JANuARY 21, 1904] 
IVA OLE 
287 
Loch Ness. ‘The organisms found were grouped under the 
three headings, pelagic, littoral, and abyssal. All the 
pelagic forms and most of the abyssal forms extended into 
the littoral region, but the littoral forms (which were by far 
the most numerous) were rarely found in the open waters. 
A comparison of the organisms found in spring and in 
autumn showed that there was little seasonal variation, the 
chief difference being the greater number of Rotifers in 
autumn and the presence of certain species of Cladocera in 
the later season. A remarkable vertical migration of Lepto- 
dora was established, the animal coming to the surface 
in great numbers immediately after sunset, and retiring to 
a depth of 100 feet or more during the day. 
the animals obtained from the deep muds had led to many 
interesting results. The Rotifers in the abyssal region 
differed from specimens got nearer shore, but not enough 
to lead to their classification as distinct species. 
difference was in the size of the eyes. 
DUBLIN. 
Royal Dublin Society, December 15, 1903.—Prof. W. F. 
Barrett, F.R.S., in the chair.—Prof. T. Johnson read a 
paper on willow canker. The author gave an illustrated 
account of an osier canker due to Physalospora gregaria, 
Sacc., a hyalosporous sphzriaceous Pyrenomycete, which is 
recorded in ‘‘ Sylloge Fungorum,’’ on Prunus, Salix, 
Alnus, Rosa, &c., in Italy, France, Siberia, and South | 
the 
America. The ascosporous stage is associated in 
cankers with two others—pyenidia with triseptate conidia, 
and pyenidia with bisporous intercalary conidia on branch- 
ing hyphae. Economically the fungus does great harm, 
killing many of the osier sets outright, and in other cases 
spoiling the rods for basket-work. The author has traced | 
the fungus from the sets first planted with the rods cut 
from year to year, and has also found the disease to be 
present in the osier holt in England from which the original 
sets were supplied. Experiments in infection and in pre- 
vention were also described.—Dr. Henry H. Dixon and 
Dr. J. T. Wigham presented a paper on the action of the 
radiations from radium bromide on some organisms. 
Paris. 
Academy of Sciences, January 11.—M. Mascart in the 
chair.—The action of the X-rays upon animal tissues : 
R Lépine and M. Boulud. The X-rays favour the form- 
ation of amylase in the pancreas. In the liver and in the 
blood, their first action is to increase glycolysis, but this 
effect is diminished, or even arrested, by their prolonged 
action.—M. Lacroix was elected a member in the section 
of mineralogy in the place of the late M. Munier-Chalmas. 
—On the asymptotic study of meromorphic functions: M. 
Emile Borel.—On the homographic resolution of spherical 
triangles: M. d’Ocagne.—On the properties of notched 
test-pieces: Aug. Pourcel.—On a self-recording apparatus 
allowing of the measurement through a solid wall, carry- 
ing pressures relatively high, of small differences of 
pressure: M. A. Mesnager.—On a method for the com- 
parison of thicknesses: M. Mesnager. In the method of 
MM. Pérot and Fabry a thin layer of air between two half- 
silvered glass plates making a small angle with each other 
is utilised. The delicacy of the measurements is increased 
two hundred times by replacing the air film by a thin plate 
of quartz. The quartz plate, placed between two parallel 
Nicols, gives the same fringes as the half-silvered plates, 
but 218 times larger. This arrangement also possesses the 
advantage of absorbing much less light than the com- 
pensator with half-silvered plates, and also avoids the con- 
fusion resulting from multiple reflections.—On the produc- 
tion of the n-rays by sound vibrations: J. Macé de Lépinay. 
The fact that the compression or extension of a body gives 
rise to the n-rays led to the conclusion that sound vibra- 
tions would produce the same effects, and this conclusion 
has been experimentally confirmed.—On the applications of 
the chronostiliscope: E. Varenne and L. Godefroy. 
Colour reactions of vanadic acid -and ethenol: Camille 
Matignon. The colour reaction obtained with vanadic 
acid and some specimens of ordinary ether has been traced 
to the presence of ethenol, vinyl alcohol.—The use of 
bismuth as a separating agent for the rare earths: G. 
Urbain and H. Lacombe. On adding to uncrystallisable 
mother liquors of the rare earths their own weight of the 
NO. 1786, VOL. 69] 
double nitrate of magnesium and bismuth, the latter carries 
down the gadolinium in crystallising, the operation being 
repeated until the soluble earths no longer give the spec- 
trum of gadolinium. This method of extraction works 
equally well in the elimination of gadolinium from crude 
| yttrium earths.—A new method of estimating the, halogens 
The study of | 
One main | 
| preparation of chlorine can be calculated.—On a 
in organic compounds. The case of chlorine and bromine : 
A. Baubigny and G. Chavanne. The compound is 
oxidised by heating with a mixture of sulphuric and chromic . 
acids, the halogen being caught in an alkaline sulphite 
solution. Analytical results are given showing the accuracy 
of the method.—The titration of manganese: Léon 
Déhourdeaux. The oxide is dissolved in a solution of 
sulphuric and oxalic acids, the active oxygen being 
measured by the amount of oxalic acid destroyed, and from 
the amount of sulphuric acid used up the quantity of 
hydrochloric acid required by the oxide in the commercial 
new 
| general method for the synthesis of aldehydes: MM. Béhal 
| and Sommeict. 
Aldehydes of the types R,.CH.CH=O 
and RR’.CHCH:O are obtained by heating a-glycols of 
the type RR’.C(OH).CH,.OX with oxalic acid. The glycols 
are readily obtained by Grignard’s reaction from the ketones 
R.CO.CH,.OC,H,. The properties of a series of alde- 
hydes prepared by this method are given, in which R in- 
cludes alkyls from methyl to isoamyl, and also allyl and 
phenyl. The method appears to be quite general.—The 
synthesis of aromatic aldehydes: F. Bodroux. Phenyl- 
magnesium-bromide reacts with ethyl orthoformate and gives 
benzaldehyde, with a yield of go per cent. The para-tolyl 
magnesium bromide reacts in a similar manner.—The 
stimulating influence of an albumenoid material on the 
oxidation caused by manganese salts: A. Trillat. The 
oxidising effect is increased by the addition of an albu- 
menoid, but the effect produced is not proportional to the 
amount of the latter, there being a proportion producing a 
maximum result-——On the formation of tetrads and 
maturative divisions in the testicle of the lobster: Alphonse 
Labbé.—On the nidamental gland of the oviduct in 
elasmobranchs: I. Boreea.—The emission of n-rays by 
plants : Edouard Meyer. N-rays are emitted by plants, this 
emission being a function of the nutritive activity or evolu- 
tion of the plant.—The morphological characters of the 
Acrocecidia : C. Houard.—Chronology of the cave near 
Mentone: Marcellin Boule. A further examination of 
these well-known caves has been undertaken at the instiga- 
tion of the Prince of Monaco, and has resulted in the dis- 
covery of four human skeletons, many fossil remains of 
animals, and a large number of worked objects in stone and 
bone. The present paper contains the results of the strati- 
graphical study of these caves. Layers have been found corre- 
sponding to the Upper and Lower Quaternary, and a layer 
beneath these which appears to be pre-Quaternary.—On the 
earthquakes in the Andes: de Montessus de Ballore.—On 
the general bathymetric chart of the ocean: J. Thoulet and 
Ch. Sauerwein.—An experimental demonstration of the 
general action of the interstitial gland of the testicle on the 
economy: P. Bouim and P. Anmcel. Contrary to the 
opinion of Brown-Séquard, the seminal fluid is without 
action on the organism, the interstitial gland alone 
possessing the functions generally recognised as belonging 
to the whole testicle—Cooperation, hierarchisation, and in- 
tegration of the sensations in the Artizoa: Georges Bohn. 
—Radiotherapy as a means of diagnosis and therapeutics in 
certain fibromas: Foveau de Courmelle. 
New Soutu Watss. 
Royal Society, October 7, 1903.—Mr. F. B. Guthrie, 
president, in the chair.—The geology of the Mittagong 
district : T. Griffith Taylor and D. Mawson. The authors 
show in this paper that the eruptive rocks of the Mittagong 
district are all of post-Triassic age.—Notes on some native 
dialects of Victoria: R. H. Mathews. 
November 4, 1903.—Mr. F. B. Guthrie, president, in the* 
chair.—On some further observations on the life-history of 
Filaria immitis, Leidy: T. L. Bancroft. In this paper 
Dr. Bancroft (who has at various times during the past 
fifteen years worked at filarial diseases of the human sub- 
ject, the dog, and birds) has detailed the results of final 
work on this subject. He has succeeded, through the 
agency of mosquitoes, in transmitting Filaria immitis from 
