MarcH 14, 1912] 
NATURE 
53 
insects were dissected, and proved all to be females. 
Eggs had been freely laid, and through June the 
caterpillars which hatched from them fed greedily. 
Examination on July 3 showed two caterpillars on the 
soil of the pot, and these had spun their cocoons by 
July 7. On July 17, the soil was sifted from the pot, 
and aitogether 47 cocoons and five dead caterpillars 
were found. The cocoons were kept over the winter 
in suitable conditions indoors. On April 21 three 
females issued, and by May 8 fourteen other adults— 
all female. In five other similar experiments with 
virgin females, eggs were freely laid and caterpillars 
hatched. One experiment gave no result. Dissection 
of the female adults showed ovaries with eighteen 
tubes to each, and at the moment of dissection 180 
eggs. From cocoons collected in the open many para- 
sites were also bred, Mesoleius aulicus being 
abundant. Dissection of M. aulicus females showed 
twenty tubes to each ovary, and at the moment of 
dissection 160 eggs. Out of 249 cocoons 171 of 
Nematus ericksoni issued, 62 Ichneumonid parasites, 
and 16 Tachinids of the species Exorista.—Prof. W. 
Peddie: The molecular theory of magnetism in solids. 
The theory was developed so as to apply to a single | 
homogeneous arrangement of molecular magnets in 
any crystalline grouping. The results in the special 
cases of cubic and hexagonal arrangements were 
applied to the magnetic crystals magnetite and 
pyrrhotine. A possible application to the case of the 
earth’s magnetism was also discussed.—G. P. 
Seamon: Note on torsional oscillations of magnesium 
wire. These experiments were a continuation of 
Peddie’s own experiments on torsional oscillations, 
and gave similar results to those obtained with other 
kinds of metals. 
Paris. 
Academy of Sciences, February 26.—M. Lippmann in 
the chair.—Maurice Hamy: The determination of 
the astronomical flexion of meridian circles.—A. 
Hallrer: The preparation of 1: 5-diphenyl-2: 2:4: 4- 
tetramethyl-3-pentanone and 1-phenyl-2 : 2: 4: 4- 
tetramethyl-3-pentanone. The method of alkylating 
with sodium amide and methyl iodide has been applied 
to symmetrical dibenzylacetone and 1-phenyl-3-penta- 
none. The successive methylation of these two 
ketones has given the desired tetramethyl derivatives 
as the final products.—A. Laveran: Generalised infec- 
tion of mice by Leishmania donovani. It has been 
shown experimentally that generalised infections can 
be caused in mice by L. donovani, and it is probably 
the same for the rat. It still remains to be proved if 
the small rodents can contribute to the propagation of 
the disease—Paul Sabatier and A. Mailhe: A new 
method of catalytic preparation of the aldehydes, start- 
ing from the acids.—Pierre Puiseux was elected a 
member of the section of astronomy in the place of 
the late M. Radau.—Milan Stefanik: Observation of 
the total eclipse of the sun (April 28, 1911) at the 
island of Vavau.—Ch. Maurain and A. Toussaint : 
Study of the surfaces of aéroplanes with an electric 
carriage. The only accurate measurements made up 
to the present on the action of air on aéroplane 
surfaces have been carried out on small-scale models 
exposed to currents of air. The present experiments 
were carried out on full-sized planes, carried on an 
electrically driven carriage with a range of velocities 
up to 23 metres per second. A set of experimental 
results for two surfaces of different shapes is given. 
—M. Guéritot: An attempt at a method permitting 
the deduction of the ratio of the two specific heats of 
gases from a volume measurement.—G. Charpy and 
S. Bonnerot: The permeability of iron for hydrogen. 
That iron is permeable to hydrogen has been known 
since the researches of Saint Claire Deville and 
NO. 2211, VOL. 89] 
Troost, but no quantitative measurements have been 
made. The authors have measured the rate of 
passage of hydrogen through iron at temperatures 
ranging between 350° C. and 850° C.—P. Langevin : 
The comparison of gaseous and dissolved molecules. 
A reply to the criticism of M. Colson on the laws of 
dissociation of nitrogen peroxide in the gaseous state 
and in chloroform solution. It is shown that in con- 
centrations sufficiently dilute, that is, in concentra- 
tions directly comparable with those in the gaseous 
conditions, the dissociation constant of nitrogen 
peroxide in chloroform solution is in good agreement 
with the law of mass action, allowance being made 
for the known difficulty in the colorimetric measure- 
ments.—Georges Dupont: The oxyhydrofuranes. The 
ketohydrofuranes give the oxyhydrofuranes by reduc- 
tion with sodium and alcohol, although the reaction 
fails in some cases. The reduction could not be 
effected with zinc and potash or ammonia, with 
sodium amalgam or with hydrogen and platinum 
black.—C. Picado: The nutrition of the epiphytic 
Bromeliaceze. These plants absorb not only mineral 
salts, but also proteid substances arising from the 
digestion of the vegetable and animal detritus retained 
in their leaves. They are the only plants which feed 
regularly on such detritus.—E. Pinoy: The preserva- 
tion of wood. The wood is covered with a solution 
containing 5 per cent. of gelatin, 2 per cent. of 
potassium bichromate, and o'5 per cent. of sodium 
fluoride, and exposed to light. Wood treated in this 
fashion is rendered completely indestructible by 
moulds.—Gabriel Bertrand: The extraordinary sensi- 
bility of Aspergillus niger towards manganese. 
—F. d’Herelle: The propagation in the Argentine 
Republic of the Mexican locust disease. Cultures of 
Cocobacillus acridiorum were used with great success 
to destroy the plague of locusts in the province of 
Santa-Fé, and the Argentine Government has decided’ 
to make use of this in all places attacked by these 
insects. 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
Bad Reichenhall als klimatischer 
Drs. B. Alexander and E. Alt. 
(Miinchen : Otto Gmelin.) 
Grundlinien der Pflanzen-morphologie im Lichte 
der Palaeontologie. By Prof. H. Potonié. Zweite 
Kurort. By 
Pp. 64+iv tables. 
Auflage. Pp. viit+259. (Jena: G. Fischer.) 7 
marks. 
Markose. By Prof. Max Verworn. Pp. iii+37. 
(Jena: G. Fischer.) 1 mark. 
Observations on the West of England Mining 
Region. _By J. H. Collins. Pp. xxiv+683+4+ xviii 
plates. (Plymouth: Printed by W. Brendon and Son, 
Ltd. 
A Manual of Veterinary Physiology. By Major- 
General F. Smith, C.B., C.M.G. Pp. xii+8o8. 
(London: Bailliére, Tindall and Cox.) 18s. net. 
Theoretische Astronomie. By Prof. W. Klin- 
kerfues. Neubearbeitung by Prof. H. Buchholz. 
Pp. xxxviiit+31070. (Braunschweig: F. Vieweg & 
Sohn.) 50 marks. 
Byways in British Archeology. By W. Johnson. 
Pp. xii+529. (Cambridge: University Press.) 
Ios. 6d. net. 
Thoughts on Ultimate Problems. By F. W. 
Frankland. Fifth and revised edition. Pp. xv+133. 
(London: D. Nutt.) 1s. 6d. net. 
Annals of the Royal Botanic Garden, Calcutta. 
Vol. xii., part i.: Asiatic Palms—Lepidocaryeae. 
Part ii.: The Species of Daemonorops. By Dr. O. 
Beccari. 2 vols. Vol. i., Letterpress. Pp. vii+237. 
Vol. ii., Plates. Pp. vii+1og plates. (Calcutta: 
