July io, 1913] 



NATURE 



497 



of several diphenylpentanes and some correspond- 

 ing dicyc/ohexylpentanes. Three of the eighteen pos- 

 sible isomeric diphenylpentanes have been prepared, 

 and these have been transformed by direct addition 

 of hydrogen in presence of nickel into the correspond- 

 ing dicycZohexylpentanes, the physical constants of 

 the latter being given. — M. de Forcrand : The hydrates 

 of uranic anhydride and the heat of formation of 

 uranyl nitrate. — R. Lepine and M. Bouhid : The 

 diminution in chlorides in urine secreted under pres- 

 sure. Additional experiments confirming results pub- 

 lished in previous papers. — M. Arnaud : Astronomical 

 refraction under any angle whatever. In a previous 

 communication a formula for refraction was given 

 and the integration solved for the particular case of 

 horizontal refraction. In the present paper this is 

 extended, and practical formulae deduced giving an 

 accuracy of o-i". — A. Korn : Integral equations with 

 asymmetrical nucleus. — Ed. Sarasin and Th. Tom- 

 masina : A new study of the Volta effect made with 

 the aid of the induced radio-activity. — Pierre Weiss : 

 The magnetic fields obtained with an electromagnet 

 furnished with ferro-cobalt pole-pieces. By the use 

 of ferro-cobalt pole-pieces in place of soft iron an 

 increase of about 5 per cent, in the strength of the 

 magnetic field is obtained, the ampere turns remaining 

 constant. — C. Cheneveau : The optical properties of 

 water and its physical constitution. The variations in 

 the optical constants of water with temperature are 

 in agreement with the hypothesis that liquid water is 

 a mixture of two isomers, in proportion varying with 

 the temperature, and possessing properties depending 

 only slightly or not at all on the temperature. — M. 

 Gueritot : A thermo-electric manoscope of great sensi- 

 bility. A portion of the air in a tube connecting two 

 reservoirs is continuously heated near a bend consti- 

 tuting the highest point of the system. The slightest 

 motion of this heated air is shown by a thermo- 

 couple ; a displacement of gas amounting to only a 

 tenth of a cubic millimetre is shown. Various appli- 

 cations of the apparatus are indicated. — Keivin Burns : 

 A displacement of the lines of the spectra of certain 

 metals produced by the presence of another metallii 

 vapour. The cases of barium in an iron arc, man- 

 ganese in an iron arc, and cadmium in a mercury arc 

 have been studied, and it has been found that the 

 lines of the metal present in small proportion are 

 displaced by the vapour of the predominating metal 

 (iron, mercury). This effect may account for some 

 differences proved to exist between wave-lengths found 

 in the arc and in the sun. — L. Gay : Adiabatic expan- 

 sion in liquids. Data are given for the coefficient of 

 adiabatic compressibility of eight liquids at o° C. and 

 at room temperatures. — Victor Henri : Chemical 

 lability and absorption of the ultra-violet ravs. Ex- 

 perimental results are cited in support of the pro- 

 position that bodies of which the molecules are labile, 

 or which enter easily into reactions, absorb the ultra- 

 violet rays strongly. — Witold Broniewski : The thermo- 

 electricity of steel. It is shown that the thermo- 

 electromotive force may give indications of the critical 

 points of steels with equal or higher precision than 

 the other methods in current use. — N. D. Costeanu : 

 The action of carbon dioxide upon mineral sulphides. 

 The sulphides of silver, copper, cadmium, bismuth, 

 and antimony undergo no change when heated 

 in a current of carbon dioxide; silicon sulphide 

 gives carbon monoxide, sulphur, and silica under the 

 same conditions. — P. Lebeau and A. Damiens : The 

 composition of the gaseous mixtures resulting from 

 the action of water upon the carbides of uranium and 

 thorium. The method previously described by the 

 authors for the analvsis of complicated hydrocarbon 

 mixtures, based on the use of low temperatures, has 

 been applied to the analvsis of the gases arising from 

 NO. 2280, VOL. 91] 



the decomposition of uranium and thorium carbides 

 by water; Five complete analyses are given. — Daniel 

 Berthelot and Henry Gaudechon ; The preparation of 

 carbon oxycyanide. This substance is produced by 

 the action of the silent discharge on a mixture of 

 carbon monoxide and cyanogen. — Andre Meyer ; The 

 azoic colouring matters derived from phenylisoxazolone. 

 — Leo Vignon : The composition of water-gas. A 

 small proportion of methane appears to be normally 

 present in water-gas ; the amount of this gas is shown 

 to increase with the amount of lime present 

 in the coke. — J. Clarens : The existence of 

 bromites. Evidence is adduced in support of the 

 existence of a bromite in a solution of a hypobromite 

 which has been heated for a short time to So C. — 

 L. Daniel and J. Delpon : A grafted hybrid between 

 the peach and the almond. — P. Choux : The genus 

 Baseonema at Madagascar. — H. Devaux : The pres- 

 sure of the air in the lacuna? of aquatic plants. The 

 pressure of the internal atmosphere of an aquatic plant 

 when submerged is equal to that of the dissolved 

 gases. — M. Wilmet : The okapi. Study of an okapi 

 kept in captivity for one month. — J. Bounhiol : New 

 observations <>n the reproduction of the Algerian sar- 

 dine. — H. Bierry and Mile. Lucie Fandard : "Variations- 

 ol glycemia during inanition. — E. Gley and Alf. 

 Quinquaud : The action of thyroid extract on the super- 

 renal secretion. — R. Robinson ; The genital glands and 

 the dental system. — Albert Robin : Researches on the 

 variations of phosphoric acid in the urine and liver of 

 cancer subjects. — J. Ville and E. Derrien : Biochemical 

 catalysis of a luminescent oxidation. — F. Jadin and A. 

 Astruc : Arsenic and manganese in young and old 

 leaves. — Pierre Thomas : The proteid substances of 

 veast. The albumenoid material derived from yeast 

 is shown to be intermediate in properties between 

 casein and egg albumen. It is provisionally named 

 cerevisine. — Gabriel Bertrand and H. Agulhbn : The 

 presence of boron in milk and in eggs. The milk 

 from four animals and eggs from five species of birds 

 were proved to contain boron. — H. Pottevin and H. 

 Violle : The comma bacillus and its toxins. — Alphonse 

 Berget : A simplified barometric formula for the deter- 

 mination of heights. The formula proposed is 

 Z = D(f + 269)//!, in which Z is the difference of 

 height, D the difference of pressures read on the 

 barometer at the two stations, h the mean barometric 

 pressure, and t the mean temperature. For heights 

 below 3000 metres the agreement between this arith- 

 metical formula and the usual logarithmic expression 

 is shown by examples to be very close. 



BOOKS RECEIVED. 



Clinical Surgical Diagnosis for Students and Prac- 

 titioners. By Prof. F. de Quervain. Translated by 

 Dr. J. Snowman. Pp. xv + 779. (London : J. Bale, 

 Ltd.) 255. net. 



Report on the Progress of Agriculture in India for 

 1911-12. Pp. 65. (Calcutta: Superintendent Govern- 

 ment Printing, IndiaJ 



Western Australia. Geological Survey. Bulletin 

 Xo. 42. Contributions to the Study of the Geology 

 and Ore Deposits of Kalgoorlie. E. Coolgardie Gold- 

 field. Part i. By E. S. Simpson and C. G. Gibson. 

 Pp. 198 + 49 plates + 2 maps. (Perth, Western Aus- 

 tralia : F. W. Simpson.) 



Bureau des Longitudes. Conference Internationale 

 de PHeure (Paris, Octobre, 1912). Pp. 282. (Paris : 

 Gauthier-Villars.) 



Mysore Government. Meteorological Department. 

 Report on Rainfall Registration in Mysore for 191 1. 

 By N. V. Iyengar. Pp. xvi + 49 + plates. (Bangalore : 

 Government Press.) 



