460 



NATURE 



>»i:j'temi 



Societies and Academies. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, August 27.- M. A. dArsonval 

 in the chair.— Jean Perrin : <il).scrvati(ms on fluorcs- 

 ( iiu-c. The fluorescence of a .solution (lcj)cnd.s on its 

 ' nrcntration, thickness of layer, and light -alxsorbing 

 I'oucr of the solvent. .\n attempt is made to define 

 si)ecific fluorescence, measurable by a coefficient in- 

 dependent of these f.ictors. -~D. Mordouhay-Boltovsky: 

 Certain categories of transcendental numbers. — Jules 

 Baillaud : The a .tronomical station of the Pic du 

 Midi. This observatory is characterised by the purity 

 of the sky and clear images. The advantage of the 

 height (2870 metres) is not obtained at the price of 

 undue fatigue on the part of the workers. Observa- 

 tions would appear to be possible except during the 

 late winter and spring months. — A. A. Guntz : Phos- 

 phorescent sulphide of zinc. The partial substitution 

 of cadmium sulphide in the zinc sulphide gives a more 

 durable phosphorescence and causes changes in the 

 colour of the light. It also renders the phosphorescent 

 sulphides more easy to insolate. — Andr6 Charriou : 

 The absorption of sodium hyposulphite by photo- 

 graphic papers. The elimination of sodium hypo- 

 sulphite from photographic papers is much more 

 rapid and complete, if the washing is carried out with 

 solutions of sodium or ammonium bicarbonate instead 

 of with water. — Ch. Kilian and V. Likhiti : The de- 

 velopment of Hendersonia foliorum. — Maurice Piettre : 

 The chemical relations between humic materials and 

 coal. 



Washington, D.C. 

 National Academy of Sciences (Proc. Vol. 9, No. 8 

 August 1923).— C. Barus : (i) The vibration of air 

 m tubes capped at both ends. The air columns are 

 actuated by telephones. Pressure changes are mea- 

 sured by an interferometer U-tube. With H-tubes 

 and straight tubes there is a frictional but no special 

 frequency effect. (2) The vibration of the air fila- 

 ment in quill tubes capped at both ends. — J. P. 

 Minton and J. G. Wilson : Correlation between 

 physical and medical findings on normal ears. Curves 

 showing the relation between the root mean square 

 pressures exerted on the ear drum by a telephone 

 receiver diaphragm, plotted on a logarithmic scale, 

 and the frequencies, plotted on a linear frequency 

 scale, are used. In most of the fifty-four cases cited, 

 the physical and medical findings for normality of 

 the ear are in agreement. — T. Y. Thomas : The 

 Einstein equations of the gravitational field for an 

 arbitrary distribution of matter. — W. T. Councilman : 

 The root system of EpigcBa repens and its relation 

 to the fungi of the humus. The roots of this member 

 of the Ericaceae, which is found only in America and 

 Japan, are devoid of roothairs ; the place of the latter 

 appears to be taken by the hyphse of a fungus which 

 penetrate between and into the cells of the roots. The 

 roots break up into a number of fine capillaries which 

 ramify the humus near the surface of the soil. The 

 relationship appears to be one of symbiosis. — J. V. 

 Leech : The symmetry of the internal ears in flat- 

 fishes. Although the left eye of flatfish migrates 

 during development until it comes to lie beside the 

 right eye, the left ear remains in its original position. 

 Examination of the left and right ears of numerous 

 specimens of Pseudoplenronectes americaniis and 

 Litnanda ferruginea showed no difference in structure. 

 In consequence, the mode of action of the ears of these 

 fish in equilibration is difficult to understand. — A. 

 Bramley : Motion of an electric particle in a Riemann 

 space. An infinitesimal particle revolving about the 

 atomic nucleus describes a definite orbit with constant 



NO. 2812, VOL. I 12] 



velocity .—W. M, Davis : (i) The marginal belts of the 

 coral seas. The islands in the Pacific, in ad' ' 

 the formerly glaciate<l isUinds of the col 

 can Ix: grouped in three categories: ia\ \ 

 islands with clifls. generally without subn in' i ,;,L> 

 or coral reefs and mc^stlv in the cold. : 

 Islands with cliffs and su' .1 i. 



with coral reefs; an int< i .,r i:.ar; 



about 5° wide Ixjtween latuudes 25 and '30- north 

 and south of the equator, (c) Volcanic islands with- 

 out chflfs but having lagoons rimmed by coral reefs. 

 The data supports the postulate of unst.«h!f- islands 

 associated with changes of ocean level : ><-ra- 



ture, i.e. Darwin's theory modified by k itrol 



factors. (2) The depth' of coral-reef Uigouiu. The 

 stable rock platform hypothesis for the foundation of 

 atolls is rejected on the grounds of the absence of 

 cliffs and of such platforms on islands thought to 



represent uplifted atolls. Lagoon-r-- ' • fs on 



subsiding, foundations would pr* of 



moderate depth ; increased rate of ............... «ould 



be counterbalanced by increa.sed inwash of detritus. 

 Shallow pre-glacial lagoons would be deepened by 

 continued degradation during the lowering of the 

 glacial ocean. The subsidence theory also accounts 

 for submarine banks at varying depths in the coral 

 seas. 



Sydney. 



Linnean Society of New South Wales, July 25. — 

 Mr. A. F. Basset Hull, president, in the chair. — 

 R. H. Anderson : A revision of the Australian species 

 of the genus Bassia. Forty-two species of the genus 

 Bassia are discussed, of which nine are described as 

 new, and four as new combinations. A key to all 

 the Australian species is given. — Jessie K. Steel : 

 Anatomical features of the mature sporophyte of 

 Selaginella nliginosa. The species is primitive. The 

 radial type of shoots, together with the frequent 

 occurrence of a Selago condition, the mixed arrange- 

 ment of the sporangia in the cones, and the presence 

 of four megaspores within the megasporangium, all 

 point to a close relationship with the more primitive 

 members of the Lycopodiales. — C. Hedley : Studies 

 on Australian Mollusca. Pt. xiv. New species of 

 the genera Hemidonax, Pitaria, and Umbraculum are 

 described. From the Great Barrier Reef a consider- 

 able body of species is noted, which were named from 

 New Caledonia and have now extended to Austraha. 



Official Publications Received. 



D(>partin«nt of Apriculture and Natural Re-sourcps : Weather Bareao. 

 Annual Report ot the Weather Bureau for the Year Iyi9. Part 8: 

 MetPoroloRical Observations made at the Secondary Stations during the 

 Calendar Year istl3. Pp.357. (Manila: Bureau of Printing.) 



Xorihampton Polytechnic Institute, St. John Street, London, F.C 

 Educational Announcements (Evening only) for the Session 1923-ls»24. 

 Pp. 81-23->. (London.) 



Department of Commerce : Bareau of Standard.s. Scientinc Paper No. 

 474: Series in the Arc Spectrum of Moljltdenum. Pp. 118-139. 

 (Wa^thington : Government Printing Office, l!'-23.) V) cents. 



Deiiartment of the Interior: Bureau of Education. BuUctio, 192$, 

 No. 17: Educational Surveys. By Prof. Edward Franklin Bncliner. 

 Pp 44. Bulletin, l<t23, No. 24: Educational Bxtension. By Cliarles fi. 

 Maphis. Pp. 32. Bulletin, 1923, No. 26: Ediic.itional Work of the 

 Young Women's Christian Association. By E<lucation and Research 

 Divi.sion, National Board of Y'.W.C.A. Pp. 24. (Washington: Qovern- 

 uient Printing Office.) 5 cents each. 



Report on the Zoological Survey of India for the Years 1920 to 192S. 

 Pji. Ivi. (Calcutta: Government Printing Office.) 1 rtipee : 2*. 



Imperial department of Agriculture for llie West Indies. Report 

 on the Agricultural Department, Grenada, January-Decembw 1922. 

 Pp. iv-H4. (Trinidad.) Orf. 



Transvaal Universitv College (University of South Africa). Calendar 

 l!'23. Pp. 270+6 plates. (Pretoria.) 



Ministere de I'lustruction pnblique et des Beaux-.Arts. Enquet«s et 

 documents relatifs a Tenseigneiuent .superieur. 118: Rapports anr lea 

 ob-servatoiresastronomiquesde Province. Annee 1922. Pp.130. (Paris: 

 Iniprinierie Nationale.) 



Rap|)ort annuel siir I'etat de TObservatoire de Paris ponr I'annee 1922. 

 Par M. B. Baillaud. Pp. 32. (Paris : Imprimerie NaUcwale.) 



