650 



NATURE 



[February 12, 1920 



The three groups of chondrites are distinguished as 

 cnstatite-chondrites, bronzite-chondrites, and hypcrs- 

 thene-chondrites, according to the chemical composi- 

 tion of the pyroxene. The achondrites are" divided into 

 corresponding groups of enstatitc-achondrites, bronzite 

 (-augite)-achondrites, and hypersthene-achondrites, 

 while a fourth group is added richer in lime (and 

 mostly also in alumina) than the chondrites. To avoid 

 confusion owing to Brezina's misuse of the term 

 chladnite, the enstatite-achondrites, comprising Aubres, 

 Bustee, and Bishopville, are called aubrites ; while for 

 the hypersthene-achondrites (Shalka, etc.) a rever- 

 sion is made to Tschermak's original name of dio- 

 genite.— A. F. Hallimond : Torbernite. In continua- 

 tion ol he author's previous work, a series of weigh- 

 ings »/as made on Gunnislake material held over 

 varies concentrations of sulphuric acid. Dehvdra- 

 tion did not occur at the pressure required, and only 

 took place slowly over strong acid in a period of many 

 rnonths. It is clear that this mineral cannot be iden- 

 tical with ordinary torbernite. The refractive index 

 agrees with that found for an abnormal torbernite by 

 N. L. Bowen. Normal torbernite has the densitv 3-22 

 and mean index 1-58:;, while for artificial meta- 

 torbernite and for the Gunnislake mineral the density 

 is 3-68 and the index 1-624. A" approximate reading 

 yielded for Gunnislake crystals c: = 2-28:1. The 

 basal planes of the two forrns are of the same dimen- 

 sion, and the volume-change due to the addition of 

 4H,0 is borne by an increase in the vertical axis. 

 The density of the water of crvstallisation is 1-2, a 

 value common in hvdratcd salts' while the refractive 

 power is equal to that for liquid water. 



Cambridge. 

 Philosophical Society, January 26.-^Sir Joseph Larmor : 

 Gravitation and light. — E. ' Landau : Note on Mr. 

 Hardy's extension of a theorem of Mr. Polya.— L. J. 

 Rogers : A Gaussian series of six elements! 



M.ANXHESTER. 



Literary and Philosophical Society, January 20.— Sir 

 Henry A. Miers, president, in the chair.— Prof. W. M. 

 Calder : Geography and history in the Mediterranean'. 

 The author described the relation of the Mediterranean 

 to the series of great plains Iving to its north and 

 south, and to the mountain systems known as "the 

 roof of the world." The influence* of the sea and 

 land routes on the trade and growth of neighbouring 

 countries was discussed. The great importance of 

 -Aleppo as the railway junction of the future for 

 London, Berlin, Calcutta, Cairo, and Caoe Town was 

 pointed out. "Rail power" mav one dav restore the 

 Levant to its ancient position as the centre of com- 

 munications of the Old World. 



Literary and Philosophical Society (Chemical Section) 

 January 30.— Mr. R. H. Clavton in the chair.— Dr 

 R. S. Willows : Recent work on colloids. A definite 

 amount of energy is associated with definite colloidal 

 areas. Adsorption was defined and sols described. 

 Surface tension and some technical applications were 

 discussed by the author. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, January :;.— M. Henri 

 Deslandres in the chair. — A. Lacroix : The systematic 

 classification of grained rocks containing plagioclase 

 and felspars.— C. Moureu, C. Dnfraisse, P. Robin, and 

 J. Pougnet: The stabilisation of acrolein. Preserva- 

 tive action of phenolic bodies. Phenols all possess the 

 property of stabilising pure acrolein, and certain poly- 

 phenols (pyrocatechol, hvdroauinone, and pvrogallol) 

 are especially active. — A. de Gramont : The direct arc- 

 NO. 2624, VOL. 104] 



spectra of metals of low melting point. The metals 

 examined were lead, zinc, cadmium, tin, antimony, 

 bismuth, aluminium, and magnesium. In some cases 

 spectrographs were obtained showing three spectra 

 of the same metal (spark, direct arc, and carbon 

 arc) on the same plate, and reproductions of thes<j 

 for lead and tin are given. — P. Humbert : The cal- 

 culations of G. H. Darwin on the stability of the 

 pyriform figure. G. H. Darwin and Liapounov came 

 to opposite conclusions on the stability of the pyri- 

 form figure of equilibrium of a fluid in rotation. The 

 method used by Darwin, due to Poincare, is exact, 

 but the development of the series was not carried to 

 a sufficient number of terms, and the results are 

 inexact, or at least doubtful. — A. Veronnet : The 

 formation of an isolated star in an indefinite homo- 

 geneous nebula. — J. Andrade : The experimental con- 

 trol of doubly damped pendular vibrations. — G. A. 

 Hemsalech : The emission of positive luminous par- 

 ticles bv the alkali metals at high temperatures. — 

 A. de Gramont : Observation on the preceding com- 

 munication. — J. B. Senderens : The catalytic hydro- 

 genation of. lactose. A repetition of the experiments 

 of Ipatiew on the reduction of lactose in water-alcohol 

 solution bv hydrogen at high pressures (74 atmo- 

 spheres) at 150'^ (". in presence of nickel and nickel 

 oxide. The main' product of the reaction is dulcite, 

 but lliere is a secondary reaction depending on th(- 

 activitv of the nickel catalyst. A new sugar, lactosite, 

 Ci2H.240|,-f HjO, is formed, and corresponds to the 

 melibiotite obtained as a syrup by Scheibler and 

 Mittelmeicr. On inversion, lactosite gives sorbite and 

 galactose. — E. de Loisy : A commercial method for 

 the synthetic production of alcohol or ether, starting 

 with coal-gas. The velocity of absorption of ethylene 

 from coal-gas by sulphuric acid is increased by the 

 addition of a catalyst, and the same acid can be used 

 in succession for the removal of ethylene, other un- 

 saturated hydrocarbons, moisture, and, finally, for 

 the preparation of ammonium sulphate. — N. J. 

 Lebedeff : The Carboniferous in the Caucasus chain. 

 — Ch. Picquenard : The fossil flora of the coal basins 

 of Quimper and Kergogne. — Ch. Gorceix : Some con- 

 siderations on the surfaces of equal density at the 

 interior of the earth. — E. Licent : The ascophore form 

 of Clasterosporium ftingoniin. — G. Mangenot : The 

 evolution of the chondriome and plasts in the 

 Fucaceae. — P. Noguis : Hovering flight produced by 

 a horizontal wind of invariable direction and velo- 

 city. — MM. Constanfin and Soula : A new method of 

 graphical recording in physiology, using a microphone 

 and electromagnetic style. A directly recording 

 sphygmograph.— Mile. M. Gauthier : The "trypano- 

 some " of the trout. The first trypanosome was dis- 

 covered by Valentin in 1841 in the blood of a trout, 

 but no further work on this particular parasite appears 

 to have been done since that date. Additional ob- 

 servations on this organism show that it should not 

 be included in the genus Trypanosoma properly so- 

 called, but in the genus Trypanoplasma, created by 

 Laveran and Mesnil in 1901. — T. Kab^shima : Experi- 

 mental therapy on germ-carriers. — F. d'Herelle : The 

 process of defence against the intestinal bacilli and 

 the aetiology of diseases of intestinal origin. — P. 

 Courmont and A. Rochaix : The bacterial flora of 

 sewage effluents purified by the method known as 

 boues activies. The reduction in bacteria by this 

 process is considerable, and the species remaining in 

 the effluent are all aerobic, and include no known 

 pathogenic form. — F. Bordas : The preparation and 

 conservation of vaccinal pulp. Reply to some 

 criticisms by P. ."Xchalme and Mme. Phisalix. 



January 12. — M. Henri Deslandres in the chair. — 

 G. Bigourdan : The observatories of Lalande at the 



