NA TURE 



[August 5, 1922 



Societies and Academies. 



Paris. 



Academy of Sciences, July 3. — M. Emile Bertin 

 in the chair. — The president announced the death 

 of Prince Albert of Monaco, foreign associate of 

 the Academy. — P. A. Dangeard : The structure of 

 the cell in the Iris. In a recent communication 

 the author has given a detailed description of the 

 plastidome and spherome in the leaves of Iris 

 germanica : this is supplemented in the present 

 paper by similar details for the same forma- 

 tions in the tissues, petals, sepals, stamens, ovary 

 and ovules. The plastidome and spherome are 

 independent formations and have an existence as 

 general as the nucleus in the plant cell. — Andre 

 Blondel : The unsymmetrical electric arc between 

 carbon and metals.— M. Albert Recoura was elected 

 correspondant for the section of Chemistry in the 

 place of the late M. Ernest Solvay. — The Permanent 

 Secretary announced the death of M. Otto Lehmann, 

 correspondant for the section, of Mineralogy. — 

 Armand Cahen : Singular solutions of differential 

 equations of the first order. — Miecislas Biernacki : 

 The displacement of the zeros of integral functions 

 by derivation. — R. Jarry-Desloges : Contribution to 

 the study of the surface of planets. The systematic 

 observation of the planetary surfaces, especially of 

 Mars, commenced in 1907 at Revard, have been 

 continued in May and June of this year at Setif, 

 with the 37 cm. and 26 cm. refractors. The de- 

 coloration of certain dark areas in the southern 

 hemisphere of Mars, observed in 1909 at Revard, 

 has been seen again this year. — Jules Baillaud and 

 Miles. Bonnet, Clavier, and Lhomme : Distribution 

 of stars in the Paris zone of the astrophotographic 

 catalogue. — Axel Lindh : The absorption spectrum 

 of sulphur lor the X-rays. An examination of 

 sulphur compounds grouped according to the valency 

 of the sulphur. As in the case of chlorine previously 

 studied, the limits of the K absorption for sulphur 

 are displaced towards the shortest wave-lengths 

 for the higher valencies. — Albert Portevin : The 

 thermal treatment of cast pieces, and especially 

 of cast projectiles. Thermal treatment produces 

 porosity in the metal. — Roger G. Boussu : The limit 

 of inflammability of the vapours of the alcohol- 

 petrol system and of a triple system containing as 

 base alcohol and petrol. — C. Matignon and M. 

 Frejacques : The transformation of gypsum into 

 ammonium sulphate. Calcium sulphate was stirred 

 with concentrated ammonium carbonate solution in 

 approximately equimolecular proportions. Equili- 

 brium was reached after five hours, about 96 per 

 cent, being converted into ammonium sulphate. — 

 Albert Granger and Pierre Bremond : The chemical 

 composition of rock, supposed to be kaohn, from 

 Djebel Debar, Algeria. This is formed of halloysite, 

 associated with a hydrated aluminium silicate 

 containing combined sulphuric acid. — Paul Thiery : 

 The upper Bajocian of Lorraine. — G. Denizot : The 

 last variations of the marine level on the coasts of 

 Basse-Provence. — P. Bugnon : The basifuge accelera- 

 tion in the hypocotyl. — G. Nicolas : A new host of 

 Phyllosiphon. This parasite was found on Arum 

 italicum near Toulouse. This resembles P. Arisari, 

 and if not belonging to a different species, constitutes 

 a different biological strain, since although Arisarum 

 vulgare, carrying P. Arisari, grows in the neighbour- 

 hood of Arum italicum in Algeria, the latter plant 

 has not been found attacked by the parasite. — 



NO. 2753, VOL. I io] 



Pierre Lesage : Experiments on the movement of 

 liquids in cell masses. — Jacques de Vilmorin and 

 Cazaubon : The catalase of seeds. The presence of 

 catalase cannot be taken in all species as a proof of 

 the vitality of the seed. — Marc Romieu and Fernand 

 Obaton : Comparative spectroscopic study of the 

 green pigment of the Chetoptera and the chlorophyll 

 of the green alga, Viva lactuca. The chetopterin is 

 regarded as a pigment of extrinsic origin, and is a 

 modified chlorophyll. — lime. Danysz - Michel and 

 W. Koskowski : Study of some digestive functions 

 in normal pigeons, fed with polished rice or kept 

 without food. Comparative experiments made with 

 pigeons on four different diets : normal diet, no 

 food, polished rice only with and without daily 

 injection of histamine. From the examination of the 

 gastric juice and intestinal contents it is concluded 

 that the observed facts can be explained without 

 assuming the intervention of a vitamin. — J. 

 Athanasiu : Nerve motor energy : electromyograms 

 — L. Garrelon, D. Santenoise, and R. Thuillant : Thi 

 action of peptonic shock on the vago - sympathetic 

 nervous system. — P. Wintrebert : The first mani- 

 festations of nervous co-ordination in the body 

 movements of Scvlliorhinus canicula — Pierre Girard : 

 Remarks on a note of M. L. Lapicque on the 

 mechanism of the exchanges between the cell and 

 the surrounding medium. — W. R. Thompson : The 

 theory of the action of entomophagous parasites. 

 Increase in the proportion of hosts carrying- parasites 

 in cycle parasitism. — S. Metalnikow : An epizootic 

 disease in the caterpillars of Galleria mellonella. — 

 R. Cambier and E. Aubel : The culture of bacteria 

 in a medium of definite chemical composition, with 

 pyruvic acid as a base. The degradation of pyruvic 

 acid. In these cultures the only source of carbon 

 is sodium pyruvate. Three bacilli could be grown 

 on this medium, the pyocyanic bacillus, Fliigge's 

 fluorescent bacillus, and the coli bacillus. Acetic, 

 lactic, and glycollic acids were isolated from the 

 cultures. 



t 



Official Publications Received. 



Records of the Indian Museum. Vol. 24, Part 2, June : Notes on 

 < 'm-t.n , :i liceapoda in the Indian Museum. By Stanley Kemp] 

 XV.: Pontoniinae. Pp. 11 3-288 + plates 3-9. (Calcutta: Zoological 

 Survey of India.) 2 rupees. 



The Institution of Civil Engineers. Engineering Abstracts prepared 

 from the Current Periodical Literature nf Engineering and Applied 

 Science, published outside the United Kingdom. Edited by W. F. 

 Spear. .New series, No. 12, July. Pp. 228. (London : The In- 

 stitution nf civil Engineers.) 



Bureau of Education, India. Pamphlet No. 12: Science Teaching 

 in England, By II. Banister. Pp. v + 28 + ii. (Calcutta: Govern- 

 ment Printing Office.) 7 annas. 



Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries: Intelligence Department. 

 Report "a the Work nf the Intelligence Department of the Ministry 

 for the two Years 1919-1921. Pp. 198. (London : 11. M. stationery 

 Office.) 5s. net. 



Ministry of Public Works, Egypt. Report on Investigations into 

 the Improvement of River Discharge Measurements. By E. B. H. 

 Wade. Part 2. (Physical Department Paper No. (>.) Pp. 12 + 14 

 plates. (Cairo : Government Publications Office.) P.T. 5. 



Ministry nf Public Works. Egypt: Physical Department. MeteqEgg 

 logical Report for the Year 1917. Pp. x + 118. (Cairo: Government 

 Publications Office.) P.T. 30. 



The Mauritius Umanac and Commercial Eandbook for 1922 (wlffl 

 Which is inch i 1 dan \pp. ,,di\ .in Seychelles I Compiled hv A. Walker. 

 I'p, iii :; ';ii vhi \i',n I-.-.7-I or- in. i l.ln |.'h'.i I",. (Port 

 bonis. Mauritius : Qeneral Printing and Stationerj I o. Ltd.) in rupees. 



Loughborough College, Leicestershire. Calendar, Session 1922-23. 

 Pp. xx+216. (Loughborough.) 



Forestry Commission. Second Annual Report of the Forestry 

 Commissioners : Year ending September 30th, 1921. Pp. 44. (London : 

 11. M. Stationery Office.) 9rf. net. 



Report for 1921 on the Lancashire Sea-Fisheries Laboratory at the 

 University of Liverpool and the Sen-Fish Hatchery at Piel. Edited 

 by Prof. j. Johnstone. No. 30. Pp. 237 + 13. (Liverpool.) 



