;o2 



NATURE 



{March 27, 1890 



Chemical Society, February 20. — Dr.W. J. Russell, F.R. S., 

 in the chair. — The following papers were read : — The behaviour 

 of the more stable oxides at high temperatures, by Dr. G. H. 

 Bailey and Mr. W. B. Hopkins. Previous experimenters have 

 found that cuprous oxide is obtained when cupric oxide is heated 

 to redness. The authors find that at higher temperatures a further 

 quantity of oxygen is given off, and an oxide having the com- 

 position CU3O is formed. This is insoluble in mineral acids and 

 even in aqua-regia, but can be converted into a soluble form on 

 fusion with caustic potash, from which it separates on treatment 

 with water. The oxides of lead and tin seem to behave similarly 

 at high temperatures. — The influence of different oxides on the 

 decomposition of potassium chlorate, by Messrs. G. J. Fowler 

 and J. Grant. The authors have systematically examined the 

 influence of the chief metallic oxides and certain unstable salts 

 on the decomposition of potassium chlorate by heat, and the 

 chief results obtained may be summarized as follows :^i) Acid 

 oxides, such as VgOg, WO3, and V.jOg, cause the evolution of 

 oxygen at a much reduced temperature with the formation of a 

 metavanadate, tungstate, or uranate. Chlorine is evolved in 

 large quantity in these cases, but the whole of the oxygen of the 

 chlorate is not liberated, since the compound of KjO with the 

 oxide is not decomposed by heat or by chlorine — 



4KCIO3 + aVoOg = 2K2O, V2O3 + 2CI2 + sOj. 



(2) Alumina acts similarly but less energetically. (3) Chromium 

 sesquioxide causes the evolution of oxygen at a lower tempera- 

 ture, chlorine also being liberated — 



8KCIO3 -f 2Cr203 = 4KCr04 + 4CI2 + 7O2. 



(4) The sesquioxides of iron, cobalt and nickel, cupric oxide, and 

 manganese dioxide cause the evolution of oxygen at a compara- 

 tively low temperature accompanied by only a small percentage 

 of chlorine ; the oxide is left but little altered at the end of the 

 experiment. The authors find that their results are in harmony 

 with the theory of the action of manganese dioxide advanced by 

 McLeod(Chem. Soc. Trans., 1889, 184). (5) The monoxides of 

 barium, calcium, and lead cause no evolution of oxygen when 

 heated with potassium chlorate, but the latter breaks up below 

 its normal temperature with the formation of potassium chloride 

 and a peroxide. (6) In the presence of such oxides as silver 

 oxide and the peroxides of barium and lead, potassium chlorate 

 acts as a reducing agent. No oxygen is liberated, but a per- 

 chlorate is form.ed. (7) Oxides such as those of zinc and mag- 

 nesium are completely inactive. The authors find that the 

 physical condition of the oxide is of importance, thus copper 

 oxide prepared in the dry way is almost inactive ; and further, 

 that certain substances, as powdered glass, sand, and kaolin, assist 

 the decomposition, although apparently they undergo no chemical 

 change. — The interaction of hypochlorites and ammonium salts ; 

 ammonium hypochlorite, by Messrs. C. F. Cross and E. J. Bevan. 

 The authors bring forward evidence of the formation and existence 

 of ammonium hypochlorite in solution, but have failed to isolate 

 the compound when produced by the action of an ammonium salt 

 on a dilute solution of bleaching powder, or by the electrolysis of 

 ammonium chloride solutions. It exhibits curious anomalies in 

 oxidizing properties in comparison with other hypochlorites. It 

 is without action on many colouring matters — for example, those 

 of the vegetable fibre ; it does not decolorize a solution of indigo in 

 sulphuric acid, although it at once liberates iodine from potassium 

 iodide, and it does not peroxidize hydrated lead oxide. On the 

 other hand, it oxidizes sulphites and arsenites, and its effect on 

 aniline salts is identical with that of ordinary hypochlorites. In 

 the discussion which followed the reading of the paper, Prof. 

 Armstrong suggested that probably the authors were dealing 

 with a chlorinated derivative of ammonia, e.g. NHgCl ; such 

 compounds, according to Gattermann's experiments, being more 

 stable than is usually supposed. — The action of phosphoric anhy- 

 dride on stearic acid, by Dr. F. S. Kipping. One of the products 

 of the reaction is stearone, (0171133)200, and the yield appears to 

 be as good or better than that obtained when salts of stearic acid are 

 submitted to dry distillation. — Semithiocarbazides, by Prof A. E. 

 Dixon. — Note on the production of ozone by flames, by Mr. J. T. 

 Cundall. Ilosva {Ber. der deut, chem. Gesellsch., Referate 

 1889, 791) states that when all the products of combustion of 

 various kinds of flames are collected, they do not exhibit the 

 smell or taste of ozone. This is confirmed by the results of some 

 unpublished experiments made by the author in 1886, but re- 

 cently he has found that the air aspirated through a tube, 3 mm. 

 in bore, whose mouth is fixed about 5 mm. above the tube, and 



5 mm. away from the flame of a Bunsen burner, both tastes and 

 smells strongly of ozone. Similar results were obtained both 

 with luminous and hydrogen flames. It was not found possible 

 to confirm this fact by any other test for ozone, owing to the im- 

 possibility of finding any sufficiently sensitive reaction which was 

 not common to dilute nitrogen oxides. The author agrees with 

 Ilosva that the smell and taste of ozone are the only trustworthy 

 tests for it when it is present in small quantities, and that 

 Houzeau's papers (impregnated with red litmus and potassium 

 iodide), which at first sight should give the necessary distinction, 

 since an acid gas would not be expected to give an alkaline 

 product, are useless, inasmuch as nitrogen oxides also turn 

 them blue. 



Geological Society, February 26. — Mr. J. W, Hulke, 

 F. R.S., Vice-President, in the chair. — The following com- 

 munication was read : — On the relation of the Westleton 

 Beds or "Pebbly Sands" of Suffolk to those of Norfolk, 

 and on their extension inland, with some observations on the 

 period of the final elevation and denudation of the Weald 

 and of the Thames Valley ; Part 3, on a Southern Drift in 

 the valley of the Thames, with observations on the final ele- 

 vation and initial sub-aerial denudation of the Weald, and on 

 the genesis of the Thames, by Prof. Joseph Prestwich, F.R.S. 

 In this third part of his paper the author gave a description of 

 the characters of the Southern Drift, showing how it differs from 

 the Westleton Beds in the nature of its included pebbles, which 

 consist of flints from the Chalk with a large proportion of cherf 

 and ragstone from the Lower Greensand, while there is a total 

 absence of the Triassic pebbles and Jurassic debris characterizing 

 the Northern Drift. He traced the drift through Kent, Surrey, 

 Berkshire, and Hampshire, and described its mode of occur- 

 rence. Another pre-glacial gravel was then discussed under the 

 title of the Brentwood group, and its age was admitted to be 

 doubtful. The author then entered into an inquiry as to the 

 early physiographical conditions of the Wealden area, and gave 

 reasons for supposing that a hill-range of some im.portance was 

 formed in the Pliocene period after the deposition of the Diestian 

 beds. From the denudation of this ridge, he supposes that the 

 material was furnished for the formation of the Southern Drift, 

 which may have been deposited partly as detrital fans at the 

 northern base of the range. The relation of the Southern Drift 

 to the Westleton Shingle and other pre-glacial gravels was con- 

 sidered, and the Westleton Beds were referred to a period sub- 

 sequent to that of the formation of the Southern Drift. The 

 influence of the meeting of the earlier Wealden axis with that of 

 the folding which produced the escarpments of central England 

 was discussed, and it was suggested that the result would be the 

 genesis of the Thames valley and river. The following summary 

 gives the results of the author's inquiry as developed in the other 

 parts of the paper. He holds : — (i) That the Westleton Shingle 

 ranges from Suffolk to Oxfordshire and Berkshire, rising gra- 

 dually from sea-level to 600 feet. (2) That the lower Tertiary 

 strata were co-extensive with this shingle. (3) That the up- 

 raising of the Westleton sea-floor, with its shingle, preceded the 

 advance of the Glacial deposits, and that the latter become 

 discordant to the former when traced westward, occupying 

 valleys formed after the rise of the Westleton Beds. (4) 

 That the Tertiary strata and Westleton Beds on the north 

 border of the Chalk basin were continuous until the insetting of 

 the Glacial period, when they were broken through by denuding 

 agencies. (5) That none of the present valleys on the north of 

 the Thames Tertiary basin date back beyond the Pre-glacial 

 period. (6) That the same date may be assigned to the Chalk 

 and probably to the Oolite escarpments. (7) That in the Thames 

 basin, besides the Northern Drift, there is a Southern Drift de- 

 rived from the Lower Greensand of the Wealden area, and from 

 the Chalk and Tertiary strata formerly extending partly over it. 

 (8) That during the Diestian period the Weald was probably 

 partly or wholly submerged, and that between this and the in- 

 setting of the Glacial period, the Wealden area and the Boulou- 

 nais underwent upheaval resulting in the formation of an anti- 

 clinal range from 2000 to 3000 feet high, (9) That from the 

 slopes of this range the materials of the Southern Drift were 

 derived, and spread over what is now the south side of the 

 Thames basin. (10) That this denudation commenced at the 

 time of the Red Crag, and went on uninterruptedly through 

 successive geological stages. (11) That consequently, though 

 the Southern Drift preceded the Westleton Shingle, the two 

 must at one time have proceeded synchronously. (12) That the 

 valley-system of the Wealden area dates from Pliocene times — 



