May 2, 1912] 
NATURE 
235 
entirely primary. The structure differs from that of 
Ankyropteris in the apparent absence of “ peripheral 
loops.’ ‘“Aphlebiz,’’ forming branched, 
organs, are borne both on stem and petiole.—Dr. 
E. A. Newell Arber: Psygmophyllum majus, sp. 
nova, from the Lower Carboniferous rocks of New- 
foundland, together with a revision of the genus, and 
remarks on its affinities. This paper deals with a 
rare and little-known genus of Palzozoic plants. A 
new species of Psygmophyllum (P. majus, sp. nov.) 
from the Lower Carboniferous rocks of Newfound- | 
land is first described, and a full account of P. 
flabellatum, Lindl. and Hutt., the British repre- 
sentative, is added. The genus is revised and the 
affinities of the genus discussed. 
Paris. 
Academy of Sciences, April 22.—M. Lippmann in the 
chair.—J. Violle, M. Bassot, H. Deslandres, G. 
Bigourdan, B. Baillaud, MM. Fournier and 
Bourgeois, Joseph Eysséric, Louis Fabry, M. 
Stéphanik, Fr. Iniguez, D. Eginitis, A. Lebeuf, 
E. Cosserat, Charles André, Alfred Angot, Henry 
Bourget, E. Carvallo, and Maurice Hamy con- 
tributed papers dealing with the eclipse of the sun 
of April 17 (see p. 221).—Paul Appell: Remarks on 
the possible use of the energy of acceleration in the 
equations of electrodynamics.—A. Lacroix: The 
radio-active uraniferous niobotantalotitanates of the 
Madagascar pegmatites and their frequent associa- 
tion with minerals containing bismuth. Analyses 
are given of four of these minerals. Details of the 
radio-active properties of these substances are re- 
served for a later communication.—A. Chauveau : 
The stereoscopic inversions caused by the association 
of two systems of retinal impressions in opposition 
and of unequal power. The influence of the pre- 
ponderating impression. It is shown that in the 
stereoscope, in the case of two retinal impressions 
in the same visual field and of unequal strength, the 
feebler retinal impressions are subordinated to the 
stronger ones. The latter can cause the inversion of 
the retinal impressions produced by the former.— 
Pierre Termier and Robert Douvillé: The rocks and 
fossils of the region of the high plateaux between 
Bou-Denib and the Mlouya, on the southern Algero- 
Morocco border.—Arnaud Denjoy: Calculation of the 
primitive of the most general derived function.— 
Harald Bohr: The ¢(s) function in the half-plane 
o>1.—Ch. Fremont: The distribution of the deforma- 
tions in metals submitted to forces. Case of the 
folding of tubes.—G. Keenigs: Joule’s cycle. 
parison of the efficiency of an internal-combustion 
motor working on a Carnot cycle and a Joule cycle. 
—Samuel Lifchitz: The path of particles in Brownian 
motion. The formation of vortices.—E. E. Blaise : 
Syntheses by means of mixed organo-metallic deri- 
vatives of zinc. Formyl-lactyl chloride with the zinc 
compound R—Zn—I gives lactic acid and the alde- 
hyde R—CHO. The method is general, and in some 
eases furnishes a serviceable process for the prepara- 
tion of aldehydes.—Mme. Ramart-Lucas: The de- 
hydration of pseudo-diphenyl-carbinol.—M aurice 
Lanfry: The action of hydrogen peroxide upon the 
bromothiophens. | Monobromothiophen is __ partially 
converted into the dibromo-derivative; tribromo- and 
tetrabromo-thiophens are not attacked by the reagent. 
—Edouard Bauer: Reduction of the 8-diletones. 
Acetylacetone can be reduced to the corresponding 
diglycol by reduction with sodium in boiling alcohol. 
A. Wahl: Researches on coal. A study of the sub- 
stance extracted by boiling pyridine from various 
classes of coal.—R. de Litardiére : The phenomena of 
somatic kinesis in the radicular meristem of some 
Polypodiacee.—M. Ravin: The carbon nutrition of 
Phanerogams with the aid of some organic acids and 
NO. 2218, VOL. 89] 
spine-like | 
A com- | 
| and Surfaces. 
e525 
their potassium salts.—G, André; The displacement 
of the food substances contained in seeds by water.— 
Em. Bourquelot and Mile. A. Fichtenholz: The presence 
of arbutin in the leaves of Grevillea robusta.—Albert 
Robin; Delay in the consolidation of a broken limb 
in a tuberculous case. Treatment based on the dis- 
turbances in the exchanges caused by tuberculosis.— 
MM. Desgrez and Dorléans : The hypotensive action of 
guanine. Experiments with dogs and rabbits proved 
that guanine lowers the arterial pressure, and is 
opposed in this respect to the action of adrenaline.— 
Jean Effront: The action of light and hydrogen 
peroxide upon albumenoids and amido-acids.—A. 
Zimmern and P. Cottenot : The effects of irradiation of 
the suprarenal glands in physiology and therapeutics. 
A, Trillat: The favourable influence exercised on the 
development of certain cultures by association with 
Proteus vulgaris. 
GOTTINGEN. 
Royal Society of Sciences.—The Nachrichten (physico- 
mathematical section), parts i. and ii., for 1912, con- 
tain the following memoirs communicated to the 
society :— 
March 7, 1908, and July 29, 1911.—The late K. Zoep- 
pritz, L. Geiger, and B. Gutenberg: Seismic waves, 
part v. 
December 10, 1910.—Angenheister and Ansel: The 
Iceland expedition of 1910, part i. (observations on 
terrestrial magnetism) and part ii. (observations on 
atmospheric electricity and meteorology from May 10 
to June 2, with reference to the passage of Halley’s 
comet). 
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Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. Report on 
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