go 



JVA TURK 



[November 27, 1902 



Some interesting facts concerning the velocity of crystallis- 

 ation have been found as the result of an investigation by Dr. von 

 Pickardt, published in the current number of the Zeitschrzft far 

 physikalische C/iemie. The velocity of crystallisation of super- 

 cooled benzophenone is diminished to the same extent when 

 equimolecular quantities of the most various substances are 

 dissolved in it. The diminution of the velocity for any one 

 dissolved body is, moreover, not proportional to its concentra- 

 tion, but to the square root of this. The regularities which 

 have been observed may be utilised in a practical way for the 

 determination of the molecular weights of substances dissolved 

 in the crystallising medium. 



A new fortnightly journal — the Biochemischa Centralblatt — 

 is to make its appearance very shortly. The editor is Dr. Carl 

 Oppenheimer, and the directors of the undertaking are all men 

 well known for their contributions to biochemistry. It is not 

 intended that the new journal shall serve as a medium for the 

 publication of original papers ; its chief object will be to give an 

 abstract of all papers dealing with biochemical subjects published 

 in other journals. The only original contributions which will 

 find a place in the Centralblatt will be reviews of the condition 

 and progress of small specialised branches of the subject, and it 

 is proposed that each fortnightly issue shall contain such a 

 rjsunii'. The first number will appear early in December. 

 The publishers are Gebriider Borntraeger, Dessauer Strasse 29, 

 Berlin S.W., and the yearly subscription is 30 marks. 



The examination of the electrical conductivity of a large 

 number of substances dissolved in liquid hydrocyanic acid by 

 Messrs. Kahlenberg and Schlundt {Journal of Physical Chemistry, 

 October, 1902) has shown that while some salts are not such 

 good conductors as their corresponding aqueous solutions, others 

 conduct much better. Solutions of acids in liquid hydrocyanic 

 acid are generally much poorer conductors than aqueous 

 solutions, and the authors conclude that electrolytic conducting 

 power is essentially determined by the specific nature of the 

 compound formed when solute and solvent act on each other 

 to form the solution. Certain chemical changes which have 

 been investigated in hydrocyanic acid solution present remark- 

 able peculiarities. It is found, for instance, that whereas 

 trichloracetic acid readily attacks metallic magnesium and 

 sodium carbonate, it has no action on zinc or calcium 

 carbonate. 



The question of the influence of moisture on the combination 

 of hydrogen and chlorine has been advanced another stage by 

 the recent experiments of Messrs. Mellor and Russell. Great 

 precautions were taken to ensure the purity of the gases used in 

 the experiments, the hydrogen being prepared by the action of 

 steam on metallic sodium and the product purified by absorption 

 in palladium. Pure chlorine was obtained by the electrolysis of 

 fused silver chloride. After the gases had been left in contact 

 with phosphorus pentoxide for nine months in the dark, it was 

 found that a small spark at once caused a violent explosion, 

 and complete combination took place. The mixture of dry 

 gases could, however, be heated to 450 C. without explosion 

 taking place, whereas a moist mixture in a similar bulb exploded 

 at about 26c/ C. With the dry mixture it was further found that 

 in sunlight no explosion takes place, but that the combination 

 of the gases is very slow. The experiments show clearly that 

 the presence of moisture has very considerable influence on the 

 union of the two gases. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens during the 

 past week include a Lesser White-nosed Monkey (Cercopithecus 

 petaurista) from West Africa, presented by Mr. W. A. Filbert ; 

 a Yervei Monkey [Cercopithecus lalanJii) from South Africa, 



NO. 1726, VOL. 67] 



presented by Mr. C. A. Rawlins; a Lanner Falcon (Falco 

 lanarius) from Egypt, presented by Dixon Bey ; a Globose 

 Curassow (Cray globicera) from Central America, presented by 

 the Hon. Mrs. Lawly ; a Stone Curlew (CEdicnemus scolopax) 

 European, presented by Mr. A. W. Arrowsmith ; eight Dwarf 

 Chameleons (Chamaeleon pumilus) from South Africa, presented 

 by Miss Kay; a Horned Lizard (Phrynoso/na comutum) from 

 Mexico, presented by Mr. C. W. Farquharson ; seven Viperine 

 Snakes (Tropidonotus vipcriiuis) European, presented by the 

 Rev. F. W. Haines; two Smooth-headed Capuchins (Cebns 

 pionachus) from South-East Brazil, a Macaque Monkey (Macacus 

 cynomolgus) from India, six Mountain Witch Ground Doves 

 [Geotrygon cristata) from Jamaica, two Changeable Lorikeets 

 [Pti/osclera versicolor) from North-West Australia, a Suricate 

 (Suricaia tctradactyla) from South Africa, deposited; an 

 English Wild Cow (Bos taunts) born in the Gardens. 



OUR ASTRONOMICAL COLUMN. 

 Astronomical Occurrences in December : — 

 Dec. 1. 6h. 37m. to ioh. 19m. Transit of Jupiter's Sat. HI. 

 (Ganymede). 

 1. Sh. 15m. Minimum of Algol (.8 Persei). 



4. 7h. 38m. to 8h. 33m. Moon occults H Capricorni 



(mag. 3-4). 



5. 7h. Moon in conjunction with Jupiter. Jupiter, 



5° 52' S. 

 10. 7h. 8m. to Sh. 22m. Moon occults Q Piscium 



(mag. 4-2). 

 10. 2oh. Venus in conjunction with Uranus. Venus, 



0° 8' S. 

 n-12. Epoch of Geminid meteoric shower. 

 13. I3h. 53m. to I4h. 56m. Moon occults 8 l Tauri 



(mag. 4'o). 



13. 14b. 27m. to 15b. 23m. Moon occults S 2 Tauri 



(mag 47). 



14. 16I1. 52m. to 17I1. 0111. Moon occults 120 Tauri 



( ma g- 5'3)- 



15. Venus. Illuminated portion of disc = 0'998, of Mars 



= 0-904. 



15. iSh. 24m. to i8h. 42m. Moon occults 26 Gemin- 



orum (mag. 51). 



16. 3h. 34m. to Sh. 29m. Transit of Jupiter's Sat. IV. 



(Callisto). 

 16. 5h. 49m. to 6h. 32m. Moon occults A. Geminorum 

 (mag. 3-6). 



16. I2h. 27m. to I3h. 20m. Moon occults 6S Gemin- 



orum (mag. 5'o). 



17. iSh. 37m. to igh. 36m. Moon occults A- Cancri 



(mag. 5 S). 



18. ioh. 9m. Minimum of Algol (8 Persei). 

 21. 6h. 58m. Minimum of Algol (8 Persei). 



21. 15I1. om. Moon in conjunction with Mars. Mars, 



4° 22' N. 



22. 7h. om. Sun enters Capricornus. Winter com- 



mences. 



30. oh. 6m. to 3I1. 49m. Transit of Jupiter's Sat. III. 



(Ganymede). 



31. 5h. om. Moon in conjunction with Saturn. 



Saturn, 5° 20' S. 



Early Observations of Nova Persei. — In Circular 

 No. 66 of the Harvard College Observatory, Prof. Pickering 

 details the results which have been obtained from the measure- 

 ment of the photographs of the region of Nova Persei which 

 were obtained during the years 1890, 1S93 and 1894. 



These measurements indicate that the star on the Harvard 

 photographs, which was pointed out by Father Zwack, of the 

 Georgetown College Observatory, and also announced by 

 M. S. Blakjo (Aslronomische Nachrichten, 157, 193), is a 

 variable which for several years has oscillated between the thic- 

 teenth and fourteenth magnitudes, and they also lead to the 

 conclusion that it was, for that period, within one or two 

 seconds of arc of the Nova's position, the difference in position 

 being less than the probable errors of measurement. 



