March 23, 1899J 



NA 1 ORE 



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northwards along the Norwegian coast. Dr. Buchan pointed out 

 that two important factors contributed to the production ol this 

 system of currents, (i) The earth's rotation causing a west- 

 ward lag of water passing from higher to lower latitudes, and an 

 eastward acceleration of water flowing from lower to higher 

 latitudes ; and (2) the westerly and south-westerly direction of 

 the prevailing winds giving the eastward set to the water 

 between the Wash and Denmark. Considerable discussion 

 followed this paper, Sir John Murray expressing doubt as to 

 the sufficiency of the evidence for the particular circulation of 

 currents given on Dr. Fulton's map, while Dr. Knott doubted 

 whether the observed drift of bottles in the North Sea should 

 be ascribed to the tidal currents as such, and not rather to 

 the resultant eftect of wind over the Atlantic superposed 

 upon the tidal ebb and flow. — Prof. Tait's paper on the ex- 

 perimental bases of Prof. Andrews' paper on the continuity 

 of the gaseous and liquid states of matter {Phil. Trans., 1869), 

 was a communication of data hitherto unpublished, the necessity 

 for which for certain purposes had been pointed out by Mr. 

 Tsuruda, of Tokyo University, in a recent letter to Nature. — 

 Dr. C. G. Knott, in a note on magnetic twist in nickel tubes, 

 showed how remarkably accordant were the results of experi- 

 ment with the theory that the twist in a nickel tube, circularly 

 and longitudinally magnetised, was to be explained in terms of 

 the elongations along and perpendicular to the magnetising 

 force. It was necessary, however, to take into account the 

 effects of hysteresis. 



Mathematical Society, March 10. — Dr. Morgan, Presi- 

 dent, in the chair. — The following papers were; read : — " Note 

 on attraction," by Prof. Tait (communicated by Dr. C. G. 

 Knott); "On wireless telegraphy and high potential 

 currents,"' by Mr. J. R. Burgess. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, March 13. — M. van Tieghem in 

 the chair. — On the numbers of Betti, by M. H. Poincare. — On 

 the double cyanides, by M. Berthelot. Thermochemical studies 

 on the replacement of potassium by hydrogen in cyanides by 

 weak acids, such as boric and carbonic acids, sulphuretted 

 hydrogen and phenol. — Does iodine exist in the air, by M. 

 Armand Gautier. The air was carefully filtered over glass 

 wool, and the deposit treated with water, so that iodine was 

 looked for in three places, in those solid substances deposited 

 on the glass soluble in cold water, substances deposited but in- 

 soluble in water, and gaseous substances carried on by the 

 filtered air. The minute precautions necessary to guard against 

 the accidental introduction of iodine are carefully described, 

 and results given for air of various localities : town, country, 

 sea and mountain. No- iodine could be detected in the filtered 

 air in any case ; neither could any soluble iodides be found in 

 the deposit on the glass. Minute traces could, however, be 

 detected in the solid deposit after this had been fused with 

 potash, showing that the iodine was present in the form of com- 

 plex iodo-compounds, perhaps suspended spores, lichens, or 

 alga". Sea air contained thirteen times as much iodine as Paris 

 air, the latter containing only '0013 mgr. per 1000 litres. — An 

 attempt at a new form oif the relation/ {/, v, /) = o ; the case 

 of a state of saturation, by M. E. H. Amagat. — On the in- 

 terpretation of a limited number of observations, by M. E. 

 Vallier. The author discusses the effect upon the mean of a 

 small number of observations of the same quantity, of rejecting 

 one whose deviation from the mean is large. — M. R. P. Colin 

 was elected a Correspondant for the Section of Geography and 

 Navigation, in the place of M. Manen — Observation of the 

 Swift comet (1S99 a), made with the large equatorial of the 

 Observatory of Bordeaux, by M. F. Courty. — On two ancient 

 Bielid showers, by M. D. Eginitis. — On the mechanism of 

 the disintegration of hydraulic cements, by M. H. Le Chate- 

 lier. The disintegration of hydraulic cement after some 

 months or years cannot be ascribed to the hydration of 

 free lime or magnesia, as the latter would be a matter of 

 days at most, but would appear to result from two causes : 

 the greater or less solubility of the active constituents of 

 the cement, and the variation of solubility of the solids with 

 the pressure they support. — On the conditions of maximum 

 sensibility of galvanometers, by M. C. Fery. — On a very sensi- 

 tive coherer, obtained by the simple contact of two pieces of 

 carbon ; and on the proof of extra currents induced in the 

 human body by electric waves, by M. Thomas Tomniasina. 

 The author_has succeeded in making a detector for electric waves, 



NO. 1534, VOL. 59] 



or coherer, out of two electric light carbons, which possesses 

 the property of losing its conductivity with extreme ease with a 

 very slight shock. — Death by alternating electric currents, by MM. 

 J. L. Prevost and F. Battelli. — On methyl-ethane-pyrocatechol, 

 by M. Ch. Moureu. This substance has been prepared from 

 ortho-oxyphenoxyacetone by two methods : one by the action 

 of phosphorus pentoxide in presence of quinoline ; the other by 

 treating with acetyl chloride in presence of orthoformic ether. — 

 Double iodates of manganese peroxide, by M. A. Berg. — 

 Researches on 00-dimethyl-glutaric acid, by M. E. E. Blaise. 

 Attempts to synthesise att-dimethyl-glutaric acid having failed 

 owing to the production of a pyrrolidine compound, this last 

 substance was also prepared from the natural acid by conversion 

 into the amide and treatment of this with hypobromite. The 

 synthetical pyrrolidine derivative proved to be identical with 

 that obtained from the natural acid, thus proving the constitution 

 of the latter. — On the hiematin of blood, and its varieties in 

 different species of animals, by MM. P. Cazeneuve and P. 

 Breteau. Pure crystallised hajmatin prepared from the blood 

 of the cow, horse, and sheep showed distinct differences 

 in composition, particularly in the amounts of iron and 

 nitrogen. — On a very sensitive reaction of acetone dicarboxylic 

 acid, by M. G. Deniges. With acid solution of mercuric sul- 

 phate this ketonic acid forms an insoluble compound, even in 

 very dilute solution. The time that the turbidity takes to appear 

 after heating with the reagent is a function of the amount of 

 ketone-acid present, and upon this fact the author bases a 

 method of estimating citric acid. — Oxidation of secondary and 

 tertiary amines, by M. CEchsnerde Coninck. — Method of water 

 analysis applicable to water softening on the technical scale, by 

 MM. Leo Vignon and Meunier. — On the use of lime for pre- 

 paring wool for the Aye-bath, by MM. Ch. E. Guignet and' Em. 

 David. The authors have successfully applied on the technical 

 scale an observation of Chevreul on the favourable effect of a 

 lime-water bath upon wool previous to dyeing. — On the re- 

 ducing power of the tissues : muscle, by M. Henri Helier. — 

 Synthesis of some vowels, by M. Marage. — On the pathogenic 

 agent in hydrophobia, by M. E. Puscarin. — On an oxydase 

 secreted by the coli-bacillus capable of producing a pigment, 

 by M. Gabriel Roux. The most suitable culture for this pur- 

 pose was found to be an extract of the he.ad of the artichoke,' 

 incorporated with gelatine in the usual proportions. This when 

 sown with the bacillus Coli communis gives a copious culture, 

 and acquires a fine emerald-green coloration. Under simi[ar 

 conditions the Eberth bacillus gives rise to no special tint.— On 

 the Algfe which grow upon Maia sijiiiiiado, in the Bay of Biscay. 

 — On the use of colouring matters in investigating the origins of 

 springs, and of waters filtering into these, by M. A. Trillat. 



New South Wales. 

 Royal Society, December 7, 1898. — The President, G. H. 

 Knibbs, in the chair. — The following papers were read : — " The 

 group divisions and initiation ceremonies of the Barkunjee tribes," 

 by R. H. Mathews. — "Native silver accompanying nmtte and 

 artificial galena," by Prof. Liversidge, F.R.S. The specimens ex- 

 hibited were obtained from between two courses of brickwork in 

 the arch over the vault of an old reverberatory furnace ; the upper 

 course had been raised bodily, but remained intact, and the 

 space between became filled to a thickness of about four inches 

 with a layer of clean matte ; the metallic silver occurs on the 

 surfaces in the cracks and crevices of the matte and bricks. — 

 "The blue pigment of corals," by Prof. Liversidge, F.R.S. 

 The coral examined was Hdiopora coerulea, obtained by Prof. 

 David from Funafuti .Atoll when conducting the Coral Reef 

 Exploration in 1S97. He states that it is very abundant there 

 in places. The specimens were of a dull, light slate- blue colour 

 externally and a little darker internally (see Moseley's paper in 

 the' Challenger Report, Zoology ii., p. 109). The pigment has 

 not yet been obtained in a pure condition, as the quantity at 

 disposal was very small. Neither has it yet been obtained in a 

 crystallised condition ; its best solvent appears to be glacial acetic 

 acid, to which it imparts a rich blue colour. It appears to be 

 quite distinct from indigo, also from the blue pigment of lobster- 

 shell and other blue substances ; the colour of the emu egg-shell 

 seems to be somewhat similar. Its ash contains a good deal of 

 iron, phosphoric oxide, lime, and some magnesia. Rather more 

 than I per cent, of the crude pigment was obt.ained from a 

 freshly collected specimen ; an old water-worn dead specimen 

 yielded only -26 per cent, of pigment. It does not readily lend 

 itself to dyeing either silk, wool, or cotton. On extracting it 



