5IO 



NATURE 



[June i6, 1921 



sheep. A summary was given of some results ob- 

 tained in conjunction with Mr. J. Hammond over a 

 number of years. The data brought forward referred 

 to parts much utilised in the judging of sheep, viz. 

 "hind-limb," "loin," "behind the shoulder," and 

 "over the shoulder." In normal rams the muscles 

 increase in weight after birth faster than the asso- 

 ciated bones, while the ratio found in adults is nearly 

 attained at the age of three months. From birth 

 onwards the carcass forms an increasing proportion 

 of the live-weight of the animal. The development 

 of the hind-limb proceeds as a wave of growth passing 

 upwards from below. Histological examination of 

 the muscles in the prize animals shows that a very 

 large amount of fat is present between the muscle- 

 fibres in addition to that between muscle-bundles. 

 Fat in the popliteal space and around the pelvis was 

 notably increased. The characteristic "feel" and 

 appearance of prize animals appear to be due to bone 

 reduction as well as to fat and muscle increase. 

 (2) The alleged inheritance of an acquired character 

 in man. Photographs were shown of ankle-joints of 

 ne\y-born English children. Features are present 

 which, from their presence in the newly born natives 

 of India, have been claimed as the inheritance of a 

 character acquired by their parents through adoption 

 of the squatting posture. This cannot be the case 

 in the English child. The features found in the new- 

 born child are held to be the anatomical outcome of 

 the normal attitude of the foetus. C3) The so-called 

 gluteus maximus of Tarsius. This is stated to be a 

 compound muscle, since it includes the femoro- 

 coccygeal and caudofemoral muscles. This is the 

 interpretation given of the position of the great sciatic 

 nerve, which passes through the gluteus maximus. 

 In lemurs and in the primitive insectivore Tupaia a 

 similar condition was found. ^H. P. Waran : The 

 effect of a magnetic field on the intensity of spectrum 

 lines, ii. The earlier work of Kent and Frye on the 

 subject is discussed and the invalidity of conclusions 

 obtained under adverse experimental conditions proved 

 by proper control experiments. Further study of the 

 phenomenon conducted in a quartz tube are described. 

 The enhancing effect of the magnetic field on the 

 negative glow bands of nitrogen and the Balmer series 

 of hydrogen are described, and the Balmer series is 

 suggested to be mainly the radiations of the atom while 

 the gas is at a high pressure. Experiments with a 

 condensed discharge have proved the difference be- 

 tween its effect and that introduced by the magnetic 

 field.— C. G. F. James : The theoretical value of 

 Sutherland's constant in the kinetic theory of gases.— 

 T. S. Yang : Orthogonal systems and the moving 

 trihedral. 



Dublin. 

 Royal Irish Academy, May 23.— Prof. Sydney Young, 

 president, in the chair. — G. A. J. Cole : The problem 

 of the Bray series. The stratigraphical position of 

 the series of quartzites and slates that form Bray 

 Head and Howth in the Dublin district has always 

 seemed obscure. While the few organic remains 

 indicate a Cambrian age, these rocks appear in places 

 to overlie Ordovician strata, and they have suffered 

 no Invasion or metamorphism by the closely adjacent 

 Leinster granite. Examination of the successive MS. 

 notes in records of the Geological Survey of Ireland 

 shows how the problem was under discussion between 

 185^; and 1865. In the present paper it is suggested 

 that the Bray series has been brought into position 

 along a thrust-plane from the south-east during the 

 later phases of the Caledonian folding, and that the 

 outlving mass of Carrlckgallogan is a "klip " resting, 

 as Du Noyer believed, on Ordovician slates. 



NO. 2694, VOL. 107] 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, May 23.— M. Georges Lemoine 

 in the chair.— C. Moureu, M. Murat, and 

 L. Tampier : Acrylic add and acrylic esters. 

 Halogen propionic acids and esters. Starting with 

 pure acrolein, now readily obtainable in quantity, a 

 method of preparing acrylic acid is described based 

 on the intermediate production of /3-chloropropionic 

 acid. The acrylic acid was purified by repeated frac- 

 tional crystallisation, and Its physicaf constants were 

 determined. The pure acid combines quantitatively 

 at the ordinary temperature with the halogen acids.— 

 A. Blondel : The topographical representation of the 

 couples of alternating-current motors.— Prince of 

 Monaco : Oflficial visit to the United States.— C. 

 fluichard : The 3I systems all the risfht lines of which 

 belonjr to a linear complex. — M. Jean Massart was 

 elected a correspondant for the section of botanv in 

 succession to the late M. Pfeffer.— G. Julia : 'The 

 discontinuities of the solutions of certain Fredholm's 

 equations.— P. Humbert : Hypergeometrical poly- 

 nomials. — P. Ldvy : Some questions of the func- 

 tional calculus.— E. Esclangon : The aurora borealis 

 of May 14-15, TQ2I, observed at Strasbourg. — M. Luce : 

 Chemical reactions and radius of curvature, k con- 

 tinuation of work previously published on the same 

 subject. Jt is shown that the Influence of the curvature 

 of a solid is the same in liquids as In gases, and that 

 the data In both rases can be expressed bv a similar 

 formula. — M. Bridel : The application of the law 

 of mass action to the results obtained in the reaction 

 of /3-galactosidase on galactose in solution In propyl 

 alcohol. The application of the law of mass action 

 to this reaction shows that in many cases equilibrium 

 had not been reached when the experiments were 

 stopped. For the stronger alcohols it would be neces- 

 sary to prolong the experiments for m.onths, or even 

 years, to attain equilibrium. — A. Tian : A cause of 

 dispersion of the colloid in an Important class of 

 hydrosols. — \. Boutaric and M. Vuillaume : The floc- 

 culation of colloidal arsenic sulphide. Principle of a 

 method of study. The opacity of the solutions was 

 measured in a Fery spectrophotometer; absorption 

 curves are given showing: the Influence of time, of 

 excess of hydrogen sulphide, and of excess of arsenlous 

 oxide. To have strictly comparable flocculation the 

 colloidal solution must contain neither free sulphuretted 

 hydrogen nor arsenlous oxide. — E. Andr6 : Con- 

 tribution to the study of the oil from grape pips. The 

 chemical and physical constants of eleven samples of 

 oil from different sources are given ; the figures show 

 great divergences, and It Is evident that the composi- 

 tion of this oil varies considerably with the kind of 

 g^rape. — P. Gaubert : The artificial coloration of 

 crystals obtained by the solidification of a fused sub- 

 stance and on crystalline diffusion. — F. Ehrmann and 

 J. Savornin : The stratigraphical scale of the Kabylie 

 des Babors. — R. Dongier : The simultaneous oscilla- 

 tions of the pressure and wind at the top of the Eiffel 

 Tower, and their relation with the squall surface (J. 

 Bjerkness) of a depression. A reproduction of the 

 curves of the recording- instruments, showing the 

 atmospheric pressure., wind velocities at the summit 

 and base of the tower, and temperatures on Sep- 

 tember 15, 1906. The conclusions resulting from a 

 detailed examination of these diagrams are in a;5"ree- 

 ment with the theory of J. Bjerkness. — Ad. Davy de 

 Virville and R. Douin ; The modifications of form 

 and structure of liverworts submerged In water. 

 Seven species have been studied, and were found to 

 adapt themselves to the new medium, undergoing re- 

 markable changes in development, size, and structure. 



