JuLy 6, 1899] 
NATURE 
239 
Geological Society, June 21.—W. Whitaker, F.R.S., 
President, in the chair.—On a series of agglomerates, ashes, 
and tuffs in the Carboniferous Limestone series of Congleton 
Edge, by Walcot Gibson and Dr. Wheelton Hind. With an 
appendix on the petrography of the igneous rocks, by H. H. 
Arnold-Bemrose. After referring to the discovery of volcanic 
rocks in the upper part of the Carboniferous Limestone series 
at Tissington, the authors proceed to describe evidence of vol- 
canic action of the same age on the western slopes of Congleton 
Edge.—On some ironstone fossil nodules of the Lias, by E. A. 
Walford.—Additional notes on the glacial phenomena of Spits- 
bergen, by E. J. Garwood. This paper contains the results of 
additional observations on the ice of Spitsbergen made by the 
writer in 1897. The inland ice visited occupies two distinct 
areas, separated by Dickson’s Bay and Wijde Bay. The 
radiating point lies somewhat north-west of the centres of each 
area, with supplementary radiating points on the north and 
east. The group of peaks including the Three Crowns may 
be regarded as nunatakkr. The valley-bound ground-ice does 
not necessarily travel in the same direction as that of the sur- 
face. The effect of nunatakkr on the surface of the ice-sheet 
was studied, and from this it was often found possible to infer 
the existence and position of buried mountain-ridges. On the 
stoss-sette of a nunatak moraine-material is often discharged. 
The movement of the ice has frequently converted the ice- 
bridges across crevasses into arches and tunnels, some of which 
carry part of the drainage of the ice-sheet. Portions of old 
stranded ground-moraines, formed when the ice was more ex- 
tensive, were sometimes found to have fallen upon the lowered 
ice-Sheet, and to be mingled with modern moraine-material. 
Englacial and superficial rivers are described, and one of the 
latter was found to be depositing gravelly material along a line 
at right angles to the valley down which the ice was flowing. 
Certain observations on the rate of movement of the ice-sheet 
seem to indicate that this is not less than fifteen to twenty feet 
in twenty-four hours; while the glaciers near the sea-margin 
appear to be travelling about twenty-five feet in the same time. 
The action of sea-ice is described, and it is inferred that a 
certain amount of rounding and scratching of shore-rocks, and 
possibly part of the smoothing of boulders, may be due to this 
agent.—Additional notes on the vertebrate fauna of the rock- 
fissure at Ightham (Kent), by E. T. Newton, F.R.S. 
Royal Microscopical Society, June 21.—Mr. E. M. 
Nelson, President, in the chair.—The President exhibited an 
old 4-inch objective made by Andrew Ross, which had been 
presented to the Society by the Master of the Rolls. It was a 
rare form of objective, constructed probably about the year 
1838, and possessed a very primitive form of adjustment. A 
special interest was attached to it because it formerly belonged 
to the father of the donor, Prof. John Lindley, the second 
President of the Society (1842-43).—The President also ex- 
hibited a new coarse adjustment which Messrs. Watson had 
made in accordance with a suggestion contained in his paper 
read before the Society in March last. It showed that with a 
loose pinion it was possible to have a rack coarse adjustment 
that would work without ‘‘loss of time.”—A paper by Mr. 
Jas. Yate Johnson, entitled ‘* Notes on some sponges belonging 
to the Clionidz obtained at Madeira,” was taken as read. Six 
slides of Spiculz, &c., in illustration of the paper, were exhibited 
under microscopes.—The President called the attention of the 
Fellows present to an exhibition by Mr. Beck of parts of 
various wild flowers shown with low powers.—This was the last 
meeting of the session, and the President announced that the 
first meeting after the vacation would be on October 18. 
EDINBURGH. 
Royal Society, June 5.—Sir Arthur Mitchell in the chair.— 
A note by Dr. Thomas Muir, on a persymmetric eliminant, was 
taken as read.—Dr, A. T. Masterman read a paper on contri- 
butions to the life-histories of the cod and the whiting. The 
paper was illustrated by numerous diagrams tracing the succes- 
sive stages of development from lengths of 3 mm. to lengths of 
25mm. There was found to be a greater abundance of pigment 
in young whiting, and the body shows a characteristic pigmented 
lateral line. The migration of the young of each species shore- 
wards was also studied. In the case of the cod the transition 
was very marked from surface to mid-water, and thence to the 
littoral region. Thus the limiting length of surface forms was 
17 mm., of mid-water forms a little over 25 mm., and later 
NO. 1549, VOL. 60] 
forms were all found in the littoral regions. No attempt has as 
yet been made to trace outward migration, if there be any. As 
had already been pointed out by Prof. M°Intosh, the migration 
of the whiting was much more indefinite. Sufficient causes for 
these migrations had not yet been satisfactorily made out.—Dr. 
Hugh Marshall gave a preliminary note on the hydrolysis of 
thallic sulphate. 
June 19.—Sir William Turner, F.R.S., in the chair.—A 
paper by Dr. Thomas Muir, on the eliminant of a set of 
general ternary quadrics, was taken as read.— Messrs. A. C. 
Seward, F.R.S., and A. W. Hill presented a paper on the 
structure and affinities of a Lepidodendron stem from the 
Calciferous Sandstone of Dalmeny. The fossil stem described 
in this paper was found by Mr. J. Kerr, of Edinburgh, and 
generously handed over by Mr. Robert Kidston, of Stirling, to 
Mr. Seward for examination and description. The peripheral 
portion of the stem is occupied by a band of secondary cortical 
tissue (phelloderm) about 5-7 cm. in breadth ; the more internal 
cortex has not been preserved, but the central cylinder is un- 
usually perfect. The specimen measures 33 cm. in diameter. 
A fairly broad pith occupies the centre of the stem, and this is 
enclosed by a ring of primary xylem succeeded by a broad band 
of secondary xylem. The leaf traces exhibit a well-marked 
secondary growth; each consists of a few primary tracheids, 
accompanied bya fan-shaped group of short and thin-walled 
tracheal elements. The stem appears to be identical with 
Lepidophloios Wunschianus from Arran, and a comparison is 
also instituted with Lefidophloios Harcourté?, a species 
characterised by the absence or late development of secondary 
wood.—Dr. T. H. Bryce read a paper on duplicitas anterior in 
an early chick embryo. This very rare condition in birds was 
examined in careful detail, and the structure of the duplex 
embryo was demonstrated by microphotographs of typical 
section.—In a paper on the trap-dykes of the Orkneys, Mr. J. 
S. Flett gave a description of a series of trap-dykes running 
mostly in an east-north-east direction, and cutting the 
Old Red Sandstone of Orkney. They are principally camp- 
tonites, but include also bostonites, monchiquites, fourchites, 
alnoites, and mellilite monchiquites. They are remarkably 
fresh, and show an interesting series of gradations between the 
different types. They are probably of Tertiary age, and have 
all proceeded from one focus. The presence of a single diabase 
dyke points to their origin from a gabbro magma.—Miss 
E. Chick presented a paper on the vascular system of the 
hypocotyl and embryo of Ricénus communis, which contained a 
detailed study of the behaviour of the vascular system in its 
passage from the root to the stem. Certain anomalies which 
have been observed were explained, and the inquiry brought out 
very clearly the individuality of the bundles as compared with 
the whole central cylinder of the root to which they belong.— 
Dr. W. Peddie, ina note on Mr, J. O. Thompson’s paper on 
torsional oscillations (see NATURE, May 25, p. 86), pointed out 
that Mr. Thompson’s suggested explanation of the results de- 
scribed by Lord Kelvin is very improbable, for there is no 
apparent reason why too large an initial oscillation should be 
given always to the fatigued wire and not to the unfatigued wire. 
Experiments on an iron wire, already described by Dr. Peddie, 
showed distinct fatigue of elasticity. It was also pointed out 
that Mr. Thompson’s own results seem themselves to indicate 
fatigue. 
PARIS, 
Academy of Sciences, June 26.—M. Van Tieghem in the 
chair.—Note accompanying the presentation of the fourth part 
of the photographic atlas of the moon, by MM. Loewy and 
Puiseux. The salient characters of the regions represented are 
described. — Preparation of fluorine, by electrolysis, in an 
apparatus of copper, by M. Henri Moissan. The costly plati- 
num apparatus hitherto employed in the preparation of fluorine 
may, it is found, be replaced by one of copper, which is less 
attacked than most other metals. It is probable that the copper 
becomes coated with a thin layer of copper fluoride which, being 
insoluble in hydrofluoric acid, prevents further action taking 
place.—Action of some gases on caoutchouc, by M. D’Arsonval. 
At pressures varying from 1 to 5 atmospheres caoutchouc 
absorbs large quantities of carbonic anhydride and, at the same 
time, increases considerably in volume and becomes more gelat- 
inous and less elastic. On exposure to air the gas is gradually 
lost, and the substance resumes its original properties. In 
virtue of this property, vessels of caoutchouc readily allow car- 
