Psychology, Vol. viii. No. i (Worcester, Mass.). 



CONTENTS. P.4GE 



Scientific Bibliography. By Dr. Henry E. .Arm- 

 strong, F.R.S 617 



Pal£eontology and Evolution ... 619 



Gattermann's Practical Organic Chemistry. By 



F. S. K 619 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Clowes and Redwood : " The Detection and Measure- 

 ment of Inflammable das and \'apour in the Air " 620 



Lodge : "Mensuration" 620 



Letters to the Editor:— 



Measurements of Crabs. — J.T.Cunningham . . . 621 

 Some Eft'ects of the X-Rays on the Hamls.— S. J. R. 621 

 Habits of Chameleons. — A Alex. Blakiston . . 621 

 Chameleons at the Zoological Society's Gardens. — 



Dr. P. L. Sclater, F.R.S. 622 



The Organisation of Technical Literature. — M. 



Walton Brown . . 622 



A Mechanical Problem. — " Cromerite " ; J. P. . . 622 

 Extension of the \'isible Spectrum — Prof. Oliver 

 J. Lodge. F.R.S.. and Benjamin Davies . . . 622 

 On the Communication of Electricity froin Electri- 

 fied Steam to Air. By Lord Kelvin, G.C.V.O., 

 F.R.S., Dr. Magnus Maclean, and Alexander Gait. 622 

 The November Meteors. By W. F. Denning . . 623 

 The International Meteorological Conference in 



Paris. By Robert H. Scott, F.R.S 624 



Mars as seen at the Opposition in 1894. (I/liis/rated.) 



By Dr. William J. S. Lockyer 625 



The Scientific Department of the Imperial Insti- 

 tute 627 



Francois Felix Tisserand. By W. E. P 62S 



Dr. Henry Tiimen. By W. Botting Hemsley, 



F.R.S 62S 



Notes 629 



Our Astronomical Column: — 



Comet 1S70II 632 



Comet Ciiacobini 632 



Planel:uy Notes 633 



Physiology at the British Association 633 



Conference of Delegates of the Corresponding 



Societies 636 



University and Educational Intelligence 638- 



Scientific Serials 638 



Societies and Academies 639 



Diary of Societies 640 



Books, Pamphlet, and Serials Received 640 



NO. 1409, VOL. 541 



