536 



NA TURE 



[August 3, 1905 



SOCIETIES AND ACADEMIES. 

 Paris. 

 Academy of Sciences, July 24. — M. Troost in the chair. 

 — On the total eclipse of August 30 ; M. Janssen. 

 Observations will be taken at Alcocebre, near Valencia, in 

 Spain. — On a simple case from which can be easily 

 calculated the mutual action of consecutive rings consti- 

 tuting a tube, and on the influence of this mutual action 

 on the propagation of lic]uid waves in this tube : J. 

 Boussinesq. — On the nature of the hydrocyanic glucoside 

 of the black elder: L. Guisnard and J. Houdas. The 

 bruised leaves were macerated with water for twenty- 

 four hours at a temperature of 25° C. ; the liquid gave 

 a distillate from which semicarbazide separated a crystal- 

 line precipitate, identical with benzaldehyde semicarbazide. 

 This result, together with the formation of hydrocyanic 

 acid, shows that the elder leaf contains amygdalin. — The 

 catalytic decomposition of monochlor-derivatives of methane 

 hydrocarbons in contact with anhydrous metallic chlorides : 

 Paul Sabatier and A. Mailhe. The chlorides of nickel, 

 cobalt, iron, cadmium, lead, and barium, at a temperature 

 of about 300° C, readily decompose the fatty alkyl 

 chlorides, giving hydrochloric acid and the corresponding 

 ethylene. The reaction does not take place with methyl 

 chloride, but ethyl, propyl, isobutyl, and isoamyl chlorides 

 readily decompose under these conditions, barium chloride 

 being the most convenient catalytic agent. — The 

 convergence of rational fractions : H. Pade. — Experi- 

 mental researches on the effect of membranes In lic^uid 

 ■chains : M. Chanoz. The effect of the membrane on the 

 observed electromotive force may be provisionally explained 

 bv the formation at the expense of the electrolyte of a 

 double electric iaver in contact with the membrane. — The 

 hysteresis of magnetisation of pyrrhotine : Pierre Weiss. 

 — On a dihedral stereoscope of large field, with bisecting 

 mirror : Lton Pigreon. — On fluorescence ; C. Catnichel. 

 An experimental proof that the coefficient of absorption of 

 a fluorescent body does not vary at the moment of fluor- 

 escence, and that the intensity of the light emitted by the 

 fluorescence is proportional to the intensity of the exciting 

 light. — The influence of water vapour on the reduction of 

 carbon dioxide by carbon : O. Boudouard. The reduction 

 of carbon dioxide by carbon at temperatures between 

 650° C. and 1000° C. is practically unaffected by the 

 presence of water vapour, the state of equilibrium being 

 nearly identical whether the gases are dry or moist. — On 

 an e.xtension to oxide of zinc of a method of reproduction 

 of silicates of potassium and other bases ; A. Duboin. — 

 On a sub-iodide of phosphorus and the part played by this 

 body in the allotropic transformation of phosphorus : R. 

 Boulouch. The sub-iodide is produced by the action of 

 sunlight on a solution of iodine and phosphorus in carbon 

 disulphide ; it is formed as a precipitate, being insoluble 

 in carbon disulphide, and has the composition P,I. It is 

 decomposed by dilute potash solution, losing its iodine 

 and apparently forming P,OH. — On a potassium iridio- 

 chloronitrite : L. Quennessen. — The action of sodium 

 sulphite upon ethanal : MM. Seyewetz and Bardin. 

 Under certain conditions, details of which are given, 

 crotonic aldehyde is formed in this reaction, the yield 

 (40 per cent.) being sufficiently good to make this a pre- 

 parative method. — On sparteine : the hydrates of methyl-, 

 dimethyl-, and trimethylsparteine : Charles Moureu and 

 Amand Valeur. — On gentiine : Georges Tanret. Gentiine 

 is the glucoside accompanying gentiopicrin. Hydrolysed 

 with dilute sulphuric acid, gentienine, glucose, aiid xylose 

 are formed. It is noteworthy that this is the first known 

 glucoside which gives xylose amongst its products of hydro- 

 lysis. — The chemical equilibrium of the system : ammonia 

 gas, isoamylamine chlorhydrate : F^lix Bidet. Pressures 

 are given both for the direct and inverse reaction at 

 — 23°, —9°, —5°, 0°, and 16°, the concordance between 

 the two sets of observations being quite satisfactory. — On 

 the regeneration of the bruised radicle : P. Ledoux. 

 There is no regeneration of the parts cut, and in the case 

 of the lateral roots there are other anatomical differences. 

 — On the shrimps of the genus Caricyphus arising from 

 the collections of the Prince of Monaco : H. Coutiere.— 

 NO. 1866, VOL. 72] 



On the growth in weight of the chicken : Mile. M. 

 Stefanowska. Curves of growth are given for both 

 sexes ; there is a point of inflection in the curves for the 

 male when it has attained 77 per cent, of its maximum 

 value, and for the female at 21 per cent. The results of 

 the observations are expressed empirically in two hyper- 

 bolas. — Experiments on the mechanical washing of the 

 blood : Ch. Repin. — Intra-organic combustions measured 

 by the respiratory exchanges as affected by residence at an 

 altitude of 4350 metres ; G. Kuss. Tliese observations 

 were carried out on several subjects at the summit of 

 Mt. Blanc. There were seven persons under experiment : 

 they stayed at the observatory on the summit from four 

 to ten days, their respiratory coeflicients being determined 

 several times daily. Both before and after their stay on 

 Mt. Blanc observations were made at Chamonix (1065 

 metres) and at Angicourt (100 metres). The conclusions 

 drawn from the whole of the experiments are that the 

 respiratory exchanges are not sensibly modified by a pro- 

 longed stay at great altitudes, and a slight attack of 

 mountain sickness is also without influence on the results. 

 — On the presence of poison in the eggs of bees : C. 

 Phisaiix. The eggs of bees contain a small amount of 

 poison of the same nature as that present in the adult bee. 

 Each egg contains about o-ooi mgr. of the venom, and as 

 each egg weighs about 0-15 mgr. it follows' that the toxic 

 substances present amount to about 1/ 150th part of its 

 weight. — On the production of mechanical work by the 

 adductor muscles of the Acephal.t ; F. Marceau. — On the 

 structure of the muscles of the mantle of cephalopods with 

 respect to their mode of contraction : F. Marceau. — The 

 germination and growth of the artificial cell : St^phane 

 Leduc. — The study of the diaphragm by means of 

 orthodiascopy : H. Guilleminot. — The general movements 

 of the atmosphere in winter : Paul Garrigou-Lagrrange. 



CONTENTS. PAGE 



Recent French Mathematical Works. By G. H. B. 313 

 The Mutation Theory of the Origin of Species. By 



A. D 314 



Asphalt Pavements. By T. H. B 316 



Our Book Shelf :— 



Otio : " Die physikalischen Eigenschaften der 



Seen " ... 316 



Aldrich : " A Catalogue of North American Diptera 



or Two-winged Flies" 317 



Heller and Ingold : "Elementary Experimental 

 Science. An Introduction to the Study of Scientific 



Method" 317 



Wislicenus : " Astronomischer Jahresbericht." — 



W. J. S. L 3,7 



Letters to the Editor: — 



The Problem of the Random Walk.— The Right 



Hon. Lord Rayleigh, CM., F.R.S 318 



The Causation of Variations. — Dr. G. ArchdallKeid 318 



The Empire and University Life. — GungaGunga . 319 



A Solar Outburst (?). —Arthur Mee 3:0 



A Century's Progress in Warship Design. [Illus- 



traied.) . 3:0 



The Light-Perceiving Organs of Plants. (Illus- 

 trated.) By F. D 323 



Recent Publications in Agricultural Science . . 324 



Notes 325 



Our Astronomical Column : — 



Observations of Jupiter's Great Red Spot 330 



Sun-spot Spectra 330 



An Interesting Asteroid, Occlo [475] 330 



Observations of Phoebe 330 



Periods of the Variable Slais S Sagittas and Y 



Ophiuchi 330 



The Meeting of the British Medical Association . 330 



SoUrand Terrestrial Changes 332 



The Teaching of Practical Chemistry and Physics 333 



Standardisation in Pharmacy. By W. A. H. Nsylor 334 



University and Educational Intelligence 335 



Societies and Academies 336 



