904 
NATURE | 

[JuNE.30, 1923 

during the telophase of somatic kinesis in the nucleus 
in Fritiliavia imperialis—J. Athanasiu : Motor nerve 
vibrations in the animal series——E. Wollman and 
M. Vagliano: The action of light on growth. A 
description of three sets of experiments on rats: 
the diet of the first set contained 5 per cent. of 
butter, and of the second and third sets 1 per cent. 
of butter. The rats were kept in the dark, but the 
third set were exposed to ultra-violet light from a 
mercury vapour lamp for 3 to 5 minutes each day. 
Other experiments were carried out in which the 
rats received only 1 per cent. of butter but were 
exposed to light. The growth of rats receiving only 
I per cent. of butter and exposed to daylight or 
to ultra-violet light was as rapid as those receiving 
the larger amount of butter and kept in the dark. 
If the food contained no butter, irradiation by the 
mercury lamp had no effect. Light alone cannot 
compensate for the absence of the fat soluble factor 
of growth.—Georges Mouriquand and Paul Michel: 
Some osteodystrophic factors and their action 
according to the species of animal. Dietic experi- 
ments, with deficiency of the C-vitamin, on rats and 
guinea-pigs show that these animals present marked 
differences in bone nutrition under the same condi- 
tions of food. The experiments will be extended 
to other species of animals, and it is pointed out that 
it is necessary to apply the results of feeding experi- 
ments with animals with much care, especially as 
regards man.—P. Gillot: The variations of some 
carbohydrate reserves in Mercurialis perennis. 
Maltose, which is always present in the reserve 
organs of this plant, undergoes variations comparable 
with those of the starch and saccharose: hence 
this sugar may be looked upon as a reserve substance 
of the same order as the other polysaccharides.— 
Georges Tanret: Some bases, of the type of tropa- 
cocaine, derived from pseudopelletierine.—E. Kayser : 
—The action of yeast on calcium lactate; the pro- 
duction of ethyl alcohol—Alphonse Labbé: The 
critical zones of adaptation to the medium,—L. 
Berland: The origin of the spiders of New Caledonia. 
Of 150 species of spiders found, 93 species are confined 
to that island. The species are most probably of 
Malay origin in the Oligocene period.—René Jeannel : 
The evolution of the blind Coleoptera and the stock- 
ing of the caves in the mountains of Bihor in 
Transylvania.—Eugéne Lacroix: The fundamental 
chitinous texture of the shell of certain Foraminifera. 
—Armand Dehorne: The interstitial cells in the 
testicle of annelids, Stylaria, and Lumbricus.— 
Maxime Ménard and Saidman: The action of the 
ultra-violet rays on superficial wounds. Details of 
17 cases submitted to this treatment, of which 
12 were cured and 3 improved. 
SYDNEY. 
Royal Society of New South Wales, May 2.—Mr. 
C, A. Sussmilch, president, in the chair—C. A. 
Sussmilch : Presidential address. No volcanoes either 
active or dormant occur now in New South Wales, 
but there is abundant geological evidence to show 
that at many stages in its past history numerous 
large active volcanoes existed. Each subdivision of 
the Palzozoic era had its active volcanoes; during 
the Ordovician period submarine eruptions took 
place in the central part of the State. Later, volcanic 
activity appears to have been confined to the New 
England area, but here it occurred on a grand scale. 
A chain of active volcanoes extended from Port 
Stephens past Maitland, Musclebrook, and Scone, 
and from thence northwards to Currabubula, and 
active volcanoes occurred at Gloucester and on the 
Drake Goldfield. The lavas and tuffs poured out 
NO. 2800, VOL. 111] 

from these volcanoes aggregated many thousands 
of feet in thickness. In the succeeding Permo- 
Carboniferous period, when the great coalfields were 
being laid down, volcanic activity, while less intensive, 
was still present. In the Mesozoic era, the volcanic 
forces appear to have died gut, and for several 
millions of years volcanic activity was unknown. 
In the succeeding Cainozoic era volcanic activity 
again asserted itself, and twice at least floods of 
basaltic lavas were poured out, submerging vast 
tracts of land, and completely covering up some 
of the then river valleys, thus preserving some of 
the deep leads afterwards worked for gold, tin, and 
gemstones. Towards the end of this era, a number 
of isolated groups of volcanic cones developed ; 
these were the last eruptions to occur in New South 
Wales, and for the past million or so years volcanic 
activity has been entirely absent. 

Official Publications Received. 
Department of Commerce : Scientific Papers of the Bureau of Standards. 
No. 469: Directive Radio Transmission on a Wave Length of Ten Metres. 
By Francis W, Dunmore and Francis H. Engel. Pp. 16. 10 cents. No. 
473: A Method for the Measurement of Sound Intensity. By J. ©. 
ae Pp. 105-111. 5 cents. (Washington: Government Printing 
ce. 
The Botanical Society and Exchange Club of the British Isles. Vol. 6, 
Part 5: Report for 1922. By the Secretary, G. Claridge Druce. Pp. 
589-821. (Arbroath: T. Buncle and Co.) 10s. 
Rhodesia Museum, Bulawayo. Twenty-first Annual Report, 1922, Pp, 
18. (Bulawayo.) 
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. Thirty-second Annual 
Report, January 1 to December 31, 1922; with Proceedings of Aunual 
Meeting, 1923. Pp. 80. (London: 82 Victoria Street.) 
Bergens Museum, Aarsberetning, 1921-1922. Pp. 103. (Bergen.) 
Bergeus Museum Aarbok, 1920-1921, 2 Hefte. Naturvidenskabelig 
Rekke. Pp. 96+71. (Bergen.) 
Department of the Interior: Bureau of Edneation, Bulletin, 1922, No. 
45: Beata, of Certain Social Studies in High Schools, By Harry H. 
Moore. Pp. 21. 5 cents. Bulletin, 1923, No. 12: Secondary Edueation 
in 1921and 1922, By W.S. Deffenbaugh. 
Government Printing Office.) 
State of Illinois Department of Registration and Education : Division 
of the Natural History Survey. Bulletin, Vol. 14, Art. 8: A Study of the 
Malarial Mosquitoes of Southern Illinois. By Stewart W. Chandler, 2: 
Operations of 1920, Pp. 23-32. Vol. 14, Art. 4: Changes in the Bottom and 
Shore Fauna of the Middle Illinois River and its Connecting Lakes since 
1918-1915 as a Result of the Increase, Southward, of Sewage Pollution, 
By Robert E. Richardson. Pp. 33-75. Vol. 14, Art. 5: The Helminotho- 
sporium Foot-rot of Wheat,ywith Observations on the Morphology of 
Helminothosporium and on the Occurrence of Saltation in the Genus. 
By F. L. Stevens, Pp. iv+77-186+25 graphs+plates 7-34. Vol, 14. 
Art. 6: The Numbers and Local Distribution in Summer of Illinois Land 
Birds of the Open Country. By Stephen A. Forbes and Alfred O. Gross. 
Pp. 187-218+plates 35-68. Vol. 14, Art. 7: Coddling-Moth Investigations 
of the State Entomologist’s Office, 1915, 1916, 1917. By Pressley A. Glenn. 
Pp. iv+219-289. (Urbana: Department of Registration and Education.) 
Department of the Interior : United States Geological Survey. Bulletin 
729: Oil Shale of the Rocky Mountain Region. By Dean E. Winchester. 
Pp. 204+18 plates. Bulletin 734: Deposits of Manganese Ore in the 
Batesville District, Arkansas, by Hugh D. Miser; with a Chapter on the 
Mining and Preparation of the Ores, by W. R. Crane. i xi+273+17 
plates. 45 cents. (Washington: Government Printing Office.) 
Department of the Interior: United States Geological Survey. Water- 
Supply Paper 504: Surface Water Supply of the United ‘States, 1919-1920, 
Part 4: St, Lawrence River Basin. Pp. iv+188. (Washington : Govern- 
ment Printing Office.) 20 cents. 
Department of the Interior: United States Geological Survey. Pro- 
fessional Paper 131-F : Revision of the Flora of the Green River Formation, 
with Descriptions of New Species. By F. H. Knowlton. Pp. 183-182 
+plates 36-40. Professional Paper 131-G : Fossil Plants from the Tertiary 
Lake Beds of South-Central Colorado. By F. H. Knowlton. Pp. 188-197 
+plates 41-44. Professional Paper 131-H: The Faung of the So-called 
Dakota Formation of Northern Central Colorado and its Equivalent in 
Soutl-Eastern Wyoming. By John B. Reeside, Jr. Pp, 199-212+plates 
45-50. (Washington: Government Printing Office.) 
Queensland Geographical Journal (New Series). Vols. 36-37. Including 
the Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia, 
Queensland. 36th-37th Sessions, 1920-1922. Pp. iv+128. (Brisbane: 
Royal Geographical Society.) 
Pp. 30, Scents. (Washington: 

Diary of Societies. 
MONDAY, Jory 2. 
Roya InstirvTion oF GREAT Britain, at 5.—General Meeting. 
ARISTOTELIAN SocteTy (at University of London Club), at 8.—M. 
Ginsberg : The Category of Purpose in Social Science. : 
Farapay Society (at Chemical Society), at $—A. Ferguson: A Relation 
between Surface Tension and Density.—J. Grant and Prof. J. R. 
Partington: Concentration Cells in Methyl Alcohol.—U. R. Evans: 
The Law of Definite Proportions in the Light of Modern Research,— 
J. B. Firth: Determination of the Density of Charcoal by Displace- 
ment of Liquids.—F. G. Tryhorn and 8. C. Blacktin: The Formation 
of Anomalous Liesegang Bands. 





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