April 7, 1870 | 
NATURE 
593 
When anthraquinone is heated with oil of vitriol, disulphoanthra- 
quinonic acid is formed, and this decomposed by caustic potash 
yields the potassium salt of alizarine, from which hydric chloride 
liberates the alizarine. Artificial alizarine is entirely identical 
with the colouring matter obtained from the madderroot. Both 
of these products crystallise in needles which are usually curved, 
especially when small. They dissolve in caustic alkalis, forming 
violet solutions of the same tint. When applied to mordanted 
fabrics, they produce exactly the same colours, bearing the 
treatment with soap equally, and resisting in the same 
‘degree the influence of light. Their alkaline solutions 
show identical absoption bands in the spectrum. Both yield 
phtalic acid when treated with hydric nitrate. As a sub- 
stitute for madder, artificial alizarine has been objected to, 
on the ground that pure alizarine alone will not produce the 
madder colours, other colouring matter being required. But 
Schunk says that, after a long course of experiments, he has been 
led to the conclusion that the final result of dyeing with madder 
is simply the combination of alizarine with the mordants em- 
ployed ; and he recommends extraction from madder prints as 
the easiest method of preparing pure alizarine on a small scale. 
Artificial alizarine, as sent to the dyer and printer, is not exactly 
pure alizarine, and generally produces, with alumina mordants, 
a somewhat redder shade than madder. This is due to some 
impurities whose nature is, as yet, not known. A good deal has 
been said about the supply of anthracene. It must be remem- 
bered, however, that tar-distillers have as yet but little experience 
in separating this substance. Mr. Perkin’s investigations on this 
matter have led him to believe that coal-tar contains considerable 
quantities of this hydro-carbon. No doubt, the kind of coal 
used, as well as the temperature employed in the gas-works, in- 
fluences the quality of the tar as a source of anthracene; but 
upon these points no definite information has yet been obtained. 
Mr. Perkin illustrated his interesting lecture by exhibiting samples 
of fabrics dyed and printed with artificial alizarine, and also by 
projecting the spectra of some alizarine solutions upon a screen. 
By producing alizarine from anthracene, Graebe and Liebermann 
have given the first instance of the artificial formation of a vege- 
table colouring matter. The way by which the beautiful dis- 
covery has been arrived at proves decisively, as the president 
pointed out, the high importance of studying the molecular 
arrangements of chemical compounds. 
Entomological Society, March 21.—Mr. H. W. Bates, 
vice-president, inthe chair. The first part of the ‘‘ Transactions” 
for the present year was placed on the table. The attention of the 
meeting was devoted exclusively to Lepidopiera. Specimens were 
exhibited by Messrs. Howard, W. J. Vaughan, Bond, Frederick 
Smith, and Stainton. An interesting discussion on dimorphic 
forms of the larva and imago was participated in by Messrs. 
Albert Miiller, A. G. Butler, Pascoe, J. Jenner Weir, Stainton, 
McLachlan, and the chairman. The paper read was by Mr. 
W. FI. Kirby, ‘‘ Notes on the butterflies described by Linnzeus.” 
BRIGHTON 
Brighton and Sussex Natural History Society, March 
10.—The president, Mr. T. H. Hennah, in the chair. A report 
from the committee was received, urging the advisability of form- 
ing a microscopical section. On the motion of Mr. Hazle- 
wood, seconded by Mr. Wonfor, it was resolved that the 
report of the committee be received, entered on the minutes, 
and approved, the effect of which is to establish a microsco- 
pical section, and instead of one meeting on the second Thursday 
in each month, to havea second meeting for strictly microscopical 
objects on the fourth Thursday in each month.—A paper by 
Mr. Clifton Ward, F.G.S., ‘* A sketch of the Geological History 
of England, so far as it is at present known,” was read by Mr. 
Wonfor, hon. sec., in which, from the earliest dawn of the 
Cambrian period down to the present day, the changes produced 
by depression, deposition, elevation, denudation, &c., together 
with an account of the various types of animal and vegetable 
life during each period, were graphically described, and the 
amount of land above water in England at each period was 
represented by a series of fifteen charts.—It was announced that 
the Bryological Flora of the county of Sussex would soon be 
ready for distribution, the Society having determined to publish 
it at once, instead of waiting for the issue of the annual report 
in September. 
EDINBURGH 
Royal Physical Society, February 23rd.—Mr. C. W. Peach, 
president, in the chair, The following papers were read :— 
1. Note on the Klipspringer Antelope (Oveotragus saltatrix). 
By Mr. D. R. Kannemeyer. A skin of this antelope was exhibited, 
and its various peculiarities pointed out and described—the long, 
wiry, and close hair with which it was covered, and the remark- 
able structure of its strong limbs and feet. Major Harris, in his 
work on the wild animals of South Africa, described it as having 
jagged edges to its hoofs’; there was really a long, narrow depres- 
sion or oval-shaped hollow on each of the divisions of the hoof. 
These peculiarities were admirably suited to the habits of the 
animal, which lived on the tops of high mountains, and was 
remarkable for the speed, agility, and sureness of foot with 
which it could leap from rock to rock up and down the face of 
inaccessible precipices; and also for the great distance of its 
leaps, and the small surface of some projecting ledge or pinnacle 
of rock upon which it could suddenly arrest its course, even when 
in full career. Mr. Kannemeyer described the various enemies 
the animal had to defend itself from—the eagle, the panther, 
and man—and referred to the manner in which it was hunted 
by the colonists, and his own experience in stalking it. 
2. On the Deposits of Clay in the Neighbourhood of Stirling. 
By Rey. James Brodie, A.M., Monimail. 
3. Specimens of Polyzoa, &c., from the Faroe Islands, were 
exhibited and described by Mr. C. W. Peach, A.L.S., &c. The 
author stated that the specimens were from Stromoe, one of the 
Faroe Islands, and not gathered by himself, but were given to 
him by a person who had been there. ‘They consisted of sixteen 
species of Polyzoa, four of Mollusca, three of Hydrozoa, two 
Sponges, three Annelide cases, with Foraminifera and Diato- 
macea. A portion of one of the shells shows the marks of 
rasping by limpets when feeding on the leathery disks of Hydro- 
zoa. He remarked on this as a curious instance of vegetable- 
eating animals being able to put up with such tough and hard 
fare when out of their native home, and thus accommodating 
themselves to their changed circumstances. He considered that 
the specimens were not got in deep water, nor far from land, as 
not a single really deep-sea form occurred amongst them. All 
of the species are to be got in our own seas, and with two excep- 
tions (at present northern forms from Shetland and Wick, N.B.) 
have been collected by the author from Land’s End to John 
0’ Groats. 
4. Dr. J. A. Smith exhibited a head of a red deer, the pro- 
perty of Mr. T. O. Horne, which was killed in the end of 
January near Kingussie, Inverness-shire. Instead of the usual 
well-developed brow and bez-antler which marked the red deer, 
this animal had on the right side two small and very short antlers 
springing close to the root of the horn, and on the left side a 
very small brow-antler, and then a large second antler springing 
from near the root of the horn, and running nearly parallel to 
the beam. It measured about a foot in length, The beam of 
the same horn measured one foot ten inches long, terminating in 
a couple of forked antlers above. The other horn was rather 
shorter, and also terminated in two antlers, The variety was 
probably due to some local injury sustained by the deer when the 
horns were beginning to sprout, the soft horn of the left side 
having apparently been split in two. Dr. Smith stated he was 
indebted to Mr, Muirhead, Queen Street, for recently sending 
him a specimen of the Badlan Wrasse, measuring 184in. in 
length, taken in the Firth of Forth, where it is by no means 
common ; also, a very large specimen of the Lump-sucker or 
Hen-padle, Cyclopterus lumpus, The fish was full of roe; it 
measured 204in. in length by a foot in depth, and weighed 
rolb. 130z. He also noticed the very large male salmon taken 
on the 11th February. Mr. Anderson informed him it weighed 
a little over 56lb., and measured 4ft. 2in. in length by 2ft. 7in. 
in greatest girth. The salmon was taken along with several 
others at Mr. Anderson’s fishing station, near Stirling. 
PARIs 
Academy of Sciences, March 28.—M. Darroux communi- 
cated a paper on Equations, with partial derivations of the 
second order, and M. Tisseraud a note on a point in the differ- 
ential calculus.—A memoir was read by M. J. Jamin, on the 
employment of the electric current in calorimetry, in which the 
author described a method of applying the heat produced by an 
electric current to the determination of the specific heat of various 
bodies. —M. Jamin also communicated, on his own behalf and 
that of M. Amaury, a memoir on the specific heat of water 
between zero (32° F.) and 100°C, (212° F.) The authors showed 
that the specific heat of water undergoes no particular 
alteration about 39°6° Fahr., and that from upwards it 
