NA TURE 



[January 30, 1902 



complicated apparatus designed by Zeisel is greatly simplified by 

 ihe substitution of a fractionating column consisting of nine 

 aludels, alternately closed and open, arranged in series in a 

 glass tube, for the sloping condenser with \vater at 40° C. and 

 the washing bulbs containing aniorphoric phosphorus. Results 

 obtained with codeine and quinine proved that this rearrange- 

 ment is effective in retaining iodine and hydriodic acid. — A 

 new colour reaction of hydroxylamine, by Mr. W. C. Ball. 

 When a solution of hydroxylamine or its salts is boiled with a 

 solution of ammonium-sulphite until sulphur begins to form and 

 to the liquid a strong solution of ammonia isadded, together with 

 a few c.c. of alcohol, a fine purple colour is produced which is 

 visible when only one part of hydroxylamine in 500,000 of water 

 is used. — On the sensitiveness of a thermoregulator, by Mr. 

 A. W. C. Menzies. A description of an apparatus whereby a 

 definite temperature may be mainiained over considerable 

 periods with a maximum variation of 0025 of a degree. — 

 Myricetin, Part ii., by Mr. A. G. I'erkin. An account is 

 given of the methyl and ethyl ethers of this colouring matter, 

 extracted from the bark of the Indian tree Myrica ncigi, and 

 which has already been shown by the author to be a hydroxy- 

 quercetin. Myricetin appears not to occur free in the plant, 

 but in the form of a rhamnose ether (glucoside), which has been 

 named myricetrin (CoiIbj^Oja). — The colouring matters of green 

 ebony, by .Messrs. A. G. Perkin and S. H. C. Briggs. This 

 dyewood contains (a) excoecariii, CijHj.jO,, easily oxidised by 

 bromine to excoeaironc, C,3ll,(|0,r,, and' hydrolysed by potash 

 fusion to hydroquinone carboxylic acid. (b) Jacarandin, 

 C,4lI,„05(OH)._,, which appears from its reactions to belong to 

 the quercetin series of dyes. — The action of methylene iodide 

 on aryl- and naphthylamines; diaryl methylene diamines, acri- 

 dines and naphthacridines, by Dr. Senier and Mr. Goodwin. 

 With anilines, toluidines and xylidines, diamines are formed, but 

 with amine of condensed substances such as naphthalene, bodies 

 of the actidine type are produced. — The polymerisation of 

 cyanic acid, by Dr. Senier and Mr. T. Walsh. In this reaction 

 cyamelide is not, as is generally suppo.sed, the only product, a 

 quantity of cyanuric acid being also formed. 



Mathematical Society, January 9. — Dr. Hobson, F.R.S., 

 president, in the chair. — The president (Major MacMahon, 

 F.R.S., vice-president, in the chair, /;» /cw.) communicated a 

 paper on non-uniform convergence and the integration of series. 

 Messrs. Larmor, Love, Whittaker and the chairman spoke on 

 the subject of the paper, which followed out the work of Prof. 

 Osgood. — Mr. S. Roberts, F. R.S , read a paper on networks. 

 This paper treats of certain networks (i) with triangular meshes, 

 (2) with polygonal meshes. They are intimately connected with 

 the problem of colouring maps with four colours only. The 

 doubts and difficulties which have arisen with regard to the 

 demonstration of the general theorems involving the solution of 

 the problem in question show the expediency of discussing 

 limited and defined cases and passing to more general results 

 step by step. The subject, the author says, is, in fact, larger 

 and more intricate than the simplicity of the empirical solution 

 would lead one to expect. The late Prof. Tait's theorem is 

 animadverted upon and is considered to have been enunciated 

 in too general a form. In connection herewilh reference is 

 made to Prof. Petersen's communication {cf. " L'Intermediaire 

 des Malhematiciens,'' vol. v., p. 226). But it is not certain that 

 Prof. Tait was responsible for the unguarded statement (cf. Phil. 

 Mag., vol. xvii. pp. ^o, &c. ). In any case Prof. Petersen's 

 example shows that the theorem is not absolutely general. — 

 The president communicated a paper by Mr. W. H. Young, on 

 the fundamental theorem of differential equations. The funda- 

 mental theorem of the modern theory is Cauchy's existence 

 theorem, dealing with the existence and uniqueness of a set of 

 integrals satisfying given initial conditions and the holomorphic 

 character of the solution. Some doubt has been expressed as 

 to whether the proofs furnished by Picard and Painlevc are 

 rigorous. It has been suggested that it has not been conclu- 

 sively demonstrated that the holomorphic solution is unique 

 even in the simplest case which can arise. The paper gives a 

 brief account of the theorem in question, and examines an 

 example which has been put forward as typical of a large class 

 of cases where the theorem fails. — A paper by Prof. W. Snow 

 Burnside, on the integrals of the differential equation 



r=— -1- — ,=— = o, where /(^) = aax^ -^ 4*.r' -V dcx" -f 4(/a -f e, 

 <A") "-'/M 

 considered geometrically, was communicated by title. 



NO. 1683, VOL. 65] 



Geological Society, January 8.— Mr. J. J. H. Teall, 

 \'.I'.R.S., president, in the chair. — A system of glacier-lakes 

 in theCleveland Hills, by Mr. P. F. Kendall. After referring to 

 existing "extra-morainic " lakes, such as the Marjelen Sec and 

 those of the Chaix Hills, the author proceeds to deal with the 

 criteria for the recognition of such lakes. These include 

 beaches, deltas, floor-deposits and overflow-channels. Shore- 

 scarps are common in Cleveland, but beaches are rare or ab.sent, 

 the reason being in part that stability was rarely secured owing 

 to the overflows being over soft Jurassic strata. Deltas also arc 

 not common. The floor-deposit of lakes may be distinguished 

 from river-alluvia by the fact that Ihe lamination is close and 

 regular, but, being parallel to the subjacent surface, it may be 

 highly inclined. On the other hand, alluvia are laid down on 

 horizontal surfaces, but rarely show good lamination. Evidence 

 from borings and drift filled channels is given to show that 

 during or before the Glacial period the land was considerably 

 above its present level. The Glacial deposits are described in 

 detail from sections and borings, some of them carried out by 

 the author, and the assemblages of boulders are identified and 

 classified into three chief groups — a western group, from the 

 Solway, Vale of Eden, Stainmoor Pass and the 'Tees ; a northern 

 group, from the Tweed and Cheviots and from eastern Durham ; 

 and an eastern group, from the Christiania region, the Gulf of 

 Bothnia and Denmark or the North Sea. The author has been 

 unable to detect any signs of the presence of the sea in this area 

 at any time during the (Slacial period. Three main ice-masses 

 appear to have been concerned in producing the deposits — one 

 from the southern Uplands and the .Solway, joined by the local 

 ice of the Tees ; a second originating in the Tweed Valley, and 

 driven southward round the Chevoits by the pressure of the 

 third, or Scandinavian, ice-mass. The general order of events 

 is supposed to have been : (l) the unobstructed passage of the 

 Teesdale glacier to the coast, (2) the arrival of the Scandinavian 

 ice, and (3) the invasion of the Scottish ice. The first of the 

 extra-morainic lakes described is that of the Vale of Pickering, 

 the lowest of the sequence, which for a long period received all 

 the drainage of the district except that of the western margin, 

 and the outflow from which into Lake Humber was that now 

 occupied by the River Derwent. Newton Dale was the outflow 

 of the lake-series of the Eskdale country. The Eskdale system 

 comprises a series of lakes connected by an "aligned sequence'' 

 of overflows ; and here it is possible to trace the consequences 

 of the shrinkage of the ice-masses and to follow out the low- 

 level phases of the lake. The ice pressing upon the northern 

 face of the Cleveland Hills gave rise to a series of lakelets, con- 

 nected with which are the following set of overflows : — Scugdale 

 and Scarth Nick, Bilsdale, Kildale, Ewe Crag Beck, Tranmire, 

 and Egton Moor. Ibutndale contained a lakelet overflowing 

 eastward. Behind a narrow coast-strip of country, extending 

 from Robin Hood's Bay to Hunmanby, there runs a gorge which 

 receives all the drainage of the " hinterland " and carries it into 

 the Vale of Pickering. In the production of this arrangement 

 the effects of an ice-sheet shutting the seaward ends of the 

 valleys are traceable ; the position of the main overflows was 

 stable, and the drainage was permanently deflected. — The gla- 

 ciation of Teesdale, Weardale and the Tyne Valley, and their 

 tributary valleys, by A. R. Dwerryhouse. After an account of 

 the topographical solid geology of Teesdale, the author describes 

 four distinct types of drift in the area. A detailed descriptiim 

 of the Glacial deposits, boulders and strix is given, and from 

 this the following conclusions are deduced : — Upper Teesdale 

 was heavily glaciated by local ice from the eastern slope of the 

 Cross Fell Range ; this part of the Dale was not invaded by any 

 other ice, and the higher peaks stood out as nunataks. At the 

 period of maximum glaciation a number of lakes were formed, 

 owing to the obstruction of the drainage of lateral tributary- 

 valleys by the ice of the main glaciers. Lunedalc was occupied 

 by ice (the Stainmoor glacier) which came from the drainage- 

 basin of the Irish Sea, joined the Teesdale gkacier about Mid- 

 dleton-in-Teesdale, and by its thrust deflected the Teesdale ice 

 into the valley of the Wear. During the retreat of the ice there 

 was a lengthened period of " constant level," when well marked 

 drainage-channels were formed, and after this the ice was re- 

 moved with great rapidity. A tongue of ice flowed from Upper 

 Teesdale by Vad Moss to the Valley of the South Tyne. 



Zoological Society, January 14. — Prof. G. B. Howes, 

 F. RS., vice-president, in the chair. — Dr. A. S. Woodward, 

 F.R.S., exhibited a newly-discovered upper molar tooth of 

 Onohippidium from the cavern near Consuelo Cove, in Last 



