APRIL 11, 1907 | 
NATORE 
I/D 
Entomological Society, March 20.—Mr. C. O. Water- 
house, president, in the chair.—-Dr. F. A. Dixey exhibited 
several species of Phrissura and Mylothris, illustrating the 
remarkable parallelism between different forms of the two 
genera, a correspondence believed by the exhibitor to have 
a mimetic significance, the mimicry being probably of the 
Miillerian kind.—The following papers were communi- 
cated :—Studies of the Tetrigine in the Oxford 
Museum: J. L. Hancock.—A list of the Coleoptera of the 
Maltese Islands: M. Cameron, R.N., and A. Camana. 
—The life-history of Spindasis lohita, Horsf.: J. C. 
Kershaw.—The eggs cases and early stages of some 
South China Cassidide: J. C. Kershaw and F. Muir. 
—The life-history of Tessaratoma papillosa, Thunb., with 
notes on the stridulating organ and stink gland: F. Muir 
and J. C. Kershaw.—The vinegar fly (Drosophila 
funebris): E. E. Umnwin.—The structure and life-history 
of the holly fly: Prof. L. C. Miat! and IT. H. Taylor.— 
Note on Xanthorhoé ferrugata, Clerck : L. Doncaster. 
Chemical Society, March 21.—Sir Henry FE. Roscoe, 
F.R.S., past-president, in the chair.——Synthesis of poly- 
peptides: E. Fischer. Continuing his work on _ the 
synthesis of polypeptides, the author has prepared an 
octadecapeptide containing fifteen glycocoll and_ three 
l-leucine residues.—Organic derivatives of silicon, part iii., 
dl-benzylmethylethylpropylsilicane and experiments on the 
resolution of its sulphonic derivative: F. S. Kipping. 
dl-Benzylmethylethylpropylsilicane is sulphonated _ by 
sulphuric acid at about 130°, vielding a mixture 
of acids, of which two,  benzylethylpropylsilicol- 
sulphonic acid and _ dl-benzylmethylethylpropylsilicane- 
sulphonic acid, were isolated in the form of their 
l-menthylamine salts.—The reduction of carbon dioxide to 
formaldehyde in aqueous solution: H. J. H. Fenton. By 
the action of metallic magnesium on an aqueous solution 
of carbon dioxide, recognisable quantities of formaldehyde 
can be obtained, and the amounts formed are consider- 
ably increased in the presence of weak bases.—The 
mechanism of the rusting of iron: G. T. Moody. An 
experiment was described and shown which proved that 
in the formation of iron rust the metal must actually first 
pass ints solution, and hence confirmation is obtained of 
the view that an acid, e.g. carbonic acid, is an essential 
factor in the rusting of iron.—-Influence of non-electrolytes 
and electrolytes on the solubility of sparingly soluble gases 
in water. The question of hydrates in solution: J. C. 
Philip. The influence of non-electrolytes and electrolytes 
on the solubility of gases may be interpreted by supposing 
(x) that the non-solute takes no part in the absorption, and 
(2) that hydration of the non-electrolyte or electrolyte may 
oceur, and the solvent thus attached is no longer free 
to absorb the gas.—A new class of organo-metallic 
compounds. Preliminary notice. Trimethylplatinimethyl 
hyroxide and its salts: W. J. Pope and S. J. Peachey. 
The chlorides of iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, 
palladium, osmium, iridium, platinum, and gold react 
vigorously with magnesium methyl iodide; trimethyl- 
platinimethy! iodide, the corresponding hydroxide, nitrate, 
chloride, bromide, and cyanide have been prepared by this 
means.—Some compounds of guanidine with sugars, 
part i.: R. S. Morrett and A. E. Bellars.—The action 
of aluminium chloride on naphthalene. Formation of 
BB-dinaphthyl, tetranaphthyl, and  tetramethylerythrene ; 
Miss A. Homer.—Mercurous hyponitrite: P. C. Ray.— 
The decomposition of mercurous and silver hyponitrites 
by heat: P. C. Ray and A. C. Ganguli. From the results 
obtained the authors are of opinion that these salts have 
both an oxylic and imidic constitution.—Studies in optical 
superposition, part iii.: T. S. Patterson and J. Kaye. 
The results of observation of the rotation of /-menthyl 
diacetyl-I-tartrate, both in the homogeneous state and in 
solution in ethyl alcohol, benzene, and nitrobenzene, taken 
in conjunction with those previously published (Trans., 
1905, Ixxxvii., 33; 1906, Ixxxix., 1884), furnish thoroughly 
valid evidence as to the untenability of van ’t Hoff’s 
assumption regarding optical superposition.—An extension 
of the benzoin synthesis: R. W. L. Clarke and A. 
Lapworth.  Benzylideneaniline hydrocyanide condenses 
with carvone and with benzylideneacetophenone _ to 
form respectively phenylimino-8-benzoyldihydrocarvone and 
NO. 1954, VOL. 75 | 
y-cyano-a-benzoyl-y-anilino-By-diphenylpropane. —  Inter- 
action of starch and carbon disulphide. Nanthogenic 
esters of starch: C. F. Cross, E. J. Bevan, and J. F. 
Briggs. Starch moistened with the disulphide and then 
treated with a sodium hydroxide solution is brought into 
the condition for quantitative reaction and conversion into 
the xanthogenic ester (sodium salt)—The estimation of 
small quantities of nitrogen peroxide: R. Robertson and 
S. S. Napper. The method depends on the changes 
observed in the characteristic absorption spectrum of 
nitrogen peroxide as its concentration in dilute mixtures 
is increased.—The evolution of nitrogen peroxide in the 
decomposition of guncotton: R. Robertson and S. S. 
Napper.—aAn isomeric change of dehyracetic acid: J. N. 
Collie and T. P. Hilditch. If sulphuric acid of about 
85 per cent. instead of about 90 per cent. is allowed to 
act on dehydracetic acid, the yield of triacetic lactone 
is much diminished. The by-product formed is pyrone- 
CH,.C—O—C.CH,.CO,H 
carboxylic acid, || \| 
Hc.cO.CH 
Paris. 
Academy of Sciences, March 25.—M. A. Chauveau in 
the chair.—The approximate theory of the flow over a 
vertical weir, with sharp edge, without lateral contraction 
and in a free sheet: J. Boussinesq. A further approxim- 
ation of -a formula arrived at in a previous paper. The 
results are in accord with the experimental figures of 
M. Bazin.—Contribution to the study of phosphorescence : 
Henri Becquerel. The images of two specimens of the 
same phosphorescent salt, one being at the ordinary 
temperature and the other at the temperature of liquid 
air, were thrown simultaneously on the slit of a spectro- 
scope. The changes thus noted for several uranium salts 
in the phosphorescent spectra are given in detail. The 
increased sharpness of the bands at the lower temperature 
enabled the polarisation effects to be studied. Those 
salts of uranium which can be obtained in well-defined 
crystals, cooled to the temperature of liquid air, and 
illuminated with violet light, show no change in the spec- 
trum when the incident light is polarised, but a change 
in the spectrum is observed if a Nicol is interposed between 
the phosphorescent crystal and the spectroscope.—A 
generalisation of the movement of Ponsot: L. Lecornu. 
—The coefficient of resistance of air to be adopted in 
calculations regarding aéroplanes: F. Ferber.—Rotatory 
magnetic polarisation in the neighbourhood of absorption 
bands. The magnetic rotatory power of crystals at the 
temperature of liquid air: Jean Becquerel.—The theory 
of the radiation of incandescent mantles: M. Foix. It 
is shown that the sole function of the thorium oxide is 
to form a support for the cerium oxide.—The influence of 
the surrounding temperature on the luminous intensity of an 
incandescent electric lamp: F. Laporte and R. Jouaust. 
A theoretical investigation of the effect of increase of 
temperature on the luminous intensity of an electric lamp 
shows that for a rise of 100° C. in the temperature of the 
lamp an increase in the luminosity of 0-4 per cent. might 
be expected. Direct experiment showed that the light 
remained constant for a rise of 100° C., and as the experi- 
mental error was of the order of 1 per cent., this is in 
agreement with the theoretical figure.—The supplementary 
channelling of spectra produced by parallel gratings: 
Georges Meslin.—The function and the nature of the 
initial discharge in the electric spark: G. A. Hemsalech. 
—The formation of ammonia gas from its elements under 
the influence of the electric spark; the influence of 
pressure: E. Byiner and E. Mettler. The concentration 
of ammonia gas formed-by electric sparks in a closed 
vessel attains a limit of about 3 per cent. to 4 per cent. 
at the ordinary temperature. If, however, the reaction 
vessel has its lower end placed in liquid air, the ammonia 
is condensed as fast as it is formed, and the reaction 
becomes complete. Working in this way, and starting 
with a mixture of nitrogen and hydrogen in the correct 
proportions, a nearly total vacuum can be obtained in the 
apparatus. A curve is given showing the effect of pressure 
on the yield; a pressure of 100 mm. of mercury was found 
to be the most favourable, the yield being 0-17 gram of 
