UNE 8, 191 l] 



NATURh 



507 



( onics.— G. Koenig:s : The law of the curvatures of con- 

 jugated superficial profiles.— M. Lemeray : The principle 

 of relativity and the forces exerted between bodies in 

 notion. — H. Larose : The propagation of a discontinuity 

 along a telegraph line with uniform loss.— G. A. 

 Hemsalech : The air spectrum given by the initial dis- 

 charge of the self-induction spark. It has been shown in 

 a previous note that the spectrum of the initial discharge 

 <>f a self-induction spark differs from that emitted by the 

 •oscillations, the spectrum having a large proportion of 

 ines. A further study of these spectra of the initial dis- 

 charge shows that the intensity varies inversely as the 

 capacity of the condenser and directly as the self-induction 

 of the discharge circuit. An increase in the capacity of 

 the electrodes produces a strengthening in the line spec- 

 trum and a weakening of the bands. — .Andrd Leaute : 

 The irregularities of the disruptive potential. — H. Lioret, 

 F. Ducretet. and E. Rogrer : A self-recording telephone. 

 A combination of a loud-speaking telephone and phono- 

 graph is described.— Pierre Sfeve : The measurement of 

 magnetic fields in absolute value. The simultaneous use 

 of the Cotton balance and the induction method described 

 allows fields up to 15,000 Gauss to be measured with an 

 accuracy of i in 1000.— E. Baud : The molecular heat of 

 fusion. — A. Tian : The radiations causing the decomposi- 

 tion of water and the extreme ultra-violet spectrum of the 

 mercury arc. The radiations decomposing water, forming 

 hydrogen and hydrogen peroxide, are localised in the 

 extreme ultra-violet at about 1900 Angstrom's. The light 

 from a quartz mercury arc lamp determines this decompo- 

 sition, owing to the presence of rays 1846, 1848, and 1851. 

 —Georges Dupont : The catalytic isomerisation of 

 acetylene pinacone. The synthesis of tetramethylketo- 

 hydrofurane. The pinacone 



(CH3),.C(OH).C C.C(OH).(CH3)„ 

 treated with an aqueous solution of mercuric sulphate 

 gave, not the expected dioxyketone, but its internal 

 anhydride, tetramethylketohydrofurane. I'he latter gives 

 both ketonic and enolic reactions. — Emile Andrd : A new 

 method of preparing ;8-diketones. Ketones of the type 

 CfiHj.C C.CO.R. combine with amines forming com- 

 pounds C,H,.C(NR'R'').CH.CO.R. The latter, under the 

 influence of acids, readily hydrolyse, forming the salt of 

 the amine and the j3-diketone C.H^.CO.CH^.CO.R. 

 Examples are given proving the generality of the method. 

 — P. L. Vigruier : Tetrolic aldehyde. — V. Grignard and 

 Ch. Courtot : The magnesium derivative of fluorene. In 

 xylene solution at 135° C. fluorene reacts with ethyl- 

 magnesium-bromide, the magnesium compound 



I )CH.Mg.Br. 

 QH/ 

 being formed, several reactions of which are described. — 

 M. Battandier : Experiments on the germination of an 

 aquatic plant, Damasonium Bourgaei. — P. Vuillemin : 

 Remarks on a disease of the Weymouth pine (Pinus 

 Strobus). Reasons are given for supposing that this 

 disease is not really a new one in France. — Pierre 

 Bonnier : The monostatic capacity in aviators. — A. 

 Marie and L^on MacAulifTe : The influence of the social 

 medium on the development of height in women. The 

 average female height increases with the social position. 

 — L. Le Noudne : The addition of a microphone apparatus 

 to the ear trumpet for the relief of deafness. — Charles 

 Nicolle, A. Cudnod, and L. Blaisot : Some experiments 

 on trachoma (granular conjunctivitis). An account of 

 attempts to transmit trachoma from human subjects to 

 monkeys. — A. Magrnan : The influence of the nature of 

 the food upon the large intestine and caecum of birds. — 

 N. Lehmann and C. Vaney : The relations between the 

 climatic conditions and frequency of the larvae in the 

 Hypoderma of the ox. — M. Maisonneuve : The fecundity 

 of Cochylis. — Adrien Lucet : The influence of agitation 

 upon the development of Bacillus anthracis cultivated in 

 liquid media. If the liquid cultures of anthrax are kept 

 agitated, the bacilli tend to assume the same form as in 

 blood, and the yield in a given time is increased. — 

 A. Marie : The development of a neutralising substance 

 in the brain of mammals. — Eloy de Stoocklin : The 

 oxydase properties of oxyhaemoglobin. — Gabriel Bertrand 

 and Arthur Compton : The action of heat upon cmulsin. 



NO. 2 171, VOL. 86] 



— Stanislas Meunier : The rdle of biological force in the 

 evolution of the terrestrial surface. — G. Vasseur : 

 Western France during the Stampian epoch. — M. Deprat : 

 The importance of recent epirogenic movements in south- 

 eastern Asia. — L. Cayeux : Dislocations in the islands of 

 Delos, Rhenee, and Mykonos (Cyclades). — Francis Rey : 

 The presence of the Gothlandian in the plain of Tamlet, on 

 the Algeria-Morocco border. — Charles Moureu and 

 Adolphe Lepape : The ratio of argon to nitrogen in 

 natural gaseous mixtures and its signification. This ratio 

 has been determined for fifty-two natural gases from 

 springs, and varies between 0-76 and 337, with an average 

 of 1-15. — M. Boudry : A new method of utilising thermal 

 waters at a distance from the spring. 

 Calcutta. 

 Asiatic Society rf Bengal, May 3.— I. H. Burkill : 

 Swertia2 chinenses quatuor nova: ex herbario G. Bonati. 

 Four new Swertias from Yunnan are described, viz. 

 S. Bonatiana, S. Duclouxii, S. rosea, S. patens ; S. patens 

 is a very marked species. — W. W. Smith : Note on 

 Sterculia alata, Roxb., var. irregularis, a remarkable 

 instance of leaf variation. The author directs attention to 

 the wide range of variation in the leaf of this peculiar 

 variety as represented on a tree in cultivation at the Royal 

 Botanic Garden, Calcutta. Seedlings from the tree may 

 var^ like the parent. — W. W. Smith : A new Gentian and 

 two new Swertias from the E. Himalaya. Descriptions 

 of a small Gentian and two Swertias from Sikkim, 

 Gentiana pluviarum, Swertia ratnosa, and S. Burkilliana. 

 — W. W. Smith : Plantarum novarum in Herbario Horti 

 Botanici Calcuttensis cognitarum Decas. Descriptions of 

 Oritrephes septentrionalis, Senecio biligulatus, S. Lagotis, 

 S. Kingianus, S. Chola, Saussurea fibrosa, S. Pant- 

 lingiana, S. Nimborum, S. Laneana, and Veratuni 

 shanense. The first and last are from Burma ; the others 

 are from the Sikkim Himalaya. — Lieut. F. H. Malyon : 

 Some current Pushtu folk-stories. — D. Hooper : The com- 

 position of Indian yams. Proximate analyses are given 

 of forty samples of the tubers of identified species and 

 varieties of Dioscorea, grown wild or cultivated in India. 

 The food value of the best kinds is shown to agree with 

 that of the potato. The poisonous principle, dioscorine, is 

 described, and its presence or absence is recorded in the 

 samples examined. The chemical changes that take place 

 when the poisonous roots are treated with water to render 

 them edible is shown by comparative analysis of the raw 

 and prepared tubers. — D. Hooper : Some Asiatic milk- 

 products. Peculiar forms of dried cheese, called Karut in 

 Baluchistan and Afghanistan, and Chetna in Tibet and 

 Mongolia, are described, and the analysis of samples from 

 Nepal and Quetta are recorded. They consist largely of 

 casein, with more or less free lactic acid. Examinations 

 are also made of Bengal curds, called chhana and dahi, 

 the first being a rich cream containing more casein than 

 ordinary cream, and the second being buttermilk under- 

 going lactic fermentation. Karut is prepared from fer- 

 mented skimmed milk by pressing and drying the coagu- 

 lated proteids. — Kashi P. Jayaswai : Elucidation of 

 certain passages in I'tsing. — Biman Behari Dey and 

 Heni^endra Kumar Sen : Interaction of hydrazine sulphate 

 with nitrites, and a new method for the determination of 

 " nitritic " nitrogen. On attempting to prepare hydrazine 

 nitrite by the double decomposition of barium nitrite and 

 hydrazine sulphate, barium sulphate is precipitated, and 

 the new salt appears to be formed at low temperatures, 

 but readily decomposes. A systematic examination was 

 made of the gases evolved, and it was found that by 

 collecting the gases in an endiometer, nitrous oxide and 

 nitrogen existed in the proportion of two to one. By 

 calculating the weight of the gases evolved, the forma- 

 tion of monacid hydrazine nitrite is demonstrated accord- 

 ing to theoretical equations. Nitrites of the alkalis, the 

 alkaline earths, the heavy metals, and, in fact, nitrites in 

 general, were decomposed in a similar manner, and the 

 estimation of the volumes of residual gases indicated the 

 amount of nitritic nitrogen formed in the reactions. — Prof. 

 W. West, with notes by Dr. N. Annandale : Descrip- 

 tions of three new species of .Alg.T associated with Indi.in 

 fresh-water polyzoa. The algae described are from the 

 Western Ghats and Orissa, and represent the genera Toly- 

 pothrix, Dactylococcopsis, and Microcystis. 



