September 22, 1904] 



NA TURE 



517 



actions : P. V. Bevan. The union of hydrogen and oxygen 

 in contact with a hot surface : Dr. W. A. Bone and R. V. 

 Wheeler. On the formation of salts in solution, especially 

 in tautomeric bodies : Prof. J. \V. Briihl. On the active 

 variety of chlorine : D. L. Chapman and C. H. Burgess. 

 Hydroaromatic compounds: Prof. A. W. Crossley. On the 

 energy of water and steam at high temperatures : Prof. C. 

 Dieterici. A suggested explanation of the phenomena of 

 opalescence observed in the neighbourhood of critical states ; 

 Prof. F. G. Donnan. On double acetylides : Major A. E. 

 ILchvards and Prof. \V. R. E. Hodgkinson. Sur les 

 nianganates et les permanganates : Dr. A. Etard. 

 .Mesnxalic semialdehyde : H. J. H. Fenton. Note on the 

 influence of radium radiations on atmospheric o.xidation in 

 presence of iron : H. J. H. Fenton. A reaction for ketoses : 

 H. J. H. Fenton. .\ colour reaction for methylfurfural and 

 its derivatives : H. J. H. Fenton and J. P. Millington. 

 I eber Isocystein (Isothioserin) : Prof. S. Gabriel. Sur le 

 spectre du souffre dans la photographie de I'^tincelle des 

 mineraux : M. le Comte de Gramont. Ouelques observations 

 sur le groupement des raies du spectre du silicium d'apris 

 I'etfet de la self-induction, et sur leur presence dans les 

 spectres stellaires : M. le Comte de Gramont. On crystal 

 structure and its relations to chemical constitution : Prof. 

 P. Groth. Methods of investigating alloys illustrated from 

 the copper-tin series : C. T. Heycock and F. H. Neville. 

 On some reactions between ammonium salts and metals : 

 Prof. W. R. E: Hodgkinson and A. H. Coote. The stereo- 

 chemistry of nitrogen : Dr. H. O. Jones. The constitution 

 of nickel carbonyl : Dr. H. O. Jones. Exhibition of photo- 

 graphs of sections of an Australian siderite : Prof. A. Liver- 

 sidge. On dynamic isomerism : Dr. T. M. Lowry. The 

 oxidation of carbohydrates by hydrogen peroxide in presence 

 of ferrous sulphate : R. S. Morrell and A. E. Bellars. 

 Studies in the dynamic isomerism of a- and /3-crotonic acids ; 

 R. -S. Morrell and E. K. Hanson. The constitution of 

 phthalein salts : Prof. Richard Meyer. The decomposition 

 and synthesis of ammonia : Dr. E. P. Perman. Changes 

 produced by the /3 rays : Sir William Ramsay. The action 

 of organic bases on olefinic ketonic compounds : Dr. S. 

 Ruhemann. (i) The vapour density of hydrazine hydrate; 

 {1) the combining volumes of carbon monoxide and oxygen ; 

 (jl the action of heat on oxalates; {4) some alkyl derivatives 

 of sulphur, selenium, and tellurion : Dr. A. Scott. A 

 hexachlor-o-picoline and its derivatives : W. J. Sell. A new 

 theory of the periodic law : G. J. Stokes. On the presence 

 of arsenic in the body and its secretion by the kidneys : 

 W. Thomson. On the velocity of osmosis and on solubility ; 

 a contribution to the theory of narcosis : Prof. Isidor Traube. 

 Exhibition of effects produced by precipitating silver 

 chromate in gelatin : Prof. Isidor Traube. The asym- 

 metric nitrogen atom : Prof. E. Wedekind. On the products 

 obtained by the action of tertiary bases on some acid 

 chlorides : Prof. E. Wedekind. Pseudomorphosis in organic 

 persulphates ; Prof. R. Wolffenstein. 



.As in previous years, the practice of inviting two special 

 reports on subjects of current interest and making these the 

 basis of a discussion, met with considerable success, the 

 communications of this order at the Cambridge meeting 

 being made by Dr. H. O. Jones and Dr. T. M. Lowry ; 

 forming comprehensive summaries of our knowledge of the 

 subjects discussed, which will be found very valuable by all 

 who are engaged in teaching chemistry. The business of the 

 section was brought to a conclusion on Tuesday afternoon by 

 an address from Sir James Dewaron new low temperature 

 phenomena and their scientific applications ; this attracted 

 .1 very large and appreciative audience, who followed the 

 novel experiments with the greatest interest. The com- 

 mittees of the previous year were re-appointed, and two new 

 committees were formed to deal with the subjects of 

 dynamic isomerism and transformation of diazonium com- 

 pounds and allied substances. 



.Mthough the neighbourhood of Cambridge does not offer 

 many opportunities for studying industries of chemical 

 interest, a very successful visit was made to the woad 

 works near Wisbech, a description of which has appeared 

 already in the columns of Nature. Visitors were shown the 

 processes of cropping, milling, and balling, and examined 

 the drying racks on which the balls are placed until the 

 .■second milling process, which takes place in November. 



NO. 182 I, VOL. 70] 



GEOLOGY AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 

 "POLLOWING the president's address, which has already 

 appeared in these pages. Dr. Marr gave an address on 

 the geology of Cambridgeshire. He described the main 

 physical features of the county, and showed their relations 

 to geological structure. Opportunities were afforded during 

 the meeting, by afternoon excursions, for visiting most of 

 the typical sections of Jurassic and Cretaceous i-ocks ex- 

 posed near Cambridge, including the interesting occurrence 

 of Upper Gault at Barnwell, in which Mr. Fearnsides 

 recently discovered an unsuspected fauna. The Boulder- 

 clays and gravels which cover a large portion of the surface 

 of Cambridgeshire were dealt with by Dr. Marr in his 

 address, and were further described by Messrs. Fearnsides 

 and Rastall, who gave an account of the boulders collected 

 by the members of the Sedgwick Club. Mr. F. W. Harmer, 

 in a comprehensive paper on the Great Eastern Glacier, 

 showed that its product, the Chalky Boulder-clay, extend- 

 ing over a great part of the eastern counties, has a palmate 

 form, its lobes radiating from the great depression of the 

 Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire fens. The fens were the 

 centre whence the Chalky Boulder-clay was distributed, 

 and formed the quarry out of which was e.xcavated the 

 enormous mass of Jurassic material which forms the matrix 

 of this deposit. 



Much of the Boulder-clay about Leicester, in his opinion, 

 was due to the ice stream of the Trent Valley having been 

 piled up, upon the high lands to the east of Leicester, by 

 the pressure of ice descending from the Pennine Chain. He 

 found no evidence to show that any considerable amount of 

 ice entered East Anglia through the Wash gap. 



Mr. W. Whitaker showed that in the valley of the Stour 

 deep channels filled with drift have been proved by borings, 

 one of them having a depth of no less than 477 feet. How 

 these channels extending below sea level have been ex- 

 cavated is a moot point, and in this connection Mr. 

 Lamplugh pointed out that Dr. Gilbert has found in Alaska 

 that the excavating power of ice debouching on the sea is 

 carried on below sea level, and until the depth of water is 

 sufficient to float the ice. 



In a note on a small anticline in the Great Oolite series 

 at Clapham, north of Bedford, Mr. H. B. Woodward directed 

 attention to a small fold trending N.N.W. to S.S.E. Its 

 direction is contrary to the minor undulations affecting the 

 Oolitic strata of the district, and while there is no evidence 

 to connect the disturbance with glacial action, there is 

 equally no evidence against such a supposition. 



Mr. John Spiller gave an account of the recent coast 

 erosion in Suffolk, between Dunwich and Covehithe. At 

 Easton losses of 39 feet and 55 feet have occurred at different 

 points during the past two years. 



A report on the fossiliferous drift deposits at Kirmington 

 was read by Mr. J. W. Stather. A boring conducted by a 

 committee appointed by the association proved solid chalk to 

 exist at a depth of 93 feet, and above this were two boulder- 

 clays separated by a bed of shingle and 182 feet of laminated 

 warp with estuarine shells. Thin peat and sand containing 

 fresh-water shells were found at the base of the warp. The 

 plants in the peat, according to Mr. Clement Reid, indicate 

 estuarine conditions, and suggest a subarctic climate. 

 Another boring at Great Limber showed a similar larhin- 

 ated warp, but without shells, and it does not rest on Glacial 

 clavs. 



Mr. Edward Greenly, in describing the glaciation of Holy- 

 head Mountain, showed that the northern and eastern slopes 

 are strongly rubbed and rounded in a general N.E. to S.W. 

 direction, and stria; occur on the summit 721 feet above 

 sea level, parallel with the trend of the general glaciation 

 of Anglesey. Mica schists, occurring in situ at a level of 

 200 to 300 feet, have been raised 500 feet above their source. 

 He ascribes the phenomena to the action of land ice, and 

 some ill-defined moraines composed of local debris he thinks 

 may be due to small local glaciers. 



Prof. P. F. Kendall presented a report of the committee 

 on erratic blocks, and later exhibited a model of the Cleve- 

 land area showing glacier-lakes. He incidentally referred 

 to a boulder of Red Crag of the Waltonian type found near 

 Sherringham on the occasion of the association e.xcursion 

 to Cromer. The Rev. W. L. Carter, in describing the 



