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NATURE 



[October 28, 1915 



The number and variety of the fossil reptiles and 

 amphibians discovered in the Karoo formation of 

 South Africa are very remarkable. Several new genera 

 and species are described by Mr. S. H. Haughton in 

 the Annals of the South African Museum, vol. xii., 

 part iii., just received. Besides a well-preserved 

 Labyrinthodont skeleton and various remains of the 

 usual mammal-like reptiles, there is an interesting 

 skull from the Stormberg Beds bearing much le- 

 semblance to that of Ornithosuchus from the Triassic 

 sandstones of Elgin, Scotland. 



Part of the lower jaw of a hoofed mammal with 

 teeth like those of the peculiar extinct hoofed mammals 

 of South America has been found in the Lower 

 Eocene of Wyoming, U.S.A., and is described under 

 the name of Arctostylops by Dr. W. D. Matthew in 

 the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural 

 History, vol. xxxiv., art. xiv. This unexpected dis- 

 covery suggests that at the beginning of the Tertiary 

 epoch there may have been a longer and closer con- 

 nection between South and North America than has 

 hitherto been supposed. Numerous other jaws from 

 the same formation and locality in Wyoming are 

 referred by Dr. Matthew to primitive lemurs and 

 insectivores. They show that at the beginning of the 

 Eocene period the lemurs, insectivores, and carnivores 

 cannot be clearly distinguished by the teeth alone. 



A BOUND volume of "Papers from the Geological 

 Department, Glasgow University," for 1914, has been 

 issued by Messrs. J. Maclehose and Sons, Glasgow, 

 with the sanction of the University Court. It is 

 proposed to continue this publication annually. The 

 present volume consists of reprints, of differing sizes, 

 of papers published in various journals, some of which 

 have been already noticed in Nature. It remains to 

 be seen whether a paper will be more readily traced 

 by this mode of reproduction than in its original 

 habitat. If the work relating to the Glasgow district 

 were thus brought together, a new serial might be 

 welcome ; but it may be doubted if researches on 

 South Georgia or the desiccation of the earth will 

 be looked for under the head of the University of 

 Glasgow. The volume is a further proof of the 

 activity of what has become, under Prof. J. W. 

 Gregory's influence, one of the chief schools of 

 geology in our islands. 



The Proceedings of the American Philosophical 

 Society for July contains an important article by Prof. 

 A. E. Kennelley and Mr. H. O. Taylor, of Harvard 

 University, on the extent to which the various portions 

 of a telephone diaphragm move during vibration. The 

 diaphragms were circular, of about 5 cm. diameter, 

 of steel or glass, and clamped at the outer edge. The 

 motion was observed by means of a triangular mirror 

 of a millimetre side, one corner of which was pressed 

 lightly against the diaphragm by the torsion of a thin 

 phosphor-bronze strip to which the opposite side of 

 the mirror was attached. The diaphragm was set 

 into vibration either by the sound waves from a series 

 of organ pipes or by alternating electric currents sent 

 round an electromagnet behind it. In almost all 

 cases within the telephonic range of intensity and 

 frequency the diaphragms vibrated in their funda- 



NO. 2400, VOL. 96] 



mental mode with the maximum displacement at or 

 near the centre; and the law of distribution of dis- 

 placement over the rest of the surface closely approxi- 

 mating to the theory as given by Lord Rayleigh in 

 his "Theory of Sound." 



The Scientific American for October 2 contains an 

 article on "America as her Own Chemist," giving 

 an account of the first National Exposition of Chem- 

 ical Industries, which was held in the Grand Central 

 Palace of New York City during the week of Septem- 

 ber 20. It is stated that this exhibition illustrates in 

 a very striking manner the remarkable advance made 

 in the production of chemicals and dyes in the United 

 States since Germany has been commercially isolated 

 and prevented from exporting. The exhibition in- 

 cluded three branches : first, chemicals, ores, metals, 

 drugs, paints, and similar manufactured goods ; 

 secondly, apparatus and equipment for chemical labora- 

 tories; and, thirdly, machinery and equipment for 

 manufacturing chemists, the treatment of ores, etc. 

 Some of the most striking examples of progress were 

 to be found in the exhibits illustrating the utilisation 

 of waste cherry pips, raisin seeds, and apricot kernels ; 

 the application of the osage orange wood of Texas 

 and Oklahoma in place of foreign fustic, and the pro- 

 duction of useful products of distillation from different 

 hardwoods. The Petrocine colours, now being manu- 

 factured from waste products of petroleum, which are 

 being investigated by the Bureau of Foreign and 

 Domestic Commerce, formed a striking example of 

 new adaptations. The exhibit of the Bureau of 

 Standards was a prominent feature of the exhibition, 

 not only in presenting the apparatus used in the 

 laboratories of the bureau, but also examples of chem- 

 icals, metals, ores, and materials recently tested. 



An important study of the quality of platinum ware 

 by Messrs. G. K. Burgess and P. D. Sale is found in 

 No. 254 of the Scientific Papers of the United States 

 Bureau of Standards. A simple thermo-electric 

 method has been devised to determine the degree of 

 purity of the platinum used in platinum vessels which 

 does not mar the article tested; it gives data for the 

 classification of platinum in terms of its equivalent 

 iridium (or rhodium) content. Of 164 pieces of 

 platinum ware tested, 26 per cent, contained less 

 than 0-5 per cent, of iridium and 67 per cent, less 

 than 2 per cent, of this metal. A method is described 

 of ascertaining the loss on heating of platinum cruci- 

 bles by means of a suitable electric furnace containing 

 no heated metal parts. The loss of weight due to 

 heating per 100 sq. cm. of crucible surface at 1200° 

 ranged from 071 mgrm. to 269 mgrm. per hour, the 

 smaller losses being for crucibles containing rhodium 

 and the greater losses for crucibles containing iridium. 

 Iron appears to diminish the loss on heating, but its 

 presence is objectionable on account of the soluble 

 oxide formed on the crucible surface. It seems to be 

 possible from a thermo-electric and microscopic exam- 

 ination of a crucible to predict its probable loss of 

 weight on heating within fairly close limits. Sug- 

 gestions are offered concerning specifications of quality 

 for the highest grade of platinum ware, including the 

 substitution of rhodium for iridium as a stiffening 



