478 



NATURE 



[June 9, 192 1 



the effect of stirring on the rate of solution of oxygen 

 in water. The principle is similar to that already 

 described elsewhere by Dr^ Adeney, and consists in 

 enclosing the liquid with a known volume of gas in a 

 space connected to a manometer and observing the 

 change of pressure due to absorption. Experiments 

 made on the effect of stirring on the rate of absorp- 

 tion of oxygen from the air showed that the rate of 

 solution is enormously increased even by gentle stirring 

 of the liquid, and with more vigorous stirring tends 

 to the maximum value already found by a different 

 method. The experiments form a link between condi- 

 tions occurring in Nature and those obtaining in the 

 method previously described by Adeney and Becker in 

 the society's Proceedings. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, May 17. — M. Georges Lemoine 

 in the chair. — A. Denjoy ; The calculation of the 

 coefficients of any convergent trigonometrical series 

 the sum of which is given. — G. Dumas: The Iram.tnt* 

 contours.— M. Bratu : Series the general term of 

 which tends towards zero. — G. Valiron : Integral 

 functions of finite order. — J. Le Roux : The theory of 

 relativity and the secular movement of the perihelion 

 of Mercury. — B. Lyot : The aurora borealis of May 

 14-15, 1921, and the simultaneous magnetic pheno- 

 mena. Intense magnetic disturbances commenced 

 twenty hours before the passage of an important 

 group of sun-spots across the central meridian, and 

 this passage was followed by a remarkable aurora 

 borealis. ^ — J. Guillaume : Observation of Pons-Win- 

 necke's comet (19216) made with the equatorial of the 

 Observatory of Lyons. Position on May 10 is given. 

 The comet is roughly circular, with a faint central 

 condensation. Magnitude about 11-5. — G. Vavon and 

 J. Detrie : The transformation of phenol into cyclo- 

 hexanol. A study of the addition of hydrogen to 

 phenol, with platinum as the catalyst. It is shown 

 that cycZohexanone is formed as an intermediate pro- 

 duct.— T. Martinet and P. Coisset : The action of 

 chloraloxim on the aromatic amines ; the synthesis 

 of isatins. When the oxime of chloral condenses 

 with aromatic amines the chlorine, and not the alde- 

 hydic oxygen, reacts. The product of the condensa- 

 tion treated with hot sulphuric acid yields isatin. 

 Starting with various substituted amines, the corre- 

 sponding substituted isatins can be readily prepared. 

 — M. Lespieau : The action of 2 : -^-dibromopropvlene 

 upon tsopropvlmagnesium bromide. — MM. Deldpine, 

 Fleury, and Ville : Researches on /3j8-dichloroethyl sul- 

 phide. The material prepared from ethvlene and 

 chlorides of sulphur contains various impurities. 

 These give some sulphur as sulphuric acid on oxida- 

 tion, and only from 60 to 70 per cent, of the chlorine 

 is removed bv hvdrolysis with water at 80° C. The 

 pure material gives no sulphuric acid on oxidation, 

 and the whole of the chlorine is removed by hydro- 

 lysis. — R. Fosse and G. Laude : Syntheses of cyanic 

 acid and of urea by the oxidation of ketones, acids, 

 and amines in the presence of ammonia. — G. Aram- 

 bourjj : The ichthyolos'ical fauna of the Sahelian of 

 the Oran region. — A. Magnan : The ratio of the wing 

 surface to the caudal surface in birds. — F. Ladreyt : 

 Histological and histochemical researches on the pig- 

 mentary atrophy of the liver. — A. Weber : Researches 

 on the toxicity of the internal medium of Batrachians 

 towards their eggs. — V. Galippe and Mme. G. Soul- 

 Hand : Researches on the presence in meteorites, hard 

 stones, minerals, quartz, granite, basalt, volcanic 

 ashes, and lava of "organites " susceptible of reviving, 

 and on their resistance to high temperatures. — E. 

 Chatton and R. Courrier : A trypanosome of the bat, 



NO. 2693, "^OL. 107] 



Vesperugo pipistrellus. Hypothesis relative to the 

 etiology of endemic goitre. In Lower Alsace about 

 10 per cent, of these bats are infected with a trypano- 

 some resembling Schistotrypanum Cruzt, but smaller. 

 The suggestion is made that this organism may pos- 

 sibly be the cause of endemic goitre. — A. Sartory and 

 P. Bailly : The agglutinating power of thorium sul- 

 phate on the spores of Aspergillus fumigatus. An 

 emulsion of the spores was clarified by solutions of 

 thorium sulphate, the maximum effect being produced 

 at concentrations between 0001 and 00005. Concen- 

 trated solutions do not agglutinate the spores.— G. 

 Marinesco and E. Craciun : Lesions of the nervous 

 system in exanthematic typhus and their relations 

 with neuritis. — C. Lebailly : The preservation of the 

 aphthous virus by cold. 



Rome. 



Reale Accademia nazionale dei Lincei, March 6. — V. 

 Volterra, vice-president, in the chair. — Paper by a 

 fellow : — Col. G. A. Crocco : Utillsable energy of the 

 wind. The variability of winds, coupled with the fact 

 that the energ-y varies as the cube of the velocity, has 

 hitherto prevented this source of energv from being- 

 put to much practical use. Referring to accumulators, 

 the author considers that recent researches on thermal 

 accumulators offer nn opportunity for storing this 

 energy in a form adapted for heating purposes at a 

 moderate cost. Regarding the installation of genera- 

 tors, the author suggests the construction of barrages 

 fixed in such localities as a gap between mountains, 

 where the prevailing" wind is more or less constant 

 in direction. It is also pointed out that after pass- 

 ing an obstacle the wind soon almost recovers its 

 original velocity, so that by fixing several installa- 

 t'ons one behind the other it is possible to utilise 

 the energy contained in a considerable height of air. — 

 Papers communicated through fellows : — M. Picone : 

 Potential of a double surface layer. This extract from 

 a letter to Prof. Levi Civita deals with a proof that 

 the potential of a magnetic shell has finite, definite 

 value of the surface of the shell except at a singular 

 point. — Prof. A. Lo Surdo : A spectroscope with 

 catoptric grating. This arrangement consists of a 

 number of reflecting^ laminae of equal thickness over- 

 lapping each other by the same amount, their edges 

 thus resembling a flight of steps, by reflection from 

 which a diffraction spectrum is formed of a beam of 

 light incident normally to the laminae. — Prof. G. 

 Magrini : Preliminary notice of the Italian expedition 

 for exploring the seas of the Levant. This expedition 

 formed the part assigned to Italy in carrying- out the 

 programme arranged in 19 19 under the auspices of 

 the International Commission for the Scientific Ex- 

 ploration of the Mediterranean. For this purpose the 

 Tremiti, of 500 tons, was equipped, the fundamental 

 problem to be investigated being the distribution and 

 cause of the currents in the Bosphorus and the 

 Dardanelles. — Dr. C. Perrier : The true nature of 

 Rosasite, ii. — G. Stefanini : Geology of Cyrenaica : i., 

 Eocene strata. An examination of literature and 

 materials, considered especially in relation to the pre- 

 vious researches of Prof. J. W. Gregory (Quart. 

 Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. Ixvii., iqii). — A notice of the 

 life and work of the late Prof. P. A. Saccardo, read 

 on February 6 by Prof. O. Mattirolo, occupies twelve 

 pages at the end of the number of the Atti containing 

 the previous papers. 



March 20. — F. D'Ovidio, president, in the chair. — 

 Papers by fellows : — F. Severi : Theory of simple in- 

 tegrals of the first species belonging- to an algebraic 

 surface, i. — C. De Stefani : Lig:urian fossil sponges, v, 

 Mulino di San Giovanni, Biscazza, Casa Buzzano, 



