'50 



NA TURE 



[July 29, 1909 



cloudy or raiiiv weather. — The deteriiiinatioii of the bovine 

 or human origin of Koch bacilli isolated from tuberculous 

 lesions in human beings : A. Calmette and C. Guerin 

 (see p. 135). — The origin of the contrasts of colour and 

 sudden changes of level which are found in the moon : P. 

 Puiseux. The hypothesis of snow or ice being the cause 

 of bright spots on the moon is considered and rejected, as 

 is also the suggestion that the dark spots are caused by 

 deposits of cosmic material. — Observations of the comet 

 1909a (Borrelly-Daniel) made at the Observatory of 

 Marseilles with the comet finder : A. Borrelly. Positions 

 are given for June 21, 26, and July 8 and 13. — Observa- 

 tions of the comet 1909a (Borrelly-Daniel) made at the 

 Marseilles Observatory w-ith the Eichens equatorial of 

 26 cm. aperture : M. Cogrgria. Positions are given for 

 June 18, 20, 24, and 25. — Systems of differential equations : 

 Edmond Maillet. — The existence, in the magnetic decom- 

 position of the absorption bands of a uniaxial crystal, of 

 dissymmetry of positions observed parallel to the lines of 

 force, the field, and the optical axis of the crystal : Jean 

 Becquerel. The author has repeated his earlier experi- 

 ments on this subject with a more powerful magnet (field- 

 strength, 34,000 Gauss). The unsymmctrical change of 

 position, as also the changes in the intensities of the lines, 

 are in accord with the theory of \V. Voigt. — The relation 

 between the electric double refraction of mixed liquids and 

 the optical double refr.Ktion of the solid constituents of 

 these solutions : J. Chaudier. — Harmonic analysis and 

 resonance : Henri Abraham. — The application of the 

 magnetic properties of metals to automatic coin inachines : 

 Antal Fodor and M. de Bijty. The use of a permanent 

 magnet in a coin slot machine is applied in such a manner 

 that the machine only works when a nickel coin is used. 

 Discs of copper, zinc, or tin drop through without afTect- 

 ing the mechanism : iron blocks the machine, and prevents 

 it being further used. — Researclies on the phosphates of 

 thorium : .\. Colani. A description of the preparation 

 of thorium chloropliosphate and double phosphates of 

 calcium and strontium with thorium. — The synthesis of 

 papaverine : Ami- Pictet and A. Gams. The steps in this 

 important synthesis are as follows : — veratrol, acetovera- 

 trone, amino-acetoveratronc h}'drochloridc, homo-vcratroyl- 

 amino-acetovcratrone, and homoveratro}'l-oxy-homoveratrvl- 

 amine. This last substance is dehvdrated in xylene solu- 

 tion with phosphorus pentoxide, and the base thus obtained 

 is identical in all respects with natural papaverine. — The 

 catalysis of the fatty acids : J. B. Senderens. It has 

 been shown in a previous paper that thoria and alumina, 

 heated to a suitable temperature, convert the vapours of 

 the fatty acids into the corresponding ketone. The proper- 

 ties of the oxides of chromium, calcium, zinc, copper, and 

 cadmium have been investigated from this point of view, 

 but none of these oxides is so advantageous as thoria in 

 this reaction. — The presence of dimethoxy-2 : 3-methyIene- 

 dioxy-4 : 5-allyl-T-benzene in the essence of Criihmum 

 maritimum : Marcel Delepine. — Some reactions of 

 anthranol : Robert Padova. — The di-iodine addition 

 derivatives of the higher fatty acids of the series 

 CiH2„_,0, : A. Arnaud and S. Posternak. The fixa- 

 tion of two atoms of iodine is nearly instantaneous in 

 acetic acid solution. — .\ new base extracted from rye con- 

 taining ergot ; ergothioneine : C. Tanret. The method 

 of extraction and the chemical and physical properties of 

 this new base are described ; its composition is 

 C,, H,,N,0,S. — The constitution of perseulose : Gabriel 

 Bertrand. — Contribution to the study of cultivated oats : 

 M. Trabut. — The influence of the radium radiations on 

 the chlorophyll and respiratory functions of plants : 

 Alexandre Hebert and .'\ndr(5 kling. No direct effects 

 on these two functions can be traced ; some secondary 

 effects appear to be due to the slight changes induced in 

 the nlant cells. — The muscular work electrically provoked 

 in the cure of diseases by reduction of the nutrition, and 

 in particular the cure of obesity : J. Bergronie. — The 

 anti-rabic properties of the cerebral substance : .\. Marie. 

 — The action of the pancreatic juice on esters : L. Morel 

 and E._ Terroine. The action of the pancreatic juice on 

 esters is very slight, but is considerably reinforced bv the 

 addition of bile salts. — .\ new endoparasitc of insects: 

 Louis Leser. — The instability of the Swiss plateau in 

 post-GIacial times : E. Romeri 



NO. 2074, "^'OL. Si] 



Calcutt.a. 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal, July 7. — Son e notes on 

 mineralogy: Prof. E. Sommerfeldt. (i) Measurement of 

 angles in crystals. .\n apparatus is shown (devised by the 

 author) which permits the use of a simple goniometer like 

 a theodolite-goniometer. (2) Isomorphism between anhy- 

 drite and barites. The method of Ostwald for recognising 

 isomorphism was used for answering the question, .Are 

 the sulphate of barium and calcium isomorphous? The 

 answer is that one salt is not able to remove the super- 

 saturation of the other, and that, therefore, no isomorphism 

 exists between them. — The Shou (pronounced Siau) or 

 Tibetan stag : Lieut. -Colonel J. Manners-Smith. .\ note 

 on the distribution and habits of Ccvvus affinis, and on 

 specimens living in captivity in Nepal. — The Loranthus 

 parasite of the Moru {Oiicrcus dilataia) and Ban (Oucrcus 

 incana) oaks : E. P. Stebbing;. Mistletoes are exceedingly 

 abundant on these two species of oak in certain parts of 

 the north-western Himalaya. They attack the trees about 

 Naini Tal and throughout Kamaon so extensively as, with 

 the aid of boring beetles which follow them, to cause at 

 times their death. It seems that moss aids the mistletoe 

 seeds in obtaining a lodgment. — Decomposition of, 

 ammonium platinichloride and platinibromide under the 

 influence of heat : Prafulla Chandra Ray and Atul Chandra 

 Ghosh, 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



How to Diagnose Genius: A Study of Human 



Energetics. Iiy W. R 121 



Some Men and Matters in Chemistry. By C. 



Simmonds 122 



Experimental Psychology 123 



Speech. By Prof. John G. McKendrick, F.R.S. . . 124 



A Textbook of Otology 124 



Our Book Shelf:— 



Williams: "Zenographical Fragments, II."— W. F. D. 125 

 Sella: " Introduzioni Teoriche ad Alcuni Esercizi 



Pratici di Fisica " . . 125 



Hosmer : " Azimuth."— W. E. R 126 



Letters to the Editor : — 



Notes on a Stone Circle in County Cork. {///its- 



/rated.) — Captain Boyle T. Somerville, R.N. . 126 



Musical Sands in Chile. — M. H. Gray .... 126 



The .Ether of Space. — Charles W. Raffety ... 127 



Botanical Surveys. — W. Munn Rankin 127 



The .lomis Cross//. — Charles E. Benham .... 127 



Barisal Guns in Australia. — Dr. J. Burton Cleland 127 

 The Stone Circles of Keswick and Long Meg. 



U//iis/rated.) By Dr. John Morrow ... . . 12S 

 The Flora of South Africa. (I//us/rateJ.) By 



R. H. Y 129 



Palaeolithic Man. By Dr. A. C. Haddon, F.R.S. . 131 



The Origin of the Planetary System 132 



State Aid for University Education 133 



Notes 133 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Astronomical Occurrences in August 138 



A Large Group of Sun-spots 138 



Physical Interpretation of Lunar Features J38 



Double-star Measures : • • 138 



Maximum of Mira in igoS 138 



Observations of Jupiter's Fifth Satellite 138 



The Feeding Habits of Mceritherium and Palseo- 



mastodon. (I/lKslralcd.) By Prof. H. F. Osborn . 139 



The Health Congress at Leeds 140 



Lancashire Fishery Investigations ....... 142 



Origin and Rites of Gypsies 142 



Climatological Reports 143 



Processes for the Fixation of Atmospheric 



Nitrogen ... 143 



Improvements in Production and Application of 

 Guncotton and Nitroglycerine. By Sir Frederic 



L. Nathan, R.A. 144 



University and Educational Imelligerce 147 



Societies and Academies 14S 



