ee +r. ~~ 
January 6, 1923] 
NATURE 
35 

confirmed by subsequent meteorological reports, 
occurred in the south of Ireland on July 24, 1916, 
at a distance of 280 miles from the most distant 
station 2a a pare in its detection. A storm was 
traced across the Bay of Biscay and Southern France, 
a thunderstorm at Venice was located by two stations 
a thousand miles away, and a storm five miles from 
Aldershot was followed by the direction finder there, 
the bearings given being in complete agreement with 
the bearing of the audible thunder and the visible 
storm.—C. J. P. Cave: Winter thunderstorms in 
the British Islands. During the first three months 
of the years 1916, 1917, 1918, and 1920, the number 
of storms occurring in tne winter months was very 
remarkable, there having been storms somewhere in 
the region on more than 4o per cent. of the days. 
Some of the storms were very widespread. They 
seem to have been connected with the occurrence 
of masses of air at widely different temperatures in 
close proximity. Thunderstorms are caused, it is 
suggested, (1) by the heating of the lower layers of 
the atmosphere, (2) by the cooling of the upper 
oa Figs (3) by a warm current of air rising over a 
cold one, (4) by cold air undercutting warm air.— 
D. E. Row: Forecasting sky-types. The type of 
ressure distribution as shown by a map or suggested 
the “Further outlook” of the Meteorological 
Office, and the part of it which is likely to affect 
the locality concerned, is used, and local indications 
are considered. For example: Cirrus types followed 
by cumulus forms are to be expected during the 
passages of depressions, or even where overlapping 
occurs between an anticyclone and a depression. 
Indefinite areas of low or medium pressure often 
give very composite skies, thus yielding striking 
cloudscapes in which a large variety of cloud types 
is featured simultaneously. 
DuBLIN. 
Royal Irish Academy, December 11.—Prof. Sydney 
Young, president, in the chair—J. J. Nolan: Ionic 
mobilities in air and hydrogen. The composite 
nature of ordinary ionisation in air is demonstrated 
by a third method. The ionisation in hydrogen is 
examined by the Rutherford-Franck method. The 
results obtained are similar to those already found 
_ for air and are, in general, confirmatory of the work 
‘of Haines. The ionisation is more complex than 
Haines’s work would indicate, and a high degree of 
sera or drying is not necessary to bring out this 
eature. Criticisms by Blackwood are considered. 
Paris. 
Academy of Sciences, Decemper 11.—M. Emile 
Bertin in the chair.—Pierre Termier: The structure 
of the eastern Alps: relations of the Dinarides and 
the Alps.—A. Rateau: Pressures and specific gravities 
of air in a normal atmosphere.—M. i Vincent was 
elected a member of the section of medicine and 
Surgery in the place of the late M. A. Laveran.— 
Gaston Julia: Rational substitutions with two 
variables.—Maurice Lecat: The development of 
determinants as a function of determinants with 
axial empty spaces.—Lucien Mouren: New nomo- 
_~ with aligned points applicable, in particular, 
problems of navigation and their mechanical 
realisation——M. Amoroso Costa: Concerning a note 
of M. Borel.—Mlle, O, Jasse: The Comas Sola planet 
of November 26, 1922: its identity with (629) 
Bernardina Guillaume: Observations of the 
sun, made at the Lyons Observatory during the 
second ete of 1922. Observations were possible 
on 80 days in this quarter; the results are sum- 
marised in three tables showing the number of spots, 
their distribution in latitude, and the distribution 
NO. 2775, VOL. 111] 
of the facule in latitude—L. Décombe: The direct 
calculation of the secular perihelic displacement of 
the mp see on the hypothesis that the gravitation 
is of electrical origin. capone to the planet 
Mercury.—F. Michaud: The rigidity of jelly. The 
influence of a dissolved crystalloid. An application 
of a method described in an earlier note, capable 
of measuring a modulus of rigidity one-hundredth 
of that measured by Schwedoff. The effects of 
adding: acids, bases, mineral salts, and organic 
substances have been studied.—A. Dauvillier and 
Louis de Broglie: Remarks on the work of M. E. 
Hjalmar concerning the M series of the elements. 
The measurements recently published by Hjalmar 
confirm the theory of the structure of the Rontgen 
aed of the elements developed by the authors.— 
. Durante: An apparatus for microphotography. 
Simplicity, transportability, and low cost are the 
advantages claimed for the apparatus described.— 
Georges Déjardin: The ionisation of mercury vapour 
in the presence of argon. The phenomena described 
in detail can be best explained by assuming that for 
electrons traversing an atmosphere of argon there 
exists a first critical velocity corresponding to about 
11-3 volts, and that the resonance radiation emitted 
by the gas under these conditions ionises the vapour 
of mercury. This ionisation is not accompanied by 
any notable modification of the mercury spectrum. 
—G. Denigés: The rapid estimation of magnesium 
in a single drop of sea-water. The method is based 
on Schlagdenhaufen’s reaction, the colour produced 
by the interaction of magnesium salts and potassium 
hypoiodite.—L. J. Simon and A. J. A. Guillaumin: 
ethylisopyromucic acid and a method of diagnosis 
of the pS « of the sugar group. The dehydration 
of the lactone of rhamnonic acid gave methyliso- 
pyromucic acid, a description of which is given.— 
Marcel Delépine: The dipyridine iridium tetra- 
chlorides. Configurations of the iridio -dipyridino- 
tetrachlorides.—M.. Picon: The action of sod- 
ammonium on aniline and its homologues. Sod- 
ammonium (in liquid ammonia) and aniline react 
slowly at the ordinary temperature giving hydrogen, 
sodium amide, and the aniline derivative C,H,. NHNa. 
The last named reacts violently with ethyl bromide, 
giving ethylaniline. Other aryl amines behave 
similarly —E. E, Blaise: (deer! wb by means of 
mixed organozinc derivatives : propylglyoxal.—Léon 
Moret: The existence of the upper Cretaceous 
(facies ‘‘ Red layers’’) in the Autochthone in the 
neighbourhood of Thénes (Haute-Savoie).—F. Roman 
and J. Royo Gomez: The existence of Lutecian 
mammals in the Douro basin (Spain).—V. Van 
Straelen: The decapod crustaceans of the Portland 
beds of Cerin-Marchampt.—Henri Coupin: The 
origin of the siliceous carapace of diatoms.—A. de 
Puymaly: The adaptation to aerial life of Zygnema 
peliosporum.—E. Chauvin: The toxicity of Volvaria 
gloiocephala. This fungus, commonly considered as 
poe when gathered near Algiers was shown 
y A. Gautier to be”edible without inconvenience. 
The author has gathered the same fungus in France 
(Fontainebleau) and eaten it without ill-effects.— 
V. Vincent: The measurement of the acidity of soils 
by alkaline liquids —L. Fage and R. Legendre: 
Fishing with a submerged source of light as a means 
of studying the coast fauna.—Mme. Z. Gruzewska 
and M. Fauré-Frémiet: The maximum quantities 
of reserve glycogen in the livers of dogs of different 
ages.—L., Garrelon, D. Santenoise, and R. Thuillant: 
The parallelism between the sensibility to the oculo- 
cardiac reflex and the sensibility to toxic actions.— 
Mile. France Gueylard and M. Marcel Duval: The 
comparative toxicity of various acids for fishes 
(Gasterosteus aculeatus), The hydrogen ion con- 
centration is not the sole cause of the rapid death 
