March i, 1906J 



NA TURE 



43i 



ing the bee, Andrena labialis, Kirb., by Mr. A. H. Hamm, 

 identified by Mr. G. H. Verrall as a species of Chortophila : 

 Prof. E. B. Poulton. Prof. Poulton stated that new and 

 interesting light had been thrown on the observation by 

 Colonel Yerbury, who pointed out that both flies were 

 males. At first sight it seemed astonishing that the bees 

 should be pursued by the males of inguiline flies, but he 

 suggested that the males in this way find their way to the 

 burrows, where they meet the females, which have also 

 reached them in the same manner, or where, more prob- 

 ably, they lie in wait for the freshly emerging females. — 

 Collection of Rhopalocera made in Spain during July and 

 August, 10115: W. G. Sheldon. There were also shown 

 fur comparison typical European specimens ; an aberration 

 of .4. aglaia, with the black blotches on the superiors 

 enlarged and banded, and with dark suffused ground colour 

 on all wings ; and an interesting series of L. corydon and 

 var. hispana, with forms approaching var. polomts, from 

 Aragon, and intermediates between all these forms, and 

 also British, French, and Swiss typical specimens for com- 

 parison. — Papers. — (i) Some rest attitudes of butterflies ; 

 (2) some bionomic points in certain South African Lamelli- 

 corns : Dr. G. B. Longstaff. — Some new or hitherto un- 

 figured species of South African butterflies : Roland 

 Trimen. — Some observations on the reproduction of 

 Hemiptera-Crvptocera by Claydon Hewett : Commander 

 J. J. Walker. 



Chemical Society, February 15. — Prof. R. Meldola, 

 F.R.S., president, in the chair. — Cuprous formate : A. 

 Angel. This salt was prepared by dissolving cuprous oxide 

 in an aqueous ammoniacal solution of ammonium formate 

 under petroleum, diluting with alcohol, acidifying with 

 formic acid, and washing the deposited crystals with ethyl 

 formate. Water immediately hydrolyses it to cuprous 

 oxide and formic acid, and dilute sulphuric acid at once 

 produces a precipitate of metallic copper. — The solubility 

 ui triphenylmethane in organic liquids, with which it forms 

 crystalline compounds : H. Hartley and N. G. Thomas. 

 The results of these experiments confirm the existence of 

 a metastable region in which supersaturated solutions can- 

 nut crystallise spontaneously. — The spontaneous crystallisa- 

 tion of supersaturated solutions : H. Hartley. It was 

 shown how the difference between metastable and labile 

 solutions might be explained from the kinetic standpoint 

 as a result of the increased solubility of the small crystals 

 which must be first formed in a spontaneous crystallisation. 

 — Preparation and properties of some new tropeines : 

 H. A. D. Jovwett and A. C. O. Hann. The tropeines of 

 methylparaconic, terebic, glycollic, protocatechuic, and 

 phthalidecarboxylic acids were prepared. The results of 

 physiological experiments with these confirm Ladenburg's 

 view that for mydriatic action to exist in a tropeine the 

 acyl group should contain a benzene nucleus and an 

 aliphatic hydroxyl in the side-chain containing the carboxyl 

 group. — Studies in asymmetric synthesis, iv., the appli- 

 cation of Grignard's reaction for asymmetric syntheses: 

 V McKenzie. The author has studied the action of 

 magnesium propyl iodide, magnesium isobutyl iodide, and 

 magnesium a-naphthyl bromide respectively on Z-menthyl 

 benzoylformate, and effected in each case an asymmetric 

 synthesis of a substituted /-glycollic acid. — o-Cyanobenzene- 

 sulphonic acid and its derivatives : A. J. Walker and 

 E. Smith. The authors described a modification of 

 Jesurun's method for the preparation of o-cyanobenzene- 

 sulphonic chloride, and referred to various substances 

 obtained from this by reduction and hydrolysis. — The con- 

 densation of dimethyldihydroresorcinol and of chloroketo- 

 dimethyltetrahydrobenzene with primary amines, part ii., 

 diamines, m- and />-phenylenediamines : P. Haas. — A 

 modification of the volumetric estimation of free acid in 

 the presence of iron salts : C. Chester Ahlum. The iron 

 is precipitated by means of sodium dihydrogen phosphate, 

 and the filtrate titrated with standard sodium hydroxide. 

 In the reaction of the ferric salt with the phosphate, a 

 definite quantity of acid, directly proportional to the 

 amount of " ferric " iron present, is liberated, and is 

 corrected for by estimating the " ferric " iron present 

 before titrating. The method is applicable to natural 

 waters containing iron salts and free acid. — The theory of 

 alkaline development, with notes on the affinities of certain 



NO. 1896, VOL. 73] 



reducing agents : S. E. Sheppard. — Resolution of 2:3- 

 dihydro-3-methylindene-2-carboxylic acid into its optically 

 active isomerides : A. Neville. The acid forms with 

 Z-menthylamine a well defined crystalline salt, which on 

 crystallisation from ethyl acetate gives, after a few crystal- 

 lisations, the pure salts of the d-acid and J-base. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, February 19. — M. H. Poincare in 

 the chair. — The simultaneous determination of two points 

 by means of graphical construction on the large scale : 

 M. Hatt. — The boiling and distillation of nickel, iron, 

 manganese, molybdenum, tungsten, and uranium : Henri 

 Moissan (see p. 424). — The function of organic matter in 

 nitrification : A. Miintz and E. Laine. The experiments 

 of Winogradsky and Omeliansky have given rise to the 

 idea that the presence of humic material is not only un- 

 necessary, but even harmful to the process of nitrification. 

 The present researches deal specially with the rdle of 

 humus in the nitrifying process, and it was found that 

 organic material in this form does not hinder the process, 

 and may be favourable. Abundance of humus is not an 

 indispensable condition for nitrification, but its presence is 

 favourable to the multiplication of the organisms, and the 

 nitrification ultimately becomes more rapid. — The reproduc- 

 tion of architectural monuments from their photographs, 

 practised especially in Germany : M. Laussedat. — 

 Synthesis of tertiary alcohols derived from paramethyl- 

 cyclohexane : Paul Sabatier and A. Mailhe. Methyl- 

 cyclohexanone (1 : 4) is readily obtained from paracresol 

 by reduction in presence of reduced nickel. It reacts 

 energetically with organomagnesium halogen compounds, 

 and the product of the reaction treated with water gives 

 tertiary alcohol. The alcohols arising from the action of 

 the methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, isobutyl, isoamyl, and 

 octyl magnesium iodides (or bromides) are described in 

 detail, and also the substituted ethylenes arising from their 

 dehydration. The reaction with phenyl-magnesium bromide 

 and benzyl-magnesium chloride is also given. The optical 

 constants were determined, and found to correspond very 

 closely with the molecular refractive powers calculated 

 from the coefficients of Conrady and Briihl, thus furnish- 

 ing a further proof that the hexamethylene ring introduces 

 no abnormality into the refractive constant. — The dangers 

 of the ingestion of dead tubercle bacilli into tuberculous 

 and healthy animals : A. Calmette and M. Breton. In 

 the experiments described the tuberculous bacilli were 

 sterilised by heating to 100 C. Tuberculous guinea-pigs 

 had their death hastened by the repeated injection or inges- 

 tion of sterilised tubercle bacilli, the general effect being 

 similar to that produced by repeated injection of tuberculin. 

 In healthy animals the results are injurious, sometimes pro- 

 ducing disorders resembling those produced by tuberculin. 

 One practical conclusion to be drawn from this work is 

 that milk from tuberculous cows, even after sterilisation 

 by heat, is not a safe food, especially if the person taking 

 such milk is already tuberculous. — The photographic study 

 of the duration of discharge in a Crookes' tube : Andre' 

 Broca and M. Turchini. The photographs of the spark 

 were taken from a rotating mirror, the velocity being 

 adjusted so that a time of o-ooi second corresponded to 

 63 mm. on the plate. The photographs showed a sudden 

 commencement of the discharge lasting 000025 second, 

 followed by a weakening terminating asymptotically at the 

 end of about 0-0008 second. With a soft tube the same 

 form of discharge was observed, but the time throughout 

 was greater. The authors regard this method as giving 

 an upper limit for the time of discharge. — A method for 

 measuring the total quantity of X-rays emitted in a given 

 time : M. Gaiffe — The radio-activity of springs of potable 

 water : F. Dienert and E. Bouquet. Measurements are 

 given of the radio-activity of the water from the Group de 

 Nouvet, Erigny, Riviere, and Breuil springs. — The con- 

 densation of the acetylenic nitriles with phenols. A general 

 method of synthesis of ^-substituted acrylic 0-oxyphenol 

 nitriles: Ch. Moureu and I. Lazennec. It has been 

 found that the condensation between alcohols and nitriles 

 of the type R — C=C — CN also takes place when phenols 

 are substituted for the alcohols. Details are given of seven 

 compounds formed in this way. — Researches in the pyrane 

 series : E. E. Blaise and H. Gault. — The presence of 



