86 



NATURE 



[May 23, 1S95 



if the book is brought into line with modern physics from lime 

 to time, it will command success for many years to come. 

 " Wild Nature won by Kindness" (Fisher Unwin), has attained 

 the eminence of a sixth edition. Mrs. Brightwen's pleasantly 

 written papers on natural history subjects are ev-idently appreci- 

 ated by a large public. Three tHX>ks by Prof. S. Cooke, of the 

 College of Science, Poona, published by Messrs. George Bell and 

 Sons, have also been received. They are " First Principles of 

 Astronomy" (fifth edition), "First Principles of Chemistry" 

 (sixth edition), and "Test Tables for Qualitative Analysis" 

 (third edition.) 



The synthesis of cafi'eine is the subject of a short communica- 

 tion to the Berlin Academy by Emil Fischer and Lorenz Ach 

 (Silzb. Kcnig. Prciiss. Akad. Wiss. Berlin, xiv. p. 261). By 

 the condensation of dimethyl urea and malonic acid the sub- 

 stance CO : (NMe.CO)j : CHj, is obtained. The nitroso-deriva- 

 tive, CO:(XMe.CO)5:CH.NO, is reduced to dimethyluramil, 

 CO : (NMe.CO), : CH.NHj, whence dimethylpseudouric acid, 

 CO : (X.Me.CO)j : CH.NH.CO.NH,, is produced. By abstrac- 

 tion of the elements of water with oxalic acid, dimethyluric acid 

 is farmed. This substance is converted into theophylline, an 

 isomeride of theobromine, of the formula 



,NMe.CH:C.NH. 

 CO< / \ 



^NMe . C:N 



CO. 



Thence caffeine. 



^NMc.Cll :C.X.Me. 



cor / V;o. 



NMe . Z-.-a^-"^ 



is obtained by the ordinary methyl iodide reaction. .\s this is 

 the first synthesis of caffeine, details of the methods used will be 

 looked forward to with considerable interest. 



The observation by Martin Frcund and Krnst (jiibel, that 

 Ihelxtine is a derivative of phenanlhrene (Rcr. 28, 7, 941) brings 

 this alkaloid into line with morphine and codeine as instances of 

 the few natural ]>henanthrene derivatives yet known. Thelwine 

 is related to dihydrophenanthrene in the same manner as 

 morphine and codeme are connected with telrahydrophenan- 

 Ihrcne. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a V'ervet Monkey (Cenopithems lalandii, 9 ) 

 from Natal, presented by Mr. .Mfred James ; a Common 

 Jackal (Cam's aureus), two Bengal Foxes (Cants hengalensis), a 

 Jungle Cat (Felts e/iaus) from India, presented by Dr. John 

 .•\ndcrsfin, F. U.S. ; two Short-tailed Capromys (Caproinys 

 hraihytirus) from Tamaica, ])resentcd by Mr. Frank Cunilall ; a 

 Dorsal Sr|uirrel (Sniirus hypopyrrhiis) from Central America, 

 presented by Mrs. Brtti ; five S€|uirrellikc Phalangers (Jielideus 

 sfiiiireus) from Australia, presented by the Kighl Hon. Earl 

 Caili>gan, K.G., a Camliayan Turtle Dove (Tur/ur seiifgaleitsis) 

 from West Africa, presented by .Mr. C. L. Sutherland ; a Salle's 

 Amazon (Chry soils sallir) from St. Domingr>, presented by 

 Mr. W. Windsor .Spriggs ; a S|X)tted Salamander (Sala/iiandra 

 iiuuiilo jii), European, presented liy .Mr. E. I^ylon Bennett ; 

 iwo fireat Wallarrxis (Mairopus robuslus, <5 ? ), two Agile 

 Wallabies (Halmaluriis agilis) from Australia, a Blue an<l 

 Yellow Macaw (/Ira ararauna) from .South America, de[X)sited ; 

 Iwo Canada Geese (lierni<la canadensis) (mm North America, 

 two Yellowish \\'e:i\cr Birds (Sitagra luteola) from Tropical 

 Kegions, thirteen (irtcn I.i/ards (Laeeria viridis) from Jersey, 

 ]nirchasc'l ; a Malaccan I'arrakeet (Palitornis inalaicensis) from 

 M.ilacca, a Nicolar Pigeon (Cal,rnas nieoiariea) hnm the Indian 

 ,\rrhipelago, received in exchange ; a Bennett's Wallaby 

 (/fatmalurus heiiiielli, i ), Ixirn in the Gardens. 



NO. 1334, VOL. 52] 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



Stars with Remakk.\hi.k Si'ECTRa. — \\. those stages of 

 celestial evolution in which the temperature is low, it is probable 

 that the average condensing body will not be very bright, so 

 that the study of their spectra at these phases of their develop- 

 ment presents some difficulties. Thus, the great majority of the 

 stars with bright-line spectra, and stars showing intense carbon 

 alisorption, are of low magnitudes, and because comparatively 

 few were identified in the earlier surveys of stellar spectra, they 

 were looked upon as " peculiar." Nevertheless, a study of these 

 spectra in relation to those of the brighter stars indicated that 

 they probably represented stages in the history of all condensing 

 bodies, so that their discovery in greater numbers was only to be 

 exix;cted. At Harvard College especially has the photographic 

 investigation of these faint spectra been carried on, and the dis- 

 cover)' of eleven more objects with peculiar spectra has been re- 

 cently announced by Mrs. Fleming ; two of these are simply 

 stated to be " peculiar," three are nebul.e with bright lines, two 

 have the F line of hydrogen bright, two appear to be bright-line 

 stars of the Wolf-Rayet type, and two show carbon absorption. 

 In addition, the sjxjctra of eleven stars of the a Herculis type 

 were found to show the F line of hydrogen bright, and this un- 

 failing sign of variability in this group of stars is fidly substan- 

 tiated by an examination of chart jilales of the same regions. 

 (Astrophysical Journal, May.) In his observations of the visual 

 spectra of faint stars. Rev. T. E. Espin has discovered numerous 

 objects which he describes as " remarkable. ' (Ast. Naih. 3286.) 

 Most of these, however, appear to 1k' of the a Herculis type : but 

 some are spectra in which carbon absorption is j^redominant 

 (Group YI.). The most interesting observations by Mr. Espin 

 are those of variable stars, and they lend to show that. 'in the stars 

 of Group \"I., the variability is acwanpanied by spectroscopic 

 variations which render it ditticult to distinguish them from stars 

 of Group II., in which the carbon flutings are bright. 



The Paris Obsekvaiokv. — The annual report for 1894 

 indicates a high state of activity in this institution, in many 

 directions l>esides those with which occasional jiublished papers 

 have made us familiar. Great jirogress has been made with the 

 star catalogue initialed by .Vdniiral Mimohez in 18S2, comprising 

 350,000 ohscrvations made l>etwcen 1837 and l8St ; two ad- 

 ditional volumes will be published during the jiresent year, and 

 the last two in 1899 ; a supplementary couple of volumes, dealing 

 with oljservations made since 1881 , will also be issued very shortly. 

 The number of meridian observations during last year amounted 

 to over 18,000, while observations of sun, moon, and ]ilanets 

 total 455. Comets, minor planets, antl (Uiul>le stars have also 

 received a vast amount of attention. For the great photographic 

 chart, 278 negatives were taken (hiring the year, and the positions 

 of nearly 33,000 stars on various plates have been mea-sured 

 under the direction of Mdlle. Khnnpek. 



The reduction of these measures was seriou,sly conimenceil ia 

 November, and up to the eml of the year the measures of 1 1 

 plates, showing 1760 stars, were completely rctluced. Meteoro- 

 logical observations on the usual plan were continued regularly. 



The magnificent work on lunar pholiigraphy with the equatorial 

 coude, as well as the spectroscopic researches of M. Dcslandres, 

 have already been referred to in our columns. 



THE ACTION OF LIGHT ON ANIMAL LIFE. 



ALTHOUGH a numlier of investigations have been made on 

 the action of light on liacteria, very few experiments have 

 been carried out to ascertain luiw direct insolation adecls animals 

 inoculated with ])articular disease microl>es. Does exposure to 

 .sunshine increxse or diminish an animal's susceptibility to disease ? 

 De Kenzi was, we believe, the first to study this cjuestion ex- 

 iicriinenlally, and he entleavoured to answer it as regards tuber- 

 culosis by inoculating giiiiiea-i)igs with tuberculous material. 

 Some of the animals he kept in glass boxes exposed to the direct 

 rays of the sun for five or six hours daily, whilst others were 

 placeil in the sunshine, hut instead of glass, wooden boxes were 

 used. De Kenzi found that, whilst the guinea-pigs in glass boxes 

 — to which, tlierefore, the maximum amount of sunshine liail 

 access — died after 24, 39, 52, and 89 days, lliose in the opacjue 

 wcioden boxes <lied after 20, 25, 26, and 41 days. Thus it would 

 appear that sunshine materially assisted these animals in com- 

 liating with tuberculous disease, for those individuals deprived of 

 .sunshine succumlied far more rapidly. 



.More recently, Dr. .Masella h.is carried out a series cf similar 

 experiments with guinea-pigs inoculated, however, with chulera 



