430 



NATURE 



[March 2, 1899 



function of temperature, and the particular form adopted for the 

 characteristic equation of a gas. He further attempts to supply 

 a theoretical basis to the various formula' of Van der Waals, 

 Rose-Innes, and others, at the same time insisting upon a very 

 high degree of accuracy for the original experimental work of 

 Joule and Thomson. Then follows a discussion of the relation 

 between the intrinsic energy of a gas and its volume, and a 

 method is given for calculating the ratio of the principal two 

 specilic heats of a gas Lastly, the author considers some points 

 in the thermodynamics of substances at their temperature of 

 maximum density. It i.s shown that (i) the Joule-Thomson 

 effect for every substance at maximum density is zero ; just as 

 it is, though for a different reason, in the case of an ideal perfect 

 gas. And (2) that the infinite number of specific heats possessed 

 by every substance are, at the temperature corresponding to 

 maximum density, reduced to one specific heat. Mr. Rose- 

 Innes congratulated the author on having written an interesting 

 paper on a diflicull suliject. At the same time he felt bound to 

 acknowledge that he wa.s out of sympathy with the general idea 

 contained in the paper. The experimental difficulties that 

 occurred in carrying out the Joule-Thomson investigation were 

 so enormous, that it was better to rely on them as little as 

 possible, notwithstanding the great skill of the experimenters. 

 The Joule- Thomson results could not be disregarded altogether, 

 since they were necessary for the establishment of the thermo- 

 dynamic scale ; but once thai scale had been set up, it was better 

 to have recourse as much as possible to such experiments as 

 those of M. Amagut on the compressibility of gases. He also 

 pointed out that one of the deductions given in the paper from 

 X an der Waals's formula, had already lieen given by Van der 

 Waals himself— Mr. Watson replied, and the Vice-President 

 proposed a vote of thanks to the author for his valuable paper. 

 — The meeting then adjourned until March 10. 



Chemical Society, February 16.— Prof Dewar, President, 

 in the chair. — The following papers were read : — On the 

 absorption spectrum and constitution attributed to cyanuric 

 aciil, by W. N. Hartley. The author attributes his previous 

 observation of an absorption band in the spectrum of cyanuric 

 acid between wave-lengths 2747 and 2572 to impurity in the 

 specimen examined. — .\ study of the absorption spectra of 

 i.-.atin, carbostyril and their alkyl derivatives in relation to 

 tautomerism, by W. N. Hartley and J. J. Dobbie. A very close 

 resemblance is observed between the molecular absorption curves 

 of carbostyril and methyl- and ethyl-pseudocarbostyril, and also 

 between those of isatin and methyl pseudoisatin ; this indicates 

 that all these substances have the lactam constitution. The 

 absorption spectra of methylcarbostyril and meihylisatin differ 

 greatly from those of carbostyril and isatin respectively. — The 

 estimation of nitrites and nitrates by means of ferrous chloride, 

 by .\. W. Hlyth. On addition of ferrous chloride, solutions of 

 nitrites immediately yield nitric oxide ; with solutions of nitrate.':, 

 however, one to two minute.s elapse before nitric acid is evolved. 

 Applying these facts the author has devised an apparatus for 

 estimating nitrites and nitrates, either singly or together, as 

 nitric oxide. — Estimation of boric acid mainly by physical 

 processes, by A. W. Hlyth. The author uses the well-known 

 mcrea.se of the specific rotation of tartaric acid which occurs on 

 adding boric acid, in estimating the latter. On boiling boric 

 acid with sodium carbonate solution, reaction occurs in accord- 

 ance with the following equation : — 



Na.jCOj ■, 4113603 = NajBjO; -f CO„ -f- 6H.,0 ; 

 on employing certain precautions the reduction in electrical 

 resistance yields the necessary data for estimating the boric acid 

 used. — The interaction of ethylic sodiomalonate and mesilyl 

 oxide, by \. W. Crossley.— On Lossner"s benzoylethyloxy- 

 sulphocarbamic acid and the formation of pseudoureas, by A. E. 

 Dixon. It is shown that the .substance regarded by Liissner as 

 benzoylethyloxysulphocaibamic acid COI'h.NEt.CO.SH, has 

 the constitution COI'h.NI I.CS.OKt ; the supposed benzoylethyl- 

 urea COPh.NEl.CO.N'Hj obtained from it is a pseudourea of 

 the constitution C01'h.N:C(0Et)NH.j. On certain isomeric 

 tertiary benzylthioureas, by \. E. Dixon. —Is camphene un- 

 saturated, by J. E. Marsh. — Formation of apyrone compounds 

 and their transformation into pyridine derivatives, by S. 

 Kuhemann. 



Entomological Society, February 15. — Mr. ('.. H. 

 \ errall, President, in the chair. — Mr. li. \. Hower exhibited 

 porfictly black, mel.inic examples of liimrniia ahielaria, Hb., 

 bred from ova laid by a female of the ordinary Box Hill form, 



NO. I 53 I, VOL. 59] 



which was captured on July 9, 1897. They were part of a 

 brood of seventeen, seven of which were of the black aber- 

 ration ; and for comparison with them, he showed specimens 

 from Box Hill, South Devon and the New Forest. .Mr. 

 Blandford exhibited some small lumps of common salt burrowed 

 by larva; of Deniies.'cs vulpinus, to which he had incidentally 

 referred in a letter appearing in Naiikk. He had on 

 various occasions called attention to depredations of Dermcsles 

 vulfinus, arising from a habit the larv.v had of burrowing 

 ' through different materials in order to find a shelter in which to 

 undergo pupation, though this was the first time that salt, as a 

 substance attacked in that way, had come under his notice. 

 Mr. J. J. Walker said he believed one of the earliest references 

 to injuries caused by Deiimsles was to be found in " The Last 

 Voyage of Thomas Candish," where there was an interesting 

 account of certain worms which, bred from a stock of dried 

 penguins," proceeded to devour the whole of the ship's stores 

 and then to gnaw into the timbers, creating great alarm lest the 

 ship should spring a leak. This voyage tO( k place in the year 

 '593; and the worms, t'e thought, could only have been the 

 larviX' of Derinestcs viitpinus or some closely allied species. 

 — Dr. T. A. Chapman read a " Contribution to the life-history 

 of Micropleryx {Eriociphald) ammaaella, llubn. ' 



Cambriiige. 

 Philosophical Society, February 6. — Mr. J. Larmor, 

 President, in the chair. — On the inheritance of variation in the 

 corolla of I'troiiita Buxbatimii^ by Mr. W. Bateson and Miss 

 D. F. M. Pertz. In a former paper [J. Linn. Soc, xxviii. ) it 

 was shown that in Veronica Bii.xhauiiiii there is commonly a 

 high percentage of variation in the form of the corolla. Certain 

 symmetrical forms having two posterior petals, two anterior 

 petals, or three petals, respectively, are especially abundant. 

 The frequency of these forms and of other forms of corolla has 

 since been observed continuously in the case of certain chosen 

 plants during the period of flowering. The statistics thus ob- 

 tained are given in the present paper. A special attempt was 

 made to determine whether any difference occurs between off- 

 spring raised from seed produced in normal and abnormal 

 flowers borne by the same plant, both being alike self-fertilised. 

 So far as the experiments went there was no evidence that such 

 a difference exists. There is very great difference in the per- 

 centage of abnormal corollas borne by different individuals 

 raised from the same self-fertilised cap.sules ; and after the self- 

 fertilisation had been continued for four generations the same 

 absence of uniformity persisted. But in the offspring both of 

 normal and abnormal flowers the percenta^'e of abnormality 

 found in the family to which the parent belonged was on the 

 whole maintained, — On the anatomy of a supposed new species 

 of Coenopsaminia from Lifu, by Mr. J. Stanley Cardiner. The 

 skeletogliea, or structureless lamella, is directly attached to the 

 corallum at the bases of the mesenteries and of the dividing 

 walls of the Cfenosarcal canals by fibrillated bundles. These 

 were shown to be identical with the calicoblasts of von Heider, 

 and it was contended that the corallum is formed completely 

 outside the animal. It was further contended that the stomo- 

 dreum together with the mesenterial filaments is homologous 

 with the whole gut of the Triploblastica, and that the so-called 

 endoderm is homologous with the mesoderm. The Actinozoon 

 polyp then must be regarded as a Triploblastic form. 



Dllll.IN. 

 Royal Dublin Society, January 18. — Prof G. F. Fitz- 

 gerald, P'.KS , in the chair. — Mr. J. Holms Pollok read a 

 paper on the large deposits of kieselguhr, or diatomaceous 

 earth, in the county of Antrim. They occur on both banks of 

 the lower Bann, and are of exceptional purity just at the point 

 where the Bann emerges from Lough Neagh. .•Analysis shows 

 the kieselguhr 10 be of good quality and suited fir many indus- 

 trial purposes. It is .seen under the microscope to be composed 

 of little cubical box-shaped diatoms, with a few of radial and 

 elongated shapes. It is not suited for making dynamite, but it 

 makes an excellent non-conducting lining for safes and 

 refrigerators, and could be used for covering boilers and 

 steam-pipes. .Vs kieselguhr is made up of the siliceous 

 remains of low forms of aouatic plants, it is in the highest 

 degree probable that the w'hole bottom of Lough Neagh is 

 covered with such a deposit ; and if this be the case, it would be 

 a very valuable addiiionto the economic re-sourccsof Ireland. — 

 Sir Howard IJrubb, I-. k S., read a jjaper in which he suggested 



