378 



NA TURE 



\_Augttst 30, 1877 



sample of coal Mr. Wills expected to find it to be a lignite, as cre- 

 taceous or tertiary brown coal does occur in these high latitudes, 

 and more especially as the impressions of miocene plants in the 

 overlying strata seems to indicate a more recent period than the 

 true carboniferous ; but it turns out that this is not the case, for 

 the coal in appearance and on analysis cannot be distinguished 

 from a bituminous coal of exceedingly good quality belonging to 

 the true carboniferous period. I\Ir. Wills, from recent infor- 

 mation, understands that miocene plants have been found in the 

 strata underlying the coal, in which case there can be little 

 doubt that the coal is a miocene coal, although differing greatly 

 from most specimens of such coals. The following is the result 

 of several analyses ; — 

 Specific gravity 



Moisture 



Ash 



Sulphur 



Carbon 



Hydrogen 



Oxygen 



Nitrogen 



by difference . 



I -29 

 2-38 



6-21 



•96 

 76-95 

 5-43 

 678 



100 '03 

 On comparing these figures with the result of the analyses of a 

 mixture of thirteen different seams from English coal-fields, Mr. 

 Wills has found that the Arctic coal possesses very nearly the 

 same composition. 



On Hederic Acid and Resin of Scammony, by C. T. Kingzett. 

 — In a v^aper On some Nnv Reactions in' Organic Citemistr)\ and 

 their ultimate bearings the author in conjunction with Dr. 

 Hake has described a number of instances in which bodies, for 

 instance camphor, gives with strong sulphuric acid and sugar a 

 violet-coloured product. Other bodies give this colour with 

 sulphuric acid witliout the addition of sugar, and by means of 

 these reactions the constitution of many substances may be in 

 a measure predicted. Hederic facid, Cj^Hj^Oi (Posset, also 

 Davies), a constituent of ivy leaves, gives this colour best with 

 sulphuric acid, and so also in a less degree does resin of 

 scammony. In tlie present paper the author describes the 

 process by which he has isolated glucose from these respective 

 substances, thus confirming the hypothesis given in his original 

 paper alluded to. Incidentally it is shown that the root of the 

 convolvolus scammonia contains no alkaloid, and some informa- 

 tion is given regarding a volatile oil obtained below 90' on 

 distillation of scammony resin. 



Albumen of Commerce, by C. T. Kingzett and M. Zingler. — 

 In the patent process described by the authors, albumen solu- 

 tions are bleached and preserved by passing a current of air 

 through them in presence of oil of turpentine at a temperature of 

 about 40° C. Under these conditions the turpentine oxidises, 

 producing hydrogen-peroxide, camphoric acid, &c., the former of 

 which bodies efiects as it forms the bleaching of blood serum or 

 other albuminous solutions, while the camphoric acid, &c., 

 preserves them in the liquid condition entirely free from 

 putrescible or other changes. 



Alkaloids from Japanese Aconite, by Dr. Paul and C. T. 

 Kingzett. — The authors have isolated from Japanese aconite an 

 alkaloid of the formula CjgHjjNO^ which is crystalline, but 

 does not form crystallisable salts. They also show that when 

 the alkaloidal principle is extracted by Duquesnel's process it is 

 accompanied by the salt of an alkaloid, perhaps aconitate of 

 aconitine ; and from this it is suggested that the so-called aco- 

 nitine obtained and analysed by Wright and others, has never 

 been obtained absolutely pure, being probably a variable mixture 

 of the alkaloid with the above salt. 



further Researches on Aconite Alkaloids, by Dr. C. R. Alder 

 Wright and A. P. Luff. — Aconitine, C53H43NO1J, the active 

 principle of Aconitum napillus is readily saponified by heating 

 with water acids and alkalies into benzoic acid, and a new base 

 termed by the authors aconinc pseudaconitine, CggH^jNOj;, the 

 chief active alkaloid of A. ferox, similarly gives rise to dimethyl- 

 froto-catcchuic acid and pseulaconine, Cj^H^jNOg. These two 

 decomposition products, aconine and pseudaconme, are com- 

 paratively inert physiologically. A number of their compounds 

 and derivatives have been studied and a method for the approxi- 

 mate analysis of the impure alkaloids met with in commerce 

 under the name "aconitine," has been devised, based on the 

 quantitative estimation of the benzoic and dimethyl proto- 

 <^atechuic acids formed on saponification. 



On Pyrocatechin as a Derivative of Certain Varieties of Tannic 



AciJ, by John Watts, D.Sc. — From the knowTi reactions of 

 gallotannic acid and catechutannic acid, and of their derivatives, 

 the author considered it probable that all the blue producing 

 tannins would yield pyrogallol on distillation, while the green 

 producing tannins, would yield pyrocatechin : on experiment 

 such was found to be the case. The gallotannic acids distilled 

 were, — valonea, oak-bark, divi, mysotolaves, sumach, and 

 mimosa bark ; and the mimotannic acids, rhatany, tormentil, 

 and hemlock bark. The yield of pyrocatechin from rhatany 

 was very considerable. 



These results point to the conclusion that the blue- and green- 

 producing tannins are related to each other in the same manner 

 as pyrogallol and pyrocatechin. The author anticipates being 

 able to bring forward shortly further experiments in support of 

 this view. 



On the Formation of the Black Oxide of Iron on Iron Surfaces 

 for the Pramtion of Corrosion, by Prof. Barff, M.A. (Cantab.)— 

 The author pointed out the cause of his many failures in his first 

 experiments and the failures which others had experienced in 

 obtaining a perfectly adherent and coherent coating of black 

 oxide, as arising from moisture in the steam with which the 

 articles operated on were oxidised. When perfectly dry steam 

 is used and no air admitted into the muffle, or oxidising 

 chamber, then in all cases a perfect protecting film is formed. 

 The process is exceedmgly simple : a wrought-iron muffle 

 containing the iron articles to be operated upon, is heated to a 

 dull red heat, all the openings closed, and dry steam turned in, 

 and the muffle kept filled with the steam during the whole 

 operation, which lasts from three to five hours ; the fire is then 

 raked out, and the articles allowed to become black in an atmo- 

 sphere of steam ; after this the steam is turned off, and the 

 muffle and its contents are allowed to cool slowlj'. The tem- 

 perature to which the muffle is heated varies according to the 

 nature of the articles operated on — from 350" to 700" C. More 

 recent experiments seem to show that the process may be further 

 simplified by using superheated steam of such a temperature that 

 the external application of heat to the muffle is unnecessary. A 

 considerable number of cast-iron, v.'rought-iron, and steel bodies 

 which had been coated were exhibited. Many of these had 

 been ou; of doors for months ; others had been kept in fresh 

 water or in sea-water for a similar length of time, but not the 

 slightest indication of further oxidation was visible. Even strong 

 nitric and sulphuric acids are without action on this coating of 

 black oxide. 



SECTION C— Geology. 



The Post-tertiary Fossils procuied in the late Arctic Expedi- 

 tion ; with Notes on some of the Recent or Living Mollusca from 

 the same Expedition, by J. Gwyn Jeffreys, LL.D., F.R.S. — 

 The fossilsiwere collected by Capt. Feilden and Mr. Hart, the 

 Naturalists of the Expedition, and by Lieut. Egerton and Dr. 

 Moss, two of the officers of H.M.S. Alert, in very high 

 latitudes, viz., between 82" and 83° N. L. The furthest point 

 reached by the Expedition was 83° 20' 26". These fossils were 

 found in mud-banks or raised sea-beds at heights ranging from 

 the level of the sea to 600 feet above it. They consisted of 

 eighteen species of mollusca, one of actinozoon, one of foramini- 

 fera, and one of marine plants, being altogether twenty-one species, 

 all of which now live in the Arctic seas. The author gave a list 

 of the species, and showed their distribution in a recent or living 

 as well as fossil state ; and he added some remarks as to the 

 recent mollusca procured in the Expedition, and as to the 

 apparent abundance of marine animals in the " Palaeocrystic 

 Sea" of Sir George Nares. Prof. Rupert Jones, Dr. Moss, Mr. 

 Woodall, and Mr. De Ranee took part in the discussion which 

 ensued on the reading of this paper. 



Sketch of the Geology of the Coast from the Rome Head to the 

 Bolt Tail, by W. Pengelly, F.R.S. — Mr. Pengelly expressed his 

 partial acceptance of Mr. Jukes' views. He believed the upper 

 old red sandstone to be the equivalent of the lower Devonian, 

 each containing Phyllolepis conccntricus, which is not found at 

 any other horizon. The author also called attention to the 

 metamorphism which has taken place in the rocks at and near 

 Prawle Point, for which no sufficient cause is now apparent. He 

 supported the suggestion of Dr. HoU and Mr. Jukes that south 

 of Prawle Point there may be a boss of granite now submerged, 

 to which the change in character of the rocks is due. As evidence 

 of this he spoke of a beacli, in which many granitoid pebbles 

 occur, but with this exception the pebbles are strictly local. He 



