442 
tions is very slight. 
Isles show very slight relation with the positions of 
the islands as regards each other. 
MANCHESTER. 
Literary and Philosophical Society, November 4.—Mr. 
Francis Nicholson, president, in the chair.—Prof. 
Edmund Knecht and Miss E. Hibbert: Note on some 
products isolated from soot. The authors gave an 
account of the laborious work involved in isolating 
definite organic compounds from soot collected from 
household chimneys round Manchester. Three of 
these were obtained, and were described. One such 
compound is an unsaturated solid hydrocarbon, cero- 
tene, which was isolated in 1783 by Kénig and Kiesow 
from hay, this being the only other known source. 
Another substance, obtained in the form of a pure 
yellow oil, appears to be of the nature of a higher 
alcohol, and a solid organic acid was also isolated.— 
Prof. H, C. H. Carpenter; The crystallising properties 
of electro-deposited iron. Specimens of  electro- 
deposited iron sheet of a high degree of purity have 
been found to exhibit remarkable recrystallisation 
effects when heated above the Ac3 change, and then 
cooled below the Ar3 change. In this way relatively 
enormous crystals are formed in three seconds after 
cooling below Ar3. The coarse crystals are sometimes 
“equi-axed’’ and sometimes “radial.” Frequently 
both types occur on the same specimen. ‘There is no 
reason for thinking that they are constitutionally 
different, and they are most probably « iron. These 
crystallisation effects are only obtained when _ the 
thickness of the iron sheet or strip does not exceed 
a certain critical figure, which is between o-o11 and 
0-012 of an inch. The coarse crystals once formed can 
only be destroyed either by mechanical work or by 
heating above Ac3 followed by quenching, or by very 
prolonged heating above Ac3 followed by ordinary 
cooling rates. The same heat treatment which pro- 
duces coarse crystals in the electro-deposited iron 
refines wrought-iron and very mild steel that have 
been rendered coarsely crystalline by *‘* close-anneal- 
ing”? between 700° and 800° C. On the other hand, 
annealing at 700° to 800° C. has no effect in coarsen- 
ing the structure of the electro-deposited iron which 
has been refined by cold mechanical work. In these 
respects, therefore, the behaviour of electro-deposited 
iron is precisely the opposite of that of wrought-iron 
and mild steel. 
EDINBURGH. 
Royal Society, November 17.—Prof. J. Geikie, 
F.R.S., president, in the chair.—Dr. F. Kidston Fossil 
flora of the Westphalian Series of the South Stafford- 
shire Coalfield. More than 150 species were de- 
scribed, some of them being recorded for the first 
time as British. A few mew species were also 
described.—Prof. Margaret J. Benson: Sphaerostoma 
ovale (Conostoma ovale et intermedium, Williamson), 
a Lower Carboniferous Ovale from Pettycur, Fife- 
shire. The paper also contained the description of a 
seed referable to Pteridosfernis, and possibly belong- 
ing to Heterangium Grievii, Williamson.—Prof. C. R. 
Marshall: Studies on the pharmacological action of 
tetra-alkyl-ammonium compounds. I., The action of 
tetra-methyl-ammonium chloride. This substance pro- 
duces paralysis of the myoneural junctions in mam- 
mals and frogs. In anzsthetised mammals the intra- 
venous injection of certain doses causes temporary 
cessation of the respiration, which was found to be 
synchronous with the paralysis of the nerve-endings 
in the muscles of the anterior end of the body. The 
respiratory paralysis was also found to occur after 
division of both fifth cranial nerves, and therefore 
could not be due, as has been stated, to stimulation of 
NO, 2302, VOL: 92] 
NATURE 
The sex proportions in the Scilly \ the endings of these nerves. 
fluorescein at great distances. 
[DECEMBER II, I913 
It was further shown 
that the effect was not synchronous with the action 
on the circulation.—Dr. T. Muir: The theory of bi- 
gradients from 1859 to 1880. 
Paris. 
Academy of Sciences, December 1.—-M. F. Guyon in 
the chair.—Paul Appell: The development of (x—y)-* 
in series proceeding according to the inverse of given 
polynomials.—M. Righi was elected a correspondant 
for the section of physics in the place of the late M- 
Bosscha, and M. Grignard a correspondant in the 
section of chemistry in the place of M. Sabatier, 
elected non-resident member.—André Broca and Ch. 
Florian: A practical level with a damped mercury 
bath. The movements of the sheet of mercury are 
deadened by covering with a thin layer of glycerol, 
the latter being covered by a sheet of plane glass. 
Numerous possible applications of the instrument are 
suggested.—Henri Chrétien ; Statistical analysis of star 
clusters.—A. Demoulin: A characteristic property of 
the families of Lamé.—E. Vessiot: The reducibility 
of differential systems.—Serge Bernstein: Some 
asymptotic properties of polynomials.—F. La Porte ; 
Modifications of the coast of Brittany between Pen- 
march and the Loire. Near Morbihan the coastline 
is the same as in 1821; elsewhere the coast-line has 
retreated, except at Carnac, where 80 to 100 metres 
have been gained from the sea.—A. Korn; The origin 
of terrestrial magnetism.—F. Croze: The peculiarities 
of the Zeeman phenomenon in the series spectra of 
oxygen and hydrogen.—A. Cotton, H. Mouton, and P. 
Drapier : The optical properties of a mixed liquid sub- 
mitted simultaneously to an electric and a magnetic 
field.—G. Ribaud: The quantitative study of the 
absorption of light by the vapour of bromine in the 
ultra-violet. From the results of the experiments the 
kinetic theory of light absorption does not hold for 
the large bands; for five lines the theory is in good 
agreement with observation.—L. Dunoyer: An experi- 
ment in optical resonance on a gas in one dimension. 
—G, Moreau: Couples consisting of two flames. Two 
Bunsen flames burn vertically in contact, one con- 
taining the vapour of an alkaline salt. In each flame 
is a platinum electrode, from which, under conditions 
detailed in the paper, a current amounting to several 
microamperes can be obtained.—R. Boulouch ; Systems 
of centred spherical diopters : ordinary stigmatism and 
aplanetism.—E. Aries: The laws of displacement of _ 
chemical equilibrium at constant temperature or at 
constant pressure.—P. Teilhard de Chardin: A forma- 
tion of carboro-phosphate of lime of the Paleolithic 
age.—A, Prunet: The fungi which cause in France 
the disease (piétin) of cereals. This name is applied 
to diseases due to the attacks of three different species 
of fungi.—J. Stoklasa and V. Zdornicky: The infiu- 
ence of the radio-active emanations on vegetation. 
In small amounts, the radium emanations favour 
plant growth, but above a certain quantity the con- 
trary effect is observed.—E. J. Hirtz: A new reaction 
in electrodiagnosis.—Philippe de Vilmorin: The here- 
ditary characters of tailless and short-tailed dogs.— 
Y. Manouélian: Histological study of the destruction 
of the acini in the salivary glands in rabic animals.— 
Adrien Lucet : Experimental researches on coccidiosis 
of the domestic rabbit——L. Gaumont ; Contribution to 
the study of the black fly of the beet.—F. Duchacek : 
A supposed biochemical variation of the Bulgarian 
lactic bacillus. A criticism of some conclusions of 
Effront on the variation of the Bulgarian bacillus.— 
Auguste Lumiére and Jean Chevrotier: A new culture 
medium very suitable for the development of the 
gonococcus.—C, Bruyant : The peat bog's of the massif 
of Mont Dore.—E. A. Martel: Experiments with 
In connection with the 
