38o 



NA TURE 



[September 8, 1923 



Societies and Academies. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, August 6. — M. Guillaume 

 Bigourdan in the chair. — A. Lacroix : Comparison of 

 the chemical composition of two Iceland lavzis, char- 

 acterising eruptions of which the kind of dynamism 

 is different. Analyses of five lavas and basalts from 

 Katla and Hecla. As regards the distinction be- 

 tween quietly flowing and explosive eruptions, the 

 author holds that the fluidity of the magma is not the 

 only explanation of the different types of eruption, 

 since a fluid magma, which according to Washington, 

 should flow out quietly, if suddenly cooled on its 

 egress into the air, may give rise to an explosive 

 eruption. The eruption of Hecla is an example of 

 this : the fluid lava had to force its way through the 

 ice cap of the MyrdalsjokuU glacier and the eruption 

 throughout was of the explosive type. — G. Bigourdan : 

 Project of a new catalogue of the French learned 

 societies. — Andr^ Blondel : A rational method for 

 tests and specification of triode lamps intended to 

 work as valves. An outline of tests to be made 

 partly at the works where the lamp is constructed, 

 and partly at the laboratory where the lamp is to be 

 used. — Charles Nicolle, E. Conseil and A. Cu6nod : 

 Preventive vaccination against acute conjunctivitis 

 due to the Weeks bacillus. Its importance in the 

 campaign against trachoma. Details are given of 

 the preparation of the vaccine and of the results of 

 experiments demonstrating the protective action of 

 the vaccination. — Nilos Sakellariou : Oblique linear 

 curvature and total geodesic curvature. — F. H. van 

 den Dungen : Some technical applications of integral 

 equations. — Rolf Nevanlinna : The theorem of M. 

 Picard. — R. de Fleury : Elastic stability and modern 

 materials of construction. — A. Grumbach : The super- 

 position of electromotive forces in batteries with a 

 fluorescent liquid. — R. Levaillant : Fluorescence and 

 photochemistry. A certain number of fluorescent 

 colouring matters (uranine, methylene blue, eosin, 

 erythrosine) dissolved in glycerol or other polyalcohol, 

 when submitted to light in the absence of air change 

 colour, owing to hydrogenation by the alcohol. 

 The original colour is more or less completely restored 

 by the action of air. — G. Vavon and S. Kleiner: 

 Cataljrtic hydrogenation and steric hindrance. The 

 study of some heptenes. The addition of hydrogen 

 to four isomeric heptenes (ethylpropylethylene, 

 dimethyUsopropylethylene.methyldiethylethyleneand 

 trimethylethylethylene) was studied in the presence of 

 platinum black. It was found, in agreement with 

 the theory of steric hindrance, that the hydrogenation 

 was more difficult the greater the number of substitut- 

 ing radicles. — V. Agafonoff : The comparative study 

 of some methods of chemical analysis of the humus in 

 soils. A comparison of the amounts of carbon in soil 

 determined by combustion, by the ordinary sulpho- 

 chromic process, and by Simon's method (with silver 

 bichromate). The dry combustion and Simon's 

 method are in good agreement : the ordinary wet 

 combustion with sulphuric and chromic acids only 

 gives low results. — Pierre Lesage : Anomalies of the 

 fruit of Capsella Bursa-pasioris, caused by the pre- 

 sence of salt in the soil. — L. Blaringhem :' The bio- 

 logical control of the influence of manures : deter- 

 mination of the sensible periods. — Robert Stumper : 

 The chemical composition of the nests of Apicotermes 

 occultus. The nests are made of sand, cemented 

 together with about 15 per^cent. of organic secretion. 



NO. 2810, VOL. 112] 



— J. Benoit : The origin of the interstitial cells in th 

 testicle of the domestic cock.— Et. Burnet : Irregubi 

 reactions of the filtrate from broth culture in goat- 



infected with Micrococcus melitensis. If th- >"♦« n 



by this Micrococcus renders the goat as s 

 man to the inoculation of a small quantity ... 1 

 culture, this reaction should afford a ' rapid an 

 certain means of recognising infected goats and pr< 

 venting the use of their milk. It has been proved 

 however, that the reaction is very irregular, and snm< 

 goats, certainly infected, do not show the i 

 all. The conclusion Ls drawn that the filtra 

 cannot be used in practice as a means of diagn 

 Melitensis in the goat. 



August 13. — M. Guillaume Bigourdan in the chair 

 — A. Lacroix : The signification of ^e aUcilin* 

 granites very rich in soda. The study of the r<.( k^ 

 collected from the island of Rockhall has show: 

 that rockallite, described as a persodic granite, h. 

 no real geological existence. Chemical analyses < 

 various portions of the granite and its enclosure 

 are given. — Torsten Carleman : Functions in- 

 definitely derivable.— Jules Baillaud : Studies on 

 the distribution of the energ>' in stellar spectra made 

 at the Pic du Midi Observatory in 1920 and 1921. 

 The spectra of nine stars have been studied. The 

 arrangement of apparatus and method of carrying 

 out the observations are described : the details of 

 the experiments and the results will be published 

 elsewhere.— R. de Mallemann : The theory of rotatory 

 polarisation. — J. Bathellier : Correction relating to 

 the nests of Eutermes. In a preceding note a series 

 of fungus beds forming part of an ant nest have been 

 described as belonging to Eutermes matangensis. It 

 would appear that this view was incorrect : tli- 

 structures are probably the work of an insect detci 

 mined by M. Bugnion as Microtermes incertus.— 

 E. Bugnion : Remarks on the note of M. Bathellier. 

 — O. Duboscq and H. Harant : Sporozoa of the 

 Tunicates. 



Official Publications Received. 



Egyptian Government. Almaiuic for the Yaar IMS. Pp. \-iii-f-2S<. 

 (Cairo: Government Press.) P.T. 10. 



Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, America and We«t Indie*, 

 June 170S-1709, preserved in the Public Record OtBce. Edited by C. 

 Headlam. Pp. xliii+W2. (London : H.M.S.O.) 40s.net. 



Annual Report of the Meteorological Obserratory of the Oorernmei ■ 

 General of Chosen for the Year 1920 (Results of ObsertaUons). Pp. iii 

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Results of the Heteorolofiical Observations in Korea for the Lustrum 



1916-1920. Pp. vii+48. (Zinsen). 



N.S.W. Department of Mines. Geological Survey. Bulletin N. 3: 

 Copper. By E. J. Kenny. Pp. 51. (Sydney : A. J. Kent) 



Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution 

 for the Ynar ending June 30, 1921. Pp. xii+6SS. (Washington : Govern- 

 ment Printing OflBce.) 



Smithsonian Institution. U.S. National Museum. Bulletin 190: The 

 Opalinid Ciliate Infusorians. By M. M. MetoJf. Pp. ^-iii+4S4. 

 (Washington : Government Printing Office.) 



Thirty-seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of American Bthnology to 

 the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 191^191A. Pp. Tiii+660. 

 (Washington : Government Printing Otfice.) 



Aeronautics. Report of the Aeronautical Research Committee tot the 

 Y'ear 1922-23. Pp. 4S. (London : H.M.S.O.) it. net. 



Fishery Board for Scotland. Salmon Fisheries, 1921, Xo. IV. Salmon 

 Investigations in Scotland, 1921, IV. Summary of Result* (with 7 

 diagrams). By W. J. M. Menzies, Jun. Pp.18. (Edinburgh: H. M.S. (> 

 !«. 6d. net. 



Air Ministry. Meteorological Office. Geophysical Memoirs, Ka 21. 

 Pyrheliometei- Comparisons at Kew Observatory, Richmond, and their 

 bearing on data published in the Gtopikytieal Journal. By R. E. Watson. 

 Pp.17. (London : H.M.S.O.) 2s.net. 



