November 17, 192 1] 



NATURE 



389 



notices of mineralogists recently deceased, with an 

 index of those previously published in the Miner alogical 

 Magazine. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, November 2. — M. Georges 

 I.emoine in the chair. — A. Blondel : Conditions of 

 ■<tarting and of resonance of an alternator feeding a 

 long high-tension line, with or without receiver. — M. 

 Riquier : The complete families ot integral figures of 

 a system of partial differential equations of the first 

 order, and the application of their properties to 

 the theor\- of any differential systems. — J. Andrade 

 was elected correspondant for the section of mechanics 

 in succession to the late M. Vallier. — C. E. Brazier : 

 The variation of the velocity of ascent of pilot-balloons 

 with altitude. Theoretically, neglecting hydrogen 

 losses and assuming that india-iubber preserves its 

 elasticity, the velocity of ascent should increase regu- 

 larly with the altitude ; actually, the velocity is a 

 maximum near the ground, decreases up to a height 

 between 500 and 1500 metres, and then increases 

 lowly up to 8 or 9 km. Various possible explanations 

 ; these facts are discussed. — P. and M. Richard : 

 The general problem of aviation. The system of 

 equations utilised bv engineers in the design of aero- 

 planes is simply the analytical expression of the laws 

 of similitude of aerodynamics. Experience in con- 

 struction has hitherto been the only guide in fresh 

 development. The authors give three equations, 

 partly based on experience and partly on the laws of 

 similitude, which may be used in place of those in 

 current use. Some applications of these equations are 

 indicated. — M. Gevrey : Linear partial differential 

 equations admitting a single family of imaginary 

 characteristics.^ — B. Gambier : Conformable correspond- 

 tnce between two surfaces, with conservation of the 

 lines of curvature and of the absolute value of the 

 ratio of the principal radii of curvature. — K. Ogura : 

 The extension of a theorem of Liouville to the field 

 of gravitation. — M. Mercier : The measurement of the 

 velocity of propagation of electric waves along metallic 

 wires. When a system of electrical oscillations is 

 propagated along two parallel wires, thev give rise 

 to a system of nodes and loops. The velocity is known 

 if simultaneous measurements are made of the wave- 

 length and the period of the oscillations. The dis- 

 ince between the nodes can be determined with an 

 :uracy of the order of one in a hundred thousand, 

 le frequencies were measured on absolute value bv 

 le method of .Abraham and Bloch. The velocities 

 ^n be determined with an accuracv exceeding i in 

 i.ooo. — P. Dejean : The demagnetising field and 

 jramagnetism. — C. Raveau : Is there a resolution 

 of common salt in presence of a non-congruent 

 solution submitted to evaporation? — M. and Mme. A. 

 Lassienr : The rapid electro-analvsis of brass. The 

 copper is deposited in a sulphuric-nitric acid solution. 

 A minimum amount of nitric acid is employed, and 

 this is reduced to ammonia by electrolvsis 

 previous to the determination of the zinc. — J. Martinet 

 and A. Haehl : The w-w'-dinitrodiphenylsulphone. — 

 P. de Sousa : Some remarkable rocks from Angola. 

 Nine complete analyses of these rocks are given and 

 compared with two earlier analyses of rocks from 

 the same district published bv A. Holmes. — P. 

 Glanj^eaud : The complexity of the volcanic massif 

 of Cantal and the true nature of the Puv Mary. 

 The author has been led to form a different opinion on 

 the constitution of the Puy Mary from that currently 

 held, and regards it as a true volcanic dome after- 

 wards covered up by its products, and later uncovered 

 bv erosion. — C. Lepierre : A new type of mineral 

 water : nitrate waters. Nitrates usually exist in 



NO. 2716. VOL. 108I 



waters in traces only, but an analysis of the water 

 from Ericeira, Portugal, shows that nearly 19 per 

 cent, of the total mineral matter in solution consists 

 of nitrates. Of the various hypotheses as to the 

 possible source of the nitrate, that of the nitrification 

 of organic matter agrees best with the observed facts. 

 — ^L Romieu : The cytological and micro-chemical 

 studv of the red-blood corpuscles in the ccelom of 

 Terebella lapidaria. — L. Boutan : The nucleus of fine 

 |>earls. The qualities of the surface of fine pearls are 

 quite uninfluenced by the presence of a nucleus in the 

 interior. — M. Bodansky : The distribution of zinc in 

 the organism of the fish. Two fishes were selected, 

 the catfish, Ailurichtys mariniis, known to contain 

 unusually large proportions of zinc, and the red 

 snapper, Lu//a««s aya, containing proportions of zinc 

 normally present in animal tissues. The organs of 

 these were dissected out and the amount of zinc in 

 each determined. In the red snapper the maximum 

 proportion of zinc was found in the spleen (43-5 mgr. 

 per \:g.) and liver (555 mgr. per kg.), with a mini- 

 mum (23) in the muscles. In the catfish the mini- 

 mum amount (81 mgr. per kg.) was also in the 

 muscles, but the maximum was found in the gills 

 (1025 mgr. per kg.).— .\. Berthelot and Mile. E. 

 Ossart : Researches on the micro-organisms producing 

 acetone. Besides the active anaerobic organisms of 

 A. Fernbach capable of utilisation on the industrial 

 scale, there exist in Nature many other micro- 

 organisms, both aerobic and anaerobic, capable of 

 producing small quantities of acetone, and it is pos- 

 sible that some of these may penetrate and develop 

 in the intestinal canal. — C. Levaditi and S. Nicolan : 

 Immunitv in neurotropic ectodermoses. — ^M. and Mme. 

 G. Villed'ieu : The toxicity of metals for yeasts and 

 moulds. In these, experiments sheets of metal instead 

 of the usual metallic salts were employed, the same 

 nutrient solution being used in all cases. Starting 

 with the least toxic, the metals came out in the 

 following order: mercury, copper, zinc, iron, and 

 magnesium, the last-named being the most toxic. — 

 A. Lumiire and H. Couturier : The desensibilisation of 

 nnaphylactised animals by means of several antigens. 

 The results of the experiments detailed are not in 

 accord with the view that vaccination by one antigen 

 confers immunity against others. The anaphvlaxy 

 is really specific! — Mile. Marthe GIrand, G. Girand, 

 and G. Baris : The haemoclasic crisis due to the 

 penetrating X-rays. 



Rome. 

 Reale Accademia nazionale dei Lincei, June 3. — V. 

 \'olterra, vice-president, in the chair. — Papers by 

 fellows : — C. Somigliana : Depth of glaciers, ii. A 

 mathematical determination of the form of profile of 

 the section of the glacier in terms of observations of 

 its rate of flow at the surface. — F. Severi : Integrals 

 of first species belonging to an algebraic surface, vi. — 

 C. De Stefani : Fossil sponges, vii. The localities are 

 the Crocetta group, the Palazzo Doria, and Rio Gea. 

 — -B. Grassi : Can malaria be transmitted directly by 

 .\nopheles? In three experiments a patient suffering 

 from malaria was bitten by Anopheles which were 

 afterwards allowed to attack a healthy subject. In 

 each case they filled themselves and emitted a drop of 

 blood, and it was evident that the conditions were 

 favourable to inoculation, but the individuals who 

 underwent the experiment remained immune. — ^A. 

 Stefani : Phvsiologv of nerves and nerve-centres (to be 

 published later). — G. Bruni and E. Romani : Mechanical 

 action of certain vulcanising accelerants of rubber. 

 In this paf)er the authors have developed a general 

 theory of the accelerative action of an important group 

 of organic agents, both sulphurous and non-sul- 



