214 
NATURE 
[JuNE 29, 1899 
curves have been plotted, and the results have been compared 
with a similar set of readings taken on a cast iron ring. <A 
chemical analysis of the cobalt showed that it contained about 
T per cent. of iron and 1 per cent. of nickel. The authors con- 
clude that, although in general form the magnetisation curve for 
cobalt resembles that of cast iron, its hysteresis exponent is 
similar to that of annealed soft iron. The absolute hysteresis 
values corresponding to various maximum flux densities are, 
however, not very different from those of a typical variety of 
cast iron. Prof. Everett referred to the fact that the sample of 
cobalt contained about I per cent. of iron, and said that it 
would be interesting to know how cobalt free from iron would 
behave. The Chairman said that the hysteresis curves obtained 
from the step by step method could not be applied to dynamos, 
because the time taken to perform the cycle altered the shape of 
the curve. He would like to see the curves for cobalt deter- 
mined in cases where the cycles were quickly executed,—A dis- 
cussion on physical tables was commenced by Mr. J. Lupton. 
Mr. Lupton briefly reviewed some of the difficulties met with 
in compiling physical tables and in keeping them up to date. 
He divided them into four classes according to their objects, 
and criticised several well-known books of constants. He 
pointed out the danger of leaving out apparently obvious figures, 
and referred to the necessity for accurate proof reading. Prof. 
Everett said that in his work he had aimed at giving an idea of 
the meanings of various numbers, rather than stating them with 
great accuracy. He drew attention to the difficulty of con- 
densing large series of numbers into a clear and concise table. 
Mr. Watson said that it was important that the units in which 
numbers were expressed should be stated at the head of each 
table. The Chairman having pointed out one or two small 
points to be attended to in the compilation of tables, the Society 
adjourned until next October. 
Chemical Society, June 15.—Prof. T. E. Thorpe, President, 
in the chair.—The following papers were read :—On the 
decomposition of chlorates, with special reference to the evolu- 
tion of chlorine and oxygen, by W. H. Sodeau. The author 
concludes that on heating barium chlorate, two reactions proceed 
simultaneously ; (a) an exothermic decomposition into chloride 
and oxygen, and (4) an endothermic decomposition into oxide, 
chlorine and oxygen.—Action of hydrogen peroxide on form- 
aldehyde, by A. Harden. Hydrogen peroxide and formaldehyde 
react in presence of much soda in accordance with the following 
equation : 
H,0, + 2CH,O + 2NaHO =2HCO,Na + Hy + 2H,0. 
With excess of formaldehyde reaction proceeds rapidly, whilst in 
presence of excess of hydrogen peroxide it proceeds slowly and 
incompletely, The behaviour of other oxides towards formal- 
dehyde and soda has also been investigated. —Homocamphoronic 
and camphononic acids, by A. Lapworth and E. M. Chapman. 
a-Dibromocamphor is rapidly oxidised by nitric acid in presence 
of silver nitrate, with formation of small quantities of a nitro- 
compound, C,,H,,N.O,, and a tribasic acid, Cj)H,,O,, named 
homocamphoronic acid; the latter yields on heating first an 
anhydro-acid, and then a ketonic acid, C,H,,O3, termed cam- 
phononic acid.—Action of silver compounds on a-dibromo- 
camphor, by A. Lapworth.—The colouring matter of cotton 
flowers, by A. G. Perkin. The flowers of the cotton plant, 
Gossypium herbaceum, contain a glucoside, gossypetin, C,,H,.0g; 
it isa colouring matter, yields a hexacetyl-derivative, and re- 
sembles thujetin.—Experiments on the synthesis of camphoric 
acid, by H. A. Auden, W. H. Perkin, jun., and J. L. Rose. 
Ethyl isoamylacetoacetate was converted into ethyl a-isoamyl- 
BB-hydroxycyanobutyrate, which on hydrolysis yielded methyl- 
hydroxyisoamylsuccinimide ; the latter on further hydrolysis 
yielded the corresponding acid 
COOH.CMe(OH),CH(C,H,,)COOH, 
from which it was hoped by elimination of water to synthesise 
camphoric acid. The attempt was not successful.—Methyl- 
isoamylsuccinic acid, i., by W. T. Lawrence. —Condensations 
of anhydracetonebenzil and its analogues with aldehydes, by F. 
R. Japp and A. Findlay.—Triphenyloxazolone, by F, R. Japp 
and A. Findlay.—Interaction of phenanthraquinone, aceto- 
phenone, and ammonia, by F. R. Japp and A. N. Meldrum. 
—Furfuran derivatives from benzoin and phenols, by F. R. Japp 
and A. N. Meldrum.—Interaction of benzoin with phenylene- 
diamines, by F. R. Japp and A. N. Meidrum.—The condens- 
ation of ethyl salts of acids of the acetylene series with ketonic 
NO. 1548, VOL. 60] 
compounds, by S. Ruhemann and A. V. Cunnington.— 
Dextro-ac-tetrahydro-8-naphthylamine, by W. J. Pope. In- 
active ac-tetrahydro-8-naphthylamine may be resolved into its 
optically active components by means of its dextro-a-bromo- 
camphorsulphonate ; the pure dextro-compound was thus pre- 
pared.—The resolution of racemic tetrahydroparatoluquinaldine 
into its optically active components, by W. J. Pope and E. M. 
Rich. Inactive tetrahydroparatoluquinaldine may be resolved 
into its optically active components by crystallisation with 
dextro-a-bromocamphorsulphonic acid. — Isomeric salts of 
hydrindamine containing pentavalent nitrogen, by F.S. Kip- 
ping. The author has endeavoured to resolve a-hydrindamine 
into its optically active components by Pope and Peachey’s 
method with bromocamphorsulphonic acid and by crystallisation 
with cis-7-camphanic acid ; two salts are formed in each case, 
but the regenerated base is optically inactive.—Synthesis of 
phenoketoheptamethylene, by F. S$. Kipping and Miss L. Hall. 
—Organic compounds containing silicon, by F. S. Kipping and 
L. L. Lloyd. The authors have prepared triphenylsilicol, 
(C,Hs)3 Si.OH, its acetyl derivative, (C,H;)3 Si.OAc, and the 
corresponding ether, (C,H5;)3Si.O.Si(C;H;),.—The velocity of 
reaction before complete equilibrium, by M. Wilderman.— 
The ultra-violet absorption spectra of albuminoids in relation to 
that of tyrosin, by A. W. Blyth.—An explanation of the laws 
which govern substitution in the case of benzenoid compounds 
(third notice), by H. E, Armstrong. The author advocates 
the view that in compounds which ordinarily furnish meta-di- 
derivatives, the radicle (NO,, CO,H, &c.) is not only unattrac- 
tive and possessed of little or no ortho-para-orienting power, 
but even exercises an inhibiting influence on these positions. — 
The colouring matters of dyer’s broom and heather, by A. G. 
Perkin and F. G. Newbury. 
Linnean Society, June 15.—Dr. A. Giinther, F.R.S., 
President, in the chair.—The President exhibited a living speci- 
men of a tree-frog (Polypedates guadrilineatus) which was in- 
troduced accidentally into Kew Gardens with a consignment of 
plants from Singapore. This is not the first instance of acci- 
dental introduction of a tropical frog into the Royal Gardens, 
Kew. Some five years ago aspecies of Hy/odes, from Dominica, 
appeared in some numbers in several of the propagating-houses, 
and has evidently reproduced its species since arrival.——-Mr. W. 
Whitwell exhibited : (1) The only known British specimen of 
Botrychium matricariaefolium, A, Braun, gathered in July 
1887 on the seashore at Stevenston, Ayrshire (Journ. Bot., 
1898, pp. 291--297). (2) An undescribed variety of Asplenzum 
Ruta-muraria, Linn., from an old wall on Dartmoor, about five 
miles from Plympton. (3) A specimen of rye with two ears on 
the same stalk, gathered at Romsey, Hants.—Mr. Robert T. 
Giinther read a paper on the natural history of Lake Urmi in 
N.W. Persia, the neighbourhood of which he had explored 
during the autumn of last year. The collections which he had 
made there had been worked out by a number of specialists, 
each of whom had furnished a report on the specimens sub- 
mitted to him. In many of the groups (notably amongst the 
fishes) several new species were described ; and a good deal of 
interest centred in the skull and horns of a wild sheep which 
had been picked up on Koyun Daghi, the largest island in Lake 
Urmi. Although no living wild sheep were observed there 
during the traveller’s short visit, small herds were reported to 
exist, the island, with lofty and precipitous hills, being appar- 
ently well adapted to their requirements. The head in question, 
that of an adult ram, unlike the typical Ovzs ordental¢s found in 
Northern Persia and Armenia, more nearly approached that of 
Ovzs ophion, the mufflon of Cyprus, a curious and unexpected 
resemblance.—Dr. A. B. Rendle read a paper entitled ‘‘A 
systematic revision of the genus Jajas,” a primitive genus of 
Monocotyledons containing about thirty known species, 
generally distributed in both Oldand New Worlds, and consisting 
of submerged herbs, often of great delicacy, growing in mud 
in fresh or brackish water. 
Royal Meteorological Society, June 21.—Mr. F. C. 
Bayard, President, in the chair.—Dr. R. H. Scott. F.R.S., 
read a paper on the heavy falls of rain recorded at the seven 
observatories connected with the Meteorological Office during 
the twenty-eight years 1871-98. The data has been derived 
from the records of the Beckley self-recording rain gauges at 
the following places :—Valencia, Armagh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, 
Falmouth, Stonyhurst, and Kew. These records have been 
tabulated for each hour, and it is from these hourly tabulations 
