May 28 1Q03I 



NATURE 



95 



was seen to be encysted, outside the filament from which it 

 had been liberated. These forms resemble Amoebae or the 

 simplest form of Actinophrys, but seem to be so heavily 

 charged with indigestible matter as to have but a slender 

 chance of further development. — On the labial and maxillary 

 palpi in Diptera, by Mr. Weschd. The author set out to 

 homologise the mouth-parts of Diptera with the typical 

 insect mouth-part, and stated that in the Muscidae the 

 mandibles are embedded in the dorsal side of the labium. 

 The maxillary palpi, galae, and laciniae are aborted, but 

 the cardines and stipes remain ; the latter parts bear minute 

 , rudiments of the maxillary palpi. 'Jhe palpi present are 

 \ labial. In the Syrphidae and Empidae the mandibles are 

 I similarly placed, but the maxillae are represented by the 

 laciniae, the pailpi, cardines, stipes, and palpifers. The 

 labial palpi are aborted. The author formulated a rule, that 

 the maxillary palpi when present in Diptera are always in 

 contact with the upper part of the cardines, the stipites. — 

 Observations on fresh-water rhizopods, with some remarks 

 on their classification, by Prof. G. S. West. The author 

 states that whilst examining material from the western 

 districts of the British Islands, interesting rhizopods came 

 under notice, concerning four of which he could find no 

 previous mention. Two of these are species of Hyalo- 

 sphenia, one is a species of Sphenoderia with a prettily 

 constructed shell, and another is a curious nude form refer- 

 able to Cienkowski's genus Nuclearia. With regard to 

 the distribution of rhizopods in the west of Scotland, the 

 noticeable feature is the relative scarcity of these animals 

 in the Outer Hebrides as compared with their occurrence 

 on the Scottish mainland. Full reasons are given for the 

 establishment of the Vampyrellidae as a distinct order of 

 fresh-water rhizopods, to include the genera Vampyrella 

 and Nuclearia. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, May 11.— M. Albert Gaudry in 

 the chair. — New studies on a law relating to the electro- 

 motive forces developed by the reciprocal action of saline 

 solutions, by M. Berthelot. If E is the E.M.F. developed 

 by the action of an acid on a base, and the E.M.F. de- 

 veloped by the action of the corresponding salt on the 

 acid be #, and on the base fo, then the author has estab- 

 lished experimentally the law E=f, -l-e,. — On the traces of 

 the Lutitian sea in the Soudan, by M. de Lapparent. 

 P'ossils found by French officers in the Soudan, including 

 a new species of Plesiolampas, undoubtedly belong to the 

 Middle Eocene. It may thus be considered' as certain that 

 ' the Lutitian sea, traces of which have been already made 

 j out with certainty in the neighbourhood of Dakar, spread 

 out into the heart of the Soudan. — On the existence of 

 radiations capable of passing through wood and certain 

 metals in the rays from an incandescent mantle, by M. R. 

 Blondlot. The radiations were detected by their action 

 on very small sparks, the arrangement of the apparatus 

 beino- similar to that previously described by the author in 

 connection with the radiation of an X-ray focus tube, and 

 iNo by their photographic action. They resemble in some 

 nspects the rays of long wave-length discovered by Rubens, 

 in that both are emitted by an incandescent mantle, and 

 aro stopped by water. On the other hand, the Rubens 

 r.iys are stopped by metals, which are traversed in thin 

 lavers by the radiations now described. — On a class of 

 (iit'ferential equations reducible to Bessel's equation, by 

 M. Alexander S. Chessin. — On the zeros of monodrome 

 functions, or with y branches, by M. Edmond Maillet. — 

 On thermomagnetic effects in bismuth-lead alloys, by M. 

 l-^dmond van Aubel. — On the modulus of traction and the 

 ( (icfFicient of expansion of vulcanised indiarubber, by MM. 

 Bouasse and Carri&re. In reasoning from the equation 

 (n.=a.dt-\-fdP, dL is usually taken as an exact differential. 

 I lii>^, however, is far from being the case; the coefficients 

 a and « are very variable, since they depend upon the 

 I' vious history of the specimen under examination. It is 

 wn that the value of these coefficients may be made to 

 between wide limits by varving the cycle of operations, 

 ! it is not possible on theoretical grounds to give the 

 i';'l-rcnce to any one of these. — On the electrolysis of 

 alkaline sulphides, by MM. Andr^ Brochet and Georges 

 Ranson, It has been shown in previous work that the 

 final product of electrolysis is sulphate, with an intermediate 

 formation of thiosulphate. Working in concentrated solu- 



NO.' 1752, VOL. 68] 



tion at 50° to 70°, the process is entirely different, sulphur 

 being deposited at the anode and sodium at the kathode, 

 hydrogen and sodium hydroxide appearing in the latter 

 case as the secondary products. The sulphur formed dis- 

 solves in the sulphide, giving polysulphides. — On benzene- 

 azo-orthobenzyl alcohol and on its transformation into 

 phenylindazol and azodiphenylmethane, by M. P. 

 Freundler. The alcohol is easily obtained by the con- 

 densation of nitrosobenzene with o-aminobenzyl alcohol in 

 presence of alcohol and acetic acid. — Organometallic 

 derivatives of aromatic hydrocarbons containing two 

 halogen atoms in the nucleus, and their interaction with 

 iodine, by M. F. Bodrotix. The dihalogen derivative re- 

 acts with magnesium to give X.CjH^MgX, and this, with 

 iodine, forms the mixed halogen compound C.H^.XI. The 

 reaction appears to be general, and has been extended to 

 naphthalene compounds. — On the methylation of ethyl 

 glutaconate, by M. E. E. Blaise. — The migration of the 

 methyl group in the camphor molecule, by MM. G. Blanc 

 and M. Desfontaines. — On the successive action of acids 

 and soluble ferments on polysaccharides of high molecular 

 weight, by MM. Em. Bourquelot and H. Hdrissey. — 

 The diastatic hydrolysis of salol, by M". Emm. Pozzi-Escot. 

 The hydrolysing ferments of plant seeds, which act easily 

 upon the esters of the fatty acids, are nearly without action 

 upon the phenol ethers. — On the law of electrical excitation 

 in some invertebrates, by M. and Mme. L. Lapicque. It 

 is shown that the law enunciated by Weiss is only an 

 approximate one ; the establishment of a more correct 

 formula is reserved for a later communication. — Excretion 

 and phagocytosis in Onychophores, by M. L. Brunts. — 

 On the absorption of the tetanic antitoxin ; the immunising 

 action of dry antitetanic serum, by M. A. Calmette. — 

 On the reversibility of lipolytic actions, by M. Henri 

 Pottevin. If oleic acid be added to a glycerol extract of 

 the pancreas, partial esterification takes place ; starting 

 with mono-olein, a partial hydrolysis occurs, and in both 

 cases there is a final state of equilibrium produced, charac- 

 terised by the same value for the ratio between the weights 

 of the free and combined acid. — The influence of form- 

 aldehyde on the growth of white mustard, by MM. 

 Bouilhac and Giustiniani. When, owing to insufficient 

 light, the chlorophyll assimilation of the plant is rendered, 

 difficult, formaldehyde may serve as a plant food, but if 

 the intensity of the light is diminished below a certain 

 amount, this assimilation ceases, the formaldehyde exerts 

 a poisonous effect, and all the plants die. — How far is it 

 possible to modify the habits of plants by grafting? by 

 M. Lucien Daniel. — On the spontaneous combustion of 

 balloons, by M. W. de Fonvielle. Certain explosions of 

 balloons would appear to be traceable to electrical effects, 

 which determine a spark at the moment the aeronaut grasps 

 the valve rope. As a precaution, the use of indiarubber 

 gloves is suggested in stormy weather. — On the culture of 

 the truffie, by M. Emiie Boulang^er. 



May 18. — M. Albert Gaudry in the chair. — The statistics 

 of the minor planets. The distribution of the elements, 

 taking the aphelion longitude as argument. The com 

 parison of the minor planets with short period comets, by 

 M. O. Callandreau. — The measurement of the velocity of 

 ships at sea, by M. E. Guyou. A return to the oldest 

 form of line log is suggested, with certain modifications. 

 The float is replaced by a light calico bag containing a 

 little sand, the resistance of which is sufficient to form 

 a very satisfactory fixed point. The line is looped in coils 

 and not on a reel, and is fitted with a simple electrical 

 indicator. An accuracy of i per cent, is obtainable with 

 this arrangement. — On the distribution of matter on the 

 surface of the earth, by M. G. Lippmann. — The con- 

 ductivity and residual ionisation of solid paraffin under the 

 influence of the radium radiation, by M. Henri Becquerel. 

 It is easily shown that solid paraffin becomes a conductor 

 whilst under the action of the radium emanation, and this 

 is not immediately lost on the removal of the radium, 

 but, although diminishing rapidly, is still appreciable during 

 about half an hour. — The preparation and properties of 

 cesium ammonium and rubidium ammonium, by M. Henri 

 Moissan. These substances were obtained by the action 

 of liquid ammonia on the metals, the methods employed 

 helwr similar to those previously described for sodium, 

 potassium, and lithium. Caesium ammonium is crystal- 



