4 68 



NA TURE 



[September 30, 1922 



perspective, figures of the same species. — M. Gignoux 

 and P. Fallot : The marine quaternary on the 

 Mediterranean coasts of Spain. — Raoul Combes and 

 Denise Kohler : The role of respiration in the diminu- 

 tion of the carbohydrates in leaves during the 

 autumnal yellowing. It has been commonly held 

 that during the change of colour of leaves in the 

 autumn, the carbohydrates are withdrawn from the 

 leaf and stored in the plant as reserves. It has 

 been proved by Michel Durand that some of the 

 carbohydrates are removed by rain, and in the present 

 communication proof is given that part is used up 

 by respiration and leaves as carbon dioxide — L. 

 Carrere : The sphincter of the iris in the selacians. 

 This muscle in the selacians, especially in species 

 possessing a pupil-shaped opening, is more developed 

 at the nasal and temporal extremities of the pupil : 

 it is less important, and may even disappear, in the 

 ventral and dorsal sectors. — Paul Wintrebert : The 

 mechanical polarity of the germ of selacians (Scyllio- 

 rhinus canicula) at the time of gastrulation. 



September 4. — M. L. Guignard in the chair. — 

 Theodore Varopoulos : A theorem of M. Remoundos. 

 — Alf. Guldberg : The theorem of M. Tchebycheff. — 

 Victor Henri and Pierre Steiner : Absorption of the 

 ultraviolet rays by naphthalene. From a quanti- 

 tative study of the absorption of solutions in hexane, 

 ether, alcohol, and water, seventeen bands have been 

 found between wave lengths 3207A and 2563A. These 

 results are compared with those previously obtained 

 for benzene by a similar method. — Erik Hulthen and 

 Ernst Bengtsson : Researches on the band spectra of 

 cadmium. — G. Murgoci : The classification of the 

 blue amphiboles and of certain hornblendes. — Marcel 

 Mirande : The formation of anthocyanin under the 

 influence of light on the scales of the bulbs of certain 

 lilies. — Raphael Dubois : The destruction of mos- 

 quitos by eels. Goldfish have been suggested for 

 destruction of mosquitos as they eat the larva, but they 

 have the disadvantages of being costly and requiring 

 a pure and well-aerated water. Young eels in the 

 spring are equally voracious and devour the larvae 

 readily. They are more readily procurable than gold- 

 fish, and live equally well in fresh and salt water, 

 and even in water containing sewage effluent. 



Sydney. 

 Royal Society of New South Wales, August 2. — 

 Mr. C. A. Sussmilch, president, in the chair. — C. E. 

 Fawsitt and C. H. Fischer : The miscibility test for 

 eucalyptus oils. Instead of testing the solubility 

 by measuring the volume of aqueous alcohol required 

 to obtain complete solution of a measured volume 

 of oil, the critical solution temperatures with 

 definite mixtures of alcohol and water are taken after 

 the manner of testing fixed oils. This method is 

 more sensitive for the indication of small changes 

 in composition of the oil. The critical solution 

 temperature in some cases varies markedly with 

 time and as the oil is kept. — R. T. Baker and H. G. 

 Smith : The Melaleucas and their essential oils, Pt. VI. 

 Two species are discussed, Melal 'uca ericifolia, Sm., 

 and M, Deanei, Fr. M. Oil was first distilled from 

 M. ericifolia by Mr. J. Bosisto in 1862, and Dr. J. H. 

 Gladstone in 1864 determined its physical constants. 

 The chief oxygenated constituent was thought to 

 correspond with that in ordinary oil of " cajuput." 

 The yield of oil obtained by the present authors was 

 o-8 per cent., and the chief oxygenated constituent 

 found to be dextrorotatory terpineol, while less than 

 10 per cent, of cineol was present. Pinene, limonene, 

 and a sesquiterpene were also detected. The yield of 

 oil from young material of M. Deanei was also o-8 

 per cent., and consisted almost entirely of pinene 



with about 15 per cent, of cineol. Old leaves of 

 this species contain very little oil. — A. R. Penfold : 

 The essential oil from Backhmtsia myrtifolia, Pt. I. 

 This small tree inhabits gullies containing running 

 water in the coast and coast mountain districts of 

 New South Wales. Material collected at Lane Cove 

 near Sydney, and at Currowan of the southern district, 

 yielded 0-3-0-75 per cent, of a brown-yellow oil, 

 varying with the time of year and locality. The oil 

 possesses a pleasant odour and is heavier than water. 

 Its principal constituent is elemicin (80 per cent.), 

 a somewhat rarely occurring phenol ether. The 

 remainder of the oil consists of a-pinene, unidentified 

 alcoholic bodies and phenols, sesquiterpene, and a 

 paraffin of melting-point 62°-63° C. 



Cape Town. 



Royal Society of South Africa, August 16. — Dr. 

 J. D. F. Gilchrist, president, in the chair. — W. A. 

 Jolly : The rhythm of discharge of the spinal centres 

 in the frog. The rate of discharge of the cord in 

 Xenopus at different temperatures, as indicated by 

 galvanometric records from the gastrocnemius muscle 

 reflexly excited, was discussed. — J. P. Dalton : On 

 the mathematics of the homogeneous balanced action. 

 It has been shown by the author that the integrated 

 velocity equations of chemical reactions can be 

 written in terms of a certain function. The same 

 function may be employed in the treatment of the 

 homogeneous balanced action. 



Official Publications Received. 



Western Australia. Annual Progress Report of the Geological 

 Survey tor the Year 1921. Pp. Gl. (Perth.) 



Northampton Polytechnic Institute. St. John Street, London, E.C. 

 Announcements, Educational and Social, for the Session 1922-1923. 

 Pp.248. (London: Northampton Polytechnic Institulc.) 



New Zealand. Department "i -Mines: Geological survey Branch. 

 Palaeontological Bulletin No. 9: The Upper Cretaceous Gastropods oi 

 New Zealand. Bv Dr. Otto Wilekens. Translated into English by 

 the Author. Pp. iv + 42 + 5 plates. (Wellington, N.Z.) 



Prospectus of the Koyal Collccc of Art, s. Kensington, London. 

 Session 1922-1923. Pp. iv + 29. (London: H.M. Stationery Office.) 

 9d. net. 



London School of Tropical Medicine. Department of llelminthology. 

 Collected Papers, 1922 (Part 2). Nos. 16-25. Pp. 3+4 + 11+7+9 

 + 75+3 + 7 + 11+5. (London: 23 Endsleigh Gardens.) 



Diary of Societies. 



MONDA Y, OCTOBER 2. 

 Society of Engineers (at Geological Society), at 5.30. — C. H. J. 

 Clayton : The Economics of Arterial Land Drainage. 



THURSDAY, October 5. 

 Royal Aeronautical Society (at Royal United Service institution), 



at 5.30.— Prof. L. Bairstow : The Work oi S. P. Langley. 

 Child-Study Society (at Royal Sanitary Institute), at 0. — Dr. C. W. 



Kimmins : Visual Humour. 

 Royal Photographic Society, at 8. — R. H. Lawton : The Use and 



Misuse of Short Focus Lenses. 

 Chi mii vi, society, at 8— H. Bassett and R. G. Durrant: Cuprlc 



Tetrammine Nitrite and the 



tions of Ammonia and ol . 



H. A. Piggott: The Addith 



Pt. I. The Synthesis and I 



hydro-1 :3-Diazine. 



on oi Copper by Aqueous Solu- 



um Nitrate. — C. K. Ingold and 

 ation of Four Membered Rings. 

 >n of some Derivatives of Tetra- 



F RID AY, October 6. 



Tookey : 



Junior Institution of Engineers, at 7.30. — 



Engineering in Bacon Factories. 

 Royal Photographic Society, at 8.— F. Lambert : The Beginnings 



of London. 



PUBLIC LECTURE. 



THURSDAY, October 5. 

 King's College, at 5.30.— Prof. H. Wildon Carr: The New Method of 



Descartes and the Problems to which it gave rise(l). Succeeding 

 Lectures on Oct. 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27, Nov. 2, 3. 



NO. 2761, VOL. I IO] 



