796 
carbon dioxide) the germinating power of seeds of this 
plant has been proved to be unchanged after eleven 
years. The seeds of other plants have given similar 
results.—L. J. Simon: The determination of carbon 
in arable soil. The method of wet combustion with 
silver bichromate is reeommended.—J. M. Lahy: The 
graphical study of the stroke in typewriting. The 
speed of typewriting is a function of the alternation 
of the hands. No general rule can be given as to the 
number of fingers to be used ; the touch is personal, 
and the most favourable mode of working can only 
be obtained by study of the individual. — Auguste 
Lumiére: The toxicity of autolysates and of tissue 
extracts.—J. Lopez-Lomba: Changes in weight of 
the organs of the pigeon in the course of B-avitamin- 
osis. The changes of weight in ten isolated organs 
of the pigeon fed with a diet deficient in B-vitamins 
are shown graphically.—Samec and V. Isajevic: The 
composition of glycogen. A comparison of the 
properties of starch and glycogen. There are various 
points of difference, the most marked being the higher 
proportion of phosphorus in the glycogen.—J. Voicu : 
The effect of humus in small and larger doses on the 
fixation of nitrogen by Azobacter chroococcum.— 
Alphonse Labbé: The influence of the increasing Py 
of sea-water on the rapidity of segmentation of the 
eggs of Halosydna and Sabellaria.—Robert Dollfus : 
The trematode of mother-of-pearl in Provence mussels. 
—Foveau de Courmelles: The similitude of forms of 
shock in medicine, their dangerous but avoidable 
superposition. A discussion of anaphylactic shock pro- 
duced by X-ray treatment, and means of avoiding it. 


CAPE Town. 
Royal Society of South Africa, April 18.—Dr. A. 
Ogg, president, in the chair.—C. von Bonde: Note 
on the Heterosomata (flat-fishes) of South Africa. 
Some abnormalities are discussed which are occasion- 
ally found in pigmentation, scales, etc., of flat-fish 
generally, and in particular in some new species 
described.~-T. Stewart : Some notes on the drought 
of 1922-23 on Table Mountain. The first rainfall 
observations on Table Mountain were begun in 
January, 1881, when a gauge was placed at a spot 
called Disa Head, the elevation of which, above the 
sea-level, is about 2500 feet. Additional gauges were 
fixed, until by the year 1900 there were eleven in all. 
The average rainfall for 30 years on the highest 
portion of the mountain is about 75 inches. The 
average for the same gauges for 1922 was about 66} 
inches, and there were ten years of the 30 when the 
average was lower. On no previous dry season has 
the precipitation at Waai Kopje (elevation 3100 feet) 
—which gives results for 42 years—been so low as it 
has been for the seven months, September-March} 
1923. If the Disa Head station is taken as indicating 
the conditions at the 2500 feet level, the dry seasons 
of 1883-84, 1919-20, and 1920-21 were drier than the 
last one.—J. S. Thomas: The sulphide and hydro- 
sulphide of ammonium. By the action of hydrogen 
sulphide on alcoholic solutions of ammonia at 0° C., 
solutions were obtained in which the ratio [NH;]/[H,S] 
approximated to 1 ; i.e. the solution consisted mainly 
of ammonium hydrosulphide. Ammonia reacts with 
ammonium hydrosulphide suspended in ether ex- 
tremely slowly, but on the addition of a small quantity 
of alcohol a rapid reaction takes place and a heavy 
yellow oil separates, having the composition (NH,)s 
S,.NH;. This substance is very unstable, and is 
extremely toxic. When this oil is allowed to stand, 
transparent cubic crystals separate for which the 
ratio [NH;]/[H.S] was found to be 2. - This substance 
appears to be anhydrous ammonium monosulphide. 
NO. 2796, VOL. 111] 
NATURE 


[JUNE 9, 1923 
Official Publications Received. 
Annales de l'Institut de Physique du Globe de l'Université de Paris, — 
et du Bureau Central de Magnétisme terrestre. Publiées par les soins 
de Ch, Maurain. ‘ome Premier. Pp. 323. (Paris: Les Presses 
universitaires de France.) 75 francs. +» 
Scientific Papers of the Bureau of Standards. No. 465: Composition, 
Purification, and Certain Constants of monia. By BE. C. MeKelvy * 
and C, §. Taylor. Pp. 655-698. 10 cents. No. 466: Wave Length © 
Measurements in the Are Spectra of Gadolinium and Dysprosium. By 
C. C. Kiess. Pp. 695-706. 5 cents. (Washington: Government 
Printing Office.) ; 
Annual Report of the Zoological Society of Scotland for the Year 
ending 31st March 1923. Pp. 24+8 plates. (Edinburgh.) ’ 
Ministry of Public Works, Egypt: Physical Department. Meteoro- 
logical Report for the Year 1918. Pp. x+136. (Cairo: Government 
Publications Office.) P.T. 30. 
County Borough of Eastbourne. Annual Report of the Meteorological 
Pp. 24. (Eastbourne.) 
Observations for the Year 1922. 

Diary of Societies. a4 
SATURDAY, June 9. 
Roya InstiTuTIoN or GreaT Briain, at 3.—Dr. A. W. Hill: The New 
Zealand Flora. ; 
MONDAY, June 11. 
Vicroria Institute (at Central Hall, Westminster), at 4.30.—E. W. 
Maunder: The Two Sources of Knowledge: Revelation and Science 
(Annnal Address), 
TUESDAY, June 12. . 
Royat CoLLEGE oF Puysicians or Lonvon, at 5.—Prof. J. B. Leathes: 
The Role of Fats in Vital Phenomena. (Croonian Lectures (2).). 
ZooLocicar Society or Lonpon, at 5.30.—R. Broom : The Structure of the 
Skull in the Carnivorous Dinocephalian Reptiles.—N, A. Mackintosh : 
The Chondrocranium of the Teleostean Fish Se marinus.—R. 1. 
Pocock: The External Characters of Pigmy the Hippopotamus 
(Cheropis liberiensis) and the Suide and Carnelidge.—Maior KE. E. 
Austen: A Revision of the Family Pantophthalmide (Diptera), with 
Descriptions of new Species and a new Genus.—R. Dart and Dr. C. W. 
Andrews: The Brain of the Zeuglodontide (Cetacea), with a Note on 
the Skulls from which the Endocranial Casts were taken.—O. Thomas 
and M. A. C. Hinton: Mammals collected by Capt. Shortridge during 
the Perey Sladen and Kaflrarian Expedition to Orange River. 
British Psycwo.ocica, Society (Education Section) (at London Day 
Training College), at 6.—Dr. P. B. Ballard: The Validity of certain 
New Methods of Testing. r 
Quekerr MicroscopicaL Cxvs, at 7.30.—J. Burton: Notes on Fixing, 
Staining, and Mounting Freshwater Alge.—Secretary: Notes on 
Mounting and Report of Petrographical Interest on the Deposits sent 
by Mr. Hamm to the Club.—J. H. Barton: Demonstration of a New 
Form of Microscope. 
Roya ANTHROPOLOGICAL InsTiTUTE, at 8.15.—Rey. W. H. Leembrugger: 
Social Transitions among the Natives of New Georgia, Solomon ~ 
Islands. 
washer tc ht che: oie ‘ei tHe 
Royat Socrety, at 4.30.—Dr. C, Chree: Magnetic enomena in th 
Region of the South Magnetic Pole.—O. R. Howell: The Catalytic 
Decomposition of Sodium Hypochlorite by Cobalt Peroxide.—Nina M. 
Hosali: The Seismic Waves in a Visco-Elastic Earth.—J. W. Landon 
and H. Quinney: Experiments with the Hopkinson Pressure Bar.— 
S. F. Grace: Free Motion of a Sphere in a Rotating Liquid at Right 
Angles to the Axis of Rotation.—B. F. J. Schonland: The Passage of 
Cathode Rays through Matter. ‘ 
Roya CoLLece or Puysicrans or Lonpon, at 5.—Prof. J. B. Leathes : 
The Role of Fats in Vital Phenomena. (Croonian Lectures (3.)) 
Opricat Socrety (at Imperial College of Science and Technology), at 7.30.— 
S. G. Starling: Levels and Level Bubbles.—T. F. Connolly; A New 
Form of Balloon Theodolite.—E. W. Taylor : The Primary and Secondary 
Image Curves formed by a Thin Achromatic Object Glass with the 
Object Plane at Infinity. 
Cuemicat Society, at 8.30.—Prof. C. Moureu: Les gaz rares des sources 
thermales, des grisous et autres gaz naturels (Lecture). 
RoyaL Socrery Or Mepicine (Neurology Section), at 8.30.—Dr. L, R. 
Yealland: Hysterical Fits, with some reference to their Treatment. 
= treeage JUNE ae at 5 ae ; 
Roya Society or Arts (Indian Section), at 4.30.—Sir John Marshall : 
The Influence of Race on Early Indian Art (Sir George Birdwood 
Lecture). 
RoyaL PHOTOGRAPHIC Sociery or GreaT Brrrary, at 7,—Mr, and Mrs. ~ 
D. E. Batty: A Simplified Method of Printing in'the Gum-Bichromate 
Process (with a Demonstration). 4 : 
RoyaL InstrroTI0N OF Great Brurarn, at 9.—Sir Ernest Rutherford : 
The Life History of an Alpha Particle from Radium, . 
SATURDAY, June 16. : 
Roya InstrroTion or Great Brrvarn, at 3.—Sir Ernest Rutherford: — 
Atomie Projectiles and their Properties (VI.). 
PUBLIC LECTURES. 
MONDAY, June ll. 
University CouLecr, at 5.—N. Fryer: Unknown Central Europe. 
TUESDAY, Jung 12. 4 
Sr. BarrHoLoMEw’s Hosprtat Mepicat Cotvecg, at 5.—Dr. A. Balfour : 
Tropical Hygiene. (Succeeding Lectures on June 14, 19, and 21.) 
WEDNESDAY, June 18. A ee 
University Coutecr, at 5.30.—J. C. Grondahl: Norwegian Literature of 
the Present Day. } 
+ THURSDAY, June 14. _ 
Sr. Mary's Hosprtat (Institute of Pathology and Research), at 4.30.— 
Prof. G, Dreyer: Some New Principles in Bacterial Immunity and their 
application to the Treatment of Refractory Infection. 

