NA TURE 



[January 5, 1899 



R. A. A. Johnston, analyses have been made of coals and lig- 

 nites, of various minerals, ores, rocks, and waters. Among 

 the minerals, there is one named Baddeckite, a new variety of 

 Muscovite, found at Baddeck, \'ictoria Co., Nova Scotia. It 

 is a hydro-muscoviie, in which a very large proportion of the 

 alumina is replaced by ferric oxide. The occurrence in Canada 

 of Chalcanthite and .\enotime are for the first time recorded. 

 An analysis of a spring-water on Caiion Creek, in Alaska, 

 proved the presence of 266 grains of mineral matter — chiefly 

 salts of lime and magnesia. 



The Devonian fossils of Canada have for many years been 

 a subject of special study by Mr. J. F. Whiteaves, palaeonto- 

 logist to the Geological Survey of Canada. In the concluding 

 part of the first volume of "Contributions to Canadian Pale- 

 ontology," Mr. Whiteaves describes some additional or imper- 

 fectly understood fossils from the Hamilton formation of 

 Ontario. These include some supposed Cliona-borings, Corals, 

 Crinoids, Polyzoa, Mollusca, Crustacea and Fishes. Mr. 

 Whiteaves adds a revised list of all the known fossils from the 

 Hamilton formation. Of these, Atrypa reticularis appears to 

 be the only well-known Euroiiean species. The Fishes include 

 Ptyctcdus and Aipiduhthys. 



Mr. John H. Schaffnf.r, of the Ohio State University, 

 writing in the fotirnal of Appiitd Microsiopr, recommends the 

 use of anilin safranin and gentian violet as affording a very good 

 and durable stain for starch grains. 



Fro.M Prof. Janishedji Edalji we have received papers on 

 "Reciprocal Polygons" and "Associated Conies," in which 

 many well-known theorems and other less-known properties of 

 conies are proved, the method of reciprocation being largely 

 used. The properties of ellip.ses touching a pair of conjugate 

 hyperbolas afford interesting exercises, but we could wish that 

 the text and figures were rather better printed. 



Messrs. G. W. B.-vco.n Atm Co., Ltd., have just published 

 a well coloured wall diagram of common poisonous plants. 

 The pictures of the foxglove, woody nightshade, and monkshood 

 are particularly good. The chart should be very useful in 

 country schools to familiarise children with the plants to be 

 avoided. 



Prof. Maxdf.i.'s translation of Prof. Hammarsten's "Text- 

 book of 'Physiological Chemistry" was reviewed in these 

 columns four years ago (vol. 1. p. 449). A second American 

 edition, prepared from the thirdi revised German edition by 

 the same translator, who produced an excellent English version 

 of the earlier one, has now been published by Messrs. John 

 Wiley and Sons. The new volume is essentially the same as 

 the first edition, being simply brought up to date. 



A coi'V of the first number of Science IVork — a monthly 

 review of scientific literature — has been received. The con- 

 tents consist of a few general notes, the titles of a selection of 

 articles which have recently appeared in some periodicals, a 

 directory of lecturers, and a synopsis of some scientific ex- 

 peditions now in the field. The publishers of this venture are 

 Messrs. Robert .\ikman and Co., Manchester. 



We have received a copy of a pamphlet entitled " Replica di 

 Krupp alia Protesla del Signor Bashford," published by the 

 Cambridge University Press. In the A'ei'is/a di Artiglierca e 

 Geiiio, Dr. Bashforth charged the Krupp firm with making use 

 of his general tables of velocity and time, and velocity and 

 space, containing the results of his experiments, without 

 acknowledgment. Mr. F. Krupp has replied on behalf of the 

 firm, and the pamphlet now received contains a translation of 

 this letter presenting the Krupp view .>f the matter, with an 

 introduction and notes by Dr. I'-.tsliforlli, which he holds 

 afford ample justification for his protest. 

 NO. 1523. VOL. 59] 



THKlast two parts received (Heft 3and4)of Engler's.fi«/iJ«/ViA^ 

 J ahrbiichcr fiir Syslemalit, Pflanzengcschichte, u. Pflanzengeo- 

 graphic contain the following articles :— The conclusion of 

 Hieronymus's account of the Pteridophyta of Argentina; 

 Anderson on the History of the Vegetation of Sweden ; HiJck 

 on the Flora of the alder-plantations of North Germany; 

 Fedtsckenko on the Flora of the southern .\ltai mountains ; a 

 continuation of Pfitzer's Classification of the Orchide.v ; the 

 commencement of a paper by Perkins on the Monimiacce ; and 

 a description by llallier of Hildebrandtia, a new dicecious genus 

 of Convolvulaceiv. 



The number of new syntheses capable of being canied out 

 with the aid of diazomethane, would appear to be by no means 

 exhausted. Prof. H. von Pechmann describes in the current 

 number of the Berichte a new synthesis of pyrazol by means of 

 this active reagent. A solution of diazomethane in ether is 

 cooled to 0° C. and saturated with dry acetylene in a large 

 flask, and the whole allowed to stand. The reaction is rather 

 slow, about two days being required ; simple evaporation then 

 deposits pure pyrazol in fine prisms in quantity about fifty per 

 cent, of the theoretical value. 



The announcement is made (by M. and Mme. Curie and M. 

 Bemont), in the current number of the Comples reiidiis, of the 

 probable existence of a new element, to which the name of 

 radium is provisionally given. It will be remembered that M. 

 Becquerel discovered that the metal uranium and its salts pos- 

 sessed the remarkable property of emitting rays much resembling 

 the X-rays in penetrative power and action upon electrified 

 gases. Using this new weapon of research, M. and Mme. Curie 

 were able to isolate from pitchblende a new element {pohiiium) 

 resembling zinc in its chemical properties, difiering from this 

 metal, however, in possessing radio-active properties of a similar 

 character to uranium, but of greater inten.sity. In following up 

 this work they (in conjunction with M. Bemont) have now ob- 

 tained indications of another element possessing still more 

 powerful radio-active properties, and chemically resembling 

 barium, inasmuch as it is precipitated neither by sulphuretted 

 hydrogen, by ammonium sulphide, nor by ammonia ; the sulphate 

 is insoluble in water and in acids ; the carbonate insoluble in 

 water ; and the chloride, although very soluble in water, in- 

 soluble in alcohol. Fractional precipitation of the chlorides by 

 alcohol showed an increasing amount of radium in the pre- 

 cipitate, as mea.sured by its radio-activity, the final fractions 

 possessing an activity 900 times greater than uranium. The 

 spectrum of this chloride was found by M. Demarcay to give, 

 besides the lines of barium, lead, calcium and platinum, a strong 

 new line (K = 38148), which in his opinion confirms the 

 existence of a new element. 



In- a recent number of the Proceedings of the .American 

 Academy of Arts and Sciences, Prof. T. W. Richards, of 

 Harvard, describes a scries of interesting experiments on the 

 retention and release of gases occluded by the oxides of metals, 

 a subject of special importance to those engaged in the deter- 

 mination of atomic weights. Me shows that oxide of copper 

 prepared by ignition of the nitrate contains between four and 

 five times its volume of occluded gases up to a temperature of 

 860° C. Slightly above this temperature the bulk of the gas 

 is given off, but before 1000 is reached the copper oxide itself 

 decomposes. Of the gases resulting from the decomposition 

 of the nitrate, the oxygen escapes more rapidly than the nitrogen. 

 The explanation given by Prof. Richards is that the ga.ses pro- 

 ceed from basic nitrate imprisoned in the oxide, the NjOj 

 being resolved into nitrogen and oxygen. The oxygen escapes 

 more rapidly than the nitrogen, by uniting with metal or a 

 lower oxide which has monientarily released some of its proper 

 supply of oxygen. The released oxygen passes onwards and 



