JULY 4, 1912] 
NATURE 
469 
physics.—M. de roreecand ; Some physical constants of 
cyclohexanol. Determination of the cryoscopic con- 
stant, heat of solution, of fusion, and of evaporation. 
Pure cyclohexanol is very hygroscopic, and _ special 
precautions had to be taken to exclude moisture during 
the measurements.—Paul Sabatier and M. Murat: The 
direct addition of hydrogen to the diphenylethanes. 
The preparation of the dicyclohexylethanes.—R. Lépine 
and M. Boulud: The resorption of  glycose 
in the tubuli of the kidney.—J. Trousset: The 
orbit of the eighth satellite of Jupiter—Emile Belot : 
An experiment reproducing the helices of spiral 
nebula.—A. Buhl: The partial differential equations 
defining surfaces susceptible of passing through a 
closed contour.—Maurice Gevrey: Certain partial 
differential equations of the parabolic type.—M. 
Mesnager: Thick circular plates.—Th. De Donder: The 
movement of electrons in a given magnetic field.—U. 
Cisotti: Elastic deformations without tangential 
stresses.—Jean Becquerel: The inversion of Hall’s 
phenomenon in bismuth. The superposition of two 
galvano-magnetic effects of opposite sense. The ex- 
periments described show that in a sufficiently intense 
field Hall’s phenomenon in bismuth changes its sign; 
these results appear to be opposed to the electronic 
theory of conductivity.—A. Pérard: The measurement 
of small industrial standards with plane faces by an 
interference method. An account of the examination 
of some Johansson 5 mm. and 1 mm. standards. The 
maximum error was o'12“.—Albert Colson: The exist- 
ence of four inactive tartaric acids and on the law of 
mass action. Remarks on some recent papers by 
MM. Darzens and Séjourné and M. Le Chatelier.— 
Daniel Berthelot and Henry Gaudechon: The wave- 
length of the active radiations in the photochemical 
synthesis of ternary compounds.—Paul Lebeau : Uranic 
anhydride and its hydrates.—L. Cavel: The gases 
from the mud of septic tanks. The gas obtained by 
dry distillation of the mud gave a gas with a calorific 
value of 3500 calories per cubic metre.—G. Darzens 
and H, Leroux: The glycidic ethers of 8-naphthanone, 
naphthanoic aldehyde, and methylnaphthanylketone.— 
A. Mailhe : New azoic colouring matters from the oxide 
of diphenyleneamine.—G. André: The distribution of 
the mineral bases in barley in the course of the growth 
of this plant.—R. Fosse: The production of urea by 
the hydrolysis of albuminoids. Urea is obtained by 
the action of alkaline solutions upon egg albumin.— 
Marcel Baudouin: The diseases of prehistoric animals. 
Deformities in the cave bear (Ursus speloeus) due to 
spondylitis.—Charles Nicolle, A. Conor, and E. Con- 
seil: The intravenous injection of the living cholera 
bacillus.—Albert Berthelot and D. M. Bertrand: Some 
biochemical properties of the Bacillus aminophilus 
intestinalis —M. Taphanel: Disinfection of the hands 
by tincture of iodine and decoloration by bisulphite 
in surgery.—Jules Courmont and A. Rochaix : The anti- 
typhoid immunisation of man by the intestines.—H. 
Carré: An abundant source of pure agolaxic virus.— 
A. Moutier: External hypotension and internal hyper- 
tension.—J. Chaine: The influence of high tempera- 
tures On certain parasitic insects of the organism.— 
Paul de Beauchamp: Contribution to the experimental 
study of sexuality in Dinophilus.—Ph. Négris: The 
age of the Athens schists——H. Mansuy: Recent 
paleontological discoveries in Indo-China.—F. Mon- 
de Ballore: The probable constancy of the 
world’s seismic activity. : 
tessus 
Care Town. 
Royal Society of South Africa, May 15.—Mr. L. 
Péringuey, president, in the chair.—R. Diimmer: A 
revision of the genus Alepidea, Delaroche. The paper 
NO. 2227, VoL. 89] 
contains Tull aescriptions of tne twenty-three known 
species of the African genus Alepidea, of which eleven 
are described as new.—Prof. Jolly: Positive electrical 
change in isolated nerve. ‘The various theories which 
have been put forward regarding the causation of 
positive electrical change in isolated nerve are critic- 
| ally discussed, and the results obtained by different 
instruments and methods of investigation correlated. 
—J. Walker: A short note on the occurrence of a 
Leucocytozoon infection. | Host—the ostrich. In 
November, 1911, when investigating the cause of the 
mortality amongst ostrich chicks on a farm in the 
Middelburg district, Cape Province, the presence of 
a Leucocytozoon infection was noted in some in- 
stances in blood smears collected from sicl: chicks. 
| The Leucocytozoon not having been described yet, the 
author proposes to call it Leucocytozoon struthionis. 
—Dr. Moir: Valency and chemical affinity. Two and 
a half years ago the author showed that the atomic 
weights could be fairly exactly calculated by making 
use of a proton, #, of atomic weight, about o0’009. 
The author has now discovered evidence that this 
proton may really be the true cause of valency and 
of chemical combination. This evidence consists in 
the fact that practically the same value of » is given 
by the three most exact determinations of molecular 
ratios that he is acquainted with.—Prof. Gilchrist : 
Description of a new species of Trygon from South 
Africa. Three species of the Pijl-staart or Stingray 
(Trygon) have been recorded from South African 
waters. A description of a fourth, which seems to be 
a new species, is given in the paper. 
MELBOURNE. 
Royal Society of Victoria, March 14.—Annual meet- 
ing. Mr. J. Shephard elected president, and in the 
chair.—W. T. Kendall: Esperanto and science.—J. A. 
Gilruth : The introduction and spread of the cattle-tick 
(Boophilus annulatus, var. microplus), and of the asso- 
ciated disease, tick-fever (Babesiasis) in Australia. 
The introduction is not due to buffalo, but dates from 
importation of Batavian cattle from the Dutch Indies 
in 1872. These have crossed with Australian cattle, 
and the disease has spread over the country by the 
main stock routes.—J. A. Gilruth and Georgina 
Sweet: Further observations on Onchocerca gibsoni, 
the cause of worm nodules in cattle. Originally in- 
troduced either in Indian cattle (circ. 1840) or in 
Timor cattle (between 1824 and 1840). Previous char- 
acteristics of infection corroborated. Experiments on 
life-history show failure of direct infection, soil, direct 
contact, and three species of louse as intermediaries. 
Further experiments being arranged. 
April 11.—Mr. J. Shephard, president, in the chair.— 
A. M. Lea: Australian and Tasmanian Coleoptera in- 
habiting or resorting to the nests of ants, bees, and 
termites; supplement.—E: C. Joshua: A new Holo- 
thurian of the genus Tzeniogyrus found in Port Phillip 
Bay.—Walter Stapley: The occurrence and develop- 
ment of cervical ribs in man and some of the mam- 
mals that have abandoned quadrupedal progression. 
Cervical ribs in the mammalian neck express the 
breaking down of the fixed mammalian neck-type in 
response mainly to impulses generated by the pre- 
sence of the lung in the neck due to upright position. 
May 9.—Mr. J. Shephard, president, in the chair.— 
A. J. Ewart: The ascent and descent of water in 
trees. A poisonous and then a coloured solution were 
caused to be drawn up the tree. The sap in ascent 
avoided the poisoned parts. There was considerable 
loss through the roots.—A. J. Ewart and Bertha Rees: 
Contributions to the flora of Australia, No. 19. 
