240 



NA TURE 



[July 6, 1905 



of combustion of sulphur with pressure to the formation of 

 persulphuric acid, but calorimetric determinations carried 

 out with this, substance show that this view is incorrect. 

 The effects observed are due to the presence of traces of 

 hydrogen and nitrogen in the compressed oxygen employed. 

 — Oxyh«emoglobin from the guinea-pig, and its reaction 

 with fluorides : M. Piettre and A. Vila. — On the simul- 

 taneous variations of the organic acids in some plants : 

 G. Andre. — On the production of a soft cider : G. 

 Warcollier. The must prepared for fermentation is freed 

 as far as possible from oxygen, and the fermenting liquid 

 is protected from the air during the process. — The genus 

 Alabes of Cuvier : Lton Vaillant. — The physiological 

 signification of the urate cells in solitary honey-bearing 

 insects : L. Semichon. — The hEcmolytic action and general 

 toxicity of eel serum for the marmot : L. Camus and E. 

 Gley. — On the presence of poison in the eggs of the viper ; 

 C. Phisalix. At the moment of ovogenesis in the viper 

 the active principles of the venom accumulate in the 

 ovules, and probably play a part in the development. — On 

 the problem of statical work : Ernest Solvay. — The treat- 

 ment of cutaneous cancer by radium : Jules Rehns and 

 Paul Salmon. A description of two cases in which 

 radium was used with successful results. — On the existence 

 of a remarkable Pliocene layer at Tetouan, Morocco : 

 Louis Gentil and A. Boistel. — On the origin of eoliths : 

 Marcellin Boule.^The drawings of the lion and cave 

 bear and of the Rhinoceros tichorhinus on the walls of 

 caves by man in the reindeer epoch : MM. Capitan, 

 Breuil, and Peyrony. 



GOTTINGEN 



Royal Society of Sciences. — The Nachrichten (physico- 

 mathematical section), parts i. and ii. for 1905, contains 

 the following memoirs communicated to the society : — 



February 11. — O. Wallach : Researches from the uni- 

 versity chemical laboratory, xiv. : — (i) on the constituents 

 of the sage-oiJs ; (2) on the proportion of phellandrene in 

 the ethereal oil of Schiniis niolle, L. ; (3) on the occurrence 

 of an alcohol with the properties of pinocarveol in the 

 ethereal oil of Eucalyptus globulus ; (4) on the semi- 

 carbazone of d- and Wenchone, and the occurrence of 

 I-borneol ester in Thuja-oil ; (5) on the preparation and 

 behaviour of methyl(i)-phenyl(2)-hexene ; (6) on the 

 bromine-substitution-products of cyclohexanone and cyclo- 

 pentanone. 



January 28. — A. von Koenen : On the underground 

 effects of earth-pfessure in salt-mines. 



February 2. — ^Dr. H. Schering; : Seismic records at 

 Gbttingen in the year 1904. 



February 11. — W. Blitz: Further contributions to the 

 theory of tinctorial processes, (i) Measurements relating 

 to the formation of inorganic analogues of substantive 

 dyes; (2) on the "affinity of condition" of certain 

 sulphuretted dye-stuffs. 



February 25.— W. Nernst and H. von Wartenber^ : 

 On the dissociation of water-vapour. W. Nernst and 

 H. von Wartenberg : On the dissociation of carbonic 

 anhydride. E. Wiechert : Remarks on the motion of 

 electrons with velocities exceeding that of light. C. 

 Caratheodory : On the general problem of the calculus 

 of variations. L. Maurer : On the differential equations 

 of mechanics. M. Laue : On the propagation of radiation 

 in dispersive and absorptive media. T. Tamaru : Deter- 

 mination of the piezoelectric constants of crystallised 

 tartaric acid, (i) General sketch of theory and rnethod of 

 observation ; (2) pressure arrangements and the piezoelectric 

 excitation; (3) electrometric methods; (4) results. D. 

 Hllbert : Contributions to the calculus of variations. 



New South Wales. 

 Royal Society, May 3.— Prof. Liversidge, F.R.S., vice- 

 president, in the chair.— On the occurrence of calcium 

 oxalate in the barks of the Eucalypts : Henry G. Smith. 

 The author announces the presence, in large quantities, of 

 calcium oxalate in the barks of several species of Eijca- 

 lyptus. It is similar in form and appearance in all species, 

 being well defined monoclinic crvstals in stout microscopic 

 prisms, averaging 00174 >"'■"■ in length and 00077 mm. 

 in breadth, and containing one molecule of water. A 



NO. 1862, VOL. 72] 



peculiarity of these is the tendency to form twins geni- 

 culate in appearance, twinned forms being pronounced in 

 some species. From botanical and chemical evidence it 

 is assumed that Eucalyptus sahnonophloia of West 

 Australia and E. oleosa of New South Wales belong to the 

 same species, and that the latter tree, which most often 

 occurs as a " mallee, " is only the degenerate stage of the 

 former. The theory is advanced that some of the 

 " mallees," or shrubby Eucalypts, have been formed 

 through the poisoning effect of the excess of oxalic acid 

 acting for a long time upon species which originally grew 

 as large trees. The tannins in those Eucalyptus barks 

 containing a large amount of calcium oxalate are of very 

 good quality, light in colour, astringent, easily soluble, 

 and should make leather of good quality. On evaporating 

 the extract to dryness on the water bath but little darken- 

 ing takes place, and the product is still readily soluble. 

 This class of Eucalyptus barks should, therefore, make 

 excellent tanning extracts. From the bark residue the 

 calcium oxalate should be profitably extracted, and the 

 oxalic acid obtained cheaply from this, practically as a 

 by-product. The air-dried bark of Eucalyptus salubris, 

 the " gimlet " of West Australia, gives 30-5 per cent, of 

 total extract and i8-6 per cent, of tannin absorbed by hide 

 powder, and contains 16 per cent, of calcium oxalate. The 

 bark of Eucalyptus gracilis contains i6-66 per cent, of 

 calcium oxalate, that of E. Behriana 16-5 per cent., of 

 E. oleosa 1064 per cent., of E. dumosa 9-8 per cent., and 

 of E. sahnonophloia 834 per cent. The barks of all the 

 Eucalypts tested contain calcium oxalate, although in some 

 species in very small amount. — Notes of astronomical 

 interest, dealing with the past eighteen months, showing 

 the progress and deductions made during that period : 

 H. A. Lenehan. 



Dublin. 

 Royal Irish Academy, May 22.— Prof. R. Atkinson, 

 president, in the chair. — On the vegetation of the southern 

 part of county Dublin : G. H. Petliybridgre and R. Lloyd 

 Praegrer. The paper dealt with the plant associations of 

 this area, which extends from sea-level to nearly 2500 feet, 

 and embraces more than 200 square miles. A coloured 

 vegetation map and photographs were shown in illustration 

 of the subject. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



The Empire and University Life 217 



The Sarcodine Fauna of Deep Lakes 21S 



Steam Turbines. By T. H. B. 210 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Sherringham : "An Angler's Hours."— L. W. B. . 220 

 Banks and Solander : " Botany of Cook's First 



"^'oyaRe " 221 



Letters to the Editor: — 



Education in Belgium and Holland.— F. H. Perry. 



Coste 221 



The "Bubbling" Method and Vapour Pressures.— 



The Earl of Berkeley and E. G. J. Hartley . 222 



Luminosity and Colour.— Dr. F. W. Edridge-Green 222 



Meeting of the British Association in South Africa 222 



The Principles of Geology. {Illustrated.) . . 22^ 



Notes 22- 



Our Astronomical Column r 



Observations of the Satellites of Saturn and Uranus . 230 



Geodetic Measurements from Solar Eclipses .... 230 



Monochromatic Photographs of the Orion Nebula . . 230 



Periodicity of Aerolite Falls 230 



The Reality of Supposed Changes on the Moon's 



Surface 230 



The Circumzenithal Apparatus 230 



The Needs of Our Oldest University '231 



Preliminary Report of the Departmental Committee 

 on the Royal College of Science and Royal School 



of Mines ,,2 



National League for Physical Improvement '. . . . 235 



The University College of South Wales 235 



The Liege Mining and Metallurgical Congress . 236 



University and Educational Intelligence 237 



Societies and Academies 238 



