6 



28 TETRABROMO-DIPHENO-QUINONE. 



rejecting the insoluble part ( which is sulphate of dibrom-aniline) : 

 the quinone forms deep golden needles melting at 130 , and with 

 HjS0 4 gives a bright reddish-orange coloration. 2-6-dibromo- 

 quinol,* by SnCL, forms fine long silky needles, melting at 163 . 

 (Bis)-2-6-dibromo-quinhydrone is pinkish violet, with dull purple 

 lustre, giving a blue sodium-salt, and is easily resolved into its 

 components. It gives the same coloration as the quinone with 

 sulphuric acid. 



Remarkable Lunar Halo.— The April issue of the 

 Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society has a 

 short account of an unusual lunar halo observed from the 

 R.M.S. Balmoral Castle last January. The halo was described 

 as being square with quite straight sides and the angles quite 

 sharp. The length of each side was estimated to be three lunar 

 diameters. An entry of the phenomenon, accompanied by a 

 sketch showing the halo with one of the angles directed towards 

 the horizon, appears in the ship's log. The halo was first noticed 

 shortly after 6 p.m. on the 21st, and was still visible at five o'clock 

 on the following morning. 



The Zodiacal Light. — At a meeting of the British 

 Astronomical Association on the 2nd April, Mr. Gavin J. Burns, 

 Director of the Zodiacal Light Section, said that he had been 

 asked why it was that the zodiacal light was generally, or always, 

 brighter on its northern edge. The reason that he suggested was 

 that the northern edge, being the highest above the horizon, was 

 less influenced by atmospheric absorption. Should this be the 

 correct explanation, the southern edge should be the brighter in 

 south latitudes. The hope was therefore expressed that observa- 

 tions would be made by persons residing in southern latitudes 

 and the results communicated to him. 



Hen Birds with Male Plumage. — In the Union 

 Agricultural Journal for September, 1912 (Vol. iv, p. 381) there 

 appeared a photograph of a hen ostrich (from the farm of Mr. 

 W. Rubidge, Graaff-Reinet Division), seven years of age, whose 

 ovaries had been removed at the age of three years, whereupon 

 the bird had forthwith assumed the plumage of a cock. Apropos 

 of this, the Director of the Melbourne Zoological Gardens writes 

 in the May issue of Knowledge that, as is well known, disease or 

 removal of the ovaries, in the case of hen pheasants, and prob- 

 ably also in poultry, brings about a similar change of plumage. 

 He suggests that hen birds of all kinds would be affected in rhe 

 same way under such circumstances. In the Melbourne Gardens, 

 some years ago, an old male ostrich, apparently badly diseased, 

 assumed the garb of a hen, and died shortly afterwards, but owing 

 to the Director's absence the body was not preserved. 



* See also Ling, /. Chem. Soc. London. 189.2, p. 562. 



