JUNE 12, 1902] 
the Island. The edge of the flat thus formed is protected by 
living organisms from further erosion, though no addition to 
the reef results for them. The only recently formed rocks 
which occur are (1) coral and nullipore growths in the boat 
channel, (2) the beginnings of new reefs round certain shoals 
and islands off the west coast. Zanzibar thus affords a com- 
ptrison with the Bermudas, where the same cause, marine 
erosion, acting upon a differently formed but physically similar 
limestone, has produced a semblance, not merely of fringing 
reefs, but a ‘‘pseud-atoll.”—On an attempt to detect the 
ionisation of solutions by the action of light and Rontgen rays, 
by Mr. J. A. Cunningham.—On the influence of molecular 
attraction on collisions, by Mr. O. W. Richardson. This paper 
is an extension of the method used by Sutherland (P27 Mag. 
[5] xxxvi. p. 507) to explain the variation of vicosity of gases 
with temperature. Its use is further illustrated by calculating 
the rate of recombination of X-ray ions in air.—On the in- 
fluence of ultra-violet radiation on the discharge in a vacuum 
tube having a polished zinc electrode, by Mr. W. C. Baker.— 
On the variation of double refraction in strained glass with 
wave-length, by Mr. L. N. G. Filon. 
EDINBURGH. 
Royal Society, May 19.—Prof. Duns in the chair.—Mr. 
R. C. Mossman, in a note on the meteorological conditions 
accompanying ‘‘fohn’ and up-bank thaws in Glen Nevis, gave 
an account of some observations he had made last winter, when 
he had carried out a series of hourly readings of temperature, 
pressure and humidity at the head of Glen Nevis. On certain 
occasions he found the air in the glen to be much warmer and drier 
than at Fort William, the barometer also being higher. The 
barometric gradient was from east to west, so that the air was 
drawn away from the base of the mountain and replaced by air 
from higher altitudes. Excursions were made on the surrounding 
hills during the fohn, which was found to extend to a height of 
2000 feet. The weather was very fine, but a somewhat similar 
phenomenon was found in rainy weather. A number of cases of 
up-bank thaw were also described. In these the temperature, 
which normally falls as the height increases, is higher at the higher 
altitudes. For example, on February 1, at 10 a.m., the tem- 
perature on the top of Ben Nevis was 20°°4 F. higher than in 
the Glen. The phenomenon was explained as due to the sliding 
of the cold air down the hillsides into the valleys, which, because 
of the freer radiation during intense frost, become colder than 
the hillsides. —Mr. Mossman also read a paper on the meteoro- 
logy of Edinburgh, in which he brought down his previously 
published historical record to the end of the last century. The 
present communication covered the ten years from 1891 to 1900, 
The paper also dealt with epidemics in relation to the weather 
from 1497, and with wheat prices from 1801.—Prof. A. 
Smith, in a paper on the influence of varying temperature and 
pressure on the vapour density of calomel vapour, sought to 
distinguish whether the vapour of calomel under ordinary 
conditions contains HgCl or Hg,Cl, in addition to mercury and 
mercuric chloride, the presence of which has been demonstrated 
definitely although their quantity is unknown.—Two communi- 
cations were also received from Dr. Thomas Muir, on vanishing 
aggregates of secondary minors of a persymmetric determinant, 
and on the theory of orthogonants in the historical order of its 
development up to 1854. 
DUBLIN. 
Royal Dublin Society, May 21.—Prof. T. Johnson 
in the chair.—Dr. W. E. Adeney read a paper on the chem- 
istry of respiration in bacteria. The experiments described 
in this communication have been made with a view of 
gaining some information as to the actual course of respiration 
within the protoplast. The course of physiological oxidation 
has been studied by determining the atmospheric oxygen con- 
sumed, the carbon dioxide formed, and also the ammonia 
formed, during different stages of fermentation, from com- 
mencement to completion, in very dilute sunsterilised distilled 
water solutions of asparagine, of albumose and of Rochelle 
salt, these substances being selected on account of the simple 
nature of the result, of their aérobic fermentation. The 
asparagine was found to be quickly hydrolysed during the earlier 
stages of the fermentation into ammonia and aspartic acid, the 
last-named substance then undergoing complete oxidation in 
regular gradations, the final amounts of carbon dioxide and 
ammonia formed accounting for about 70 per cent. of the carbon 
and 85 percent. of the nitrogen originally present in the aspara- 
NO. 1702, VOL. 66] ; 
NATURE 
167 
gine. The course of oxidation of the albumose took place in 
approximately regular gradations throughout the course of fer- 
mentation, and 13 graphically represented by an approximately 
straight line, both when the carbon dioxide formed is taken 
against the oxygen consumed and when it is taken against the 
ammonia which is also formed in the process of oxidation. The 
course of oxidation of the asparagine, after being hydrolysed 
into aspartic acid, is also graphically represented by an approxi- 
mately straight line, whether the carbon dioxide formed be taken 
against the oxygen consumed or against the ammonia formed. 
The oxidation of the Rochelle salt occurs in two separate and 
approximately equal steps, and its course in each takes place in 
equal gradations, since in both it is graphically represented by 
straight lines. The quantity of salt completely oxidised amounts 
to about 75 percent. of the whole. A similar proportion of 
the albumose was also found to be completely oxidised during 
its fermentation. It appears to the author as most probable 
from the results here referred to, and from others obtained from 
his experiments on dissolved gases and fermentative changes, 
already published in the 7yazsacttons and Proceedings of the 
Society. that the course and nature of physiological oxidation 
under aérobic conditions in solutions of similar composition will 
be found to be similar in nature for all unicellular organisms, 
and will only vary in degree as the supply of energy required for 
vital activity may vary for different organisms.—Prof. J. Joly, 
F.R.S., described some experiments on the influence of light 
on sedimentation.—Mr. Richard J. Moss gave an account of a 
deposit from a steam boiler fed with the water of the river 
Vartry with which Dublin is supplied. 
PaRIs. 
Academy of Sciences, June 2.—M. Bouquet de la Grye 
in the chair.—On Abelian functions with complex multiplica- 
tion, by M. G. Humbert.—The experimental study of the 
dissociation of the constitutive elements of the energy used in 
motors employed in the production of positive work, by M. A. 
Chauveau. A comparison of the energy losses in the production 
of a given amount of work in the cases of inanimate and ani- 
mate motors.—The mean distribution of the stellar images in 
the negatives of the map of the sky obtained at the Observatory 
of Toulouse, by M. B. Baillaud. The examination of forty-two 
negatives taken at Toulouse gave results agreeing with those 
recently published by Turner from observations made at 
Oxford.—The viscosity in the neighbourhood of the critical 
point, by M. P. Duhem. Theoretical considerations are de- 
veloped which appear to render a satisfactory account ofall the 
peculiarities presented by fluids in the neighbourhood of the 
critical point.—Magnetic work round the central masszf of 
Madagascar, by M. P. Colin. The magnetic declination was 
determined at thirty-five stations, the inclination at twenty-four, 
and the intensity at twenty-five, the results being given in a 
table. —On the cranial characters and the affinities ot Lophiodon, 
by M. Ch. Deperet.—On the constitution of nebule, by M. 
Charles Nordmann. It has recently been shown by the author 
that the hypothesis of an electromagnetic radiation from the sun 
is sufficient to explain in a simple manner many celestial and 
meteorological phenomena. The same hypothesis may also be 
extended to explain some of the phenomena exhibited by 
nebulze.—Connection between the photographs of the solar 
corona taken at the total eclipse of May 18, 1901, and those of 
the entire solar chromosphere obtained on the same day at 
Meudon, by M. H. Deslandres. Among the results of the 
expedition to Sumatra organised by the Lick Observatory for 
the observation of the total eclipse of May, 1901, was a negative 
showing a good image of the solar corona. From this it ap- 
peared that in the latitude of 9°, in the north-east quadrant, 
there was a disturbance of the coronal rays special to this 
region. A comparison of this photograph with ordinary 
negatives of the solar photosphere taken at Greenwich and in 
India showed no sign of spot or even of special activity of the 
surface on May 17 and 18, but on May 19 a spot appeared in 
latitude 9°, in the north-east quadrant, which was remarked by 
Perrine as being intimately connected with the coronal dis- 
turbance. An examination of the negatives obtained at Meudon 
at the same time completely confirms this yiew.—On differential 
equations of the second order which admit of a finite con- 
tinuous group of algebraic transformations, by M. Obriot.— 
On two problems in geometry, by M. Servant.—On a method 
of comparing motors of different powers, by M. Max. Ringel- 
mann. The amount of fuel used per hour in internal 
