abstracts: technology 203 



by Iredale the type of a new but untenable genus, HemipufUnus. For 

 Puffiniis cimeaius Salvin and Puffinus chlororhynchus Lesson, a separate 

 generic group seems necessary, for which the name Thyellodroma Stej- 

 neger is available. Neither the proposed genus Alphapuffinus Mathews, 

 to include Puffinus assimilis, Puffinus Iherminieri, and Puffinus persicus, 

 nor Neonectris Mathews, proposed for Puffinus tenuirostris tenuirosiris, 

 Puffinus tenuirostris brevicaudns, and Puffinus griseus, are generically 

 separable from typical Puffinus. The action of Mathews in renaming 

 the Puffinus opisthonielas of Coues as Puffinus couesi and the transfer- 

 ence of the name Puffinus opisthomelas to the species commonly known 

 as Puffinus auricularis proves to be unwarranted, since an examination 

 of the types of both Puffinus auricularis and Puffinus opisthomelas 

 show that they belong, respectively, to the species to which the names 

 have commonly been applied. The Puffinus couesi of Mathews there- 

 fore becomes a synonym of Puffinus opisthomelas Coues. Further- 

 more, the subspecies of Thyellodroma cuneata (Salvin) recognized by Mr. 

 Mathews prove to be, on re-examination of pertinent material, all un- 

 tenable. H. C. O. 



TECHNOLOGY.— 7^0/wo/ recovery. R. vS. McBridij, C. K- Ruinickkr, 

 and W. A. DunkIvEy. Bur. Stand. Tech. Paper No. 117. Pp. 

 60. 1918. 



The importance of high explosives in the present war has been amply 

 demonstrated. Nearly all types of explosives are used in some way, 

 but trinitrotoluol, commonly known as T. N. T., because of its high 

 power and great stability, is one of the preferred explosives. As an 

 important constituent in shells, T. N. T. is used both alone and mixed 

 with other explosives. Especially for naval use it is used alone, be- 

 cause the greater stability permits longer storage of the shells before 

 use. On account of the great demand for T. N. T. there has grown 

 up also a large demand for those materials for which it is made, espe- 

 cially toluol. This material finds numerous applications in the chemical 

 industries, but particularly it has been used in the manufacture of dye- 

 stuffs and for the preparation of T. N. T. For this latter it is only 

 necessary to treat the toluol with nitric acid under proper conditions 

 in order to produce the explosive, which is then refined by appropriate 

 means to such degree of purity as is required for the use for which it 

 is intended. R. S. M. 



