February i, 191 2] 



NATURE 



471 



Morgfans : Notes on the operation of two winding 

 engines. Tlie operations of the winding engines while 

 engaged on various classes of work were recorded by 

 means of a tachograph, the readings of which in diagram 

 form were reproduced by the author, and afforded an 

 interesting evidence of the characteristics of the different 

 operations and their influence on the winding power. — 



E. P. Corbett Sullivan : Sloping at the Calamon Mine. 

 A note on the method of stoping and filling adopted recently 

 at the Calamon Mine. A conspicuous feature of the work 

 is the preparation of inclined cuts, which are worked from 

 the level upwards, and filled in practically in an automatic 

 manner as the work proceeds. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, January 22. — M. 1 ip|)in,<nn in the 

 chair. — B. Baiilaud : The accuracy of the knowledge of 

 the time at the Observatory of Paris during the last 

 months of 191 1 and the commencement of January, 1912. 

 A description of a new astronomical clock, Riefler D 

 ■' ). 228, recently presented to the observatory. The correc- 



11 formula deduced from two months' observations is 

 ;. — — I-54S. — 0-20S. t — 0-00155. f", and a comparison of the 

 deviations of the observed values and those calculated froin 

 this formula gives a mean deviation of 0-035. — L. E. 

 Bertin : Presentation of some documents relating to the 

 protection of warships and to dynamic stability. — Charles 

 Mout-eu and .'\mand Valeur : The degradation of 

 sparteine. The formation of a new hydrocarbon, 

 sparleilene. In a previous paper it has been shown that 

 by the successive application of Hofmann's method to the 

 alkaloid sparteine an unsaturated base, methylhemi- 

 sparteine, was the final product. Further application of 

 the same method gives a dimethylhemisparteilene and a 

 hydrocarbon, sparteilene, C,5H2„, the physical and 

 chemical properties of which are given. Lack of material 

 has prevented the determination of the constitution of this 

 hydrocarbon. — \. Miintz and H. Gaudechon : The 

 awakening of the soil. Experiments are given tending to 

 show that the nitrifying organisms in soil commence to 

 become active at a definite date, and this activity is not 

 due to changes of temperature. The samples of soil, 

 taken at different dates, were preserved at a constant 

 temperature of 2° C, and all the other conditions of the 

 experiments, including that of temperature, were kept 

 rigorously constant. The maximum action was found to 

 be between March 28 and .'\pril 25. — Ldon Labb6 : .\ 

 potato disease, la teigne. .An account of the measures 

 taken to combat this disease. — .\. Lacroix : The volcano 

 of Reunion. A detailed description of the present con- 

 dition of the volcano. — Paul Sabatier and ;\. Maiihe : 

 The catalytic formation of the esters of the formenic series, 

 starting with the formic esters. .\ mixture of isobutyric 

 arid and methyl formate was passed in the state of vapour 

 over titanium oxide at a temperature of about 250° C. 

 Carbon monoxide was evolved, and the condensed liquid 

 contained, besides methyl alcohol and unchanged iso- 

 butyric acid, methyl isobutyrate and an appreciable 

 quantity of isobutyric aldehyde. No isobutyrone was 

 found. -Similar results were obtained by substituting 

 isoamyl formate for the methyl formate. The substitution 

 of thoria for titanium oxide as the catalytic material some- 

 what modifies the reaction. — M. Bourgreois : The 

 results of the observations made by wireless telegraphy 

 of the difference of longitude between Paris and Bizerta 

 obtained by MM. Noirel and Bellot. Details are given of 

 the method of observation, the mean error of the mean 

 of a series being 004 to 005 sec. — Serge Bernstein ; The 

 asymptotic value of the best approximation of l-vj. — H. 

 Farenty : The progressive regulation of pressures at the 

 entrame of a main distributing water, gas, or vapour. A 

 detailed description of the instrument, with diagrams. — 



F. Olliva : The elastic pressure of saturated vapours. A 

 new exponential formula is (levelo])ed, and the figures 

 calculated according to this formula for water vai)()ur are 

 compared with the experimental results. — L. Decombe : 



The theory of dielectrics. .\n investigation into the causes 

 of the residual effects in dielectrics. — A. Roth« : The 

 reception of meteorological radio-telegrams with reduced 

 antenn;e. — G. Austerweil : The passage of hydrogen 

 through the rubljer tissue of aerostats. Rubber, which is J 



NO. 2205, VOL. '88] 



commonly employed as a waterproofing agent in balloon 

 fabrics, is not a very suitable material for this purpose, as 

 it absorbs h3'drogen and allows the passage of the gas. 

 Figures are given of the actual losses of hydrogen over a 

 period of twenty days. — E. Baud : .A general law of solu- 

 tion. — Daniel Berthelot and Henry Qaudechon : The 

 photolytic decomposition of smokeiess powders by the 

 ultra-violet rays. The effects of the light from a quartz 

 mercury vapour lamp on pure nitroglycerol and nitro- 

 cellulose were first studied, and then smokeless powders 

 containing amyl alcohol and diphenylamine were ex- 

 amined. Tables are given showing the amount and com- 

 position of the gases evolved. — Camille Matisnon : The 

 synthetic formation of nitrous oxide. The application of 

 the Nernst formula to the known thermochemical data of 

 nitrous oxide shows that the amount of this gas formed 

 from a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen at atmospheric 

 pressure at a temperature of 2700° C. would be of the 

 order of 2 in 100,000 ; at high pressures the amount might 

 be higher. — D. Tschernobaeff and L. Wolgrodine : Ihe 

 heats of formation of some silicates. — Louis Hackapill 

 and Robert Bossuet : Some new alkaline phosphides. B\ 

 working in a high vacuum with highly purified materials 

 it has been found that the four alkali metals may be 

 combined with phosphorus without explosion. The phos- 

 phides of caesium, rubidium, potassium, and sodium thus 

 obtained had the composition expressed by the formula 

 MjP,. — G. D. Hinrichs : The true atomic weight of 

 silver deduced from the experimental results of more than 

 a century. The graphical method used in previous com- 

 munications by the author has been applied to the data 

 of Berzelius, Mather, Marignac, Stas, NIaumend, Dumas, 

 Baxter, Penny, Smith, and Richards. Taking the atomic 

 weight of carbon as u, the author concludes that the 

 true atomic weight of silver is 108 exactly. — NLM. 

 Portcvin and Nusbaumer : The influence of tempering 

 upon bearing bronzes. — \\ Hasenf rats : The bromine 

 compounds of the alkaloids of Pfiiaiiuin harmala, and 

 their basic derivatives. — P. Carrd : The constitution 

 of the glycerophosphoric acid obtained by the esterifi- 

 cation of glycerol by means of phosphoric acid or 

 the monosodium phosphate. — Marcel Guerbet : The action 

 of caustic potash upon the secondary alcohols. The 

 diagnosis of primary and secondary alcohols of high mole- 

 cular weight. If an alcohol of high molecular weight is 

 heated in a sealed tube to 230° C. with its own weight 

 of potash, a primary alcohol gives a product entirely 

 soluble in water ; secondary alcohols undergo condensation, 

 and the product on treating with water separates into two 

 layers. — Etienne Foftx : The presence of two sorts of 

 conidiophores in Oidiopsos iatirica. — W. Lubimenko and 

 A. Froloff-Bagrreief : The influence of light on the 

 fermentation of grape must. — Raoul Dupuy : Backward- 

 ness in infants and endocrinian polyopotherapy. — M. 

 Stapfer : The utero-ovarian rhythm in woman.— R. 

 PiKacho and I. Worm* : The thymus considered n>i an 

 internal secretion gland.— H. Colin and .\. 8«n«chal : 

 Is iron the catalvsing agent in the oxidation of phenols by 

 Raifort's peroxydiastase?— O. Boudouard : The smells of 

 Paris. Unpleasant smells were particularly marked during 

 the summer of ii)ii. A study of the conditions under which 

 unpleasant smell may arise from manure works in P.iris. 

 —Georges Bohn : The sensibility of animals to variations 

 in pressure.- -Louis Calvat : Watersia paesslcri, a parasite 

 of Polyzoa gordiana.—A. Leffondro : The massif of Ya- 

 Long, western China, between 28° and 30°. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



A Monograph of the Mycetozoa. A Descriptive Cata- 

 logue of the Species in the Herbarium of the British 

 .Museum. Bv .\. Lister, F.R.S. Second editiyn, revised 

 by G. Lister. I'p. v-f302 + 2oi plates. (London: British 

 •Museum (Natural History); Longmans and Co.. and 

 others.) 30s. 



The Evolution of Animal Inlelligence. By Prof. S. j. 

 Holmes. Pp. v + 2<)(>. (New York: H. Holt and Co.i 



Heaton's Annual. i()i2. Pp. 5(12. (Toronto: II 

 .Agencv ; London : Simpkin and Co., Ltd.) 5*. 



Wonders of Plant Life. By S. L. Bastin. Pp. \ 

 (London : Cassell and Co., I,td.) 35. 6d. net. 



Herediiv in Ri-Iation to Eugenics. By C. B. Davenpon. 



