406 
IN EAT TREE: 
[Frrktaky 21, 1907 
from the Jarnthaler Koépfe, Tyrol: Dr. A. P. Young. 
The minerals found in the serpentine are diopside, tremo- 
lite, clinochlore, picotite, magnetite, iron pyrites, and a 
fibrous mineral referred to antigorite. The latter mineral 
is regarded as holding a place between the micas and 
chlorites. On the surface of the serpentine are projecting 
bastite pseudomorphs coated with films of silvery lustre. 
The serpentine is a non-foliated intrusive core which on 
the borders is highly foliated and passes into tale-bearing 
phyllites.—A simple tabular arrangement of the thirty-two 
crystallographic classes: Dr. J. W. Evans. The table is 
based on the character of the symmetry of the principal 
zone axis or zone axes. Each column contains classes 
with the same rotational symmetry round the axis, and 
each row those which agree in the other symmetrical 
characters of the axis.—A new model of crystal refracto- 
meter: Dr. G. F. Herbert Smith. This instrument is 
identical in principle with that previously described, and 
is intended for use with large mineral specimens and 
mounted gem-stones. No part extends above the level of 
the plate holding the dense glass hemisphere. Further, the 
optical combination has double the focal length of the 
earlier form, and provides, consequently, greater refine- 
ment.—Isomorphism as illustrated by certain varieties of 
magnetite: Prof. B. J. Harrington. Analyses are given 
of specimens of magnetite from St. Joseph du Lac, Canada, 
and from Magnet Cove, Arkansas, both showing the un- 
usual combination of octahedron and trapezohedron {311}. 
The Canadian specimen contained about 5 per cent. of 
TiO,, 8 per cent. of MnO, and 3 per cent. of MgO, and 
the specimen from Arkansas about 10 per cent. of Al,O,, 
2 per cent. of TiO,, 2 per cent. of MnO, and 9 per cent. 
of MgO.—Mr. Fleischmann exhibited a collection of 
zeolites from Japan, Dr. Evans an objective giving a flat 
field with convergent light, and Prof. Miers a gonio- 
meter to be used for the measurement of the refractive 
indices of cooling solutions, for which purpose it is pro- 
vided with means for maintaining a constant temperature 
for any desired period. 
Zoological Society, February 5 —H.G. the Duke of 
Bedford, 4&K.G., president, in the chair.—Mammals collected 
in Mindanao, Philippines, by Mr. M. P. Anderson for 
the Duke of Bedford’s exploration of eastern Asia: O. 
Thomas. Seven species were mentioned, one of which 
was new, and is designated Crunomys melanius, sp.n.— 
The origin of the lateral horns of the giraffe in foetal life 
on the area of the parietal bones: Prof. E. Ray 
Lankester. The author described and showed the exact 
relation of the lateral horns in the foetus taken from the 
giraffe which died last spring in the society’s gardens. 
It was demonstrated that the lateral horn of the giraffe 
was exclusively in origin a part of the fibrous osteogenetic 
tissue of the parietal bone of which it was a part, and 
had no connection whatever with the frontal. Thus the 
statement made by Sir Richard Owen in his account of 
a new-born giraffe, in a paper read before the society in 
1839, was finally shown to be based on an unfortunate 
accident. Owen had cut out the horn-bearing area of the 
skull, and after an interval of time had reversed the re- 
lations of the excised piece of bone, taking frontal for 
parietal and parietal for frontal. The author expressed 
the opinion that the parietal lateral horn of the giraffe 
could not be considered to be the same morphological 
unit as the frontal lateral horn of the okapi.—Parallel 
hair-fringes and colour-striping on the face of foetal and 
adult giraffes: Prof. E. Ray Lankester. The author 
described a remarkable colour-banding or striping of the 
hairy covering of the face in the foetal giraffe, and showed 
that similar dark and light striping occurred in a very 
marked form in adult giraffes, though not in all in- 
dividuals.—The existence of rudimentary antlers in the 
okapi; Prof. E. Ray Lankester. A description was given 
of the polished tip or apex of the okapi’s horn which 
breaks through the integument. The author showed that 
transverse fissures or incisions were produced one behind 
the other in the naked apex, tending to cut off in succession 
a series of small bony caps, which he regarded as rudi- 
mentary antlers. He expressly refrained from concluding 
that this formation of minute antler-caps was to be re- 
garded as genetically connected with the antler-formation 
NO. 1947, VOL. 75] 
of the Cervidae, though such a connection was possible.— 
A new Amazonian tree-frog, Hyla resinifictrix, closely 
related to H. venulosa, but distinguished by fully half- 
webbed fingers: G. A. Boulenger, on behalf of Dr. E. A. 
Goeldi. This frog was remarkable for its habit of making 
good-sized basins of resinous substances in hollow branches 
of high trees, in which water collects, which served as a 
nursery for the eggs and larvae. The frog collected the 
resin from the bark of certain trees, such as the aromatic 
“ brewbranco ”’ (Protium heptaphyllum).—The collection of 
Cumacea in the Copenhagen Museum: Dr. W. T. 
Calman. Altogether thirty species were dealt with, of 
which twenty-five were described as new. The majority 
of the specimens were derived from collections made in 
New Zealand and the Gulf of Siam by Mr. H. Suter and 
Dr. Th. Mortensen respectively. 
Chemical Society, kebruary 7.—Prof. R. Meldola, F.R.S., 
president, in- the chair.—The rapid electro-analytical de- 
position and separation of metals, part i., the metals of 
the silver and copper groups and zinc: H. J. S. Sand. 
The metals studied are silver, mercury, copper, bismuth, 
lead, cadmium, and zine. With the exception of the 
separation silver-mercury, each metal has been successfully 
separated from all the others by the method of graded 
potential. In order to separate silver from mercury, the 
metals were deposited together, converted into their 
cyanides, and these separated in the usual way by means 
of their different behaviour to acids. The time required 
for the depositions in these experiments varied between 
five and fifteen minutes.—The alkaloids of ergot: G. 
Barger and F. H. Carr. It is shown that ergotoxine, 
C,,H,,O,N., is the active principle of ergot, and Kraft’s 
assertion that the crystalline alkaloid, ergotinine, is a 
dehydrated ergotoxine is confirmed. Ergotinine is physio- 
logically inactive when pure.—Influence of substitution, on 
the formation of diazoamines and amino-azo-compounds, 
part vi., the partially methylated 4 : 6-diamino-m-xylenes : 
G. T. Morgan and Miss F. M. G. Micklethwait. The 
authors have methylated progressively 4 : 6-diamino-m- 
xylene, and have studied the action of diazonium salts on 
the products.—The constitution of umbellulone, part ii., 
the reduction of umbellulonic acid: F. Tutin. By further 
study of the oxidation products of this ketone further con- 
firmation of the constitutional formula originally assigned 
to it has been obtained.—The reduction of hydroxylamino- 
dihydroumbelluloneoxime: F. Tutin. Derivatives of 
aminotetrahydroumbellulylamine, obtained by the reduction 
of this oxime, are described.—Studies on optically active 
carbimides, part v., the aryl esters and the amides of 
I-menthylearbamic acid: R. H. Pickard and W. O. 
Littlebury. Eleven aryl esters and eighteen amides of 
I-menthylearbamic acid were described, and rotations of 
these when dissolved in chloroform and pyridine compared. 
Attention was directed to the approximately constant 
molecular rotation given by certain derivatives of menthyl- 
amine and menthol.—Some constituents of natural indigo, 
part i.: A. G. Perkin and W. P. Bloxam. Three brown 
amorphous substances, C,,H,,O,N., C,.,H,,O,N,, and 
C,,H,,0,N, are described, which on treatment with 
potassium hydroxide yield anthranilic acid. It is con- 
sidered possible that these brown compounds are deri- 
vatives or condensation products of indoxyl, which are 
formed from indican during the process of manufacture. 
—The occurrence of isatin in some samples of Java 
indigo: A. G. Perkin. The quantity of isatin present was 
exceedingly small, and in many samples it appeared to be 
absent; but its occurrence occasionally is interesting, as 
it indicates that the formation of indirubin during the 
manufacture of natural indigo follows the well-known 
synthesis of von Baeyer.—The absorption spectra of 
benzoic acid, the benzoates, and benzamide: W. N. 
Hartley and E. P. Hedley. The absorption curves of 
benzoic acid, potassium and silver benzoates, and benzamide 
have been drawn from the photographs of the spectra of 
these substances. The absorption bands of the different 
substances are all obviously related to the bands in benzoic 
acid, and the absorption is due to the benzene ring (com- 
pare Baly and Collie, Trans. Chem. Soc., 1905, Ixxxvii.. 
1332).—The absorption spectra of phthalic, isophthalic, and 
terephthalic acids, phthalic anhydride, and phthalimide : 
