68 



NATURE 



[July 13, 1911 



therefore, when, by removal of all moisture, dissociation 

 is prevented, the vapour pressure of the dry substance 

 should be negligibly small. Brereton Baker obtained results 

 which indicated that dry calomel had a vapour pressure of 

 about one atmosphere. Experiments were made to test 

 this point directly. The final result was in accord with 

 the theory, but only after a prolonged drying for five and 

 a half months in an oven at 115 C. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, July 3. — M. Armand Gaulier in 

 the chair. — H. Deslandres : Ionisation of the gases of 

 the sun. Relations between the radiation and rotation of 

 the heavenly bodies.— J. Boussinesq : Calculation of the 

 absorption, in translucent crystals, of a pencil of parallel 

 rays. — A. Haller and Edouard Bauer : Some ketones of 

 the type of benzyl-dimethyl-acetophenone. Trialkyl-acetic 

 acids and the alcohols related to them. Ortho-, meta-, 

 and para-xylene-dimethyl-acetophenones were prepared by 

 the action of the corresponding bromo-xvlenes on the 

 sodium derivative of isopropyl-phenyl ketone. These 

 ketones were converted into the xylvl-dimethvl-acetamides, 

 and these latter into the xylyl-dimethyl-acetic acids. The 

 amides were reduced to the corresponding alcohols by 

 sodium and absolute alcohol. The analogous para- 

 methoxybenzyl compounds were also made.— L. Mangin : 

 The existence of right- and left-handed specimens of 

 certain Peridinia.— Ch. Dope ret : The discovery of a 

 large anthropoid ape of the genus Drvopithecus' in the 

 Miocene of La Grive-Saint-Alban (Isere).— A. Perot ■ 

 Solar spectroscopy.— Alphonse Berget : A new apparatus 

 for taking soundings :— J. Clairin : Backlund's trans- 

 formations of the first kind.— E. Delassus : The linear 

 integrals of the equations of Lagrange.— Marcel 

 Brillouin: Surfaces of slip. Generalisation of the theory 

 of Helmholtz.— D. Montesano : The linear congruences 

 of comes.— J. Pionchon: Effect produced bv the'relative 

 displacement of a metal and electrolyte in contact. The 

 E.M.F. between two electrodes alters' if one of them be 

 moved or set in vibration. For example, if two zinc plates 

 are placed in a solution of zinc sulphate, the E.M F 

 between them is zero, whereas if one of them is shaken 

 it becomes positive to the other. Analogous effects are 

 produced with other electrodes and electrolytes. The 

 k.M.K of a Darnell's cell was 1-0944 volt. When the 

 copper was shaken it became 1-0990, and when the zinc 

 was shaken the value changed to 1-0754 volt— Gustave 

 , Bon , : T . he variations in' transparence of quartz for 

 ultra-violet light, and on the dissociation of matter.— \ 

 Leduc : The expansion of vapours and the variation, with 

 temperature and pressure, of y, the ratio of their specific 

 heats— A Blondel and J. Rey : The perception of light 

 signals of short duration at the limit of their reach — 

 H Malosse: Specific rotatory power of camphor dis- 

 solved in acetone. Tables showing the specific rotatory 

 power of camphor in acetone solution at various con- 

 centrations, and at different temperatures.— J H 

 Russenberger : Extension of the laws of capillarity to 

 the case in which the elements of the capillary system are 

 movable in regard to one another.— Marcel' Delepine 

 borne supposed chlorides of iridium ; condensed chlorides. 

 Ihe hexahydrate of chloroiridic acid, H.IrCl f , analogous to 

 chloroplatimc acid, may be obtained by" drying the product 

 of the action of chlorine on chloroir'idate of ammonium 

 with sulphuric acd of not more than 70 per cent, strength. 

 Inis crystalline substance, on being heated al temperatures 

 between 100° and 250° C. in a current of air, slowly loses 

 water chlorine, and hydrochloric acid, leaving black 



amorphous residues, of which the compos ns are not 



expressible by ; simple formulas. The supposed lower 

 hydrated chloride, IrCl„ 4 ILO, could not be obtained, nor 

 could the author prepare the anhydrous chloride, h< 1 ol 

 Claus, by the action of sulphuric acid on rhloroiridites — 

 Usschner de Coninck and M. Raynaud: Thi dihi 



of uranium trioxide. The substi UO iH.O, when 



gently heated, produces the monohvdrate ; trie second 

 molecule of water is only lost al a ; ra tun 



with a slight loss of oxygi ,, I 1, , I,, o) 



UO, was found to be 270-46 (mean of five deten 

 tions) by heating the dihydrate in hydrogen.— M. 

 NO. 2176, VOL. 87] 



Portevin : Chromium steels. — Ed. Chauwenet : The 



carbonates of thorium. Hydrated thorium dioxide, 

 Th(OH),, absorbs carbon dioxide at the ordinary pressure 

 until it has the composition C0 2 ,2Th0 2 ,4H„0. If the 

 pressure be increased to 30 or 40 ats., the substance 

 C0 2 ,Th0 2 ,2rLO is formed. The anhydrous oxide, 

 ThO,, if prepared by strong ignition, will not combine 

 directly with carbon dioxide, but if it has not been heated 

 above 430° C, the substance C0 2 ,7ThO„ is produced. In 

 the wet way, by the action of an alkaline carbonate upon 

 a salt of thorium, C0 2 ,ThO.,8H 2 is precipitated; this 

 easily loses water, producing the above-mentioned 

 hydrated carbonate, CO,,ThO.,2rLO.— G. Vavon : The 

 hydrogenation of carvone. Carvone, in presence of 

 platinum black, takes up two, four, or six atoms of 

 hydrogen to form carvotanacetone, tetrahydrocarvone, and 

 carvomenthol respectively. — E. E. Blaise : The keto- 

 glutaric acids and the aldehyde acids of the succinic series. 

 — Maurice Lanfry : The oxythiophenes. — H. Colin and 

 A. Scnechal : Catalytic oxidation of phenols in presence 

 of iron salts. — Jules Amar : The law of output after work. 

 Correction of a former note. — Louis Roule : Some peculi- 

 arities of the Antarctic fauna, from the collection of fish 

 recently obtained by the expedition in the Pourquoi-Pas? 

 — C. Delezenne and Mile. Ledebt : Formation of hasmo- 

 lytic and toxic substances by the action of cobra venom 

 on yolk of eggs. 



CONTENTS. page 



A Great Natural Philosopher. By A. G 35 



Australian Plants . 37 



The Chemistry of Calcareous Cements. By C. S. . 38 



Geophysics. By F. Stratton 38 



The Evolution of Man. By G. E. S 39 



Geology and Building Stones. By G. A. J. C. . . 40 



Supernormal Psychology. By E. E. F 41 



Our Book Shelf 42 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Deformation of Rocks under Tidal Load. ( With 



Diagram.) — Prof. John Milne, F.R.S 44 



Electrical Discharge — Possible Cause of Flare Spots in 



Photographs. (Illustrated.)— tumo\& Spiller . . 44 

 Anhydrous Volcanoes. — Prof. Ernest H. L. 



Schwarz . 45 



The End of the Beagle.— Capt. H. C. Shoosmith . 45 

 The Osmotic Pressure of Colloidal Salts. — Prof. 



F. G. Donnan. F.R.S 45 



The Date of the Discovery of the Capillaries. — F. J. 



Cole; R. Cadwaladr Roberts 45 



The Fur-Seal Question. (Illustrated.) By D. W. T. 46 

 The Education and Training of Engineers. By 



W. H W 48 



The Problem of Pithecanthropus. By Dr. A. Keith 49 



Dr. G. Johnstone Stoney, F.R.S. By F. T. T. . . . 50 



Notes 51 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



A New Comet, 191 lb 55 



Nova Lacertoe . 55 



The Tail of Halley's Comet 56 



The Great Red Spot on Jupiter 56 



Definition of the Term " Double Star " 56 



Jubilee Meetings of the Institution of Naval Archi- 

 tects 56 



The Opening of the National Experimental Tank at 



the National Phjsical Laboratory 57 



Association of Technical Institutions. By Ralph 



S. Hyams 5S 



The Opening of the New Buildings of the Royal 



College of Science for Ireland 59 



The Eugenics Education Society. By W. C. D. W. 59 



Peruvian Anthropology 59 



Aeronautic Investigations 60 



University and Educational Intelligence 64 



Societies and Academies 65 



