558 



NATURE 



[Fei!Ruaky 9, 1905 



and by the author in man. The compensatory ansate and 

 coronal sulci are respectively interchangeable with the 

 upper and lower constituents of the primate fissure of 

 Rolando. The common sensory area forms a morpho- 

 logical buffer behind the cruciate zone. Quite one-si.xth 

 of the lower animal's brain surface is allotted to visual 

 corte.x. The " true calcarine " fissure is the antecedent of 

 the human anterior calcarine, the intercalary sulcus under- 

 goes retrograde changes, and the suprasplenial sulcus is 

 the derivative of the "sulcus intrastriatus lateralis." In 

 the limbic region, human types of cortex are repeated, and 

 the genual fissure is the homologue of the calloso-mar- 

 ginal. Parietal cortex is older, in the sense of phylogeny, 

 than frontal. The lateral sulcus is the forerunner of the 

 intraparietal. Out of the ectosylvian region of lower 

 animals is developed the Sylvian region, including the 

 insula, and much of the temporal lobe of primates. 



It is concluded that the stability of the architectural plan 

 of any given field of cortex is directly related to the 

 phylogenic age of that cortex, and to the importance, as 

 a means to survival, of the function it subserves ; and, 

 that while the human brain has e.xpanded more decisively 

 in some parts than in others, yet that expansion, if we 

 except the visual and olfactory areas, has been general in 

 kind. 



January 26. — " On a Method of Finding the Conduc- 

 tivity for Heat." By Prof. C. Niven, F.R.S. 



The first part of the paper contains a detailed account 

 of the methods employed for finding the difference of tem- 

 perature, and a description of the apparatus used. The 

 results of some experiments made with it are also given, 

 and compared with those found by other observers. The 

 second part of the paper contains a solution of the mathe- 

 matical problem of the diffusion of heat in an infinite solid 

 from a line at which it is supplied at a constant rate, and 

 the solution of some other allied questions. One result of 

 the investigation suggests a method of finding the diffusivity 

 directly, when the substance is of sufficiently great extent. 

 " The Boring of the Simplon Tunnel, and the Distri- 

 bution of Temperature that was encountered." By Francis 

 Fox. Communicated by C. V. Boys, F.R.S. 



February 2. — " On the Compressibility of Gases 

 between One Atmosphere and Half an Atmosphere of 

 Pressure." By Lord Rayleigh, O.M., F.R.S. 



The present memoir contains a detailed account of the 

 observations referred to in the Preliminary Notice of 

 F'ebruary, 1904. In addition, results are now given for 

 air, carbonic anhydride, and nitrous o.xide. In the 

 following table are recorded the values of B for the various 

 gases at specified temperatures, B denoting the quotient 

 of the value of pv at half an atmosphere by the value at 

 the whole atmosphere : — 



Gas B. Temperature 



Oxygen 100038 ... 11 2 



Hydrogen 099974 ... 107 



Nitrogen 100015 ••• J4'9 



Carbonic oxide i 00026 ... 138 



Air 100023 ... II-4 



Carbon dioxide 100279 ... 150 



Nitrous oxide 100327 ... no 



By means of a formula given by D. Berthelot the com- 

 pressibilities at 0° C. are inferred, and applied to deduce 

 the ratio of densities as they would be observed at 0° C. 

 under very low pressures. According to Avogadro's law 

 these are the relative molecular weights. From the 

 densities of nitrogen and o.xygen we get N = 14008, if 

 O = 16. Again, from the densities of oxygen and nitrous 

 oxide we find N = 13-998. The former is probably the 

 more trustworthy. 



Chemical Society, January 18. — Prof. W. A. Tilden, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — Nitrogen halogen deriv- 

 atives of the sulphonamides : F. D. Chattaway. A number 

 of the nitrogen halogen derivatives of the sulphonamides, 

 which are obtained by the action of hypochlorous acid on 

 the suphonamides and the allvvlsulphonamides, were de- 

 scribed, and the ease with which they can be prepared and 

 crystallised demonstrated. — Electrolytic oxidation of the 

 aliphatic aldehydes : H. D. Law.. The chief product of 

 oxidation of the lower members of the saturated aliphatic 



NO. 1841, VOL. 71] 



aldehydes is the corresponding organic acid, but small 

 quantities of carbon dioxide and monoxide and saturated 

 hydrocarbons are also formed in some cases. — The diazo- 

 derivatives of the benzcnesulphonylphenylenediamines ; 

 G. T. Morgan and F. M. G. Micklethwait. A descrip- 

 tion is given of the substances produced by the interaction 

 of nitrous acid with the benzenesulphonyl derivatives of 

 0-, ni- and /J-phenylenediamines, illustrating the different 

 behaviour of these isomerides with this reagent. — The 

 molecular condition in solution of ferrous potassium 

 oxalate : S. E. Sheppard and C. E. K. Mees. Ferrous 

 oxalate was shown to dissolve in alkali o.xalates forming 

 double salts, such as K„Fe(C,Oj),, which dissociate accord- 



"+ -' - " 

 ing to the scheme 2K + Fe(CjOj)j. Spectrophotometric 

 measurements indicated that the formation of ferrous ions 

 at moderate dilutions was negligibly small. — A further 

 analogy between the asymmetric nitrogen and carbon 

 atoms : H. O. Jones. The author showed that, during 

 the formation of an asymmetric nitrogen atom in a com- 

 pound containing an asymmetric carbon atom, two 

 isomerides, which are called the a- and ^-compounds, are 

 produced. For this purpose methyl-/-amylaniline has been 

 combined with allyl and benzyl iodides. — The formation of 

 magnesia from magnesium carbonate by heat and the 

 effect of temperature on the properties of the product ; 

 W. C. Anderson. E.xperiments were made with native 

 and artificial magnesium carbonates to ascertain (i) the 

 lowest temperature at which the evolution of carbon dioxide 

 could be distinctly recognised ; (2) the comparative rates at 

 which the expulsion of the gas takes place at higher tem- 

 peratures under atmospheric pressure ; and (3) the extent 

 to which the magnesia obtained dissolves in water after 

 being kept at different known temperatures for a fixed 

 period. It is inferred from the results that polymerisation 

 takes place when magnesia is heated, and that this goes 

 on more quickly in the " heavy " oxide than in " light " 

 magnesia. — Transformations of derivatives of s-tribromo- 

 diazobenzenes : K. J. P. Orton. — The addition of sodium 

 hvdrogen sulphite to ketonic compounds : A. W. Stewart. 

 — The reduction products of anisic acid : J. S. Lumsden. 

 When anisic acid, dissolved in amyl alcohol, is reduced by 

 sodium, the products are hexahydrobenzoic acid and 5-keto- 

 hexahydrobenzoic acid. — The physical properties of heptoic, 

 hexahydrobenzoic, and benzoic acids and their derivatives : 

 J. S. Lumsden. — The influence of solvents on the rotation 

 of optically active compounds. Part vii. Solution-volume 

 and rotation of menthol and menthyl tartrates : T. S. 

 Patterson and F. Taylor. 



Royal Microscopical Society, January 18.— Dr. Dukin- 

 field 11. Scott, F.R.S., president, in the chair. — The 

 President delivered his :tnnual address, the subject of 

 which was an inquiry as to " What were the Carboniferous 

 Ferns? " 



Geological Society, January 18. — Dr. J. E. Marr. 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — On the geology of Arenig 

 Fawr and Moel Llyfnant : W. G. Fearnsides. This paper 

 contains a detailed description of the succession of beds in 

 Sedgwick's typical area of development of his Arenig 

 series. The author discusses the relationship of the various 

 divisions he describes to corresponding beds of other areas. 

 He gives a description of the intrusive igneous rocks, and 

 some account of the structure of the district and the nature 

 of its glaciation. 



Physical Society, January 27. — Dr. R. T. Glazebrook, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — .Action of a magnetic field on 

 the discharge through a gas : Dr. R. S. Willows. It has 

 been shown previously that a transverse magnetic field, if 

 applied at the kathode, may in some cases reduce the 

 potential difference at the terminals of the tube. It is 

 shown in the paper that the pressure at which this decrease 

 commences corresponds to the pressure at which the voltage 

 required to maintain this discharge, under normal condi- 

 tions, is a minimum. This is also found to be the pressure 

 at which the positive column is first completely striated. 

 Reasons why such action takes place are given. — .\ction of 

 radium on the electric spark : Dr. R. S. Willows and J. 

 Peck. In certain cases the authors have found that the 

 spark from a Wimshurst machine is extinguished by the 

 action of the radiations from radium and that the current 



