DFcEMBER 13, 1906 | 
MAT OLE 
and those of the Early Iron period. Of those in the first 
class, the dolichocephals are found to have the greatest 
stature and the mesaticephals the smallest stature, while 
in the second class the mesaticephals have the greatest 
stature and the brachycephals the shortest stature. There 
is, therefore, no simple relation between stature and skull 
length. The number of skulls examined was 151. 
Geological Society, November 21.—Sir Archibald Geikie, 
Sec.R.S., president, in the chair.—The Kimeridge Clay and 
Corallian rocks of the neighbourhood of Brill (Buck- 
inghamshire): A. M. Davies. The paper contains two 
principal divisions :—(1) an account of the section of Rid’s 
Hill, Brill; (2) the rock of Studley and Arngrove, described 
by Phillips as an argillaceous chert, is shown to be mainly 
composed of the globate spicules of the tetractinellid sponge 
Rhaxella. Paleontological notes are given on certain 
species of Lamellibranchia and Annelida, chiefly from the 
Lower Kimeridge Clay.—The skull and greater portion of 
the skeleton of Goniopholis crassidens from the Wealden 
Shales of Atherfield (Isle of Wight): R. W. Hooley. In 
the late autumn of 1904, at a place locally called ‘‘ Tie 
Pits,’’ near Atherfield Point, a huge mass of the cliff, 
comprising many thousand tons of the Wealden Shales, 
subsided, pushing its foot across the beach until below 
low-water line. As the sea washed away the base, the 
mass continued to sink, and fresh horizons were denuded. 
In 1905 a series of heavy ‘‘ ground-seas’’ cast up blocks 
of limestone and ironstone, containing crocodile bones, 
which were discovered on the sand between high- and low- 
water marks. The skull came ashore in six pieces. Frag- 
ments of bones and scutes were constantly picked up. The 
specimens were derived from a horizon 80 feet to go feet 
below the top of the Wealden Shales. 
Entomological Society. November 21.—Mr. F. Merrifield, 
president, in the chair.—Exhibitions: H. W. Andrews: 
Specimens of Odontomyia angulata, Pz., from the Norfolk 
Broads, of which species few captures have been recorded 
of recent years, and Icterica westermanni, Mg., a rare 
Trypetid, taken in the New Forest.—Dr. F. A. Dixey: 
Specimens of South African Pierinae demonstrating that 
the wet-season form of Teracolus regina, Trim., is in 
mimetic association with an undescribed species of Belenois, 
intermediate between B. calypso and B. thysa.—H. and F. 
Campion: A male specimen of Sympetrum vulgatum 
taken in Epping Forest on September 4 last, of which 
species there are recorded only three other authentic British 
specimens.—R. Adkin: A short series of Tortrix pronu- 
bana, Hb., including both sexes, reared from larve and 
pupz collected from euonymus at Eastbourne in September. 
The only previous records for the species in Britain are 
single male examples captured at Eastbourne and at 
Bognor.—Dr. T. A. Chapman: A _ long series of 
Coenonympha mathewi, Tutt, from different places in the 
north-west corner of Spain (Galicia), and from which it 
was concluded that C. mathewi is a geographical or sub- 
specific variety of C. dorus, and not a fully established 
species.—Papers.—A permanent record of British moths 
in their natural attitudes of rest, and Further notes on the 
choice of a resting site by Pieris rapae: A. H. Hamm.— 
Studies of the Blattide: R. Shelford.—Notes on the life- 
history of Sesia andrenaeformis, Lasp.: Hon. N. Charles 
Rothschild.—Notes on an unusual emergence of Chryso- 
phanus salustius in New Zealand: H. W. Simmonds. 
Paris. 
Academy of Sciences, December 3—M. H. Poincaré 
in the chair.—A new and rapid method for the determin- 
ation of the errors of division of a meridian circle: M. 
Loewy. A continuation of previous papers on the same 
subject. The method is modified to allow of the direct 
determination of the correction of the twenty standard 
points.—The specific adjuvants of experimental partheno- 
genesis: Yves Delage. It has been found that the addi- 
tion of certain salts to the solution usually employed in 
parthenogenesis (common salt, sea water, and distilled 
water) considerably augments the power of the latter as a 
parthenogenetic agent. Such substances are the chlorides 
of manganese, cobalt, and nickel, the last-named being 
the most active. This result is unexpected, and no satis- 
NO. 1937, VOL. 75] 
factory explanation has as yet been found. Different eggs, 
even from the same ovary (of the sea-urchin), present con- 
siderable differences, differences which neither the super- 
ficial nor histological examination offer any assistance in 
explaining.—Concerning the expedition organised for the 
study of sleeping sickness: A. bLaveran.—Pulmonary 
physiological anthracosis of intestinal origin: MM. 
Calmette, Vansteenberghe, and Grysez. A repetition 
and extension of previous experiments in answer to the 
objections raised by other workers on the same subject, 
especially Kiiss and Lobstein. The authors conclude, in 
confirmation of their previous work, that besides anthra- 
cosis of respiratory and pure mechanical origin, the exist- 
ence of which they have never denied, it is necessary to 
admit the existence of physiological anthracosis of intes- 
tinal origin.—Observations of the comet 1906 made with 
the large equatorial of the Observatory of Bordeaux : 
Ernest Esclangon. The observations were made on 
November 22 and 23, and give the apparent positions of 
the comet and mean positions of the comparison stars. 
The comet appeared as a uniform nebulosity 30” in 
diameter, and without apparent nucleus.—Observations of 
the Thiele and Metcalf comets (1906g and 1906h) made at 
the Observatory of Algiers: MM. Rambaud and Sy. 
The observations were made on November 13, 14, 16, 19, 
and 20, the last night furnishing the best results. On 
November 20 the comet 1906h appeared as an irregular 
nebulosity, the lustre being comparable with that of a star 
of the twelfth magnitude.—Observation of the Metcalf 
comet (19062) made at the Observatory of Lyons: J. 
Guillaume. A single observation on November 20. The 
comet had the appearance of a circular nebulosity of about 
30" diameter, with a central condensation and a small 
nucleus. Its lustre was about the eleventh magnitude.— 
Certain transcendental numbers: Edmond Maillet.—The 
critical points of inverse functions: A. Hurwitz. 
Periodic functions: P. Cousin.—The diffusion of solutions 
of copper sulphate in gelatin: M. Yegounow. Copper 
sulphate appears to enter into combination with gelatin, 
but its movement rigorously follows Stefan’s law.—Poten- 
tial equalisers: M. Moulin. The combustion of filter 
paper impregnated with quantities of lead nitrate varying 
from 2 per cent. to 5 per cent., according to the conditions 
of wind, has given accurate results. The use of flames or 
radium salts requiring many precautions has been found 
less practical.—Researches on gravitation: N. Crémieu. 
—A theoretical explanation of the magneto-optic phenomena 
observed in a crystal: Jean Becquerel.—An apparatus 
for compensating the inertia of selenium: A. Korn. A 
device for overcoming the inertia of the selenium cell in 
telephotography.—Positive charge at a distance in an 
electric field under the influence of ultra-violet light : Mme. 
Baudeuf.—The reduction of oxide of chromium by boron : 
Binet du Jassonneix. The reduction of oxide of 
chromium by boron in magnesia crucibles at the tempera- 
ture of the electric furnace gives ingots attackable by 
hydrofluoric, hydrochloric, and sulphuric acids. These 
may contain from 5 per cent. to 17 per cent. of combined 
boron. If boron is present in higher proportions it exists 
as the carbide of boron. The boride CrB constitutes the 
limit of saturation of chromium by boron.—An extremely 
sensitive method for the precipitation of zinc: Gabriel 
Bertrand and Maurice Javillier. The method is based 
on the production of a crystallised, insoluble calcium 
zincate. Quantitative determinations of zinc can be made 
in this way in solutions containing only two parts of zinc 
in a million. Even at ten times this dilution the zinc 
can be qualitatively detected with certainty.—Nitriles and 
carbamines: P. Lemoult. Determinations of the heats of 
combustion and formation of methyl and ethyl carbamines. 
From thermochemical data hydrocyanic acid is considered 
to be a carbamine, and not a nitrile-——The action of re- 
agents on ethyl glyoxylate: L. J. Simon and G. 
Chavanne. The ethyl glyoxylate was prepared by the 
electrolysis of ethyl oxalate, and its reaction with phenyl- 
hydrazine, hydroxylamine, and semicarbazide studied.—The 
esterification of arsenious anhydride by alcohols and 
phenol: V. Auger. A limited amount of alkyl ester is 
produced by heating together arsenious anhydride and the 
anhydrous alcohol. If the experiment is arranged so that 
the water produced in the reaction is removed (with 
