March 13, 1890 



NATURE 



455 



with diazosalts, whilst the corresponding j3-naphthylamine- 

 disulphonic acid G, like the Badische modification of )8-napnthyl- 

 aminemonosulphonic acid, is incapable of forming azo-dyes with 

 the majority of diazosalts. The method adopted in this and the 

 following papers consists firstly in displacing the NH, radicle by 

 hydrogen by v. Baeyer's hydrazine method and determining the 

 constitution of the resulting naphthalenedisulphonic acid, and 

 secondly insubstituting chlorine fortheNHoradiclebySandmeyer's 

 method, and characterizing the resulting chloronaphthalene- 

 disulphonic acid and the trichloronaphthalene derived from it by 

 treatment with phosphorus pentachloride. j3-naphthylamine- 

 disulphonic acid R is in this way found to have the constitu- 

 tion [NHj : SO;,n : SO3H = 2:3:3' (for nomenclature, see 

 Nature, vol. xxxix. p. 598)], and ;8-naphthylaminedisulphonic 

 acid G, the constitution [NHg : SO3H : SO3H = 2:1': 3'J. 

 From the latter acid by the hydrazine method naphthalenemeta- 

 disulphonic acid, the fifth known naphthalenedisulphonic acid, 

 has been prepared ; this yields a disulphochloride melting at 

 137°, and I : 3-dichloronaphthalene melting at 6i°'5. The further 

 investigation of derivatives of this acid is expressly reserved by 

 the authors. The results obtained in the case of the G acid 

 make it evident that, as in the case of the Bayer iS-naphthol- 

 sulphonic acid [OH : SO3H = 2:1'] and Badische /3-naphthyl- 

 aminesulphonic acid [NHj : SO3H = 2 : i'], the action of diazo- 

 salts is either retarded or prevented by the " protecting influence " 

 exercised by an o-i'-sulphonic group. — Studies on the constitution 

 of the tri-derivatives of naphthalene ; No. 2, o-amido-i : 3'- 

 naphthalenedisulphonic acid, by the same. The constitution of 

 the acid known technically as a-naphthylamine-edisulphonic 

 acid is found to be [NH, : SO3H : SO3H = i' : i : 3'], a result 

 agreeing with that arrived at by Bernthsen {Ber. der. detit. 

 chem. Gesellsch .22, 3327). — Studies on the constitution of the 

 tri-derivatives of naphthalene ; No. 3, o-naphthylaminedisul- 

 phonic acid, Dahl, No. iii., The constitution of naphthol-yellow 

 S., by the same, a-naphthylaminedisulphonic acid No. iii. of 

 Dahl's patent (Germ. pat. No. 41,957), which when diazotised 

 and warmed with nitric acid yields naphthol-yellow S., is found 

 to have the constitution [NHj : SO3H : SO3H = 1:4: 2'], 

 whence it follows that naphthol-yellow S. has the constitution 

 [OH : NO2 : NOo : SO3H = 1:2:4:2']. The trichlo'ro- 

 naphthalene prepared from the o-naphthylaminedisulphonic acid 

 alifords a remarkable case of dimorphism : it is sparingly soluble 

 in hot alcohol from which it crystallizes in slender needles melting 

 at 66° ; if the melting-point be redetermined as soon as solidifi- 

 cation has taken place, it is found to be 56°, but if determined 

 after a longer interval, 66°, as in the first instance. The tri- 

 chloronaphthalenes prepared by Cleve from nitro-i : 3'-dichloro- 

 naphthalene (m.p. given as 65°), and by Widman from i : 4- 

 dichloronaphthalene-)8-sulphochloride (m.p, given as 56°) are 

 found to be identical with this compound, and to behave in the 

 same way on fusion. 



Geological Society, Febniary2i. — Annual General Meeting. 

 —Dr. W. T. Blanford, F.R.S., President, in the chair.— After 

 the reading of the reports of the Council and of the Library and 

 Museum Committee for the year 1889, the President handed the 

 WoUaston Medal to Prof. J. W. Judd, F.R.S., for transmission 

 to Prof. W. Crawford Williamson, F.R.S. ; the Murchison 

 Medal to Prof. E. Hull, F.R.S. ; the Lyell Medal to Prof. T. 

 Rupert Jones, F. R. S. ; the balance of the Wollaston Fund to Mr. 

 W. A. E. Ussher ; the balance of the Murchison Geological 

 Fund to Mr. E. Wethered ; the balance of the Lyell Geological 

 Fund to Mr. C. Davies Sherborn ; and a grant from the proceeds 

 of the Barlow-Jameson Fund to Mr. W. Jerome Harrison. — The 

 President then read his anniversary address, in which, after 

 giving obituary notices of several Fellows, Foreign Members, and 

 Foreign Correspondents deceased since the last annual meeting, 

 including the Venerable Archdeacon Philpot (who was the senior 

 Fellow of the Society, having joined it in 1821), Dr. H. von 

 Dechen (the oldest Foreign Member, elected in 1827), Mr. 

 Robert Damon, Mr. J. F. La Trobe Bateman, Mr. W. H. Bristow, 

 Dr. John Percy, the Rev. J. E. Tenison Woods, Mr. Thomas 

 Hawkins, Prof. F. A. von Quenstedt, Prof. Bellardi, Dr. Leo 

 Lesquereux, and Dr. M. Neumayr, he referred briefly to the 

 condition of the Society during the past twelve months, and to a 

 few works on palseontological subjects published in the same 

 period. He also mentioned the finding of coal in situ in a 

 boring at Shakespear Cliff, and then proceeded with the main 

 subject of his address — namely, the question of the permanence 

 of continents and ocean-basins. After [reviewing the evidence 



derived from the rocks of oceanic islands, and the absence o^ 

 deep-sea deposits in continental strata of various ages, he pro- 

 ceeded to the points connected with the geographical distribution 

 of animals and plants, and gave reasons for believing that 

 Sclater's zoological regions, founded on passerine birds, were 

 inapplicable to other groups of animals or plants, and that any 

 evidence of continental permanence based on such regions was 

 worthless. He also showed that both elevations and depressions 

 exceeding 1000 fathoms had taken place in Tertiary times, and 

 gave an account of the biological and geological facts in support 

 of a former union between several lands now isolated, and 

 especially between Africa and India via Madagascar, and' 

 between Africa and South America. From these and other 

 considerations it was concluded that the theory of the permanence 

 of ocean-basins, though probable, was not proved, and was 

 certainly untenable to the extent to which it was accepted by 

 some authors. — The ballot for the Council and Officers was 

 taken, and the following were duly elected for the ensuing year : 

 —President: A. Geikie, F.R.S. Vice-Presidents: Prof. T. G. 

 Bonney, F.R.S., L. Fletcher, F.R.S., W. H. Hudleston, 

 F.R.S., J. W. Hulke, F.R.S. Secretaries: H. Hicks, F.R.S., 

 J. E. Marr. Foreign Secretary : Sir Warington W. Smyth, 

 F.R.S. Treasurer: Prof. T, Wiltshire. Council : Prof. J. F. 

 Blake, W. T. Blanford, F.R.S., Prof. T. G. Bonney, F.R.S.,. 

 James Carter, John Evans, F.R.S., L. Fletcher, F.R.S., 

 A. Geikie, F.R.S., Prof. A. H. Green, F.R.S., A. Harker, 

 H. Hicks, F.R.S., Rev. Edwin Hill, W. H. Hudleston, F.R.S., 

 J. W. Hulke, F.R.S., Major-General C. A. McMahon, J. E. 

 Marr, H. W. Monckton. E. T. Newton, F. W. Rudler, Sir 

 Warington W. Smyth, F.R.S., W. Topley, F.R.S., Rev. G. F. 

 Whidborne, Prof. T, Wiltshire, H. Woodward, F.R.S. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, March 3. — M. Hermite in the chair. 

 — On the absorption of atmospheric ammonia by soils, by 

 M. Th. Schloesing. Experiments were made on the quan- 

 tities of ammonia absorbed in a given time by various soils — viz. 

 non- calcareous earths, similar to those previously used in 

 the fixation of free nitrogen, earths containing 40 per cent, 

 of calcareous matter, and entirely calcareous earths. The 

 analytical results are given for each case. — Contribution to- 

 the chemistry of the trufHe, by M. Ad. Chatin. — Upon the ' 

 method of using, and the theory of, seismographic apparatus ;. 

 note by M. G. Lippmann. The theory of the deduction of the 

 true movement of the soil from the apparent movement, as in- 

 dicated by the instruments, is mathematically discussed. A 

 general solution of the problem is given, and applied to some 

 special cases. — An historical note on batteries with molten elec 

 trolytes, by M. Henri Becquerel. It is shown that M. Lucien 

 Poincare was not justified in claiming the invention of such 

 batteries, as M. Jablochkoff, so long ago as 1877, proposed the 

 combustion of carbon in the nitrates as a source of electricity ; 

 and still earlier, thirty-five years ago, M. A. C. Becquerel 

 studied similar methods. — A facsimile atlas to illustrate the 

 history of the earliest period of cartography, by M. A. E. 

 Nordenskiold. — Observations of the new minor planet, Luther 

 ^s) (Hamburg, February 24, 1890), made at the Paris Obser- 

 vatory (equatorial of eastern tower), by Mdlle. D. Klumpke. 

 — ^On the transversal magnetization of magnetic conductors, 

 by M. Paul Janet. — On the localization of interference fringes 

 produced by Fresnel mirrors ; note by M. Charles Fabry. — 

 Researches upon the dispersion of aqueous solutions, by MM. 

 Ph. Barbier and L. Roux. The authors find, for concentrated 

 solutions, that, if B be the dispersive power and / the weight of 

 anhydrous substance dissolved in unit of volume of the solution, 

 the relation B = K/ + b holds, b being always sensibly equal to 

 the dispersive [power of water. The specific dispersive power 

 is practically a constant quantity for each substance. — On 

 the vapour-density of the chlorides of selenium, by M. C. 

 Chabrie. — Upon some derivatives of erythrite, by MM. E. 

 Grimaux and Ch. Cloez. The writers, by investigating the 

 transformations of hydrofurfural, have attempted to establish 

 its constitution and the method whereby it is formed from 

 erythrite. They conclude that hydrofurfurane may be repre- 



CH . CHov 

 sented by the formula 1 1 ' >0.— Derivatives of hepta- 



CH . ch/ 

 methylene ; note by M. Markownikoff. — Researches on the 



