February 19, 1920] 



NATURE 



683 



associated with a differential equation of the first 

 order. — (x. Valiron : The theorem of M. Picard and 

 the generalisations of M. Borel. — M. d'Ocagne : The 

 distribution of curvatures round a point on a surface. 

 — J. Vllley : Explosion motors for rarefied atmospheres. 

 Five methods are classified by means of which a 

 normal motor mav be made more effective at high 

 altitudes.^G. Claude : The advantages of the syn- 

 thesis of ammonia at very high pressures. At 

 1000 atmospheres the number of passages of the 

 gaseous mixture over the catalyst necessary for com- 

 plete combination can be reduced to three, and, as a 

 consequence, the volume of the part of the apparatus 

 containing the catalyst can be reduced to at least one- 

 tenth of that currently in use in German practice. 

 \t this pressure the ammonia formed can be liquefied 

 out bv simply cooling with water. — W. k. Noyes, jun. : 

 Polarisation in iron solutions. The Nernst formula 

 does not apply to the polarisation of iron solutions, 

 but indicates values proportional to the experimental 

 values.— C. Matignon and E. Monnet : The reversible 

 oxidation of sodium nitrite. .Sodium nitrite heated to 

 about 500° C. with oxygen under pressure (17^ atmo- 

 spheres) is almost completely oxidised to the nitrate. 

 The reaction is slow, but possibly a suitable catalvst 

 may make the reaction of practical interest in the 

 svnthetic nitrate and nitrite industrv. — G. Chaudron : 

 The reversible reaction between steam and molyb- 

 denum. — F. Kerforne : Some obser\'ations on the 

 Redonian sea of Brittanv. — J- Coue^nas : Contribu- 

 tion to the study of the Argentat fault between Evmou- 

 tiers and Treipnac. — H. Coupin : The causes of the 

 elongation of the stem of etiolated plants. Plants 

 grown in the dark in water containinf^ the Juice ex- 

 tracted from green plants do not have elongated stems, 

 but resemble seedlings grown in the light. — E. Gain 

 and .\. Gain : The thermal differences of opposite 

 sides of a lacustral vallev.- .\. Guilliermond : The 

 evolution of the chondriome in the plant-cell. — R. 

 Mirande : .Alum carmine and its use, combined with 

 iodine green in plant histology. .Mum carmine should 

 be considered as a stain for pectic materials, and not 

 for cellulose, as usuallv believed. — G. Mangenot : The 

 evolution of the chondriome .and plasts in Fucus. — 

 G. Arnaiid : The familv of the Parodiellinaceae. — \. 

 Marie and f.. MacAuIiffe : The anthropometric studv 

 of T36 natives of Tunis. — J. Pellegrin : ' The sub-fossil 

 fish strata of the Tchad low country and their significa- 

 tion. — J. Legendre : The food of the Madagascan 

 perch. 



January 26. — M. Henri Deslandres in the chair. — 

 Y. Delage : An integrating Pitot tube for measuring 

 the average velocity of variable currents. The instru- 

 ment, a diagram of which is given, is based on the 

 measurement of the water flowing from the upper end 

 of the Pitot tube at the sea-level.— F. Widal and 

 P. Vallery-Radot : .Xnaphylaxy due to antipyrin after a 

 long phase of sensibilisation. The case described had 

 taken antipyrin monthly for nine years before any 

 trouble arose, then each dose of antipyrin produced 

 definite effects, localised in the lips. After seven years 

 without this drug, antipyrin immediately reproduced 

 the same symptoms. The treatment by which this 

 anaphylactic state was cured, following the method 

 of Pagniez, is described. — J. Andrade : The photo- 

 graphic measurement of rolling resistance. — L. and 

 E. Bloch : \ spectroscopic arrangement for the studv 

 of the extreme ultra-violet. The prism and lenses are 

 made of fluorspar, and air absorption is prevented by 

 maintaining the whole apparatus in a high vacuum 

 (0001 mm.) by means of a Gaedc pump. Spark 

 spectra of several metals have been photofranhed 

 with apparatus down to a wave-length of i;;o .Ang- 

 strom units.— E. Wourfzel : The velocity of oxidatioTi 

 NO. 2625, VOL. 104] 



of nitric oxide. The oxidation of nitric oxide by 

 o.xygen is a reaction of the third order, and the course 

 of the reaction undergoes no sudden modification when 

 half the nitric oxide is oxidised. The velocity of the 

 reaction diminishes as the temperature rises. — C. 

 Matignon and Mile. G. Marchal : Some properties of 

 sodium nitrite. Determinations of the melting point 

 (2769° C), heat of solution, heat of neutralisation, 

 heat of formation, and action on colouring matters. 

 \x\ aqueous solution of sodium nitrite at 100° C. in 

 oxygen at 50 to 55 atmospheres remained unoxidiscd 

 during five or six hours. Platinum black is without 

 action as a catalyst.— A. Kling, D. Florentin, and E. 

 Jacob : The properties of the chlorinated methyl car- 

 bonates. /Ml nine possible chlorine substitution pro- 

 ducts of methyl carbonate have been prepared, and 

 their physical properties are given in a table. — G. du 

 Bellayand M. Houdard : The chemical properties of 

 humus and their utilisation for the protection of corn- 

 batants against asphyxiating gases. Filtration of air 

 through about 60 cm. of earth containing humus can 

 protect against chlorine and phosgene for .several 

 hours. — P. da Souza ; Contribution to the lithological 

 study of the interior of Angola.— F. La Porte : The 

 beaches of GSvre and Penthievre (Morbihan). — E. 

 Mesnard : Lunations and rainy periods. — Ch. Dufour : 

 Values of the magnetic elements at the V.al-Joveux 

 Observatory on January i, 1020. — E. Surgis : Con- 

 tribution to the study of the Frankeniacese. — A. 

 Vandel : The development of the copulating apparatus 

 in the Planaria is under the control of the genital 

 elands. — L. L^ger : Young fresh-water stages and 

 biology of the marine lamprey. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Peat Industry Reference Book. By F. T. Gissing. 

 Pp. xxiv-F292. (London: C. Griffin and Co., Ltd.) 

 ys. 6d. 



.Airman's International Dictionary, including the 

 most Important Technical Terms of Aircraft Con- 

 struction. English, French, Italian, German. By 

 M. M. Dander. Pp. vii-(-227. (London: C Griffin 

 and Co., Ltd.) 6s. 



Contributions to the Genetics of Drosophila melano- 

 gaster. Bv T. H. Morgan and others. Pp. v-f388 + 

 12 plates.' (Washington : Carnegie Institution of 

 Washington.) 



A New Type of Hereditary Brachvphalangy in 

 Man. Bv O'. L. Mohr and C. Wriedt. Pp. 64+ 

 7 plates.' (Washington : Carnegie Institution of 

 Washington.) 



Displacement Interferometry by the .Aid of the 

 .Achromatic Fringes. By Prof. C. Barus. Part iv. 

 Pp. 122. (Washington: Carnegie Institution of 

 Washington.) 



Papers from the Department of Marine Biologv of 

 the Carnegie Institution ot Washington. Pp. iv-(- 

 128+4 plates. (Washington : Carnegie Institution 

 of Washington.) 



Contributions to the Geology and Paleontology of 

 the West Indies. Pp. 184 + plates. (Washington: 

 Carnegie Institution of Washington.) 



Climatic Cycles and Tree-Growth. By .A. E. 

 Douglass. Pp. 127+12 plates. (Washington : Car- 

 nefie Institution of Washington.) 



The Environment of Vertebrate Life in the Late 

 Paleozoic in North .America. Bv Prof. E. C. Case. 

 Pp. vi + 273. (Washington: Carnegie Institution of 

 Washington.) 



A Biochemic Basis for the Study of Problems of 

 Taxonomy, Heredity, Evolution, etc. By Prof. E. T. 

 Reichert. Part i. Pp. xi + -?76 + 34 plates. Part ii. 

 Pp. vii + -?77-834. (Washington: Carnegie Institu- 

 tion of Wa.shington.) 



