JuNE 23, 1923] 
any outward sign. The tissues are hypertrophied 
and turgid. (2) Chytridiaceous zoospores (probably 
synchytrian) occur in anthers in half-grown buds 
of Up-to-Date potatoes damaged by the Ameeba ; 
and some of the Amcebe may migrate to the adjacent 
ovarian tissue; the zoospores swim to and fro b 
_ an anteriorly directed flagellum. Associated wit 
the above is a spore-bearing bacillus with rounded 
ends, probably a saprophyte. (3) ‘‘ Bird’s eye” 
_bodies in petunia and potato ovaries are regarded 
as possibly a phase of (2), and therefore synchytrian 
parasites. 
Zoological Society, May 29.—Dr. A. Smith Wood- 
ward, vice-president, in the chair—C. Tate Regan: 
(t) Some deep-sea fishes taken by the Dana Expedi- 
tion, under the leadership of Dr. Johannes Schmidt. 
The fishes belong to the very rare and little-known 
genera Gigantena and Stylophorus, which agree in 
having telescopic eyes placed close together and 
directed forwards. (2) The skeleton of Lepidosteus, 
with remarks on the origin and evolution of the lower 
neopterygian fishes——C. F. Sonntag: The compara- 
tive anatomy of the tongues of the mammalia.— 
IX. Edentata, Demoptera, and _ Insectivora.—S. 
Maulik : New cryptosome beetles. 
Paris. 
Academy of Sciences, May 28.—M. Albin Haller 
in the chair.—Charles Moureu, Charles Dufraisse, 
and Ph. Landrieu: The principle of a general method 
for determining the calorific capacity of solids and 
liquids. Application to the determination of the 
water equivalent of calorimetric bombs.—P. Villard : 
A hydrate of iodine. Iodine and water, compressed 
with oxygen or nitrogen to 150 atmospheres, give 
crystals of a hydrate of iodine. The crystals are 
crimson-violet, strongly contrasting with the brown 
colour of the aqueous solution of iodine.—M. 
Wallerant: Extract from a note of M. Astbury. 
The structure of the crystal of tartaric acid, deter- 
mined by the X-ray method, is in agreement with 
the views expressed by Pasteur in 1860.—Charles 
Depéret: The glaciations of the valleys of the 
French Pyrenees, and their relations with the fluvial 
terraces. From observations in the Ariége, Garonne, 
_ Neste, Aure, Gare de Pau, and Gare d’Ossau, there 
is complete identity between the Alps and Pyrenees 
for the number and periods of extension of the 
quaternary glaciers—M. Henri Villat was elected 
a corresponding member for the section of mechanics 
in the place of the late R. Ariés.—René Garnier: 
. Uniform functions of two independent variables 
defined by the inversion of an algebraic system of 
total differentials of the fourth order.—N. Saltykow: 
The methods of iategration of partial equations.— 
M. Angelesco: Certain biorthogonal polynomials.— 
H. Milloux: Infinite series of functions and mero- 
morphic functions with asymptotic value —Charles N. 
Moore: The generalised Fourier series of non- 
integrable functions.—J. Haag: The problem of 
Schwarzschild in the case of a curved universe.— 
F. Gossot and R. Liouville: The principles of internal 
ballistics —Jean Chazy: The secular effects of the 
theory of relativity in the planetary movements.— 
J. Le Roux: The field of gravitation.— A. Luthy: 
The ultra-violet spectrum of glyoxal. In hexane 
solution, this substance gives a series of narrow 
absorption bands in the ultra-violet ; no compound 
of the aliphatic series has hitherto been known to 
give narrow absorption bands in the ultra-violet.— 
Guillaume C. Lardy: The ultra-violet absorption 
spectrum of diacetyl. In alcoholic solution previous 
NO. 2799, VOL. I11] 
NATURE 
867 
observations have showa only a band in the violet 
and another in the middle ultra-violet. In hexane 
solution the author has found narrow bands. These 
bands are not so clearly separated as the narrow 
bands shown by glyoxal in the same region.—F. W. 
Klingstedt: The ultra-violet absorption spectrum 
of paraquinone. This substance shows in hexane 
solution fourteen narrow bands in the visible part 
of the spectrum between the green and the violet. 
In addition, in the middle ultra-violet there is one 
large band, and in the extreme ultra-violet (\=2410) 
there is one very strong band.—Albert Colson: 
Contribution to the laws of solubility—A. Ch. 
Vournazos: The bismuthamines, a new class of 
bodies. These substances are obtained by the inter- 
action of bismuth chloride (bromide or iodide) and 
an ammonia (or amine) salt in an organic solvent. 
As a typical example, the compound BiCl,I(NH,) 
is obtained by the action of BiCl, on a cold solution 
of ammonium iodide in acetic acid. It forms silky 
transparent needles, decomposed by water.—Alfred 
Gillet and Fernand Giot: An application of the 
antioxygen power of the polyphenols: increase of 
fastness to light of dyes on the fibre. All the acid 
azo dyes, both on wool and on cotton, are relatively 
protected against the action of air under the influence 
of light by the o- or p-diphenol function, whether 
the latter is, or is not, a part of the molecule of the 
dye. Some eosin dyes behave similarly, but the 
nitro dyes, triphenylmethane derivatives, and basic 
colours are not protected.—Paul Corbin and Nicolas 
Oulianoff: Certain characters of the Hercynian fold 
in the Servoz-Les Houches region (Arve valley).— 
Conrad Kilian: The folds of the crystalline schists 
of Ahaggar; the Saharides.—René Souéges: The 
embryogeny of the Geraniacee. Development of 
the embryo in Evodium cicutarium.—G. Hamel: 
The limit of vegetation in the Channel according to 
the dredgings carried out by the Pourquoi -Pas ? 
No alge were found at depths greater than forty-five 
metres, and it concluded that at greater depths than 
this all vegetation, with the exception of diatoms, 
and plankton, is absent.—Jules Stoklasa: The 
origin of the nitrate deposits of Chili. According 
to one hypothesis, the nitrate deposits result from 
the accumulation of excrements and bodies of animals: ~ 
another view (C. Noellner) is tnat the nitrates arise 
from the accumulation of submarine plants, since 
these plants contain iodine, and iodine is an invariable 
constituent of ‘‘ caliche.”” The author gives reasons 
for regarding a volcanic o1igin as more probable 
than either of the preceding hypotheses.—]J. Lopez- 
Lomba and Mme. Randoin: The state of scurvy 
produced by a complete regime in biochemical 
equilibrium, deprived only of the factor C.—W. 
Kopaczewski : Surface tension, swelling, and narcosis. 
—R. Argaud: The sclerogenic réle of the giant 
cells. 
WASHINGTON. 
National Academy of Sciences (Proc. Vol. 9, No. 4, 
April).—R. L. Moore: Concerning the cut-points of 
continuous curves and of other closed and connected 
point-sets.—J. Belling and A. IF. Blakeslee: The 
reduction division in haploid, diploid, triploid, and 
tetraploid Daturas. During the first division in the 
Tp eeteagg ine oe of diploid, triploid, and tetraploid 
aturas, homologous chromosomes are usually con- 
nected by theirends. Non-reduction occurs generally 
only in haploid plants. The volume of cytoplasm 
in the pollen-mother-cells is nearly proportional to 
the number of haploid groups present.—T. Ellinger : 
The variation and inheritance of milk characters. 
The records of a herd of 7oo cows at Tranekjaer 
