JuLy 16, 1914] 
bromo-, iodo-, and cyano-benzene.—F. H. Newman: 
Absorption of gases in the discharge tube.—Miss 
M. P. FitzGerald; Further observations on the changes 
in the breathing and the blood at various high alti- 
tudes.—W. E. Agar: Experiments on inheritance in 
parthenogenesis.—C. S. Myers: The influence of 
timbre and loudness on the localisation of sounds.— 
S. J. Kalandyk: (1) The conductivity of salt vapours. 
(2) The ionisation produced by gas reactions. The 
experiments described in (1) show :—1. The conduc- 
tivity of the salt vapours is due to the processes 
occurring in the vapours themselves. 2. The vapours 
of carefully dried salts conduct the electric current. 
Therefore the conductivity cannot be ascribed to the 
chemical action of water vapour in the salt vapours. 
However, the presence of water vapour increases the 
current passing in salt vapours. 3. When cadmium 
iodide was very carefully dried it was possible to 
observe a current which was practically independent 
of time. 4. The connection between the current i 
and the temperature 6 may be expressed with ccn- 
siderable accuracy by the formula i=ae—b/6 where 
a and b are constants. 5. The ionising potential cal- 
culated from the energy of dissociation is consider- 
ably less than for the ordinary gases. 7. The dissocia- 
tion of vapours is not always accompanied by ionisa- 
tion.—H. Richardson: The excitation of y-rays by 
B-rays.—F. E. E. Lamplough and J. T. Scott: The 
growth of metallic eutectics—W. E, Curtis: Wave- 
lengths of hydrogen lines and determination of the 
series constant. (1) The wave-lengths in I.A. of the 
first six lines of the hydrogen series have been deter- 
mined with an accuracy of about o’oo1 A.U. (2) 
Balmer’s formula has been found to be inexact. The 
results may be represented by a modified Rydberg 
formula containing only two. constants, thus :— 
4 (m+p)? 
where 
N = 109, 679'22 
and 
= +0-0;69. 
(3) An accuracy of o’oo1 A.L. is attainable in the 
third ,order of a 1o-foot concave grating if the ex- 
posures are short (say less than half-an-hour). With 
longer exposures accurate determinations become very 
difficult if the temperature of the instrument cannot 
be controlled. (4) The tertiary iron arc standards 
determined by Burns were tested in the special 
regions under investigation, and found very satis- 
factory.—A. Compton: Constancy of the optimum 
temperature of an enzyme under varying concentra- 
tions of substrate and of enzyme.—Dr. E. H. Griffiths 
and Ezer Griffiths: The capacity for heat of metals 
at low temperatures. An account is given of an in- 
vestigation into the capacity for heat of some metals 
at various points in the range 0° to —160° C. A new 
method of obtaining constant temperatures is described 
in which the Joule-Thomson cooling effect on expan- 
sion of air is utilised. The formulz of Einstein, 
Nernst and Lindemann, and Debye are compared 
with the experimental results over a very extended 
range of temperature. None of the formule, how- 
ever, can be regarded as completely representing the 
experimental results.—T. Lewis, J. Meakins, and P. D. 
White: The excitatory process in the dog’s auricle.— 
Dr. P. J. Cammidge and H. A. H. Howard: (1) Ob- 
servations on the composition and derivatives of 
urinary dextrin. (2) The so-called lavulose met with 
in urine. Communicated by Dr. A. E. Garrod.—T. M. 
Lowry: The silver voltameter. Part iii.—The sol- 
NO. 2333, VOL. 93] 
NATURE 
373 
vent properties of silver nitrate solutions.—A, Mallock : 
Fog signals.—Areas of silence and greatest range of 
sound.—W. R. Bousfield: The osmotic data in rela- 
tion to progressive hydration.—Dr. S, Chapman; The 
lunar diurnal variation of the earth’s magnetism at 
Pavlovsk and Pola (1897—1903).—W. Barlow: The 
interpretation of the indications of atomic structure 
presented by crystals when interposed in the path of 
X-rays.—Prof. J. C. McClennan: The fluorescence of 
iodine vapour excited by ultra-violet light.—A. E. 
Oxley: The influence of molecular constitution and 
temperature on magnetic susceptibility. Part iii.— 
On the molecular field in dia~-magnetic substances.— 
A. Holt: Diffusion of hydrogen through palladium. 
Physical Society, June 20.—Sir J. J. Thomson, presi- 
dent, in the chair.—Sir J. J. Thomson : Production of 
very soft Réntgen radiation by the impact of positive 
and slow kathode rays. Réntgen and his pupils held 
that light waves are identical in nature with electrical 
waves produced by mechanical means, but there is a 
gap between the longest infra-red radiation and the 
shortest electrical wave that can be produced mechanic- 
ally. The work already done on X-rays has demon- 
strated the existence of two separate rings of electrons 
in the atom, one within the other. These rings are 
responsible for the K and L types of radiation respec- 
tively. The L radiation is so much softer than the K 
that if a third ring of electrons exists, the radiation 
from which is proportionately softer than that of the 
L type, this radiation will fall well within the gap. 
In an experiment described a special form of discharge 
tube was employed. The positive rays passed through 
a tubular perforation in the kathode and impinged 
obliquely on a metal target. A photographic plate of 
the Schumann type was situated at the further end of 
a branch tube so that no solid obstacle interposed be- 
tween the target and the plate. When the discharge 
passed the photographic plate was affected. An in- 
tense transverse electrostatic field between two metal 
plates situated between the kathode and the target 
completely stopped the effect, showing that this was 
not due to stray radiation reflected from the target. 
Hence the passage of positive particles from the 
kathode to the target was essential. A strong trans- 
verse electrostatic field in the branch tube had no 
effect, showing that a radiation was passing between 
the target and the plate, which was not, therefore, 
merely affected by positive particles rebounding down 
the side tube after impact on the target. The proper- 
ties of this radiation were intermediate between 
ordinary X-rays and Schumann waves. They were 
susceptible to reflection by metal surfaces, and their 
penetrating power was small. They were stopped by 
the finest collodion film obtainable. The quality of the 
radiation did not depend on the energy of the moving 
particles which gave rise to it, but on the velocity. 
Hence equally soft rays should be produced by kathode 
particles if these were travelling as slowly as the posi- 
tive rays. The velocity of impact was varied over a 
large range, and radiations were obtained varying in 
quality from hard X-rays to the so-called Schumann 
waves. It is hoped by the study of these radiations 
to determine not only the number of rings of electrons 
within the atom, but the number of electrons in each 
ring.—F. W. Aston: The homogeneity of atmospheric 
neon. 
June 26.—Dr. A. Russell, vice-president, in the chair 
—Prof. J. A. Fleming : Atmospheric refraction and its 
bearing on the transmission of electromagnetic waves 
round the earth’s surface. The conditions under 
which true atmospheric refraction would be sufficient 
to carry a ray of light or electromagnetic radiation 
