May 23, 1912] 
NATURE 
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393 
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interest from it :—The self-registering meteorological 
instruments have given a continuous record of 
pressure, temperature, wind velocity, and direction, 
and these records have been checked every four hours 
by eye observations. A pressure-tube anemometer 
has given interesting records which will throw light 
on the character of Antarctic winds. The upper 
atmosphere has been investigated by means of small 
balloons, which have shown the direction of upper 
currents to a height of 6 miles and the temperature 
up to 12 miles. An almost unbroken record of the 
magnetic elements has been obtained, and absolute 
magnetic observations have been made every week. 
All through the winter the aurora was observed every 
hour, but very few brilliant displays occurred. 
Atmospheric electricity has also been studied. Ice 
work and physiography have afforded much field 
work. Land forms now appearing in fresh state 
with receding glaciation are being studied in rela- 
tion to similar time- and weather-worn structures of 
other parts of the world. The discovery of evidences 
of interglacial period of vulcanicity gives additional 
interest to the study of this volcanic region. Pen- 
dulum observations for value of gravity have been 
carried out. A tide gauge has given a continuous 
record. Marine biological work has been carried on 
throughout the winter at a hole kept open in the sea 
ice for nets, water samples, and sea temperatures. 
Quantitative and qualitative observations of minute 
organisms at various seasons give interesting results. 
The parasitology of all the seals, penguins, other 
birds, and fish available has already given good 
results, and some new protozoa have been found. 
Tue period of Etnean activity which culminated 
in the eruption of last September began with the 
opening on May 27, 1911, of a new vent to the north- | 
east of the central crater. This vent is at a height of 
3160 metres, or about 80 metres below the north-east 
rim of the central crater. As seen on June 9 by 
Prof. A. Riccd, it is triangular in form, the sides 
being from 80 to 100 metres in length, and though 
the floor was obscured, its depth was evidently great. 
| varies 
That it communicates in some way with the central | 
crater is clear from its position and from the 
correspondence in the periods of their eruptive action. 
WeE have received from the Cardiff Naturalists’ 
Society a report of the meteorological observations 
made in that district for 1911, prepared by Dr. E. 
Walford. The society is doing very useful work in 
collecting and discussing the rainfall at forty-seven 
stations, at heights above sea-level varying from 20 ft. 
at Barry to 2350 ft. at the summit of Tyle Brith 
(Brecon). The base of the coast-line extends from 
Neath to Chepstow. The mean annual rainfall for 
the whole district was 50°95 in.; July, o'39 in.; 
December, 12°35 in. The greatest mean during the 
fast ten years was 679 in. in 1903, 
39°98 in. in 1905- A complete meteorological station 
is established at Penylan, Cardiff. The rainfall for 
Ig1I, 37°63 in., was 1°38 in. below the average; the 
mean temperature, 50°5°, was 1°5° above the average. 
Readings above 80° were recorded on seventeen days, 
NO. 2221, VOL. 89] 
and the least | 
and above 90° on two days. At another station 
actually in Cardiff, Dr. Vachell recorded shade tem- 
peratures above 80° on thirty-eight days, and on three 
days above 90°; rg911 will be remembered as a record 
year in this respect. 
In December, 1910, we directed our readers’ atten- 
tion to the preliminary results obtained by Miss 
Jacob, of the University of Kénigsberg, in a research 
on the friction of solids on each other. The work is 
now completed, and the results are to be found in 
the May number of the Annalen der Physik. At 
ordinary temperatures perfectly clean, well-polished 
solids without lubrication will move over each other 
on the application of forces far below those generally 
regarded as the least necessary to start the motion. 
For these small forces the motion generated is 
uniform, but for larger forces it becomes an 
accelerated motion. This means that the friction of 
clean solids on each other is dependent on the 
velocity. It is independent of the area of contact 
and of the force pressing the surfaces together, but 
with the temperature. From ordinary 
temperatures up to 180° C. it decreases to about one- 
third its initial value, but resumes that value when 
the bodies are cooled. If they are heated above 
180° C. the friction rises rapidly, and retains an 
abnormally high value after cooling. 
In the Comptes rendus for May 6 M. G. Darzens 
describes the preparation of a new compound of 
carbon and nitrogen. He names it carbon pernitride, 
and prepares it by the interaction of cyanogen bromide 
and sodium hydrazoate, NaN,. The nitride, N,—CN, 
can be separated from the aqueous solution in which 
it is prepared by ether, and forms colourless needles 
without smell melting at about 36° C. At a few 
degrees above its melting point the compound can be 
sublimed in a high vacuum, but it commences to 
decompose at 70° C., and detonates with extreme 
violence at 180° C. It is also very sensitive to shock, 
and, like all substances containing the N, group, 
must be handled in small quantities only and with 
suitable precautions against the results of explosion. 
In aqueous solution the nitride undergoes hydrolysis, 
giving azocarbonic acid, and ultimately hydrazoic 
acid and carbon dioxide. Measurements of its heat 
of decomposition were carried out in a calorimetric 
bomb; its heat of formation was found to be —92-6 
calories. From these experiments, which were 
carried out with some difficulty on account of the 
| destructive effect of each combustion on the calori- 
| meter fittings, the author concludes that this per- 
nitride of carbon is the most endothermic substance 
known. 
IN spite of their commercial importance and their 
wide distribution in plants, the chemical structure of 
the tannins has so far eluded research. Since the 
discovery by Strecker, in 1852, that they contained 
glucose in their molecule, they have been frequently 
regarded as glucosides of gallic acid. Others, how- 
ever, have disputed the presence of glucose in the 
molecule, and tannin is frequently described as digallic 
acid, a view which is not in agreement with the 
