6i6 



NA TURE 



[April 25, 1895 



sitnation of Rimcsvaram, on the reef which, under the name of 

 Adam's Bridge, almost connects Ceylon wi;h the mainland of 

 India, renders an account of its flora and fauna particularly 

 interesting ; and the present brochure, which is illustrated with 

 several charts and photographs of the coast, furnishes a useful 

 supplement to Haeckel's graphic pages upon the island of 

 Ceylon. The observations recorded are admitted to be far from 

 exhaustive of the biological features of the Gulf of Manaar, but 

 they are more than sufficient tJ indicate the existence of a fauna 

 well worthy of further examination. 



The Malacological Society of London, instituted for the 

 study of the Molluscaand Brachiopoda, only came into existence 

 in February 1S93, but its performances up to now give every 

 promise of a successful future. It publishes Proceedings, in 

 which appear anatomical papers, and papers devoted to de- 

 scriptions of recent and fossil shells. A valuable address by 

 Dr. H. Woodward, F.R.S., dealing largely with scientific in- 

 vestigations of the sea and its inhabitants, appears in the fourth 

 number of the Society's Proceedings, with a number of other 

 papers. In this connection we notice that the Journal of Mala- 

 eology conl3.\Tts a contribution, by Dr. J. C. Thresh, on "Oysters 

 as Disseminators of Disease," and, together with several other 

 communications and a bibliography of recent literature, an in- 

 teresting note, by Mr. W. M. Webb, on " The Dimyarian Stage 

 of the Native Oyster." 



The Natural History Societies in our public schools probably 

 do more to foster scientific research than all the systematic 

 instruction in lecture-room and laboratory ; therefore every 

 encouragement should be given to the work of observation 

 and collection which is carried on by them. Increased de- 

 mands of both school work and games on half-holidays leave 

 little time to cultivate interest, in natural things, and this 

 accounts partly for the statement in the report of the Rugby 

 School Natural History Society for 1894, that the interest 

 shown in the .Society by members of the school has decreased. 

 Possibly, now that the new museum is completed, and the col- 

 lections in it are being systematically arranged by Mr. Collinge, 

 the Society will commence a new era of prosperity. 



The Danish Meteorological Institute and the Deutsche See- 

 warte have conjointly published daily synoptic weather charts 

 of the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent continents for a year 

 ending November 1889. These valuable charts were first 

 issued for September 1873 by the late Captain Iloffmeyer, of 

 Copenhagen, and they afford excellent materials for tracing the 

 connection between the weather conditions of the Atlantic, 

 this country, and Western Europe. For some years past the 

 charts have been accompanied by explanatory text, which 

 greatly enhances theii value. The discussion of the charts for 

 the year in question is divided into two parts: (1) general 

 investigations of the conditions over the North Atlantic, and 

 (2) application of this knowledge to navigation ; while the 

 position and movement of the areas of high and low barometer, 

 in interesting cases, are shown in forty special charts accom- 

 panying the text. 



Several aromatic esters of arsenious .acid have been pre- 

 pared for the first time by Ur. Fromm, of Rostock. The new 

 substances are either viscous liquids or crystalline solids, and 

 arc prepared with considerable facility. The first member of 

 the series, the triphenyl ester, As(OC|,Hj)„ is obtained by 

 allowing arsenic trichloride diluted with ether to fall drop by 

 drop into sodium phenylate suspended in ether. The reaction 

 commences vigorously at the ordinary temperature, but the 

 mixture eventually requires warmin^j over a water bath in order 

 to obtain the theoretical yield. The ethereal liquid is then 

 allowed to stand until the finely-divided precipitate of common 



NO. 1330, VOL. 51] 



salt subsides, when it is decanted frou the latter. The ether is 

 then removed by distillation over the wa'er bith, and the thick 

 residual liquid subsequently subjected to distillation under re- 

 duced pressure. Arsenious triphenyl ester is a colourless 

 viscous liquid endowed with an odour somewhat resembling 

 that of phenol ; it boils under a pressure of 57 m.m. at 275°. 

 The liquid is remarkably sensitive to moisture, for water 

 instantly decomposes it into arsenious oxide and phenol. 

 Halogens do not form additive compounds with it, but chlorine 

 and bromine convert it into arsenic trichloride or tribromide 

 and trichlor- or tribromphenol. The second member, the para 

 cresyl ester, .\s(OC(H4CH3)3, is similarly obtained, and is like- 

 wise an oily liquid, boiling at 293° under 20 m.m. pressure, 

 and endowed with similar properties. The benzyl ester, 

 As(OCHXcH5)3, has also been isolated in an analogous 

 manner, but is not quite so stable as the two esters just de- 

 scribed, being more or less decomposed upon distillation in 

 vacuo ; it may be obtained practically pure, however, by heat- 

 ing the product of the reaction in an oil bath to 200° under low 

 pressure. It reacts with water simil.-.rly to the two other esters. 

 In addition to these liquid aromatic arsenious esters, the fi- 

 naphthyl ester, A':(OCj,,H-)j, ha; been prepared by the action 

 of arsenic trichloride upon the sodium derivative of 5-naphthol. 

 As the sodium compound is in this case completely soluble in 

 ether, the arsenic chloride reacts with great energy. The 

 arsenious naphthol ester crystallises from the ethereal solution 

 after decantation from the precipitate 1 common salt, in colour- 

 less aggregated crystals, which melt at 1 13°-! 14°, .and are 

 readily soluble in alcohol and benzene in addition to ether. 

 Water immediately decompose; them, and in boiling water the 

 products of the decomposition, arsenious oxide and ^n-iphthol, 

 dissolve completely. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Green ^AonVey {Cercopithecus callitrielius, ? ) 

 from West Africa, presented by Mis; Florence Grefiia ; a 

 Honnet Monkey (Afacacus sinicus, 9 ) from India, presented 

 by Mr. K. J. Davidson; two Polar Hires [Lepus glacialis) 

 from Norway, presented by Mr. O. Gude; a Commoi Bidger 

 {Meles taxus) from Berkshire, presented by The Dake 

 of Wellington ; an Irish Stoat (Putorius hiliernicus) from 

 Ireland, presented by Viscoant Powerscourt ; two Antipodes 

 Island Parrakerls {Ctanorhamphus unicotor) from .Antipodes 

 Island, New Zealand, presented respectively by Sir Walter 

 L. BuUer, K.C.M.G., and Mr. William E. Collins; two 

 Scarlet Tanagers (Raniphocatus brasilitis) from Brazil, pre- 

 sented by Mr. Robert E. Graves ; a Red and Blue Macow 

 {Ara maeao) from South America, deposited ; two Griffon 

 Vultures {Gj>ps fulvus) from Egypt, purchased ; an Egyptian 

 Gazelle (Gazella dorcas, i ) from Egypt, received in exchange ; 

 a Great Kangaroo (Macropus gigjnleus, i), a Rufous Rat 

 Kangaroj (Hypsiprymnus rufescens), born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 



The Variable Spak Z Hkrcl' lis. —This recently dis- 

 covered variable star turns out to be one of exceptional interest. 

 It was first suspected of variability by the Potsdam observers, 

 and subseiiuent observations by Clianiller and Hartwig seemed 

 to show that it was a star of the Algol type. Early in the pre- 

 sent year Dr. Duncr announced that the new variable was pro- 

 bably of the V Cygni type with unequally bright components, 

 since he found unequal minima alternating in periods of forty- 

 seven and forty-nine hours. Returning to the subject 

 (Astrophysical fournil, \\n\\). Dr. Duner gives the data 

 on which his conclusion was b.ased, and derives s iinc in- 

 teresting results as to the probable conilitution of the system. 

 The normal magnitude of the star is 6 89 ; at principal minimum 

 it falls to S 05, aud at secondary miuLmum to 7'3S. Hence, 



