158 



NATURE 



[February 2, 1922 



sion of a theorem of M. Landau. — M. Auric : The 

 generalisation of complex integral numbers. — M. 

 d'Ocagne : The reduction of the fourth dimension to 

 a plane representation. — G. Tzitzeica : Networks of 

 points. — P. Salet : The pressures of the atmospheres 

 of the stars and the sun. The iron lines of the types 

 a, b, c, d of Gale and Adams being unequally dis- 

 placed towards the red by the effect of pressure, and 

 this displacement being sensibly proportional to the 

 pressure, it is possible, measuring only the difference 

 of displacement of lines of different types, to deter- 

 mine the pressure of the medium in which the lines 

 are produced. The spectra of Procyon, Arcturus, and 

 the sun have been studied from this point of view, 

 and it has been found that the pressures of the atmo- 

 spheres of the two stars are very slightly higher (i to 

 2 atmospheres) than that of the sun. The pressure 

 of the reversing layer of the sun would appear to be 

 only some tenths of an atmosphere. — E. Brylinski : 

 An interpretation of Michelson's experiment. — H. 

 Chaumat : The application of the ballistic galvano- 

 meter to the testing of iron. — G. Claude : The acci- 

 dents observed in the synthesis of ammonia by hyper- 

 pressures and on the means of avoiding them. 

 — M. Taffln : Annealing and the mechanical pro- 

 perties of glass. The phenomenon of annealing of 

 glass would appear to be only a viscous deformation 

 under the action of internal stresses.— P. Woog : The 

 velocity of extension of thin layers of oil on the sur- 

 face of a sheet of water. From experiments on 

 mineral and fatty oils a connection is traced between 

 the velocity of extension of the oil film on water and 

 the acidity, carboxyl groups of the glycerides, double 

 linkages, and viscosity. — A. Kling and Mme. A. 

 Lassieur : An apparatus for the determination of the 

 concentration of a solution in hydrogen ions. 

 Application to the detection of mineral acids in 

 vinegar. A compensation method dispensing with the 

 usual standard cell and capillary electrometer and 

 making use of a miliivoltmeter. — E. Grandmougin : 

 Diphenylsulphone. Considerable quantities of di- 

 phenylsulphone, formed as a by-product during the 

 sulphonation of benzine, were accumulated during the 

 war. The author gives an account of some deriv- 

 atives made with a view to their possible utilisation 

 in the dye industry. — P. Lemay and L. Jaloustre : 

 Some oxydasic properties of thorium-X. Thorium-X 

 acts as a powerful catalyst in the oxidation of adrena- 

 line and of morphine ; on the other hand, no oxidation 

 of the alcohols of the fatty series could be proved. — 

 M. Muguet : Lead in the uranium minerals of Mada- 

 gascar. In the course of the extraction of radium 

 from the Madagascar mineral betafite, lead has been 

 isolated in quantities representing about o-6 per cent, 

 of the mineral treated. This lead probably arises 

 from the atomic disintegration of uranium ; its radio- 

 activity has increased regularly for six months. — M. 

 Leriche : Vestiges of the Lutetian in the Quaternary 

 of the north of France.— C. Jacob : The sfructure of 

 north Annam to the north of Thanh Hoa.— L. 

 Joleaud : The age of the calcium phosphate deposits 

 of southern Morocco, Algeria, and Tunis. — H. Joly 

 and N. Laux : The fauna of the middle and upper 

 layers of the Aalenian of the Grand Duchy of Luxem- 

 burg. — A. Boutaric : The diurnal radiation of the atmo- 

 sphere at Mont Blanc. — C. Dufour : Values of the 

 magnetic elements at the Val-Joyeux station at Ville- 

 preux (Seine-et-Oise) on January i, 1922. — M. Bridel : 

 The presence of a glucoside giving rise to an essential 

 oil in the stems and roots of Sedum telephkim. The 

 glucoside extracted from this plant hydrolysed with 

 emulsin gives glucose and an essential oil smelling of 

 roses. Hydrolysed with dilute sulphuric acid the 

 essential oil undergoes a change, and the smell 

 NO. 2727, VOL. 109] 



resembles eucalyptol or terpineol. — A. Goris and H. 

 Deluard : The influence of solar radiation on the cul- 

 ture of belladonna and the formation of alkaloids in 

 the leaves. Insolation favours the production of alka- 

 loids in the leaves of belladonna, and also the size of 

 the leaves. ^C. Oberthiir and C. Houlbert : Some new 

 views on the classification of the Melanargia 

 (Lepidoptera : Satyridae).— C. Champy : The deter- 

 mination of the sexual characters in Tritons. A 

 criticism of some views expressed by Bouin and Ancel. 

 — B. Roussy : Measurement of the cutaneous surface 

 of the horse. — M. Marage : Acuteness of hearing and 

 aptitude for military service. Deafness alone should 

 not be a cause of rejection for army service, a person 

 entirely deaf being still capable of rendering service 

 to the army in a suitable position. — J. Dragoui : The 

 influence of osmotic pressure on cell division. — S. 

 Metalnikow : Sterile death in infected caterpillars. 

 Under certain conditions the phagocytes are successful 

 in removing all the foreign organisms (cholera, sar- 

 cina, staphylococcus), but the caterpillar dies, although 

 sterile. — M. Schein : The possible dualitv of aphthous 

 fever.— H. Valine and H. Carre : Anti-aphthous 

 immunity. 



Brussels. 

 Royal Academy of Sciences, January 7. — M. Aug. 

 Lameere in the chair. — H. Lonay : Contribution to 

 the studv of the relations and structure of the different 

 parts of the ovule and of its general nutrition before 

 and after impregnation. — P. Bruylants : Contribution 

 to the study of the reaction of the organo-magnesium 

 compounds on nitriles. 



Washington, D.C. 

 National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings, vol. 7, 

 No. I (January, 192 1).— A. Van Maanen : Internal 

 motion in the spiral nebula Messier 33. It is 

 shown that the motion is along the arms of the spiral 

 and is not a rotation of the nebula as a whole. The 

 magnitude of the motions would indicate that the 

 nebula is not comparable in dimensions with the 

 galactic system. — L. B. Loeb : The attachment of 

 electrons to neutral molecules in air. The mechanism 

 of negative-ion formation in air lies in the electron 

 attaching itself to the molecule to form the negative 

 ion on the average in one out of 250,000 molecular 

 impacts. It is to the oxygen molecule that the elec- 

 tron is attached.— F. G. Benedict, M. F. Hendry, and 

 M. L. Baker : The basal metabolism of girls twelve 

 to seventeen years of age. The basal heat production 

 per kilogram of body-weight per twenty-four hours 

 decreases regularly with increasing age from 30 

 Calories at twelve years to nearly 22 Calories at 

 seventeen years.— R.^ A. Millikan and I. G. Barber : 

 The reflection and re-emission of electrons from 

 metal surfaces and a method of measuring the ionis- 

 ing potential of such surfaces. Contrary to current 

 belief, there appears to be no such phenomenon as 

 the direct reflection of an electron from a copper sur- 

 face. — E. H. Morris : Chronology of the San Juan area. 

 The establishment of a chronological scale for the 

 area of San Juan gives us a succession of cultural 

 periods during the greater part of the prehistoric 

 period for the south-west.— W. Bowie : Some geologic 

 conclusions from geodetic data. Geodetic evidence 

 indicates that land masses are in isostatic equilibrium 

 and that the equilibrium exists in a comparatively 

 small area. It is inferred that land masses have been 

 in equilibrium in former geologic periods, and that 

 mountain systems formed in previous sedimentary 

 areas are due to expansion of the material under 

 them.— D. P. Smith : Experiments on the electrical 

 conduction of a hydrogen alloy. The temporary supple- 



