March ] 7, i SS i ] NA TURE 



the Secretai-y of the Society, or by personal a; plication between 

 the hours of 1 1 and 5. 



The Photographic News of March 1 1 publishes an excellent 

 photo-engraving of Fox Talbot. 



Mr. W. Heighway has issued a useful " Handbook of 

 Photographic Terms," an alphabetical arrangement of the pro- 

 cesses, formulas, applications, &c., of photography for ready 

 reference. Piper and Carter are the publishers. 



A NEW Natural History Society has beeu formed at Banbury 

 under the title of " The Banburyshire Natural History Society 

 and Field Club." Mr.,T. Bee^ley, F.CS., is president, and 

 Mr. E. A. Walford, hon. secretary. 



The Times Dublin correspondent telegraphed on Sunday 

 night : — " A very interesting scientific work, the most important 

 of its kind yet attempted in the kingdom, has just been com- 

 pleted. It is tlie great refracting telescope, constructed by Mr. 

 Grubb of Rathmines, Dublin, for the Austro-Hungarian Govern- 

 ment, and it is to be placed in the Observatory at Vienna. A 

 commission appointed by the Government to examine the work 

 transmitted yesterday to the Austro-Hungarian Embassy in 

 London a report expressing their full approval of the manner 

 in which the task has been completed. It is a matter of no little 

 pride to Ireland that she has produced the largest refracting as 

 well as the largest reflecting telescope in the world." Several 

 interesting details concerning the telescope are give in the Irish 

 Times of March 10. 



M. Louis Figi;ier's L' Annie Scicniifique el Industrie!, pub- 

 lished by Hachette and Co., is a really useful sum jiary of the 

 science of the year. The twenty-fourth issue is quite up to 

 previous volumes, and in the absence of anything of the kind 

 published in this country may prove serviceable to English 

 readers. 



The Annimirc of the Montsouris Observatory for 1 88 1 con- 

 tains much useful information in meteorology and allied subjects. 

 Unier the head of Agricultural Meteorology are a variety of 

 experimental data on the action of heat, bght, and water on 

 vegetation, with their application to special cultures. There is 

 also a meteorological resume for the agricultural years 1873-80, 

 and an article on Bacteria in the Atmosphere. 



The additions to the Zoological Society's Ga.-dens during the 

 past week include a Bonnet Monkey (Maeaeus radiattis) from 

 India, presented by Mr. R. W. Okes-VoJ'sey ; an Arara's Fox 

 (Canis azane) from Buenos Ayres, pre?ented by Mr. William 

 Petty ; a Gold Pheasant ( Thaumalca picta i ) from China, pre- 

 sented by Mr. \V. H. St. Quintin; an Ornamental Ceratophys 

 (Ceratophys ornata) from Buenos Ayres, presented by Mr. E. W. 

 White, F.Z.S.; a Water Vole {Arvicola ainphibius), British, 

 piurchased ; two Dingo Dogs (Canis dingo), born in the 

 Cirdens. 



469 



CHEMICAL xXOTES 

 Observations have been published from time to time con- 

 cerning the exi^tence of alkaloid-like substances in exhumed 

 corpses. These Hibstances appear to be produced in organised 

 matter which, after brief exposure, has been kept out of contact 

 with air. A summary of these observations and a discussion on 

 their bearing on toxicological examinations is given by Husemann 

 in a recent number of Archiv fiir PharniLicic. Substances 

 having different physiological actions appear to be produced at 

 various stages of decay of flesh or vegetable matter. A substance 

 resembling atropine in its action has been separated from an 

 anatomical maceration fluid by Sonueaschein, and this same 

 substance has been found in the bodies of persons who luve died 

 from typhus fever. 



An important paper on " The Influence of Isomerism of 

 Alcohuls on the Formation of Etliereal Salts," by Measchutkin, 



appears in Anuales Chim. et Phys, The process of etherification 

 reaches a limit in every instance, but this limit varies with the 

 molecular weight, and generally with the "structure" of the 

 alcohol employed. In the ethylic series the limit increases with 

 increase of molecular weight, but is not influenced by isomerism ; 

 in the secondary alcohols the limit does not show an increase for 

 increased molecular weight. The influence of isomerism is most 

 marked in this series. 



It is well known that by adding dilute acid to a solution of 

 sodium thiosulphate and « arming, a copious precipitate of yellow 

 sulphur is obtained. Colson states in Bull. Soc. Chim. that when 

 a very dilute solution of sodium thiosulphate is added to dilute 

 hydrochloric acid, hydrogen sulphide and sulphuric acid are 

 alone produced. He supposes that the water present acts on the 

 sulphur as quickly as it is liberated from the thiosulphate, in the 

 manner indicated ; if flowers of sulphur be acted on by boiling 

 water, a similar reaction occurs, but proceeds only very slowly. 



From a study of the thermal phenomena wltich accompany the 

 action of water on alcohols, and of alcohols on water, Alexejefl" 

 [Btill. Soc. Chim.) concludes that hydrates of the saturated 

 alcohols exist, which hydrates are less stable the greater the 

 number of carbon atoms in the molecule. 



The heats of formation, and of solution, of a large series of 

 metallic sulphides, and sulphydrates, principally those of the 

 alkalis and alkaUne earths, have been determined and published 

 in Annates Chim. et Phys. (January), by M. Sabatier. 



In an investigation of alcoholic fermentation (Annates Chim. 

 el Phys.) Boussingault states that by the addition of a large 

 quantity of yeast to wines rich in sugar, fermentation proceeds 

 rapidly at a boiling temperature, provided the pressure be con- 

 siderably diminished. 



In the Berliner Berichte Herr T. Donath describes ' experi- 

 ments on ihinotin, in which he shows that this alkaloid possesses 

 marked antiseptic properties: in 0'2 per cent, solution it stops 

 the putrefaction of urine and lactic fermentation ; in 0*4 per 

 cent, solution it completely stops the putrefaction of blood and 

 largely decreases the coagulation of milk. Blood containing 

 I per cent, of chiiiolin cannot be coagulated. At low tem- 

 peratures the alkaloid forms compounds with albumin, which 

 coagulate. 



In a paper " presented to both Houses of P.arliament" the 

 subjept of "oleomargarine" as manufactured in the United 

 States is discussed. This substance is made from beef suet by 

 disintegr.itin^in warm wa*er, passing througli a fine sieve, melt- 

 ing at 120 1"., settling, draining off the oil, anl allov\ing to 

 soUdify. If " l/utterine" is to be made, the oil is mixed with 

 10 per cent, of milk, churned, coloured with annatto, rolled 

 with ice, and salted. During the year ending June 30, 1880, 

 •8,833,330 lbs. of oleomargarine were exported from New York, 

 the greater part going to Holland. The manufacture and sale 

 of this substance is strongly condemned by many batter mer- 

 chants, and as strongly recommended by various well-known 

 American chemists. Analyses given in the report show very 

 small differences between oleomargarine and natural butter, 

 except in the particular of soluble fats, of which oleomargarine 

 contains considerably less than natural butter. 



The Newcastle-upon-Tyne Chemical Society publishes in its 

 Proceedings a paper by R. Hasenclever, on the alkali manufac- 

 ture in Germany in 1880, in which it is shown that the consump- 

 tion of alkali in Germany at present exceeds the supply, and 

 that manufacturers are now extending their works and building 

 new oues. The ammonia process is coming largely into use ; 

 the cost of plant and expenses are les ■ than when Leblanc's pro- 

 cess is enij.loyed ; but the latter process is also extending year 

 by year. 



A new journal, devoted to analytical chemistry, has just made 

 its appearance with the title Repertorium der analytiscken 

 Chemie : it is published by Voss of Leipzig, and promises to 

 be useful to those who are interested in this branch of applied 

 science. 



Observations on the production of crystalline albuminoid 

 compounds have from time to time been published. In a recent 

 nwxahcx oi Zeilschrift fiir Kryslaltographie a general account of 

 these obser\ ations is given by Herr Schimper, and the following, 

 among other, general statements are made : albumenoid sub- 

 stances are capable of crystallising, but the cystals (or crystal- 

 loids, as they are called) differ from ordinary crystals in their 



