January 28, 1909J 



NA TURE 



389 



Dublin. 

 Royal Dublin Society, Dccnbrr 22, 1908.— Prof. A. F. 

 Dixon in the chair.— The production of ammonia from 

 atmospheric nitrogen by means of peat : Dr. H. C. 

 Woltereck. The author showed that by the various pro- 

 cesses known only about one-third of the nitrogen con- 

 tained in the peat can be recovered. The evolution of 

 the synthesis from the use of hydrogen and nitrogen with 

 reduced iron, down to coke and peat, with air and steam 

 was described, and the analogy of this process with that 

 using iron was definitely pro'ved by the use of sugar 

 carbon, free from nitrogen, thus demonstrating the in- 

 disputable cooperation of atmospheric nitrogen.— The 

 pollination of certain species of Dendrobium : Dr. A. F. G. 

 Kerr. An arrangement often found in the fiowers of the 

 section Eu-dendrobium is described, whereby the elasticity 

 of the filament causes the anther to be jerked down and 

 to block the passage past the stigma to the nectary as 

 the visiting insect withdraws from the flower. By this 

 mechanism only the first visitor can pollinate the stigma. 

 The pollinia are only discharged as the visitor leaves, 

 consequently it is evident that cross-pollination only can 

 occur. The mechanism is quite different from that de- 

 scribed by Darwin in D. chrysan\.]\um, which, he believed, 

 aided self-pollination. E.xperiments on many specimens of 

 sixteen species of Eu-dendrobium in their native habitats 

 showed that self-pollination was effective in only 8 per 

 cent., and cross-pollination in 100 per cent. Modifications 

 of the mechanism described allowing self-pollination are 

 found in the species which contribute this 8 per cent. 

 The paper also contains descriptions of arrangements 

 obtaining in other Dendrobia which favour or oppose 

 self-pollination, as well as records of experiments on these 

 species of self- and cross-pollination. All the observations 

 were carried out in the natural localities. — The absorption 

 of water by seeds : W. R. G. Atkins. An examination 

 of the behaviour of seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris and 

 Lathyrus odoratus, both living and dead, in water and 

 salt solutions, shows that no semi-permeable membrane 

 exists in them until after germination, when the proto- 

 plasm of the cells acts as such. The evolution of CO3 

 may be detected within two hours after moistening air- 

 dried seeds, whether they are living or killed by chloro- 

 form. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences. Tannary '8. — M. Bouchard in the 

 chair. — Some applications of the method of M. Fredholm : 

 H. Poincare. — A general method of preparation of the 

 trialkvlacetic acids : A. Haller and Ed. Bauer. Ketones 

 of the type C.H,.CO.C.R,R,R,, were dissolved in benzene 

 and heated with sodium amide, and split up quantitatively 

 into benzene and the amide of the trialkvlacetic acid, 



(R,R,Rj)C.CO.NHj; 

 the latter, treated with nitrosyl sulphate, gives the corre- 

 sponding acid, C(R,R.R3).CO.OH. The method is 

 general, and has been applied to the preparation of pivalic, 

 dimethylethylacetic, dimethylpropylacetic, methyldiethyl- 

 acetic, triethylacetic, and methylethylpropyl acetic acids, 

 as well as the corresponding amides. The distinguishing 

 physical properties of these compounds are given. — A 

 haemogregarian of Tupinambis teguixin : A. Laveran and 

 M. Salimbeni. This organism appears to constitute a 

 new species, for which the name H. tupinambis is pro- 

 posed. The paper is accompanied by six diagrams showing 

 various stages of development. — .•\n epithelium with striated 

 muscular fibres : F. Henneguy. A demonstration of the 

 existence of striated muscular fibrillse in the walls of the 

 epithelial cells of the digestive tubes of Alcyonidium 

 hirsutum and Bugula alveolata. — An apparatus for record- 

 ing the absolute acceleration of seismic movements : G. 

 Lippmann. — Th? evolution of the Tertiary mammals : the 

 importance of migrations. The Pliocene epoch : Charles 

 Dep6ret. — M. W. Kilian was elected a correspondant in 

 the section of mineralogy in the place of the late M. Peron. 

 — Discussion of the micrometric measurements made at the 

 Observatory of Lyons during the eclipse of June 28, 1008 : 

 F. Merlin. — A zenithal photographic telescope : A. de la 

 Baume Pluvinel. The instrument is designed to determine 

 the astronomical coordinates of the place where it is set 

 up. The latitude is deduced from the zenithal distance of 



NO. 2048, VOL. 79] 



a star measured on a negative, the longitude from a know- 

 ledge of the time at which the star occupies, on the 

 negative, a certain position corresponding to the passage 

 through the meridian. — A problem concerning geodesic 

 lines : Jules Drach. — A generalisation of a theorem of 

 Jacobi : W. Stekio« The theory of continuous func- 

 tions : Maurice Frechet. — Differential equations the 

 general integral of which is uniform : J. Chazy. — Some 

 optical and magneto-optical phenomena in crystals at low 

 temperatures : Jean Becquerei. A discussion of the 

 causes of the differences between the conclusions of the 

 author and those of MM. H. du Bois and Elias.— A 

 characteristic property of a hexagonal network of small 

 magnets : L. de la Rive and Ch. Eug. Guye.— An optical 

 arrangement for varying the lighting of a surface accord- 

 ing to a law determined in advance : Th. Guilloz. — The 

 rapid preparation of calcium phosphide for making 

 hydrogen phosphide ; C. Matigrnon and R. Trannoy. 

 Dried calcium phosphate is heated with aluminium powder, 

 and the mixture started off at a dull red heat. The pro- 

 duct is a mixture of calcium phosphide and alumina, which 

 on treatment with water gives a nearly pure non- 

 inflammable phosphorettcd hydrogen. The only impurity 

 of the gas obtained in this way is hydrogen, which may be 

 present up to 3 per cent.— The action of sulphur chloride, 

 S,CL, on the metallic oxides : F. Bourion. It has been 

 found that in' certain cases in which the method of tre.at- 

 ing the oxide with chlorine and sulphur chloride fails, the 

 laKer alone gives a good yield of the anhydrous chloride. 

 .•\tnongst other chlorides prepared in this way, that of 

 samarium is noteworthy, as of all the oxides of the cerium 

 group this is the most' difficult to transform into chloride. 

 —Colour reactions of dioxyacetone : G. Deniges. — The 

 nature of the bromacetamide of Hofmann : Maurice 

 Francois. This bromine derivative can be prepared by 

 the evaporation of a mixture of hypobromous acid and 

 acetamide. On this account the author considers its com- 

 position to be CH, . CO. NH,.Br.OH.— Researches on the 

 products of saponification of dioxalsuccinic ester. Isopyro- 

 mucic acid : E. E. Blaise and H. Gault.— The prepara- 

 tion of aldehydes and anhydrides of acids : A. Behal. 

 Benzylidene chloride, heated with acetic acid, reacts accord- 

 ing to the equation 

 C6H,.CnCl2 + 2CH3.CO.,H = 2HCI + C„H,CH:0 + {CH3CO).,0. 



The presence of certain salts, such as chloride of cobalt, 

 assists the reaction.— The artificial oxydases and pero.xy- 

 dases : M. iVIartinand.— The successive induction of 

 coloured images after a very strong stimulation of the 

 retina, and the classic theories of vision : Romuald 

 Minki'ewicz.— X-rays of high penetration obtained by 

 filtration. Their advantage in radio-therapy for the treat- 

 ment of deep-seated tumours : H. Guilleminot. _ The 

 filtration of the rays through 5 mm. of aluminium is re- 

 commended ; the issuing rays will be approximately 

 "monochromatic." Although the absolute quantity trans- 

 mitted v/ill be much reduced, necessitating a longer ex- 

 posure, the percentage absorption in the soft tissues will 

 be small, and deep-seated tumours can be more effectively 

 reached by the rays.— The identification of revolver bullets ; 

 V. Balthazard. The problem was to prove whether 

 certain bullets found on the floor had traversed the arm of 

 the wounded person. It is shown that after traversing a 

 cloth material, characteristic markings are produced on 

 the leaden bullet, and these are not obliterated by the sub- 

 sequent passage through flesh, provided a bone is not 

 encountered. It is even possible to identify the nature of 

 the garment through which the bullet has passed by a 

 careful examination of the markings on the bullet.— Sexual 

 reproduction in the Actinocephalids : P. Leeer and O. 

 Duboscq.— Som-e Sertulariidae in the British Museum 

 collection : Armand Billard.— Biological researches on the 

 conditions of viviparity and larval life of Glossiiia piilpalis: 

 E. Roubaud. — New ' observations on the habits of the 

 asparagus flv [Platvpaica poecilopicra) in the neighbour- 

 hood of Paris. The insufficiency of the method of destruc- 

 tion now in use : P. l-esne.- A possible interpretation of 

 the waves of the principal phase of seismograms : M. de 

 Montessus de Ballore.— The earthquake of December 28, 

 iqo8, recorded at the Fabra Observatory, Barcelona: J. 

 Comas Sola. 



