action can take place between the solids in contact (Com#t. rend. 
xcili. 1074). 
In the Berichte (xv. 109) Brauner describes some new com- 
pounds of the cerium metals, especially Cerium telrafluoride, 
CeF,, and didymium pentoxide, Di,O;; he also gives data 
whence he deduces the value 146°5 for the atomic weight of 
didymium. Brauner likewise discusses the grouping of these 
xetals in accordance with the ‘‘ periodic law,’ and shows that 
didymium may fairly be placed as the eighth member of group V., 
the members of which group form pentoxides, M,O, (see also 
Chem. Soc. Fournal, Trans. 1882, p. 68). 
VaRIOUS new salts analogous to the ferrocyanides and ferri- 
cyanides are described by Descamps (Ann. Chim. Phys. [5] xxiv. 
178), chiefly mangano- and mangani-cyanides, cobalto-cyanides, 
and chromo-cyanides. 
FROM experiments on the action of sulphur dioxide on nitric 
oxide, Lunge concludes that, when water is present, sulphur 
dioxide partially reduces the higher oxides of nitrogen to nitrous 
oxide, even in presence of free oxygen (Berichte, xiv. 2196). 
These results of Lunge’s have a direct bearing on the changes 
which proceed in the chambers of the sulphuric acid manu- 
facturer. 
THE synthetical production of urea, by passing air charged 
with ammonia and benzene over hot spirals of platinum wire, is 
described by E. F. Herroun in Chem. Soc. Journ. Heated 
spongy platinum, or platinised asbestos, caused a large produc- 
tion of ammonium carbonate with little urea; platinised char- 
coal caused the production of much urea, but the action pro- 
ceeded more slowly than when spirals of platinum wire were 
employed. 
FROM results of series of measurements, the following general 
statement regarding fractional distillation is made by F. D. 
Brown (Chem. Soc. Fourn.). ‘In distillations with a still-head 
maintained at a constant temperature, the composition of the 
distillate is constant, and is identical with that of the vapour 
evolved by a mixture whose boiling-point equals the temperature 
of the still-head.” Brown thinks that the reciprocity between a 
liquid mixture and the gaseous mixture evolved by it on ebulli- 
tion has been too much neglected in reasonings about fractional 
distillation. 
THE explosion of fulminate of mercury has been studied by 
Berthelot and Vieille (Aun. Chim. Phys.) The chemical 
change which occurs when this salt is exploded is a simple 
one, thus: C,HgN.O, = 2CO+N, + Hg; the heat produced, 
at constant pressure, per gram-molecule, is sufficient to raise 
the temperature of the prcducts of explosion (supposing these 
already gaseous) to about 4200°. The local action exerted when 
the fulminate is exploded in a closed vessel is more violent than 
with other explosives, but the total pressure is only about three- 
fourths of that produced by dynamite or nitro-glycerine. The 
instantaneous nature of the explosion of fulminate, the almost 
complete absence of dissociation of the products, and the high 
specific gravity of the materia], conspire to render the explosion 
of this substance very effective. 
ACCORDING to M. Amagat (Comfi. rend.) pure dry oxygen 
exerts no action on mercury even under pressure : this is opposed 
to the results obtained by Regnault. 
FURTHER observations bearing on the relations existing be- 
tween molecular structure and the absorption spectra of carbon 
compounds are described by Hartley (Chem. Soc. Sourn., 
Trans., p. 45), who concludes that ‘‘ the simple union of carbon 
to nitrogen does not cause selective absorption of the ultra-violet 
rays.” This conclusion is aplied to a discussion of the structural 
formulz of several compounds, more especially of cyanuric acid, 
the molecule of which appears to possess ‘‘a nucleus with a 
compactness of structure intermediate between that of bei zene 
hexchloride and that of benzene.” 
EXPERIMENTS by Remsen and Hall (Amer. Chem. Journ. ii. 
50) on the oxidation of sulphamine-para-toluic acid confi the 
general statement that when, in a derivative of an aromatic 
hydrocarbon, one of the substituting groups is electronegative, 
this negative group exerts a protective influence on the other group 
Curing oxidation. 
VARIOUS papers on the cinchona alkaloids have recently been 
published : two new alkaloids are described, one by Arnaud, 
under the name of cizchonamine (Compt. rend. xciii. 593), the 
other—homoguinine—by Howard and Hodgkin (Chem. Soc. 
NATURE 
[April 13, 1882 
——————— SS SS a 
Fourn., Trans., 1882, p. 66). Both alkaloids are found in 
bark from Santander, Columbia, described by Fliickiger as 
China cuprea. The structural formulz of guinoline, guinic, and 
quinuric acids, are discussed at length by Skraup (A/onatshefte 
itr Chemie, ii. 587). Various sulphuric derivatives of cinchonine 
are described by Weidel (same journal, p. 565), and papers of 
importance, although too technical for detailed notice here, on 
cinchonine and the so-called homocinchonine, by Koenigs, 
Hesse, and Claus, appear in the Berichte (xiv. 1852, 1888, 1890, 
and 1921). 
REINCKE states (Berichte, xiv. 2144) that he has obtained 
aldehydic substances from the juices of chlorophyll containing 
plants. The formation of these substances appears to depend 
on the action of sunlight. Reincke thinks that formic aldehyde 
is present as the most active among these reducing substances, 
but he does not support this supposition by experimental 
evidence. 
HRREN GOLDSCHMIDT and V. Meyer describe a modifica- 
tion of the well-known apparatus of the latter chemist for 
determining the specific gravities of gases. The apparatus is 
filled with dry air, and heated to the temperature at which the 
determination is to be made; the air is then driven out by a 
stream of hydrochloric acid, received in a graduated tube stand- 
ing over water, and measured: the gas under examination is 
passed into the apparatus, heated, and driven out by dry air into 
weighed potash-bulbs containing a liquid which will absorb the 
gas. In this way the weight of the gas is obtained ; the volume 
of air gives the volume of this weight of gas at the observed 
temperature. The apparatus may also be used as an air-thermo- 
meter (Berichte, xv. 137). 
NOTES FROM THE OTAGO UNIVERSITY 
MUSEUM 
IIl.—OCx the Skeleton of Notornis Mantelli> 
ITHERTO the rare flightless rail, Wotornis Mantella—the 
Takahe of the Maoris—has been known only by the two 
skins now in the British Museum, and by a few fossil bones, 
found associated with remains of Dinornis, Aptornis, &c. 
Quite recently a third specimen was killed on the eastern 
shores of Lake Te Anau, and the finder, Mr. J. Connor, not only 
removed and preserved the skin, but, most fortunately, retained as 
well the roughly-cleaned skeleton of the trunk. With Mr. 
Connor’s permission, I have prepared a description and drawings 
of the more important parts of this unique specimen, which is 
now, with the skin, on its way to England for sale.? 
The skeleton, consisting as it does, of the parts saved after 
skinning, is amas the skull and anterior cervical vertebrz, the 
wing-bones, the bones of the legs with the exception of the 
femora, and the posterior caudal vertebrae. It is in very good 
preservation, with the exception of the ribs and the femur on the 
right side, which are shattered, probably by shot, and the right 
side of the middle xiphoid process of the sternum, which is 
slightly cut, apparently during skinning. 
The more important measurements are as follows ;— 
cm. 
Length of trunk, measured from the anterior (dorsal) ends 
of the coracoids to the posterior end of the pelvis 18°5 
Length of scapula... 80 
o coracoid 472 
of sternum Bi, VES i MSS CA eee 
Width of sternum, measured just posterior to the coracoid 
grooves Oo O80 oxo 43 
Depthioficarinaysterni cn ecs-tiee- we-es ee ee 09 
Length’ ofittiame|ts, ce eee mega deca eee 10"4 
Width of pelvis at posterior border of acetabula 56 
Length ofifemur a) Wes 92+ 10°3 
In the vertebral column the nine posterior cervical] vertebre are 
t Abstract of a paper read before the Otago Institute on September 21, 
and to be published in the next (13th) volume of the 7vansactions of the 
New Zealand Institute. £ 
* It was much to be regretted that the funds of this Museum did not allow 
of the purchase of these specimens and their retention in New Zealand. But 
by the kindness of two ladies, Miss F. M. Wimperis and Miss Maud 
McLaren, the Museum now possesses the next best thing to the actual speci- 
men, namely, two life-sized oil paintings, executed with a fidelity and artistic 
skill which leave nothing to be desired. I was the more glad to obtain these 
pictures, as the Te Anau specimen differs in many details of colouring from 
the British Museum examples, notably in the absence of the broad black 
band onthe neck and of the crescentic markings on the wing-coverts. 
