ii8 



NA TURE 



[June 2, 1904 



subjected to the chloroform process determines largely the 

 rate at which the extraneous bacteria of that emulsion are 

 eliminated. The temperature at which extraneous bacteria 

 are killed most quickly, the specific germ being left mean- 

 while in a state of full activity, lies probably between 

 18° C. and 23° C. 



(2) It has been found that several additional species of 

 bacteria are rapidly eliminated from vaccine by means of 

 the chloroform process : — B. proteiis -vulgaris, B. pro- 

 digiosus, B. pyocyaneiis, B. fliiorescens Uqucfaciens, B. coK 

 communis, B. typhosus, B. diphthcriae, B. mallei, B. peslis, 

 B. tuberculosis and S. cholerae Asiaticae. These bacteria 

 were added artificially to vaccine collected for experiment 

 only. 



(3) The keeping properties of chloroformed vaccine have 

 been investigated. Vaccines prepared by the chloroform 

 process were stored for the same length of time as commonly 

 elapses at these laboratories between the collection from 

 the calf and use of lymphs prepared by glycerination — 

 usually six weeks. The use of these stored chloroformed 

 lymphs was attended with results of high " case " and 

 " insertion " success. 



Thus the further use of a large number of chloroformed 

 vaccines confirms the conclusions arrived at in a former 

 paper, and the important additional knowledge has been 

 gained that chloroformed vaccine, if originally of sufficiently 

 high potency, will, when prepared and stored under suitable 

 conditions, retain potency in a high degree for a consider- 

 able time. 



Linnean Society, May 5. — Prof. S. H. Vines, F.R.S., 

 president, in the chair. — Colour and coloration in mammals 

 and birds: J. L. Bonhote. In this the author brought 

 forward further facts in support of the theory that the colour 

 and coloration on animals are primarily due to physiological 

 causes, and showing that where conditions of " high 

 vigour " existed, the animals were as a rule deeply coloured. 

 The second part of the paper dealt with the coloration, and 

 examples were brought forward showing that before a moult 

 the hair bleached along certain definite areas, and also that 

 this bleaching was not a process continuing throughout the 

 period between the moults, but confined as a rule to a few 

 days or weeks immediately preceding the moult. Hence 

 it was argued that both colour and coloration were primarily 

 due to physiological causes, and that natural selection could 

 only make use of those markings which were in the first 

 place due to " vigour." — The cranial osteology of the fishes 

 of the families Mormyrids, Notopterida;, and Hyodontidje : 

 Dr. Ridewood. Descriptions were given of the skulls of 

 Mormyrops deUciosus, Petroccphalus bane, Notopterus 

 kapirat and Hyodon alosoides, together with less complete 

 accounts of those of Marcusenius, Gnathostomus, Hyper- 

 opisus, Mormyrus and Gymnarchus. As the result of a 

 study of the skulls of these forms, Dr. Ridewood concludes 

 that the families Mormyrids, Notopteridae and Hyodontid^, 

 though more closely related inter se than is either family 

 with any other family of malacopterygian fishes, are not 

 more intimately related with one another than was previously 

 assumed to be the case. 



Faraday Society, May 9. — Mr. Bertram Blount in the 

 chair. — Studies in viscosity ; Dr. C. E. Faiwsitt. The 

 paper referred to some relations of viscosity to salt form- 

 ation and viscosity as an additive property. — The electro- 

 lytic oxidation of anthracine : Dr. F. M. Perkin and A. 

 Fontana. The authors have taken up the study of the 

 oxidation of anthracine primarily to ascertain whether it 

 was possible to obtain a good laboratory method for the 

 preparation of anthraquinone. The first attempts were 

 made with solutions in acetone, platinum electrodes being 

 employed. Although o.xidation took place in solutions of 

 anthracine in acetone, it was not found possible to oxidise 

 more than about 55 per cent, of the anthracine. Attempts 

 were then made to electrolyse anthracine suspended in 20 

 per cent, sulphuric acid, or in caustic alkali to which an 

 oxygen carrier had been added. Various carriers were 

 employed, the most satisfactory being chromium, cerium 

 or manganese salts. 



GeologicalSociety, Mayii.— Mr. H. B.Wondward.F.R.S., 



vice-president, in the chair. — On some quartzite-dykes in 

 mountain-limestone near Snelston (Derbyshire) : H. H. 



NO. 1805, VOL. 70] 



Arnold-Bemrose. The quartzite of these " dykes " 

 consists of angular detritus, quartz-grains with enclosures, 

 a few small grains of felspar, and a few shreds of mica. 

 The grains are cemented by silica, and sometimes by calcite. 

 The silica is present in the limestone in two forms, which 

 have had an entirely different origin. .\n important bed 

 of sandstone was found by sinking for a well at Marston 

 Common Farm, and the same bed is found also about 800 

 feet south of the farm. The microscopic aspect of the rock 

 is precisely similar to that of the dykes. It is at a period 

 later than the Keuper that the silica which cemented the 

 sandstone of the dykes and of the Common Farm appears 

 to have been introduced. — Phenomena bearing upon the age 

 of the Lake of Geneva : Dr. C. S. Du Riche Preller. 

 The author has examined the low-level gravel-beds and 

 other alluvia in the Rhone Valley, .-^fter describing the 

 phenomena around the Lake of Geneva, and comparing- 

 them with those. around the Lake of Zurich, he draws the 

 following conclusions : — The low-level gravel-beds of the 

 Rhone Valley near Geneva are fluviatile deposits of the 

 second inter-Glacial period, and were formed before the 

 present deep lake-basin. The high-level gravel-beds of La 

 Cote above RoUe and of the Jorat district above Lausanne 

 are true Deckenschotter. Hence the term " alluvion 

 ancienne " should only apply to the high-level deposits. 

 The formation of the present deep lake-basin of Geneva was 

 primarily due to the lowering of the valley-floor by fle.xures 

 of the Molasse and its contact-zones, posterior to the maxi- 

 mum glaciation.. The author holds that the Lake of 

 Geneva, together with the other principal zonal lakes 

 between the Alps and the Jura, was formed under similar 

 conditions and at the same time as the Lake of Zurich, 

 that is, towards the close of the Glacial period. 



Zocrioglcal Society, May 17. — Mr. Howard Siundets, 

 vice-president, in the chair. — The fifth of a series of papers 

 by Sir Charles Eliot, K.C.M.G., on Nudibranchs from 

 Zanzibar and East Africa, was read. Twenty species were 

 treated of in the paper, of which eleven were described as 

 new. — Mr. G. A. Boulengrer, F.R.S., described a new 

 species of tree-frog of the genus Hyla, from British Guiana, 

 carrying eggs on the back. — Mr. F. E. Beddard, F.R.S., 

 read a paper containing notes on the anatomy of certain 

 species of snakes of the family Boida;. — -^ communication 

 from Dr. G. Stewardson Brady, F.R.S., contained an 

 account of a collection of Entomostraca made in Natal by 

 Mr. James Gibson. Eleven species were enumerated in the 

 paper, of which nine were described as new, one being made 

 the type of a new genus. 



Royal Microscopical Society, May i8. — Dr. Dukin- 

 field H. Scott, F.R.S., president, in the chair. — A note by 

 Mr. A. A. C. Eliot Merlin on Mr. Nelson's new formula 

 amplifier was read. The amplifier, which consists of a 

 negative lens placed in the rear of the objective, was calcu- 

 lated by Mr. Nelson at the request of the author to enable 

 him to make some delicate microscopical measurements. 

 With the usual arrangement of a low power eye-piece and 

 screw micrometer, the magnification afforded by objectives 

 of high power was insuflicient to ensure accuracy in all 

 cases, and it was not desirable to use more powerful eye- 

 pieces, as the spider lines then appeared too coarse. The 

 author found the amplifier yielded especially good results 

 when used for micrometrical purposes, and he suggested 

 the application of it to students' microscopes for quickly 

 obtaining an increase of magnifying power. Mr. Nelson's 

 formula for the amplifier was given. — .-\ note on Grayson's 

 120,000 band plate by Mr. Nelson was then read. The 

 band was resolved strongly by an apochromatic oil 

 immersion 1/8, 1-43 N.A., and a 5 eye-piece; it was also 

 resolved by a semi-apochromatic i/io, 1-3 N..V., and a 5 

 eye-piece, and by an old achromatic water immersion 1/12, 

 1-2 N.A. ; in this case the lines appeared to have irregulari- 

 ties. The go, 000 band was resolved by an apochromatic 

 of 4 mm., 097 N.-'V., quite easily, and by a i dry apochro- 

 matic i, 096 N.A., with some difficulty. The author re- 

 marked in passing that the latest books on "physical optics 

 state that 1/90,000 inch is the theoretical limit for micro- 

 scopic vision. After giving particulars of the resolution of 

 other bands, Mr. Nelson stated that ruled lines are more 

 difficult to resolve than diatoms of equal fineness. He said 



