May 4, 1905] 



NA TURE 



Nigerian giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis pcnilta of Thomas), 

 whicfi, however, was closely allied to the Nubian form 

 (G. c. typica). — The ento-parasites obtained from the Zoo- 

 logical Gardens, London, and elsewhere : A. E. Shipley. 

 Thirteen species were enumerated, one of which was de- 

 scribed as new. — The muscular and visceral anatomy of 

 a leathery turtle {Dermatochelys coriacea) : R. H. Burne. 

 The animal was a young female about 4 feet long, and 

 was thus considerably larger than the few e.xamples of this 

 rare chelonian that had previously been dissected. It 

 came from Japan. The muscles of the neck, trunk, and 

 limbs were described in detail, and notes were made of 

 numerous hitherto unrecorded or imperfectly described 

 features of the alimentary and other internal organs. — 

 A third collection of mammals made by Mr. C. H. B. 

 Grant for Mr. C. D. Rudd's exploration of South Africa, 

 and presented to the National Museum : O. Thomas and 

 H. Schvwann. The present series was obtained in Zulu- 

 land, and consisted of 222 specimens, belonging to 49 

 species, of which several were described as new, besides 

 a number of local subspecies. — Description of a new species 

 of newt from Yunnan ; G. A. Boulenger. — Hybrid hares 

 between Lepus timidiis, Linn., and L. europaeus, Pall., in 

 southern Sweden : Dr. E. Lonnberg:. The hybrids had 

 become comparatively common in this part of Sweden 

 owing to the introduction of the latter species for hunt- 

 ing purposes. — Description of the giant eland of the Bahr- 

 el-Ghazal : A. L. Butler. Mr. Butler was of opinion that 

 this eland was more nearly allied to the West African 

 form than to that of South Africa, and proposed to dis- 

 tinguish it as Taurotragus derbianiis gigas. It differed 

 from the typical T. derbianus in its much lighter body- 

 colour (a pale cafi-au-lait fawn instead of a rich ruddy 

 brown), in the greyish white of the black-maned dewlap, 

 and in carrying grander horns. 



Chemical Society, April 19.— Prof. R. Meldola, F.R.S., 

 president, in the chair. — Complex nitrites of bismuth : 

 W. C. Ball. A series of double salts of bismuth nitrite 

 with alkali and ammonium nitrites and nitrates were de- 

 scribed. These salts, though unstable, appear to be per- 

 fectly definite substances. — Experiments on the synthesis 

 of the terpenes, part ii., synthesis of A^-p-menthenol (8), 

 A3:S(9)./i-menthadiene, ^-menthanol (8), A8P')-^-menthene, 

 and ^-menthane : W. H. Perkin, jun., and S. S. 

 Pickles. — Part iii., synthesis of aliphatic compounds 

 similar in constitution to terpineol and dipentene : W. H. 

 Perkin, jun., and S. S. Pickles. — Part iv., synthesis of 

 A'-normenthenol (8), A3:SC'-')-normenthadiene, normenthanol 

 (8), and AS(9)-normenthene ; K. Matsubara and W. H. 

 Perkin, jun. These three papers described the preparation 

 of terpenes and related substances. The results showed 

 that the lemon-like odour of certain terpenes is associated 

 with the simultaneous occurrence of two ethylenic linkages, 

 one in the ring and the other in the side chain, and that 

 by the disappearance of the ethylenic linkage in the ring 

 terpenes having a peppermint odour are produced. The 

 interesting fact was also observed that when the two 

 ethylenic linkages occupy the so-called Tiemann position 

 with regard to each other only one of them becomes 

 saturated by the addition of halogens, and that conse- 

 quently the property of forming a tetrabromide is not dis- 

 tinctive of a particular class of terpenes possessing only one 

 double bond, as has frequently been supposed. — C-Phenyl-s- 

 triazole : G. Young:. This compound and certain of its 

 derivatives were described. — The resolution of inactive 

 glyceric acid by fermentation and by brucine : P. F. 

 Frankland and E. Done. In view of Neuberg and 

 Silbermann's observations {Ber., 1904, xxxvii., 339), the 

 authors have re-examined the barium salts of fermentation 

 glyceric acid and of the synthetic acid deracemised by 

 means of brucine, and have confirmed the results obtained 

 by Frankland and Frew and Frankland and Appleyard, 

 which are at variance with those recorded by the German 

 workers. — Estimation of potassium permanganate in 

 presence of potassium persulphate : J. A. N. Friend. 

 Small quantities of potassium permanganate may be esti- 

 mated iodometrically in presence of potassium persulphate 

 provided that the solution is dilute, only faintly acid, and 

 that the iodide is added only in slight excess of the amount 

 required to reduce the permanganate. 



NO. 1853, VOL. 72] 



Koyal Microscopical Society, Apiil 19. — Dr. Dukin- 

 tleld H. Scott, F.R.S., president, in the chair. — A slide 

 of Bacillus typhosus and the method adopted in staining 

 and mounting, also photomicrographs of the slide X2500 

 and 5000 diameters with flagella well displayed: W. J. 

 Dibdin. — On the application of the undulatory theory to 

 optical problems : A. E. Conrady. 



Dublin. 

 Royal Irish Academy, April 10. — Mr. F. Elrington Ball, 

 vice-president, in the chair. — On the growth of crystals in 

 the contact-zone of granite and amphibolite : Prof. Gren- 

 ville A. J. Cole. Attention is directed to the growth of 

 crystals in amphibolites when these come under the 

 stimulus of an invading mass of granite. Garnet and horn- 

 blende may thus appear upon a larger scale than that 

 adopted by them in the original amphibolite. Hornblende 

 especially grows in large prismatic forms in the composite 

 rocks produced along such junction-surfaces, and serves as 

 evidence in these cases that contact-alteration has taken 

 place rather than dynamic metamorphism. Under dynamic 

 influences, the secondary hornblende is of the granular 

 type common in epidiorites. The instances quoted are from 

 both sides of the Gweebarra estuary in Co. Donegal. 



Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, April 25. — M. Poincare in the 

 chair. — Two observations relating to the undergrowth in 

 woods : P. Fliche. Certain forms of plants requiring 

 plenty of light for their proper development appear to die 

 out when the undergrowth reaches a certain height. After 

 clearing, however, these plants again re-appear at the 

 same spots, and as an example of the great persistence of 

 such plants the author instances groups of E. lathyris, 

 probably planted by the Romans, which are found near 

 Gallo-Roman remains. — On a new clutch : le Due de 

 Guiche and Henri Gilardoni. — On the light emitted by 

 crystals of arsenious anhydride : D. Gernez. The author 

 has made a careful study of the luminous phenomena pro- 

 duced during the crystallisation of arsenic trio.xide, and 

 finds that, contrary to the statements of Rose, the light 

 is not produced at the moment each minute crystal is de- 

 posited on the sides of the flask, nor during its growth, 

 but that the least contact between a hard body and a 

 recently formed crystal, or between two crystals, causes a 

 brilliant evolution of light. It is a case of the develop- 

 ment of light by the fracture of crystals, many examples 

 of which are known in the field of organic chemistry. 

 This property of arsenic trioxide crystals is not a fugitive 

 one, but is exhibited after a long interval of time. — On 

 the application of the methods of interferential spectro- 

 scopy to the solar spectrum : Ch. Fabry. A description 

 of a modification of an arrangement given in an earlier 

 paper. It possesses the advantage of alloviiing a larger 

 number of lines to be studied, and may be of use in deter- 

 mining very small displacements of lines. — On the vari- 

 ations of lustre given by a Crookes's tube ; S. Turchini. 

 The brightness of the fluorescent screen, when acted upon 

 by a given Crookes's tube, was measured photometrically, 

 each of the constants of the circuit being varied in turn. 

 The luminosity of the screen increased with the equivalent 

 spark up to a spark length of 10 cm. to 12 cm., after 

 which it remained constant- Measurements were also 

 made of the effect of the frequency of the contact breaker, 

 of coils differing in size, and of variations in the self- 

 induction of the coil. — The application of the microscope 

 to the examination of india-rubber : Pierre Breuil. It was 

 found that the progress of the vulcanisation of rubber 

 could be followed under the microscope, the absorption of 

 the sulphur being accompanied by changes in the crystal- 

 line structure. — The floral diagram of the Cruciferje : M. 

 Gerber. The floral formula of the CruciferEe is given as 



8(2, -^ 2,,,). P(4„). E(2, -h 4„).C(2„ + 2,^). 



— The experimental production of the ascospore apparatus 

 of Morchella esculenta : Marin Molliard. From the ex- 

 periments described the best conditions are worked out for 

 the cultivation of this mushroom. — Chlorophyll assimil- 

 ation in young shoots of plants ; applications to the vine : 

 Ed. Griffon. Boussingault, in 1807, studied the question 



